The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has revealed a new bobble ahead of next week’s Presidential Election. The new bobble looks like the iconic “I Voted” sticker handed out to voters after submitting their ballot.
The Museum has previously released bobbleheads of Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in addition to Vice Presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz. The sticker as we know it today was designed in 1987 by Janet Boudreau. A year later it was in all 50 states. Today the sticker is on tees, collectibles, and now bobbles.
“In celebration of the historic 2024 election, we are excited to unveil the first ‘I Voted’ sticker bobbles,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The patriotic decal has been a symbol of Election Day for decades and we are confident this bobble will be a must-have for voters of all ages.”
The bobble comes in two sizes and two pricepoints, four-inches for $25 and two-inches $15. The bobbles ship for $8. The bobbles are individually numbers.
Collectors can buy the new bobble online at bobbleheadhall.com. Voters can plan to vote early, in person, or through mail-in ballot online at vote.gov.
Build-A-Bear Workshop has named Kim Utlaut as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer.
In this new role, Utlaut will continue Build-A-Bear’s evolution in regard to brand and communications strategy, focusing on strengthening and evaluating the company’s relationship with its consumer base.
Kim's appointment is a testament to management's focus on the ongoing evolution of Build-A-Bear as we drive toward delivering accelerated profitable growth. Her deep expertise in brand strategy and marketing, along with her innovative vision and passion, is expected to provide valuable insights as we look to continue to build momentum for the brand. We are confident her remarkable background and proven leadership will be valuable as we focus on opportunities to take Build-A-Bear to new heights, bringing even more joy to kids and those young at heart across the globe."
— Chris Hurt, Chief Operations Officer
Previously, Utlaut served as a General Manager for Franchise Leadership at The Coca-Cola Co. In the role, she developed strategic partnerships with organizations including the NCAA, U.S. Soccer, and the U.S Olympic & Paralympic Committee. She has also worked at Sprint and Anheuser-Busch.
The LEGO factory in Klando, Czech Republic, has more than doubled its renewable energy capacity.
It has completed another phase in expanding its rooftop solar park, supporting LEGO’s commitment to increasing the capacity and production of renewable energy at its sites. With these renovations, the energy generated increased from the existing 1 MWp from the previously installed solar panel to a new total of 2.3 MWp. The total capacity is the equivalent of powering 400 homes.
The new solar panels have been added to new and old buildings and previously unused rooftop space in the factory. There are now twice as many panels as before, covering an area of approximately 11,000 m2. The –9 % reduction in total electricity consumption equals approximately 1,800 tonnes of CO2.
“Expanding our renewable energy capacity at our factory is a key part of our commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of our manufacturing activities and reducing our carbon footprint. The newly installed solar panels are projected to reduce the factory’s overall carbon footprint by more than 9% of its total annual electricity consumption in the coming years.”
Michaela T. Horáková, General Manager of Kladno's LEGO Factory
For more information about LEGO’s sustainability efforts, visit LEGO.com.
According to the latest data from Circana, the projected U.S. total spending on video game hardware, content, and accessories dropped by 6% this September, when compared to the same period last year.
This decline was driven by a 44% drop in hardware spending and a 3% decrease in content spending.
The top ten best-selling games in September 2024 were calculated with a recording period of Sep. 1- Oct. 5.
The top-selling video game of September was EA Sports FC 25. In September 2024, it had double-digit percentage growth when compared to its launch month of September 2023. EA Sports FC reached the highest U.S. launch month dollar sales of any soccer game released to date.
At No. 2, Astro Bot was the second best-selling game of September, being the 25th best-seller of the 2024 year-to-date.
September 2024’s Top Ten Best-Selling Video Games
EA Sports FC 25 (Electronic Arts)
Astro Bot (Sony)
Madden NFL 25 (Electronic Arts)
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo)
EA Sports College Football 25 (Electronic Arts)
Star Wars: Outlaws (Ubisoft)
NBA 2K25 (Take-Two Interactive)
Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros. Games)
NHL 25 (Electronic Arts)
God of War: Ragnarok (Sony)
In mobile content, Sensor Tower reports the top 10 games by U.S. consumer spending in September.
