Anderson Entertainment eyes sci-fi cosplay move with Space: 1999 t-shirts

Anderson Entertainment is helping the sci-fi fandom scene into hyperdrive with the launch of a range of cosplay t-shirts inspired by the crew uniforms worn in the live action classic, Space: 1999.

Founded by Gerry Anderson – the name behind iconic shows including Thunderbirds and Space: 1999, as well as the 2005 reimagining of Captain Scarlet, Anderson Entertainment has been eyeing strong partnerships and product roll out to expand its pop culture offering and growth its presence on a global scale.

The Space: 1999 cosplay long-sleeve t-shirts are replicas of uniforms worn by the crew on Moonbase Alpha. The collection has been designed to closely match the original outfits worn by the show’s cast. As in the show, the colours on the sleeves refer to the different ranks and characters in year one of the iconic 1970s Gerry Anderson series.

The collection begins with the black colourway for John Koenig, leader of Moonbase Alpha, and orange for Alan Carter, chief pilot. These will be followed by red (Main Mission/Command Centre) and purple (security staff).

The outfit’s move into the cosplay category comes hard on the heels of a new agreement with rightsholder ITV Studios, which allows Anderson Entertainment to expand its ranges of product derived from its classic brands. This agreement will enable a wide range of new and innovative products inspired by the best-loved Gerry Anderson creations.

The online Gerry Anderson store, whose existing range includes toys, apparel, model kits, gifts, calendars and homewares, is expanding its category offering significantly this year to meet demand. A major move into publishing, focusing on hardbacks, coffee table books, comic anthologies, series guides, audiobooks and more, is already under way.

Writer, producer, director, and MD of Anderson Entertainment, Jamie Anderson, said: “Gerry Anderson fans have been asking whether the stylish Space: 1999 look will be made available to wear for a long time. Well, the first-ever t-shirts in the classic style of the hit show’s uniforms are now on sale, with more designs on the way. We’re delighted with these designs – and we think the massive Gerry Anderson fanbase will be too.”

Anderson Entertainment is a content production company set up by the late Gerry Anderson, creator of Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Thunderbirds Are Go, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, Thunderbird 6, Joe 90 and The Secret Service, along with live-action productions Doppelgänger, UFO, The Protectors, Space:1999 and The Day After Tomorrow, as well as the more recent Terrahawks, Dick Spanner, Space Precinct, Lavender Castle and New Captain Scarlet.

Asmodee Entertainment builds out European licensing team with new appointment

Asmodee Entertainment is building on its licensing success of 2020 with the appointment of Etienne Bonnin as the firm’s new senior manager, media development and licensing.

Based in Paris, Bonnin will report into Darren Kyman, SVP, business development for Asmodee Entertainment, a unit of the board game giant dedicated to building out wider franchises from the Asmodee IP, led by managing director, Andy Jones.

Bonnin has spent 15 years at Glénat Editions SA, the largest independent book publisher in France. In his role as Rights and Licensing Director at Glénat, Bonnin has been running the licensing department and negotiated all rights formats (translations, Film/TV, podcast, merchandising, partworks) globally for all of the Glénat group’s catalogues: comics & graphic novels, children’s books and illustrated books.

Asmodee Entertainment’s SVP of business development, Kyman, said: “Given our well-established global presence and diverse catalogue of leading IPs, it was important for us to have a dedicated media development and licensing manager based right in the centre of Paris.

“With his years of experience in both media development and IP licensing at Glénat, we are delighted to welcome Etienne aboard.”

FanSets and Asmodee bring magic to the collectable pins space with first KeyForge line-up

FanSets LLC has partnered with the tabletop gaming giant, Asmodee to bring a dose of magic to the enamel pins space, with the launch of a series of collectables based on the popular card game title, KeyForge. The range will be launched to fans and collectors across the US, Canada, and the UK.

The series will feature KeyForge characters from every house, including the newly premiered house Unfathomable, and will be available in Summer 2021. The new deal is the latest in Asmodee Entertainment’s continued expansion into licensed opportunities for its portfolio of popular board game and card game titles.  

For FanSets, meanwhile, this deal expands their collector-focused product line and is the team’s first tabletop brand partnership. 

