Rights & Brands signs ‘Master of horror’ artist Hans Arnold with portfolio of 2,000 illustrations

Rights & Brands has signed with Hans Arnold Productions to represent the ‘Master of Horror’ artist and illustrator and his portfolio of surrealistic, horror, mystery, and fantasy art.

A Swiss-Swedish artist who died in 2010, Hans Arnold has often been referred to as the ‘Swedish Salvador Dali’, recognised for a style that makes everyday items appear ghostlike and unsettling.

Having grown up in a strict and conservative Catholic area in Sursee, Switzerland, Arnold has attributed his obsession with horror, fairytales, and women, to his upbringing.

“My sister adored nuns and dragged me to the Catholic church,” he said of his childhood. “Mother was a protestant and dragged me to the Protestant church. My grandfather was a train driver and took me to the pub.

“In church, I learned all about hell, at the pub I learned all about beer, swearing and telling filthy stories.”

After finishing art school in Luzern and traveling Europe, Arnold settled in Stockholm in Sweden where he worked as an illustrator for magazines, papers, and children’s books. He finally got his big break as the ‘Master of Horror’ while illustrating short stories known as Veckans chock in the women’s magazine Veckorevyn.

Alongside children’s book illustrations, Arnold is well known for ABBA’s Greatest hits cover. He also made a name for himself in animation, TV vignettes, opera, theatre, and TV scenorgraphy.

Rights & Brands now represents a portfolio of over 2,000 illustrations created by the artist.

Star Wars, Pokémon, and LOL Surprise help US toys sales surge $3.5bn for 2020

Entertainment brands Star Wars, Marvel, Pokémon, and LOL Surprise have been named among the top properties of 2020 to have helped US toy sales surge by $3.5bn according to the latest results from the NPD Group.

Combined, the top five properties – all the aforementioned plus Mattel’s fashion doll brand, Barbie – accounted for 13 per cent of all US toy sales on the year.

In an unprecedented year for the global toy industry, the NPD Group has attributed the 16 per cent sales growth of the toy sector for 2020 to diverted disposable income as parents – spending more time at home with their children – place greater value on play and toys, spending money saved from restrictions imposed in the fight against the pandemic.

For the year, toy sales in the US generated $25.1 billion, an increase of 16 per cent on the year prior.

Nationwide lockdowns and restrictions across the US saw disposable income diverted from usual mainstream entertainment avenues to toys, as well as the onset of federal stimulus checks.

While toy sales through mid-March 2020 were flat on 2019, widespread lockdown measures led to an abrupt increase in sales. This was amplified by the distribution of stimulus checks beginning in April, resulting in the strongest month of growth for the year in May (an increase of 38 per cent).

The NPD Group states that toy industry growth peaked again in October with an increase of 33 per cent when the holiday season kicked off with Amazon Prime Day along with other retailer deals the same week.

“2020 was an unprecedented year for the US toy industry. The growth we’ve seen in the toy industry speaks to the fact that parents are willing to put their children’s happiness above all else,” said Juli Lennett, vice president and industry advisor, US Toys, The NPD Group.

“The industry’s resiliency is very much underpinned by the reality that, in times of hardship, families look to toys to help keep their children engaged, active, and delighted. Put simply, toys are a big part of the happiness equation.”

A major theme of the US retail scene over the course of the past year has been the surge in online shopping. Some retail closures and consumer hesitancy towards shopping in stores led to a surge in online toy sales. In the first three quarters of 2020, the online channel gained 10 share points from the 23 per cent share in 2019, leading to 75 per cent growth in overall online toy sales year over year.

Not only did pure play online retailers do well, but brick and mortar retailers that had buy online, in-store pickup, or curbside options, also outperformed.

The top dollar growth sub-segments in 2020 were sports toys, which includes skates, skateboards and scooters (up 31 per cent), fashion dolls and accessories ( up 56 per cent), building sets (up 26 per cent), games (up 29 per cent), and summer seasonal toys (up 24 per cent).

The top properties of 2020 included L.O.L. Surprise!, Barbie, Star Wars, Pokémon, and Marvel Universe. The top five properties combined accounted for 13 per cent of all toy sales on the year.

