Art Asylum and Diamond Select Toys announce the launch of the all-new X-Men MiniMates ® box set, which will include an original 9-minute CGI DVD mini-movie, X-Men Darktide (see trailer here), and four MiniMates action figures - Wolverine, Cyclops, Magneto, and Juggernaut. The box set will hit stores including Toys “R� Us, Target, and specialty stores in early April.

“We are very appreciative that Marvel has given Art Asylum the opportunity to bring our MiniMates brand into a new media format,� said Adam Unger, Vice President of Art Asylum. “So far, the reaction from retailers and fans has been overwhelming. We hope that this will be the start of something very exciting for the growing MiniMates brand, and the loyal fans that have supported us in from the beginning,� said Unger.

Art Asylum's MiniMates brand, which debuted in 2002, has been a constant success that has driven the companies' growth. Look for other new MiniMates launching later this year including Speed Racer, StreetFighter, and Battlestar Galactica.

“A great deal of hard work has gone into making this project happen from our friends at Marvel Entertainment, The Dave School, and Diamond Select Toys,� said Unger. “It's really our fans that drive us to push the envelope, so we are excited to share our efforts with them,� Unger said.

About Art Asylum

Manhattan, New York based Art Asylum was founded by Digger and Donna Soldano in 1996 as a creative, design studio providing premier work service to the toy industry. In 2001, the company partnered with Adam Unger and the founders of Play Along Toys, Inc., to launch a successful boy's action toy company that created products for major brands like Star Trek , Tony Hawk, Bruce Lee, Kiss and built the MiniMates toy brand that continues on to this day. In 2005, after Play Along's successful sale to Jakks Pacific (JAKK) the company continued it's progress and has moved on as a fully integrated toy manufacture. In 2006, Art Asylum will be launching with several new licenses including Speed Racer, Madballs from American Greetings, Battlestar Galactica, and Clive Barker's Jump Tribe . Visit www.artasylum.com for more information.

About Marvel

With a library of over 5,000 proprietary characters, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused in four areas: entertainment (Marvel Studios), licensing, publishing and toys (Toy Biz). Marvel facilitates the creation of entertainment projects, including feature films, DVD/home video, video games and television based on its characters and also licenses its characters for use in a wide range of consumer products and services including apparel, toys, collectibles, snack foods and promotions. Marvel's characters and plot lines are created by its publishing division which continues to expand its leadership position in the U.S. and worldwide while also serving as an invaluable source of intellectual property.

MARVEL and all related characters: TM & © 2006 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved. www.marvel.com. This Diamond Select Toys product is produced under license from Marvel Characters, Inc.