Funko is expanding its board of directors to nine members by appointing Jason Harinstein as an independent director.
Harinstein will also join the company’s audit committee. Harinstein currently serves as CFO of Collectors Holdings,a provider of authentication, grading, and marketplaces for the collectibles industry.
As a fan of Funko and a witness to its impressive story, I am excited to contribute to its next phase of growth. Funko’s success in expanding its direct-to-consumer reach and launching innovative new product lines like Pop! Yourself and Bitty Pop! demonstrate the company’s continued creativity and forward-thinking approach. Moreover, I believe the company has implemented a sound strategy of building on its position as a leader in the pop culture space by continuing to amaze core collectors and consumers, expanding its fandoms, and adding new points of distribution.”
Jason Harinstein, Independent Director of Funko's Board of Directors
“Jason’s wealth of experience in the collectibles industry and his financial expertise as a two-time CFO bring invaluable insights to Funko at a time when we are laying important groundwork for future growth,” says Cynthia Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Funko. “His proven leadership in corporate development and strategy, coupled with his passion for innovation, aligns perfectly with Funko’s focus on growth and expanding our impact in the pop culture landscape.”
Harinstein previously served as the CFO of Flatiron Health, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Groupon, and Director of Corporate Development at Google.
The LEGO Group plans to expand its popular franchises through digital networks by partnering with WildBrain. The companies’ new YouTube distribution agreement will expand fan engagement for LEGO Friends, LEGO City, LEGO NINJAGO, and LEGO DREAMZzz.
The newly made agreement marks the companies’ long-lasting relationship in expanding LEGO’s beloved franchises. New content and seasons will continue to launch on WildBrain’s YouTube network, as well as its content production and TV broadcasting stations.
Four popular LEGO franchises will join WildBrain’s expansive YouTube networks. | Source: The LEGO Group/ WildBrain
Since November, seasons of LEGO-based content have launched on WildBrain’s YouTube network, specifically its English-language hub channels. Over the coming months, the company will extend content to other languages, such as Latin American Spanish, Korean, Turkish, German, Japanese, and more. Once fulfilled, LEGO content will reach approximately 57 million subscribers across WildBrain’s networks, with an average watch time of 5 billion minutes.
WildBrain is a franchise management company that excels in content creation, audience engagement, and global licensing. With its partnership, the company has created award-winning 2D and CG animation series, including LEGO Friends, LEGO DREAMZzz, LEGO Monkie Kid, LEGO NINJAGO, and LEGO NINJAGO: Dragons Rising. WildBrain also broadcasts LEGO content to its TV channels in Canada.
“We’re excited to partner with WildBrain, bringing some of our most beloved franchises, including LEGO Friends, LEGO DREAMZzz, and LEGO NINJAGO, to new audiences across their digital platforms,” says Jay Shah, Head of Global Content Distribution at The LEGO Group.
To learn more about WildBrain and its franchise partners, visit wildbrain.com.
The companies initially partnered for products before the 2010 release of DreamWorks Animation’s original film. The renewal comes ahead of the franchise’s latest release, a live-action version of the children’s film, which will be released in June 2025.
The licensing deal comes promptly before the franchise’s latest release, which will premiere in June 2025. | Source: Universal Pictures YouTube
“With the anticipation building for this groundbreaking new chapter in the How to Train Your Dragon saga, we’ve developed a dynamic lineup of breakthrough play experiences that will inspire and delight with elements of flight, interactivity, and theatrical realism,” says Doug Wadleigh, Spin Master’s President of Toys.
Spin Master will reveal its How to Train Your Dragon toy line in February 2025, ahead of Toy Fair New York.
“Together, we’ve brought the Dragons stories to millions of children and adults alike, creating a toyetic brand that has withstood the test of time and sparking multigenerational appeal. In 2025, we expect to reach even greater heights with our renewed agreement,” says Rafael Macias, Executive Vice President and Global Commercial Officer of Universal Products & Experiences.
Miraculous Corp., the combined venture of animation studio ZAG and European independent production house Mediawan, is designating Big Picture Licensing as its consultant for Miraculous’ Brand Development in the U.K. and Éire. The venture’s biggest IP, Miraculous—Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, is reaching its 10-year anniversary next year, and Miraculous Corp. is viewing the anniversary as a prime opportunity to expand the brand with new seasons of the TV show, spin-off series, TV specials, and a second animated feature.