While units declined in seven of the 11 super-categories, average selling price increased in every super-category. The increase in average price was a key driver of the growth in dollar sales and was driven by a shift in product mix to higher-priced categories.

Silvergate taps Moose Toys for new Octonauts and spin-off series toy line

Moose Toys has partnered with Silvergate Media to launch a new Octonauts toy line developed to support the popular animated pre-school series and the upcoming release of its spin-off series, Octonauts: Above & Beyond.

First launched to screens in 2010, Octonauts has a global broadcast platform spanning multiple territories and huge fanbases in the UK, US, and China. Recently the show extended its reach by debuting in Latin America and the Middle East.

The upcoming new series Octonauts: Above & Beyond will take the crew of intrepid explorers beyond the sea and onto land with an array of new locations, vehicles and story lines to enjoy. Kids will learn facts about creatures, extreme environments and the challenges of water and weather phenomena.

“We’re incredibly honored to partner with Silvergate to bring the next chapter of Octonauts to fans across the world. The rich storyline and characters make for an incredible sandbox to develop fun, original toys,” said Joe Smith, senior director of global marketing, licensed brands, Moose Toys.

“Octonauts is widely regarded as one of the top preschool properties, and this partnership further solidifies Moose’s strength and expertise in the preschool aisle.”

As part of the deal, Moose Toys will create a full range of Octonauts toys including figures, vehicles, play-sets, plush, games and more. Octonauts: Above & Beyond, the new spin-off series will debut in 2021.

With this latest partnership, Moose Toys continues to expand its licensing portfolio and acquire highly coveted shelf real estate in the booming pre-school aisle. The toy company has seen success with its pre-school properties through its successful Kindi Kids doll line and its master toy deal with Australian ultra-hit animated series, Bluey.

Kindi Kids debuted on shelves summer 2019 and was recognized by The NPD Group as being the number one new doll property launched over its first three months of being in the market. Following its first foray into the pre-school space with Kindi Kids, Moose reinforced its strength in the category this year when Bluey was named number one new pre-school property by The NPD Group.

“With proven success in the preschool aisle and a reputation for innovation, Moose Toys is the perfect partner to capture the world of Octonauts: Above & Beyond in toy form,” said Ron Allen, executive vice president of commercial, Silvergate Media.

“We’re excited to collaborate on a new toy line that will help us take the brand in a fresh direction and create a collection of toys that kids will love.”

Hasbro extends WildBrain CPLG partnership for eOne brands across Nordics and CEE

Hasbro Consumer Products has extended its partnership with WildBrain CPLG in a deal that will see the licensing agency represent eOne brands Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, and Ricky Zoom in the Nordics and Central and Eastern Europe.

The popular pre-school brands will join WildBrain CPLG’s existing representation in these territories for Hasbro Consumer Products’ brands My Little Pony, Play-Doh, Monopoly, and Nerf.

The licensing firm’s remit in the Nordics and CEE include merchandising, publishing, promotions, and short-term location based entertainment.

“We’re very excited about expanding our partnership with WildBrain CPLG Nordic and CEE to represent the full combined Hasbro and eOne portfolio locally,” said Delphine de Kool, licensing director for EMEA Agents at Hasbro.

“With a complete portfolio representation and WildBrain CPLG’s local licensee and retail relationships, we see these regions as strong growth markets to continue to deepen our consumer connections and drive meaningful 360-degree retail programs.”

Slawomir Ekiert, managing director CEE and Nordics for WildBrain CPLG, added: “We’ve established a very successful relationship with Hasbro across many of the company’s most popular and iconic family brands in key markets, and the addition of these beloved properties to our rights adds further breadth and depth to our partnership.

“Together with Hasbro, we look forward to building new opportunities to grow these brands in the Nordics and CEE and to creating greater synergy across our European activity.”

WildBrain CPLG already handles Hasbro and eOne brands in Benelux and has scored a raft of new local deals across both portfolios in the territory. For My Little Pony, Canenco is on board for plush, children’s jewelry and make-up to support the brand’s upcoming movie this October.

For Nerf, Durabo is creating headphones and speakers, and Kubbinga is creating bicycles with matching gear.

For Peppa Pig, Sambro is launching large-size plush, and Durabo is developing a range spanning arts and crafts, outdoor toys, headphones and speakers. Further new local partners secured by WildBrain CPLG’s Benelux team include: W&O Products, The Cookie Company, Airquee, Karsten, RMS Europe, TM Essentials, Vondels, Leomil, Stationery Team Europe and Aymax.

