[Groop] Groo News from ME

[Mark Evanier]

The following press release will be appearing in VARIETY and HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER in the next few days.  I thought the Groop would like to see
it first...

IPW ACQUIRES SERGIO ARAGONES' GROO

Marc Toberoff's company, IPW (Intellectual Properties Worldwide) has
acquired the motion picture rights to the long-running comic book GROO
THE WANDERER.  Created by Sergio Aragones with writer Mark Evanier,
GROO was first published in 1983 and generated an immediate outpouring
of affection for its unique irreverence. Groo's adventures now number
over 170 issues, and Aragones and Evanier will draw from this wealth
of material to write a screenplay as part of their deal with IPW.

Best described as Conan the Barbarian meets Shrek, the comic book has
attracted many suitors of late.  Toberoff, along with IPW's head of
production J. Todd Harris, teamed with Bay Area producer JeffreyJeff
Allard, President of Indie Entertainment, LLC and executive producer
of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, to take the property off the
market.

"I've known Mark Evanier and have been a fan of Sergio for many
years," noted IPW Chairman Toberoff.  "For me, GROO is one of the few
remaining crown jewels of the comic world.  Imagine crossing Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Peter Sellers and voilà -- GROO. Sergio is a visual
genius and Mark's witty dialogue and stories are hilarious and
family-friendly.  In a couple years, our kids will be saying "GROO,
GROO, GROO" like Shrek today."

Able to lay waste to entire armies while saddled with the mental
capacity of sand -- Groo roams the land with his swords and his
adoring dog Rufferto, encountering dragons, wizards, witches and kings
along the way. Villains often attempt to exploit his legendary
swordsmanship by playing on his lack of smarts, but Groo's charming
blend of naiveté and stubborn literalness has an uncanny way of
derailing their schemes.

Aragones is best known for his work for Mad Magazine, to which he's
been a regular contributor since 1963.  He has won every known award
for cartooning, including the prestigious Reuben Award from the
National Cartoonists Society.  Evanier has extensive writing credits
in comic books and television (including three Emmy nominations).  His
television writing includes Garfield and Friends, Mother Goose and
Grimm, and Superman.  Together, Aragones and Evanier have been
nominated for fifteen of the comic industry's Eisner Awards since 1992
(twelve for GROO) and have won six times.

Marc Toberoff recently founded IPW to focus full-time on acquiring
rights to branded properties for exploitation via film, television and
merchandising.  The company recently set up My Bodyguard at Dimension
Films and has numerous projects in development including The Immortals
at Warner Bros. and Fantasy Island at Sony.  Other properties in
various stages of development include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Guys
and Dolls, Grand Hotel, Rififi, Little Caesar, Asphalt Jungle, Sanford
& Son, Hart to Hart, Ironside, Police Woman, and Piranha.

In addition to writing the screenplay, Aragones and Evanier will serve
as executive producers. Toberoff and Harris will produce.  Allard will
executive produce.
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