Asterix celebrates year of ‘unparalleled success’ in album sales and licensing deals

Asterix has marked 2020 as a year ‘of unparalleled’ success during which its latest album, The Chieftain’s Daughter sold more than five million copes around the world, hitting a new record for an Asterix album since the series takeover in 2013.

Meanwhile, the illustrated album Le Menhir d’Or, published in October last year, is about to exceed 15,000 copies sold in France – a record for an illustrated album.

The iconic French comic brand has reported that it has shifted nearly 800,000 copies of albums from its current backlist throughout 2020, marking a five per cent increase when compared to sales through 2019, and 35 per cent more than 2018.

On the licensing side, major operations have been equally successful. Lidl the brand in 2020 for a loyalty program over ten weeks, with new activations already signed off for 2021. In France, Asterix stands as the favourite charcter for boys aged seven to 14, ahead of Harry Potter and in the overall top ten licenses in the country.

Asterix brand owners, Éditions Albert René are now coining 2021 as the year for Asterix as it gears up for the launch of a new comic book album this October, and the debut of a new TV series based on the character Idefix/Dogmatix on France Televisions this September. It will also air on Super RTL in Germany at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, 2022 will see the release of the live action film in which Asterix and Obelix travel to China on an unprecedented adventure in a new movie directed by Guillaume Canet.

Asterix will also be leaving his mark on the gaming space with the planned launch for an augmented reality mobile game this spring, Developed by Hootside, the game will see players take on the role of a young Gaul from the village, and help Obelix find his friends. It’s been billed as an immersive new game that will play a key role in recruiting new fans to the IP.

Children’s author David Lawrence Jones to read Super Geek Heroes books for National Storytelling Week

The author and producer, David Lawrence Jones, has produced a series of seven read-aloud videos of the popular Super Geek Heroes picture books to coincide with National Storytelling Week that will run from January 30th to February 6th.

Lawrence Jones is the author and producer behind the pre-school 3D animated series Super Geek Heroes that is currently available to view on digital platforms across the globe. He will be reading all seven early years picture books, aimed at children aged three to six.

Each adventure story features one of the super heroes and introduces the listeners to their wider world whilst at the same time delivering a core message in a fun and engaging way that relates to the key development areas within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

“We are thrilled that David has undertaken this initiative, these stories are certain to delight fans of the show and the feedback from our existing digital partners has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Denise Deane of Edutainment Licensing, the licensing representative for the popular IP.

The 7 x 10 minute episodes include – Ant’s apple core Mission, Jake’s missing book Mission, Millie’s number nine Mission, Peter’s super space Mission, Ronnie’s rocket guitar Mission, Suzi’s scare bear Mission, and Vicki’s violet vowels Mission.

Super Geek Heroes is an animated series featured on SVoD, VoD, Smart TV Apps and OTT platforms around the world. The series educates and entertains children while enhancing their development through preschool and early years education. 

Anderson Entertainment readies ‘for exciting 2021’ with D2C merch, broadcast partners and new content

An expanded direct-to-consumer and retail merchandising platform, more broadcast and streaming partners, and more new content development will all be at the heart of Anderson Entertainment’s 2021 plans for expansion.

Detailing a line-up of activity for the year ahead, the firm – founded by Gerry Anderson, the man behind the iconic Thunderbirds and Space:1999 – has earmarked 2021 to be “an exciting and busy year” for its merchandising and licensing activity.

This strategy will be led by the company’s highly successful e-commerce site, the Gerry Anderson Store, which boasts an expanding list both of licensee-supplied product and new items developed and created by Anderson Entertainment.

With 2020 sales from the Official Gerry Anderson Store having already eclipsed the 2019 figure, Anderson Entertainment is now building on the strength of its direct-to-consumer business and working with new partners. This year will also see many more products – and product categories – launching on the store’s site and through other online and physical retail outlets. 

This expansion will be enabled by a new cross-category licence that Anderson Entertainment recently signed with ITV Studios, the underlying rightsholder for many classic Gerry Anderson properties.

This licence allows Anderson Entertainment to build on the global recognition of the Gerry Anderson portfolio with expanded product ranges and to build sales opportunities with other retail partners. 

On the content side, classic shows will land across more streaming platforms as well as linear TV, DVD and Blu-Ray. New productions will also be a strong focus.

The popular audio drama hit First Action Bureau – developed and produced during the spring lockdown – is now on CD and a new series is planned. Firestorm and the imminent reboot of Terrahawks lead a growing slate of series under development or in production, many of which will be announced later this year.

A new corporate website was launched in mid-January at anderson-entertainment.co.uk which has been redesigned for easier navigation, highlighting the company’s classic and new content, along with its ongoing IP development, consumer products and services.

Jamie Anderson, MD of Anderson Entertainment, said: “We’ve spent a number of years establishing a strong merchandise offering, expanding into new platforms and developing new IP. Anderson Entertainment is now perfectly placed to build on the success of this coordinated strategy. It’s going to be a very exciting 2021.”

