Los Angeles, CA (July 18, 2006) – From out of the skies, rockets ignite, signaling the return to Earth of its greatest space champion, Flash Gordon. Now, the iconic interstellar hero has teamed up with his legendary comic strip and film companions for thrilling adventures in "Defenders of the Earth," the animated series originally created by Marvel Productions. BCI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, and Hearst Entertainment, are proud to announce the DVD release of "Defenders of the Earth: Volume One," a five-disc set featuring the first 33 episodes of the series, available October 10th at a suggested retail price of $39.98.

"Defenders of the Earth" follows the continuing story of Flash Gordon, who returns to Earth in the near future, to defend the planet against the evil Emperor Ming. In the exciting battle between good and evil that follows, Flash teams up with Mandrake, the master of illusion, the powerfully strong Lothar, and The Phantom, who has the ability to summon the strength of the jungle animals in his battle against evil. The dazzling quartet of heroes is joined by their young offspring: handsome and headstrong Rick Gordon; Jedda Walker and her panther sidekick; tough and smart Lothar "L.J." Jr.; and orphaned Kshin with his outer-space pet Zuffy. Together, the team of heroes must battle against evildoers from their pasts and future, including Ming and his underlings, as well as super villains, marauding aliens, destructive demons, and sultry enchantresses! United as a team, they protect mankind as the Defenders of the Earth.

"Defenders of the Earth" features Flash Gordon, who was created for comic strips in 1934 by Alex Raymond. Soon launched into Hollywood and beyond, Flash Gordon became one of the most popular and well-known space heroes ever created. The Phantom debuted in 1936 from creator Lee Falk, and the purple-clad "Ghost Who Walks" has been published worldwide ever since, as well as starring in feature films and animation. Mandrake the Magician (with sidekick Lothar) debuted in 1934, also the creation of Lee Falk, and his suave adventures were translated into film, radio, and a stage musical. When the quartet of heroes was united in the 1986 series by Marvel Productions — the creative minds behind Spider-Man, the Hulk, and X-Men — the result was "Defenders of the Earth." Over the course of 65 syndicated episodes, the series led to a 1987 comic book adaptation published by Marvel, a line of books, and a popular toy line from Galoob.

As it has done with its previous award-winning animated boxed sets, BCI will include in the five-disc collection a series of dazzling Special Features, produced and directed by best-selling author Andy Mangels. The deluxe set will be packaged in a brilliantly-designed fold-out box with slipcase.

Special features for "Defenders of the Earth: Volume One" include:

* Interviews with "Defenders of the Earth" producers David J. Corbett and Bill Hutten, voice actors Peter Mark Richman and Loren Lester, and historian Rick Norwood.
* Full episode audio commentary track for "Defenders of the Earth" Episode 1 - "Escape From Mongo" featuring supervising producer David J. Corbett, producer/director Bill Hutten, story editor and episode writer Bryce Malek, voice actor Loren Lester (Rick Gordon), and episode storyboard artist Michael Swanigan. Commentary hosted by special features producer Andy Mangels.
* Image gallery of "Defenders of the Earth" original model sheets and sketches, plus a gallery of presentation artwork and backgrounds uses in the series.
* Original Presentation Pilot for "Defenders of the Earth" featuring alternate characters and animation
* Detailed profiles of various characters
* Two exclusive collectible 4x6 "Defenders of the Earth" art postcards by acclaimed comic book artists Michael Allred and Rafael Kayanan
* DVD-ROM Features – a selection of complete scripts and storyboards (PDF format, PC/Mac readable)
* "Defenders of the Earth" Trivia and Fun Facts

About BCI
BCI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, is an independent entertainment video and audio supplier. BCI has continually redefined the standards and concepts of this industry, often introducing national success categories through its intuitive mass marketing skills. Its vast collection of titles represents both exclusively licensed titles from around the world, as well as in-house produced CDs and DVDs. Under its Ink & Paint brand, it releases classic animation on award-winning DVD sets.