The breakout star of The Mandalorian is joining the Squishmallows Squad.
Kellytoy — a subsidiary of Jazwares — entered into a new licensing deal with Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Co. to bring The Child (aka Baby Yoda) into its popular collection of soft, plush characters. Fans looking to add the lovable tike from a galaxy far, far away to their collections will find “the asset” exclusively at Walgreens stores in the U.S. The 10-inch Star Wars Squishmallows The Child is available for preorder now and is expected to be available in stores beginning Sept. 24. The Child features a raised, furry collar.
To celebrate the launch, Walgreens chatted with Jeanne Yoon, SVP of product development and sales for Kellytoy about the new collaboration and the development process involved with transforming such a beloved character into the Squishmallows style and form.
“One of our biggest challenges is transforming 3D characters into 2D artwork for our design process,” Yoon says. “Squishmallows have a smooth and soft surface, so we cannot add certain characteristics like wrinkles and glossy eyes. It took a number of steps to get The Child’s features – such as big eyes and embroidered wrinkles – just right. We wanted to balance The Child’s appearance from The Mandalorian series while keeping the look and feel of our cute and cuddly Squishmallows.”
More than 55 million Squishmallows have sold since the brand was introduced in fall 2017. The full Squishmallows Squad includes more than 500 characters in a multitude of different sizes.
The second season of The Mandalorian will bring more Star Wars action to Disney+ beginning in October.