In addition to its representation of Hasbro properties in CEE, the Nordics and Benelux markets, WildBrain CPLG also handles Hasbro’s Merchandise, Publishing, Promotions and short-term Location-based Entertainment business in Turkey.

LEGO teams with Universal Music Group to launch creative music franchise LEGO Vidiyo

The LEGO Group has teamed up with Universal Music Group to unveil LEGO Vidiyo, an innovative music video maker experience that celebrates children’s creativity and passion for music.

Through LEGO Vidiyo, kids can direct, produce, star in, and share their own music videos, using chart-topping tracks from Universal Music’s wealth of global artists.

Aimed at kids aged seven to ten, LEGO Vidiyo aims to provide a safe universe where they can explore physical and digital play by letting them experiment with play and music. LEGO states that the platform combines new technology with the LEGO System in Play, to help kids discover music, express themselves, and do so with anonymity that keeps them safe online as they upload their content to the accompanying App feed.

Accessed through a mash-up of LEGO elements, minifigures, music, augmented reality, and a new app, LEGO Vidiyo features endless combinations of editing options that are unlocked through new special effect ‘BeatBits.’

Kids can choose one of the man songs in the App from a variety of established artists. They can then create their own band form a collection of physical minifigures which can be customised and brought to life in different scales through AR tech n the Vidiyo app. Using ‘BeatBits’ – decorated 2×2 square LEGO elements that unlock special features when scanned – users can then line-up an array of special effects. This element allows them to control everything from video and music styles, to scene effects.

LEGO Vidiyo music videos can be set anywhere, and kids can set their stage by scanning their surroundings. Then, by hitting the selected BeatBits in the app, children can take creative control of their music video production, creating dance moves and audio effects in a 60 second performance. These performances can even be trimmed down to five, ten, 15, or 20 seconds clips for sharing with friends.

Finally, once the content has passed moderation, these clips can then be uploaded to the App feed.

LEGO underlines that any content featuring personally-identifiable information, such as children starring in the video, will not be approved for the App feed upload, but can be stored locally in-app, so friends and family can enjoy the content.

New music, challenges, and inspirational content will be added regularly to the App to keep gameplay fresh and encourage children to continue developing their creative skills. The challenges are designed to help young creators transform their videos from simple performances to exciting and dynamic productions, while ensuring they take full advantage of the wide range of features LEGO VIDIYO has to offer through new unique BeatBits.

“We want to feed the imagination of the next generation of creatives, providing a new canvas for kids to creatively express themselves,” said Julia Goldin, chief marketing officer, the LEGO Group.

“Research shows over three quarters (79 per cent) of parents globally wish their children had more creative confidence, so we’re launching LEGO Vidiyo to help make that happen. We know children are always chasing new ways to experiment creatively, and LEGO Vidiyo is here to help all kids with a passion for music unleash their creativity through LEGO building and music video production. We can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

LEGO Vidiyo is the first collaboration between the LEGO Group and Universal Music Group, after the two companies announced their partnership in April 2020.

Olivier Robert-Murphy, executive vice president, Universal Music Group and Brands added: “Through this innovative global partnership – with the power of music and play harnessed to support early development of creativity – children around the globe will be able to express themselves as they stage, direct, perform, and share their music videos.

“LEGO Vidiyo is a great way for millions of kids to discover new music and get closer to their favourite artists while learning and connecting through play.”

LEGO Vidiyo will witness the roll-out of a new App experience, LEGO sets, and lifestyle products, which are being brought to life in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s industry-leading merchandise and brand management company.

The first LEGO Vidiyo products will be available in the UK from March 1st 2021.

Rachel Lowe launches Beano board game to celebrate 70 years of Dennis the Menace

The iconic British comic brand, Beano is celebrating the 70th anniversary of Dennis the Menace’s first appearance with the launch of a new board game developed by the award-winning designer, Rachel Lowe.

In a partnership secured by Rocket Licensing on behalf of Beano Studios, the new Beano game will bring Dennis and Beanotown friends together for a plethora of playable pranks and school playground humour.

