or


[01/11/13 - 12:01 PM]
Disney XD, Marvel Entertainment and First Book Team Up to Champion Children's Literacy with "Marvel Comics Close-Up"
The initiative features a series of Disney XD interstitials hosted by Joe Quesada and Dylan Riley Snyder.

[via press release from Disney XD]

DISNEY XD, MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT AND FIRST BOOK TEAM UP TO CHAMPION CHILDREN'S LITERACY WITH "MARVEL COMICS CLOSE-UP," INITIATIVE INCLUDES ABC OWNED TELEVISION STATIONS

Spider-Man Joins Disney Stars and Local Boys & Girls Clubs in Burbank, California to Kick Off Initiative

More Than 210,000 Books to be Donated to Local Communities

Disney XD, Marvel Entertainment, First Book and ABC Owned Television Stations have teamed up to champion children's literacy through the "Reading With: Marvel Comics Close-Up" initiative, it was announced today by David Levine, Vice President and General Manager, Disney XD Worldwide, and Jeph Loeb, Marvel's Executive Vice President - Head of Television. A Saturday, January 12 event at the Burbank Public Library will showcase the initiative designed to encourage reading and includes the donation of more than 210,000 books to several communities across the country. The initiative also features a series of Disney XD interstitials, "Marvel Comics Close-Up," hosted by Marvel's Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada, and teen actor Dylan Riley Snyder ("Kickin' It") beginning Monday, January 21, during the second season premiere of "Ultimate Spider-Man" on Disney XD. Further encouraging kids to read, new and classic Marvel Comics stories will be available at disneyxd.com/comics

Levine said, "By tapping in to amazing and relatable Marvel Comics stories, both classic and new, our goal is to inspire kids to become enthusiastic, lifelong readers especially when they discover a great story or engaging book itself is the ultimate reward. We're pleased to have the opportunity to join the caring community of First Book and, with the support of our sister ABC stations, make a book donation to kids across the country."

"Each week, 'Ultimate Spider-Man' encourages viewers to study hard, stay in school and constantly learn more - the same super heroic principles behind 'Marvel Comics Close-Up'," said Loeb. "With the second season premiere of 'Ultimate Spider-Man' on January 21, we're kicking off a long term initiative to promote literacy to our fans with the most action packed, exciting, family friendly comics you'll find in this universe or any other."

"We are thrilled to bring the reach and community spirit of our locally owned stations to the literacy efforts of Disney XD and Marvel's 'Marvel Comics Close-Up.' The effort allows our local communities to identify worthwhile organizations to receive the free books, while also highlighting the value and impact literacy has in our society," said Rebecca Campbell, President, ABC Owned Television Stations.

On Saturday, January 12, Disney XD and Disney Channel stars Drake Bell ("Ultimate Spider-Man"), Dylan Riley Snyder ("Kickin' It," "Marvel Comics Close-Up"), Olivia Holt ("Kickin' It"), Cole Jensen ("Crash & Bernstein") and Karan Brar ("Jessie") will take part in "Reading With: Marvel Comics Close-Up" kick-off event at the Burbank Public Library in Burbank, California. The event will feature a donation from Disney XD, Marvel Entertainment and First Book to the Burbank Public Library and Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles, and a special visit from Spider-Man, himself. Disney XD Insider and Radio Disney on-air personality Morgan Tompkins and the Radio Disney Road Crew will be on hand to provide games, music and entertainment.

ABC Owned Television Stations in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno are participating in the initiative and engaging communities by nominating a local organization, school or library to receive a book donation, part of Disney's donation of 8 million Disney Publishing Worldwide books to First Book announced in 2011. Stations will kick-off their initiatives in January and will invite communities to participate in traditional and virtual book drives, as well as register an eligible organization or school reaching low-income families ages 0-18, to receive an ongoing supply of books from First Book. Visit the ABC Owned Stations' website in these cities for more details (Los Angeles - abc7.com, New York - 7online.com, Chicago abc7chicago.com, Philadelphia - 6abc.com, San Francisco - abc7news.com, Houston - abc13.com, Raleigh-Durham - abc11.com, Fresno - abc30.com).

