Connect with The Toy Book at ASTRA and Licensing Expo!



The Toy Book team is hitting the road! ASTRA Marketplace & Academy attendees can pick up a copy of our 2023 Classics & Specialty Issue and listen to a live edition of Talkin’ Toys with Editor-in-Chief James Zahn on Monday, June 12 in Columbus, Ohio. Then, the action heads west to Licensing Expo at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, June 13-15. Stop by Booth No. N249 to meet the team and grab a 2023 Licensing & Entertainment Issue of The Toy Book and our spring issue of The Pop Insider.

Get The Toy Insider’s Holiday Gift Guide for YOUR Specialty Store



Want to help make your shoppers’ experience easy at the holidays? Have The Toy Insider’s Holiday Gift Guide on hand! The Toy Insider Holiday Gift Guide will feature more than 350 toys for kids of all ages, broken down by age group to make for an easy-to-use holiday shopping reference. Order here…

Toy and Game Makers Celebrate Pride Month



For years, the toy industry has taken part in the celebration in various ways, from limited edition product drops that benefit LGBTQIA+ charities to social messages of support and allyship. This year is no exception, with toy and game makers choosing to share the rainbow in their own way. Read more…

Mattel Drops 'Barbie: The Movie' Toy Line



ICYMI: Mattel has finally dropped its Barbie: The Movie collection. It features dolls with tons of cute outfits directly from the screen, vehicles, collectibles, and more. Read more…

Squishmallows Are Coming to Happy Meals



Jazwares’ Squishmallows, the No. 1 best-selling plush in the country, are coming to McDonald’s Happy Meals. There will be 24 Squishmallows, including exclusive and seasonal plush designs, for kids to collect. Read more…

Moose Toys Named Master Toy Licensee for Illumination's Despicable Me and Minions



Universal Products & Experiences has named Moose Toys as the global master toy licensee for the Despicable Me and Minions franchise. Under the new deal, Moose Toys will release an extensive collection of action figures, playsets, collectibles, and role-play items, in addition to co-branded toys, including Moose’s Heroes of Goo Jit Zu. Read more…

Playmates Toys Reveals TMNT Villains and Mutants Figures Ahead of Movie Release



Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem from Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Films, and Point Grey Studios is scheduled to release on Aug. 2, and master toy partner Playmates Toys has revealed its line-up of detailed classic mutants and villains figures inspired by the new film. Read more…

Yo Joe! Hasbro's Operation: Dragonfly Relaunches an '80s Classic



One of the most popular — and iconic — vehicles from Hasbro’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero collection is getting an upgrade. Hasbro officially revealed Operation: Dragonfly, a HasLab project to crowdfund the G.I. Joe Classified Series G.I. Joe Assault Copter Dragonfly (XH-1). Read more…

Toikido’s Debut Offerings for Piñata Smashlings to Arrive in September



London-based Toikido is set to unveil its first products for Piñata Smashlings in September. The first offerings to hit the market in the U.S. will be toys, plush, and playsets from PMI Kids’ World, arriving in Walmart, Toys “R” Us, Amazon, and other retailers in October. Read more…

ZURU Reveals 5 Surprise Mega Gross Minis



Gross toys are making a comeback this year. Following a sneak preview at The Play Date event in New York City this spring, ZURU has confirmed plans to launch the latest installment in the 5 Surprise series: 5 Surprise Mega Gross Minis. Read more…

Bandai Namco Launches Tamagotchi Uni for the Modern World



Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America is launching Tamagotchi Uni, a “unique, united, and universal” device created for the modern digital world. With this new spin on a familiar virtual pet, Tamagotchi aims to connect fans globally. Read more…

PMI Kids' World Named Global Master Toy Partner for Sony's 'The Creature Cases'



PMI Kids’ World is adding another license to its growing portfolio. Sony Pictures Television — Kids (formerly Silvergate Media) tapped the company to serve as its global master toy partner for the animated detective series, The Creature Cases. Read more…

