Up Close: IPI for Sale? It's All Grand, in Varda's Opinion By Brent Felgner - 02/07/2008
Feb. 7, 2008—In an exclusive interview, International Playthings' president Mike Varda tells Playthings that contrary to industry buzz, it's his "belief" Grand Toys will "stay together."
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Up Close: Dark Horse Comics’ David Scroggy By Karyn M. Peterson - 01/01/2008
Dark Horse Comics is bringing Domo, the fuzzy Japanese cave-dweller, to the specialty market in 2008, along with toys for new licenses Dilbert and Will Eisner’s The Spirit. As the company prepared for Toy Fair, we spoke with David Scroggy, vice president of product development, about his plans for these and Dark Horse’s other core brands. (An abbreviated version of this story appeared in the January 2008 issue of Playthings magazine.)More
Up Close: 2008 Forecast By Tina Benitez - 01/01/2008
In a year full of concerns over toy safety and consumer scorn when it wasn't met, most toy industry professionals were happy to see 2007 come to an end. This year, Playthings spoke with industry leaders in manufacturing, retail and licensing to get their reflections on last year and some predictions for the new one ahead. Most agree: it’s sayonara to ’07, and hello to a 2008 of promise and new beginnings for the toy business.
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Up Close: Hulala Girls' Christy Hui By Cliff Annicelli - 01/01/2008
One could forgive Christy Hui for taking some time off. In a whirlwind career, Hui went from trailblazing cable television executive to creator of the Emmy Award-winning children's animated series Xiaolin Showdown. Over the course of three seasons, Xiaolin Showdown gained a devoted following, even if neither the series nor the toys it inspired broke out of the clutter of competing properties to attain must-see status. But for Hui, it offered a next step.
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Up Close: Playmobil's Andrea Schauer By Peter Lang, Das Spielzeug magazine - 01/01/2008
A model of a new building site sits on Andrea Schauer’s desk—it is hinged, accessible from both sides and would be an ideal portable toy for children. It is a perfect example of how the Playmobil brand has advanced in recent years.
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Up Close: Robot Galaxy By Cliff Annicelli - 01/01/2008
There’s a new make-your-own retailer on the scene, and it’s got its eyes set on that seemingly most difficult of kid consumers to capture with a “build a [blank]” concept—the all-American boy.
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Small World's High Hopes By Brent Felgner - 12/19/2007
CULVER CITY, Calif.—In the post-bankruptcy resurrection following the sale of its remaining assets to an investors group last October, Small World Toys has been moving to repair the damage the company suffered in relationships with once-faithful vendors and retailers, re-motivate its sales force, and begin rebuilding the corporate infrastructure that peeled away as SWT foundered.
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Show Biz: ABC Kids Expo expands By Karyn M. Peterson - 10/01/2007
Exhibitors at this year’s All Baby & Child Expo (ABC Kids), held Sept. 7-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, enthusiastically showed off their latest products for babies, kids and new/expecting parents. More than 5,000 buyers were in attendence to see the hottest new offerings from both mass-market and specialty manufacturers. (A shorter version of this story appeared in the Oct 2007 issue of Playthings magazine.)More
Up Close: Owen & Mzee author Craig Hatkoff By Karyn M. Peterson - 07/10/2007
With the sequel to Craig Hatkoff’s bestselling Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship hitting the bestseller lists and a website and plush toys being launched, Playthings caught up with Hatkoff for this exclusive interview.
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Up Close: Dr. Toy's Guide to Girls By Stevanne Auerbach - 06/15/2007
What kinds of toys will empower and inspire girls? Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D., aka Dr. Toy, offers Playthings an exclusive guide to recommended products and suppliers.
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Up Close: Loukoumi author Nick Katsoris By Karyn M. Peterson - 06/06/2007
Even a tiny lamb can grow up to become a firefighter, a doctor, a singer—anything she can dream of—as long as she works hard and, above all, believes in herself. That’s the heartfelt message of Nick Katsoris’ sequel to his debut children’s book, Loukoumi. In an exclusive interview, Playthings talked with Parker about his success so far and his plans for the brand.
