January 23, 2020
WIT Wonder Woman Nominee Maddie Michalik Named Editor-in-Chief of the Toy Book

Adventure Media and Events LLC, publisher of the Toy Book , the Toy Report , the Toy Insider , and the Pop Insider , named Maddie Michalik editor-in-chief of the Toy Book effective immediately. The announcement was made by Laurie Schacht, CEO. Michalik previously served as managing editor of the Toy Book , a position she has held since November 2018. Ahead of her promotion to editor-in-chief, Michalik was named as a finalist for the 16th Annual Wonder Women Awards presented by Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) in the Rising Star Corporate category. Read more…
Bandai America’s Tara Badie Talks Tamagotchi on ‘Power Kid Podcast’

In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Tara Badie, director of marketing at Bandai America. On the show, Badie and Albritton discuss her work at both Bandai America and MGA Entertainment (MGAE), along with the relaunch of the classic Tamagotchi brand and why now is the right time for a refresh. Listen here…

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Jazwares' Blippi Toys Are Available Now

Jazwares’ Blippi Toys line, based on the YouTube sensation Blippi, is now hitting store shelves. Blippi has been a popular “edutainer” with kids ages 2-7 since 2014, and his energetic videos have racked up more than 12 billion views. The new line includes surprise boxes, mini vehicles, Blippi figures, a plush, and a Blippi costume. Read more…
Moose Toys Introduces Oh! My GIF Collection, Bringing Internet GIFs to the Real World

Get ready for the new Oh! My GIF (OMGif) collection from Moose Toys, which is inspired by internet GIFs, memes, and stickers. The collection brings popular GIFs to the real world as moving collectible toys. Read more…
TFNY Creative Factor: Taking Your Idea Off the Napkin

Ideas are easy. Turning them into mass quantities of product is not. At Toy Fair New York, the Creative Factor session, “Manufacturing 101: From Idea to Factory Floor,” will take a deep dive into taking an idea from a napkin sketch to a working engineered prototype to the factory floor. The talk will be led by Brett Klisch, founder of Creative Factor and creative director of Peru Meridian Studios, and Charles Berzon, director of ProSource Global. Read more…
The Op, Topps Team Up for Monopoly: Garbage Pail Kids Edition

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the famed GPK crew, The Op will release Monopoly: Garbage Pail Kids, a quirky take on Hasbro‘s classic real estate trading game. In the game, players will vie to collect famous characters from the GPK trading cards and stickers of the ’80s and ’90s, including Adam Bomb and Leaky Lindsay. The Monopoly tokens have been replaced with six collectible movers. Read more…
Funko Reveals Dozens of New Pop! Vinyl Figures at London Toy Fair

The “purveyors of pop culture” rolled into London Toy Fair to drop the curtain on their first major round of product reveals for the new year, and as always — there is something for everyone. The fandom-spanning assortment runs the gamut across TV, film, sports, and beyond. Read more…
Disney Unveils Toys, Consumer Products for Marvel Studios’ Black Widow

Marvel Studios‘ Black Widow arrives in theaters on May 1, and Disney Parks, Experiences & Products has unveiled many of the new toys, collectibles, and lifestyle items that kids and collectors will want to get their hands on. Read more…
LEGO Ideas Introduces International Space Station Building Set

The latest building set to emerge from the LEGO Ideas crowdsourcing platform is inspired by a structure that currently orbits the Earth. The LEGO Ideas International Space Station is an 864-piece set packed with authentic details, including eight adjustable rotating solar panels and a poseable Canadarm2 mobile servicing system. Read more…
Wow! Stuff Appoints Click Distribution to Manage UK, Ireland

Wow! Stuff appointed Click Distribution (UK) Ltd. to distribute its full range of toys, games, and other products throughout the UK and Ireland. The news comes out of London Toy Fair, which wraps today. Following the London event, the UK-based company will show its full range of licensed products from Warner Bros., Disney, Marvel, Universal, Entertainment One, and others at Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg and at Toy Fair New York. Read more…
Check out the Grammy Nominees for Best Children’s Album

The 62nd annual Grammy Awards are this Sunday and five lucky artists snagged a coveted nomination for their contributions to kid’s music. Before the big winner is revealed, we broke down everything you need to know about these talented performers — including Spotify playlists so you can listen for yourself! Read more…
Kids2, Caribu Bring Baby Einstein Books to Digital App Library

Popular video-calling and reading app Caribu has teamed up with Kids2 to bring a new Baby Einstein license onto the educational platform. This new partnership will bring the Baby Einstein book catalog to Caribu’s expanding library. Families can read 30 different titles on the app. Read more…
WildBrain CPLG Tapped to Rep Touzani Brand

YouTube sensation Soufiane Touzani has appointed WildBrain CPLG to represent his sports, fashion, and lifestyle brand Touzani for licensing across the Benelux region. Read more…
Spielwarenmesse 2020: The Place for Opportunity and Seeing What’s Ahead

