'7th Portal' Live-Action Project Marks Historic First, Bringing a Web-Created Animation Franchise to the Big Screen, Global Icons to Handle Licensing, Merchandising.

Business Editors/Entertainment Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 9, 2000

In the first deal to bring a Web-created global animation franchise to the big screen, producer and former studio head Mark Canton, who shepherded movie franchises from comicbook properties ("Batman," "Men In Black") has forged a partnership with comicbook creator Stan Lee (Spider-Man, The X-Men) to produce a motion picture version of Lee's "7th Portal."

Entertainment licensing/merchandising company Global Icons (www.globalicons.com) (Los Angeles), which represents "The 7th Portal," will manage the licensing program. "We can't wait to begin to develop product and merchandising opportunities for The 7th Portal," said Lotman, whose firm represents the Hollywood Sign, plus a galaxy of legendary Hollywood stars. "Stan is bar none the most respected name in the comic field and enjoys the adulation of three generations of American youth. Surely the `7th Portal' will rival the recent successes of `Men in Black,' `Batman,' and other major movie product franchises."

The film will be produced by Canton with Stan Lee Media, Inc. (Nasdaq:SLEE) co-founder/chief creative officer Lee and co-founder Peter F. Paul serving as executive producers.

The 7th Portal is Stan Lee Media's first original super hero franchise for the new millennium with global super-heroes and super-villains. Described as starting where films like "Men In Black" and "Independence Day" left off, the project will take advantage of all of the technological advances that both the motion picture and Internet worlds provide.

"It is an honor to be in business with Stan Lee, a personal hero for me, and the pre-eminent force of branded superheroes of all time," said Canton, who also said, "This is big screen, big popcorn entertainment that people of all ages, from around the world can relate to." He included, "The international, interracial mandate that these superheroes create is one which could create the first international franchise that can spawn regional franchises."

"When we established Stan Lee Media in 1999, we wanted to show that the Internet could offer a new way for global superhero franchises to be created and then adapted to traditional media," enthused Lee. On February 29 the comicbook icon launched his first project, "7th Portal," a Flash-animated series of Webisodes following the exploits of a team of interdimensional superheroes.

Stan Lee Media, Inc. (http://www.stanleemedia.com) is a public, Internet based, multimedia production, marketing, and licensing company founded by pop- culture icon Stan Lee, co-creator of such classic characters as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and The X-Men. More than two billion copies of books featuring characters Lee co-created have been published in 100 countries and 27 languages. Launching a new generation of superheroes and super-villains online, Stan Lee Media seeks to become the premier creator of episodic entertainment on the Internet. The company has partnered with a range of talent and content creators to establish the largest independent content creation, production and distribution brand on the Internet.

Mark Canton has been a preeminent force in the entertainment industry over the past two decades. Having joined Warner Bros. as Vice President of Production, in 1980, and as President of Worldwide Theatrical Production he shepherded the "Batman," "Lethal Weapon," and "Nation Lampoon's Vacation" franchises and oversaw "GoodFellas," and "The Color Purple." Canton joined Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1991 as Chairman of Columbia Pictures, three years later becoming Chairman of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Companies where he was responsible for dozens of hits, including "Groundhog Day," "A League of Their Own," "Jerry Maguire," "Men In Black," "Air Force One," "My Best Friend's Wedding," and "As Good As It Gets."

Global Icons is a unique licensing and merchandising company specializing in promoting and merchandising classic celebrity and corporate images. The company's mission is to successfully market clients as powerful commercial and cultural icons. Global Icons' clients include: The Hollywood Sign and Hollywood Walk of Fame, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Milton Berle, W.C. Fields, James Cagney, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis, Jr., Marlene Dietrich, Clark Gable, Bob Hope, Burt Lancaster, Carole Lombard, Vincent Price, Donna Reed, Edward G. Robinson, Natalie Wood, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and World Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis. Visit: www.globalicons.com.