Although recent reports have indicated the demise of the popular Bibleman Live Tour, Bibleman star and producer Willie Aames is out to set the record straight by letting fans know that the show is continuing this year with dramatic results, and already planning for 2003.

Due to old information, Charisma News Service (May 10, 2002) and Charisma Magazine (June 2002) erroneously reported that the “Bible-Based Superhero Hangs Up Cape” and “the successful live-action tours that have packed churches have come to an end.” While funding was indeed cut at the end of 2001 and the future of the tour looked uncertain at the time that Aames last spoke with Charisma Magazine, donations from individuals have since helped to support the tour, allowing it to continue.

“This is truly a Gideon story,” says Aames, referring to the Biblical story from the book of Judges. “It has been amazing to see how so many have come forward to help keep the tour moving. We are putting on the same size show as last year with fewer people, and I am thrilled to say that we are setting record numbers for kids coming forward to make commitments to Christ. Over 3,000 kids have come forward, and most of our tour dates so far have been sold out.”

Last year, the Bibleman Live tour employed a 15-member crew and utilized both a 50-foot touring bus and a 48-foot tractor-trailer for equipment. This year, the same size tour—featuring a 16-foot-high and 40-foot-long set—is on the road with only two crew members and a truck.

The Bibleman Live Tour, which Aames jokingly calls the 2002 Bibleman Live Not-A-Tour Tour because it wasn’t supposed to happen by many standards, is almost sold out for available bookings this year. During the course of 2002, Bibleman will make appearances at T.D. Jakes’ Texas-based Potter’s House, Franklin Graham Crusades, and the Focus on the Family 25th Anniversary.

Simultaneously, Bibleman video and DVD sales are up 30% from last year, according to Aames, who also serves as executive vice-president for Pamplin Entertainment. Changes at Portland, OR-based Pamplin created some distribution issues for the best-selling children’s series, however new distribution through Nashville, TN-based CNI Distribution has the product rolling off store shelves again.

Bibleman episode no. 13, Jesus Our Savior, goes into production in June in Aames’ hometown of Kansas City, KS, and is slated to feature a special guest star.

“We were contacted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation recently about a great 9-year-old boy named Kevin, who has a degenerative spinal disease,” says Aames. “I couldn’t believe it, but his wish was to have lunch with Bibleman and Cypher, so a few weeks ago, we flew out to North Carolina to see him. He is fighting a tough battle, so we thought he would be a perfect guest star to help Bibleman fight evil in our next episode.”

In 2002, eight new Bibleman video and DVD products will release, including the DVD release of four of the already platinum-selling videos:  Breaking the Bonds of Disobedience, Lead Us Not Into Temptation, Defeating the Shadow of Doubt, and The Fiendish Works of Dr. Fear. June will mark the video release of last year’s Bibleman Live show, while He is Risen, the second in the Bibleman Junior series, is slated for September 2002 release.  Jesus Our Savior, the latest Bibleman installment, will release in November 2002.

Information about Bibleman and the Bibleman Live Tour, including all updated tour dates and cities, can be found online at www.Bibleman.com.