toys & family entertainment, june 2012

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Toys & Family Entertainment is a monthly magazine showcasing the hottest trends in the toy and family entertainment business.

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Page 1: Toys & Family Entertainment, June 2012
Page 2: Toys & Family Entertainment, June 2012
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JUNE 2012 VOLUME 7, NO. 4

24 ASTRA Marketplace & Academyby Nancy Lombardi

42 Trends in Licensing 2012by Nancy Lombardi

44 Licensing Show 2012by Laurie Leahey and Jennifer Lynch

56 Building Imaginations with Construction Toysby Laurie Leahey

60 Product Presentation: Construction Toysby Laurie Leahey

62 Gaming for the Futureby Jennifer Lynch

64 Product Presentation: Video Gamesby Jennifer Lynch

66 Having Fun While Exploring Scienceby Chris Adams

68 Product Presentation: Science & Explorationby Chris Adams

70 Specialty Emporium: Conservation Centralto Safari Ltd.’s Mission

by Jennifer Lynch

6 Observations & Opinions

8 Sizzlers

10 The TICKER

14 Entertainment Marketplace: Fruit Ninja

16 Industry Forum: TIA

18 Industry Forum: ASTRA

22 Merchandise Makers: Just Play

72 You’re Hired

74 Calendar of Events

On this page, from the left: Doc McStuffins from Just Play; ZinkiaEntertainment’s Pocoyo; Sony’s The Smurfs 2; Marvel’s The Avengers;Uncle Milton’s Anteater Bug Vac; Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2013;American Greetings’ Care Bears; FremantleMedia’s Monsuno

On the cover, clockwise from the left: Hello Kitty from Tynies; JumboZip-it from Bananagrams; Gund Girls Brooklyn doll from Gund; Sandziniin dinosaur form from Ohio Art; Playmobil’s Pirate Ship; Calin LaughingBlueberry by Corolle; Fashion Angels’ Tapefitti Tape Art Kit; Text Twistfrom Endless Games; Toobers & Zots from Little Kids; Schleich’s Smurfette;Lamaze’s Penguin Pull Toy; Green Toys’ Mini Fastbacks

cover created by Jennifer Lynch

features

departments

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June’s Trade Show Circuit

6 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

OBSE

RVAT

IONS

& O

PINI

ONS

June 2012 • Volume 7, Number 4

PUBLISHER BOB GLASER

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ANDY [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGER DONNA MOORE

[email protected]

CONTROLLER MARY GROGAN

[email protected]

EDITOR IN CHIEF JIM [email protected]

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR NANCY LOMBARDI

[email protected]

EDITOR AT LARGE CHRISTOPHER [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CHRIS ADAMS

[email protected]

EDITOR LAURIE [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR JENNIFER [email protected]

WEB MASTER ERIK [email protected]

WEB CONTENT MANAGER BRENDAN [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS

KATHLEEN MCHUGH; KRISTIN MORENCY

PUBLIC RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE JOSSLYNNE WELCHLITZKY PUBLIC RELATIONS, 320 SINATRA DRIVE, HOBOKEN, N.J. 07030

(201) 222–9118 EXT. 13 • [email protected]

INTERESTED IN A SUBSCRIPTION?CONTACT [email protected]

ANB MEDIA, INC.229 WEST 28TH STREET, SUITE 401, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10001

PHONE: (646) 763–8710 • FAX: (646) 763–8727

TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT is published six times per year by aNb Media.Copyright 2012 aNb Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system,without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. TOYS & FAMILYENTERTAINMENT and SPECIALTY EMPORIUM are registered trademarks of aNb Media.Opinions and comments expressed in this publication by editors, contributing writ-ers, or solicited or unsolicited documents are not necessarily those of management.

WWW.ANBMEDIA.COM

T his month the toy industry is in the midst of two very important tradeshows, which overlap. First there is the ASTRA Marketplace &Academy (more commonly referred to as the ASTRA Convention),which takes place June 10–13 in Baltimore. Then there is the annualLicensing International Expo (more commonly referred to as

Licensing Show). That takes place in Las Vegas June 12–14. Licensed toys are obviously very important to toy sales. This year seems especially

full of new releases with the potential for successful licensing programs. Dr. Seuss’ TheLorax started the year off on a positive note with product from several licensees. Marvel’sThe Avengers opened last month to record-breaking box office numbers. As of press time,it crossed $1 billion in global ticket sales in less than 20 days in theaters. The movie’s suc-cess has blown everyone away and has proven that Disney made a wise decision in itspurchase of Marvel. However, the success of the licensing program has yet to be fullydetermined at this early date. The balance of the year offers several other potential boxoffice blockbusters and licensing blockbusters. There is Battleship (now in theaters), Menin Black III (now in theaters), G.I. JOE: Retaliation (June 29), The Amazing Spider-Man(July 3), and The Dark Knight Rises (July 20). Let’s not forget Disney’s Brave (June 22),which will introduce the next Disney Princess as an action hero. We will all watch with bated breath for the sales results of the licensed products

for the films listed above. Those of us who have been in the industry for many yearsremember the glory days of toy licensing. At one time, there were less films releasedeach year. Those films stayed in theaters longer, and the licensing programs werevery deep and very successful. With the changes in the marketplace over the pastfew years, it is harder to replicate the sort of success that the industry saw with TheLion King, for example, when it was originally released in 1994.The trend now in licensing has shifted to focus on niche or smaller programs even

when big name entertainment is attached to it. Most licensors are not focused on thehuge mega hit anymore. The timing is too short and it comes with too much risk.There is more emphasis on a tight, well-crafted program that may reach a smalleraudience but will guarantee long-term sales. Switching gears a bit, I’ve lost count of how many successful ASTRA Conventions

I have attended. I’m told by Kathleen McHugh, executive director of ASTRA, that thisyear’s convention promises to be the best one ever. I certainly believe it, as I watchthis show grow every year. The ASTRA show offers unique products that independentstore owners won’t be able to find anywhere else. More than 100 new vendors whohave never before exhibited at ASTRA will be showing products this year. ASTRAsays that attendance is expected to be up 10 percent this year.I strongly encourage any independent retailer thinking about attending the conven-

tion to do so. You won’t be disappointed. Safe travels and much success to everyone attending the trade shows. Keep an eye

out for members of the aNb Media team who will be attending both trade shows.

BY BOB GLASER

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8 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

SIZZ

LERS

Sizzlers: What’s Moving Off Store Shelves? What Are the Hottest Web Orders?

AIR STORM Z-X CROSS BOWZing Toys

ANGRY BIRDS KNOCK ON WOOD GAMEMattel

AVENGERS 12-INCH FIGURES: HULK, CAPTAIN AMERICA,IRON MAN, AND THOR

Hasbro

BARBIE IN A MERMAID TALE 2 DOLL ASSORTMENTMattel

BEYBLADE METAL FUSIONHasbro

HOT WHEELS WALL TRACKS POWER TOWER TRACK SETMattel

LALALOOPSY LITTLES BUNDLES SNUGGLE STUFFMGA Entertainment

LALALOOPSY SILLY HAIR DOLLMGA Entertainment

LEAPPAD EXPLORER LEARNING TABLETLeapFrog

LEGO FRIENDSLEGO

LEGO STAR WARS ASSORTMENTLEGO

LITTLE TIKES SANDY LAGOON WATERPARKMGA Entertainment

LITTLE TIKES COZY COUPEMGA Entertainment

MONSTER HIGH SWEET 1600 ASSORTMENTMattel

MONSTER HIGH OPERETTA AND TORALEIMattel

MONSUNO COREJakks Pacific

PERPLEXUS MAZEPlaSmart

SKYLANDERS FIGURESActivision

STEP2 WATERWHEEL PLAY TABLEStep2

WWE ACTION FIGURESMattel

Here is an alphabetical listing of the hottest-selling items in the toy industry, based on

a combined survey of both offline and online retailers, reflecting the previous month’s sales.

LEGOFriendsCafé Set

WWEAction Figure

The Miz

Hot Wheels Wall TracksPower Tower Track Set

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JAKKS PACIFIC SIGNED FOR SLUGTERRA TOY LINEJakks Pacific entered a licensing agreement with Nerd Corps Entertainment, Inc., to manufacture, distribute, and market a line of toys

based on the animated series Slugterra. The sci-fi, action-comedy adventure series is set to air on Disney XD this fall with 39 half-hourepisodes, plus 39 one-minute online Slugisodes. The agreement includes action figures and accessories, vehicles, playsets, roleplay, nov-elties, and plush items. Jakks expects to launch the Slugterra product line at all major North American retailers and additional territoriesbeginning spring 2013, targeting kids 6–11.

AGENCIES APPOINTED FOR PAC-MAN TV SERIESNamco Bandai Games, 41 Entertainment (41e), and Arad Productions have

appointed several new agents for U.S. licensing and promotional efforts for theupcoming Pac-Man television series, slated to begin broadcast on Disney XD infall 2013. Striker Entertainment, led by Marc Mostman and Russell Binder, willbe charged with securing licensees in the key categories of apparel, accessories,footwear, health and beauty aids, oral care, and publishing. The CDM Company,headed by Mitch Junkins, will handle all consumer promotional efforts. All cat-egories not specifically handled by Striker and CDM will be retained by the 41eteam in-house. 41e will manage the overall global licensing and merchandisingprogram and has already granted a number of key licenses.

MATTEL HOSTS FIRST-EVER GLOBAL LICENSING SUMMITMattel hosted its first-ever Global Licensing Summit in Miami in May. The three-day event

brought together licensees from around the globe as the toymaker revealed its plans for eachbrand. The event encouraged licensees to interact and network through information sessions, atrade show, and a gala for nearly 700 attendees, which featured a fashion show highlighting thelatest licensed product. The gala also featured Mattel’s first-ever global awards given out tolicensees. The winners included Umeko Pte. (Rookie of the Year), C&A Modas (Best ProductSoftlines), Egmont (Best Product Hardlines), Dynacraft (Most Innovative Marketing), Grendene(Licensee of the Year), and Random House (Lifetime Achievement).

PINOCCHIO TO BECOME 3-D ANIMATED FEATUREGuillermo Del Toro will co-direct The Jim Henson Company production Guillermo Del Toro’s

Pinocchio along with Mark Gustafson (animation director on The Fantastic Mr. Fox). It will be a3-D stop-motion animated version of Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, the classic taleillustrated by Gris Grimly. The film marks Del Toro’s first turn helming an animated feature. Inferno, a production and film financing com-pany, represented the property to international buyers at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in May.

A Recap of Industry Headlines

10 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

THETICK

ER

• For More News, Visit www.aNbMedia.com• Sign up to Receive FREE Weekly News Alerts

Pac-Man animated series

fashion show at Mattel’s GlobalLicensing Summit

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K’NEX TO CREATE BUILDABLE FIGURES FOR KISS, THE BEATLESLive Nation Merchandise brokered two deals with K’NEX Brands to create building toys

inspired by the rock band KISS and The Beatles’ film Yellow Submarine. KISS buildable fig-ures will feature the iconic black and white makeup, trademark hairstyle, and platform bootsof the band members. Yellow Submarine figures will feature groovy outfits, a black mop-topunique to the 1968-era of Beatles history, and the face that captures the look and persona spe-cific to each Beatle. Sets include all band members and their instruments, such as guitars anddrums, to recreate the full band experience. The package also doubles as a stage. Designed forchildren ages 5 and up, the buildable figure packs will be available exclusively at Target, tar-get.com, and knex.com this fall.

LICENSING AGENTS SIGN FOR DRIVER DAN’S STORY TRAINRocket Licensing in the UK and Licensing Street in the U.S. have been appointed to take the pre-

school entertainment brand Driver Dan’s Story Train into a wide range of categories across the twoterritories. Driver Dan’s Story Train has already established a number of strong partnerships includ-ing Golden Bear (UK master toy licensee), The Macmillan Campbell Books imprint (books), and

Universal (DVD partner in the UK). Rocket plans to work with all existing licens-ing and retail partners to maximize the brand’s potential throughout 2012 and2013. It will also boost brand awareness with strong promotional programs.Licensing Street is planning a major push for the brand at Licensing Show,where the company will be introducing Driver Dan and his friends to potentialnew U.S. licensees.

LAWLESS TO REPRESENT THE LITTLE PRINCELawless Entertainment is now representing The Little Prince in the U.S. and Canada for animation, licensing, merchandising, and

publishing. The Little Prince, first published in 1943, is a novella and the most famous work of the French writer, poet, and pioneer-ing aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It has been translated into more than 250 languages and dialects, with sales totaling more than200 million copies. Lawless Entertainment will introduce various categories of licensed merchandise to the North American market-place. An animation series is expected as are retail partnerships with various department stores and specialty chains.

BEAU JAMES RESIGNS FROM COROLLEBeau James announced in a letter sent to customers in May that he is resigning as director of Corolle North America effective June 4.

James has been with Corolle since 1996. Mathilde Dezalys, Corolle’s managing director, will succeed James and assemble her own team. James will continue as president of both The Beau James Group and To Market, To Market, and he said in his letter to customers that he

“remains committed to the challenge of identifying and introducing new and outstanding quality products to the American toy market.”

12 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

THETICK

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A Recap of Industry Headlines

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As more and more app gamesproliferate the digital mar-ketplace, it takes appealinggraphics and addictivegameplay for an app to

stand out. Several apps, such as Fruit Ninja,have become so popular that players want toexperience the gameplay even when theyare not in front of a mobile device.

Launched in 2010 by Australian gamedeveloper Halfbrick Studios, Fruit Ninjais a mobile game that has players slashingthrough cascades of fruit with a swipe oftheir finger. Players slice their waythrough Classic, Zen, and Arcade modesto become the ultimate Fruit Ninja. But be

careful of the bombs. They are explosiveto the touch and will put an end to a play-er’s juicy journey. Halfbrick continues tosupport the app with content updates.

Since its launch, Fruit Ninja has beendownloaded more than 130 milliontimes, earned the No. 2 spot on Apple’sTop Paid iPhone Apps of 2011 list, andbeen named one of Time magazine’s 50Best iPhone Apps of 2011.

Halfbrick partnered with HAPConsulting, a boutique firm specializingin trademark licensing, marketing, andnew business development, to develop aFruit Ninja licensing program that createscharacters and personalities around thefruit. Halfbrick has been selective inchoosing its licensees and approvingproduct so that the end result will be astrong, coordinated product lineup.

Several licensees already have producton shelves, and more licensed productwill continue to be released throughoutthis year and next year. Mattel, Basic Fun,Jazwares, and Nanco-Nancy Sales, Inc.,are producing toys, games, and electron-ics that incorporate the app’s fruit-slash-ing action. Apparel partners includeBioworld, Hybrid, and MjC. Halfbrickand HAP Consulting also signed Coveroo(phone cases), Calendar Holdings (2013calendars), Healthy Food Brands (fruitsnacks and gummies), SmileMakers(stickers), and Trends International(posters). Licensed product will appeal toFruit Ninja fans of all ages, allowing themto show their love of the game and playout a non-digital fruit adventure.

HALFBRICK STUDIOSBY LAURIE LEAHEY

ENTE

RTAI

NMEN

TM

ARKE

TPLA

CE

14 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

NEED TO KNOW

• Fruit Ninja is available on theiPhone/iPad, Android,Nokia’s Ovi, andWindows Phone.

• Available for download from theXbox LiveMarketplace, FruitNinja Kinect turnsplayers’ arms into fruit-slashing blades for usewith the Xbox 360Kinect.

• There is also FruitNinja: Puss in Bootsfor the iPhone/iPad,featuring the all-newBandito mode and, forthe first time ever, thetomato.

• Fans can also play onFacebook with FruitNinja Frenzy.

In Fruit Ninja, players must slice fruit to score points without getting defeated by the bomb.

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 15

BASIC FUNBasic Fun signed on to produce handheld

electronic devices and 3-D figural and plushkey chains. The Fruit Ninja ElectronicCarabiner game (shown) plays like the orig-inal game—slice all the fruit before it fallsout of the air and watch out for bombs.

COVEROOHalfbrick signed Coveroo for Fruit

Ninja-themed cases for the iPhone, iPod,iPad, BlackBerry, Kindle, and other devices.There are three designs from which tochoose. All cases can be purchased atwww.coveroo.com.

HYBRIDHybrid is one of the apparel licensees for

the Fruit Ninja brand. The company will pro-duce T-shirts, fleece, thermal tops, and tanktops featuring logos and other images fromthe app.

MATTELMattel is producing an array of tabletop

games for Fruit Ninja. The games includeFruit Ninja: Slice of Life (shown) and theFruit Ninja Card Game. Both games are forages 5 and up.

MJCMjC will produce Fruit Ninja-inspired

men’s, juniors’, boys’, and girls’ sleepwear,loungewear, and underwear.

JAZWARESJazwares will produce plush, figures, and

electronics based on the Fruit Ninja app. Theplush come in a variety of sizes, includingthe 2.5-inch plush pictured, and some includesounds from the game.

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Representing 26 percent oftotal toy industry sales in2011 (up 2 percent over2010), licensed products arefrequently a bright spot for

the U.S. toy industry. Licensors and enter-tainment executives flock to New Yorkevery February to broker deals with toycompanies of all sizes at the Toy IndustryAssociation’s (TIA) American InternationalToy Fair and may meet again with thesepartners in June at the annual LicensingInternational Expo in Las Vegas.