Players will take turns to journey around Beanotown and try to complete pranks while avoiding being caught by the teacher. Perhaps a whoopie cushion will be dropped at Mount Beano or a custard pie will splat the walls of Bunkerton Castle? The player to prank six different locations first will win the game.

The game takes inspiration from the case and heritage of The Beano, the longest-running British children’s comic magazine which in August 2019 celebrated its 4,000th issue. 70 years ago, Dennis first appeared in the comic and has been loved by children and adults from around the world ever since.

As well as the game, a 200-piece and 1000-piece puzzle featuring more of the comic’s characters, including The Bash Street Kids will be released later in the year.

Rachel Lowe said: “Beano is an absolute classic with a dedicated fan base around the world. Dennis has one of the most iconic and recognizable faces – the messy black hair and that mischievous grin are what people love the most. I am thrilled to be working with the Beano team to create these new products to celebrate such a wonderful anniversary for a wonderful character.”

Vanessa Andreis, franchise planning and partnerships director, Beano Studios, said: “For 70 years, kids have read and laughed along with Dennis and now thanks to this incredible Rachel Lowe partnership, fans big and small can come together to test their own prank skills.

“We look forward to creating a range of games that generations of family and friends can come together to enjoy.”

The Beano board game is £29.99 and available from www.amazon.co.uk and  www.rachellowe.co.uk now.

The new game is available alongside Rachel’s current range including Elf on the Shelf, Call the Midwife and WWE: Road to WrestleMania.

Released before Christmas 2020 and designed for all the family, The Elf on the Shelf game plays out the story of Scout Elves, who fly back to the North Pole each night to report to Santa who has been Naughty and who has been Nice.

The WWE: Road to WrestleMania game, released at Christmas 2019, is available with a 500-piece puzzle and playing cardsallowing WWE fans across the UK to become part of the electrifying global pop-cultural event. The products featured WWE Superstars including John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch and have been popular with WWE’s passionate fanbase.

Finally, the Call the Midwife products (board game, puzzle and playing cards) have continued to be popular in their third year of release.

Lowe said: “Call the Midwife is a show with a dedicated following and the new series later this year will be very popular. I will be looking to update the game and puzzle to keep it in line with the new characters and story lines coming in future series.”

Pinkfong and Baby Shark’s Space Adventure tops Netflix’s Top Ten Charts across 17 countries

Pinkfong and Baby Shark’s Space Adventure has become the fifth most-watched movie in Netflix’s Today’s Top Ten in the US, only five days after its launch on to the streaming service.

The film also ranked in the Today’s Top Ten Movies across Netflix in 17 countries, including in the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia, over five consecutive days, according to the streaming analytics company, FlixPatrol.

Pinkfong and Baby Shark’s Space Adventure follows the characters, Pinkfong and Baby Shark, as they explore outer space and search for missing star pieces to return home. The feature includes children’s favourite songs.

Baby Shark has successfully expanded its underwater world to cinema with the Space Adventure movie and TV screen with the brand-new TV series Baby Shark’s Big Show!, co-produced with Nickelodeon Animation Studio. Baby Shark’s Big Fishmas Special, the holiday episode of Baby Shark’s Big Show!, premiered on Nickelodeon on Dec. 11, 2020, and ranked as the top telecast of the week with K2-5 (excluding sports), citing data by Nielsen Media Research.

Following the US launch in spring 2021, the new TV series will roll out on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels internationally.

Pinkfong and Baby Shark’s Space Adventure is now available for streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Nelvana, Spin Master and TMS Entertainment mark third season return of Bakugan: Geogan Rising and new toy lines

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, Spin Master, and TMS Entertainment have detailed the third season return of the hit action adventure series, Bakugan: Geogan Rising and an accompanying extended toy line.

The new season will premiere on Sunday, January 24 on Corus Entertainment’s Teletoon in Canada, with new episodes airing weekly. It is also available to stream live and on demand on StackTV through Prime Video Channels. Viewers will also be able to find seasons one and two.

Following the launch of the new season, Spin Master is rolling out a new Bakugan: Geogan Rising toy line featuring transforming creatures. The range will land in North America this February and will roll-out across the international markets this autumn.

