Ernie Kovacs Fans Asked To Celebrate His 92nd Birthday Online

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 20, 2011 - LOS ANGELES - The late comedian Ernie Kovacs (www.erniekovacs.com), widely acknowledged as television’s original genius, would have turned 92 years old January 23, 2011. Fans are asked to remember Kovacs and his comedic legacy via Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and his newly launched website at www.erniekovacs.com by posting birthday remembrances and signing off  or hashtagging with one of his signature phrases, “It’s Been Real” (#itsbeenreal).

Earlier this month, Shout! Factory (www.shoutfactory.com), in conjunction with Ediad Productions Inc., which manages the Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams archives announced the North American release of The Ernie Kovacs Collection, a comprehensive 6 DVD box set to be released on April 19. Since that announcement, there has been a surge of interest in Ernie Kovacs in the press and amongst aficionados of early television comedy. Kovacs, who died in a 1962 car accident, left behind a stunning body of work that survives thanks to the indefatigable efforts of his wife and co-star, the late Edie Adams.

“I’ve been overwhelmed with correspondence from fans, the press and well-wishers since The Ernie Kovacs Collection was announced,” said Josh Mills, President of Ediad Productions, Inc. “The one thing that keeps coming up in conversation is that Kovacs’ work hasn’t been readily available, and we hope that this Shout! Factory box set is just the very beginning of the renaissance of the genius and comedy of Ernie Kovacs.”


Fans can celebrate Kovacs’ birthday via their own social media outlets or visit the following sites:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/realerniekovacs

Twitter:  @erniekovacs

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/realerniekovacs

Official website: www.erniekovacs.com

In addition to the vast archive of Ernie Kovacs material that exists on the Shout! Factory DVD box set, the Kovacs archive includes the out-of-print novels Zoomar: A Sophisticated Novel About Love and TV, set during the era of Mad Men and another book entitled How To Talk At Gin whose cover Kovacs illustrated himself, Illustrated Profusely a collection of Kovacs’ drawings, and a mountain of scripts from his various television shows.

While Ernie Kovacs was known first and foremost as a television pioneer, he is often overlooked for his careers outside of that medium. Early on, Kovacs was a radio disc jockey in his hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, a columnist for newspaper The Trentonian, a contributor to Mad Magazine in the 1950’s, a pitchman for Dutch Masters cigars, a film actor who worked alongside good friends Alec Guinness, Jack Lemmon, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne, amongst other things.

In years past, the Kovacs estate has worked with outlets such as The Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central) and NBC’s Trio network’s series Brilliant But Cancelled on bringing his classic programs and characters to a new generation of cable TV viewers. Currently, Ediad Productions is looking for a new outlet for Kovacs unique brand of humor to a new generation on broadcast television, digital and mobile devices.

The Ernie Kovacs Collection DVD box set is now available to preorder at Amazon.com, ShoutFactoryStore.com, erniekovacs.com and other online retailers. Fans who pre-order The Ernie Kovacs Collection from ShoutFactoryStore.com will receive an exclusive bonus DVD as a gift with purchase.  The disc features over two hours of rare gems, including episodes of the Kovacs-hosted “Tonight” show, which have not been seen since their original broadcast over 50 years ago!

About Ediad Productions, Inc.
Formed by the late entertainer and Muriel Cigar girl Edie Adams, and currently run by her son Joshua Mills, Ediad Productions is home to what is likely the largest independent archive of early American television in existence. With more than 150 half-hours of content from legendary comedian Ernie Kovacs, as well as two seasons of Edie Adams' prime time variety show from the mid-1960's, Ediad Productions is a treasure trove of classic popular entertainment. Titles in the archive include The Ernie Kovacs Show, Ernie in Kovacsland, Take A Good Look (clues), the Kovacs specials for ABC, The Edie Adams Show, Here's Edie! and much more. Ediad Productions is the go-to archive for television, digital & mobile entertainment content and is based in Los Angeles, California.

About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory's DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company's audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY®-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable "best of" compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.

Contact:
Tom Chen, Shout! Factory (310) 979-5602/ tchen@shoutfactory.com
Henri Bollinger (818) 784-0534 / henri@bollingerpr.com
Josh Mills, It’s Alive! Media, (323) 464-6314, josh@itsalivemedia.com
Lauren Gaffney, Shout! Factory (310) 979-5604/ lgaffney@shoutfactory.com