Wizard World Des Moines Attendees to Receive WALKING DEAD #1 Cover by Phil Hester

Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) and Skybound, Robert Kirkman's imprint at Image Comics, today announced that The Wretch and The Coffin creator and Iowa native Phil Hester has drawn the 11th 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 Des Moines, June 12-14. 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 Iowa Events Center only while supplies last. VIP attendees will receive an additional black & white sketch version of the comic.

Hester has been making comics for over two decades, beginning while a student at the University of Iowa. He spent many years on the indie comics scene, culminating in his Eisner Award-nominated series The Wretch. Phil broke into the mainstream with a long run as penciler on DC's Swamp Thing. He also drew Kevin Smith's revival of Green ARROW with long time inker Ande Parks. He created The Coffin with artist Mike Huddleston, and Firebreather with artist Andy Kuhn, now a television feature for Cartoon Network. Phil lives in rural Iowa with his wife and two children.

Phil's more recent work includes writing Kirkman's Invincible Universe, IDW's THUNDER Agents, and Dynamite's The Shadow, as well as drawing DC's Batman Beyond and THE FLASH TV comic. He has also written Mythic for Image comics.

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 Wizard World Comic Con Des Moines celebrity roster includes "The Walking Dead" star Michael Cudlitz ("Sgt. Abraham Ford"), as well as William Shatner ("Star Trek," "T.J. Hooker"), Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars: The EMPIRE Strikes Back, Brian's Song), Cassandra Peterson ("Elvira, Mistress of the Dark"), Jewel Staite ("Firefly," "Stargate: Atlantis"), Alex Kingston ("Doctor Who," "Arrow"), WWE Superstar Seth Rollins and Diva Paige and many others.

In addition to Hester, Artist Alley in Des Moines will feature Neal Adams ("Batman," "Green Lantern"), Mike Zeck ("Spider-Man," "Punisher"), Michael Golden ("Spider-Man," "Daredevil"), Arthur Suydam ("Marvel Zombies," "Army of Darkness"), James O'Barr (creator, "The Crow"), Renee Witterstaetter ("She Hulk," "Avengers"), Dean Haspiel ("Bored to Death," "Billy Dogma"), Kenneth Rocafort ("Superman," "Action Comics") 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 12th of 26 events currently scheduled on the 2015 Wizard World calendar, Des Moines show hours are Friday, June 12, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, June 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

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

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 (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.

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