People . . . 

Sesame Workshop creates new D&I role. Wanda Witherspoon, with 20 years of Sesame Workshop experience, will be the company's first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. Witherspoon previously served as VP of public affairs and special events, but she will now focus on driving all of the not-for-profit company’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

Interview with Elspeth Fawcett, Mother of 3 & Founder at Environmental Toy Company: Yummikeys. Yummikeys is a small, mum-owned business based in Scotland. We create environmentally sound, plastic-free toys and feeding necklaces, as well as keepsake necklaces. All products we make are fully carbon offset and made in an ethical manufacturer.

Melissa & Doug co-founder on confronting her depression. Melissa Bernstein, co-founder of toy company Melissa & Doug, seemed to have it all. The firm that she started in 1988 with her husband Doug grew into an iconic brand worth a billion dollars. But despite the trappings of success, Bernstein still experienced an existential depression. Now for the first time she's opening up about her lifelong mental health battle in a new...

(the above posted after March 13th)

Toy Family Series: Q&A with Dieter Strehl of Piatnik. "Our family entered the toy industry at the initiative of my great-great-grandfather Ferdinand Piatnik, born 1819 in Budapest. He was the son of Ignaz Piatnik, a clothes maker (as distinct from a tailor!) who also worked as a chamberlain for Count Nadasdy. Ferdinand learned the trade in Budapest working for a card maker named Johann Gravatz from 1835 onwards. In 1839 he passed his journeyman examination, and went to Vienna, where he joined Anton Moser, a Viennese card maker, who had established his business back in 1824. In 1843 Anton died, and Ferdinand, at 23 years old, took over the workshop, named it F. Piatnik and married the widow Josepha, born in 1794 and 25 years his senior. This was not an uncommon occurrence at the time, although it sounds very strange today."

Mattel Global Sustainability Head to Give Talk Next Week. Sustainability is becoming an imperative for businesses both large and small. But where do you start? Pamela Gill-Alabaster, Mattel’s Head of Global Sustainability, presents the business case for sustainability, explores the forces that will impact businesses in the future, and discusses the key product, packaging, and logistics considerations for the licensing community.

Finn Arnesen resurfaces at Games Workshop In a newly created role, the former Hasbro Studios and Turner exec is tasked with leading the company's content development efforts. Reporting to EVP of global licensing Jon Gillard, Arnesen will initially be responsible for developing animated and live-action content based on the popular fantasy/sci-fi universe of Warhammer. 

A Saskatoon girl's imagined plush toy will be among those Ikea will manufacture and sell later this year. As part of an annual tradition, the Swedish retail giant invited kids from around the world to submit drawings for its Soft Toy Drawing Competition. Audrey, a nine-year-old from Saskatoon, is among five children whose drawings will be brought to life, according to a news release from Ikea. Audrey's "Sandwich Friends"...

Magic Box welcomes Jose Vicente Savall as global commercial & marketing director Jose Vicente Savall joins the company as it enjoys great success, spearheaded by the popular SuperThings brand.  Jose Vicente Savall brings with him a wealth of international toy industry experience. He worked at Hasbro for 28 years in various executive roles, including general manager of several regions: Iberia, Russia, Benelux, Nordic...

CAKE restructures, adds production arm. Tom van Waveren is stepping down, Ed Galton is taking over as CEO, and Rob Doherty has been promoted to lead a new production division and oversee several new hires. Between now and then, the company will expand to become the CAKE Group, complete with a CAKE Productions division to complement its existing CAKE Distribution arm.

Cardi B Releases Her Own Fashion Doll. Timed with Women’s History Month, multi-platinum recording artist and fashion icon, Cardi B, announced the upcoming release of her first limited edition fashion doll alongside Real Women Are, a new diverse and inclusive doll brand.

An experienced and risk-taking female entrepreneur, Cardi B inspired and created the doll in her outspoken, colorful and confident likeness.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) has appointed Jennifer Pang to lead its business in Greater China. Pang will be based in Hong Kong, reporting to Mark Kingston, Senior Vice President, International Licensing, VCP. Claire O’Connor, Vice President, Consumer Products & Retail Marketing, Asia Pacific, will exit the business. As Vice President and Head of Licensing, Greater China, Pang leads VCP’s overall licensing business... 