Top 10 Top Mobile Games
MONOPOLY GO!
Royal Match
Roblox
Candy Crush Saga
Last War: Survival
Whiteout Survival
Township
Brawl Stars
Coin Master
Pokémon GO
“The big story this month is Brawl Stars. which grew its U.S. spend a whopping 64% month over month, moving up four places in this list. Brawl Stars held a groundbreaking collab with SpongeBob SquarePants, which led to record breaking U.S. spend in a single day for the game,” says Samuel Aune of Sensor Tower. “Another huge story was Last War: Survival‘s downloads exploding 42% month over month, reaching an all-time daily high of 430,000 and a new daily velocity of downloads around triple what Last War: Survival was pulling before. The downloads spike coincided with a new update to the game and accompanied by UA campaigns on Instagram and TikTok, where it reached No. 10 for share of voice on the social ad network.”
Monopoly GO! was the top in mobile content. | Source: Monopoly GO!
Mobile content spending increased by $1.7 billion in the year-to-date period this September. Console content spending fell by $0.8 billion over the same period.
PlayStation 5 led September’s hardware market in unit and dollar sales, with the Xbox Series ranking 2nd in dollars and Nintendo Switch No. 2 in units sold.
MagicCon attendees got a first look at some of the upcoming new products and collaborations in store for Magic: The Gathering and it’s already establishing 2025 to be a promising year. One of the first major reveals was an upcoming “Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond” set, which features characters, monsters, and summons from the Final Fantasy franchise. The art for this set will be made by both the Magic and Square Enix teams, making this the largest collection of Final Fantasy artwork in any game. The set is slated for June 13, 2025, as its release date, and will have a digital component available to play on Magic: The Gathering Arena. Check out the trailer below:
Wizards of the Coast shares a sneak peek of its collab with Square Enix on a Final Fantasy set. Source: Wizards of the Coast / Square Enix
Zakeel Gordon, Product Architect at Wizards of the Coast, says regarding the collaboration: “This collaboration is more than just cards. It’s about celebrating decades of iconic characters, legendary stories, and unforgettable moments from one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history. Final Fantasy fans will get to experience these characters in an entirely new way — through the strategic depth and storytelling of Magic: The Gathering.”
The next reveal was a deep dive into the upcoming Foundations set, which will be released on Nov. 15. Featuring fan-favorite characters from Magic’s 30-year history, this set will also be legal to play in standard format through 2029. Next, Wizards of the Coast covered several additional releases that will be coming in the new year. In January, the beloved gothic setting of Innistrad will be seeing a remastered version with framed and movie poster cards. In February, fans can experience the new Aetherdrift set, which sets players in a high-stakes death race across three separate planes to win and earn the coveted Aetherspark trophy. In April, players will have the opportunity to return to the world of Tarkir in Tarkir: Dragonstorm, with gameplay priorities moving to factionalized clans and implementing Dragons appearing through the Dragonstorms.
From there, fans will have the Final Fantasy collaboration in June, followed by the Edge of Eternities in August, which offers a science fantasy adventure in the galaxy of Sothera. Wizards of the Coast also revealed the eventual release of a multi-year Universes Beyond collaboration with Marvel, using the world of Spider-Man in a booster set. Visit the Magic: The Gathering website for more details on the upcoming releases, and look for the Foundations set in your local independent game stores, toy stores, and hobby shops on Nov. 15.
At the activation, participants scan a QR code to join in on a scavenger hunt with Gabby and help her find statues of her five missing friends. Each discovery during the hunt unlocks exclusive content and a custom photo filter. Once the scavenger hunt is over, participants can party, receive cat-ear crowns and stickers, and possibly meet Gabby herself. The activation will also feature displays of Gabby’s Dollhouse toys from Spin Master and The LEGO Group.
