Companies, Brands . . .  

McFarlane Toys tapped Headstart International to be its distribution partner in Australia and New Zealand. Stock will become available via Headstart starting January 2022.  McFarlane Toys is a U.S. action figure manufacturer, founded by comic book creator Todd McFarlane. He established the company in 1994 to create and sell action figures based on his comic book character, Spawn.

As pandemic sales wane, Peloton turns to gaming to keep its momentum. Peloton’s pandemic bubble is beginning to burst. Earlier this month, the wildly popular at-home cycling brand, which had a surge in sales during covid-19 lockdowns, had its stock plunge by about 35 % as revenue projections soured and its bricks-and-mortar competitor Planet Fitness announced gym memberships had nearly returned to...

Just Play, WaterBabies Team up with charity: water to Fund Water Projects in Developing Countries.  Just Play partnered with charity: water, a non-profit organization that provides clean and safe drinking water to developing countries, for an initiative that seeks to fund 250 water well projects in developing countries. The initiative began this summer with a portion of proceeds from the sale of each WaterBabies doll...

MGA Entertainment Enters Electric Vehicle Market.  MGA Entertainment (MGAE) is looking beyond L.O.L. Surprise! and Little Tikes in an effort to conquer a new market. MGAE sped into the Electric Vehicle (EV) market this week with the launch of its VIRO Motors EV Café Racer. The electric mini-bike designed for ages 13 and up has a 7-mile range.

Bandai Celebrates Tamagotchi’s 25th Anniversary by Bringing Back an Old Favorite.  The popular 90s toy has remained in the zeitgeist due to its sense of nostalgia, the emotional connection to virtual pets, and new releases and collaborations. To celebrate the big day, Bandai is releasing an Amazon-exclusive Original Tamagotchi, featuring a unique, pastel iridescent design.

The Nacelle Co. Unwraps A Toy Store Near You Season 4 on Christmas Day.  Santa’s about to deliver a big bag of toyetic content. On Christmas Day, Dec. 25, The Nacelle Co. — the studio behind The Toys That Made Us (Netflix) — will debut five new episodes of A Toy Store Near You on Amazon Prime Video. The series looks at independent toy stores and the stories behind the people that run them.

Spin Master’s CEO Ronnen Harary spent nearly 30 years building a toy powerhouse. Now he’s going to the next level with digital games. Launched 27 years ago on the back of a sock head stuffed with sawdust and grass seeds—pause here and try to imagine a humbler beginning than Spin Master’s first product, Earth Buddy—Canada’s whizbangiest children’s entertainment company has become a global powerhouse. 

EOne’s Michael Lombardo On Hasbro-Owned Company’s TV Strategy: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ And ‘Power Rangers’ Universes, ‘Monopoly’ Game Show & More.  In one of their first major moves after Entertainment One’s $4 billion acquisition by toy maker Hasbro was completed in early 2020, Entertainment One’s President and CEO Darren Throop and President of Film and Television Steve Bertram set out to find a Head of Television. 

Warner Bros. Animation enters the podcast arena.  Listen up, folks! Looney Tunes Presents: Bugs & Daffy’s Thanksgiving Road Trip is the first podcast series from the studio. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Looney Tunes Presents: Bugs & Daffy’s Thanksgiving Road Trip is a four-part original comedy series targeted at families. It will follow the classic cartoon characters on a pitfall-laden roadtrip mission to make ducks...

Mulberry Bush celebrates 25th birthday. Family mail order company Mulberry Bush has grown steadily since its launch acquiring a number of businesses along the way. The Sussex-based family business, which offers traditional and innovative toys, gifts and games, was established in 1996 by Jonathan and Shirley Copeland and is now led by son and managing director Paul. 

PAW Patrol toys will come to life through augmented reality (AR), thanks to a new partnership between Spin Master and Poplar Studio.

A new feature for Facebook via SparkAR, allows fans to imagine how toys inspired by the preschool entertainment franchise — like the Ultimate City Tower and Marshall’s Transforming City Firetruck — would appear in their homes.

(the above posted after November 19th morning send of tBR)

Nickelodeon is channeling some holiday spirit into the launch of a new new pop/R&B girl group. Formed in collaboration with Roc Nation co-founder Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith and Jay Brown Productions, Good Newz Girls released its first EP today.  The holiday-themed album Winter Getaway is now available on all music streaming platforms and includes classic tracks like “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells,” as well as new...

In a deal brokered by distributor Serious Kids, WarnerMedia EMEA has picked up animated preschool series Spookies from German prodco Wolkenlenker to air on its Cartoonito linear channel and HBO Max streaming platform in the region.  The CG-animated series will be delivered in 2023/2024. Set in Castle Ravenrock, Spookies (78 x seven minutes) stars three wee ghosts who discover something new....

