Tashjian to oversee Zorro, Derek
By Staff -- Playthings, 4/16/2007 7:40:00 AM
DANVILLE, Calif.—Joy Tashjian Marketing Group (JTMG) has been named the exclusive U.S. licensing representative for the Zorro property’s current and upcoming film, television and stage productions. JTMG’s plans include consumer products licensing and merchandising in categories such as food, beverage, apparel and gift.
The deal between JTMG and Zorro rights holder Zorro Productions Inc., Berkeley, Calif., comes in the midst of a busy period for the property first introduced in 1919. The newest television series featuring the character’s heroic exploits, Zorro: The Sword & The Rose, airs daily on Telemundo. More than 120 one-hour episodes of the telenovela are currently in production with more likely to be produced, according to JTMG. An upcoming Zorro musical production will launch in spring 2008 in London, and make its way to Broadway “in the next several years.” Another Zorro-based stage production, Culture Clash’s Zorro in Hell, opens a commercial run this July in Los Angeles.
“We are delighted to join with Joy Tashjian to represent the important area of licensing and merchandising on behalf of our classic and contemporary Zorro product lines and entertainment projects,” said John Gertz, president of Zorro Productions.
In other Zorro news, independent comic book publisher Dynamic Forces, Runnemeade, N.J., has been signed for Zorro comic books.
Separately, JTMG announced it has been tapped as North American licensor for Life with Derek, Shaftesbury Film’s live-action comedy series about a modern blended family with two type-A 15-year-olds who, accustomed to being in charge, engage in an “alpha-teen comic war in a take-no-prisoners fight for control of their house, their school and their world.”
JTMG will license the series in all categories in North America with a primary focus on publishing, electronics, mobile, apparel and accessories.
Commissioned by The Family Channel (Canada), Life with Derek has been sold to broadcasters in more than 14 territories and over 114 countries worldwide, including Disney Channel in the U.S., where it’s begun to chart among the top 10 cable series among tween and teen girls ages 9 to 14, according to Shaftesbury.
“We are thrilled to work with the Shaftesbury team to represent such a unique ‘tween’ oriented property from their library,” says Joy Tashjian. “We’ve searched for a brand that appeals to the ever-elusive and extremely important ‘tween’ demographic and Life with Derek fits the bill perfectly. We believe this brand has solid licensing potential.”
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