Capitalizing on the creativity and innova-tive spirit of the toy and entertainment com-munities—and the popularity of their prod-ucts—mobile app designers and providersare riding a digital wave into the toy indus-try. Thousands of new e-connected toys,mobile apps, and online games are bridgingthe gap between physical and virtual playand satisfying the lifestyle demands of

today’s kids. This explosion of technologyhas also led to a multitude of new safety andonline data privacy concerns that are fastbecoming hot-button topics among govern-ment officials, consumer groups, and parentsnot only in the U.S. but around the world.

Taking the toy industry’s long-standingcommitment to child safety into this newarena, TIA has stepped to the forefront as anadvocate for sound and sensible measuresthat will protect children’s privacy and safe-ty when using any form of digital media.

“Toy companies recognize the specialvulnerabilities of children and support boththe federal laws and self-regulatory guide-lines that have been put in place to effec-tively protect children’s privacy,” said TIApresident Carter Keithley. “Safeguardingconsumer privacy, especially children’s pri-vacy, is a priority for the toy industry, andwe believe that self-regulation is the bestway to keep pace with emerging technolo-gies. Should any new restrictions be neces-sary, regardless of where they originate,they need to be reasonable and well vettedto ensure they make sense for everyone.”

TIA’s Responsible Marketing toChildren committee is actively monitoringand engaging in discussions regarding fed-eral and state laws and regulations, reports,policy initiatives, and self-regulatory stan-dards that implicate privacy in a mannerthat affects toy companies, including:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revi-sions to the Children’s Online PrivacyProtection Act (COPPA) (TIA has submit-ted comments about the proposed changes);

• Do Not Track Kids Act, which banstracking of kids and expands privacy pro-

tections for teens; • White House and FTC Privacy reports

that endorse a “Consumer Privacy Bill ofRights” and single out mobile apps as thefirst topic for action; and

• FTC report Mobile Apps for Kids:Current Privacy Disclosures areDisappointing, which suggests that priva-cy policies are inadequate or lacking inkid-directed apps.

Some of the proposed restrictions couldlimit the ability of toy companies to improvecontent and allow children to enjoy personal-ized, interactive online experiences that arestill anonymous and safe. Companies that didnot comply could risk federal enforcement.

TIA has reiterated to the FTC the indus-try’s strong support of self-regulation as aneffective means of protecting children’s pri-vacy. TIA already encourages both memberand non-member companies to adhere toadvertising and marketing self-regulationprograms and to follow best practices onissues such as behavioral advertising,demographic tracking, and data protection.

“TIA will persist in our efforts to educatethe toy industry on best practices for chil-dren’s privacy, data security, and self-regu-lation and we will continue to monitor leg-islative activity and submit comments onbehalf of the toy industry as needed,” saysKeithley. “The safety and well-being ofchildren is always our top priority.”

For more information about the work ofTIA on these issues, contact StacyLeistner, TIA vice-president of strategiccommunications at [email protected] or (646) 520–4858.

With More Apps Comes More Responsibilities

16 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

BY KRISTIN MORENCY, TOY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

INDU

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TIF NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR“PLAY CONNECTS” GRANTS

The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) is now accept-ing nominations for its 2012 Play Connects grant cycle,which will provide up to three $10,000 grants to chil-dren’s charities nominated by members of the ToyIndustry Association (TIA).

TIA member companies (both full and associate)are encouraged to nominate one community-basedcharity. This can be done by visitingPlayConnects.ToyIndustryFoundation.org.

Nominated charities must submit completed grantapplications to TIF on or before August 15, 2012. Upto three grant recipients will be chosen and announcedthis December.

Launched in 2011, Play Connects aims to connectTIA members with the rewarding world of philanthro-py and to help positively impact children’s causes.

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Owning an independentretail store can be aroller coaster ride—fastpaced, thrilling, and fullof unanticipated ups

and downs. However, membership in theAmerican Specialty Toy RetailingAssociation (ASTRA) brings with it hun-dreds of colleagues—so the roller coasterride needn’t be lonely.ASTRA has many roles—let’s sum them

up as helping independent toy retailersthrive in the marketplace by sharing ideasand pooling business resources. One rolethat is consistently rated as a top member-ship benefit is access to the ASTRA networkof experienced store owners. Since its founding 20 years ago, ASTRA

has counted among its members the mostsuccessful and innovative independent toyretailers. Our founders understood thatattracting the best in the business and sharingwhat works with less experienced retailers iscentral to growing the specialty toy industry.This is especially important for the localstore owner who is “the boss” and thereforehas no peers in the business with whom totalk freely about problems and ideas. The ASTRA network can be powerful.

“Over the years, I have increased my bottomline by thousands of dollars thanks to ASTRAand friends I have met through ASTRA,” saysJonny Girson, owner of The Learning Tree inPrairie Village, Kan. Whether you have beenin the business for years or are just gettingstarted, look to your ASTRA colleagues tooffer information or the advice you need toget through the tough spots.

WAYS TO CONNECTWITH OTHER RETAILERSASTRA offers multiple ways for retailers

to connect with each other, including: • ONLINE MEMBER NETWORK. ASTRA’s con-fidential discussion boards—including oneonly for retailers, one only for sales reps, andone only for manufacturers, plus cross-groupdiscussions like retailers and manufactur-ers—are forums for sharing information andexamining current issues such as internetsales, flash sale sites, and much more.ASTRA’s updated website allows for muchmore strategic and inclusive conversationson topics introduced by participants. • ASTRA MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY.ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, heldevery year in June, is the largest annualgathering of the specialty toy industry. Thismeans that the best independent toy retailersin the business, along with up-and-comingretailers, are all in one place and they arespending a lot of time over the four-dayevent talking with each other. This buildsrelationships, facilitates the sharing ofinformation, and is just plain fun. “The rela-tionships are the best part of the entireASTRA Marketplace & Academy experi-ence,” says Gwen Ottenberg, owner ofImagine That Toys in Wichita, Kan.• ASTRA MEMBER DIRECTORY. One of thebest ways to learn from colleagues is to pickup the phone and call another ASTRA mem-ber. (Email is another good option.) ASTRAmakes this easy by providing a print mem-ber directory each November and down-loadable electronic membership lists thatare updated monthly.

MAKE YOURNETWORKING PRODUCTIVEWhatever process a retailer uses to get to

know fellow ASTRA members, it’s importantto understand networking as a two-wayexchange. Here are a few tips for effectiveinformation sharing and networking:• BE ORGANIZED AND CONSIDERATE. If you asksomeone in your network for help or informa-tion, make sure you know what you want toknow. It wastes everyone’s time if you are notable to articulate what you need.• MAKE YOURSELF A RESOURCE FOR OTHERS. Ifyou expect others to share, be ready to do soyourself. When you have received helpfuladvice from a colleague, always ask if there isanything you can do to help in return. Whenyou come across information that might beuseful to those in your ASTRA network, suchas an article or a web link, send it to them.• THANK YOUR CONTACTS OFTEN. If someonehelps you, they can never be thanked enough—even if they are an ASTRA friend you haveknown for years. Be sure to acknowledge every-one who lends you a hand. If you often feel as if you’re on that retail

roller coaster, think of your ASTRA friendsand contacts as a seat belt.“No matter the question, our ASTRA

friends always answer freely from their ownexperience,” says Mary Sisson, owner ofKazoodle Toys in Vancouver, Wash. “ASTRAfriends have shared valuable information wehave used to build our own toy store. It hasbeen our toy store university.”

Kathleen McHugh is president of The AmericanSpecialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA).

Connecting and Sharing:Tips for Using Your ASTRA Network

18 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

BY KATHLEEN MCHUGH, ASTRA

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With more than 40years of com-bined experi-ence in the toyindustry, Just Play

co-founders Charlie Emby and GeoffreyGreenberg have already made theirmark. Greenberg pioneered the roleplayand dress-up category with CDI (sold toJakks Pacific in 2005) through licensingdeals with Disney and Nickelodeon. Emby’swork at Play Along (sold to Jakks Pacific in2004) highlighted his skills with BritneySpears fashion dolls, Care Bears, and therelaunch of Cabbage Patch Kids. But it wastheir joint work on the Hannah Montanafranchise under Jakks when they firstworked together. A year later, in 2009, theyteamed up again to form Just Play.

The business started in the children’shealth and beauty category. “It was the resultof having been in the toy business for somany years and having done so much there,”says Emby. So in 2010, licensed children’sshampoos, hand soaps, and more were thecore of Just Play’s business. Disney,Nickelodeon, and Warner Bros. signed JustPlay as a licensee, and it was licensing thatwould bring them back to toys.

Because of Just Play’s active work withlicensors, Disney approached them to takeover its plush business. Previously Disneyhad kept this business division in-house, butthe plush category was struggling. “Theywere looking for a new model to resurrectthe entire plush lineup for Disney,” saysEmby. “They knew we were toy guys, andwe knew how to design, develop, market,

and sell product.” Just Playreached an agreement and took over all basicand feature plush as well as infant and sea-sonal plush, which were previously pro-duced by multiple licensees. Emby credits astrong history and track record with Disney inhelping to seal the deal. “Our goal was to geteverything under one roof,” he says. “Sofrom an approval standpoint and a design anddevelopment standpoint, it would be consis-tent across all brands. Their previous partnerswere really good at only one element. So, forus, understanding the marketplace going in,and having strong retail relationships,enabled us to make a difference.” By fall2011, Just Play doubled the volume ofDisney’s retail presence, according to Emby.

This year, Just Play was assigned themaster toy license for the new animatedseries Doc McStuffins, which premieres onDisney Junior this fall. Just Play is produc-ing a line of plush, dolls, playsets, and dress-up and roleplay items inspired by the show.“It was a function of proving to everyonethat we recognize how to take a category,bring it to retail, and make it successful,”Emby says. This recognition has earned JustPlay licenses such as Mattel’s Barbie and

Activision’s Skylanders. The company is now

working to round out itsportfolio with private labelproducts and by diversi-fying across productcategories. Just Play

balances its plush businesswith 50 percent feature and 50

percent basic. But features haveoffered more opportunities toattract male plush consumers.

“We try to put some feature even in our basicproduct so we can offer a bit more of the boyelement,” says Emby.

Affordability is also a concern. The newBounce Bounce Tigger, launching this holi-day, is an example of how Just Play offersvalue both in terms of its features and itsprice point. Greenberg and Emby recog-nized that most animated feature plush hasbecome pricey for consumers, sometimescosting upwards of $70. “We decided wecould create a compelling and innovativeproduct with Tigger and still get it out thereat a price point that would be appealing tomoms—$40,” says Emby. The product willfeature the iconic Tigger bounce with left toright action as well as head movement.

With a lot on the horizon for Just Play inthe next year, Emby says he and Greenbergare simply focusing on the strengths thatdelivered success in the past. “Our goal is tocontinue to under promise and over deliv-er,” Emby says. “It’s the way we ran ourlast businesses, and so far it’s been work-ing. Toys are in our blood and it’s some-thing we love to do.”

JUST PLAY: COMPANY FOUNDERS GET BACK TO BASICSBY JENNIFER LYNCH

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22 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

l–r: Star WarsTalking CharacterPlush Chewbacca,Doc McStuffins

Doll

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24 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

ASTRA MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY COMPILED BY NANCY LOMBARDI

Baltimore, Md., is the location for this year’s ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Exhibitors and attendeeswill gather in the Sheraton Baltimore City Center June 10–13 for networking events and seminars as wellas previews of the hottest new items for the specialty market. Here is a sample of what will be on displayat this year’s ASTRA Marketplace & Academy.

ENDLESS GAMESEndless Games is following up its Toy Fair launch

of Cupcake Race with two new games. Follow theLetter, a popular word game, is now available as aboard game. Use the last letter as the first letter in thenext response. For example, if the category is“States,” player one says, “New York,” player twosays, “Kansas” (since New York ends in “K”), and play-er three says, “South Dakota”. . . then Alabama. . . Arkansas, and so on.

The next new introduction is Text Twist. Based on the internet game, Text Twist isthe home version of the letter-rearranging, race-against-the-clock game. There are twominutes per round. Come up with more words than your opponents with the six ran-dom letters on the board. Earn more points for longer words. The player with the mostpoints after three rounds wins.

LAMAZELamaze has a host of

new items at this year’sASTRA Marketplacethat focus on classicplay patterns for baby.Walter the WaddlingPenguin Pull Toy(shown) helps babyadvance gross motorskills. Featuring crinkle wings, colorfulpatterns, textures, and a surprise peek-a-boo fish, this penguin is also ideal for stim-ulating baby’s senses and engaging inimaginative play. For auditory awarenessand visual development, Walter has twohigh-contrast, bead-filled wheels and apull string, which also allow baby to easi-ly pull it along on any adventure. It isdesigned for ages 9 months and up.

From the brand that introducedOctotunes comes Lamaze Turtle Tunes forages birth and up. The plush turtle has abrightly colored musical shell. As babytouches the vibrant spots on the TurtleTunes shell, different musical notes areplayed. While the bold colors aid in thedevelopment of baby’s vision, the musicalsounds are ideal for creating auditoryawareness. Lamaze Turtle Tunes featuresthree different music modes to choose fromand comes complete with a song book.

PLAYMOBILThe Pirate Adventure Island features five magic

coins that kids use to unlock a secret cave with treas-ure. Sound and light effects are activated when thecave is opened. The playset also has hidden stairs andfalling rocks. The set includes three figures, a row-boat, a working cannon, and other accessories.

The Pirate Ship comes with working cannons, acrane for loading and unloading, and a hidden compartment to store treasure. The ship can float onwater and can be upgraded with the Playmobil Underwater Motor, which is sold separately. On theship is a magic coin that can be used on the Pirate Adventure Island playset, sold separately. ThePirate Ship includes four figures and accessories. Both Pirate playsets are for ages 4–10.

The new Princess Fantasy Castle features turrets, a gilded entrance gate, a grand staircase,and lots of rooms. Store all the royal jewels in the tower’s secret hiding place before taking aspin around the ballroom using the revolving dance floor. The set also includes two figures, athrone, chairs, a chaise, a chandelier, a jewelry box, a tea set, goblets, flower bushes, and a life-size tiara, bracelet, and ring. It is for ages 4–10.

Pirate Ship

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26 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

ASTRA MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY

TOMYTOMY is introducing a host of new items for its Chuggington Wooden Railway System. The Chuggington

Wooden Railway System adds more characters to its collectible lineup of engines as well as feature-packed startertrain sets, buildings, and tunnels at key price points. All are made with classic, high-quality wood construction,which is compatible with other major wooden railway toys.

Chuggington Wooden Railway Old Puffer Pete’s Mountain Adventure Set shows Old Puffer Pete trapped in themountains when he is stopped in his tracks by falling rocks. Save the day by clearing the boulders from his path.

Chuggington Wooden Railway Brewster’s Icy Escapade Set is the same one as seen in the episode “Frostini’s Meltdown.” Aheat wave has struck and the power is out. Help Brewster safely reach the ice cave to quickly deliver ice to the ice cream factory.

Chuggington Wooden Railway Rotating Rising Tower is a 2-in-1 rotating rising tower that features a unique four-way riser that rotates 360 degreesto build the ultimate Chuggington Wooden Railway layout. Stack the tunnel riser and cap to reach new heights with this destination.

The Chuggington Wooden Railway Engines lineup includes Harrison, Chatsworth, Action Chugger, Frostini, Hoot & Toot, Speedy McAllister,Action Chugger Mobile Command Car, Piper, Skylar, and Decka. Engine two-packs are also available.

PLASMARTThe latest brain teaser from PlaSmart

is Hiccups. Pass the ball sequentiallyfrom cup to cup without a hiccup. Dropthe ball and start back at cup No. 1.Designed for ages 6 and up, Hiccups isbeneficial in developing motor and dexter-ity skills, as well as hand-eye coordination.

TYNIESEach Tynies glass figure is handmade and unique. From owls to penguins,

dogs to cats, and dolphins to crabs, there are more than 100 Tynies characterstyles to collect and display. Tynies are also available in two licensed styles:

Hello Kitty and Smurfs. Hello Kitty is now available in six uniquestyles and poses. The Smurfs Tynies, also currently available,include Smurfette, Papa Smurf, Jokey Smurf, Baby Smurf,Brainy Smurf, Gargamel, and Azrael. These tiny collectiblesare designed for ages 8 and up.

BLUE BOX TOYS’ BKIDSThe Watch Over Me Dream

Station from Blue Box Toys’Bkids line helps babies sleepthrough the night. The five-phase system helps baby fallasleep and stay asleep.

When it is time for baby to goto sleep, activate the Watch Over Me. Asthe paddles begin to sway, gentle musicand soft projected lights help to calmbaby down and prepare for sleep. Inphase two, as the sensors detect lessactivity by baby, the device will get quieter and easebaby into sleep. Now that baby is asleep in phase three,the device detects no movement and the lights andmusic are replaced by soothing mood lights and whitenoise. The smart sensor in the device will continue tomonitor baby. If baby wakes up, then soft music andlights will play to calm baby back to sleep. In phasefive, once the preset timer completes its cycle, WatchOver Me will turn on the mood light and begin to playsoft music, which will encourage baby to wake up.

