Marvel joins forces with STOMP Out Bullying™ to halt growing bullying epidemic

Bullying is a serious epidemic with often hidden consequences that we cannot see until it’s too late. To underscore this, every so often we hear of some tragic suicide or suicide attempt due to vicious bullying. But even without those dramatic incidents bullying is still a serious social and cultural problem that takes its toll on the self-esteem, confidence and performance of children, and even adults, everywhere. It exists in our schools, our workplaces, even (or especially) online.

Kudos, then, to Marvel for teaming up with STOMP Out Bullying™ (@STOMPOutBullyng), the leading national bullying and cyberbullying prevention organization for kids and teens in the U.S., to launch a special variant cover program to commemorate National Bullying Prevention Month and support STOMP’s efforts to stop the horrible problem of bullying in all its forms.

Throughout this coming October, a number of Marvel’s flagship characters like Captain America, the Hulk, the Guardians of the Galaxy and more will be featured on special variant covers to spotlight both National Bullying Prevention Month and STOMP’s Blue Shirt Day® World Day of Bullying Prevention.  These variant issues will be available only at comic book shops.

Axel Alonso, Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics, gave this statement:

“The center of Marvel’s storytelling history is the eternal struggle between good and evil, with many of its greatest Super Heroes having to contend with — and rise above — bullying, in all its forms. We are proud to join forces with STOMP Out Bullying on its important bullying prevention awareness mission.  We hope that all our fans take a moment this month to educate themselves on the need to stop bullying among our youth by checking out the free resources STOMP Out Bullying has to offer.”

And Ross Ellis, founder and Chief Executive Officer of STOMP Out Bullying, in turn said the following:

“We are privileged to join forces with Marvel Entertainment on this critically important bullying and cyberbullying prevention campaign. Bullying and cyberbullying have reached epidemic proportions, with one out of every four kids being a victim.  And bullying transcends race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation; in fact, some of Marvel’s greatest Super Heroes were themselves bullied as kids and teens.  But just as Spider-Man, Captain America, and Marvel’s many other Super Heroes were able to triumph and go on to combat evil, so can every one of us be a Super Hero in our own right by standing up and joining the fight to eradicate bullying.”