News Release

Rookie Comic Strip Lands Borders’ Calendar Deal

Kansas City, MO  (02/18/2008)  In an unprecedented move, Borders has secured the calendar rights of the works of a cartoonist who hasn’t officially started syndication.

Working with Andrews McMeel Publishing, Borders has selected “The Argyle Sweater” as one of its top 2009 calendar properties. The calendars will be merchandised prominently in all the company’s retail locations nationwide along with being displayed on free standing calendar kiosks owned and operated by Borders.

“The Argyle Sweater” by Scott Hilburn is being rolled out by Universal Press Syndicate in national syndication on April 7. This daily and Sunday comic, which can be delivered in panel or strip format, has early clients that include The New York Daily News, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, the Detroit Free Press, Seattle Times, the Portland Oregonian, as well as a host of online sites operated by Media News Group.

“Scott’s history with Andrews McMeel Universal (AMU) reads like a manual on ‘how to succeed as a cartoonist,’” says John Glynn, vice president of rights and acquisition editor for Universal Press Syndicate. “In the fall of 2006, he started on uclick’s Comics Sherpa site where rookie cartoonists go to get feedback from other cartoonists and fans about their comic. In a few months, he graduated to become a regular feature on GoComics and quickly jumped from that platform to a development contract with Universal Press Syndicate to a national syndicated deal.”

The calendar deal with Borders this close to syndication is phenomenal, Hilburn says.

“I’ve been extremely fortunate to have hooked up with such a diverse company as Andrews McMeel Universal. Aside from the wonderful people, AMU’s combination of businesses gives ‘Argyle Sweater’ an edge and opportunities that you’d be hard-pressed to duplicate in other companies,” Hilburn says.

“Essentially, I’ve stayed under one roof from my initiation into the comic world all the way to the present—and because of that, AMU knows me and my work better than anyone.”

“The Argyle Sweater’s” first daily starts April 7 and first Sunday on April 13.

About Andrews McMeel Publishing

Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP), a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, is a leading publisher of general nonfiction trade books, gift books and humor books, publishing as many as 300 new titles annually. New York Times bestsellers from AMP include: The Complete Far Side and Last Chapter and Worse: A Far Side Collection by Gary Larson; The Blue Day Book, Tomorrow, The Meaning of Life and Dear Mom by Bradley Trevor Greive ; Forever, Erma by Erma Bombeck; and It's A Magical World: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson.

AMP is also the premier licensed calendar publisher in the country, annually publishing calendars based on many top-selling properties such as The Far Side®, Dilbert™, Disney, Mary Engelbreit, and the long-time favorite Jeopardy!, among other characters and titles.

About Borders, Inc.

Borders is a subsidiary of Borders Group, Inc., a $4.1 billion global retailer of books, music, movies, periodicals and gift and stationery items with over 30,000 employees and more than 1,100 stores worldwide primarily operating under the Borders® and Waldenbooks® brand names. Currently, there are over 500 Borders superstores in the U.S. that carry up to 200,000 titles. Customers enjoy a comfortable shopping experience, as well as a host of in-store events and community-centered activities when they visit their local Borders stores. For more information, visit www.bordersgroupinc.com.

Creator(s):

Contact(s): Kathie Kerr

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