The Gabby’s Dollhouse Join the Party Trail Experience is a great example of our strategic commitment to innovate and invest in our leading preschool brand. As part of a sustained marketing effort that is building towards the launch of Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie in September 2025, we’re excited to kick-off with an immersive Gabby’s Dollhouse Join the Party Trail Experience. There’s something really special about Gabby, and we look forward to bringing her world to life by creating memorable experiences for families across Europe."
— Jon Kluger, Vice President of Franchise EMEA at Universal Products & Experiences
The experience opened at Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent, United Kingdom over the weekend and runs until Nov. 3. The experience will then move to Paris Belle Épine in France from Nov. 4-10, the Mall of Berlin in Germany from Nov. 12-16, the Milan Il Centro in Italy from Nov. 17-24, and an unrevealed location in Spain during Q1 next year.
Nearly 20 years ago, Brian Mariotti, a pop culture aficionado with a background in nightclubs, bought a tiny bobblehead company from his buddy, Mike Becker. Within a few years, that company and its new form factor, Pop! Vinyl became a household name: Funko.
Following a sale to private equity, a historic IPO (it didn’t go quite as planned), a series of acquisitions into adjacent businesses, and millions upon millions of Pop! Vinyl figures later, Funko became a billion-dollar company. But, as the misquoted Shakespearian saying goes, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” and success brought challenges and change.
Last year, Mariotti faced the oft-touted “retirement” that doesn’t last long for those of a certain ilk, particularly in the toy business. This fall, he emerged at New York Comic Con (NYCC) with a new company rooted in a passion for pop culture fandom, backed by familiar faces from the past few years, paired with allies from the worlds of fashion and entertainment.
Thrilljoy and its core product line, PIX!, embrace “the thrill of the chase” and “the joy of community.”
The Toy Book caught up with Mariotti at NYCC to experience the new world of Thrilljoy from a conversation in its sprawling booth — planted firmly adjacent to Funko — to its first-ever panel and a packed rooftop party amid the concrete jungle of Manhattan.
Van Gogh gets a premium collectible | Source: Thrilljoy
James Zahn (The Toy Book): You are reimagining the collectibles experience a little bit.
Brian Mariotti: I think so. Retirement didn’t do too well for me after Funko. By about the third week, I thought I was gonna kill myself, so that went out the window. After thinking about building the world’s largest pickleball court-meets-nightclub-meets-sports bar, I couldn’t find the right location in San Diego, so I just said, “Alright, I love creating pop-culture toys and collectibles, so maybe I’ll go back into that. Maybe I can do it where I fund it myself and can do whatever the Hell I want and have crazy ideas and not have to answer to anybody.
Five months later, we’re here.
JZ: At Licensing Expo, we crossed paths but did not interact with each other as we were going in opposite directions, and you were moving swiftly…
BM: With my little cart of samples!
JZ: Yes! You had a posse, and [Thrilljoy co-founder and CCO] Dolly Ahluwalia [Former Funko Senior Vice President of Licensing & Innovation] was with you alongside a small group. Was that the beginning?
BM: I went to China with some design ideas and wanted to see if I could make them happen at the price points I felt were fair. When I got back, I told Dolly, “We’ve got six days, and I think I want to go to Vegas for the Licensing Expo. I have some samples. What do you think?” She said everyone was booked solid, but we made some calls, and everyone said “Yes” to us at the highest level.
We went to Warner Bros., Netflix, and Paramount and got the most amazing reception from what we showed them. We told them we came to them first because we were thinking about opening this thing up at New York Comic Con and only had five months to do it, so we had to move on it. They were amazing partners, and here we are.
The boxed version of Bloo | Source: Thrilljoy
JZ: Speed-to-market is something that we talk about a lot in the toy side of the business, and now we’re discussing it a lot with collectibles and games. The traditional process was always set at this 18-month benchmark, and you shrunk it once at Funko, and now you’ve done it again. Now that you know it can be done in five months, will that be the norm moving forward?