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Up Close: Girl toys that empower and inspire By Karyn M. Peterson - 06/06/2007
Are today’s properties and toys doing enough to empower girls, especially in a society that sends them so many mixed messages about how and what they should be? Playthings asked several vocal industry experts to weigh in. (A shorter version of this story, “Talk About a Revolution,” appeared in the June 2007 issue of Playthings magazine.)More
Up Close: Earth-friendly fuzzies By Karyn M. Peterson - 05/01/2007
Of all the recent trends in plush these days, one of the most refreshing is the number of manufacturers that are embracing the environment, and producing plush that is organic, ecologically friendly or both. Retailers are taking note and are beginning to offer more of these products to their customers in recent years.
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Up Close: Special Needs By Tina Benitez - 05/01/2007 More consumers are seeking toys to help children learn basic fine motor, gross, tactile, social, hand/eye and other skills. Approximately 4.2 million children, ages 3 to 17, in the United States suffer from some learning disability, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Hyattsville, Md. (A shorter version of this story appeared in the May 2007 issue of Playthings magazine.)More
Up Close: Counting on Kim Parker By Karyn M. Peterson - 05/01/2007
Move over Clifford—Kim Parker Kids is becoming the Scholastic preschool property to watch! Since its 2005 debut, artist/designer Kim Parker’s exuberant Counting in the Garden has intrigued fans with its stylized watercolor garden and countable creatures hidden among the lush blooms. In an exclusive interview, Playthings talked with Parker about the success of the brand so far and her plans for its future.
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Up Close: Author Karen Katz gets the 'World' By Karyn M. Peterson - 04/10/2007
Coming soon to specialty! Early this summer, prolific children’s book author and illustrator Karen Katz, in partnership with Culver City, Calif.-based Small World Toys, will launch her first-ever line of infant and toddler toys based on characters, themes and designs from some of her more than 30 popular book titles.
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Up Close: 'Goth' toy category comes into its own By Karyn M. Peterson - 04/10/2007
Dark and even macabre toys and collectibles are increasingly finding younger fans, a trend that’s motivated some savvy companies to expand their selections of edgier fare designed especially with teens and tweens in mind. Here’s what these manufacturers had to say about the growing category, plus a sneak peek at some of their new toy and collectible selections for 2007. (A shorter version of this story appeared in the April 2007 issue of Playthings magazine.)More
Up Close: Underground Toys brings Doctor Who to the U.S. By Karyn M. Peterson - 04/10/2007 Based on a resurgence of its popularity in the U.K. (and its 44-year history as the longest-running sci fi television series ever) Doctor Who is getting a significant merchandise push this year, with toys, figures, collectibles and electronic gadgets scheduled to hit U.S. retail shelves in the coming weeks. In an exclusive interview, Playthings caught up with Underground Toys for a look at its marketing strategy.More
Up Close: Khet inventor Luke Hooper By Karyn M. Peterson - 03/09/2007
Khet: The Laser Game, from New Orleans-based Innovention Toys, has been taking the specialty market by storm recently, garnering adult and kid fans and a 2007 Game of the Year (T.O.T.Y.) nomination. In an exclusive interview, Playthings caught up with Khet's inventor, Luke Hooper, to get his thoughts on the development and success of Khet so far and his company’s plans for the future.
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Up Close: The Monster Engine’s Dave DeVries By Karyn M. Peterson - 01/10/2007
On the eve of a major expansion of his interactive work-in-progress The Monster Engine (which is a popular children's book as well as a gallery exhibition of kids’ artwork combined with his own) Playthings caught up with author/illustrator Dave DeVries to ask him his thoughts on the positive reception the book received and to probe for details on the upcoming sequel and his plans for 2007 and beyond. Here is our exclusive interview with DeVries in its entirety.
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