Converse Comic Book Contest

The following appeared in the Lawrence-Eagle Tribute on May 18, 1997. The citation is Smith, Brenda. Converse is seeking customer to appear in comic. Lawrence-Eagle Tribune: p. F11.

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Converse is seeking customer to appear in comic

NORTH READING -- Shoemaker Converse Inc. wants one of its young customers to team up with Jonny Quest.

The athletic shoe company is packing an original comic book, "Skateboard Aliens from Beyond Deep Space," inside special Touch-EFX shoe boxes this fall.

The comic book features the EFX-Glob. The bright blue, gelatinous character has been seen in Converse television commercials since the Touch-EFX Collection was introduced in 1995. To date, more than 2 million pairs of Touch-EFX shoes have been sold.

The comic book includes details for the Converse Touch-EFX Sweepstakes. The grand prize winner becomes a character in a Dark Horse Comic, such as "Jonny Quest" or "The Mask." Dark Horse Comics worked with Converse to develop the EFX-Glob comic.

The winner also will receive a framed proof of his or her comic's artwork and a home library of comic books. Four hundred other prizes will be given out. Winners will be announced in late winter.

Touch-EFX Collection shoes have liquid crystal pods on their uppers that change color with the touch of a finger or the wiggle of a toe. The shoes are worn by children up to age 11 but are most popular among the 4 to 7 age group.

"Comics are a kid's classic," said Tanya K. Bhatt, children's category manager at Converse. "We thought it would be pretty nifty to have a comic book that you can only get by buying these sneakers."

Converse expects to distribute 200,000 comic books during this promotion, she said.

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