“We’re incredibly proud to bring Bakugan: Geogan Rising into the esteemed Bakugan franchise as the brand continues to captivate audiences globally,” said Mellany Masterson, head of Nelvana Enterprises. “Together with Spin Master we’ve grown a loyal fan base who love all things Bakugan and the international success is a testament to the dynamic content and new storylines delivered each season.”

Thom Chapman, VP sales and distribution, Spin Master, added: “We’re excited to unleash more brawling action and bring new characters to life as Bakugan captivates fans around the world.

“Partnering with Nelvana opens the door to endless possibilities for adventure as we introduce a new story and reveal epic new collectible toys allowing brawlers to watch, collect and battle.”

Bakugan: Geogan Rising sees hero Dragonoid return as the Awesome Brawlers remain in a deep slumber, healing from the last time they had to save the world. This time, the gang will face adventures with a new set of Bakugan characters including Geogan, a Bakugan-like creature fused with elements of crystals and forming a new geometric form.

Not only do Geogans look different than their Bakugan counterparts, but they are exceptionally strong and built to brawl. It’s not long before the Awesome Brawlers turn this group of misfit Bakugan into loyal partners, and Geogan have arrived on the scene, ready to prove their worth and dominate in the Bakugan battle arena.

Beyblade Burst Surge lands on Disney XD in Feb as Hasbro extends Speedstorm toy line

The fifth season of the hit anime series, Beyblade Burst Surge is landing on Disney XD next month, bringing with it a run of 26 episodes and an extended toy line from Hasbro that will tap directly into the core base of Beyblade fans.

The highly anticipated fifth season will debut with two new episodes starting at 8am ET/PT on Saturday, February 20th. Following the launch, new episodes will roll out Saturday mornings at 8:30am ET/PT with encore slots Sundays at 8:30am ET/PT and Weekdays at 3:00pm ET/PT.

Leading up to the premiere, Disney XD will air a Beyblade Burst Rise marathon beginning Friday, February 19 at 11:00pm ET/PT.

The new season will follow the adventures of a new cast of characters, along with some familiar faces fans loyal to the Beyblade Burst franchise will immediately recognize. A legend among legends, top Blader Valt Aoi hosts an exhibition match featuring a revolutionary class of Bey: “Lightning Beys”.

Inspired by the battle, two unknown brothers, Hyuga and Hikaru Hizashi, issue a challenge: armed with their own Lightning Beys Hyperion and Helios, this unlikely duo is going to topple Beyblade’s ruling elite.

Fans can also look forward to the full season of Beybalde Burst Rise being available on DisneyNOW throughout February.

Beyblade enthusiasts can already find the Season Five opening theme song, “We Got the Spin,” on the official Beyblade Burst YouTube Channel. This captivating, edgy track was written and performed by Konrad OldMoney and Seboria Peters, and is due for release on streaming platforms in early February.

Finally, long-time global master toy partner Hasbro will support the new season’s launch with the much-anticipated Beyblade Burst Speedstorm product line.

Fans will be able to launch into highspeed head-to-head battles with official Beyblade Burst Speedstorm tops that are designed to harness the power of the inescapable Power Vortex – an energy zone at the center of the Speedstorm Beystadium which has the ability to pull tops in and give them the ultimate speed boost.

Hit action anime series Baki taps Reemsborko for Europe and Australasia licensing

The popular action anime, Baki is on the path to grow its licensing activity across Europa and Australasia, having appointed the pop culture licensing specialist, Reemsborko to represent the property across all categories.

Baki has been the subject of multiple manga, anime, and video games over the last 30 years and the show is currently confirmed as a top ten Netflix show across 50 countries. The series currently consists of 39 episodes across two seasons, with a third season scheduled to land this year.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko, said: “In the absence of theatrical releases, everyone now gets their entertainment at home, and the only genres showing real growth for merchandise are gaming and animé. Baki has both heritage and current popularity and is on a great platform with more content on the way.

“It has just started venturing into merchandising outside Japan so this is a great opportunity for licensees.”

Cinzia Mariani, Vice President at TMS Paris, added: “Baki brings you all the sweat, tears and blood you could hope for. We’re very excited to team up with Reemsborko to expand in the field of merchandising both in Europe and down under.”

Image: ©Keisuke Itagaki(AKITASHOTEN)/Baki II Film Partners All Rights Reserved.