Reemsborko partners with TMS Entertainment to bring anime’s Lupin the Third to licensing

Reemsborko, the pop culture and anime licensing specialist has partnered with TMS Entertainment to represent the classic anime property, Lupin the Third in the consumer products space. Under the deal, Reemsborko will embark on a licensing programme for the European market.

A classic in the anime market, Lupin the Third was created in 1967 by the manga artist Kazuhiko Kato (under the pen name Monkey Punch) and has spawned a multi-media franchise encompassing six animated TV series, seven full length animated films, two live action films, multiple music albums and soundtracks, stage musicals, and video games.

Lupin the Third follows the story of the grandson of the fictional Arsène Lupin, the original gentleman thief, and one of the most famous and wanted crooks in the world. A ruthless criminal with a sense of humour, Lupin is constantly pursued by Interpol’s Zenigata and often accompanied by a group of not-so-faithful accomplices as he attempts some of the most outrageous thefts of all time, or deals with the many, many people holding a grudge against him.

The animé series have been heavily rotated on Funimation and Cartoon Network while new content is still being produced. The first CGI feature film is due to be in cinemas worldwide later this year.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko, said: “It’s really great to be working with TMS, representing the best of Lupin the Third. This classic animé property is still delivering new content that will drive consumer products to the fans.”

Cinzia Mariani, Vice President at TMS Paris, added: “We are very excited at TMS to team up with Reemsborko to bring all the swagger and allure of the Lupin family to European fans old and new. Do keep an eye out for our gentleman thief.”

 

Sunny Bunnies lands slate of new broadcast deals in Asia, including China’s VOD giant Tencent

The London-based animation and family content distribution firm, Media I.M Incorporated has detail a slate of new deals that will launch its global pre-school hit, Sunny Bunnies into several new Asian territories. The deal will also see the property land on one of China’s biggest VOD platforms, Tencent.

Tencent will now run seasons one to three of the Sunny Bunnies animated series. Also included in the deal is sub-brand Sunny Bunnies Get Busy, which teaches kids Sunny Bunny-themed arts and crafts. Tencent is recognised as one of the biggest VOD players in China with over 110 million paid subscriptions. It now plans to launch Sunny Bunnies later this summer.

The show is also on air on Youku, Mango TV, iQIYI, Hisense and Huawei Video via a string of previous deals with major Chinese platforms.

A second Asian deal for the pre-school sensation will see the first four seasons of Sunny Bunnies debut this summer on Pakistan’s Kids zone, the first HD children’s channel in the country.

Maria Ufland, co-founder of Media I.M. Incorporated, said: “The entire Sunny Bunnies project continues to gain momentum, with content rolling out in almost every territory around the globe and merchandising in our key markets. The last couple of months have been extremely difficult for kids and their families globally and we see rising demand for feel-good content which makes kids laugh out loud and puts a smile on their faces.

“We have been working hard to make the show fun and relevant for kids focusing on developing specials such as washing hands and exercising with Sunny Bunnies as well as creating more of Get Busy sub-brand to keep the kids occupied. Through Tencent, the Bunnies will have access to a staggering number of potential new fans, while the Kids zone Pakistan deal will see our little friends bounce into new and exciting Asian territories.”

Batool Tatheer, director content acquisition of Kids Zone Pakistan said: “We are excited to acquire Sunny Bunnies and have already received great response from our audience when we announced the upcoming show on Kids Zone Pakistan. We are looking forward for a fun ride together with the Bunnies.”

The Tencent and Kids Zone Pakistan sales follow on the heels of a deal in late April with 0+ Media in Russia, under which 0+ Media secured the licensing and merchandising rights for Sunny Bunnies across all the main categories of consumer products, along with the first four TV series for distribution across its networks in Russia and the CIS territories.