Discreet Arts Appoints President of New U.S. Operation.  Discreet Arts, a world-class animation studio headquartered in India, has opened a U.S. office in Burbank, California, with animation industry creative veteran, Steven Wendland, appointed as President. The announcement was made by Discreet Arts Founder & CEO Srikanth Pottekula. Under the leadership of Wendland, Discreet Arts USA will focus on the expansion...

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Companies . . .

University Games to remove single use plastic from portfolio as part of its Taking Steps to Protect Our Planet push. UGis taking positive strides to improve their environmental impact in 2021, in its quest to be the most environmentally friendly games and puzzles company in the UK. As part of its plans, the games, puzzles and gift specialist has created a new ‘Taking Steps to Protect Our Planet’ logo that will help enforce

Mattel Teams up with Pizza Pizza and Pizza to Celebrate UNO in Canada. Canadian families can now order a hot pizza pie with a side order of UNO. Mattel entered into a partnership with Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 locations across Canada to offer a special UNO Combo featuring a co-branded UNO deck to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the popular card game. 

No Kiddin’ Around | Why Playmobil is taking the adult fan market seriously this year and beyond. It doesn’t take a DeLorean for a journey into your own past, but it certainly does help, as more and more toy companies are seeing audience numbers increase across their kidult product offering. Among them, is Playmobil, a company that is blazing a new trail with its expanded Back to the Future line-up this year.

How Waffles + Mochi found its puppeteers. With diversity in mind, Higher Ground had to broaden its search for talent way beyond the usual suspects, says Qadriyyah Shamsid-Deen. Significant headway has been made over the past year to improve diversity behind the scenes of the kids entertainment industry. But when Higher Ground Productions started casting its new series Waffles + Mochi, the studio realized...

Jazwares’ First Act to Sponsor Virtual #SchoolsGotTalent. ClassTag and Jazwares announced the second annual #SchoolsGotTalent virtual talent show, sponsored by Jazwares’ musical instrument brand, First Act. Bringing together ClassTag’s community of more than 25,000 schools and five million parents, the #SchoolsGotTalent contest invites children from across the nation to submit their talent performances for the...

Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest Announced for April 9, a brand-new collector-focused event. Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest brings collectors a schedule filled with exciting brand panels that will offer exclusive news and opportunities to secure their favorite products before anyone else, as well as special guest appearances including Henry Golding, star of the upcoming film Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins and cast members of the new series Power ...

Wow! Stuff unveils new Jurassic World lineup. Wow! Stuff continues to expand its roster of licensed brands with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World franchise. Wow! Stuff’s new Jurassic World lineup features collectibles and flying toys based around the Pteranadon, one of the most popular flying dinosaurs with kids.

Hasbro is celebrating the 65th anniversary of Play-Doh by skipping to the end that most cans of the famous compound face: they get all mixed up. According to Hasbro, kids’ true colors likely end in muddy grey, and with that in mind, they’re ready to “bring parents face-to-face with their unavoidable, cringeworthy compound truth” with the very first can of pre-mixed Play-Doh Compound. 

Russian Cosmonaut Inspires Mattel to Create New Barbie Doll.  ​Kikina, who has worked for Roscosmos since 2016, said Mattel’s new creation will send a signal that with hard work, anyone can become a cosmonaut. "We don’t expect every girl, who play with this doll to become a cosmonaut. The most important thing is for them to understand that every girl has a choice, they can choose any profession they like"...

eOne announces new content plans for Peppa Pig. The new content plan for Peppa Pig includes 104 new episodes, ensuring a continuous pipeline of fresh content through to 2027. Hasbro’s global content studio, eOne, has outlined a new content plan for Peppa Pig which confirms that 104 x 5” episodes have been greenlit for production, ensuring a continuous pipeline of fresh content through to 2027.

This Toy Company Reopened Its Office. Here's What Its Employees Think. When Basic Fun! CEO Jay Foreman told his employees to come back to work last summer, not everyone was happy. Here's what their operation looks like today. A dozen years ago, Jay Foreman (below) started a company that makes toys, including classics like Tonka trucks, Care Bears, and Lincoln Logs. It’s called, appropriately, Basic Fun! 

Hasbro Gives Brand A Starring Role.  Since the 1990s, toy manufacturer Hasbro HAS +2.1% has promoted its Nerf brand of foam balls and dart blasters with the slogan “It’s Nerf or Nothin’. Now, Hasbro’s strategy for the brand could be described as “It’s Nerf in Everything.” As Hasbro seeks to transform itself from manufacturer to multi-dimensional and multimedia powerhouse with three operating units—digital, entertainment...