Miraculous Corp’s Vice President of Licensing for Europe, Luca Bonnechi, shares his thoughts on the appointment and Miraculous’ approaching 10-year anniversary: “Since its launch, Miraculous has gained unstoppable momentum, captivating audiences worldwide. We look forward to collaborating with Dan Frugtniet and his team, as well as our trusted partners, to elevate the Miraculous experience.”
Dan Frugtniet, Managing Director at Big Picture Licensing, adds: “Miraculous embodies a positive, inspiring message for children globally, and we’re eager to support the franchise in the UK and Eire. By bringing new licensing partners on board, we aim to enhance the brand’s offerings, complementing an already robust lineup of products and an impressive portfolio of content spanning six seasons, four specials, and a blockbuster feature film.”
Seasons six and seven of the series are confirmed, with season six launching early next year and season seven currently in production. All seasons and five “Miraculous World” TV specials will be available on CBBC and on Disney+, Netflix, and POP for the U.K.
Geoffrey the Giraffe is headed to Latin America and the Caribbean: Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us are expanding through a partnership between WHP Global and Cotton Candy International.
As part of the agreement, Cotton Candy International will open flagship stores in Panama and additional stores in the region. The stores will open in 2025 and feature toys, games, and interactive experiences.
“We are honored to partner with WHP Global to bring Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us to Latin America,” said Moises Cohen, CEO of Cotton Candy International. “This is an incredible opportunity to introduce these iconic brands to new markets. We look forward to creating a unique and engaging shopping experience with the opening of our flagship store in Panama, as well as expanding the footprint with standalone stores across the region.”
The expansion follows the iconic toy and baby stores’ global growth strategy. Toys “R” Us successfully launched in Mexico earlier this year and is in more than 32 countries. The brand plans to expand globally through retail stores and online in more regions.
WHP Global is the parent company of Toys “R” Us. Cotton Candy International is a leading distributor and retailer for Latin America and Caribbean markets, focusing on family and baby products.
“This expansion underscores our commitment to delivering the joy of Toys ‘R’ Us to new markets and families everywhere,” said Stanley Silverstein, Chief Commercial Officer at WHP Global.
For more information on WHP Global’s growth plans, visit whp-global.com.
What better way to ring in the new year than with a new collection of action figures? In 2025, Spin Master is launching a collection of retro action figures based on Batman Forever.
The collection of 5-inch action figures includes figures inspired by Val Kilmer’s Batman, Chris O’Donnell’s Robin, Tommy Lee Jones’s Two-Face, and Jim Carey’s The Riddler. These figures come in retro-style packaging featuring eye-popping blues, greens, and yellows, along with the Batman Forever logo.
Spin Master's new lineup of Retro DC collectibles features designs from Batman Forever. | Source: Spin Master
Spin Master's new lineup of Retro DC collectibles features designs from Batman Forever. | Source: Spin Master
Spin Master's new lineup of Retro DC collectibles features designs from Batman Forever. | Source: Spin Master
Spin Master's new lineup of Retro DC collectibles features designs from Batman Forever. | Source: Spin Master
Along with these figures, Spin Master is also unveiling the Batman Forever Retro Batmobile & Batman Collector’s Set. The set includes a 20-inch Batmobile with a translucent chassis to show off the detailed interior. The set comes with an exclusive 5-inch Batman action figure that fits inside the Batmobile and can be displayed inside the vehicle or alongside it.
These new collectibles are designed for kids ages 4 and up, but older collectors are certain to appreciate them more. The collection will be available exclusively at Target stores in the U.S. starting next month.
The cult-classic puppet series The Great Space Coaster holds a special place in many ‘80s kids’ hearts. Forty years later, the series is finally getting the flowers it deserves.
Plastic Meatball is releasing a new retro-style action figure of the series’ resident Gnewscaster Gary Gnu. In collaboration with the series co-creator, this collectible marks the first-ever officially licensed action figure from the series. By combining the nostalgic character with the toy technology of the modern age, this figure ensures The Great Space Coaster will never become old gnews.
Plastic Meatball even caught a video of Gary Gnu opening his first-ever action figure, the character’s first on-air appearance since the series ended in 1986.
Plastic Meatball worked closely with Gary Gnu’s creator and original puppeteer, Jim Martin, to craft a figure that lives up to the series’ legacy. The 3 ¾”-scale figure includes many of the character’s classic features Gen X knows and loves, like his purple suit, “No Gnews” hat, and iconic goatee. The figure has five points of articulation and even includes retro accessories like Gary Gnu’s hat, microphone, and news copy.
