LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25, 1999 (PRIMEZONE) -- Nationallampoon.com, an interactive online entertainment network, launches today, introducing its hilarious and satirical humor to Cyberspace. The Network will capitalize on the power of the National Lampoon brand by developing new, edgy comedy as well as offering classic National Lampoon material.
J2 Communications/National Lampoon (Nasdaq:JTWO), developed the interactive, web-based National Lampoon network to serve up politically-incorrect and irreverent laughs for the Internet audience. The Network has developed a revenue base by offering advertisers access to the most sought-after demographic group, 18-34-year-olds and by launching with its own e-commerce store, Smash & Grab, which will sell nationallampoon.com merchandise and memorabilia. Other revenue sources include syndication of its Network content.
"There's a shortage of original humor programming on the Web and we're thrilled to leap into this void by launching an online humor network with content that is fresh and ever-changing," said Jim Jimirro, CEO of J2/National Lampoon.
Jimirro, the founding President of The Disney Channel, believes that Nationallampoon.com will develop new characters, animation and series that can be spun off into movies, TV, video and merchandise. He also envisions potential joint ventures or strategic alliances with well-established Internet companies.
"TV today can't compare with our short, punchy interactive comedy," Jimirro said. "By launching a network on the Internet, we are comedy's newest pioneers."
Said Editor-in-Chief Scott Rubin, "This launch is just a taste of what's coming from nationallampoon.com. Our content will continue to walk a rickety balance beam between the crude, uncouth and clever, intelligent comedy."
The Network will launch with an ambitious slate of constantly-changing programs that will motivate visitors to check in frequently and stay on line for longer than the average viewer.
Features that will be updated daily include:
-- Apocalyptic Al -- A websodic cartoon that follows the tawdry decline of an average white-collar Joe who snaps and decides to dabble in all things unhealthy and unethical before Y2K brings about the end of civilization
-- News on the March -- The popular National Lampoon feature that parodies news event through a faux online newspaper
-- True Facts -- An amalgam of shocking but laughably true news items culled from the site's staff and readers
Frequently updated regular features will include:
-- Fantasy Losers League -- A biting parody of rotisserie sports games where contestants pick pro players based on their most egregious off-the-field misbehaviors (druggies, deadbeat dads, etc.)
-- Flush Life -- Toilet humor goes interactive as bathroom wall graffiti characters come to life at night
-- Rainbow TV: The All -Inclusive Network -- An interactive television network that addresses the over abundance of whites on network television by letting viewers choose the racial and ethnic make-up and sexual orientation of sitcom characters or sports team
-- Cyber Cops -- An ongoing series that cuts between full-motion-video to animation. Inspired by reality television, the series follows mismatched buddy cops who patrol smut peddlers, white collar crooks and other undesirables on the Internet
-- Soon after launch, readers will be invited to deface a "Hypocrite of the Week," a public figure currently in the news on Trash Tatoo.
The Network will also launch with "Gunnerville High School Online Yearbook," an unnerving comment on today's age of metal detectors in the halls of education, which is "written" by the 12 survivors of a bombing at a fictional high school.
The 1973 National Lampoon High School Yearbook issue, which was set in 1964 and satirized the sexual morés of the Eisenhower-era, was hailed by Harper's Magazine as "the greatest example of group writing since the King James Bible." It sold 1.6 million copies, and became the most successful special edition of a monthly magazine in publishing history.
The "Flashbacks" section will enable users to access audio material from the famed National National Lampoon record albums including 'Lemmings' and 'Radio Dinner' (which climaxed with a devastating parody of John Lennon's primal-screamed soaked 'Plastic One Band' album). The section will also provide access to choice bits from 'The National Lampoon Radio Hour,' a syndicated show carried on over 600 stations. The writers and performers on the show included Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Billy Crystal, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Christopher Guest.
While easy to navigate, NationalLampoon.com's many full-motion-video sequences will require some PC power on the part of site visitors. To properly access the site, personal computer users must have a 56K modem and above and a shockwave/flash player (downloadable for free from www.macromedia.com http://www.macromedia.com) and Quicktime 4 (also downloadable for free at www.apple.com/quicktime/ http://www.apple.com/quicktime). While the site functions with most browsers, Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) version 4.0 or above is recommended.
About J2/National Lampoon Based in Los Angeles, CA, J2 Communications, which owns National Lampoon, is an Internet-based entertainment company. The Company is creating an interactive comedy network on its website nationallampoon.com. The site will contain hilarious new characters, stories and features as well as entertainment classics from the national Lampoon archives. The Company plans to sell related merchandise and advertising space on the site to supplement its current revenue base of licensing agreements.
Certain of the above statements may be forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. In such instances, actual results could differ materially as a result of a variety of factors, including competitive developments and risk factors listed from time to time in the company's SEC reports.