(the above posted after March 12th)

Hasbro Pulse officially launches in the UK. Hasbro, Inc. announced that the successful online destination for fans and collectors, Hasbro Pulse, which has previously only been available to consumers in the United States and Canada, has now officially launched a second site dedicated to consumers based in the UK. This platform serves as a source for Hasbro product offerings, news, and experiences for iconic Hasbro ...

Jakks Pacific unveils Super Mario 3d World Cat Mario 3-Pack. Following yesterday’s debut of the new Super Mario Deluxe Bowser’s Airship Playset, Jakks Pacific dropped another sneak-preview of an upcoming Super Mario product ahead of “Mar10 Day,” Nintendo‘s annual celebration of the Super Mario Bros. franchise on March 10. Today’s reveal is a Super Mario 3D World 3-Pack featuring 4-inch, articulated figures of ...

Rubik’s Perplexus Fusion 3 x 3 from Spin Master. Children’s entertainment company, Spin Master, marries two beloved 3D puzzle styles — Rubik’s Cube and Perplexus — to create a mind-twisting game experience. Rubik’s Perplexus Fusion 3 x 3 builds on the success and complexity of the Rubik’s Perplexus Hybrid 2 x 2. Housed in a transparent plastic cube reminiscent of the original Rubik’s Cube, the Rubik’s Perplexus ....

The growing trend | Little Tikes’ expectations of a sell-out season for its Outdoor offering, Growing Garden. Little Tikes is eyeing a sell-out season for its latest launch in the outdoor play sector, its collection of grow-you-own inspired products that tap directly into the current surge in consumer interest in exploring their own back gardens and digging into the ‘grow your own’ sector. 

The Insights people expands Kids Insights and Parents Insights into the Asia-Pacific region. Kids Insights and Parents Insights is established in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, and Spain. The company provides kids, parents, and family market intelligence to clients including Amazon, BBC, Disney, F1, Kraft, Mattel, T-Mobile, Warner Bros., and more. 

Renegade Game Studios unveils 'Clank! In! Space!' expansion. Renegade Game Studios unveiled Clank! In! Space! Adventures: Pulsarcade, an expansion to Clank! In! Space!, coming to retail in July 2021! This expansion sends players on a quest to set high scores on Lord Eradikus' collection of vintage arcade cabinets and then battle the new settings on his ship. 

'Drax Hero Pack' is headed to 'Marvel Champions: The Card Game'. Fantasy Flight Games revealed Drax Hero Pack, for Marvel Champions: The Card Game, which will release in June. Drax joins the Guardians of the Galaxy as a brand-new playable hero that features 15 signature cards. His Hero Pack features a pre-built deck revolving around the Protection aspect. 

CMON will release 'A Song Of Ice & Fire: Greyjoy Starter Set'. CMON will release A Song of Ice & Fire: Greyjoy Starter Set, a brand-new miniatures set, on April 23. The House Greyjoy joins the battle with this new starter set revolving around raw combat potential. Their faction implements Tactic Cards that feature the Pillage mechanics. As they crush their foes, they gain Pillage tokens which can be used...

Mondo launches a new line of Marvel Mecha toys. The good folks at Mondo are always upping the game. And this time, they might have outdone themselves. The company—known for its pop-culture-centric limited-edition posters, vinyl soundtracks, apparel, and collectibles—just launched Marvel Mecha, The collaboration with Marvel combines Manga and Japanese Mecha designs from the ’80s and ’90s with iconic...

Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered with Toybox to allow fans to create their own toys at home, to enable audiences to print characters from across the Warner Bros. portfolio. Marked by many as a major step forward in the ongoing development and evolution of the 3D printing space and its implications for the future of the toy industry, the new partnership will allow Toybox fans the chance to print...

PlayMonster Charges Into STEAM with New Science4you Brand. PlayMonster is getting into a new category with the U.S. launch of Science4you, a proprietary line of science kits designed for kids ages 4 and up. The Wisconsin-based toymaker’s entry into STEAM begins with 12 kits across three age ranges and categories: Eco-Science, STEAM Science, and Creative Science.