Action Chugger

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28 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

ASTRA MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY

HOTALING IMPORTSHotaling Imports is the exclusive distributor of Papo Figures as well as many other European toy compa-

nies. From Djeco comes The Castle of Wonders, which is a heavy cardboard castle that is simple to put togeth-er, yet sturdy enough to withstand lots of play. The company says it is strong enough to hold Papo figures.Also from Djeco is Arty Toys, which come in three themes: knights (shown), pirates, and superheroes.

These plastic figures have articulating arms and lots of personality.In addition, building on the company’s popular T-Rex comes Baby T-Rex with an articulating jaw.

KASEY’S KIDS

Kasey’s Kids offers an assortment of sports-themed basic non-licensed figures so kids can play a game offootball, baseball, soccer, or hockey. Licensed versions of NHL Hockey, featuring the New York Rangers vs.the Boston Bruins for example, as well as College Football, featuring a variety of teams such asOhio State, Auburn, or Michigan, are available.In the set shown here, for ages 3 and up, it’s the Baseball Guys: Red vs. Blue. A fully

adjustable scoreboard keeps the game as exciting and realistic as possible. The set includes 262.5-inch players, one umpire, one fully adjustable realistic scoreboard, 28-inch x 28-inch wash-able felt field and, a 10-inch x 6-inch x 5-inch stackable container with attached lid and handle.

PLANTOYSCreated to maximize the usage of reclaimed rubber trees, PlanToys’ PlanWood Pull-

Along Snail encourages those beginning stages of walking with this pull-toy. Designed forages 1 and up, pull the snail along and the snail body inches forward in a rolling motion.

KAZAMKaZAM Balance Bike allows kids to skip the training wheels and learn to balance. KaZAM

says it is the only foot-to-floor bike on the market uniquely designed with a footrest. Childrenlift their feet up naturally and position them onto the footrest maintaining proper balance andcenter of gravity similar to riding a traditional bicycle. KaZAM says it is the most realisticapproach to learning coordination and balance. The company says it ultimately teaches kids howto ride a pedaled bike. It is designed for ages 3–6 and is available in red, blue, green, and pink.

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OHIO ARTSandzini is a mix that takes any shape,

says Ohio Art. This vibrantly colored andversatile compound offers creative fun for kidsof all ages. Cut it, mold it, sculpt it, cover it, let itdry, then display it. Great for young kids wholove activity-based play, as well as older kids whowant a more sophisticated arts and crafts experience,says Ohio Art.

MOGO DESIGNMOGO Design will be presenting its MOGO

Charmbands and wide variety of MOGO Charms,including 12 new charm collections, as well as unveil-ing two new purse lines for late summer.

MOGO Charmbands come in a variety of colorsand there are more than 400 charms that click ontothe bands, allowing girls to show off their personali-ty. Multiple bands can also be linked together to cre-ate headbands, anklets, belts, and more. There arecurrently more than 75 unique charm collections(sets of three in a magnetic tin) that feature themesthat spotlight girls’ interests, moods, or outfits.

WOWOPOLISCrafting meets coloring in the Colorgami arts and

crafts kits from Wowopolis. The line, designed forages 3 and up, consists of themed sets including SpaceAdventure, The Red Carpet Fashion Series, andAlphabet Pop-Ups. Each American-made Colorgamikit includes markers and special sheets of perforatedcraft paper with pop-out characters, accessories,themed environments, and more. When the project iscomplete, the illustrations can be popped out, folded,and constructed into a three-dimensional scene.

GREEN TOYSGreen Toys adds the

Mini Fastbacks to its lineof Earth-friendly prod-ucts. Made in the USAfrom 100 percent recycledplastic milk containers that save energyand reduce greenhouse gases, these four palm-sized carsare perfect for little hands ready to explore and protect their world. Thered, blue, green, and yellow two-door coupes are high-design and low-emission, with a classic sloping roofline, racing stripes, and no metalaxles. There is no BPA, phthalates, PVC, or external coatings. The carsare packaged with recycled and recyclable materials and printed withsoy inks. Designed for ages 1 and up, the cars are sold in this set of four.

RAVENSBURGERThe debut collection

of 3D Building Sets fea-tures easy-to-assemble216-piece puzzles of the Empire State Building, theEiffel Tower, and Big Ben as well as an iconic NewEngland Lighthouse. Like Ravensburger’s Puzzleballline, the 3D Building Sets feature precision-cut flat andhinged pieces that click into place. Once complete, thestructures stand up to 15 inches high.

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32 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

ASTRA MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY

FASHION ANGELSNew signature items in the Fashion Angels line include the Tapefitti Tape Art Kit, Fashion Sticker

Stylist Sets, and Velvet Poster Collections, among many other craft activity items. The company is alsofocused on the latest fashion and beauty fad with new hair kits and jewelry accessories such as theBraidzilla Bracelet Braiding Kit, the Color Rox Hair Chox Kit, and the Feather Fashion Accessory Kit.

In addition to its own Fashion Angels brand, the company is also featuring new additions to its licensed line of products for MGA Entertainment’sLalaloopsy as well as Mattel’s Monster High, Barbie, and Hot Wheels properties.Shown here is the Tapefitti Tape Art Kit, which comes with a design guide featuring 24 ideas. The kit, designed for ages 6 and up, comes

with 12 decorative ideas and a bonus storage tote.

GREENPOINT BRANDSNew for 2012 from the My Natural line is

the Good Earth Girl Mermaid, the latest additionto the brand’s popular collection of eco-friendlyrag dolls. The soft, huggable doll features long redhair and a mermaid tail.Good Earth Girl rag dolls are made from all-

natural cotton and colored with non-toxic, loweco-impact dyes. The doll, from Greenpoint Brands (for-merly known as Hosung), is safe for all ages.

BEGINAGAIN TOYSThe first Pop-Up Playbook in BeginAgain’s new

series is called A Day on the Farm. This natural rubberplayset springs to life as the beechwood sides of thePlaybook are opened. To clean up, kids gather the ani-mals, place the farm in the book, squeeze itclosed, and snap it shut. The setincludes a Playbook (twoboards hinged with natu-ral cotton), a soft pop-upplayscape, and six farm animalsmade from natural rubber. The Pop-UpPlaybook is recommended for ages 4 and up.

DUNECRAFTDuneCraft is unveiling five new Dome Terrariums includ-

ing the Farmer’s Harvest Garden and the Butterfly GlamourGarden. DuneCraft now has bulk bags of Spit Balls, Glow inthe Dark Spit Balls, and Growing Skulls.Create a 4-D scene with Bi-Level Cool Combinations. Grow

Fly Traps and Volcano plants with the Volcano Crater Garden. Thedepth of the planter is accentuated with the included foregroundand background decals. Other items in this new line include theSwamp Thing Garden and the Rainforest Cloud Garden.Seed Bomb styles include Butterfly & Bird Mixture, Perennial

Mixture, and Herb and Grass Seed Bombs. The clay in the bombholds moisture and protects the seeds from animals and birds. There are also new edible offerings in both the Sprout ’n

Grow and Organic Veggie lines. Styles include mini can-taloupes, eggplant, hot peppers, and more.

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34 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

ASTRA MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY

ASMODEE GAMESDixit Journey from Asmodee Games features a gallery of artistically designed cards that offer simple

images for individual interpretation so that younger players have a chance to stretch their imaginations andincorporate their best vocabulary skills. The storyteller gives a clue for one of his cards without telling whatcard it is. The other players choose one of their cards that best fits the clue. The storyteller takes all thecards and shuffles them. Players then guess which card belongs to the storyteller. Players move their iconson the scoring track based on the number of points they earn each round. The player with the most pointswins. Dixit Journey is for three to six players ages 8 and up.

THE HAYWIRE GROUPThe Bear in Underwear Backpack Adventure Board Game from The Haywire Group is a

no-reading-required matching game for preschoolers ages 3 and up. Based on the bestsellingbook Bear in Underwear by Todd H. Doodler, players race through the forest trying to help

Bear and his furry friends find their lost underwear. The first player to match all theunderwear on their card wins the game.

THE ORB FACTORYStick’n Style Cupcake Clutch from The Orb Factory is for ages 5 and up. The kit contains one cupcake

clutch and 150-plus sparkling jewel pieces. Follow a numbered legend to add jeweled sprinkles to the bagto create the Cupcake Clutch.

Sticky Mosaics Keepsake Boxes, also for ages 5 and up, contain one mirror, and a ballerina story. There are550-plus sparkling tiles and jewel pieces. Follow a numbered legend and add sparkling jewels to make threeboxes. Each box features a different Princess along with her special animal friend.

ELENCOElenco introduces Snap Circuits Light, which has 175 projects and 55 parts along with a

colorful picture manual. Users can make projects that feature a strobe light, color-changingLED, and light-up and glow-in-the-dark fans. Watch your iPod or other MP3 player playmusic with Snap Circuits Light.

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 35

BUFFALO GAMESChronology is the game about putting

famous and fun events into a timeline—minus the specific dates. Do you thinkmayonnaise was invented after the tele-phone? Was it before or after Lincoln’sGettysburg Address? Was the Seinfeldseries finale before or after Dolly thesheep was cloned? Guess right aboutwhere the event falls and your timelinegrows, but a bigger timeline means itwill be tougher to correctly place thenext event. The first player to create a timeline of 10 event cardswins. The game is for ages 14 and up, and there are more than850 events and facts to create the timelines.

CLOUD BCloud B’s Tranquil Turtle will be the first toy in the new

Tranquil Island collection. Tranquil Turtle is a patent-pend-ing design, which projects a realistic, moving underwatereffect to help soothe children tosleep. Tranquil Turtle is also thefirst Cloud B product to incorpo-rate both sight and sound. Userscan choose between a soothingmelody or a calming white noise,while relaxing to the tranquilunderwater projection.

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36 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

ASTRA MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY

JAX GAMESIn Jax Games’ Word’s Out!, sim-

ply roll the dice, then find aletter in the lettergraph on thegame board. If that lettermatches one on your wordcard, place a chip on the cor-responding space. Or draw acard and you may get toremove an opponent’s chip,swap words, or lose one ofyour chips. Be the first playerto spell out the word to winthe game. The game is designed fortwo to four players ages 7 and up.

HAPEHape offers an all-in-one birch Gourmet Kitchen. This item is part of the Playfully Delicious line that

includes more than 20 toys that revolve around food and cooking. The toys were developed to promote real-istic roleplay and encourage healthy eating. Designed for ages 4 and up, it is available in a gender-neutraldesign and comes in white (shown here) or green.

WONDERWORLDOne of the newest additions to Wonderworld’s col-

lection of ride-ons is the Red Buggy Car. Designed forages 18 months and up, it features a comfortable,curved seat; chunky rubber wheels to provide a firmgrip; and a steering wheel. Wonderworld says it is designed topromote balance and control, while refining gross motor coordination skills.

GUNDIdeal for fashion-obsessed girls ages 3 and up, Gund Girls are huggably soft 17-inch fash-

ionistas with unique personalities and signature styles. The girls come with one removable out-fit for dress-up play. Each has colorful hair highlights that show off theirfunky fashions as well as unique styles of shoes. There are four charac-ters available: Brooklyn (shown), Sloan, DeeDee, and Emma.

FOLKMANISStrut and peck just like the real thing

with the Rooster Puppet for ages 3 andup. Users can animate the head and beak. Also available are Pill Bugs. Familiar

to any garden, they have their own pro-tective armor. The Folkmanis Pill BugPuppet has segments that overlap andcan roll up into a ball. Recommended forages 3 and up, the puppet features amovable head and buggy legs ready forcrawling and exploring.

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MANHATTAN TOYGroovy Girls Chillaxin’ Patio Set is perfectly sized to fit in the

Groovy Girls Hip Happenin’ House and sized to fit each doll. Theset, for ages 3 and up, includes two easy-to-assemble woodenchairs and table, four glittery pens, five paint colors, 30 bedaz-zling gems, one stencil, and a step-by-step instruction sheet.

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ZING TOYSZing Blast Off

Zomp Rocketz are air-powered rock-ets that hit heights of up to 200 feet,according to the company. Set the launch angle for high arcingflights, and then slam your foot down to launch. The harder youstomp, the higher it goes. It’s designed for kids ages 10 and up.

Stik’em! Air Bow is the air-powered, easy-to-fire bow thatblasts rockets and the included darts more than 55 feet. Launchspecially designed darts that stick to walls, doors, ceilings,floors, and more. This is designed for ages 5 and up.

Stik’em! CrossBow, for ages 5 and up, features stealth swingarms that pop open for action and send super-soft Stik’em! dartsflying. Lock ’n’ load the darts for anytime-action. Built-in clipskeep extra darts at the ready.

PATCH PRODUCTSThe Tall-Stacker Mighty Monkey Playset from Patch

Products encourages free-form building and roleplay, while fos-tering creativity and imagination. This versatile building set thatcombines Tall-Stacker Pegs with Mighty Monkey Pegs is forages 3 and up. Kids can stack colorful pegs and create differentconfigurations for their monkeys to play. Use the included mon-key figurines to create a scene. No batteries are required. Aswith any Lauri pegging product, Tall-Stacker Mighty MonkeyPlayset comes with a storage box.

ZompRocketz

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ASTRA MARKETPLACE & ACADEMY

PUREMCO GAMESPuremco offers an assortment of dominoes and domino accessories, including domi-

noes from double six to double 18, travel size dominoes, number dominoes, and theoriginal spinner with 11 wild tiles. Customized dominoes, printed in the UnitedStates, feature collegiate licenses, dominoes with store logos, or personalized sets.

Spinner to Go is a dynamic double nine domino game with 11 wild tiles thatkeeps this travel size set moving with speed and flexibility. Double 12 dominoeswith color dots are perfect for playing Mexican Train, Chicken Foot, and manyother favorite domino games. Customized dominoes are also available in double six,double nine, and double 12. All custom dominoes are printed in the United States.All sets are designed for two to eight players, ages 6 and up.

CEACO/GAMEWRIGHT

The object of The Big Fat Tomato Game is to harvest the most tomatoes while defending your patch from agarden variety of intruders such as weeds, varmints, a tomato zombie, and even flying hippos. Haul the mosttomatoes to market by the end of the game to win.

The game contains 15 mini tomatoes, 60 cards, five baskets, and two dice. Designed for two to fiveplayers ages 10 and up, the game should take about 20 minutes to play, according to the company.

The 10th anniversary deluxe edition of The Scrambled States of America game is now available.Have fun learning about the United States in this madcap game of observation and quick reflexes.Collect state cards by matching them to a Scramble challenge. Or “Go the Distance” and find astate’s closest neighbor. Win the most cards and call yourself the Head of States. This new deluxe edition,designed for two to four players ages 8 and up, features new art, new challenges, and a copy of The Scrambled States of America book.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGSInternational Playthings will introduce new Calico Critters products for 2012, including new families, ready-to-

play sets, homes, and more. One new offering is the Motorcycle & Sidecar, for ages 3 and up, which includes Marvinand Maggie Mulberry Raccoon, goggles, eight bumper stickers, two drivers licenses, two maps, magazine, motorcy-cle manual, and club membership card. It also features two helmets and two motorcycle straps for safety.

International Playthings reveals a new logo, new packaging, and new products to its infant line, Earlyears. Newto the collection are stimulating playsets that feature bright colors, fun sounds, and engaging textures to inspireearly learning and development such as the Jungle Activity Center. This playset opens up to tie on the crib or lieson the floor for tummy time exploration. The lion’s tail rattles, the bird squeaks, and flowers and leaves crinkle.There is also a fluffy cloud and an interactive mirror. It is for ages birth and up.

Calico Critters Marvin and MaggieMulberry Raccoon in

the Motorcycle & Sidecar

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 39

DAYDREAM TOY

ZipDrifters by Daydream Toy are smallrace cars that buzz around in all directions.Their bristle-based action is powered by vibra-tion, according to the company. Race them onthe included track or zipthem across a desk andwatch as they movearound obstacles andchange direction.

ZipDrifters, designedfor ages 5 and up, areavailable in single-carsets or double-car sets.Both sets include tracksand replacement batteries.

PRETTYUGLYPrettyUgly LLC introduces UglyBuddies.

Each UglyDoll comes with its very own buddyto hold. The whole group is shown from the topleft moving across the row to the bottom left:

• Ox and Ice-Bat• Ice-Bat and Wage• Wage and Babo• Babo and Babo’s Bird• Wedgehead and Ox• Bop ’n Beep and Jeero

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTSEducational Insights is introducing a host of new items at this year’s

ASTRA Marketplace. Here are just two products attendees can expect to see.The object of Nowhere to Go is to trap your opponent in this step-by-stepstrategy game for two players ages 8 and up. Each player places his or her spypiece on the starting spaces. Players take turns moving their spy piece as manyspaces as they like across any bridges that are not blocked. Players end theirturns by placing a blocker on any bridge. The first player to trap the other spywith blockers wins. Play on the includ-ed hexagonal game board, with twoplaying pieces, and 40 blockers.

Puppet-On-A-Stick is designed forages 4 and up. Choose from three over-sized puppets on sticks, which inspiredramatic play with silly faces, movablemouths, and endless possibilities.

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ALEXTots Art Start, for ages 18 months and up,

includes materials for six works of art. Itcontains two pre-printed paper frames andthree first crayons for scribbling, a papergiraffe, tree with stickers, and two crack-and-peel collage boards with lots of doilies, tis-sue, fringe, and crepe papers.

