Oz and I have seen this, it is mostly finished being developed- so it looks as though this is really going to happen. This store is the reason they have been doing things with the server (they still need to have a weekend freeze to get everything moved properly, btw).

I'm not sure how much we will be able to tell you about any plans or details at this stage, but essentially if you have a Drunk Duck account, you can have a DD Store account (they will be linked). The artist uploads an image (of a minimum DPI) and the buyer uses an interface to put that image onto any of a selection of merchandise. So, it's print on demand, but rather than having to figure out if you want to offer shirts, prints, etc… you can more or less ‘offer’ all of them.

DD Store accounts will be managed via PayPal (both buying and selling), so unfortunately you will need a PayPal account to make use of the store. Platinum felt this was the most secure and easiest way to manage that end of it, and it also means that sellers' payments aren't tied up waiting for minimum amounts, checks, etc.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PLATINUM STUDIOS PARTNERS WITH EZPRINTS

Partnership Allows Users to Create Their Own Merchandise Via Webcomics Portal DrunkDuck.com

Los Angeles, CA – January X, 2010 – Platinum Studios, Inc. (OTCBB: PDOS), an entertainment company that controls an international library of more than 5,600 comic book characters which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media, and ezprints, Inc., a provider of personalized product and related technology solutions, have partnered to create a revolutionary merchandise creation and fulfillment program for Platinum’s leading webcomics portal, DrunkDuck.com.

This new program will allow users of DrunkDuck.com to choose art from the site, design their own products, and order merchandise from a storefront integrated directly into the popular webcomics portal. Comic creators on the site will be able to earn money from merchandising their creations on the same website that they are currently publishing their work. Artists and creators who opt in will be earning money from every sale related to their work.

“Now, for the first time, the thousands of comics on DrunkDuck will be available for merchandising without need for creators to go to third-party merchandising sites, set up separate accounts, and hope that their readers go there,” says Platinum Studios Chairman and CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. “It will all be in one convenient place, accessible from their comic page right on DrunkDuck.com.”

According to PMA Marketing Research, custom products and services, like those offered through this new program on DrunkDuck.com, represent the fastest growing category in the $89.6 billion photo imaging industry. In fact, at a time when consumer spending remains low and economic forecasts remain bleak, ezprints recently reported that units shipped during its peak week were up 109 percent.

We’re very excited about our partnership with Platinum Studios,” said Wes Herman, CEO of ezprints, Inc. “Scott and his team will be leveraging our easy-to-use online product creation tool, ezp builder, in a way that no one else has to date, providing their base of passionate artists and fans with an unparalleled amount of control over the look and feel of the merchandise. “

Rosenberg added, “Platinum has been exploring ways to provide creators unprecedented profit participation and ezprints’ezp builder is exactly what we needed to make that happen. By creating a situation where both creators and Platinum profit from each transaction, Platinum is supporting a broad base of independent artists and increasing its own bottom line by helping to greater monetize the over 160 million pages views it received on Drunk Duck."

The program is currently in Beta Testing and is expected to launch in early February of this year.


About Platinum Studios, Inc.

Platinum Studios (OTCBB: PDOS) is an entertainment company that controls an international library of comic book characters from all over the world, which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media including print, film, online, mobile / wireless, gaming, and merchandising.

Platinum Studios - Comics Fueling Media EVERYWHERE!


Platinum Studios Safe Harbor Statement

Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “may,” “intend,” “expect” and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Although expected, actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of Platinum Studios and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting Platinum Studios and its operations; its markets, products, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently, and other factors detailed in reports filed by Platinum Studios with the SEC.


About ezprints, Inc.

Founded in 1998 to provide digital photofinishing solutions, ezprints has transformed itself into a private label end-to-end personalized product solution provider. From its proprietary, easy-to-use technology to its state-of-the-art printing and shipping capabilities, ezprints effortlessly turns websites into revenue-generators. Ezprints provides personalized professional grade prints, home décor products, stationery products and a wide variety of gift items. For more information, please visit www.ezpservices.com.


###


Platinum Studios Contacts:

Dan Forcey

(310) 807-8125

info@platinumstudios.com


Investor Relations:

Thomas Becker

Platinum Studios, Inc. – Investor Relations

(702) 478-7363

investors@platinumstudios.com


ezprints Media Contact:

Manda Hunt

manda@lenoxcommunications.com

(404) 441.3455


ezprints, Inc. Contact:

Mike Rosenberg

mrosenberg@ezprints-inc.com

(678) 405-7359

thumbs up.

This is pretty cool, I likes!

As long as it isn't just Plat teasing us again. D:

I want stuff! :)

I'd enter some Pwnd Randomness stuff if I ever really got to it.

More importantly if anyone would buy it.

Need a paypal…

Skool and I will be featuring our own stuff for sale all over the front page of the store constantly, so you'd better buy it. :)

The store still needs some tweeking yet, but it's been at a good finished stage for a while now!

O: Hawt!

How versatile will the products we'll be able to offer be? Are we talking just regular sized comics? Will there be a page limit? How about trade sized books? Digest sized novels for the manga folks? Hardcovers?

And what about posters or prints, or other non-book specific print products?

EDIT: Nevermind, after looking at their official site, I see they don't actually do any book binding products, it's only prints and cards and stuff. Which is still cool, but I was hoping they'd actually offer book products. Oh well.

That sounds really cool!

theRedDeath
EDIT: Nevermind, after looking at their official site, I see they don't actually do any book binding products, it's only prints and cards and stuff. Which is still cool, but I was hoping they'd actually offer book products. Oh well.