PMI Ltd, YuMe Toys Named Global Distributors for Toikido’s Among Us Toys. The first wave of officially licensed Among Us toys is slated to launch in mid-May with a second wave scheduled to hit stores in June. Toikido inked deals with PMI Ltd and YuMe Toys to serve as key global distributors for the new line of toys inspired by InnerSloth’s massively successful video game. 

Disney Plus has officially surpassed 100 million subscribers, less than a year and a half after the streaming service launched. Executives announced the milestone during Disney’s annual shareholders meeting. The last time Disney gave an update on Disney Plus’ subscribers number was in February during its first quarter earnings; there, it announced that, as of January 2nd, 2021, there were just over 94 million. 

Build-A-Bear in production on feature film. Shooting for a fall premiere, Honey Girls will be the first content to come out of Build-A-Bear's production partnership with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. Honey Girls is being produced by Foundation Media Partners, with Patrick Hughes producing and Build-A-Bear CEO Sharon Price John executive producing.

BBC Studios to take on BBC Children’s Productions. The British pubcaster has a five-year plan to increase BBC Studios' financial returns by 30%, and absorbing the in-house kids production team is part of it. BBC Children’s Productions will soon be under new management as it shifts from operating as a unit of the pubcaster, to being overseen by commercial arm BBC Studios. 

The future of YouTube’s preschool content. Recently hired as global head of preschool, Craig Hunter is looking to make his mark at the AVOD with what's left of its US$100-million kids content fund. Craig Hunter may have only started at YouTube a few weeks ago, but he has already been thrust into working on a busy slate and mapped out plans for where he’s going to take the AVOD giant’s preschool content in the future.

The House of Mouse is ready to sing a new tune with Eureka! Currently in production and set to premiere on Disney Junior later this year, this new music-driven animated series for preschoolers is about a young inventor living in prehistoric times. Eureka! is produced by Brown Bag Films, in association with Disney Junior. 

Waboba – keeping life fun. Toy World spoke to Jordan Sullivan, director of fun at Waboba, about what makes the company’s range an attractive proposition for retailers. We asked Jordan about Waboba’s biggest strengths in the Outdoor category coming into 2021. “Our growing range includes the Wingman collection, the Voli paddle set and our newest creation, Airlyft, a hollow flying glider,” she explained. “We started out ...

Moose Toys, a leading innovator in the toy industry, was named the Walmart Toy Supplier of the Year Award. The award was presented during Walmart’s seventh annual Supplier Growth Forum, held virtually on March 3. During the event, Walmart shared the company’s strategic initiatives, key areas of focus and future growth strategies. “It is truly an honor to be recognized with this award by Walmart who continue...

Amelia Earhart is getting the LEGO treatment. To celebrate International Women’s Day, LEGO has released a set featuring Amelia Earhart and her red Lockheed 5B Vega—the plane she flew across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, making her the first woman to complete a transatlantic flight alone. As Brick Fanatics reports, LEGO designer Mel Caddick and her cohorts worked off actual blueprints of the aircraft to make sure the...

More Heroes and Enemies for 'Shadows of Brimstone'. Flying Frog Productions continues to expand Shadows of Brimstone with four new Hero Packs releasing in April and May and the Shikarri Nomad Crusaders Enemy Pack also coming in May. Each Hero Pack features an iconic Old West style character class for the game, including miniatures for both male and female versions of the character. 

Wizkids unveils more 'Pathfinder Battles' collectible miniatures. WizKids unveiled Pathfinder Battles: Bestiary Unleashed and Pathfinder: Treerazer Premium Set, a new miniatures collectible sets for use with Pathfinder RPG, for release in July. Pathfinder Battles: Bestiary Unleashed offers 47 new monster miniatures for RPG players to collect. This blind-packed product come in two configurations: a Standard Booster...

Basic Fun! & Kroeger announce K’Nex distribution deal. Basic Fun!, a leading US toy and consumer products company, along with its K’Nex subsidiary, announce a distribution partnership with Kroeger, Inc. for all brands under the K’Nex banner for the specialty and independent markets in North America. Kroeger, Inc. will distribute the classic construction toy brands, K’Nex, Lincoln Logs, and Tinkertoy in this region...

Celebrate 15 years of European rail adventures with 'Ticket To Ride Europe: 15th Anniversary'. Asmodee USA announced Ticket to Ride Europe: 15th Anniversary, the classic rail game by Days of Wonder, for release this spring. Pack some bags and hop on the European Express with this deluxe, oversized anniversary version of Ticket to Ride Europe. .