The Mix & Makeup Lip Shimmer, shownbelow for ages 6 and up, allows girls to mix theirown colors and flavors of lip shimmer. It comeswith all the supplies needed to fill five ice popcontainers with professional-grade ingredients.It comes with five ice pop containers with keychains, three bottles of color/flavor drops, lipshimmer base, rainbow glitter, 28 stickers, mix-ing cup, stir stick, and instructions.

LITTLE KIDSKids ages 3 and up can create anything

they can imagine with Toobers & Zots fromLittle Kids. Bend the Toobers into variousshapes and designs and slide on the Zots.Kids can even use colorful Skinnies andDots to adorn and embellish their creations.

Little Kids has introduced the Zany Set,to give retailers an entry level price pointthat complements the existing 345-plus-piece Toobers & Zots Bend and BuildFoamstruction and Bend & PretendFoamstruction Sets. The Toobers & ZotsZany Set contains 125 pieces of uniquelyflexible, moldable soft foam toys that canbe shaped into infinite 3-D creations.

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COROLLECorolle Calin Laughing Blueberry

is a 12-inch doll designed for ages 18months and up. Thanks to its soft bean-bag body, it can be posed just like a realbaby. The doll wears a purple beret andbright flowered outfit.

SCHLEICHSchleich’s new Smurf releases for

2012 all feature a sports theme. Therewere 10 new Smurfs released in May,which humorously reflect a cross-sec-tion of popular sports includingSmurfette, the relay runner, shown here.Each Smurf figurine is sold separately.

BANANAGRAMSJumbo Bananagrams is a giant ver-

sion of the original game, while JumboZip-It is a large-scale edition of the fast-paced two-player crossword race thatcan be played in as little as 20 seconds.

Jumbo Zip-It is a high-speed cross-word race featuring 24 wooden letteredtwo-inch square cubes and colored scor-ing zips that come built into the pouch.To play, each person takes 12 cubes andraces to form their own crossword gridusing any side of the cubes. The firstplayer to use all their own cubes yells,“Zip,” and marks a point by movingtheir scoring zipper up the pouch. Thefirst person to score 10 points yells,“Zip-It,” and wins the game.

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GLM 67824 Tegu Ad for Toy and Family Entertainment Trim: 9 x 10.875, Bleed: 9.5 x 11.375 4 Color Process

Magnetic wooden wheels and cars by Tegu, NYIGF Baby & Child exhibitor. © GLM 2012

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42 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

Trends in Licensing 2012

M arvel’s The Avengers hasnow surpassed $1 billionin global ticket sales. Thebalance of 2012 offersseveral other potential

box office blockbusters. There is Battleship(now in theaters), Men in Black 3 (now in the-aters), G.I. JOE: Retaliation (June 29), TheAmazing Spider-Man (July 3), and The DarkKnight Rises (July 20). The most interestingshift for these blockbusters centers around thetiming of their release dates. These quintessen-tial American films are opening first overseas.The Avengers opened April 11 in Europe andMay 4 in the U.S. Battleship followed a similarpath with a world premiere in Tokyo on April 3,the UK release on April 11, and May 18 in theU.S. The Amazing Spider-Man is scheduled toopen June 29 in the Philippines and India and isset to release July 3 in the U.S.

At one time, this type of strategy would havebeen unthinkable. However, the big-budgetAmerican blockbuster has always been very pop-ular overseas. The thought now is a strong open-ing overseas whets the appetite of U.S. moviego-ers. It’s an approach that seems to be working.

While the success of these films continues,their licensing programs are laser focused onkey partners compared to the large-scale pro-grams that were common 15 years ago. Theshort life of films at the box office translates toa short life at retail, which keeps consumersclamoring for something new. Luckily, there’s alot of new opportunities on the market and thoseopportunities are coming from various sources.Two of the hottest places to find new propertiesare apps and YouTube. It’s what consumerswant and it’s where they are spending their time.Angry Birds was the first app to gain global

licensing traction. “Striker Entertainment has30-plus U.S. licensees on board and retail sup-port continues to be strong,” says MarcMostman, partner at Striker Entertainment,which represents Angry Birds for licensing.“There are new game releases coming. Rovioplans to keep the brand both relevant andrefreshed on a regular basis.”

Aside from Angry Birds, there are othersthat are starting to gain traction at retail. Thereis Cut the Rope (now represented by Canada’sStudio Licensing and its U.S. partner,Established Brands), which now has product atretail from licensees such as Mattel, Hasbro,Jakks Pacific, and Round 5. Temple Run, repre-sented by Dimensional Branding Group, justsigned Spin Master as master toy licensee.

Meanwhile Annoying Orange, represented byThe Joester Loria Group with a product line fromThe Bridge Direct and a TV series debuting thissummer on Cartoon Network, is the most promi-nent property to be developed from YouTube.

Success on TVWith all the new licensing options coming

from the digital arena, don’t count out televisionproperties just yet. Many are experiencing suc-cess. FremantleMedia, Jakks Pacific, Dentsu,and Topps launched Monsuno on Nicktoons atthe beginning of this year and the property tookoff quickly. “It’s on fire,” says David Luner,executive vice-president of consumer productsand interactive for FremantleMedia. “We will beannouncing new partners shortly.”

Saban continues to have success with PowerRangers in both new and classic formats. Theshow is expected to air globally on Nickelodeonfor a minimum of three years, according to ElieDekel, president of Saban Brands.

Meanwhile, an affiliate company of SabanCapital Group is reportedly buying the Yu-Gi-Oh-related assets from 4Kids Entertainment.While Dekel was unable to comment on that deal,he did say that Saban Brands will be makingother announcements at Licensing Show.

Nickelodeon is poised for the relaunch of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property this fallwith an extensive product line from Playmates.

Sprout is developing its own IP and is ven-turing into consumer products starting withChica, from Sunny Side Up Show. The chicken-puppet with a kazoo voice will get its ownshow, The Chica Show, launching this fall. Aconsumer products program will follow.

Lawless Entertainment recently announced thesigning of The Little Prince. The classic bookproperty is expected to land a TV and DVD deal,according to Cathy Malatesta, president of LawlessEntertainment. A two-tiered licensing program isexpected for high-end and mid-level retailers.

These numerous media platforms are shiftingthe licensing industry. Keeping up with content-hungry consumers is the name of the game.Malatesta explains how technology is changingthe business. “One has to have multiple platformsfor branding. When I meet with licensees, retail-ers, etc., I’m always asked about branding plat-forms such as e-books/publishing, films, TV,apps, games, and more,” she says. “We are notrelying on one brand technique anymore.”

It’s impossible to rely on one techniquebecause consumers continue to integrate multi-ple platforms into their lives. That makes forcountless forms of entertainment. It’s a shiftthat brings opportunity whether it’s from films,television, apps, the internet—or, more likely,the integration of all these options as we’ll seeat this month’s Licensing Show.

BY NANCY LOMBARDI

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44 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

Licensing Show 2012

Hasbro entered into an agreement with music groupOne Direction for a new line of toys andgames based on the members ofthe popular boy band. The OneDirection product offering fromHasbro will be sold globally,with the exception of the UnitedKingdom and Ireland, this fall. Thecollection will include fashion dolls,mini-figures, and more. The Global Brand Licensing & Publishing division of Hasbro

will expand its lifestyle licensed merchandise for kids, adults, andfamilies based on Transformers, My Little Pony, Nerf, and otherHasbro brands. The lineup will span major categories includingapparel, home, food, and publishing. Additionally, the companywill spotlight ongoing momentum in the entertainment sector fromfilm to television and digital gaming.

Pretty Ugly LLC, official licensors of theUglydoll brand, announced recent partner-ships with companies in a variety of cate-gories. Callaway Digital Arts will createmobile apps available for worldwide distri-bution. Amscan, Inc., and its divisionGrasslands Road and its related subsidiaryAnagram International, Inc., will create acomplete line of Uglydoll-branded deco-rated party goods, balloons, and ceramic

ware. Pretty Ugly partnered with FAB•Starpointfor a line of Uglydoll-branded backpacks, mes-senger bags, handbags, totes, wallets, coin purs-

es, zipper pulls, lunch bags, cosmetic bags, and luggage. Thermoswill produce Thermos FUNtainer products, lunch accessories, andlunch kits for distribution in North America and Canada this fall.Toy Factory will manufacture and distribute Uglydoll elastic ballsand character figures, novelty hats, and rubber balls throughoutNorth American amusement park markets.

Monsuno, co-produced by Pacific AnimationPartners LLC, a joint venture between Jakks Pacific,Inc., and Dentsu Entertainment USA, Inc., withFME and The Topps Company, Inc., premiered onNicktoons in the U.S. on February 23. It is rollingout in more than 60 markets worldwide with multi-platform launches in the UK, Australia, and NewZealand this spring on Nicktoons, plus more free-to-air deals to be announced. As distribution and ancillary rights agent for the

brand, FME signed agreements with Jerry Leigh for arange of apparel, including graphic T-shirts and bot-toms for boys; VIZ Media for paperback and digitalgraphic novels (U.S. and Canada only); and AccessoryInnovations for accessories, including backpacks,lunch totes, messenger bags, and more (U.S. only).FME seeks new global partners for categories such asapparel, graphic novels, sticker and activity books,

games, outdoor toys, dress-up and roleplay, activity and craft, and puzzles.

Pretty UglyHasbro

FremantleMedia Enterprises

backpack fromFAB•Starpoint

COMPILED BY LAURIE LEAHEY AND JENNIFER LYNCH

The following companies represent a sampling of what will be on display at the Mandalay BayConvention Center in Las Vegas during this year’s Licensing International Expo.

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 45

Novi Stars is a new tween brand fromMGA. The Novi Stars may look a littledifferent on the outside, but inside theyare just like any other Earth girl, wantingto make new friends, update fashiontrends, try new things, and find out whaton earth is going on.

Lalaloopsy’s licensing programincludes a video game from Activision as well as apparel, fashion acces-sories, books, and film from a variety of other licensees.

From the iconic Cozy Coupe to innovative new toys, Little Tikes hasdelivered an engaging play experience for more than 40 years. MGA helpskeep that heritage alive with new toys and licensed goods this year.

After recently acquiring Chorion’s interest, Nelvana now has the com-plete merchandise licensing rights to Max & Ruby. The TV series followsthe adventures of bunny siblings Max and his older sister Ruby, and isbased on the books by internationally acclaimed children’s author andillustrator Rosemary Wells. Seventy-eight half-hour episodes are nowavailable, along with a number of popular apps for mobile platforms.

Nelvana Enterprises and d-rights, Inc., are releasing 52 new episodes ofBeyblade. In part three of the series, Beyblade: Metal Fury, theworld is at a tipping point in the battle between good and evil.The key to Earth’s salvation or destruction lies within 10 starfragments that empower its masters to fight for theirchosen side. The series includes the new Beywheelzchapter, which takes place in the futuristic city ofDestection where Sho is champion of theBeywheelz World Tournament. This peaceful cityis home to battles between friends and allies untilthe city is suddenly attacked by an evilBeywheelz army called the Dominators. 

Nickelodeon Consumer ProductsMGA Entertainment

Nelvana

DreamWorks AnimationDreamWorks Animation’s Turbo hits theaters July

19, 2013. This tale of an ordinary garden snail withdreams of racing greatness will enjoy cross-categorysupport led by global master toy licensee Mattel.Other licensees will offer toys, apparel and acces-sories, sporting goods, room décor, back to school,party, and digital content.

image from Turbo

Max & Ruby

Nickelodeon Consumer Products’ (NCP) will unveilnew products and merchandising partners for new andestablished properties. Fisher-Price will introduce a newlineup of Dora the Explorer-inspired toys, including a doll-house, dolls, figures, playsets, roleplay toys, and more. TheSpongeBob SquarePants product lineup will include con-struction sets from LEGO and Imaginext system playsets,figures, and vehicles from Fisher-Price.

Jakks Pacific and its Creative DesignsInternational (CDI) and Disguise Halloween divi-sions will debut a new line of dolls, playsets, acces-sories, dress-up, roleplay items, and Halloween cos-tumes based on the Winx Club TV series.

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46 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

Licensing Show 2012

A Squared Elxsi Entertainment(A2E2) will expand the Build-A-Bearbrand beyond its traditional retail envi-ronment. Existing U.S. and Canadapartners include Enterplay (noveltycards and fun packs), TCG (puzzles andmagnetics), ConAgra (fruit snacks),Candy Treasures (seasonal confec-tionary), Ruckus (digital storybook), and Smile Makers (stickers).Playmates is producing a line of 4–5-inch bear figures with playsets andaccessories. An iOS app and Nintendo DS game will debut from 505Games. Tech accessories from Zeikos are also on the way. Further expan-sion includes toys, digital, crafts, activity, apparel, publishing,novelty/social, stationery/impulse, room décor, costumes, party, gift/col-lectibles, and food/candy. A soft plush infant line is in development.

The Wish Factory created a brand new lineof Cody Simpson dolls and accessories, fig-ures, and plush koalas available exclusivelyat Toys “R” Us and ToysRUs.com. TheCody Simpson Fashion Doll Collectiondolls come with sculpted hair made toresemble Simpson’s signatureside-swept surfer ‘do. The 11.5-

inch dolls feature bendable joints, and eachincludes a pair of shoes, sunglasses, micro-phone, guitar pick, and lanyard. The SingingDoll Collection includes two 11.5-inch dollsthat sing either “On My Mind” or “iYiYi”when you push a button on the doll’s stomach.Each doll comes with an outfit, shoes, stick-

ers, microphone, guitar pick, and lanyard.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ (WBCP) Man of Steel (June 2013)provides opportunities for licensees and retailers. The Dark Knight Rises(July 2012) will be supported by master toy licensee Mattel and many otherpartners. For The Hobbit: AnUnexpected Journey (December2012) and The Hobbit: There andBack Again (December 2013),WBCP is working with a rangeof top-tier licensees, includingmaster toy partners The BridgeDirect and Vivid Group.WBCP will grow its DC

Nation block on Cartoon Network, a multi-platform franchise featuringprogramming produced by Warner Bros. Animation, with the new seriesBeware the Batman and additional animated fare. This year WBCP and DC Entertainment have extended their partnership

with Mattel, which continues to build on the strength and value of the DCComics superheroes.

The Wish FactoryA2E2

Warner Bros. Consumer Products

Big Tent inked new deals for Discovery Kids.Gamenamics will debut a collection of Discovery Kids-branded, build-your-own science and robot kits.Parragon Books introduced the Discovery Kids Sharksapp, which features animated games, information, andlive-action Shark Week video footage. Zap Toys’ Scuba

Adventure mobile game is nowavailable for download on iOSand Android devices. Big Tent is

looking to expand thelicensing program for

Discovery Kids in the follow-ing categories: video games,electronics, apparel, homedécor, outdoor sport, toy, food,

and promotional partnerships.

Big Tent Entertainment

SingingCody

SimpsonDoll

Discovery KidsRobosaur fromGamenamics

image fromMan of Steel

Playmates playset

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 47

Classic Media celebrates the 25th anniversary ofWhere’s Waldo? with new licensees, broader retailpresence, and several territory launches. Where’sWaldo? continues to build on its success as a gamingfranchise with the recent launch of the property’s firstAndroid app (Gameloft) and the upcoming release ofthe third Apple app (Ludia) and first Facebook game(Ludia). In the U.S., new anchor partners TechnoSource, Concept One, and Jem Sportswear will debutproducts this fall. Territories launching consumerproducts programs include France, Spain, and Korea.This year will have more publishing SKUs than anyother year in the franchise’s history. 

Mattel’s Barbie brand is represented in more than 45different consumer products categories includingapparel, accessories, home décor, beauty, publishing,sporting goods, and electronics. This year, Barbieinvites fans to “See What Happens. . .” by providinginnovative and fashionable consumer products. Barbiesteps into the apparel aisle with an all-new Barbie-branded apparel line for girls launching globallythroughout the year. In the U.S., Barbie will partnerwith The Bentex Group to unveil a stylish new apparelcollection available at Kmart and Walmart. The collec-tion will include apparel set combinations of tops andtunics with skirts or leggings that feature chiffon, tulle,and ruffles. The Bentex Group will also launch a line ofBarbie graphic Tees showcasing glam embellishmentsincluding sparkles, sequins, and bows.

This fall, a new  Monster High  middle grade bookseries will expand the global partnership of Little, BrownBooks for Young Readers and Monster High into thetween market.  The new series, called GhoulfriendsForever, will be written by Gitty Daneshvari, author of thepopular School of Fear books. The series adds three newmonster characters—Becca Steam, Rochelle Goyle, andVenus Mcflytrap—to Mattel’s Monster High brand. Thenew students must learn monster-rific subjects likeBiteology, Home Ick, and Mad Science while navigatingthe array of established cliques.

Marvel continues to assemble a majorworldwide licensing and merchandising cam-paign to support Marvel Studios’ upcomingtheatrical slate, led by the recent release ofMarvel’s The Avengers and the upcomingIron Man 3 (May 3, 2013). Marvel will lever-age all the Avengers-related TV content,including two brand new TV series launchingin 2013, as well as other platform contentsuch as video games, comics, and digital.Marvel will establish Avengers Assemble asthe franchise retail umbrella that will help drive licensed product sales in2013 and beyond. Partners already on board include master toy licenseeHasbro, Hallmark for social expressions, Li & Fung for apparel, JayFranco for home, and Kraft for food. Marvel is looking for top-tierlicensees across all core categories to build comprehensive licensing andmerchandising programs, as well an innovative retail and co-branded pro-grams, surrounding its upcoming feature film releases.