The "Marvel Comics Close-Up" interstitials dive deep into the Marvel Universe giving viewers an inside look at 10 compelling Marvel comics and will debut Monday, January 21 during the special one-hour season two premiere of Marvel's "Ultimate Spider-Man" (7:00 - 8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Free digital Marvel comics will be available on DisneyXD.com/comics and include notable issues such as "Ultimate Spider-Man #7," "Invincible Iron Man #7," "Hulk #3," "Thor #364" and "Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #16."

Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. For more information, visit http://www.DisneyXD.com/.

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information, visit http://www.marvel.com/.

First Book has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, visit http://www.firstbook.org/ or follow First Book's latest news on Facebook and Twitter.





  [january 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· CRASH & BERNSTEIN (DISNEY XD)
· JESSIE (DISNEY)
· KICKIN' IT (DISNEY XD)
· ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN (DISNEY XD)





[10/24/25 - 02:30 PM]
Video: First Look at Upcoming New Drama "Memory of a Killer" Starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli - Premiering This January on FOX
Dempsey stars as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret - he has developed early onset Alzheimer's.

[10/24/25 - 02:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's Most-Watched Newsmagazine Across the Board
In addition, "20/20" posted its best Adults 25-54 in more than four months.

[10/24/25 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 4th Straight Week
"Nightline" grew year to year across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/24/25 - 01:05 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Makes Television History - Rising for Fifth Straight Week
The October 21 episode scored 6.63 million Total Viewers and a 1.38 rating among Adults 18-49, hitting new season highs in both demographics.

[10/24/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces "Hollywood Arts," A Brand-New Spinoff of Hit Live-Action, "Victorious," with Daniella Monet Returning as Star and Executive Producer
The series is set to debut on Netflix in 2026, followed by releases on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

[10/24/25 - 07:14 AM]
FOX Sports Readies for Major League Baseball's 121st World Series Presented by Capital One
Action leads off Friday, October 24, between the National League and current reigning World champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League champion Toronto Blue Jays from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Denver singles shake up their search for "the one" and step into the pods, braving twists, turns and love triangles to find their soulmate sight unseen.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Experience the Family, the Fun, and the Fantastic! Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Lands Exclusively on Disney+ November 5
Continuing the celebration of Marvel's First Family, the announcement was made live from SpaceCon 2025 in San Antonio, where The Fantastic Four: First Steps Immersive Pop-Up Experience invites attendees to step inside the iconic Baxter Building.

[10/24/25 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and Xfinity Celebrate 11 Years of the NASCAR Xfinity Series by Presenting the Third Stage of the Championship Race Commercial-Free
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, November 1, the commercial-free stage presented by Xfinity was created to thank the loyal race fans who have supported the NASCAR Xfinity Series for more than a decade - helping the series grow through their unwavering enthusiasm, increased viewership, and continued trackside attendance.

[10/23/25 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "As You Stood By" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When two women plot to end an abusive marriage through murder, an unexpected visitor arrives - threatening to shatter everything they've carefully planned.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 02:28 PM]
The 305 Just Got Hotter: "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" Moves to BET Season 7 Premieres Tuesday, November 4 at 8 PM ET/PT
The upcoming seventh season dives deeper than ever into Miami's thriving entertainment scene, following a cast of stars who are rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining success in real time.

[10/23/25 - 01:30 PM]
Critically Acclaimed Noir Thriller, "Dark Winds," to Return to AMC and AMC+ Sunday, February 15
The series' gripping fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.

[10/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror Film "A Demon's Revenge"
In the film, following the bloodshed in Belize, Peaches, played by Jhoné Lucas, delves deeper into Caribbean folklore and the terrifying truth that lurks beneath.

[10/23/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Acquires Equity Stake in Chain, Forging Strategic Partnership with Experiential Food Phenomenon Co-Founded by B.J. Novak
Included in the investment is a first look development deal through Chain Media.