Financial & Legal News . . .

B.C.'s first unionized animation workers ratify collective agreement. The 200 workers at Titmouse studio are the second group of animators in Canada to unionize. The deal comes one year after the workers became the first in B.C.'s animation industry to unionize, organizing under Animation Guild, Local 938 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), around concerns over unpaid overtime...

The Board Game Business Is Booming, But the Global Shipping Crisis Could Be Disastrous.  As prices skyrocket for both shipping containers and space onboard overseas cargo ships, shipping delays and freight cost increases are hitting board game publishers, and particularly smaller companies, hard. Despite the fact that consumers are buying games, there’s no way for publishers to get products to their customers...

Cartoons and children's shows are next on the chopping block in China's entertainment crackdown.  The National Radio and Television Administration, the country's broadcasting authority, announced late Friday that it would ban cartoons and other TV shows primarily produced for children that contain any mention of violence, blood, vulgarity or pornography.

RETAILERS CHARTERING THEIR OWN SHIPS  And Leasing Containers.  It had to happen: large retailers have begun to charter their own ships and lease containers to handle shipping inbound goods from Asia to North America.  The most recent was Costco, which chartered three ocean vessels for the next year, and leased thousands of containers to use on the ships, CFO Richard Galanti explained to analysts...

Fresh series of power cuts hit China factories, Factories in at least 10 Chinese provinces have either cut output or closed temporarily this month, after government-imposed power cuts aimed at curbing carbon emissions. According to a report in The Loadstar, the cuts came after China’s economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission, unveiled a plan to restrict energy-intensive....

Asmodee owners rumoured to be looking to sell the company for 2b Euros. According to a report on the Board Game Quest website, PAI Partners is in the process of exploring its options for a sale of the Asmodee business. Board Game Quest, a specialist website for the hobby gaming market, quotes Stephen Bounocore, the now-retired publisher of Stronghold Games (one of the publishers distributed by Asmodee)...

(the above posted after September 24th)

Netflix acquires The Roald Dahl Story Company  With plans to create an entire Roald Dahl universe, the streamer has 19 projects in the works and is planning to spend US$1 billion on animated series alone. Netflix sweetened an animated series partnership it signed with The Roald Dahl Story Co 3 yrs ago by acquiring the British co. and its slate of beloved children’s book properties, including Charlie and the Chocolate...

TikTok parent ByteDance adds time limit for kids under 14 on its video app in China.  Douyin’s youth mode will limit kids under 14 to 40 minutes a day.  The app’s youth mode keeps it in line with the Chinese government’s new restrictions on access to video games for younger children. Teens under 14 will be able to access Douyin between 6AM and 10PM, but won’t be able to use the app outside of that window...

Evergrande: Crisis-hit firm strikes China debt deal. The main property unit of Chinese real estate giant Evergrande has said it has struck a deal over a bond interest payment which is due on Thursday. The amount due for the domestic bond is estimated to be $35.9m (£26.3m). The announcement will offer some relief to investors concerned over the company's debt crisis. 

Retail sales rise, NRF plans supply chain 360 event. The issues with the global supply chain are commanding headlines on a daily basis, but retailers are still doing big business. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), retail sales spiked in August as consumer demand continued to outweigh the multitude of issues affecting businesses right now. 

China trials website for public to report games violating new restrictions. A new website has been launched in China urging people to report any video games or companies that do not comply with the nation's recently increased restrictions on gaming. The South China Morning Post reports that this website, titled 'Reporting platform for gaming companies implementation of anti-addiction regulations'...

Has the penny dropped? Daily Mail warns UK faces being crippled by Brexit. The penny looked to have dropped for another pro-Brexit newspaper this weekend after the Daily Mail warned the UK faced being crippled by a “perfect storm”. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is set to hold a fresh round of crisis talks with the energy industry amid fears more small suppliers could go to the wall following a surge in gas prices. 