BM: I think so. We’re always gonna plan, and we can go back and say that we’re gonna do my three favorite cereal monsters from a certain brand from the ‘70s and plan that in advance. But if something comes down the pipeline, say Wild Robot — what an amazing movie — that’s where if pop culture has a major moment, a zeitgeist, can we move mountains to get something done? I think the answer is yes, and we can do it in well under five months.
Left to Right: Thrilljoy Founder & CEO Brian Mariotti, Bloo, and The Toy Book Editor-in-Chief James Zahn | Source: James “JD” Devin
JZ: Now, let me ask you about the guy we’re standing next to, the life-sized Bloo. What can you tell us about this guy?
BM: We love mascots, and we loved Freddy Funko. I have an obsession with the Yeti at the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland and Bumble from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, so I’m always a Yeti kind of guy. He’s a Yeti, he has horns, and he wears a Thrilljoy jumpsuit. Bloo thinks he’s the pop culture king and knows everything about pop culture. We wanted a brand mascot who wants to interact with all our brand licenses, so you’ll see that a lot in our Mega PIX! We’re previewing the series at this event, and all of them will be on sale within the next 3-4 weeks. We wanted to show what a 12-inch, highly articulated, magnetic accessory, luxury packaged, highly stylized vinyl figure would look like.
MEGA PIX! Bloo x TMNT | Source: Thrilljoy
We did Bloo x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bloo x Freddy Krueger, and Bloo x Blue Eye Samurai. We love the idea that Bloo wants to be in the mix with all our cool licensing partners. We’re excited about who Bloo is, and he’s our guy!
JZ: Backing up a minute, you mentioned a trio of cereal monsters earlier, why do the other two guys always get left out?
BM: Well, they don’t get left out with me! It’s Yummy Mummy and Fruit Brute if we’re talking about the same thing, which we might be…
JZ: Oh, we just might be.
BM: Those characters were well represented in Funko, so all five [of the General Mills Monsters] — I know there’s a new one, but I’m not counting her because I don’t know her…
JZ: Ghoulia Apple-something, I believe… [Note: It’s Carmella Creeper]
BM: It’s Fruit Brute, Yummy Mummy, Franken-Berry, Boo-Berry, and Count Chocula — always the five.
Bloo in regular and chase editions | Source: Thrilljoy
JZ: Shifting focus from the company’s background to the core product line, PIX! You’ve developed this so it can be displayed on its own or in the package. Can the figures come out?
BM: No, they cannot.
JZ: So they remain in sort of a shadow box?
BM: That’s a good way of looking at it. I look at PIX! as a 180-degree diorama. To me, it’s storytelling. I didn’t want to show up in front of licensors in Las Vegas with just a figure. I wanted to show them what storytelling is in a moment in pop culture that we can immortalize.
The picture frame tells a story. Van Gogh’s ornate gold frame looks like it could be in a museum. Blue Eye Samurai’s got a black bamboo frame that’s blood-splattered. Huckleberry Hound has a cartoon frame with a colored stripe that matches the interior. So the frame is storytelling and there are two places on the frame where we can put the date, the character name, and the license, so that’s storytelling. The art is storytelling. The lenticular authenticity card sandwiched between two acrylics and magnetic is storytelling. The box opens with a magnetic closure and you pull out the blister, pull out the PIX!, and they can stack on top of each other or you can hang it on a wall.
We wanted all of that to be in one format because there are a million different companies doing figures, and a lot of them do figures really, really well. We wanted to be different and unique.
Whether it’s LeBron James breaking the scoring title, Patrick Mahomes winning a Super Bowl, Michael Jordan hitting the game-winning shot for North Carolina as a freshman, or a musician, band, or a moment in time, that’s what we want to capture in PIX!
Thrilljoy Threads x ThunderCats | Source: Thrilljoy
While the Thrilljoy model is largely direct-to-consumer across PIX!, MEGA PIX!, and Thrilljoy Threads (ultra-limited fashion drops), Hot Topic and BoxLunch are onboard as retail partners to extend the brand’s reach.