“We are excited to announce this new partnership just in time for fans to explore the newly released KeyForge game set Dark Tidings,” said Alexander Thieme, licensing manager for publishing and consumer goods at Asmodee Entertainment. “FanSets’ fantastic enamel pins provide our fans a way to represent their allegiance to their favorite houses. We’re thrilled  to work alongside the talented team at FanSets to bring such a great, sought after collectible to our fans!” 

KeyForge is the world’s first Unique Deck Game. Fans play as the mighty Archons and, using  their team of vault warriors, race to forge keys to unlock the secret vaults of the Crucible, a  world in which anything is possible and nothing is predictable. Fans of KeyForge all have favorite cards and houses, either because of the colorful and dynamic artwork featured or  because of the card’s power on the table, and now they can represent their favorites with  equally dynamic enamel pins. 

“Our customers are collectors, hobbyists, and passionate fans,” said FanSets co-founder Lew Halboth. “We love tabletop games and are putting every ounce of that passion into developing these KeyForge pins. We know fans will love them because we love them. We are excited to add Asmodee Games as one of our key licenses going forward and we look forward to working with their passionate team.” 

The first of these releases is planned for Q3 2021 and pins will be available at hobby and specialty shops and online. 

Children’s publisher AMEET partners with Skybound to launch new LEGO comic book series

The children’s book publisher AMEET has detailed a new partnership with the multi-platform content company, Skybound Entertainment to launch a new series of LEGO comic books. The first in the series is slated to debut in 2022 and will be published by Image Comics and Skybound.

The exclusive English-language licensed publishing partnership will bring LEGO properties into Skybound’s vast slate of notable comic book series, that includes the likes of The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Ultramega.

“As a lifelong fan of LEGO toys and content, nothing brings me greater joy than partnering with AMEET on this iconic brand. Each title will be a portal to the endless worlds accessible in every LEGO play session, created to inspire the LEGO builders, readers, and thinkers of tomorrow,” said Sean Mackiewicz, senior vice president, editor-in-chief at Skybound Entertainment.

“Comic Books form a key component of the LEGO Books publishing strategy to bring LEGO stories to young readers everywhere,” added Eric Huang, vice president and publisher at AMEET. “Skybound is the perfect LEGO Books comics partner. They’re as passionate as we are about publishing books that encourage creativity and play.”

Skybound’s first venture into the LEGO Group’s vast library of intellectual property will be announced in the coming months.

Skybound Entertainment is a multi-platform content company that works with creators and their intellectual properties, extending their stories to platforms including comics, television, film, tabletop and video games, books, digital content, events, and more. The company is the home of notable properties including The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Super Dinosaur.

Skybound holds strategic partnerships across the entertainment industry, and has the in-house capabilities to serve as publisher, producer, and global distributor for tabletop and video games. On screen, Skybound holds a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios and a first-look movie deal with Universal.

Additional partnerships include comic book publishing with Image Comics, book publishing with Simon & Schuster, and a first-look narrative audio deal with Audible.

Children’s publisher AMEET partners with Skybound to launch new LEGO comic book series

The children’s book publisher AMEET has detailed a new partnership with the multi-platform content company, Skybound Entertainment to launch a new series of LEGO comic books. The first in the series is slated to debut in 2022 and will be published by Image Comics and Skybound.

The exclusive English-language licensed publishing partnership will bring LEGO properties into Skybound’s vast slate of notable comic book series, that includes the likes of The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Ultramega.

“As a lifelong fan of LEGO toys and content, nothing brings me greater joy than partnering with AMEET on this iconic brand. Each title will be a portal to the endless worlds accessible in every LEGO play session, created to inspire the LEGO builders, readers, and thinkers of tomorrow,” said Sean Mackiewicz, senior vice president, editor-in-chief at Skybound Entertainment.

“Comic Books form a key component of the LEGO Books publishing strategy to bring LEGO stories to young readers everywhere,” added Eric Huang, vice president and publisher at AMEET. “Skybound is the perfect LEGO Books comics partner. They’re as passionate as we are about publishing books that encourage creativity and play.”

Skybound’s first venture into the LEGO Group’s vast library of intellectual property will be announced in the coming months.

Skybound Entertainment is a multi-platform content company that works with creators and their intellectual properties, extending their stories to platforms including comics, television, film, tabletop and video games, books, digital content, events, and more. The company is the home of notable properties including The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Super Dinosaur.

