Cracked Entertainment Announces New Team

Former Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Joins
NEW YORK, March 28, 2005 -- Cracked Entertainment, Inc. today announced several key creative and executive appointments, signaling a strong commitment to its publishing business and the planned re-launch of CRACKED Magazine.

Tom DeFalco, one of the preeminent names in comics publishing today, has joined the company as the new Editor-in-Chief of CRACKED Magazine.

For over twenty years, DeFalco distinguished himself as a top writer and editor at Marvel Comics. For almost eight of those years, he was Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief and was one of the longest-serving individuals to ever hold that post. DeFalco was a key member of the management team that took Marvel public and under his leadership, Marvel’s net profits from publishing rose by over 500%.

DeFalco is also the author of over a dozen graphic novels, several hundred comic book stories, several dozen cyber-comics, three novels and six children’s books - including the best-selling Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide and Hulk: The Incredible Guide. DeFalco has personally created and developed over three dozen characters that have all been licensed for television, toys, t-shirts, posters, trading cards and other merchandise. He also worked with toymaker Hasbro on the G.I. Joe toy line and animated show and was also part of the team that introduced the Transformers to the American public.

“Tom is a gifted writer and editor. He brings exceptional depth to CRACKED in both the creative and business aspects of publication and we’re excited to have him join us,” said Monty Sarhan, who was named Publisher and CEO of Cracked Entertainment just last week.

According to a company spokesperson, prior to joining Cracked, Sarhan practiced corporate law at top-tier firms in both Boston and New York. A member of the American and New York Bar Associations, Sarhan has represented clients in diverse transactions including private equity and venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, and numerous other transactions involving significant intellectual property assets, such as the sale of a well-known US publishing business with considerable copyright assets to a major European publisher and the negotiation of a foreign joint venture for a popular online portal. A graduate of the Duke University School of Law, Sarhan is also a successful entrepreneur who has raised over $70 million for various projects and companies throughout the world, including a bid for a telecommunications license and the attempted buyout of a well-known Hollywood production company.

The company also announced that Sven Larsen has joined Cracked Entertainment as Associate Publisher.

Larsen is an 18-year veteran of the publishing and media world, having worked at several companies including Penguin Books, the Time Warner Book Group and Marvel Comics. Larsen’s vast experience spans sales, publicity, licensing and marketing in the book and periodical markets. At Penguin, Larsen oversaw marketing and sales for both the Financial Times and The Economist. And during his time at both Penguin and Time Warner, Larsen oversaw international marketing campaigns for such well-known authors as David Sedaris, Garrison Keillor, Stephen King, Patricia Cornwall and Tom Clancy.

Prior to entering the book-publishing field, Larsen was Director of Marketing and Creative Services at Marvel Comics. Larsen designed the marketing campaign for the company’s X-MEN launch, which became the best selling comic ever published with over 8 million copies sold, and was also part of the team that took Marvel public.

Rounding out the first wave of hires, Justin Droms has been named Associate Editor. A graduate of Georgetown University, Droms previously worked at Scholastic Books where he developed online marketing initiatives and websites for Scholastic’s wide range of titles. While still a student, Droms founded The Georgetown Heckler, an online humor magazine that has become one of the nation’s most popular college humor destinations. Under his leadership, the site has expanded to include a successful merchandising effort and Droms recently published and edited a well-received anthology of The Heckler’s best articles.

“Tom, Sven and Justin bring unique and unparalleled experience to the company,” said Sarhan. “I am confident that they will do a fantastic job in helping to lead the transformation of CRACKED into its new format.”

Cracked continues to ramp up its operations in New York and plans to announce additional hires in the weeks and months ahead. “We’ll be adding individuals whose experience reflects the new mix of the magazine and the entire focus of the company,” added Sarhan. “Our goal is to build a team with the skill set and track record to turn CRACKED into a major media, marketing and merchandising brand.”

About Cracked Entertainment, Inc.

Based in New York, Cracked Entertainment (http://www.cracked.com) is the publisher of the well-known CRACKED Magazine, one of America’s oldest and most well-known humor magazines.

Contact Information

Monty Sarhan

Media Contact

Cracked Entertainment, Inc.

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