TFNY Exclusive: First Look at Schleich x Mitchel Wu Collaboration

Schleich Dino

At Toy Fair New York, Schleich will debut its new collaboration with renowned toy photographer and frequent Toy Book cover artist, Mitchel Wu.

Wu has developed a series of photographs that “depict the rich, immersive detail narrated by kids during open-ended play” featuring Schleich products. The collaboration is part of the company’s 85th-anniversary celebration and its new “Power of Imagination” campaign.

The Toy Book has the exclusive first look at one of those photographs — a realistically detailed T. rex that whimsically holds a pencil in his mouth as he examines the contents of a notebook. The image was inspired by a quote from a real kid: “I feed this dinosaur because he’s my friend. He helps me with my homework.”

The first set of Wu’s photos will be on display in the lobby of the Jacob K. Javits Center from Feb. 22-25. A campaign kickoff breakfast and anniversary celebration will be held at the exhibit on Sunday, Feb. 23 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Child development and open-ended play expert Dr. Sandra J. Stone will offer commentary and discussion while Wu will present a live toy photography demonstration.

Schleich will show its latest product offerings in booth No. 665.

Click here to view the Toy Book’s full coverage of Toy Fair New York.

About the author

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.