The LA wildfires are an unimaginable tragedy that will impact lives and businesses for many years to come.

Friends within the toy industry have already lost everything, while many others are among the nearly 180,000 residents still displaced.

As the area buckles in for another night with more high winds on the horizon, nearly 15,000 first responders continue battling fires in what officials are calling another period of “extreme fire danger.”

Out of respect for those impacted by the fires, The Toy Book is pressing “pause” on this Wednesday’s planned announcement of winners for our inaugural Pulse of Play Awards. At press time, the announcement is postponed until at least Jan. 22, 2025.

In the meantime, we encourage all of our friends and partners to explore how the industry is supporting relief efforts in the Los Angeles area.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book and Co-President of The International Toy Magazines Association (ITMA). He is also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), New York Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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