Disney Branded TV puts Hailey On It  Produced by Disney Television Animation, the newly greenlit comedy-adventure series is created and exec produced by Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton. The comedy-adventure centers around a risk-averse hero who’s tasked with saving the world by completing every item on a long list of challenging tasks.

Funko Takes Steps Toward Sustainability with How2Recycle.  The massive success of Funko‘s Pop! Vinyl figures equals a lot of packaging. Now, in an effort to move toward a more sustainable future, Funko has joined How2Recycle to show its fans how to properly dispose of the outer cardboard boxes that many of its products come packed in.

The Toy Book’s Get List Connects Retailers and Manufacturers with In-Stock, Fast-Ship Toys and Games!  In an effort to connect retailers to manufacturers to keep shelves stocked — especially amid trade show cancellations — the Toy Book introduces The Get List, a curated list of in-stock products that retailers can get fast from U.S. warehouses. Browse the list early and often to see the latest products...

Hasbro partners with LeVar Burton on new game show   The Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: TNG star will host a new series based on the toyco's popular Trivial Pursuit board game. LBE’s namesake, actor LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation), will host and serve as executive producer on the series, which is currently in development at eOne. 

Stampede Ventures, UTA launch HappyNest  Headed by former MGA exec Sadaf Cohen Muncy, the incubator will provide creators with development funding and help them maintain control of their IPs. As prodcos and creators debate how much IP ownership is enough, LA-based companies Stampede Ventures and United Talent Agency have launched an indie animation incubator to help artists maintain creative ...

Sesame launches special to celebrate API community   See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special will also introduce Korean American Muppet Ji-Young when it premieres on November 25. This new one-off celebrates the diversity of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities, and will premiere on Nov 25 across platforms including Cartoonito on HBO Max, PBS KIDS, and Sesame’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels.

Nickelodeon orders 2 new shows   The kidcaster is doubling down on comedy and adventure with its first Intergalactic Shorts Program series order and a book adaptation. Nickelodeon has given the greenlight to two new animated series, Rock, Paper, Scissors and Max & the Midknights. Nickelodeon Animation Studio will produce both series. No release date or episode length for the projects have been announced yet.

Hasbro launches Learn with Peppa preschool program.  The early education initiative will kick off with an app in 2022, before expanding with an 80-title publishing range and plans for interactive experiences. Developed in house and set to launch in 2022, the learning app is designed for kids ages three to five, and will feature educational activities with a focus on reading, writing, exploration and creativity.

Mattel rolled into The LA Auto Show to drop the curtain on the new Barbie Extra Convertible. The life-sized version of the vehicle from Barbie designer Judy Choi was created by Mattel‘s vehicle team. The unveiling was timed to the launch of the toy version which is available at Walmart this holiday season.

Universal continues Jurassic World legacy ahead of 22 movie release   Following another colossal year for the franchise, Universal has readied a T.Rex sized footprint for Jurassic World Dominion. “The new film is about as big as it gets for the franchise which continues to deliver after almost three decades,” said Paul Bufton, VP of EMEA NBCUniversal Brand Development.

Simba Smoby to launch B-Kind dolls in the UK   An eco-conscious doll line designed to promote kindness, B-Kind has been well-received among consumers in the US and is now arriving at UK retailers. Built around compassion and kindness, Jada Toys’ B-Kind collection is making its US autumn/winter debut online and on-shelf exclusively at Walmart.

FAO Schwarz (UK) launches on M&S.com and in selected stores   Initially in 20 stores, the FAO Schwarz bespoke offering has been launched by 'Brands at M&S' in time for the festive season. The M&S store openings are the first time the heritage toy brand has been available on local UK high streets, with locations from Cardiff to Cheltenham included in the store roll out.

Moomin will be ramping up its offerings to fans throughout North America.  King Features Syndicate recently signed a deal with California clothing and accessories brand, Just Peachy, building on Moomin’s licensing program. Just Peachy will manufacture a line of Moomin-branded apparel, accessories, and novelty items — including hoodies, sweatshirts, bags, and woven throw blankets.

Hasbro will expand its line of Beyblade toys, inspired by the upcoming Beyblade Burst QuadDrive series premiering next month.  Season six of ADK Emotions NY Inc.’s Beyblade Burst series, Beyblade Burst QuadDrive debuts on Disney XD and DisneyNOW on December 4, 2021. It consists of 26 episodes that are 22 minutes each.  Among the new toys based on the series, Hasbro introduced the Beyblade Burst QuadDrive ...

Big G Creative announced that they will have seven titles included in Walgreens' first ever games endcaps, one of which is their upcoming Hangry game that releases in mid-November.  Big G will have a total of seven games featured in this new endcap:  Bluffaneer, Bob Ross: Happy Little Accidents, Kraft Heinz Variety Game Pack, Mega Mouth, Bye, Felicia!, their recently released No Filter, and Hangry. Hangry and No Filter...