​

Supply Chain Bottlenecks (enough stories to warrant own section . . . unfortunately)

Hottest toys may be sold out by Black Friday due to bottlenecks. The most popular toys for kids this holiday season, from nostalgic favorites to cheap items popularized by TikTok, may sell out much sooner as a result of global supply-chain hangups. A lack of workers in China, container shortages and bottlenecks getting containers onto ships are all contributing to shortages, toy industry experts say. 

Record backlog of cargo ships at California ports. Some 65 cargo ships have been forced to queue outside two of America's biggest ports, in the latest sign of supply chain disruption hitting the US. The ships are stuck outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, which handle 40% of all cargo containers entering the country. Before Covid, it was unusual for more than one to wait for a berth.

Christmas toy price rises and stock shortages warning. Parents are being warned of toy shortages and price hikes as we approach Christmas. Industry body the Toy Retailers' Association (TRA) said while shelves were unlikely to be empty, there would be less choice than previous years. Suppliers blamed a combination of rising shipping costs and the ongoing shortage of HGV drivers. 

Toy makers battle supply chain hiccups. Although the calendar says it’s still summer for another day or so, consider getting your Christmas list polished up sooner rather than later. Leading toy manufacturers are worried that continued slowdowns across global supply chains will impact the holiday shopping season. 

High-stakes Christmas looms as surging toy demand meets supply-chain snarls. With demand for toys at an all-time high, U.S. suppliers and retailers are racing to outrun severe air, sea and land shipping snarls so Santa has a mountain of dolls, scooters and video game consoles to deliver at Christmas. The holidays account for a major chunk of the toy industry's nearly $33 billion annual sales, and LEGO blocks...

​

​

​

Companies, Brands . . .  

How Sesame is pivoting the Not-Too-Late Show.  With a wider focus, more predictability and real kids having fun with celeb guests, the show should be more engaging for preschoolers, says Ben Lehmann. Sesame Workshop is raising the curtain on season two of its live-action series The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo. And armed with lessons from the first batch of episodes...

FoxMind Expands Go Pop! Collection of Pop It! Toys.  The company that created the viral Pop It! craze is rolling out a new range of products this fall. FoxMind is expanding its Go Pop! collection with new toys and games, including fresh shapes, new sizes, family gameplay, and a range of collectible, limited-edition designs.

Basic Fun!, Timber Moose Lodge Attempt Lincoln Logs Guinness World Record.  An epic, 3-day play date is currently underway in Utah, where a group of builders is hard at work on constructing a massive building from Lincoln Logs. Basic Fun! and Timber Moose Lodge are collaborating on a Guinness World Record attempt for the “Largest Lincoln Logs Structure” — a 200-sq-ft log cabin utilizing more than 30,000 pieces.

Nintendo and Illumination announced a Super Mario Bros. animated movie is coming to theaters Dec 2022. Chris Pratt will star as the voice of Mario, along with Charlie Day (Luigi), Anya-Taylor Joy (Peach), Jack Black (Bowser), Seth Rogen (Donkey Kong), Fred Armisen (Cranky Kong), Keegan-Michael Key (Toad), Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek), Sebastian Maniscalco (Spike), and surprise cameos from Charles Martinet.

Wondery launches kids podcast subscription. To meet growing demand for screen-free, family-friendly content, Wondery+ Kids will feature originals and series from both Tinkercast and Audible. Amazon podcast studio Wondery is accelerating its growth plan in the kids space with a new subscription service. Launching exclusively on Apple Podcasts today, Wondery+ Kids (US$4.99 monthly) is aimed at 4-12-year-olds...

UK Indie Midco Toys announces Top 12 festive predictions. “Because stock is tight and some brands are performing extremely well, we have named some ranges nice and early,” Dave told Toy World. “Some big suppliers are already running low on stock and this year, it will be to everyone’s advantage to push smaller brands. This is a philosophy we often adopt at Midco anyway; we place huge emphasis on lines ...

Wizards of the Coast has launched a new games studio, the 1st project an action-adventure game set in the GI Joe universe. Wizards of the Coast has posted several job listings related to a new games development studio based out of the Raleigh-Durham area of NC. The game studio is led by "industry veterans" from WB Games, the studio behind the Hitman series and several of the Batman: Arkham games. 

