Chris Rock Takes the Hallmark Stage

KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwire - July 8, 2008) - The edgy, unexpected humor of comedian Chris Rock is now available at Hallmark Gold Crown stores across the country. The comedian is featured on a new line of cards turning up the funny as he jokes in his own voice about age, finances, and the relationship between men and women.

Many of the cards feature original clips from Rock's comedy routine. The cover of one card reads, "You're at that age now. That age where every drug commercial on TV is aimed right at you." When the card is opened, Rock says, "And they keep naming symptoms 'til they find one that you (bleep) got, ok. Are you sad, are you lonely? Do you got Athlete's foot? Are you hot? Are you cold? What do you got? You want this pill? Huh (bleep)? You got to take this pill!"

"Chris Rock's brand of comedy is unapologetic and hilarious," said Tina Neidlein, a senior writer at Hallmark. "The occasional bleep is indicative of how raw this humor is. By putting Chris's words in greeting cards, Hallmark is giving consumers an even larger selection of funny cards to help them connect with the people in their lives.."

Earlier this year, Hallmark introduced another series of humor cards featuring The Simpsons® animated characters as well as a line of political humor cards. These collections as well as characters such as hoops&yoyo and Maxine continue to be some of Hallmark's best-selling humor cards.

About Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Kansas City-based Hallmark has been helping people communicate, celebrate, and connect for nearly 100 years. Hallmark greeting cards and other products can be found in more than 43,000 places in the U.S. alone, with the network of Hallmark Gold Crown® stores providing the very best selection. The Hallmark brand also reaches consumers online at Hallmark.com, on newsstands through Hallmark Magazine, and on television through Hallmark Hall of Fame original movies and the top-rated Hallmark Channel. In addition, Hallmark publishes products in more than 30 languages and distributes them in 100 countries across the globe. The company's Crayola subsidiary provides fun and imaginative ways for children to colorfully express themselves. In 2007, privately held Hallmark reported consolidated net revenues of $4.4 billion. Charitable giving of $16 million a year focuses on the well-being of children and families, vibrant arts and cultural experiences, and basic services for people in need in the communities where Hallmark operates. For more information about the company, visit http://corporate.hallmark.com.

http://pressroom.hallmark.com

Contact Information: Contacts: Sarah Gronberg Kolell Hallmark Cards (816) 545-6270 Courtney Fadler Fleishman-Hillard (816) 512-2306