Skybound holds strategic partnerships across the entertainment industry, and has the in-house capabilities to serve as publisher, producer, and global distributor for tabletop and video games. On screen, Skybound holds a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios and a first-look movie deal with Universal.

Additional partnerships include comic book publishing with Image Comics, book publishing with Simon & Schuster, and a first-look narrative audio deal with Audible.

Finding Neverland | How adult fans are driving toy sales across the UK

There’s no shame in admitting it, toys, games, gaming, and play doesn’t have to have an age limit; something that a growing portion of the UK population can attest to. Last year, the UK’s kidult market hit new heights, fuelled by a pandemic that left grown ups and kids at heart with a lot more time on their hands to revisit their old passions. Given the audience size, it’s a market that can’t be stopped

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A factoid that gets overheard often when you spend any length of time within a city setting, is that you’re at no point, more than seven feet away from a mouse. The same could probably be said for Funko Pop! figures.

In fact, the statistic is likely somewhat higher. Higher still if you swap out specifics for the term now used to categorise a demographic of people that appears to be expanding at an alarming rate. If the most recent NPD figures are anything to go by, the UK’s ‘kidult’ sector, that is the adult audience of toy fans, appears to be, well, breeding like mice.

Accounting for a staggering 27 per cent of the total toy sales here in the UK for the year end 2020, the kidult sector is one that can be, by any means, no longer ignored.

What started decades ago, with the advent of the pop culture consumer products scene has shifted from an underground following of ‘ultra-nerdom’ to a mainstream – if not staple – sector within the UK toy space. Time was, tell a room full of adults about your collection of Transformers toys or your Mage level in the latest tabletop campaign, you’d be faced with stifled chortles and a lifetime of social isolation. Today, those self-confessed nerds are our celebrities, our pop icons, and our sports stars. And that’s OK. These days, when it comes to the topic of adult collectors of toys games, there really is no kidding around.

Take the pop culture gift and consumer products specialist, Fanattik, for instance. In its last financial year report, the firm found itself up around 123 per cent. We’re all aware that 2020 will forever be classed as a ‘freak’ year for sales figures, with online shopping helping drive sales in sectors that wouldn’t necessarily be replicated on the high street, but how would you account for the 40 per cent growth, year on year, that Fanattik has enjoyed each year before Covid-19?

“Traditionally, we never supplied toy retail, our focus was always on the gift trade,” Fanattik’s managing director, Anthony Marks, tells ToyNews. “But enquiries from the toy sector dramatically increased last year, retailers were looking for something different to add to their online offering, and the ones that trialed our range never looked back.”

It’s become a common narrative across the toy industry that the kidult audience is being recognised and catered to at a growing pace by companies and retailers once more aligned with the traditional children’s audience. There’s a reason that the Toymaster catalogue has started including Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons, just as it has welcomed Games Workshop into the fold in recent years, and why Pokemon Trading Card Game sales are in the midst of a world-wide resurgence, and why the local toy shop is just a likely to stock miniatures painting kits as it is Jellycat plush toys for pre-schoolers.

The audience for toys today is multi-generational.

“The genie is out of the bottle,” exclaims Marks. “Just look at the success Playmobil has had with its Back to the Future range. The retailers we are speaking with throughout Europe say that they will always have shelf-space for the latest blockbuster, but the iconic film and gaming brands cannot be ignored anymore.”

Late last month, Fanattik released details of a major new partnership with Hasbro and its Wizards of the Coast segment through which it will launch a range of licensed gifts and collectables based on its Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons gaming franchises. It’s a marker of success for the firm that has managed to carve a reputable name for itself in a market notoriously protective of its favoured IP. Marks has high hopes that the range will replicate the success retailers saw with Fanattik’s Yu-Gi-Oh! ranges when the collection launches in Q3 this year.

“We do not go for the latest film or game release, it has to be a brand with multi-generational appeal, an existing fanbase that
due to the market’s focus on the latest game or film release, finds itself being ignored,” says Marks.

“The Kidult sector has been growing year on year, and the pandemic gave it a major push forward. With no new film releases, for example, fans were going back and watching their old favourites and introducing those films to family members who missed it, or were too young to appreciate them the first time around.

“There are also millions of new gamers that have been created by having to spend more time at home, and that’s an audience that cannot be ignored either.”

This article – and a more in depth look at some of the firms taking on the ‘kidult’ sector – appears in the Spring/Summer issue of ToyNews.