German toymaker says goodbye to Merkel with commemorative teddy bear. Angela Merkel has been called many things during her 16 years as German chancellor. Soft and cuddly were rarely in the mix. But now, as Merkel prepares to leave office, a German toy company has unveiled a commemorative teddy bear that’s exactly that. Hermann-Spielwaren, a century-old, family-owned toy manufacturer based in Coburg, Germany...

American Girl Celebrates 35 Years: It’s Not Child’s Play. In honor of its 35th anniversary, American Girl staged a fashion show at its Rockefeller Center flagship with help from designers Prabal Gurung and Carly Cushnie and Harlem’s Fashion Row. With a salon, doll hospital, café and other attractions, the 38,000-square-foot store is kaleidoscopic maze in itself. Building on the company’s inclusivity-driven heritage...

(the above posted after September 24th)

Puzzle company Wrebbit 3D is still going from strength to strength as it celebrates its 30th anniversary, and looks forward to some strong licensed releases for autumn/winter 21. Over the three decades, the Canadian company has been producing high quality, detailed 3D puzzles which feature some of the most iconic structures from around the world. It has also assembled a strong catalogue of licensed puzzles....

The brand new Smyths Toys winter catalogue has been released today, Friday the 24th September. Customers can pick up a free copy in all Smyths Toys stores across the UK, and enjoy 300 pages of inspiration for Christmas. Smyths Toys Superstores has 135 store locations throughout the UK and Ireland which offer a huge range of toys, video games, outdoor and baby products for Christmas 2021. 

Calm taps Hasbro & P!nk for new kids section  The app will feature brands and talent like Peppa Pig, Minions, Kung Fu Panda and Maya Rudolph in weekly content designed to improve kids' mental health. Mindfulness app Calm has launched a dedicated kids section filled with lullabies, bedtime stories and guided meditations to meet a growing demand from parents for content that improves the mental health of children.

Just Play has entered into a licensing agreement with edutainment company Kukua to create toys, including dolls and role-play sets, for the YouTube Originals series Super Sema. The show follows young African girl Sema and her twin brother MB who have STEAM superpowers.

Super Sema premiered on International Women’s Day this past March and has amassed millions of views since its launch. 

Social Media Stars Collaborate with Spin Master on Stylish P.Lushes Pets™ Plush. Spin Master unveils designer P.Lushes Pets™ plush collection in collaboration with six social media stars who have staked claim on their own P.Lushes Pets character.  Content creators Savannah Labrant, Jenna Davis and Loren Gray among the fashionable influencers to unveil their P.Lushes Pets characters as well as customized capsule...

McDonald's is not lovin' plastic.  The fast-food chain said it's working with toy companies to develop alternatives to plastic toys as part of the company's "ambition to drastically reduce plastics and offer sustainable Happy Meal toys globally by the end of 2025." The introduction of the toys will result in a roughly 90% reduction in virgin fossil fuel-based plastic compared to 2018 levels, the company said.

Girl Scouts of the USA and Hasbro are teaming up to promote the power of friendship and inclusivity in time for the release of the new "My Little Pony: A Next Generation" movie from eOne, Hasbro's global entertainment studio, available on Netflix starting September 24. "We are ecstatic to team up with Hasbro to support more girls in a way that meets them where they are and centers around the beloved My Little Pony...

FoxMind Gets Poppin’ with Canspan BMG as PR Partner.  The company behind the Go Pop! and Pop It! brands has a new public relations partner. FoxMind Group Ltd inked a deal with Canspan BMG Inc. under which Canspan will provide influencer marketing and editorial support to the company in addition to traditional PR services.

Pokémon TCG Heads to Smartphones for the First Time.  Fans of Pokémon trading cards can officially take the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) on the go with a new app. Pokémon TCG Live allows kids to play the Pokémon TCG on smartphones for the first time. The game is free to play and kids can also play it on tablets, PCs, and Macs.