MattelClassic Media

Marvel

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Licensing Show 2012

Universal Partnerships &Licensing (UP&L) has aslate of properties availablefor licensing, retail, and pro-motional partnerships.2013’s Despicable Me 2, thesequel to the 2010 block-buster, leads the lineup.Illumination Entertainment has created an all-new animated adventure fea-turing Gru, his girls, and his vast army of minions, anticipated for releasein theaters July 3, 2013. On July 19, 2013, Universal is anticipated torelease Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park in 3-D. UP&L will also highlightevergreen properties such as Curious George and Woody Woodpecker.

CPLG, a division of Cookie Jar Entertainment, is leveragingthe retail success of Caillou with Toys “R” Us stores nationwideand Toysrus.com, which will offer an expanded assortment ofCaillou merchandise this fall. The line will include figures, play-sets, puzzles, bath toys, and plush. PBS Distribution continues torelease new Caillou DVD compilations this year includingCaillou’s Outdoor Adventures and Caillou’s Mysteries andAdventures. Caillou toddler Tees are now available at JCPenneystores, and Caillou bedding is being developed by new masterbedding partner, Baby Boom (dba Betesh Group).

Richard Scarry’s Busytown launched a new toy line in fall2011 with its master toy partner The Bridge Direct. TheBusytown Play System lets kids explore and play in their ownBusytown world, just like in the books and on the TV showBusytown Mysteries. Wonder Forge has followed up with anoth-er board game, Busy, Busy Airport Game. CPLG is also renew-ing its partnership between the American AutomobileAssociation (AAA) and Richard Scarry’s Busytown to continuepromoting child passenger safety, and has secured a top QSRpartner for most of 2013. Also in development are home furnish-ings from Gift Creations and toddler footwear by Crocs.

Johnny Test has an all-new season of 26 episodes in develop-ment. A new Johnny Test mobile gaming app for the iPad andiPhone releases this month from 505 Games. Johnny Test partygoods are being developed by Buy Seasons for its BirthdayExpress website, an online retailer of party supplies. Johnny Testalso has a master T-shirt partner, ODM, selling into retail now.

Pressman Toy is offering a line of games and puzzles based on TheSmurfs movie and the classic artwork from the original TV series.Pressman will also launch aline of new productsinspired by the 3-D releaseThe Smurfs 2, scheduled forsummer 2013. All priced atunder $20, the line includesa range of memory, action,and board games as well asfloor-sized puzzles and puzzles in tins. The line will be available for pur-chase at mass and specialty retailers nationwide.Pressman also announced a new line of games and puzzles based on the

comic strip and children’s book series Big Nate, which will be available atmass and specialty retailers nationwide in July. Games include Big Nate’sDetention Dash Game, Big Nate Busted! card game, and a Big Nate 150-piece puzzle. All three are for ages 7 and up and retail for under $20.

CPLG/Cookie Jar EntertainmentUniversal Partnerships & Licensing

Pressman Toy

Gru’s minions

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 49

Zinkia Entertainment’s Pocoyo now airs in more than 150 marketsaround the world in multiple languages, with renewals and new partnersjoining. In the licensing arena, Pocoyo has more than 150 partners world-wide and continues its global expansion.In the U.S., Zinkia recently signed a slate of new licensing partners,

brokered by Evolution, including LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (digitalcontent for the LeapFrog platforms), Buy Seasons (online party goodsand accessories), Pioneer Balloon Company (balloons for global distri-bution), Baby Boom Consumer Products (toddler bedding and pillows),and JCP Live Productions (costume character events). The newlicensees join the brand’s existing roster of key partners, includingBandai America Incorporated (master toy); Random House Children’sBooks (books); Bentex Group (master apparel); TCG, formerly TheCanadian Group (puzzles and games); and NCircle Entertainment(DVDs), which recently renewed its agreement for five years. NewPocoyo-branded merchandise launching this summer through 2013includes books (Random House), apparel (Benetex), party goods (BuySeasons), and new DVD titles (NCircle). In spring 2013, Zinkia willintroduce a new Pocoyo circus theme, which will be incorporated across

select product lines.Internationally, Pocoyocontinues to expand withnew deals in Russia, Turkey,and Korea, and continuedgrowth in Spain. In

Russia, Zinkia has signedRio Licensing as its licens-ing agent and Gran Toy as

its master toy partner. In Turkey, Zinkia has secured licensees forPocoyo across categories with Metropol serving as licensing agent. InSouth Korea, Zinkia has signed licensing agency Cocoban and renewedthe agreement with its Pan-Asian agent Empire. Pocoyo continues itsgrowth in Spain with new licensee deals bringing the total number oflicensees in Spain to more than 50. A new licensing agent, Tycoon, wasalso secured to manage Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.

Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (SPE) Hotel Transylvania (3-D),a CG-animated film due in U.S. theaters September 28, is availablefor worldwide licensing and promotions. The Hotel Transylvania isDracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their familiescan live it up. Dracula invites some of the world’s most famousmonsters to celebrate his daughter Mavis’s 118th birthday. But hisworld could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumblesinto the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.

Sony Pictures Animation’s The Smurfs 2 (3-D), the sequel to the hybrid live-action/animat-ed comedy The Smurfs, is scheduled forrelease in the U.S. August 2, 2013. It is avail-able for worldwide promotions and NorthAmerican licensing. International licens-ing for the property is handled by IMPS.

In the sequel, the evil wizard Gargamel createsa group of mischievous Smurf-like creaturescalled the Naughties to harness the all-pow-erful, magical Smurf-essence. But whenhe discovers that only a true blue Smurfcan give him what he wants, Gargamelkidnaps Smurfette and imprisons her inthe city of Paris. To save Smurfette, Papa

and the Smurfs must reunite with the Winslows before Gargamelcan learn the secret and rule the world.

Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers (3-D), is the sequel to the2009 film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. At the end of thefirst movie, Flint Lockwood and friends are forced to leaveSwallow Falls. But when it is discovered that sentient food beastshave overrun the island, they return to save the world again. Thefilm is due for U.S. release February 7, 2014. It is available forworldwide promotions and licensing.SPE also has a licensing program targeting the Ghostbusters

core fan base and continues to add new partners. The property isavailable for worldwide licensing.

Sony Pictures EntertainmentZinkia Entertainment

Papa Smurf

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50 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

Licensing Show 2012

American Greetings Properties’ (AGP)Strawberry Shortcake introduced a new char-acter, Cherry Jam, to the show, now in its sec-ond season on The Hub. Cherry Jam is the firstnew character to join AGP’s StrawberryShortcake family in 10 years. The characterwill make its DVD debut this fall. Other initia-tives for Strawberry Shortcake include a newlive touring show throughout Latin America,an expanding global publishing program, along-term partnership with PernambucanasDepartment Stores in Brazil, and QSR promo-tions with McDonald’s Latin America and AsiaPacific; KFC in China; and Jollibee in the Philippines.

This year, Care Bears celebrates its 30th anniversary with the debut of a newCGI-animated TV series this summer on The Hub. Set high above Earth in theenchanted land of Care-a-Lot, the new series will feature an all-new character.Toys from Hasbro are slated for spring 2013 in the U.S. and other key internation-al markets. AGP also secured global deals for the brand with Uniqlo, Oysho, Fox,and Pull & Bear as well as promotional opportunities with Unilever in Europe;Yahoo!, Cathay United Bank, and Family Mart Convenience Stores in Taiwan;KFC and Coca-Cola Brand (Olo Olo) in Japan; and Malaysia Airlines.

Coolabi’s animated preschool property Poppy Catcontinues to grow its licensing program. The JoesterLoria Group is the exclusive licensing agent forPoppy Cat for North America, and a home entertain-ment deal for the U.S. with eOne was announced inJanuary. Licensing agents for other major territoriesboth in Europe and worldwide are being appointed fora roll-out of licensing programs to coincide withbroadcast plans in 2013 and beyond. Golden Bear, itsmaster toy partner, will launch plush, plastics, and artsand crafts ranges for the UK and Eire beginning thisfall. Other key partners have also been secured,including Jumbo Games, Macmillan, Aykroyds, TDP,Redan, and Silver-Knit.

Poppy Cat has also been picked up by numerous ter-ritories around the world including France, Canada,Australia, Spain, Latin America, Scandinavia, andKorea. Cake Entertainment is Coolabi’s global TV dis-tribution partner for the series. Significant licensingand consumer marketing announcements are plannedfor the property throughout the year.

Guru Studio’s first original preschool adventure series, Justin Time, will leapfrom the TV screen into an all-new book series produced in partnership withImmedium. The first book in the series, Justin Time,The Pancake Express, is based on an episode fromthe animated TV show, which launched on Sproutin April, and was adapted and illustrated byJustin Time creator Brandon James Scott.

The agreement with Immedium follows GuruStudio’s new deal with Sprout. Additional partner-ships for the preschool property will be announced soon.

CoolabiAmerican Greetings Properties

Guru Studio

Poppy Cat

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 51

The Wildflower Group is spearheading a full-scale licensing and merchandising program forGirl Scouts of the USA, in association with licens-ing agency Creative Properties. In March, Build-A-Bear Workshop debuted a make-your-own Girl

Scouts 100th Anniversary Bear. Available atBuild-A-Bear Workshop stores and build-abear.com, the limited-edition bear featuresmatching pink nose and feet and an anniver-sary trefoil on her chest. Bear-sized GirlScout Daisy, Brownie, and Junior uniformsare also available. This fall, Steiff will introduce its Girl ScoutsCentenary Bear, a limited-edition goldenblond collectible bear. Made of mohair wooland featuring five-way articulation, the bear

wears a Girl Scout Junior uniform with a green skirt and sash and the troopnumber, 312 (for March 12, 2012, the official date of the 100th anniversary).

Scholastic Media celebrates the anniversary year for multipleproperties including Clifford the Big Red Dog and Goosebumps.Clifford the Big Red Dog celebrates its 50th birthday with thelaunch of new items from licensees Douglas, Zoobies, PatchProducts, Buy Seasons, TCG (formerly known as The CanadianGroup), and Bendon and Derma Sciences, as well as new print anddigital publishing from Scholastic, new DVDs from Lionsgate,new digital products from Scholastic Interactive, and a new QSRpartner. PBS Kids will premiere Clifford’s Really Big Movie thisfall. The live show Clifford: A Big Family Musical from MillsEntertainment is also currently touring 50 cities.Goosebumps will mark its 20th anniversary this Halloween. In

addition to on-air promotion on The Hub, which now airs theseries, there will be new publishing from Scholastic, new DVDreleases from Fox Home Entertainment, and new branded boardgames from Fundex. For The Magic School Bus, LeapFrog will offer The Magic

School Bus: Oceans for LeapFrog Explorer; The Young ScientistsClub will offer four new science kits; and Scholastic Audio willoffer three new releases. The brand will also enjoy a major back-to-school launch from new home video partner New Video.The I Spy seek-and-

find franchise will seeseveral new games andpuzzles released bylong-time partnerBriarpatch, two newconsole titles for bothNintendo DS and Wii,and new publishingfrom Scholastic.Little Scholastic will have new branded infant and baby devel-

opmental toys from Danara in a Target exclusive, while KidsStation will add seven new Scholastic-branded products to itsexisting portfolio.

Scholastic Media The Wildflower Group

Build-A-Bear Workshop Girl Scouts100th Anniversary Bear

Big Idea Entertainment, a division of ClassicMedia, will showcase its new licensing, promo-tional, and retail programs for VeggieTales asthe brand gears up to celebrate its 20th anniver-sary beginning December 2013. New productsand licensees include crafts and activitiesfrom The Orb Factory, live plant containersfrom Masterpiece Flower Company, homeschool curriculum from A Journey Through Learning,wall covering murals from Wacky Wallscapes, book apps from Ruckus MediaGroup, and multiple educational and game apps from Weeblets (Spotisode),Moveable Code (Step By Story), and ReelCards (video eGreetings).

Big Idea Entertainment

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Ludorum, creators of Chuggington, announced Traintastic Adventures!, amulti-platform campaign focusing on Chuggington’s characters, destinations,and adventures. Anchor Bay Entertainment will kick off the program onAugust 14 with the release of its newest Chuggington DVD, TraintasticAdventures! Also in August, Budge Studios will launch a TraintasticAdventures! full-feature game app for iOS and Android devices. AChuggington Traintastic Adventures! collector map and cards will be free toconsumers with the purchase of select TOMY or Anchor Bay EntertainmentChuggington product beginning in August, as well as a gift with purchasethrough Scholastic Book Clubs. In October, Totsy.com and Ludorum willlaunch a Traintastic Adventures! online feature shop.

This fall, master toy partner TOMY intro-duces an all-new track system in theChuggington Die-Cast Railway. The new sys-tem allows fans to build track layouts vertical-ly for the first time. Bendon PublishingInternational, Inc., will introduce Chuggingtonactivity books under the new Imagine Ink line,as well as educational workbooks.Chuggington bikes, protective gear, and acces-sories will be released from Pacific Cycle. LeapFrog will offer digitalChuggington content in its App Center for the first time.

Kidz Bop 22 willbe released July 17.The album includes16 chart-topping hitssung by kids forkids. Timed to therelease of Kidz Bop22, Imperial Toywill debut a new lineof Kidz Bop Pop

Star roleplay toys. The line will feature musical micro-phones, keyboards, and fashion accessories with on-trendstyles and technological elements.

Kidz Bop also partnered with Sakar to create a newline of youth electronics. Initial product includes karaokemachines, headphones, MP3 players, and digital cameras.Product will hit shelves during the holiday 2012 seasonwith additional product available spring 2013.

Mind Candy announced four new publishing partners forMoshi Monsters. The debut offerings include children’s paper-back, hardcover, and electronic offerings from Penguin, aswell as a Moshi Monsters character encyclopedia and UltimateSticker Collection from Penguin’s DK imprint. Scholastic willproduce Moshling collectors’ guides (pictured). Children’snovelty books will be available from Reader’s Digest. PrimaGames, an imprint of Random House, will produce a printstrategy guide for use with the Moshling Zoo Nintendo DSgame. SkyJack extended its partnership to the Americas withthe new U.S./Canada version of Moshi Magazine.

Kidz BopLudorum

Mind Candy Moose Toys’ Trash Pack is back this year. Series 2launched this spring. It features new orange bins, 168new collectible Trashies, and new special-editionMoldy Trashies to collect and trade. Moose Toys andThe Licensing Shop are extending the brand to includelicensed goods, including apparel, publishing, back-packs, and more.

The Licensing Shop

Imperial Toy roleplay toys

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 53

Synchronicity signed new licensees for the Tootsie Roll candy brands,including Mead Westvaco (back-to-school stationery), The Wish Factory(PopGrrl nail charms), NRG Global Sourcing (tops in Canada), Shindigz(custom party decorations and favors), Trevco (specialty market T-shirts),and Box Seat Clothing (custom T-shirts at PopFanatics.com).

Rocket Licensing International now represents the Wham-O toybrands (Frisbee, Hacky Sack, Slip ‘N Slide, Hula Hoop, SuperBall) in theUK and Europe. Kiloo’s Frisbee Forever app is available on the iPhone,iPod Touch, and iPad. Frisbee Forever 2 is now available. The Androidversion just hit the market.

The Joester LoriaGroup, representing TheCollective’s AnnoyingOrange, announced thatthe property’s new TVseries will air on CartoonNetwork starting this

summer. Current licensees for Annoying Orange include The BridgeDirect (master toy), Hybrid Apparel (apparel), Accessory Innovations(accessories), Nancy Sales Co., Inc. (amusement park toys), RubiesCostume Company (Halloween costumes), and LF USA (loungewearand sleepwear). New licensees include A & A Global Industries (vend-ing machine gift and novelty), Calendar Holdings (2013 calendars),Classic Imports (Sherpa blankets, lanyards, talking coffee mugs,orange-scented air fresheners, frosted pint glasses, key chains), KurtAdler (holiday decorations), Mount Franklin Foods/SunriseConfections (gummies and fruit snacks), Papercutz (graphic novels),Paris Geneve Company (ladies’, men’s, boys’, and girls’ apparel inCanada), Play Visions (talking pens, temporary tattoos, and 3-D lentic-ular stickers), Sakar International (ear buds, headphones, cellphone/MP3 cases and skins, flash drives, docking stations and speak-ers, talking alarm clock radios, talking flashlights, talking digital cam-eras, and Nintendo DS cases and skins), and Scorpio Posters (posters).

Synchronicity The Joester Loria Group

In 2011, SMC Entertainment, Inc., (SMC) acquired all NorthAmerican television, home entertainment, licensing and merchandisingrights, and promotional rights for The Jungle Book CGI-animated televi-sion series and one-hour telefilm from DQ EntertainmentInternational.  SMC alsoacquired The Jungle Bookmaster toy rights for Australiaand New Zealand and licens-ing and merchandising rightsfor South Africa. SMC recent-ly signed deals with Phase 4(home entertainment), IsaacMorris (master apparel),Komar (sleepwear), SeasonsUSA (Halloween costumes), Nanco (amusement plush), Pacific PlayTents (outdoor), and Barnes & Noble (ebooks). SMC is seeking partner-ships to develop a comprehensive consumer products campaign acrosscategories, including toy, ELAs, publishing, games and puzzles,gaming/interactive, apparel, footwear, accessories, back to school, partygoods, food and beverage, arts and crafts, home furnishings, and more.The Jungle Book will debut this summer on a major soon-to-be-announced broadcast platform in the U.S. Home entertainment titles anddigital platforms will release this holiday.

