A new era of phygital play begins.

Following a soft launch last month and being named a Top Summer Toy by our sister publication, The Toy Insider, the Pudgy Penguins are waddling into retail.

PMI Kids’ World formally unleashed its new range of collectible characters inspired by the digital non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that live on the Ethereum blockchain and sold out upon their initial release two years ago.

At launch, the line includes a 13-inch Huggable Plush; 4.5-inch Pudgy Penguins Figures with interchangeable accessories; 6.5-inch Positive Penguin Figures with included positive messaging and affirmation signs; 1.5-inch surprise figures that come packed in an Igloo, Clip-On Plush Pudgy Penguins; and Pudgy Penguins Plush Buddies. Each toy comes with a code that can be redeemed for a digital collectible and customization options.

“Pudgy Penguins solidified their collectibility right off the bat,” says Omer Dekel, Chief Operating Officer at PMI Kids’ World. “However, it’s the unrelenting positivity the Huddle promotes that most excites us to bring these lovable characters to tangible form for every type of fan.”

Related: The Toy Book’s 2023 Classics & Specialty Issue Is Here!

PMI’s Pudgy Penguins line is available on Amazon and at select specialty retailers. The line will make its way to Walmart and additional retailers beginning next month.

In under 24 hours, two Pudgy Penguins toys cracked Amazon’s Top 10 for new releases, with the 13-inch plush snagging the No. 7 slot and the Pudgy Samurai figure scoring the top spot at No. 1.

Pudgy Penguins will be featured at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas next month and PMI plans to show off some of its other brands, including Piñata Smashlings, which it’s working on with Toikido.


The Toy Book and our sister publication, The Pop Insider, will be in attendance at Licensing Expo next month. Stop by Booth No. N249 to meet the team and pick up the 2023 Licensing & Entertainment Issue of The Toy Book and our spring issue of The Pop Insider.

To register to attend Licensing Expo 2023 for free, visit www.licensingexpo.com.

About the author

James Zahn

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.

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