Inside Out

Disney will unveil a new collection of wedding gowns inspired by the Disney Princesses—Ariel, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine and Snow White. Designer Kirstie Kelly brings the princess fantasy to life with her new collections of gowns, Fairy Tale Weddings, priced from $1,100 to $3,500. Fabrics include organza, chantilly lace, chiffon, satin and tulle. The collection will be available in North America, Japan and Europe beginning in June and will later expand to include jewels for accessorizing …Visa is accepted in Hasbro's updated The Game of Life, out this summer. The new Twists & Turns Edition will be the first major board game in America to replace cash with a Visa-branded play card as its currency. Financial information will also be included to teach children and consumers of all ages the benefits of proper money management … U2's Bono and Edge will pen the tunes for Spider-Man: The Musical, which has been in development since 2004. Casting will take place this July for the roles of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Mary Jane, Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and a “Geek Chorus,” a group of three teenage boys and one girl who will retell Spider-Man stories throughout the show. Julie Taymor (Lion King, Titus, Frida) will direct and Glen Berger will pen the play. To promote this month's Spider-Man 3 movie, there will be a Spider-Man Week throughout New York City. The promotion includes a spider exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, an arachnid-themed scavenger hunt at the Bronx Zoo and a display of never-before-seen comics, “The Ultimate Spider-Man Comic Book Collection,” at the New Public Library… Los-Angeles-based game publisher Square Enix is commemorating the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy with remastered versions of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II, exclusive for the PSP, shipping June and July, respectively.

Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff in Concord, Calif., has been giving free comic books away for the past three years on Free Comic Book Day (FCBD). And it's caught on! In 2006, nearly 2,000 comic book stores in more than 20 countries gave away 10 million free comics to approximately 500,000 patrons. Not bad for a category with sales of $230.2 million from just the top 300 comics series in 2006, an increase from $201.7 the prior year, according to Timonium, Md.-based Diamond Comics Distributors, one of the many comic publishers who sponsor the event.

Field initiated the program to help raise awareness of the "entertaining content" in comics, a medium he feels is often overlooked. "I wanted to come up with an event that would really shine a light on all the wonderful things happening all across the comics' spectrum." Festivities continue this year with participating stores featuring signings by writers and artists, character appearances and other in-store events. "All of these events go into creating an atmosphere that builds customer loyalty, and along with that, some fairly stellar sales numbers," Field tells Playthings. He advises comic shops or any toy retailer who happens to sell product based on comic characters to "Go to the source! It only makes sense to also stock and sell a variety of comics that are the source material for the toys you're already selling."

This year, retailers are projected to give away more than 2 million books to readers on FBCD, May 5.

At his shop, Field will host a party with refreshments and cake, a signing and a sale. "The beauty of FCBD is that each retailer can customize it for his or her own store situation," he says. And he'll continue FBCD as long as he has the support of publishers and retailers. Besides, "Who doesn't like to get something cool for free?" he says.