Disney Book Group to Sponsor Kids' Day; Kid's Comic Con 2008 to Announce Award-Winners!

Norwalk, CT, December 19, 2007: New York Comic Con (NYCC) has announced its most recent guest appearances for the 2008 show which will take place at the Jacob K. Javits Center, April 18 - 20. In making the announcement, show officials also note that the Disney Book Group has recently come on board as a sponsor for Kids' Day, an all-day program on Sunday, April 20 which will focus on events and activities designed to attract and entertain young fans. So far, officials note, Kids' Day has been greeted with overwhelming support. Kid's Comic Con 2008 has also recently partnered with New York Comic Con and will announce the winner of their brand new awards program at NYCC as part of the many Kids' Day activities.

New Featured Guests who have been confirmed for an appearance at NYCC include: Mark Buckingham, famous for his work on Marvelman (Miracleman in the USA), Hellblazer, and Fables; Dale Eaglesham, an illustrator with dozens of DC and Marvel titles to his credit, and who is well-known for the newly re-launched title, Justice Society of America; Ron Garney, who, over the course of his career, has made a name for himself tackling some of the industry's greatest characters, such as the Incredible Hulk, Silver Surfer and, most notably, Captain America, and who is currently getting rave reviews illustrating Amazing Spiderman with J.M. Stryzynski; and Steve McNiven, who has worked with an impressive array of writers, including Warren Ellis, Brian Bendis, and Mark Millar on titles such as New Avengers and Ultimate Secret.

NYCC is also pleased to announce the first names that will be appearing in the popular Artists Alley at this year's convention. Talented artists who have agreed to participate include: Matt "Batt" Banning, Buzz, Sean Chen, Aaron Lopresti, and Kevin Maguire.

Previously announced guests at NYCC include Mike Mignola and Alex Ross, both of whom will be Guests of Honor; Featured Guests who have already been announced include Neal Adams, Kyle Baker, Amanda Conner, Dean Haspiel, Robert Napton, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Paola Rivera.

"I am incredibly happy, to say nothing of grateful, to have such a great list of guests to announce for New York Comic Con," notes Lance Fensterman, Event Director for NYCC. "Things are shaping up extraordinarily well and we will have some more announcements to make about some major guest appearances right after the New Year. Meanwhile, our Kids' Day programming is really taking off and we're also thankful to everyone who is partnering with us to make this such a successful initiative. Kids are the future of our industry and it's terrific to have so many people lining up to make this a sure-fire hit."

Since its inception 15 years ago, Disney Book Group has amassed a portfolio of best selling authors including many of the most famous writers writing in the children's genre today, including Eoin Colfer, Jonathan Stroud, Sharon G. Flake, Caroline Kennedy, and Mo Willems, to name a few. As part of their sponsorship at NYCC, the Disney Book Group will have a featured panel on Kids' Day to highlight some of Disney's hottest, new upcoming projects. Meanwhile, Kid's Comic Con 2008 which takes place in the Bronx on March 29, 2008 has just announced that they are launching the first, official Kids' Comic Con Comics Awards. The finalists will be announced at Kids' Comic Con on March 29 and the winners will be declared on Kids' Day at NYCC on April 20, 2008.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS: New York Comic Con is operated by Reed Exhibitions which is the world's leading events organizer. In 2006 Reed brought together over six million industry professions from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 34 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organized by 37 fully staffed offices.

Reed organizes a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. Its portfolio of over 460 events serves 52 industry sectors, including:

Aerospace and defense, building and construction, design, electronics, energy, oil and gas, entertainment, food and hospitality, gifts, healthcare, IT/telecoms, jewelry, manufacturing, marketing and business services, pharmaceuticals, property, publishing, security, sport and recreation, transport and logistics, travel. Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.

Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2005, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of £1,002 million on turnover of £5,166 million.