Boat Rocker Studios secures raft of global broadcasters for Dino Ranch

Boat Rocker Studios has secured a raft of global sales for the animated pre-school series, Dino Ranch following its successful premier on Disney Junior in the US and CBC in Canada at the start of the year.

Later this year, the animated show will land on Disney Latin America, SRC in Canada, and major broadcasters across Europe.

“Dino Ranch has a unique ability to resonate with audiences through engaging storytelling and first-class animation,” said Jon Rutherford, president, Boat Rocker Studios, Kids & Family and Rights. “We’re thrilled that the show will be available to viewers in more markets around the world, so they can saddle up and ride along with the Cassidy family.”

In Germany, Dino Ranch has been acquired by leading free-to-air channel SUPER RTL, and it will also air on their time-shift kids’ channel TOGGO Plus.

Leading free-to-air kids’ channel Gulli has acquired the series in France, where it will also be available on their Pay TV channels TiJi and Gulli Africa, with plans to additionally air it during the morning kids’ programming on general channel M6.

In Scandinavia, Dino Ranch has been acquired by national public service broadcasters NRK (Norway) and YLE (Finland), and DR (Denmark).

Dino Ranch is a 52 x 11’ 3D animation created by Matt Fernandes of Industrial Brothers and produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios. It follows the action-packed adventures of the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical, “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs still roam. As the young ranchers learn the ropes, they discover the thrill of ranch life whilst navigating the great outdoors through unpredictable challenges.

Boat Rocker Studios is managing the global content distribution and consumer products program for the franchise.

Panini ‘working to get more stickers into UK’ following sell-out success for Official Premier League Collection

Panini UK has ‘been taken aback’ by the demand for the new Premier League Official Sticker Collection 2021, that – despite the current lockdown restrictions – has seen sales outperform the success of the 2020 collection.

The range has been such a hit at retail that customers in some parts of the country have reported difficulty in getting their hands on the sticker packets, with hot spots for the new collection to be Leeds and Birmingham in particular.

Panini suggests that sales in these areas have been driven by Leeds United and Aston Villa fans who have embraced the collection as the ‘perfect antidote to lockdown’ and not being able to see their teams play in person.

‘The Panini Premier League 2021 Sticker Collection has already established itself as – by a distance – the fastest selling collectable currently available in the UK and Ireland, with fans both young and old enjoying both the quality of the new album, the stickers (including plenty of shinies) and the amount of detail included for each team,’ read a statement from Panini UK.

‘Many are finding the sticker packets the perfect reward for children who work hard at “home school”!’

Panini UK has stated that it is now working hard behind the scenes to get more sticker packets into the country ASAP to meet the demand, and more stock available on its online store.

Starter packs, priced at £3.99 include an album which is packed full of facts, stats and analysis, plus four sticker packets. Each packet costs 70p and contains five stickers.

Panini ‘working to get more stickers into UK’ following sell-out success for Official Premier League Collection

Panini UK has ‘been taken aback’ by the demand for the new Premier League Official Sticker Collection 2021, that – despite the current lockdown restrictions – has seen sales outperform the success of the 2020 collection.

The range has been such a hit at retail that customers in some parts of the country have reported difficulty in getting their hands on the sticker packets, with hot spots for the new collection to be Leeds and Birmingham in particular.

Panini suggests that sales in these areas have been driven by Leeds United and Aston Villa fans who have embraced the collection as the ‘perfect antidote to lockdown’ and not being able to see their teams play in person.

‘The Panini Premier League 2021 Sticker Collection has already established itself as – by a distance – the fastest selling collectable currently available in the UK and Ireland, with fans both young and old enjoying both the quality of the new album, the stickers (including plenty of shinies) and the amount of detail included for each team,’ read a statement from Panini UK.

‘Many are finding the sticker packets the perfect reward for children who work hard at “home school”!’

Panini UK has stated that it is now working hard behind the scenes to get more sticker packets into the country ASAP to meet the demand, and more stock available on its online store.

Starter packs, priced at £3.99 include an album which is packed full of facts, stats and analysis, plus four sticker packets. Each packet costs 70p and contains five stickers.

FuturumKids signs Monster Entertainment as global distribution partner for CGI show Paddles

The animation and media company, FuturumKids, has signed the brand management company, Monster Entertainment, as its global distribution partner for the new CGI children’s show, Paddles.

Under the partnership, Monster Entertainment will focus on bringing Paddles – a show aimed at the four to seven year old audience – to all territories with the exception of Korea which will be managed by the local company, Neon.

Paddles tells the story of a polar bear cub accidentally delivered by the Stork to a frozen River Shannon in Ireland, and brought up by a pack of Irish wolfhounds. Through the adventures, mistakes and discoveries of the series’ star, and his friends Bracken, Bridie and Fagan, Paddles shows its young audience that being different is something to be celebrated and enjoyed.