Produced by Digital Light Studio, the Sunny Bunnies are five beaming balls that can appear anywhere there is a source of light, from sunshine to moonlight. In each episode, the cheeky creatures bring their fun and games to a different location – a circus, a sports stadium, a park – embarking on mischievous adventures and spreading laughter and happiness. And at the end of every episode, the fun continues with a collection of bloopers.

 

41Entertainment lands first SVOD and broadcast deals for animated series S.M.A.S.H

HBO Max has signed a new deal with 41 Entertainment that grants it the First Window Exclusive SVOD rights to the company’s new animated series S.M.A.S.H in the US. The streaming platform is joined by Super RTL in Germany who has secured the exclusive content rights for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

41 Entertainment will launch the new animated series on a global scale in 2022. Discovery Family Channel and Discovery Familia in the US has already secured the exclusive linear rights to the series.

S.M.A.S.H is set at a one-of-a-kind sleepaway camp located on Lake Sebastian in Bavaria, Germany where four kids with superpowers – Streak (St Petersburg, Russia), Rocket (Cape Town, South Africa), Flare (Glasgow, Scotland) and Vitoria (São Paulo, Brazil) – are preparing to become the next generation of superheroes.

At the center of this super heroic action team is Mei Lien, a clever and charismatic mechanical genius from Guangzhou, China. Mei Lien is a tehc whizz and inventor of many of the SMASH kids’ customised vehicles and gadgets.

Created by Allen Bohbot and based on an original idea by Kaaren Lee Brown, S.M.A.S.H has been developed for television by Kaaren Lee Brown and Kiersten Halstead, illustrated by Mel Bontrager, and executive produced by Allen Bohbot. The series is planned to launch in 2022 worldwide from the same creative and production team as the international hit Super Monsters.

“We have built a great team of writers to bring the S.M.A.S.H adventures to life, including Josh Haber (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Skylanders Academy, Spider-Man) and Eric Rogers (Skylanders Academy, Futurama, Brickelberry),” said Halstead.

“We are also fortunate to have a fantastic production team to build out the Camp S.M.A.S.H world. Each episode focuses on fun and engaging superhero adventures that require teamwork, problem solving, and a sense of humour.”

Nancy Koff, VP, sales and marketing, added: “It is thrilling to be announcing an initial line-up of such stellar international broadcasters. The response from the market to S.M.A.S.H has been very encouraging and we look forward to announcing additional broadcasters and platforms soon.

“We believe the property is attractive to customers worldwide due to the high quality CG animation, cultural diversity of characters, and earnest storylines, which revolve around the children honing their skills and powers, while realizing how much they still need to learn in order to become a superhero like their parents Torpedo, Silver Streak, Rocket Man and Flame.”

WWE unveils World of Tanks mashup for PlayStation and Xbox

WWE is leaping into the ring with Wargaming’s World of Tanks video game with the launch of its Update 5.0 – Season One SummerSlam, that will see a new collection of Superstar Collector Tanks land within the game, each inspired by WWE Superstars including The Undertaker, Becky Lynch, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Andre the Giant.

Running from now until Monday, September 21, SummerSlam brings an exclusive new season pass featuring WWE inspired tanks, Superstar collectable crews, new garages and more to World of Tanks players on PlayStation and Xbox.

Players will also be given the ability to experience their own redesigned WWE Garage – including Superstar introductions for their vehicles, unique visuals for each Premium Collector Tank, and two sets of crew chests that will include the aforementioned five Superstars and Legends to start in addition to Roman Reigns, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels in August.

Update 5.0 will also introduce cross-play between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One users, giving players the opportunity to pit their skills against one another in an expanded player base with quicker matchmaking speeds across all tiers. For real-time-strategy fans, the popular Commander mode returns allowing players to get a different angle on the intense tank fighting and tactics.

TJ Wagner, executive producer of Wargaming Chicago-Baltimore, said: “The update 5.0 and launch of Season One is probably the biggest one our team in Chicago has done in a couple of years. Partnering with WWE has been a fantastic experience and is bringing unique new content to our players, who can expect more updates like SummerSlam in the future.

