In Memoriam: Ivan Moscovich (1926-2023)

Mattel’s Richard Dickson with Ivan Moscovich at the 2019 TAGIE Awards in Chicago. | Source: People of Play

Another toy industry legend is gone.

Ivan Moscovich, a five-time concentration camp survivor and one of the most prolific inventors in the industry, died just shy of his 97th birthday. Nextoy’s Robert Fuhrer shared the news of Moscovich’s passing via LinkedIn.

During his long career, Moscovich created and licensed more than 100 puzzles, toys, and games to companies including Mattel, Educational Insights, and Fat Brain Toys. Additionally, he penned nearly 70 books and was the founder and director of the Tel Aviv Science Museum.

Mattel founders Elliot and Ruth Handler first met Moscovich at the Tel Aviv Science Museum, after which they collaborated on the Brain Drain series of puzzles during the 1970s. His first game, Merit’s The Amazing Magic Robot remains a popular item among vintage toy and game enthusiasts nearly 70 years after its introduction.

In 2019, Moscovich received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the TAGIE Awards presented by the Chicago Toy and Game Group/People of Play. See the entire presentation below.

The Toy Book team extends its condolences to Ivan’s family and will update this post with information regarding services should they become available.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, 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) 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.