Another trade show? Really? Chris Byrne aka “The Toy Guy” offers insight on the dizzying round of shows stretching from Hong Kong and Dallas in October to New York in February and how the benefits go well beyond the accumulation of frequent flyer miles. Read more…
Disguise Is Helping the World Play Dress-up One Costume at a Time

Halloween is so much more than a date on the calendar: It’s a way of life. Some people wait all year long for Halloween to roll around, spending months conjuring up the perfect costumes to live out their fantasies. Disguise has been helping the world play dress-up for more than 30 years with an assortment of costumes and accessories that bring make-believe to real life. Read more…
5 Tips to Create a Company Culture that Encourages Innovative Thinking

Pooping unicorns? Pets wrapped like burritos? A brief stroll down the toy aisle will reveal that there is no dearth of creativity in our industry. The toy industry thrives on innovation, with each new season bringing a showcase of the creative forces behind some of the biggest brands and hottest new properties. From Eleanor Abbott (Candyland) and Ruth Handler (Barbie) to Sydney Wiseman (Fingerlings) and Angie Cella (Blinger), creators are at the heart of toy-making. Read more…
Spin Master Updates Full-Year Outlook to Reflect Holiday Decline, Hatchimals Drop

The company expects to report a decrease of approximately 1% in gross product sales for last year when compared to 2018 during its Q4 and full-year financial results. The financials will be revealed after markets close on Wednesday, March 4. The Toronto-based toy and entertainment company says that the revised guidance reflects the U.S. toy industry decline of between 2% to 4%, according to recent reports. Read more…
NRF Says Holiday Retail Sales Rose 4.1%

Just days after The NPD Group reported that holiday retail sales were flat, The National Retail Federation (NRF) says that sales grew 4.1% compared to the 2018 season. Total sales were $730.2 billion, the NRF says. Online and other non-store sales rose 14.6%, according to the report. Read more…
Call of Duty , Star Wars , and Nintendo Dominate Charts as Video Games Slide Through the Holidays

According to The NPD Group, overall sales for the entire video game category — including hardware, software, and accessories — was $3 billion, a 15% decline from 2018. In terms of overall software sales, December’s $1.1 billion was a 13% decrease from the same period in 2018. Read more…
GameStop Sales Tumble through Dismal Holiday Season

GameStop just can’t catch a break, and the company is running out of lives. The Texas-based retailer’s sales through the holiday season fell a whopping 27.5% compared to the 2018 season. Comparable same-store sales for the season fell 24.7% compared to a 1.5% increase during the previous holiday run. The news follows a downward trend that has been accelerating over the past year, with a 25% decline for Q3 following a 14.3% drop in the second quarter. Read more…
Tencent Moves to Acquire Game Developer Funcom

Tencent Cloud Europe is looking to add to its gaming portfolio. The internet company, which owns shares in game developers including Riot Games, Epic Games, Supercell, Ubisoft, Paradox, and Frontier, made a voluntary cash offer to acquire Norwegian game developer Funcom. Read more…
Ian Lambur Promoted to Executive Vice President at ZAG

ZAG promoted Ian Lambur to the new role of executive vice president, production, distribution, and co-production, reporting to CEO and founder Jeremy Zag. Lambur previously served as senior vice president of global distribution and co-production, a position that he has held since joining the company in November 2018. In his new role, Lambur will oversee the company’s TV productions, including a number of series under the ZAG Heroez brand. Read more…
Stevan Levy Promoted to Kabillion’s President of Programming and Operations

The on-demand kids’ TV network Kabillion has promoted Stevan Levy to president of programming and operations. Previous to joining Kabillion, Levy spent 10 years at The Walt Disney Co., most recently as the producer of development production. Levy produced more than 80 pilots for Walt Disney Television Animation, including the shows Phineas & Ferb and Kim Possible . Read more…
Aleksandra Gebauer Joins Studio 100 International Licensing Team

Studio 100 Media has added Aleksandra Gebauer, formerly of CPLG, to its international licensing team. Gebauer steps into the role of sales manager for international licensing, effective immediately. She reports to Gerd Russwurm, head of licensing. Read more…
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Group Publisher:
Jackie Breyer

Managing Editor:
Maddie Michalik

Copy Chief:
Sierra McCleary-Harris

Toy Report Editor:
James Zahn

Senior Editors:
Jackie Cucco

Marissa DiBartolo

Ali Mierzejewski

Associate Editor:
Madeleine Buckley

Assistant Editor:
Miranda Siwak

Editorial Assistants:
Josephine Baran

Ben Goren

Art Director:
Joe Ibraham

Director of Sales and Marketing:
James Devin

Sales Executive
Branden Mendez

Production Director:
Bill Reese
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