SMC Entertainment

Dimensional Branding Group’s (DBG) app game Temple Run hasmore than 80 million downloadson iOS and Android platforms.Spin Master, the newly namedmaster game licensee, will capturethe essence of Temple Run in tradi-tional games, including cardgames and board games with elec-tronic features. DBG is looking for both domestic and internationallicensing partners to expand the current merchandising program.

Dimensional Branding Group

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54 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

Licensing Show 2012

Evolution will continue to handle SummertimeEntertainment’s new animated feature film Dorothy of Oz, to bereleased theatrically in 2013; Zinkia Entertainment’s animatedpreschool property Pocoyo; Zydeco Studios children’s noveltybrand Floppets; and new business development for Creata. In addition, the company has acquired several new entertain-

ment properties and a technology client, including TaffySaltwater, a new half-hour animated television series targetedto girls ages 4–8, created by author and artist MichaelParaskevas (Maggie and the Ferocious Beast), and executiveproducer Judy Paraskevas. Evolution will provide all licensingand retail development functions globally for the property,which is anticipated to launch fall 2013, with products at mass

retail in summer 2014.Key licensing cate-gories will includetoys, dolls, figures,playsets, apparel,accessories, swimwear,and seasonal merchan-dise such as beach toysand towels.

Evolution will handle the global licensing, retail develop-ment, and promotional partnerships for Monstroids, a newhalf-hour animated television series targeted to boys 6-11,based on the comic book property created by KevinGrevioux. The show is anticipated to launch fall 2013, withproducts at mass retail in fall 2014. Key categories willinclude toys, video games, apparel, accessories, fast food,beverages, and theme parks.Evolution will also help Everhear Partners, Inc., license its

technology Cuddletunes, which utilizes patented technologyto create the first-ever “social music” plush for children.Cuddletunes allows users to record their own audio tracksover a soundtrack and download them to an MP3 playerinside their child’s plush toy.

HIT Entertainment, a division of Mattel, willintroduce new friends and destinations forThomas & Friends on the Island of Sodor in theCG-animated 60-minute feature Blue MountainMystery, set for its global release on DVD(Lionsgate Home Entertainment) this fall.Thomas & Friends licensees worldwide, includ-ing Fisher-Price, Random House, Egmont,MEGA Bloks, and Tomy will create more than75 tie-in products, including books, games, engines, playsets, apparel, bedding, andaccessories based on Blue Mountain Mystery. Discovery Bay Games and HITEntertainment will introduce the first Thomas & Friends iPad game “appcessory”and corresponding apps. The new Thomas & Friends-branded Duo appcessory willoffer app-supported active play for iPad and is slated to be introduced this fall. HIT Entertainment and Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Studio have teamed-

up to produce 52 12-minute episodes of Mike the Knight. Additional new broad-cast territories for the property include Cartoon Network (Italy), Hop TV!(Israel), YLE (Finland), RTE (Ireland), NOS (Netherlands), VRT (Belgium),Canal Panda (Portugal), and EBS (South Korea). More than 40 licensees havebeen signed for the property including Character Options as master toy licenseein the UK and Simon & Schuster as global publishing partner. Product roll-outbegan in the UK, and a full U.S. consumer products program will debut at massand specialty in 2013. Most recently, the series was sold to Super RTL (Germany)and the broadcaster was also appointed as the property’s licensing agent in the ter-ritory. International expansion continues with the appointment of CPLG Beneluxand TF1 Licenses as licensing agents in their respective territories. NelvanaEnterprises represents the series in broadcast and home entertainment in LatinAmerica and France as well as broadcast in the U.S., while HIT Entertainment rep-resents Mike the Knight in all other territories globally. HIT Entertainment has new partners for Angelina Ballerina. A new feature DVD

release, Angelina Ballerina Dreams Do Come True, debuts this August (LionsgateHome Entertainment) and will air on PBS Kids later in the year. Angelina BallerinaDancing on Ice, the UK winter DVD release, hits shelves in October. In LatinAmerica, new partners were added for apparel and accessories. AB Studio Licensingwill also license an Angelina Ballerina dance curriculum—The Angelina BallerinaDance Academy—to studios in the U.S. The program will commence this fall.

Evolution

scene from Taffy Saltwater

HIT Entertainment

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 55

For The Jim Henson Company’s preschool television series Pajanimals, currently airing on Sprout, TOMY International, its U.S. master toy licens-ee, is developing an assortment of innovative toys and juvenile products for launch in 2013. The company also inked a digital licensing deal with N-Fusion Interactive for the first Pajanimals app launching this month for tablets and smartphones. The 3-D app, an interactive adaptation of the episodeLight in the Sky, features activities that play off of the theme of the episode as well as music and animation. NCircle Entertainment, its home entertain-ment distributor in the U.S. and Canada, is set to release the first DVD, Meet the Pajanimals, this August. Additional licensees to launch products in2013 include SaraMax Apparel Group, Inc. (sleepwear), Planet Sox (socks), Lighthead Beds (illuminated graphic children’s headboards), Starbound

Entertainment (parade balloons), and California Costumes (infant/toddler Halloween costumes). Dinosaur Train, airing on PBS Kids, currently has about 70 licensees worldwide. Henson recently signed

a licensing agreement with TDG & Associates for the brand to develop healthy foods and snacks for toddlersacross several food categories. The first products will be available at retail in 2013. Master toy licensee TOMYwill debut new products for the brand this year including new additions to the InterAction Figure line led bythe new Extreme InterAction Figures. TOMY has also expanded the Dinosaur Train playset offerings and col-lectible figure line to include a new Arctic Adventure Motorized Train Set and a large-scale DinosaurMotorized Adventure Set. Internationally, the company has signed new licensing agents and licensees. MegaLicense has been appointed to oversee licensing for the brand in Russia; and Henson is close to making anannouncement for new agents in Germany and the UK. New European publishers include Puffin in the UK forpublishing and Egmont in Poland for cover mounts.

The company unveiled a new licensing strategy to celebrate Fraggle Rock’s 30th anniversary in 2013. Hensonis partnering with Talenthouse to provide a platform for artists and designers around the world to create artwork

that embodies the brand. In addition, 30 brands, designers, and artists will offer unique products to commemorate the year. Companies and designers alreadyon board include: DRx Romanelli (DRx Fraggle Denim), celebrity designer Anita Ko in conjunction with Glamhouse (costume jewelry), Kamibashi(Fraggle Rock String Doll Gang dolls), and music producer Bryan Ray Turcotte (compilation record featuring top indie artists’ unique renditions of popu-lar Fraggle songs).

Fisher-Price offers the DC Super Friends Wheelies Batman Raceway Ride-On, avail-able this June. Fold down the front of the ride-on to convert it into a raceway ramp. Lineup the Batmobile and The Joker race cars at the top, press the button, and watch themzoom down to the finish line. The ride-on includes underseat storage and Batman and TheJoker Wheelies race cars featuring Batman phrases and sound effects. It is for ages 1–3.

TCG (formerly The Canadian Group) has partnered with Fisher-Price to develop,manufacture, and market infant and preschool puzzles for the U.S. and Canadian markets.The new line will provide age-appropriate developmental learning content and feature the characters from the Laugh & Learn and Little People brands.Puzzles will feature content appropriate for kids as young as 10 months old in a variety of formats including wood and traditional paperboard.

The Jim Henson Company

Fisher-Price

Fraggle Rock

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Whatever kids can imag-ine, they can build withconstruction toys. Frombricks and blocks tosticks and magnets, the

construction toys category offers a variety ofways for kids to build. Even with kids spendingmore and more time playing in the digital worldvia computers and smartphones, constructiontoys continue to sell. According to data from TheNPD Group, the “building sets” category wasone of two toy categories that saw the most sig-nificant revenue increases in 2011 at 23 percent.(The other category was dolls.)

“The construction category is becomingmore attractive to toy manufacturers becauseof its rapid growth over the past severalyears,” says Kim Boyd, global brand directorfor KRE-O at Hasbro. “More children are get-ting into construction play at a younger ageand staying in it for longer.” She says that tobe successful in this category, manufacturersmust deliver a positive and fun building expe-

rience and have an appealing brand theme.“Kids are shopping in the aisle because theylike to build, so they are then focused onwhat themes interest them,” Boyd says.

Many manufacturers choose to offer both afun building experience and appealing themethrough licensing. By combining propertiesthat kids love with construction play, kids areable to build their favorite worlds.

When Hasbro debuted its KRE-O line lastyear, the building sets were Transformers-themed.The company has introduced Battleship buildingsets this year based on the new movie Battleship.“Typically, the licenses we are seeing today in theconstruction category represent the latest block-buster movies, such as Battleship, or other majorentertainment experiences, such as top-rankedvideo games,” Boyd says. “These intellectualproperties are extremely topical for kids in thisage target due to an overwhelming amount ofexposure through mass media campaigns, promo-tional partnerships, and other licensed products.Kids become inspired by the storylines and theircharacters. Kids will build out the worlds and thenroleplay within the sets to act out their favoritemoments or make up parallel stories on their own.”

Søren Torp Laursen, president of LEGOSystems, Inc., says that roleplay is becomingmore a part of building toys. Instead of kidsplaying out a scene with an action figure, theyare playing it out with mini figures. With anaction figure, “there’s no environment, there’sno backdrop behind it,” Laursen says.However, mini figures come with a buildableenvironment, which enhances the imaginativeplay. “If you can play out the same fantasyplay in a mini figure context (and thereby witha natural surrounding where there’s actually acontext) . . . there’s a broader appeal for the

child to have the ability to play out his/herimaginative action figure play but at the sametime have a great building experience and agreat backdrop for fantasy play.”

MEGA Brands reaches out not only to kidsbut also to adult fans and collectors with itslicensed building sets. Licenses for the fallinclude Power Rangers Super Samurai, Halo,and World of Warcraft. “We’re fortunate to part-ner with top-tier brands that provide a rich andimmersive content universe that translates verywell to building toys,” says Marc Bertrand, pres-ident and CEO, MEGA Brands. “Kids, fans, andcollectors love the freedom and creativity ofconstruction toys that allows them to build and

BUILDING IMAGINATIONS WITH CONSTRUCTION TOYS

56 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

above: This fall, MEGA will release a line of World of Warcraft building sets.

below: Starting in June, LEGO will release Lord of the Rings building sets.

BY LAURIE LEAHEY

K’NEX will introduce building sets featuring popularbands, such as The Beatles (shown) and KISS.

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rebuild entire worlds or characters, vehicles, and locations based on theirfavorite entertainment properties.”

Licensing is not only prevalent in the construction toys category but also inthe overall toy industry. According to data from The NPD Group, licensed toysrepresented 26 percent of total industry sales in2011. “One of the habits that people have formedis what characters and worlds they fall in lovewith,” says Michael Araten, CEO of K’NEX.“Once you fall in love with that experience, youwant to recreate it.” K’NEX has focused onlicensed building products for Nintendo andAngry Birds. “We know that kids love interactingwith those characters, and adults like interactingwith things that seem familiar. That’s one of thereasons you see licensing not only in building toysbut across many levels of consumer products.”

But while licensing can help a product line’ssuccess, sometimes a non-licensed line can be justas strong. K’NEX’s non-licensed roller coasterbuilding sets appeal to kids because kids enjoyriding roller coasters at amusement parks, and theK’NEX sets let them bring real-working thrillrides home. “We want to make working rollercoasters so that when [kids] build the thing theycan imagine, it works just like it did in the amuse-ment park,” Araten says. “It’s not just a modelwhere you build it and put it on the shelf. It’s an interactive experience both inthe building and the playing afterward.

Many of LEGO’s non-licensed building sets have been just as popular asits licensed ones. In addition, LEGO has been very successful creating its ownIP, especially with Ninjago. The ninja-themed product line, which also has itsown TV show on Cartoon Network, continues to expand this fall with newSKUs. But LEGO’s Laursen says that LEGO doesn’t think in terms oflicensed versus non-licensed when creating product because that’s not howchildren think. “They buy things because the themes are appealing to them orthey are already collecting something in the Star Wars environment or they arein a stage where city and police play is appealing to them,” he says. “We havesomething for every child’s interest. Whatever is on their mind right now, therewill be a theme that is likely appealing to them.”

What also appeals to kids are different ways to build. There are somecompanies in the construction category that are moving beyond tradition-al blocks and bricks, offering kids different ways to build and get creative.

OgoSport launched its OgoBild line of general purpose constructionsets last year. The kits come with a variety ofpieces—wheels, wings, balls, hands, eyes—andno instructions, prompting kids to put the piecestogether however they want. “We try to use theimages [on the package] to inspire startingpoints,” says Kevin Williams, partner,OgoSport. “All the different creations we showon the package are really what we think areenough for construction because it is so easy tostart building with it. It’s got a lot more benefitfor kids to give them a box of random bits andparts and let them come up with their ownworld.” The company’s new OgoBild Bits aresmaller kits with different pieces to create acharacter, either the one pictured on the box orone from a child’s imagination.

MGA is inspiring kids’ imaginations on alarger scale with its Little Tikes TikeStix line.Instead of making forts out of pillows, chairs,and blankets, the TikeStix building sets comewith enough large plastic pieces to build a fort,playhouse, rocket ship, dog house, or whatever

kids can imagine. “It’s fun to build them, but it’s even more fun to beinside and play,” says Rosanne Kubisty, senior director of Little Tikes mar-keting. Each set (four are currently available with more planned for spring2013) includes instructions for four or five different things to build, butkids are encouraged to use the pieces, even mix and match across the sets,to build whatever they can imagine. “With any of the sets, it’s limitlesswhat you can build with it,” Kubisty says.

And it seems that the growth of the construction toys category islimitless, as well. Parents who fondly remember playing with construc-tion toys as children are buying construction toys for their kids. It’s aclassic play pattern that continues to inspire creative play. Whetherkids are building a fort, a character, or a movie replica vehicle, they arealso building an imaginative world.

58 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

above: MGA offers a bigger way to build with Little Tikes TikeStix.

below: OgoSport’s OgoBild Bits character Blink

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Untitled-1 1 5/15/2012 4:06:44 PM

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HasbroThe KRE-O Battleship line features tanks,

ships, and helicopters from the new movieBattleship. Pictured is the Combat Chopper, a 174-piece

building set for ages 7–14.

60 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

Construction ToysBY LAURIE LEAHEY

With construction toys, kids can build their own worlds. From bricks and sticks to licensed and non-licensed sets,the category offers a variety of ways for kids to build. The following pages showcase some of the newest construction toys hitting the store shelves.

K’NEXThe Angry Birds building sets from

K’NEX let kids 5 and up build and playwith characters from the app. Use K’NEXbricks to build a structure and launcher,then launch the birds to knock down thestructures and pigs.

LEGOLEGO’s newest building theme is Monster

Fighters. The Vampire Castle building setcomes with 949 pieces so kids can build a“haunted” house full of details and functionsand a roadster for the MonsterFighters. The set includessix minifigures and is forages 8 and up.

MEGA BrandsMEGA Bloks Lil’ Princess is a construction collec-

tion designed for preschool girls 1 and up. The linebrings to life a world of princesses with sparkling tiaras,wings, blocks, pony characters, and enchanted castles. Itdebuts this fall.

MGAMGA’s Little Tikes TikeStix is a line of

indoor/outdoor building sets. Instead of using thedining room table and a bedsheet, kids 4 and up usethe TikeStix building pieces to make a fort, play-house, rocket, and more. The Playhouse andClubhouse sets come with 50 pieces, while theRocket and Dog House sets come with 30 pieces.All the pieces are interchangeable.

TikeStixClubhouse

InfinitoyWith the ZOOB Jr. Dump Truck kit, kids can

build all sorts of trucks plus creations from theZOOB Jr. Zoomer. It includes 23 oversizedZOOB Jr. pieces, four wheels with tires, and adumper bed with a flap.

Page 61: Toys & Family Entertainment, June 2012

GeomagGeomag’s new Pink con-

struction toys are designed togive girls their own colorswhile they build geometricconstructions and learn aboutthe magic of magnetism. Each setincludes non-magnetic steel spheres and magnetic rodsmade of the highest quality materials.

CitiBlocsCitiBlocs’ new Neon block set

comes with 100 blocks in five vibrantcolors: green, pink, blue, orange, andnatural. There are 20 blocks of eachcolor. Each set comes in a sturdy,paint can-style container with a han-dle for storage. The Neon set is forages 3 and up.

JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 61

EitechThe Eitech Radio

Control Jeep with LEDLights Construction Sethas a two-way remotecontrol that includesrechargeable 6V batter-ies. This set has more than400 high-quality steel parts, including tools and LED lights.Kids can follow the instructions or make their own creation.

Ohio ArtGrand Piano is a new nanoblock set from

Ohio Art. It comes with more than 150 piecesand is for ages 8 and up. Detailed colorinstructions are included.