Crunchyroll and Jazwares Ink Licensing Deal for Anime Toys, Collectibles



Crunchyroll and Jazwares are teaming up to make tons of new anime toys and collectibles. The collaboration will feature 18 different anime series, including Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, and Spy X Family. Read more…

BBC Studios Adds 30 Licensing Partners to Roster for ‘Bluey’



BBC Studios Kids & Family has added 30 new licensing partners for Bluey. With 15 new licensees in the U.S. and Canada and 15 across Latin America, these new partnerships span multiple categories from apparel and bath products to food and greeting cards. Read more…

McFarlane Toys, Blizzard Entertainment Ink Deal for World of Warcraft, Diablo Collectible Figures



The multiyear licensing deal gives McFarlane Toys rights to create and market action figures inspired by Blizzard’s various video game franchises. At launch this fall, the assortment includes characters from World of Warcraft, Diablo, and the upcoming mobile game Warcraft Arclight Rumble. Read more…

Kess Enters Licensing Partnership With SEGA of America



The partnership will offer Kess the opportunity to feature the iconic blue blur and the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise across a variety of tabletop games, card games, and outdoor play items next year. Read more…

3Doodler Launches ChefDoodler, a Pen that Draws in Sugar



WobbleWorks, the maker of the world’s first 3D printing pen (3Doodler), has launched ChefDoodler, a pen that lets you draw in sugar, on Kickstarter. This cutting-edge culinary tool makes it fun and easy to turn sugar into beautiful, edible creations. Read more…

Jess & JoJo Siwa Reveal New Licensing Deals for XOMG POP!



JoJo Siwa and her mom/business partner Jessalynn Siwa have inked a raft of new licensing deals and consumer products partnerships for XOMG POP!, a girl group that debuted less than two years ago on the NBC/Peacock unscripted series, Siwa’s Dance Pop Revolution. Read more…

The Man of Steel Goes Cyber With the Superman Web3 Movie Experience



This week, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and block-chain purveyor Eluvio are teaming up to drop the Superman Web3 Movie Experience. This is the second release from WB Movieverse, following last year’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Web3 Movie Experience. Read more at The Pop Insider…

WiT Stories: Thriving through Diversity — Personal Career Journey Insights from Janet Hsu



Women in Toys (WiT) had the privilege of sitting down for a conversation with industry leader, Janet Hsu. She has held executive roles at MGA Entertainment, Mattel, Sanrio, Saban Brands, Horizon Group USA, and more. Her story serves as a testament to the power of resilience, unwavering determination, and the relentless pursuit of breaking through barriers. Read more…

Exploring The North East Toy Show on the 'Power Kid Podcast'



In this week’s episode of the “Power Kid Podcast,” host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Alan and Christine Blumberg from RGB Sales and Lea Culliton (ex-HABA, ABC Kids Expo) to the show to discuss the launch of The North East Toy Show (NETS). Listen here…

Scuffle in the Game Aisle: Upper Deck Sues Ravensburger Over Disney Lorcana Card Game



Upper Deck has filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California — County of San Diego against Ravensburger and a former Upper Deck game designer, Ryan Miller, alleging that the parties conspired to “steal and copy Upper Deck’s original game which Ravensburger repackaged and marketed as Disney Lorcana.” Read more…

Spin Master Sold 1 Million Gabby's Purrfect Dollhouse Toys

Universal Products & Experiences is celebrating some big milestones for DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse. Over the past two years, the brand has grown to become a preschool juggernaut with global expansion across multiple categories. Read more…

JAKKS Pacific Prepays Term Loan For Savings in the Long Run



JAKKS Pacific revealed that it repaid in full its term loan from Benefit Street Partners this week by making a voluntary prepayment of $30.5 million using cash on hand. The company says that it believes the early payoff will save approximately $1.2 million in case expense for the fiscal year. Read more…