New Lego Ideas Winnie the Pooh set unveiled. The Lego Ideas platform is a Lego initiative that takes new ideas that have been imagined and voted for by fans and turns them into reality. The latest project is a new Lego Ideas Winnie the Pooh set – based on original designs by Lego builder and superfan Ben Alder. Beneath a large oak tree, complete with beehives and bees, Pooh’s house takes centre stage and can...

Find The Cat in the Hat's friends in 'Dr. Seuss Picture Pairing Game'. Funko Games announced Dr. Seuss Picture Pairing Game, a family game, for release in spring 2021.The Cat in the Hat and his friends are playing hide and seek, and players need to use their memory skills to find and match up various creatures. The game begins with 22 circle tiles placed face down on the tabletop, which have memorable Dr. Seuss...

Character Options launches raft of outdoor activity toys under Great Active Fun campaign. Character Options has detailed the launch of a range of new activity toys for this spring as the toy firm looks to bring Great Active Fun to the forefront this Easter. Great Active Fun… Indoors and Out is the messaging behind a new marketing initiative that will see Character Options look to raise awareness of the raft of activity toys...

Wizards of the Coast unveils new deets on 'Modern Horizons 2'. Wizards of the Coast unveiled new details on the Modern Horizons 2 set which will be headed to stores on June 11. Modern Horizons 2 will be a non-Standard legal set that will feature cards playable in Modern, Commander, and Legacy. It will add more mechanics to these formats and offer up throwback cards for players to utilize in their decks. 

Big G Creative introduces Hide ‘N Cheek. Big G Creative continues its expansion into games for the whole family with the introduction of Hide ‘N Cheek. In Hide ‘N Cheek, players face off in an effort to become the chipmunk with the most nuts. Designed for players ages 6 and up, the four-player game will have families turning into chipmunks with custom masks that include expanding cheek pouches.

Lego plans hiring spree for digital growth drive. Danish toy giant Lego plans to recruit hundreds of computer experts in the UK, Denmark and China to expand its digital games and online sales operation. In 2020, the company saw its fastest sales growth in five years, helped by locked-down families buying bigger Lego sets they could make together.

Jazwares’ latest collectible My Squishy Little Dumplings to hit UK in May. Jazwares has announced the launch of My Squishy Little Dumplings from WowWee. Predicted to be the hottest new collectible from the makers of Fingerlings, My Squishy Little Dumplings will be available in the UK from May. Kids can collect four adorable interactive characters, each with a big personality and cute accessories. 

Pandasaurus Games to publish English editions of Catch Up Games. Pandasaurus Games will publish English editions of The Loop and Wild Space, two titles from French game studio Catch Up Games, for release into the U.S. hobby channel in September. The Loop is a cooperative game in which players take on Dr. Faux, an evil genius. Wild Space is a combo-building card game where players are building a crew to...

Wizkids reveals 'D&D Icons of the Realms Miniatures: Snowbound'. WizKids revealed D&D Icons of the Realms Miniatures: Snowbound Huge Booster, Huge Booster 8 Ct. Brick, and Frost Giant and Mammoth Premium Set for release in June. This collectible miniatures set features 46 pre-painted figures from Snowbound and comes in two product configurations: the Huge Booster and the Huge Booster 8 Ct. Brick. .

Overflow an opponent's cauldron in 'Whirling Witchcraft'. Alderac Entertainment Group announced Whirling Witchcraft, a new board game, for release on August 20. In Whirling Witchcraft, players assume the roles of witches trying to complete recipes in their cauldrons. Each player has a nemesis witch, the player sitting to their right. The goal of the game is to overflow their nemesis's cauldron while being the first to clear...

Lucky Duck Games announces 'Destinies'. Lucky Duck Games announced Destinies, a new story-driven board game with app integrations, for release on May 27. Destinies is a story-driven board game that utilizes an app to help play out five scenarios. Players take on the roles of questing heroes as they discover and explore new parts of the world on tiles. Choices in the game have consequences that are meaningful...

Superman rounds out McFarlane Toys’ Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The team is now complete. Since Sunday, McFarlane Toys has unleashed official images of their Zack Snyder’s Justice League action figures in pairs. First came Steppenwolf and Darkseid, then Aquaman and Flash, followed by Batman and Cyborg. Since Wonder Woman came out last year already, that leaves only one. .

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