PlaymobilPlaymobil’s Car Ferry

with Pier set floats on waterand comes equipped with afoldable ramp at both thebow and stern. Car blocksand an open deck make iteasy to transport vehicles.The set also includes four figures, one motorbike, one bicycle, two life rings,and other accessories. It is for ages 4–10.

TeguTegu’s newest

line is Tegu Mobility,which launches this holidayseason with Magnetic Wooden Wheels. The magnetic wheels have flexible rub-ber tires and click onto any Tegu block creation. The wheels are compatiblewith Tegu’s existing magnetic building system.

Smart/Tangoes USA

Smart/Tangoes USA’s SmartMax magneticconstruction sets let children build shapes and

structures while learning the principles of mag-netism and architecture. The extra-large pieces are

easy for small hands to manipulate. The magnets arestrong enough for easy assembly and breakdown. An included illustratedguide shows children the basics of building magnetic structures and waysto reinforce and strengthen structures.

OgoSportOgoSport’s OgoBild is a

construction system that giveskids a variety of pieces andlets them build whatever theywant. Parts for the OgoBildBits construction sets (shown)

include eyes, hands, wheels, and propellers. Kids can build the spe-cific Bits characters or use the pieces to build a unique creation.

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Video gaming has become an increasingly prevalent ele-ment of everyday life. It has moved from the basement tothe living room to the mainstream. But perhaps the biggestchange in the category comes down to who is gaming andhow they are gaming.

Previously, a hardcore gamer was defined as a male age 18–34whose chief platform was a console and who consumed mostly shooteror massively multi-player online games (MMOGs). But the term “hard-core” has evolved alongside gaming. “When I think about what hard-core means now, it’s someone who is totally into gaming and spends alot of hours doing it,” says Patrick O’Brien, vice-president, entertain-ment and licensing, Electronic Arts. This includes gamers across allplatforms—console, mobile/tablet, and social. “There has even been thecreation of hardcore gamers in their 40s, 50s, and older, who were nevergamers before, because the kinds of games we can offer them are veryappealing to their mindset, skill set, and everything else.” This shifting demographic of gamers has led to a period of transition

and experimentation in many ways, says Bill Anker, vice-president ofbusiness development, D3Publisher, a division of Namco Bandai. “Ithink a lot of people are finding that things they might have previouslyhad no interest in, they like once they try it,” he says. “It’s an experimen-tation both on the part of the gamers to see what other types of experi-ences they might like aside from the core experience they’ve had in thepast, and there is experimentation on the part of developers and platformcreators in trying to figure out what are the kinds of experiences that wecan create with these input devices.”

THE IMPACT ON TRADITIONAL GAMINGIt is no secret that despite a rise in the number of gamers, console

sales are sinking. In April, The NPD Group reported that overall salesvolume of consoles and console games at retail dropped 42 percent com-pared to last year, with a variety of factors contributing to the drop.Nearing the tail end of a console cycle, consumer interest has droppedoff in anticipation of the next console—a trend that historically tends tooccur. Nintendo is scheduled to launch Wii U this holiday, and bothMicrosoft and Sony are expected to launch their next generation of con-soles in 2013–14. Nintendo declined an interview.However, console sales will likely never reach their previous height of

success, unless something revolutionary happens, says Scott Mucci, directorof research at IGN Entertainment. “Our stance at IGN is that the peak year

for box and ship retail was 2008,” he says. “And just as we saw with music,which peaked in 1999 and every year since has seen a slow decline, gameswill follow a similar trend.” The rise of alternative gaming platforms—mobile, tablet, and social—is a main contributing factor. The NPD Groupdoes not currently include sales from iTunes, Amazon, and Android appstores or Facebook in its standard reporting, something the organization islooking to rectify in future reports, says Mucci. Prior to the rise of mobile and social gaming, the gaming experience

held the spot as the most important consideration for gamers. “But whenApple came out and brought down the price of gaming to a 99 cent/$1.99price point, it’s as if the whole market suddenly became much more sensi-tive to what entertainment should cost,” says Jason Yim, president ofTrigger Global, a digital marketing and production agency that specializesin websites and digital games for film companies such as Sony Pictures,Sesame Workshop, Lucasfilm, and more. “When you can buy an app gamelike Angry Birds for $1.99, and it comes with 180 levels of entertainment,price awareness is going to start being applied to console games. And thatchanges the model for everyone.”

COST VERSUS EXPERIENCEDevelopers are working to combat the question of whether the experi-

ence is worth the cost on multiple fronts. “The concept of a console as aliving room-only device is losing relevance,” says IGN’s Mucci.“However, the notion that there is a Microsoft gaming experience, a Sonygaming experience, a Nintendo gaming experience—that’s still vibrantand alive. And all three manufacturers are working very diligently to crackthat nut.” Part of the answer lies in the capabilities of these platforms to

GAMING FOR THE FUTURE

62 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

THE GAMING GENERATION

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Generation ZMillenialsGeneration XBoomers Millenin X ZGeneration als0

10

20

Boomer Generatio Grs on

BY JENNIFER LYNCH

A recent study conductedby IGN Entertainment

found that the U.S. gaming population reached

an all-time high of 99.3million gamers in 2011.

Page 63: Toys & Family Entertainment, June 2012

work across devices and stay with that consumer24 hours a day, seven days a week.

While Rich Maryyanek, CMO of Big TentEntertainment, doesn’t think consoles are losingrelevance yet, he says they must find a way tobreak out of the single function “game console”to compete. “I think before the consoles lose rel-evance, we’ll see the packaged software dwindlemore, but other options such as software andtoys, such as [Activision’s] Skylanders, may helpoffset some of those losses.” Activision’sSkylanders, which merges the world ofphysical play through it’s game piece toyswith the interactive world of gaming, isproof that with the right type of innovati-vation success can still be found in con-sole gaming. According to the company’sQ1 financial report, Skylanders Sypro’sAdventure was the No. 1 kids’ title withmore than 30 million toys sold to datethrough April 1. Activision was unavail-able for an interview as of press time. Italso touches on a growing trend that con-sumers are looking for, breaking down thebarrier between the interactive and physi-cal worlds of play.

Augmented reality (AR) is an areadevelopers are experimenting with more forgaming, although it is still too soon to tell howwell consumers will respond. “It moves youfrom the console experience, where you’re sit-ting in front of the TV, and the eyes-downmobile experience to an eyes-up experience inwhich gaming starts occurring not only on thescreen or in the palm of your hand but on top ofobjects in the real world,” says Trigger’s Yim.

Being placed inside a game gives a similarexperience. Last fall, Microsoft announced plansto team with Sesame Workshop and NationalGeographic to create more educational interac-

tive gaming experiences for kids using Kinectfor Xbox 360, including Sesame Street TV,which will make its debut later this year.“Sesame Workshop knows how to present con-tent to kids in a TV format that keeps themengaged and participating with the program as ifthey’re there,” says Jaymi Bauer, director ofmarketing for kids & lifestyle entertainment,interactive entertainment business, Microsoft.“But until now, the TV never responded back.The Kinect center will hear when kids use their

voice or start clapping. This two-way interactionwill be essential to consoles in the future, and Ithink it will be something people expect.”

Tech advances can also offer a more personal-ized experience, says Big Tent’s Maryyanek.Using Big Tent’s PixFusion technology, “Majescorolled out Face Racers, where you can use theNintendo 3DS camera to snap a picture [of your-self] and map it to your avatar,” he says. “Thistype of product is only scratching the surface.Imagine playing a game such as Lord of TheRings where you really become Gandolf with thewhite beard and flowing robes or you make one

of your friends into Kenny from South Park oryou see yourself under the helmet in Madden.”

Free-to-play (F2P), which is a payment modelthat provides free games to players with moneti-zation through advertising, has made one of thelargest impacts on the way players game and whatthey look for in gaming, which goes back to thequestion of experience versus price. After seeingthe success of F2P within mobile gaming, thepayment model has slowly made its way ontoconsoles in more recent years. It is proving to be

a saving grace among staling sales,specifically for PC-based games.“There are a number of older, more tra-ditional monthly subscription MMOGsthat have switched to free-to-play andhave literally seen a tripling of theiraudiences,” says IGN’s Mucci. “Andit’s not just people joining on for 30 daytrials; all signs indicate this audience issticking.” IGN’s Mucci says that StarWars and World of Warcraft are two ofthe biggest MMOGs that are continu-ing to stick to their monthly subscrip-tion-based model, but thinks allMMOGs will eventually be replaced bythe F2P model.

Platform creators are also using F2P as a wayto remain with consumers 365 days a year. Oneexample is through Xbox Live, which playerscan connect with through their consoles, PCs, orWindows Phones. “To become super relevantnot just in one TV experience but throughout theday, every day, we must continue to connect thedots and lead the consumer with experiences thatgo across screens,” says Microsoft’s Bauer. Sowhile the future of consoles is uncertain, onething is clear—gaming has changed, and to besuccessful and meet the wants of consumers,developers must respond and evolve with them.

MSNBC host Willie Geist (second from right) watches his daughter and afriend play Kinect Sesame Street TV at a recent Kinect for Xbox 360 event.

JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 63

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ActivisionThe all-new Family Guy console

video game from Twentieth CenturyFox Consumer Products andActivision titled Family Guy: Back tothe Multiverse, will offer gamers aninteractive Family Guy experienceinspired by the most popular andnotable episodes in the series’ history.Consumers can currently interact withFamily Guy characters in the free-to-play Family Guy Online Game.Additional details about the consolegame’s release will be announced inthe near future.

Electronic ArtsMass Effect 3 from BioWare,

a label of Electronic Arts, sendsplayers into an all-out galacticwar to save mankind from anancient alien race known only asthe Reapers. It features theGalaxy at War system, in whichplayers have the option to fightthe galactic war on multiplefronts. The system includes thefranchise debut of co-operative multi-player, as well as two iOS-exclusive apps, thecover-based, third-person shooter Mass Effect Infiltrator, and the Mass Effect 3 Datapad.The game is available for Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, and PC systems.

64 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

Video Games BY JENNIFER LYNCH

The demographic of gamers and the ways in which they game has shifted. And to meet these changes, developersmust come up with content that continues to offer traditional gamers the deep gaming experiences they seek,while also catering to the new gamer. Below is a sampling of some of the latest games from developers.

Konami Konami Digital Entertainment announced that

Pro Evolution Soccer 13 will launch this fall. Thegame will give the player complete freedom toplay any style of ball with any teammate anywhereon the pitch, including full control over shots forthe first time ever. Three key elements form thebasis of Pro Evolution Soccer 2013’s innovations:Full Control, Player ID, and ProActive AI.

Warner Bros. InteractiveWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced Sesame

Street: Elmo’s Musical Monsterpiece, an action-filled consoleand handheld video game encouraging preschoolers to sing,dance, and learn through a series of fun musical games. Based onSesame Street, the learning game will be available for Nintendo Wii and DS thismonth. The game is being developed by Griptonite Games, Inc., and features a “Parent’sPage” where parents can review games their child has played and review curriculum goals. Parentscan also customize up to three profiles, set limits for number of games played, and more.

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2K SportsNew from 2K Sports, a division of 2K, a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software,

Inc., is Major League Baseball 2K12, now available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2,PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and Windows PC. The game features a new ratings system designed toenhance the battle at the plate; revamped throwing system that makes fielding more realistic; new hit distribu-tion system that allows for more varied and realistic hits; and an enhanced My Player mode. 2K Sports alsoannounced the all new MLB Today Season mode that lets players complete an entire season at the same pace astheir favorite MLB team.

Sony OnlineEntertainment

The battle between heroes and villains in DCUniverse Online continues as Sony Online EntertainmentLLC (SOE) announced The Last Laugh, the fourth down-loadable content pack for DCUO, will be available thismonth for download for PC and PlayStation 3. The LastLaugh will pit players against each other in high-intensi-ty multi-player brawls, feature an all new weapon, andintroduce new Light-Powered Legends PvP characters.

JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 65

D3PublisherFrom D3Publisher is iCarly: Groovy Foodie!, an action-puzzle game based on Nickelodeon’s

live-action series iCarly, available exclusively for Nintendo DS. In the game, Carly and Sam get introuble and must complete community service by making imaginative food creations. The game isloaded with the show’s favorite characters and wacky food, and challenges players to feed a hungrycrowd fast in funny situations.

MajescoEntertainment

Majesco Entertainment teamed up with BigTent Entertainment to create Face Racers:Photo Finish for Nintendo 3DS. The game usesthe photo-personalized technology developedby PixFusion to allows players to feel like theyare a part of the game. Players take photos oftheir face with their Nintendo 3DS camera andcan then place their face on their Face Racersavatars for their custom 3-D racing experience.

screenshot fromThe Last Laugh

screenshot from FaceRacers: Photo Finish

UbisoftUbisoft will develop a video game based on Marvel Entertainment’s The

Avengers characters and other heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe. MarvelAvengers: Battle for Earth’s interactive environments are inspired by iconic Marvelcomic artwork and the Secret Invasion storyline. The game will be released this fallfor Kinect for Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii U.

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T he principles of science don’t change, yet the science toycategory continues to offer new products and new waysof approaching scientific elements through play. What ischanging are the types of products that are includedunder the umbrella of the science and exploration toy cat-

egory and the ways that science toy manufacturers draw in consumerswith their products.

When designing science toys, manufacturers have to keep in mindthat this is still a toy category. These science toys compete with otherforms of play and entertainment, and not more curriculum-based sci-ence activities in kids’ lives.

“We believe that science should not be a linear race in a predeter-mined direction,” says Kim Hammann, sales and marketing managerat Thames & Kosmos. “How you learn is just as important as what youlearn. It is important to give kids the tools, the guidance, and the timeto make real authentic discoveries. In a classroom setting, your suc-cess is determined by how many answers you can get right in a certainamount of time.”

The classroom science experience is very important for a child’s edu-cation, but the science toy category also has a lot of complementary ele-ments to offer a well-rounded science education.

“With the classroom experience, there is a lot of focus on curriculumthat must be covered, but with science toys there is a desire toward moreopen-ended exploring,” says Nancy Balter, science and math productsmanager at Educational Insights. “Teachers are encouraging kids and par-ents to do that outside of the classroom.”

Another strength of the science toy category is that sometimes hard sci-ence isn’t the focus of a product and the other elements of that productdraw kids into science through the back door.

“There is a lot to be learned with science toys if you can do it in afun and engaging way,” says Frank Adler, president of Uncle MiltonIndustries. “Kids are spending a lot of time in school and doing home-work, so when they want to engage with a product it has to really cap-ture their attention.”

This sentiment is at the heart of the science toy category. These prod-ucts need to be fun enough to engage kids, but educational enough for par-ents to want to buy them.

“In the science toy category, the product needs to have more of the fun

element,” says Grant Cleveland, president and CEO of DuneCraft. “It canand should be educational—just not obviously. It needs to be a learningexperience that doesn’t feel like one.”

Science toy manufacturers take different approaches to creatingenough elements of fun to keep kids active and interested. Forinstance, Be Amazing Toys’ popular Geyser Tube makes it easy forkids to conduct the classic activity of creating a diet cola geyser bydropping in Mentos.

“Our goal is to create kits that have some sort of ‘wow’ effect,” saysElizabeth Romney, vice-president of specialty retail at Be Amazing Toys.“In getting that ‘wow’ effect, we want to draw kids into asking, ‘How didthat work?’ and ‘Why did it do that?’”

STANDING OUTProduct and packaging execution are of utmost importance in the sci-

ence toy category. This is a crowded category that focuses on a somewhatlimited amount of subject matter.

“When you look at all of the science toy manufacturers, they all coverthe same topics,” says Esther Novis, president and CEO of The YoungScientists Club. “It is just a matter of how the products are being present-

HAVING FUN WHILE EXPLORING SCIENCE

66 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

BY CHRIS ADAMS

The Young Scientists Club offers a Magic School Bus-licensed lineof science toys. Shown is the Grow Amazing Polymers Group Pack.

Page 67: Toys & Family Entertainment, June 2012

ed and executed once families have them at home.”Obviously, product packaging is the first interaction a science toy has

with consumers. The packaging has to stand out on shelf while concise-ly explaining what is included in the box as well as what will be learned.

“Our packaging is our calling card andshelf-seller,” says DuneCraft’s Cleveland.“It is what catches people’s eye andinstantly instills the need to learn more.The bold, colorful, and unique graphicson each of our items allows them tostand out on its own.”

Licensing is another way thatscience toy manufacturersattempt to differentiate theirofferings. Licensing inthis category takes a lotof careful considera-tion. The license really hasto make sense for science, justifythe added expense, and bringsomething to the table.

For example, Uncle Miltonhas had success with its StarWars Science line since itsintroduction in 2009. It worksbecause it is an evergreenbrand with science-relatedapplications. There is crossover between what happened in the StarWars world and what is happening right now with technology. Thisyear, Uncle Milton introduced new brands to its licensed science toyofferings, including National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild. UncleMilton’s Adler says the company is searching for additional evergreenbrands to grow in this category.

Especially for science kits, manuals play a big role in how consumersengage, interact, and learn with a product. They have to be easy to followand include the right amount of information.