UK Indie retailers have have been bringing in stock early this year in order to mitigate potential supply problems this year. And it would seem that the decision to be prepared is already paying off, as customers heed the ‘shop early’ messages promoted by the toy industry and have begun putting together their Christmas toy hauls. Many are also choosing to do Christmas shopping in physical stores...

The Lego Group has launched a playful new iteration of its global Rebuild the World brand campaign. Now in its third year, the 2021 campaign celebrates children as the masters of creative problem solving and shows what can be achieved when people work together to overcome differences or challenges. The main film is centered on the story of a knight whose attempts to cross a river ...

Penguin Random House Children’s has unveiled a brand refresh for Peter Rabbit, with a new world-building identity that it says places Peter front and centre of the world created by Beatrix Potter almost 120 yrs ago. The progressive brand identity has been rolled out across social channels and digital platforms, and will appear on publishing and licensed product packaging from autumn this year in the UK. The global launch...

Argosy Toys has been enjoying a major pre-Christmas sales boost following an impassioned sales plea its owner, Paul Wohl, posted on Facebook. The viral post, which on Friday afternoon had been shared over 16,000 times and seen over 1m times, read: “Hello world! This is my shop. Please remember us this year if you need toys for Christmas. Really swimming against the tide of Amazon these days. 

SPACE RACERS TOYS JOIN INSPIRATION4 FOR THE FIRST ALL-CIVILIAN MISSION TO ORBIT. Toys inspired by the Space Racers STEM-based animated series will blast off on Inspiration4, the first-ever all-civilian mission to orbit. Upon their return to Earth, Eagle, Robyn, Hawk, Raven, and Starling will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

American Girl celebrates unity and equality with ‘World by Us’ collection. Mattel‘s American Girl brand is continuing its 35th anniversary celebration with World by Us, a new collection of contemporary characters. Makena Williams, Evette Peeters, and Maritza Ochoa have overlapping stories that are designed to reflect important social issues, including racial equality, environmentalism, and immigration, and the value,,,

'Pokemon TCG' rules again, the trend is not standard 'Magic's' friend. TCGplayer released their August data for sealed product sales and price changes. This data set shed light on some new and continuing trends that have developed in the TCG sealed market. Pokemon TCG continues its general dominance of this chart which it had established early on in 2021. 

Looney Labs unveils two new 'Star Trek Fluxx' expansions. Looney Labs unveiled two new expansions for Star Trek Fluxx, Archer Expansion and Porthos Expansion, for release on October 15. The Archer Expansion revolves around Captain Archer and the Temporal Cold War from Star Trek: Enterprise. This pack includes Daniels, a Temporal Rift, and the Xindi as well as a new Meta Rule called Combined Decks.

Headstart Resoftables plush come to U.S. in October. Australian toy maker Headstart is bringing its products to the U.S. market. Next month, Walmart stores in the U.S. will begin carrying Headstart’s Resoftables, a range of plush toys made from recycled plastic bottles.

Additionally, Resoftables packaging is comprised of recycled cardboard. 

Become the king of the pirates in 'Glory Islands'. Rio Grande Games announced Glory Islands, an area control board game by Arve Fuhler, for release into retail in December. This game takes place in 1660 on the island of Tortuga, which was an infamous port for harboring all manner of marauders, pirates, and scallywags.

Floodgate Games unveils 'Decorum'. Floodgate Games unveiled Decorum, a new cooperative house decorating game, which will release in January 2022. In Decorum, players work together to decorate a house while trying to achieve secret goals without compromising other players' objectives. It is a scenario-based game featuring 30 scenarios where, in each scenario, the players’ home starts with certain...

Conquer the cheese moon in 'First Rat'. Pegasus Spiele will release First Rat, a new strategy board game, into U.S. retail in December. In this game, the rats are building a rocket to launch themselves to the Cheese Moon, and players must help their rat family earn a place of honor in junkyard history for their contributions to the first lunar-cheese landing. 

