April 2010

New Animated Series for Spidey

Marvel Entertainment has announced a new animated series for Spider-Man. Ultimate Spider-Man launches in fall 2011 on Disney XD. The new series will chronicle the adventures of naive high-schooler Peter Parker as he comes to grips with his new powers.

Along with his new powers, the challenge for the young web-slinger in the new series is balancing his relationships with his friends and family and his super colleagues who can help him gain an understanding of his parent’s legacy and his destiny. Check out more at Marvel.com.

(Photo credit: Marvel.com)

Your Friday Dose of Toy Story 3

If you haven’t noticed by now, I (Elizabeth) am super excited for the release of Toy Story 3. Here are the latest trailers:

Bradford Exchange’s Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Products to Include Toy Villages

CopCorp Licensing has expanded its existing licensing agreement with Bradford Exchange, Ltd. to include the manufacturing and marketing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey toy villages, in addition to Bradford’s scale train sets and accessories.

All of Bradford’s licensed Ringling Bros. products, including its toy villages, will be sold through Bradford’s direct response channels (print media and brochures), as well as via the Exchange website and its affiliate website, Collectibles Today.

K’NEX Launches Contest for NASCAR Tickets

K’NEX will be featured as the primary sponsor on the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Heluva Good! 200 race, held on May 15. To celebrate, K’NEX is partnering with Dover International Speedway and JR Motorsports for the “Guess the Number of Parts” contest.

The contest invites fans to guess the number of parts in a NASCAR No. 88 K’NEX Car replica, which measures five feet long and is currently on display at K’NEX headquarters. The 100 closest guesses will each win two tickets to the Heluva Good! 200 at Dover International Speedway to watch the actual No. 88 K’NEX Chevrolet compete in the 11th Nationwide Series event of the 2010 season.

The contest runs through May 2. To enter, click here .

Currently, the cars of Jeff Gordon (No. 24) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (No. 88) are featured as K’NEX NASCAR building toys. Additional sets will be released this July.

Kids Wrapped Up in Another Silly Craze

Jackie Breyer gives her perspective on the Silly Bandz Craze in this NY Times Blog.

N.Y./Region

The Local – Maplewood: Kids Wrapped Up in Another Silly Craze

By TARA GEORGE

Published: April 16, 2010

If Sparkhouse Kids is like other toy stores throughout the region, 16 cases of silly bandz expected to arrive soon will sell out soon after they land on shelves.

Martin Yaffe to Produce ZingZillas Wheeled Toys

BBC Worldwide has appointed new licensees for the CBeebies’ new musical preschool series, ZingZillas.

Martin Yaffe has been picked to produce a range of wheeled toys for the brand. Other new licensees include Character World for ZingZillas bedding ranges, DNC for lunchware and melamine items, Trademark Collection for children’s bags and umbrellas, and Danilo for greeting cards and gift-wrap, among others. The new products are slated to hit retailers this autumn/winter.

ZingZillas premiered on April 5. BBC has already secured 14 licensees, including the master toy licensee, Vivid Imaginations.

World of Toys Redesigns Website

Spielwarenmesse eG has relaunched its World of Toys website, www.world-of-toys.org. The redesigned site provides more information about worldwide trading platforms, and background knowledge on the industry’s international sales channels.

At the website, visitors can view toy market statistics, general market trends and developments, and trade show information for Europe, India, Japan, and Russia, as well as the Middle East, North America, South America, and Asia-Pacific regions

For more information or to subscribe to the World of Toys’ newsletter, visit www.world-of-toys.org.

Totally Spies! RPG to Premiere on Facebook

OUAT Entertainment has teamed with Marathon Media to launch Totally Spies! Fashion Agents, a role-playing game (RPG) for Facebook. The RPG is based on the Totally Spies TV series, which has been broadcast in 120 countries. The series follows three students––Sam, Alex, and Clover––who are international secret agents and budding fashionistas.

In Totally Spies! Fashion Agents, players create their own character (girl or boy), which will become a student at Beverly Hills’ university, Mali-U, where Sam, Alex, and Clover are students. Players are recruited by WOOHP (World Organization Of Human Protection), and alternate between missions to save the world and mini-games based on student life, fashion, and decorating. The aim of the game is to make it to the Fashion Agents level, which allows players to pick up the best items for their personal wardrobe and home furnishings.

Aurora Launches YooHoo & Friends Website

Aurora World, Inc. has launched an interactive website for its brand, YooHoo & Friends, www.yoohoofriends.com. The site, targeted to kids ages 5-12, is free and requires no activation code.

In the virtual world, kids can learn about real animals and their environment, play more than 15 games and view animation in the “Playground,” adopt, raise, and customize a room in “My Room,” and send e-cards, download wallpaper, and more in the “Fun Zone.”

Video: Lutz Muller Talks Toys and Movies with BNN

Lutz Muller, CEO of Klosters Trading Corp., sits down with Canada’s Business News Network to talk about Iron Man 2, Avatar, Toy Story 3, and Spin Master’s deal with Walmart for How to Train Your Dragon.

To view, click here.