Two new titles continue growth of burgeoning Future Kids imprint

28/07/05 - Future Entertainment has taken the wraps off its latest magazines, two new children's titles, set to hit newsstands later this year. The growing Future Kids imprint will publish ZAP! - a videogames title for pre-teen boys and Muffin the Mule Magazine, an official title which marks the return of the classic children's TV star in an all-new cartoon series.

ZAP! is aimed at boys aged 7-13 years old and will cover all gaming formats, as well as TV, films, sport and toys. Readers will be immersed in the all-new world of Zapboy, a superhero in training and his robot guides. Appearing throughout ZAP!, the exciting, originally-created characters will review the latest games, as well as offering cheats, tips and solutions for bestselling titles ZAP! also features puzzles, drawing guides and exclusive comic strips - starring the magazine cast and occasional "special guests" from the world of videogames.

Launching on Thursday, November 3rd with a coverprice of £1.99, the content of ZAP! promises to be cool for kids and safe for parents - only featuring games suitable for its young audience and not covering any titles subject to a BBFC 15 rating or above. Published every three weeks, each issue of the magazine will also feature a high quality covermounted gift.

Future Kids launches Muffin the Mule Magazine on Thursday October 27th. Licensed from Peak Entertainment, the official magazine launches as the classic BBC children's character returns to TV screens, reborn in a new series of 26 episodes, each 10 minutes long, showing on both BBC One and the digital channel, CBeebies. As the BBC promotional machine gears up to boost Muffin's profile and celebrate his 60th anniversary in 2006, Muffin the Mule Magazine will be on sale every three weeks. The magazine takes a fun and educational approach to activities and puzzles that young children will enjoy with their parents, whilst continuing Muffin's adventures in a series of comic strips and stories. Aimed at 2-5 years olds, with a coverprice of £1.75, Muffin the Mule Magazine also marks Future's first entry into the pre-school market.

Editor Cavan Scott said:

"With Muffin the Mule once again set to be a TV favourite of a whole new generation of children we are delighted to be working with Peak Entertainment on this official title. Muffin was the first ever character created by the BBC and both the new TV show and magazine will follow in the BBC's tradition of quality, family entertainment. Through the adventures of Muffin children will be able to learn the importance of working together, a message that is as important today as it was 60 years ago.

"Alongside securing suitable licenses in Muffin and our existing Future Kids magazine, Jetix Magazine we have been investing in the creation of our own original characters and brands for younger people. ZAP! is the first example of Future letting these characters loose in an exciting magazine which enables us to capitalise on our longstanding relationships with the games industry. ZAP! is designed specifically for the growing numbers of pre-teen gamers and will only feature games suitable for this audience, making ZAP! an attractive purchase for parents and ideal for publishers launching games aimed at kids."

Publisher Kerry Lawrence said:

"These new launches continue the planned growth of our Future Kids imprint. When we successfully launched Jetix Magazine last year we announced our plan to step up our search for suitable licenses that would excite a younger audience and work on our own original brands for young people. This successful strategy will continue and we look forward to announcing further launches in 2006."

ENDS

About Future

Future plc was founded in the UK in 1985. Today, it publishes over 150 special-interest consumer magazines worldwide with strong portfolios in the computing, games, music, automotive, sports, crafts and leisure sectors. It is the fifth largest magazine publisher in the UK. Future employs 1,450 people in offices in the UK, US, France and Italy. Over 100 international editions of Future's magazines are also published under licence in 30 other countries across the world. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR).

For more information:

Will Guyatt, Media Relations Manager, 01225 822517.

About Peak Entertainment Holdings Inc

Peak Entertainment Holdings Inc. is a fully integrated multimedia company dedicated to quality children's television entertainment, character licensing and consumer products. The company's unique, fully-integrated business model, which includes concept creation and branding, production of entertainment programs, character licensing, and manufacturing and distribution of toys and related consumer products, gives it maximum quality control and speed-to-market while developing total brand equity. Peak's properties include Monster Quest, The Wumblers, Little Big Feet, Countin' Sheep, and Snailsbury's Tails. The Company has established itself in the United States equity markets through a listing on the Over-The-Counter (OTC) market and trades under the symbol PKEH.

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