Yes, it's more like Cafe Press. -merchandising.

One cool thing extra:
People won't need a comic to put work on stuff for sale. People can join DD just to sell art (printed of things) through the store. And of course people with comics can put whatever work they like on things- as long as they created it themselves.

I don't know anything about ezprint, but it's a cool idea. It would make it a lot easier for people to find your store and actually purchase something which has always been a bit of an issue in my experience with DD.

I do want to know about what kind of restriction there would be on what you're allowed to place in your store. I mean, while it would be cool to allow fans to pick up selected non-comic related works as special editions or something, I can't imagine that you wouldn't wind up with some people abusing that and placing an entire store of completely un-related stuff without ever even starting a comic and just using DD like a blog with a built-in store for their non-comic work.

edit: nevermind. Oz, as usual, has impeccable timing.

As long as you create it and own copyright you can sell it. Whatever work you want you can get printed. No restriction.*
People simply don't have to make any comics at all, all they need is a DD account :)

*Things will still have to be vetted in case there's something bad…

You can have adult stuff in there as well I think.

lba
edit: nevermind. Oz, as usual, has impeccable timing.

^__^

Is there any plan as to when this will be up?

I'm actually pretty excited about this!
I'm not sure how much I'll want to use it, but I can definitely think of some stuff that will be fun.
I wounder when we'll do a community project: “Fit a ton of characters onto this shirt, your comic urls on back” thingy. That will be pretty sweet.

You will indeed be able to have adult stuff on there. There will be an age filter the same way there is on the main site. And it's definitely not just prints. If you want to see a sampling of the kinds of stuff they offer, you can see it here: http://ezpservices.com/services/what-we-offer.aspx#products. If anyone has any questions, I'm happy to answer them via PQ or here. I'm glad you guys are excited about it. The admins and Kinh (in our office) have put a lot of work into it setting it up and I hope you all will get to see it very soon!

-Platinum Dan

Hippie Van
Is there any plan as to when this will be up?

Hopefully next week. The store is pretty well fine, the challenge is to move DD to the new servers WITH the store on them as well. The store is already there, but getting DD working perfectly has proved challenging.

This sounds like great fun: well worth a few weekends of not being able to post my inane jabber.

Platinum Dan
-Platinum Dan

And Platinum Dan's here too? Three cheers for Platinum Dan!

As long as I don't have to give away any copyright and the quality is good, I'm all for it :D

I'm always here, Ironscarf, just usually wearing my Cloak of Lurkiness. :-)

This sounds excellent! I'm very much looking forward to it :3.

Oh this is neat. Though I was a bit ticked at 1st cause I thought they were going to be a store like KaBlam or Comixpress. And I just had my comics all printed at KaBlam.

I always like to be affiliated with DD stuff, so I'll be looking forward to this for… (looks thorough site)
Panoramas O_O oooh nice!
Oh man, I wanted to list them… but they make so much ^_^

These guys will make a fortune on numbnuts like me!!! I want a Calender with my characters so bad!!! XD

maybe I'll have the energy to get into comics again thanks to this… maybe…

will have to have a look and see if it is comparible to cafepress, and printfection.
and if the prices are lower as well. if it is, I will use it for both BloodBound sites

This is great news. I'm totally going to sell myself some self promoting merch!

As an active member of this community, i would like to formally state my approval of this new venture in hopes it will bring mostly positive things for both Inebriated Anatidae and 78Pt Studios.

Tunnel Snakes rule!

aw cool! i dont have to back alley this shit anymore! :D i echo Aurora in saying are there any rights or anything they claim to your workand add my own nag by asking how much of a precent you get from a sale? i think it's cool either way that people might actually get to wear some PM swag, just curious.

Aurora Borealis
As long as I don't have to give away any copyright and the quality is good, I'm all for it :D

Of course not! Like with DD, you keep 100% of your copyrights and all things related to that.

PIT_FACE
how much of a precent you get from a sale?

I can't recall right now, but I remember thinking at the time it was a pretty good deal ^^

I've been thinking about making up a Gertrude & Brunhilda calendar & was pleased to see they do calendars. Wiigii!

Do the mugs only feature a small, squarish picture or can they do wraparound?

I'd love to offer this cartoon on a wraparound mug.

PIT_FACE
how much of a precent you get from a sale?

I do have this: “All profits generated from merchandise sales will be split 50/50 between the artist and the site.”
Profits would be what is left after EZPrints is paid for the merchandize, which they're supplying- but I believe they are charged a wholesale rate, something like $.15 for a 5x7 print. So, if a 5x7 print is $3, That's a lot left over to split. (EZPrints might have a bigger amount than that, but some of the things seemed very cheap.) S&H would be on top, I'd guess. I'm not sure if they ship internationally, actually…

Platinum is going with a set price for each type of merchandise. So, ALL mugs sold will be the same price, regardless of who is selling them. They feel that will create a more equitable situation for buyers. Since they are equally splitting the profits with artists, it's in their interest to keep prices low enough to interest people and to compete with sites like cafepress. The artists are getting a large enough percentage that they should still make more selling things here at a fixed price than on cafepress, where you can set the price but get only a fraction of it.

Dan will correct me if I've got any of this wrong. My info is based on early conversations and I'm not sure if I've got the EZPrint part right. :]

Will we be able to put certain designs ONLY available on one kind of product, for example a picture used only as a T-shirt design?

Platinum Dan
wearing my Cloak of Lurkiness. :-)

It looks good, but imagine how awesome you're going to look in the exclusive new range of limited edition DD store cloaks of lurkiness with custom imprint linings!