December 2011

New ThunderCats Figurines from Bandai

Lion-O six-inch figure from Bandai

The ThunderCats toy line from Bandai America Incorporated is being updated with a six-inch figure line. The line, based on the classic 1980s animated series and the re-imagined new series from Warner Bros. Animation, will launch in the spring.

The six-inch figures are highly articulated, detailed, and designed to complement any fan’s collection. The Lion-O and Mumm-Ra figures will be the first available in the Classic Series line. The Tygra and Cheetara figures, a new introduction from Bandai, are inspired by the new animated series. Bandai will continue to offer the successful classic 8-inch ThunderCats figures in a limited-edition capacity.

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New Product: Hebrew Bananagrams

Bananagramas, Inc., creator of word tile game Bananagrams, announced the North American release of Hebrew Bananagrams. Hebrew Bananagrams launched in Israel this past summer, and the company said it was well received.

Hebrew Bananagrams can be played by those who possess basic Hebrew knowledge as well as advanced players who want a challenge. The game is available online now, and will make its North American retail debut in the coming weeks.

Zynga Introduces FarmVille Plush Toys

Zynga, the world’s largest social game company, is introducing a line of FarmVille collectible plush toy game critters. A first for Zynga, these limited-edition toys are available now, exclusively at Best Buy.

The FarmVille plush is available for 99 cents with the purchase of a $25 game card or by itself for $9.99. Each purchase comes with a collectible “blind” barn-box that houses a surprise FarmVille animal decked in winter garb, 10 free Farm Cash redeemable for virtual items, and an exclusive in-game version of the plush toy. Players who fill their farm with eight animals receive a bonus, in-game Super Orchard.

Report: More Than Half of Children Own a Toy Based on a Virtual World

Moshi Monsters

Dubit Research has released a new study focused on the popularity of toys based on online worlds. The study looked at Disney’s Club Penguin, Mind Candy’s Moshi Monsters, Build-a-Bearville, Poptropica, and Webkinz.

In the survey of 500 kids, 55 percent of children owned a toy from at least one of these games. Disney’s Club Penguin took the top spot with 32 percent of children owning a Club Penguin-branded toy. Moshi Monsters was a close second with 24 percent, followed by Build-A-Bearville (16 percent), Webkinz (5 percent), and Poptropica (2 percent).

Most of the surveyed children, 73 percent, had played at least one of these online games, with half having played Club Penguin and 47 percent stating that they have played Moshi Monsters.

Techno Source Named New Licensee for Barney

Hit Entertainment has appointed Techno Source, a division of LF Products, as a toy licensee for Barney. Under the terms of the deal, the Barney toy range from Techno Source will include plush, play sets, and figurines, launching this spring in the U.S. and Canada.

Barney & Friends can be seen on PBS Kids and Sprout in the U.S., and on Treehouse TV in Canada. Episodes are also available for download through iTunes.

Cody Simpson Doll Launches This Week, Exclusively at Toys “R” Us

Australian recording artist and teen heartthrob Cody Simpson will appear at Toys “R” Us Times Square this Thursday, December 8 to launch his new doll collection by The Wish Factory. Fans will be able to purchase one of the dolls in the line and also get it signed by Simpson. The event starts at 3 p.m.

Available exclusively at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and toysrus.com, the Cody Simpson doll line includes two basic dolls, both 11.5 inches. The dolls are fashioned after Simpson, complete with his signature side-swept surfer-do. One doll features a Gold Coast T-shirt and khakis, and the other doll features a denim jacket and black pants. Both dolls include a pair of shoes, sunglasses, a microphone, a guitar pick, and a lanyard.

Olivia and the Fairy Princesses to Release Next Fall

Olivia, the curly-tailed heroine, will be back in a new installment of Ian Falconer’s series. Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, a picture book, is set to be published next fall by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, part of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. This will be the seventh book in the series.

In Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, Olivia is on a quest for individuality. She aims to be the most original princess around, looking at different professions for ideas on how to be unlike everyone else. Eventually she realizes that she is her own best source for inspiration.

Over six million of Falconer’s Olivia books have been sold in 22 territories. The Nick Jr. series Olivia debuted in 2009.

The agreement was negotiated by Jon Anderson, executive vice president and publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Conrad Rippy of Levine Plotkin & Menin, LLP. The deal includes audio and all translation rights.

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Hess Debuts Toy Truck-and-Car Combo

The Hess Corporation announced its new toy truck for this holiday season. The 2011 Hess Toy Truck and Race Car will be the first product of the collection’s 47-year history to incorporate sounds and lights in both vehicles.

The truck set has a four-wheel spring suspension and a pull-out ramp that automatically activates a hydraulic sound. The truck set also includes sound effects and flashing lights. The race car features chrome-look detailing, engine sound effects, a pull-back racing motor, and more.

The Hess Toy Truck and Race Car set is available at Hess retail stores and online.

This post was originally written by Ericka Johnson and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

New Juvenile Trade Show to Run Concurrently with TIA’s Fall Toy Preview

Next year, Dallas Market Center will premiere a new trade event for mass-market retailers, “PB&J: The Preview for Baby & Juvenile,” created as a joint venture with the Toy Industry Association (TIA). The new show will debut and run concurrently with TIA’s annual Fall Toy Preview, to be held October 2-4 on the Dallas Market Center campus.

PB&J will offer a focused selection of baby and juvenile resources from different manufacturers, with an emphasis on companies in the categories of furniture, bedding, gifts, décor, baby care, accessories, strollers, high chairs, and nursing/feeding. Echoing Fall Toy Preview’s model, PB&J will be a by-appointment-only event that brings together vendors with mass retailers for private meetings and networking events.

Colorforms: A Touch of Nostalgia

Colorforms 60th anniversary set

The Colorforms brand is celebrating 60 years of creation by releasing new products to match today’s generation.

What do you get when you put two artists together? In at least one case, you get a “sticky” concept of classic shapes that allow imaginations to run free.

In 1951, Harry and Patricia Kislevitz were given flexible, paper-thin vinyl by a friend who manufactured pocketbooks. Curiously, they began experimenting with the vinyl, cutting shapes and placing them on the bathroom walls in their New York City apartment. They noticed the vinyl stuck to the semi-gloss paint, but could also be removed and rearranged, so the two left a pair of scissors and pieces of vinyl in the bathroom so guests could make their own creations.

With that, the Colorforms concept was created. This month, the brand is celebrating its 60th anniversary, with the launch of a special-edition Colorforms set, FAO Schwarz display, an iPad/iPhone app, and more.