Pop Culture and Comics guru and Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) favorite Mike Carbonaro travels near and far in search of the best books, toys and memorabilia in CONtv’s newest original series, Comic Book America with Mike Carbonaro.
The mini-series debuted this week on CONtv (http://www.contv.com), where fans can catch up with Mike “Carbo” Carbonaro as he locates comic books, vintage playsets, classic artwork, and sports memorabilia in the first four episodes. CONtv director of programming, Nash Herrington, produces the series.
The show features the enthusiastic Carbonaro as he highlights some of the more unique and interesting collections he’s come across, such as one man’s Doctor Strange collection, classic Joe Palooka, Flintstone playsets, and others. Also, fans can play along at home while they watch by using social media to tell what they would pay for the items that Carbonaro buys in the show.
The highlight of the show is the host himself. An enterprising and successful entrepreneur, Carbonaro began buying and selling comics at age 10. At age 13, Carbonaro set up at his very first comic convention. Later, from 1981 to 1997, he ran his own very successful comic book store, Continental Comics, in Queens, N.Y. In 1996, Carbonaro began the very first Big Apple Convention at St. Paul the Apostle church on 58th St. and Columbus in Manhattan; 12 years later it was the most successful privately owned comic convention in New York City. “Carbo” is currently working as a buyer for Dave & Adam’s Cardworld (also seen at many Wizard World shows) and doing what he loves—buying comic and pop culture collections from around the world.
“’Carbo’ is a fixture at Wizard World shows and one of the most knowledgeable, entertaining figures in the collectibles world,” said John Macaluso, Wizard World CEO. “His enthusiasm, well known to thousands who have attended our events, comes through loud and clear in this fun, informative series that Wizard World fans will love.”
Catering to the enormous and avid Comic Con audience, CONtv currently boasts 2,500 hours of original programming, curated films and TV episodes, and exclusive Comic Con panel coverage from dozens of annual nationwide conventions, with new panel programming added weekly as additional conventions take place. Spanning star studded panels with pop culture heroes such as William Shatner (“Star Trek”), Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk”), Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead, the forthcoming series “Ash vs Evil Dead”), to the best in cosplay, creator workshops, Con after hours events, and more, CONtv is the only service to offer Comic Con event coverage alongside premium feature film, television, and original programming.
About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)
Wizard World, Inc. (http://www.wizardworld.com) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched CONtv, a digital media channel in partnership with leading independent content distributor Cinedigm™ (NASDAQ: CIDM), and ComicConBox™, a premium subscription-based monthly box service. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.
The 2015 Wizard World Comic Con schedule is available at: www.wizardworld.com/wizcon.html.
About CONtv
CONtv is a new digital entertainment network devoted exclusively to the fanspace that provides audiences access to thousands of hours of content showcasing an original slate of programming, as well as an eclectic catalog of over 1,200 must-watch titles. Everything from quirky original series, elusive cult films & television shows, celebrated genre movies encompassing sci-fi, horror, fantasy, anime, grindhouse, martial arts action, to exclusive live coverage of Comic Con events nationwide, all available on-demand either in a free, ad-supported format or a subscription-based model for premium content. CONtv is a partnership of Cinedigm, one of the nation’s largest independent distributor of digital entertainment, and Wizard World, producers of the largest Comic Con Tour in the U.S. Together, they provide an unrivalled hub of content, community and conventions across the broad spectrum of devices including Android and Mac iOS, Samsung Smart TV, Roku Players and Roku TV, the web, and mobile and tablet devices. For more information, visit CONtv.com.
About Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM)
Cinedigm is a leading independent content distributor in the United States, with direct relationships with thousands of physical retail storefronts and digital platforms, including Wal-Mart, Target, iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon, as well as the national Video on Demand platform on cable television. The company’s library of films and TV episodes encompasses award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films®, next-gen Indies from Flatiron Film Company®, acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Films and a wide range of content from brand name suppliers, including National Geographic, Discovery, Scholastic, NFL, Shout Factory, Hallmark, Jim Henson and more.