Paired with premium packaging and pricing, the “thrill of the chase” is a key part of the Thrilljoy experience and a familiar element for those who followed Funko’s growth. Each Thrilljoy PIX! collectible presents fans with 1-in-6 odds of scoring a limited-edition chase variant. The company is also releasing SUPER Chase items, with as few as 98 pieces issued for special events. And, for truly rare occasions, such as NYCC, Thrilljoy’s ULTRA Chase items are limited to just 24 pieces.
Left to Right: Brian Mariotti, Dolly Ahluwalia, MD Young, Eric Peng Cheng, and Karissa Marston
Left to Right: Brian Mariotti, Khleo Thomas, Adam McArthur, Sal ‘Kickstradomis’ Amezcua, and Karissa Marston
The Thrilljoy panel at NYCC.
Partners joining Mariotti and Ahluwalia in Thrilljoy include former Loungefly exec Karissa Marston as Director of Marketing, Eric Peng Cheng, Owner of Undefeated, and MD Young, owner of MINDstyle International.
Beginning next month, the company plans limited product drops with themed weeks built around Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo, MTV, and more.
Additionally, speed-to-market is an important factor in Thrilljoy’s forthcoming Moo Deng collectible. According to Mariotti, a portion of proceeds from the sale of each Moo Deng PIX! will benefit the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha, Chonburi, Thailand.
Keep tabs on what the company is up to at thrilljoy.com
SEGA sold one million units of its new game, Sonic X Generations on its first day. The video game combines Sonic Generations with a new title, Shadow Generations. Players race the anti-hero Shadow through new, dynamic environments.
The action-adventure video game introduces a new creature, The Time Eater, who distorts time and space, sending established heroes Sonic and Shadow on new adventures. The game features new experiences, levels, and narratives. Sonic X Shadow Generations was released worldwide in 12 languages on multiple platforms. Gamers can get the game on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Sega engaged in large-scale global promotions, including exhibits worldwide.
SEGA’s fiscal year theme is “Fearless: Year of Shadow.” The company is all-in on its character with global initiatives highlighting licensing and the Sonic IP. Sega will release mobile game Sonic Rumble later this year. Knuckles debuted on Paramount+ in May and the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be released in theaters in December.
Learn more about the company’s plans and portfolio at sega.com.
Candyrific and Hilco Sweets have tapped Alex Guarneri as their new Director of Sourcing.
“We are very excited over the experience and energy that we know Alex will bring to this position, taking CandyRific and Hilco Sweets to the next level in our continued growth,” says Lou DiMarco, President of Hilco Sweets.
In this role, Guarneri will oversee the companies’ sourcing strategies, manage supplier relationships, and ensure procurement processes align with the companies’ goals and values.
Historically, we have done a great job sourcing and creating excellent relationships with our factories that required many individuals in our companies involved at the same time. We know the future of CandyRific and Hilco Sweets needs a fully focused team member that oversees all aspects of sourcing daily, and we are looking forward to Alex joining us."
“Alex’s wealth of knowledge and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our supply chain strategies and drive operational excellence,” says Frank Puglia, Executive Vice President of Licensing and Product Development for Candyrific and Hilco Sweets.
Guarneri has spent more than a decade in the consumer packaged goods industry. Previously, she has worked as Senior Manager of New Product Sourcing and Commercialization at The Bazooka Companies and has held position with Mars and the Frankford Co.
Diamond Comic Distributors plans to consolidate warehouse operations, phase out regional drop points, and consolidate shipping carriers.
This plan will improve overall efficiency and better serve its customers and partners.
The company will continue to operate out of the Plattsburgh, New York Distribution Center. Starting November 27, operations will move to a distribution center in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
Diamond serves independent specialty retailers, including comic shops, hobby shops, and toy stores.
In addition, Diamond will reduce the number of regional drop points used for deliveries. The locations that will no longer be used include Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and all Canadian centers.
All U.S. customers who previously picked up from the Boston, Baltimore, and Chicago drop points will now switch to 3% standard flat-rate shipping.
All shipments, except those to the remaining drop points, will go through UPS, FedEx, Canpar, or USPS.
Diamond says it is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for all employees, customers, and partners involved.