Rio Grande Games announces new 'Dominion' expansion. Rio Grande Games announced Dominion: Allies, a new expansion for the Dominion deck-building game, which will hit stores in December. Dominion: Allies is the 14th expansion to this long-standing, deck-building card game. In this expansion, the kingdom has finally appeased the barbarians to the north, and players look to expand their alliances. 

Disguise Enters the dojo with Cobra Kai costumes at Walmart. Disguise — the costumes and seasonal division of Jakks Pacific — inked a deal with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to create a new range of costumes and accessories inspired by the hit series Cobra Kai. Under the new deal, Disguise will design, market, manufacture, and distribute Cobra Kai costumes and accessories...

'Marvel Champions: The Card Game' finds its 'Vision'. Fantasy Flight Games has announced the Marvel Champions: The Card Game - The Vision Hero Pack for release in Q1 2022. The Vision Hero Pack is the final Hero Pack of the Mad Titan’s Shadow wave of releases. The pack includes a pre-built Protection deck, which features mechanics revolving around the ultimate android’s unique density manipulation.

New 'Black Templars Army Set for 'Warhammer 40,000'. Games Workshop revealed the Black Templars Army Set at Gen Con, a miniatures kit featuring the crusading Space Marine Chapter which comes with an exclusive codex supplement. The Black Templars Army Set offers players an easy way to jump into a Black Templars force.  

Fantasy Flight Games announces 'Lotr: The Card Game - Revised Core Set'. Fantasy Flight Games announced The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game - Revised Core Set, a new edition of the LCG, and Dark of Mirkwood scenario pack for release in early 2022. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is FFG's longest-running LCG, and it is getting a new core set. 

Lookout Games heads for 'Llamaland'. Llama farming is the theme for Lookout Games’ new family-friendly game Llamaland, created by Barenpark designer Phil Walker-Harding.  It will be available in North America through Asmodee. In Llamaland, players try to operate their farms located precariously on the slopes of mountains and hills, attracting llamas to help with the task.  

Little Tikes launches Rescue Tales for autumn/winter. Part of Little Tikes‘ new autumn/winter product line-up, Rescue Tales plush pets offer a new way for kids to learn what it is like to adopt a real rescue animal, helping them develop their empathy and caring skills. The wearable Rescue Tales Groom ‘n Go Pet Backpack lets adopters take canine style with them wherever they go.

Solve mysteries with Lucky Duck's 'Crime Zoom'. Lucky Duck Games is launching Crime Zoom, a series of card-based cooperative mystery games, with two titles releasing in October:  His Last Card and A Bird of Ill Omen. Crime Zoom uses illustrated cards to create a crime scene, then challenges the players to solve the mystery.  

​

RIP - Rest in Play - Remembering Those that have Passed . . . If you know of a colleague's passing, please send us information so we may share with our colleagues. Archives can be found HERE.

David Watt  passed away earlier this month (Sept). Born in Ballymena in Northern Ireland in 1944, David worked for Lego from 1975 until 1999 as area sales manager in Northern Ireland, calling on independent retailers as well as some national accounts. Over his 24 years at Lego, David achieved the accolade of Top Salesman multiple times, winning the coveted Silver Lego Brick trophy with his name engraved. David will be remembered fondly by customers and colleagues alike, who describe him as full of passion and integrity for his work, with a great sense of humour. He lived for ‘the brick’ and was incredibly proud to work for Lego, taking great pride in what he achieved working for the group. Many of his customers knew him as the ‘Lego Man’.

