Wizard World Comic Con Sacramento Attendees to Receive 'The Walking Dead #1' Limited Edition Exclusive Variant Cover By Eisner Award Winner Paolo Rivera, June 19-21

‘Mythos’ Painter, ‘Daredevil’ Penciler Has Drawn 12th Cover In 2015 Series Available At Sacramento Convention Center For Full-Price Attendees; VIP Fans Get Additional B&W Sketch Cover At Registration

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 4, 2015 -- Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) and Skybound, Robert Kirkman's imprint at Image Comics, today announced that Mythos painter and Daredevil penciler and Eisner Award winner Paolo Rivera has drawn the 12th in a yearlong series of Limited Edition Exclusive Variant Covers of The Walking Dead #1 comic, to be provided free to all full-price attendees at Wizard World Comic Con Sacramento, June 19-21. Skybound’s The Walking Dead created by Kirkman, the groundbreaking, Eisner Award winning comic book series, continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

The exclusive The Walking Dead #1 edition will be produced in extremely limited quantities and is available at registration to fans at the Sacramento Convention Center only while supplies last. VIP attendees will receive an additional black & white sketch version of the comic.

Rivera started working for Marvel Comics in 2002. Although he began his career painting in oil, he has since moved on to penciling, inking, and coloring (with some occasional sculpting). He was born and raised in Daytona Beach, Fla., and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2003, where he studied under David Mazzucchelli. He broke into the comics industry thanks to writer Jim Krueger, whom he met at Megacon in Orlando, Fla. (while still in high school).

Rivera’s best-known painted work is Mythos , a series of six richly-painted origin stories written by Paul Jenkins. Originally published as one-shots, it was collected into a hardcover edition in 2008. He now limits his painted work to covers including The Twelve, The Iliad, The Amazing Spider-Man and Wolverine, among many others. More recently, he penciled six issues of Mark Waid’s Daredevil run. His father, Joe Rivera, inked the issues, for which they received two Eisners.

The artists for future books will be announced as they are selected. A similar series in 2013 featuring exclusives of The Walking Dead #1 proved to be wildly popular with fans. The full schedule of 2015-16 Wizard World shows is available at http://www.wizardworld.com/wizcon.html.

“The Walking Dead” stars attending the second annual Wizard World Comic Con Sacramento include Norman Reedus (“Daryl Dixon”), Christian Serratos (“Rosita Espinosa”) and Scott Wilson (“Hershel Greene”). The celebrity roster also includes Danny Trejo (Machete , From Dusk Till Dawn), Katie Cassidy (“Arrow”), Henry Winkler (“Happy Days,” “Royal Pains”), Kelly Frye (“The Flash”), WWE® Divas The Bella Twins™ and Eva Marie™, Charlie Carver (“Teen Wolf,” Malcolm McDowell ( A Clockwork Orange), Alfonso Ribeiro (“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) and many others.

In addition to Rivera, Artist Alley in Sacramento will feature Neal Adams (“Batman,” “Green Lantern”), Humberto Ramos (“Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Spectacular Spider-Man”), Mel Rubi (“Red Sonja,” “Doctor Strange”), Phil Ortiz (“The Simpsons,” “Muppet Babies”), Peter Bagge (“Hate,” “Mad”), Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”), Ethan Van Sciver (“Justice League,” “Batman”) and more.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The 13th of 26 events currently scheduled on the 2015 Wizard World calendar, Sacramento show hours are Friday, June 19, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, June 21, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more on the 2015 Wizard World Comic Con Sacramento, visit http://www.wizardworld.com/home-sacramento.html .

About Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman is the creator of many popular comic books, including the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur , and the new exorcism comic, Outcast which was released in June 2014 and recently received a pilot pickup for CINEMAX with Fox International.

Since entering the comics scene with his self-published cult-hit Battle Pope in 2000, the Kentucky native has risen to fame as one of the most successful names in comics and entertainment. In 2008, Kirkman became a partner at Image Comics, and in 2010, he opened Skybound, his own imprint at Image, which publishes his titles as well as other original work.

That same year, Kirkman continued to expand his presence in the entertainment industry, becoming a creator, executive producer and writer on The Walking Dead television show.

The show is in production on its fifth season and has become the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time. To date The Walking Dead is the #1 on television among the coveted 18-49 demo.

Kirkman is also slated to executive produce AMC’s upcoming The Walking Dead companion series.

Under the Skybound Entertainment umbrella Kirkman wrapped production on his first feature film, Air, starring The Walking Dead ’s Norman Reedus and Academy Award-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou.

About Skybound Entertainment

Since opening its doors in 2010, Skybound Entertainment has grown into a multiplatform entertainment company. Skybound CEO Robert Kirkman is creator of the award-winning The Walking Dead comic book series, the inspiration for the hit TV show of the same name where he serves as creator and executive producer. To date The Walking Dead is the #1 on television among the coveted 18-49 demo.

Skybound Entertainment and Kirkman just wrapped production on their first feature film, Air, starring The Walking Dead ’s Norman Reedus and Academy Award-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou. The film is slated to be released in the spring of 2015.

Skybound released Kirkman’s new exorcism comic, Outcast , in June 2014 which recently got the green light for a television pilot with CINEMAX and Fox International. Kirkman will serve as creator and executive producer of the series.

Skybound Entertainment and digital entertainment company Maker Studios recently announced a deal for the studio to produce and air four digital series based off Skybound IPs.

Comic book titles published by Skybound include The Walking Dead, the superhero-comic Invincible, all-ages comic Super Dinosaur, the revenge drama Dead Body Road, and heist comic Thief of Thieves .

Skybound also creates a wide range of merchandise, including video games, apparel, board games, and action figures.

For more information, please visit Skybound online at www.skybound.com and www.thewalkingdead.com .

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 .