“We spend a lot of time and research putting together our manuals,”says The Young Scientists Club’s Novis. “With products for children, itis very important that enough age-appropriate information is available,

but not so much that they won’t enjoy it and have fun.”Thames & Kosmos is another manufacturer that spends tremendous

resources on developing its manuals. “We put a lot of work into making our manuals an effective learning

tool,” says Hammann. “Step-by-step illustrated instructions onhow to perform experiments, clear explanations for what hap-

pened in the experiments, open-ended ques-tions, and informative sidebars with funfacts all work together to ward off bore-dom or frustration and help kids draw theline from their own experiences to broad-er themes and real-world applications.”

EVOLUTIONThe science category has expanded and

evolved over the years. What started out astoyetic versions of microscopes and tele-scopes has grown to include a plethora of

hard- and soft-science products.“We see a diverse ecosystem of sci-

ence product developing in the toymarket: science experiment kits, sci-ence equipment, equipment-like

toys, science-themed toys, science-themed games, science-themed crafts and activities,

and so on,” says Thames & Kosmos’ Hammann. “There is a time and aplace for science-inspired toys as there is for science kits. We’re happy tosee the growth of both in the market.”

Sometimes it is hard to peg whether a product that incorporates scienceshould be considered a science toy. For instance, if a toy involves learningabout temperature, is it a science toy or a math toy?

When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter much how a toy is classi-fied. Is it science? Is it exploration? Is it something altogether different?

The purpose for the science toy category, along with other educa-tional toy categories, is to teach children about the world around them,how to think, how to be curious, and how to explore. As long as par-ents are looking for these tools, the science toy marketplace will offera range of fun options to do so.

JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 67

The science toy category houses arange of products from hard-

science-based kits to more toy-oriented exploration items. On thispage are examples of each end ofthe spectrum. Above is Thames &Kosmos’ Solar Mechanics and on

the right is Uncle Milton’s Nat GeoWild Anteater Bug Vac.

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68 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

SCIENCE & EXPLORATIONProducts within the science toy category range from basic, toyetic versions of scientific devices,such as microscopes and telescopes, to more toy-oriented products that teach science withoutkids knowing it. Below is a sampling of new science toys that help kids discover the world aroundthem, all while having a great time using them.

UNCLE MILTONUncle Milton is expanding its

In My Room line with the addi-tion of Earth In My Room. Thisglobe lights up around theworld’s population centers. Inaddition, Uncle Milton is launch-ing its Nat Geo Wild line, whichincludes the Anteater Bug Vac.

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTSMillions of plankton

live in ponds, lakes, andoceans. Kids can take acloser look at them withEducational Insights’GeoSafari Plankton Net.

BACKYARD SAFARI OUTFITTERSUse the weather vane on the Storm Chaser

Portable Weather Pod to findout which direction thewind is blowing and theanemometer gauge to measure wind speed.The water gauge collects and measuresrainfall, while the temperature gaugeshows the current air temperature.

THE YOUNG SCIENTISTS CLUBThe Magic School Bus Slime and Polymer Lab, by The Young

Scientists Club, helps kids make polymersout of milk, make slime,create goop, producea snow eruption,melt snow, dehydratepolymers, and more.

HABAHaba’s Terra Kids Telescope

(shown) magnifies up to 10 times. Itincludes a neoprene bag with a snaplink and a mini compass. Also in theline is the Terra Kids Microscope,which includes tweezers, threemicroscope slides, cover foil, fourcompound capsules, aluminum cara-biner, and samples to view.

SMARTLABSmartLab’s DJ Rock

Dock helps kids build aspeaker dock for theirMP3 player. Using thekit, they will learn basicelectronics by investi-gating how speakersand amplification work.

BY CHRIS ADAMS

Earth inMy Room

Terra KidsTelescope

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JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 69

THAMES & KOSMOSFor countless generations, people have been captivated by

the unique properties of soap bubbles. With Thames & Kosmos’Bubble Science kit, kids can see for themselves why soap, water,and air are still studied by scien-tists, modeled by mathemati-cians, emulated by archi-tects, and immortalized byartists and writers.

SCIENTIFICEXPLORER

In the Scientific ExplorerWacky Weird Weather Kit, kidswill find everything they needto make their own weather.Along the way, they will learnscience about the weather andwhat makes it so weird.

TEDCOHand Boilers are a classic, science-

based, novelty item that is also commonlyreferred to as a “love meter” due to many ofthe glass stems being shaped like a heart.Hand Boilers are looped and twisted glasssculptures containing liquid that appears toboil as heat is transferred from a bare handto the glass bulb. Tedco’s Hand Boiler isavailable in a variety of shapes and colors.

GROWUMSThe Growums Garden in

a Box is a complete gardeningsystem that comes with oneself-watering container, oneGrowums Pizza Garden starterkit, collectible stickers featur-ing the Growums characters,and Growums Magic Soil.

DUNECRAFTKids can create their

own rainforest cloud gar-den with DuneCraft’sSwamp Thing Garden.The kit comes with plantstakes, an exotic bird fig-ure, a germination medi-um disk, and more.

BE AMAZING TOYSBe Amazing Toys’

My First Super ScienceKit, targeted at 4-8-year-olds, focuses on earlyscience learning throughmore than 70 activities.

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Celebrating its 30th anniversarythis year, Safari Ltd. is a toy com-pany that cares as much about itsmission as it does about keepingthe business in the family, with

three generations having a hand in the develop-ment and evolution of the company.

In 1981, Bernard and Rosemarie Rubel,Safari Ltd. CEO Ramona Pariente’s parents andpresident Alexandre Pariente’s grandparents,started the company out of their Miami apart-ment. Spurred by their love of animals, the ideafor the company was ultimately sparked by agame they picked up on a trip throughGermany—an educational children’s card gamethat highlighted the issue of endangered wildlife.

Conservation and preservation were causesthe Rubels were deeply dedicated to and causesthey believed kids of all ages should have a funway to become informed about. Producing minia-ture figurines of these animals was their way to doit. “By producing [miniature] animals of the rainforests that were threatened or endangered, theysought to make children and adults aware of theirbeauty and why they were endangered,” saysRamona Pariente. Included with each figure is aneducational tag that provides information aboutthe animal, where it lives, and its global status.This information is now offered in five differentlanguages on Safari Ltd.’s website as well.

While rain forest conservation was a mainfocus for Safari Ltd. in the ’80s, and still is, thecompany has since widened that focus to conser-vation on a more global scale. In 1986, SafariLtd. signed what Pariente describes as its mostimportant license—The Natural HistoryMuseum, from which they have collaboratedwith the museum’s paleontologists to produce

authentic,scale-model dinosaurs. Today, the companycomes out with 60 to 100 new SKUs each year.

But conservation for Safari Ltd. is not limitedto animals exclusively. Bernard Rubel wrote inthe company’s original mission statement thatperhaps the most important endangered species tofocus on is the endangerment of imagination. “Wedesign toys that assist in the joy of play . . . with-out imagination, the individual loses the creativespark,” he wrote. It is a mission that Safari contin-ues to rely on. “We stick to three-dimensional,unstructured play, with an emphasis on ignitingthe imagination,” says Pariente. The figuresmaintain their basic design, but now with morerealistic detailing.

New collections such as the Fantasy Figuresline, which includes mythical creatures such asdragons, unicorns, and mermaids, help to sparkimaginative play. The Safariology line, a scienceline, has also taken that imaginative play intooutdoor play with bug viewers, binoculars, mag-nifying glasses, and more.

While education remains a cornerstone ofSafari Ltd.’s mission, technology has helpedadvance the way in which it’s delivered. QRCodes, in particular, are utilized throughout

Safari Ltd.’s product line. “I like QRCodes when they are used in a smartway,” says Pariente. “They shouldlead you to something that lets youexplore while educating you.”Pariente has used the codes to pro-

vide retailers and consumers witheverything from a narrated

history of Safari Ltd.to videos of itsm i n i a t u r e s

depicted in jungle-themed dioramas. Forlicensed collections such as the Monterey BayAquarium Sea Life collection, QR Codes areused to direct viewers to the aquarium’s web-site, where they can learn more about the ani-mals and the organization.

Safari Ltd. also uses social media to spread itsmission. On Facebook, Pariente regularly hostsholiday photo contests in which fans can send inthemed photos that incorporate Safari Ltd. prod-ucts. “Social media has absolutely, hands down,been an important tool in helping to spread themessage about Safari Ltd. products and our mes-sages of conservation,” Pariente says.

This year marked Safari Ltd.’s busiest Toy Fairyet as well as the first year the company wroteorders at the Nuremburg Toy Fair, she says. It isevident that, 30 years later, her parent’s goal—toshare their love of and the beauty of wildlife—continues to grow. “It’s been absolutely wonderfulto keep the business in our family,” Pariente says.“And it’s my overall plan to keep it that way forgenerations to come.”

70 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

BY JENNIFER LYNCH

Conservation Central to Safari Ltd.’s Mission

top: Carnegie Scale Model DinosaurCollectibles Brachiosaurus

below: Incredible Creatures EasternCottontail Rabbit Baby

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72 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

YOU’

REHI

RED

tomyHenseLer & kiLrea, Promotions

tomy promoted Peter J. Henseler to vice-chairman of tomyinternational and Gregory J. kilrea to president of tomy international. 

Henseler previously served 10 years as president of tomyinternational/rc2 corporation. in his new role, Henseler will focus onglobal opportunities for tomy. 

kilrea previously served as the company’s executive vice-presidentand coo. kilrea has nearly 30 years of business management experi-ence including eight years with tomy international/rc2corporation. during his time with the company, he has assumed lead-ership for acquisitions, integrations, sales planning, product develop-ment, customer and vendor management, and personnel development. 

smc entertainment GrouPHeatHer smitH noBack, Vice-President, interactiVe & diGitaL media

smc entertainment Group, inc. (smc), an entertainmentand brand management company and sister company to glob-al consumer products manufacturer sun-mate corporation,

named Heather smith noback to thepost of vice-president, interactive &digital media. noback joins smcfrom encore software.

noback’s appointment coincideswith the formation of a new division to

oversee online and social media marketingstrategies across all brands. as a result, an updated and refreshedsmc entertainment Group, inc., website has been unveiled,along with the launch of facebook and twitter pages for smcand all of its brands, including the Jungle Book, danceacademy, and H2o: Just add Water.

american GreetinGs ProPertiesLindsay martinez, director of LicensinGand Business deVeLoPment

american Greetings Properties (aGP) appointed Lindsaymartinez as director of licensing and business development.martinez will direct the building of aGP brands, such as careBears and strawberry shortcake, through new and existinglicensing and retail strategies and work to launch new properties. 

the new position will mark martinez’s return to aGP whereshe previously workedas director of market-ing for Holly Hobbie,madballs, and newbrands from 2006 to2008. Prior to rejoin-ing the aGP team, martinez served as vice-president of brandmanagement and marketing at chorion, where she was responsi-ble for the strategic development and execution of brand market-ing and retail initiatives for chorion’s portfolio of brands in theamericas, such as olivia and mr. men and Little miss.  

Jakks PacificBrodsky & russo, aPPointments

Jakks Pacific, inc., elected Leigh anne Brodsky as a new indepen-dent member of its Board of directors and appointed her to thenominating and corporate Governance committee and compensationcommittee of the Board.

Brodsky is a 25-year veteran of the children’s entertainment and toyindustry. until september 2011, she served as president of nickelodeon &Viacom consumer Products, inc., where she oversaw worldwide licensingand merchandising fornickelodeon, mtV,and comedy central.Prior to her nearly 13years with Viacom, Brodsky worked in senior executive roles for Lornemichaels’ Broadway Video and scripps Howard’s united media. she is aboard member of the children’s Brain tumor foundation and served from2010-11 as an elected board member of the toy industry association.

Jakks Pacific also appointed carmine russo as president of Jakks’international division, which coordinates the company’s growing inter-national sales, marketing, advertising, promotions, and distributionoperations across all product divisions. russo, a 28-year veteran of thetoy industry, was the coo of toymax. Jakks acquired toymax in 2002,and russo became the senior vice-president of Jakks international,before being promoted to executive vice-president of Jakksinternational in 2009.

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BEginagainiriS SOLOmOn, vicE-prESiDEnt, SaLES

Beginagain hired toy industry veteran iris Solomon asits vice-president of sales. Solomon formerly served asdirector of sales for Swingset press of Los angeles, a com-pany she co-founded in 1996. Solomon has also worked asan independent sales consultant and is one of the foundersof the credit collective. waBOBa uSa

JOrDan SuLLivan, DirEctOr Of markEting anD SaLES managEr

waboba uSa named Jordan Sullivan as director of marketing andsales manager. Sullivan will work with national sales director BuckBowers to coordinate the international group of sales representativesand distributors while working with public relations agency pr powerto communicate via newsletters and press releases and to generateinformation about special events and promotions. Establishing theinternational waboba federation, a league for competitive play, is alsopart of Sullivan’s charge, as is expanding the waboba brand’s reach intofitness and sports training venues beyond its current sales in surf, sport-ing goods, and toy stores. Sullivan recently worked with a physicaleducation teacher from the uk to launch a waboba Bounce ahead!program for p.E. teachers that will roll out in the coming year.

twEntiEth cEntury fOxcOnSumEr prODuctSkazi & chESS, appOintmEntS

twentieth century fox consumerproducts named nabil kazi to the position ofvice-president, global promotions andmorgan chess to the position of vice-presi-dent, digital strategy and commerce.

kazi will define and set the global licensedpromotions strategy for fox’s tv properties. hejoins fox consumer products with 18 years ofexperience in entertainment marketing withseveral positions within the walt Disneycompany and its affiliated companies, includ-ing Disney consumer products and aBctelevision network. prior to joining fox, kaziwas vice-president, global marketing and pub-licity for walt Disney animation andDisneytoon Studios.

chess will handle digital and e-commercestrategy planning for the breadth of foxconsumer products’ portfolio. She previously served as director, digi-tal marketing for 20th century fox Studios, where she oversaw the dig-ital marketing campaigns, including such programs as the angry Birdsrio app, as well as the Rise of the Planet of the Apes and X-Men FirstClass online campaigns.

Nabil Kazi

Morgan Chess

EvOLutiOn ExpanDS ExEcutivE tEamEvolution’s initial founders, travis J. rutherford and

adam unger, joined forces with Stanley Lerman and ryanBroomberg to expand the capabilities of the firm.

Lerman, named as managing director and cOO, brings exten-sive retail, consumer packaged goods, fashion, and directresponse experience to the company. his primary responsibilitiesare strategic planning, operations, finance, and legal, and he willoversee all international licensing efforts.

as executive vice-president, Broomberg brings expertisein retail operations, sourcing, and distribution logistics. he isa chartered accountant with more than 25 years of experiencein building companies across a broad spectrum of consumerindustries, including alcohol and beverage, premium packag-ing, and novelty retail.

also joining Evolution as senior director of licensing andbrand compliance, kirsti tichenor will handle all productdevelopment approvals, creative services, and categorylicensing sales. tichenor previously worked as a premiumbuyer for u.S. Sales corp.

JUNE 2012 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 73

Lima SkyEric karp, chiEf LicEnSing OfficEr

Lima Sky appointed Eric karp as chief licensing officer.karp will work directly with founder igor pusenjak to devel-op a creative and cohesive ecosystem of products aroundLima Sky’s properties. karp will begin by overseeing licens-ing of Doodle Jump in close collaboration with agentfremantlemedia Enterprises.

karp, who has held senior posts at chorion, mgm, and foxfamily, most recently established the western hemisphere pres-ence for mind candy Ltd., owners of moshi monsters. 

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Industry-Related Trade Shows

74 TOYS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2012

CALEND

AROF

EVEN

TS

JULY12–15 Comic-Con International comic-con.org San Diego Convention Center San Diego26–28 OASIS Gift Show oasis.org Phoenix Convention Center Phoenix

AUGUST18–22 New York International Gift Fair nyigf.com Jacob Javits Convention Center New York City

SEPTEMBER28 TIME TO PLAY FALL SHOWCASE TIMETOPLAYMAG.COM THE ALTMAN BUILDING NEW YORK CITY

OCTOBER1–4 G2E globalgamingexpo.com The Sands Expo & Convention Center Las Vegas2–4 TIA Fall Toy Preview toyassociation.org Dallas Market Center Dallas2–4 PB&J pbandjshow.com Dallas Market Center Dallas6–7 MIPJunior mipworld.com Palais des Festivals Cannes, France8–11 MIPCOM mipworld.com Palais des Festivals Cannes, France11–14 iHobby Expo ihobbyexpo.com The I–X Center Cleveland14–17 ABC Kids Expo theabcshow.com Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville

NOVEMBER15–16 Toy & Game Inventor Conference tandgcon.com Navy Pier Chicago17–18 Chicago Toy & Game Fair chitag.com Navy Pier Chicago

DECEMBER2–5 Grand Strand Gift Show grandstrandgiftshow.com Myrtle Beach Convention Center Myrtle Beach, S.C.

JANUARY7–10 Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair hktoyfair.com Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Hong Kong, China22–24 The Toy Fair toyfair.co.uk Olympia Grand Hall London, UK

FEBRUARY7–10 Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair toyfair.de Nuremburg Exhibition Center Nuremburg, Germany10–13 American International Toy Fair toyassociation.org Jacob Javits Convention Center New York

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Visit us at Licensing International Expo, booth #3768Andrea Brent Vice President, Consumer Products Email: [email protected] Tel: 818-748-1387

www.fmekids.com*4-15 year olds. Broadcast magazine May 2012

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