This appointment is the latest stage in the broadcast and merchandising development of Paddles, whose makers include members of the team behind the seven-time Emmy-award-winning children’s series Jakers! Paddles has already been sold to Cartoonito UK with more major broadcast deals imminent.

As well as distribution deals with Monster and Neon, an e-commerce venture for plush is in the works.

Brendan Kelly, head of sales at FuturumKids, said: “With its strong reputation, diverse range and especially its highly successful focus on children’s animation, Monster Entertainment is the ideal partner to develop our strategy for bringing Paddles to the wide broadcast and merchandising audience it deserves. We are looking forward enormously to working with the Monster Entertainment team.”

FuturumKids signs Monster Entertainment as global distribution partner for CGI show Paddles

The animation and media company, FuturumKids, has signed the brand management company, Monster Entertainment, as its global distribution partner for the new CGI children’s show, Paddles.

Under the partnership, Monster Entertainment will focus on bringing Paddles – a show aimed at the four to seven year old audience – to all territories with the exception of Korea which will be managed by the local company, Neon.

Paddles tells the story of a polar bear cub accidentally delivered by the Stork to a frozen River Shannon in Ireland, and brought up by a pack of Irish wolfhounds. Through the adventures, mistakes and discoveries of the series’ star, and his friends Bracken, Bridie and Fagan, Paddles shows its young audience that being different is something to be celebrated and enjoyed.

This appointment is the latest stage in the broadcast and merchandising development of Paddles, whose makers include members of the team behind the seven-time Emmy-award-winning children’s series Jakers! Paddles has already been sold to Cartoonito UK with more major broadcast deals imminent.

As well as distribution deals with Monster and Neon, an e-commerce venture for plush is in the works.

Brendan Kelly, head of sales at FuturumKids, said: “With its strong reputation, diverse range and especially its highly successful focus on children’s animation, Monster Entertainment is the ideal partner to develop our strategy for bringing Paddles to the wide broadcast and merchandising audience it deserves. We are looking forward enormously to working with the Monster Entertainment team.”

Moonbug Entertainment signs Poetic Brands for Blippi apparel range

Moonbug Entertainment has signed Poetic Brands to design an apparel range based on the kids’ entertainment sensation, Blippi. The move arrives as digital entertainment brands continue to gather momentum in the licensing space.

Blippi has connected with children globally through his show Blippi, where he takes them on fun play-dates, learning through playing and doing. Blippi is available in the UK on Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. 

The children’s apparel range from Poetic Brands is set to include accessories, children’s daywear, outerwear and swimwear.            

The aim of Blippi is to inspire and explore children’s curiosity with fun and educational activities. The playful character takes children on adventures in each 15-minute episode, presenting viewers with a range of subjects and facts. 

Additionally, the wider consumer products programme for Blippi, managed throughout EMEA by brand licensing specialist The Point.1888, has begun with a toy range from Jazwares, featuring talking dolls, vehicles, role-play and outdoor toys. The property also features a monthly magazine from DJ Murphy.

Anne Bradford, Director, Poetic Brands, said: “Blippi is already an established kids’ phenomenon with over 15 billion views worldwide. There is no doubt that children are more than ready for Blippi to launch an apparel line and we are looking forward to discussing opportunities across retail.” 

Becky Langer, senior commercial manager, soft goods at The Point.1888, added: “What better way for a child to express their adoration for a brand than to wear clothing emblazoned with its characters? Apparel was one of our priorities when devising Blippi’s brand licensing programme, and with Poetic Brands being an advocate of the use of sustainable fabrics, it was our first choice.”

Moonbug Entertainment signs Poetic Brands for Blippi apparel range

Moonbug Entertainment has signed Poetic Brands to design an apparel range based on the kids’ entertainment sensation, Blippi. The move arrives as digital entertainment brands continue to gather momentum in the licensing space.

Blippi has connected with children globally through his show Blippi, where he takes them on fun play-dates, learning through playing and doing. Blippi is available in the UK on Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. 

The children’s apparel range from Poetic Brands is set to include accessories, children’s daywear, outerwear and swimwear.            

The aim of Blippi is to inspire and explore children’s curiosity with fun and educational activities. The playful character takes children on adventures in each 15-minute episode, presenting viewers with a range of subjects and facts. 

Additionally, the wider consumer products programme for Blippi, managed throughout EMEA by brand licensing specialist The Point.1888, has begun with a toy range from Jazwares, featuring talking dolls, vehicles, role-play and outdoor toys. The property also features a monthly magazine from DJ Murphy.

Anne Bradford, Director, Poetic Brands, said: “Blippi is already an established kids’ phenomenon with over 15 billion views worldwide. There is no doubt that children are more than ready for Blippi to launch an apparel line and we are looking forward to discussing opportunities across retail.” 

Becky Langer, senior commercial manager, soft goods at The Point.1888, added: “What better way for a child to express their adoration for a brand than to wear clothing emblazoned with its characters? Apparel was one of our priorities when devising Blippi’s brand licensing programme, and with Poetic Brands being an advocate of the use of sustainable fabrics, it was our first choice.”