The action figure captures every detail, down to his lapel mic. | Source: Plastic Meatball / The Toy Book
The set includes accessories like Gnu's hat, news copy, and microphone. | Source: Plastic Meatball / The Toy Book
The packaging is like Gary Gnu wrote it himself. | Source: Plastic Meatball / The Toy Book
The set also contains hidden details audiences never got to see! Before, viewers couldn’t read what Gary had in his paperwork or see his red sneakers hiding under the news desk. However, with the expertise of the series’ co-creator, fans can now get up close and personal with their favorite character like never before.
The Gary Gnu Action Figure from Plastic Meatball is available now at the links below, so what are you waiting for? Get onboard and step inside!
People of Play (POP) has announced Shannon Swindle as its newest Director.
As a division of The Toy Association, POP has created a community of toy industry professionals to promote creativity and connectivity. Known for organizing events like POP Week, Chicago Toy and Game (ChiTAG) Week, and the Bloom Report, POP has been a staple of the toy industry for more than 20 years. With Shannon Swindle’s knowledge and experience at the helm, the group will further expand its reach to celebrate the innovation that makes the toy community special.
Shannon is perfect for this role. She has been an integral part of our events for over a decade in various capacities and is universally respected within our industry. Personally, I’ve had the privilege of watching Shannon’s journey—from her beginnings as a self-publisher to becoming a director of product development, and then an inventor relations executive, all while staying true to her roots as an educator. Throughout it all, she has consistently led with integrity, honesty, and an unwavering commitment to the people she works with.”
— Mary Couzin, SVP, The Toy Association, Founder & Leader, People of Play
Swindle began her career as a teacher, and her passion for education and play-based learning has echoed through every new role. Swindle was a Director of Product Development at Big G Creative, specializing in board game development, before becoming the Inventor Relations Manager at Moose Toys. Here, Swindle played a pivotal role in the growth of the games division. She licensed 18 games in just two years across a variety of sectors, including the award-winning “Pickleball Blast.”
As Director of People of Play, Swindle plans to expand POP events’ reach, strengthen community connections, and spotlight revolutionary products and creators that push the industry’s creative boundaries. Alongside Mary Couzin, Senior Vice President of the Toy Association and the founder of POP, the pair will work to reinvigorate the industry with a commitment to innovation, imagination, and the power of play.
“Joining People of Play and working alongside Mary Couzin is an incredible honor,” Swindle stated. “We share the same values and vision, believing in the importance of play and its power to bring people together. I look forward to creating meaningful experiences, celebrating the work of toy and game designers, and continuing to support the incredible people in this industry that I love so much.”
Some in our industry may find this statement difficult to hear: Modern tech toys will never be timeless.
While the toy industry thrives on innovation (The Toy Book’s International Innovation Issue goes to the printer next week), there are serious problems when infusing new technology into play experiences.
If it wasn’t evident already, this week’s news that Embodied, the tech startup behind Moxie, a product touted as “the world’s most advanced robot that uses safe AI to boost kids’ learning and emotional development,” is shutting down should make that crystal clear. Even worse, they don’t know exactly when Moxie will cease to function, which means there is a real concern that any kids using the toy will learn to process new emotions — those brought on by death — digital death.
My Spidey Sense started tingling badly more than a decade ago when toymakers entered a race to develop app-enabled toys. At the time, I was concerned that toys would become too reliant on technology managed by other companies and that the rapid development of smart devices would create compatibility problems and, eventually, obsolescence.
Zimmiz was a plush that required a parent to give their kids a smartphone to use as its face. It was gone within a year. Source: Big Foot Toys
Do you remember Zimmiz? This was a plush toy line marketed by Big Foot Toys. Here’s what I said about it in 2013:
“The Zimmi is a detailed, plush “shell” of sorts — a lifeless, faceless husk awaiting the insertion of an iPhone or iPod Touch to bring the toy to life. Powered by a ‘Freemium App’ (the app is free, but additional functionality can be purchased for $0.99), Zimmi becomes an interactive friend for the kids, using the iOS device hardware to react to touch and motion.
