July 6, 2005 - Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles is exited to announce plans to participate in the annual Blood Drive at this year's San Diego Comic Con! To emphasize the importance of giving blood, Diamond Select will be donating 500 limited edition Buffy the Vampire Slayer T1 Spike figures as giveaways for participating donors. Perhaps there is no better way to celebrate the kindness of giving blood than with the action-figure of a well known vampire!
Spike, who first appeared in the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most loved and at times hated character from the cult shows. The figure of the famous blood sucker depicts him as he was on the final season of Angel and comes hand-numbered in a white collector's window box. The figure has been limited to 500 pieces, and will only be available through the blood drive - they will not be on sale or given away elsewhere.
"What better way for fans of a show about vampires to do some good than to participate in a blood drive?" said Chuck Terceira, Director of Diamond Select Toys. "The previous record for blood collection was impressive, but when we exchange all 500 of our Spike figures for pints of blood we will shatter that record."
In its 29th year, the Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive has been a San Diego Comic Con staple. After science-fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein was ill, he needed several pints of rare blood type. Following the illness, Heinlein created a personal rule that he would only attend conventions and sign autographs for those that donated blood. This started the Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive at San Diego Comic Con in the early 1970's. The record blood donation for the annual Comic Con drive is 362 pints.
"We are pleased to have Diamond Select on board to support the Blood Drive, there donation of such a limited edition collectible will certainly help the awareness and success of the annual event," remarked Comic Con Director of Marketing and Public Relations, David Glanzer.
To register for the Blood Drive, stop by the Blood Drive booth at Comic Con or visit the Comic Con website, www.comic-con.org, for for additional instructions and information. This Blood Drive will surely make vampire fans happy!
About Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles, LLC
DIAMOND SELECT TOYS AND COLLECTIBLES, LLC was founded in 1999 by sister company Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. Envisioned to create unique and
exciting collectibles for children and adults alike, the company has licensed a variety of pop culture properties to be turned into merchandise. With partners such as Marvel Enterprises, Capcom, Twentieth Century Fox, Hasbro, Backbone, Bliss House, and MGM, Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles produces a large range of products based on a wide variety of properties, and is headquartered in Timonium, MD. For more information, visit www.diamondselecttoys.com.
About Comic-Con International
With attendance in 2004 close to 100,000 people, the San Diego Comic Con is the largest pop culture and comic event in North America. The annual convention is sponsored by Comic-Con International which is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.
About Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising
TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX LICENSING AND MERCHANDISING - a recognized industry leader - licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines.