Sir Clive Sinclair. Sir Clive Sinclair, the inventor and entrepreneur who was instrumental in bringing home computers to the masses, has died on Thursday 16th after a long illness at the age of 81. Sir Clive Sinclair's contributions to the world extend beyond gaming, so prolific were his inventions. But as games professionals and enthusiasts alike expressed their sadness at news of his passing last week, it's clear the impact he had on the industry -- especially in the UK -- was profound and a key pillar to his legacy. Best known in the gaming world for his ZX consoles -- the ZX80, ZX81 and ZX Spectrum -- Sir Clive Sinclair provided the platform for many a developer to start their career. It wasn't just their capabilities, but also their affordability, with a ZX80 priced at less than £100. Sinclair believed in a future where every household was home to a computer, and his games consoles helped prove that could become a reality. Tributes have already been paid across social media, but we reached out to notable developers from the time, industry veterans familiar with his work, and other games professionals to share their thoughts on the life and legacy of Sir Clive Sinclair

Robby Kanoff, former executive vice president of sales at Galoob Toys, died Sept. 16, 2021. A toy industry veteran with legendary ties to the world of wrestling action figures has died. “We lost a real legend yesterday,” says Graham Mottram, an industry vet and current sales lead at Story Time Chess. The Philadelphia-born Kanoff began his career in the toy industry in 1978 as national sales manager at Lewis Galoob Toys. In the season three Wrestling Figures episode of The Nacelle Co.‘s The Toys That Made Us, Kanoff recalled being perhaps the youngest sales manager in the toy business at the time at age 23. His efforts to guide Galoob from an importer of toys to a maker of toys led to licensed products inspired by Universal’s The A-Team, WCW, the Spice Girls, and more alongside original brands, including Micro Machines, Baby Face Dolls, and more.  

Following his departure from Galoob, Kanoff — dubbed “Jewish Lightning” for his wrestling-inspired sales tactics — was one of the founders of The Original San Francisco Toymakers and re-acquired the license to produce WCW action figures followed by a deal with Extreme Championship Wrestling for a line of ECW toys. “Robby was a great salesman and an even better friend,” says Robert Weinberg, former executive vice president at Toys “R” Us and senior vice president of merchandising at KB Toys.

For the past 20 years, Kanoff lived in Massachusetts with his partner, Josie Persichino. Kanoff was 66.

Reuben Klamer - Toy industry icon and inventor of the classic board game The Game of Life, died at home in La Jolla, CA on September 14, 2021. He was 99 and left this world reluctantly, telling a recent visitor “I don’t have a reservation!” The Game of Life was inducted into the permanent Archives of Family Life at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in 1981 and is second only to Monopoly in board game popularity. Produced by Hasbro, the game has been marketed in 59 countries and in 26 languages since its introduction in 1960. Although the exact number is probably much higher, it is estimated that more than 70 million Games of Life have been sold to date. (The Japanese edition, called Jinsei, has been the best-selling game in that country for more than 50 years.) Mr. Klamer’s colleagues, friends and neighbors described him as warm, kind, generous, intensely curious and a fabulous storyteller. He was known for his crackling sense of humor, his sartorial splendor (he had a huge collection of hats and dressed up in costume every Halloween), the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and showing up to parties with the Pink Panther. Reuben loved good food, from the finest oysters to milkshakes, and would go anywhere for a great hot dog. He adored chocolate in any form,” one said, reminiscing that among Mr. Klamer’s favorite places was Serendipity 3 in New York City. “His joy was contagious and he was always bursting with ideas — an eight-year-old boy in a grown man’s body,” another added. “I think Reuben’s greatest accomplishment was how he managed to stay relevant to the very end,” said George Burtch, retired Vice President of Marketing for Hasbro and a longtime friend. “He was the most cheerfully persistent person I’ve ever met and he inspired so many, in and out of the toy industry.” Mr. Klamer had a gift for anticipating and capitalizing on trends, a talent for developing consumer "must-haves" across a broad spectrum of categories and the ability to work in a variety of media. While the bulk of his most successful products were in the field of toys and games, he also held design, development and invention credits in industries as diverse as textiles, plastics, aviation, publishing, music, television and film. Among his approximately 200 other toy credits are the classic Fisher-Price Preschool Trainer Skates, on the market for nearly 35 years; the Art Linkletter Hoop; Gaylord the Walking Dog (Ideal); Moon Rocks (Hasbro); Dolly Darlings (Hasbro); Erector-Constructor Sets (A.C. Gilbert), and Busy Blocks and Zoo-It-Yourself (Tupperware). Read More...

​

​