While the Zimmiz accomplish exactly what they set out to do, I fear App toys will never spawn a truly ‘timeless’ play experience because they depend on outside technology to function. As that technology becomes outdated and obsolete, what happens to the toy? We’ve already begun to experience this with our Zimmi because my old iPhone 3 functions as his heart and soul. I’ve switched platforms completely (I use Windows Phone now), and keeping the old iPhone charged for playtime has already become a chore. And with a toy that functions on just one platform, the potential user base is automatically limited. There are a lot of kids out there whose parents are Android users. No Zimmiz for them.”
Despite being sold by Build-A-Bear Workshop for about five minutes in a rare deal, Zimmiz and its “Planet Zimmiz” platform were dead within a year. The business was the app, not the toy.
Our experience with Zimmiz and other toys like it led me to state something that I’ve often recounted over the years:
“Though it might be decades outdated, I can still put fresh batteries in a Teddy Ruxpin, and he’ll come to life and start telling stories from his archaic cassette tape. Can we say the same about an App toy even five years from now? I don’t think so.”
At Toy Fair in 2023, artificial intelligence was all the buzz, and some products hit the market quickly after that. During the LA Fall Toy Previews this year, additional AI-powered products were shown behind closed doors, and there is no doubt that additional innovations will surface at Hong Kong, CES, London Toy Fair, and Spielwarenmesse.
Embodied says that Moxie’s critical funding round fell through, and it can no longer sustain operations.
In a FAQ posted on its website (archived), Embodied says, “We don’t know the exact date when services will cease. It is likely to happen within days. However, we are exploring options to keep Moxie operational for as long as possible, although we cannot provide any guarantees.”
No guarantees. That’s a problem.
And that’s the plight of toys, games, or any product reliant on cloud-based services, ChatGPT, or whatever the next thing is. It has an expiration date if it’s not entirely self-contained and able to function independently, devoid of an internet connection.
Aside from being out $800, parents and other caregivers who invested in Moxie now have to have a difficult discussion with the little ones in their lives to explain why this digital “friend” is dead.
This made me question the status of Mego’s relaunched 2XL, one of the early items from Toy Fair 2023 that was rushed to market last Christmas, followed by a formal launch in March. As of this writing, visitors to the official website for the 2XL Cobot (companion robot), aka the My2XL | AI Robot for Kids, are greeted with the following:
The 2XL website isn’t looking good as of December 12, 2024.
Yes, an “app outage.”
And this toy is “Currently Unavailable” on Amazon.
But I’d bet the old 2XL from the late 1970s/early 1980s still works.
As I prepare to press the “publish” button on this entry, I know that there are many developers out there — some of whom I consider friends — who are working on products in a very similar space to that recently occupied by Moxie.
If anything, this should serve as yet another cautionary tale from the toy industry.
We need to think ahead and consider the end-of-life scenario for the toys that are being put out into the world through costly, time-consuming, labor-intensive processes. In a business where little can be deemed essential, creating waste that leaves families hanging while lining pockets with the cash of a venture-backed startup that could vaporize tomorrow hardly seems like a worthwhile pursuit.
Toikido has spent the last year bringing its playful intellectual properties (IPs) to life with licensed games, toys, and animated specials. Now, they are teaming up with global toy development company EOLO for a new kind of licensing deal.
In this multi-year partnership, the companies combine Toikido’s imaginative worlds with EOLO’s cutting-edge toy development to create a dynamic range of new licensed products. Releasing in 2025, the deal spans several of Toikido’s most promising characters and brands. This unique, all-encompassing deal allows the partnership to reach a broader demographic of fans, create innovative products that capture the heart of the source material, and ensure quality and consistency across many merchandise sectors.
This partnership with Toikido is a dream come true for us at EOLO. Their bold and imaginative approach to IP development is a perfect fit for our expertise in crafting exceptional toys. We’re incredibly excited about what we’ll achieve together and can’t wait to see these amazing creations in the hands of fans.”
— Alex Prieto, Founder, EOLO
Although Toikido did not announce the specific IPs the licensing deal with EOLO includes, the company houses a variety of successful brands that will predictably be featured. The Piñata Smashlings command a significant following on Roblox and were a popular choice for brand licensing deals throughout the last year. Toikido is also producing an animated children’s series, Beep Boop, offering plenty of potential merchandising material the partnership could expand upon.
Toikido and EOLO’s shared projects are still in development, with plans to release products throughout 2025. For more information, visit Toikido’s website.
