Short Takes
Staff -- Playthings, 4/1/2002
Joe goes digital
Hasbro is utilizing the Internet (GIJoe.com) in lieu of an animated show for its G. I. Joe vs. Cobra re-launch (Duke is pictured). "That's a medium that didn't exist before," says Director of Marketing, G. I. Joe, Derryl DePriest. "We're going to take mini-episodic segments from Sunbow episodes and put them on the site. In the spring, we're going to distribute 250,000 classic videos as a free gift-with-purchase." Incidentally, his favorite Joe? "Stalker, the army ranger. There's something about the eliteness of the army rangers and then being selected for the Joe team." Slated for the fall, Larry Hama (who penned the original Joe comics for Marvel) will write mini-comics and file cards to be included with the figures.
UD variants
Beginning with Upper Deck's 2001-02 Series Two Hockey, the company's rookie card subset will have two variations: one inserted into packs for hobby outlets and one for retail channels. The cards will have different photos, and the Carlsbad, Calif.-based cardmaker hopes the variants will help boost traffic of collectors searching for both.
Scholastic buys Klutz
New York-based multimedia children's publisher Scholastic has bought quirky bookmaker Klutz from Corus Entertainment for $43 million. Additional performance-based payments may follow. Chris Deyo will continue on as president.