“With update 5.0 e’re very excited to be able to address many player requests and desires for our game like cross-play that unites PlayStation and Xbox tankers, to make match making faster and better.”

The Hachette Children’s Group lands publishing rights for the hit pre-school series Tinpo

The Point. 1888 has partnered with one of the UK’s leading children’s publishers, the Hachette Children’s Group, to adapt the CGI animated television series Tinpo into a wide range of book and activity formats.

The agreement will see the launch of a new range of picture books, annuals, story books, activity books, and novelty books featuring the characters and stories from the popular children’s series.

Since launching in February 2019 via a prime slot on the CBeebies television channel, Tinpo has become a favourite among its pre-school audience in the UK. Combining themes of construction and unconventional problem solving, the main character Tinpo and his team resolve problems in their unique world in ways that are never practical, but always fun.

In addition to the UK, the show just launched last week in Japan on TV Tokyo and last month in Latin America on Nick Jr./Noggin with more broadcaster announcements coming shortly.

The Hachette Children’s Group was chosen as the property’s publishing partner for its record of success in creating award-winning and bestselling books for children of all ages and interests. Its licensed publishing includes Rainbow Magic, Beast Quest and Pokémon.

Bethan Garton, retail and brand director at The Point.1888, said: “This is a wonderful start to what will be a successful licensing programme for Tinpo and its owner, Cloudco Entertainment. Publishing is a key pillar within the programme, allowing the brand to reach an already loyal audience with some crucial products in a popular category.

“Here at The Point.1888, we love working with the Hachette Children’s Group and are delighted to be adding Tinpo to its portfolio of impressive brands.”

Heather Crossley, Pat-a-Cake and Licensing Publisher at the Hachette Children’s Group, commented: “We’re delighted to be constructing a tailored publishing programme that introduces the “Tintastic” world of STEAM to pre-schoolers. Building on the themes of problem-solving, creativity and teamwork, we will combine tried-and-tested formats with innovative ideas to create books that children will come back to time and again.”

Roubina Tchoboian, vice-president of international licensing at Cloudco Entertainment, added: “We have long admired the products that Hachette Children’s Group creates and look forward to seeing the key themes of Tinpo brought to life through what we’re confident will be a successful range of books.”

 

Top Drawer confirms virtual event for 2020 as UK gov plans to ease restrictions in October

The UK lifestyle trade show, Top Drawer – a destination for brands across home, gift, craft, fashion, and greetings – as confirmed that this year’s event will be held virtually, a step taken in light of the current coronavirus pandemic.

The move follows the UK government’s announcement that it will not be easing restrictions on exhibitoins in England until October 1st this year. Clarion Events has now confirmed that the A/W20 edition of Top Drawer will be held virtually.

Show director, Alejandra Campos, said: “While we had hoped we could deliver an event for the community, safely and successfully, we have also been busy planning for such an eventuality. We are now ready to launch Top Drawer virtual, a unique digital alternative that is sure to inspire, engage and connect our community of brands and buyers.

“The support of our exhibitors and visitors over the last few weeks has been incredible, and we are pleased we can provide them with the opportunity to network, forge new business and access the shared learning that they always turn to Top Drawer for.”

Top Drawer’s new digital platform will offer the show’s community new opportunities to network and expand trade. The September programme will provide both UK-based and international buyers easy access to exciting product launches, expert advice, inspiring case studies, next season trends, and much more.

Additional information about the virtual edition of the show will be released in coming weeks.

 

Dark Horse Comics teams with Studio71 Games to launch The Umbrella Academy card game

For everyone who enjoys a bit of pop culture nerdery, Dark Horse Comics is looking to provide your latest fix with the launch of a new battling card game based on the hit comic series-turned Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy. The news arrives as season two of The Umbrella Academy readies to land on Netflix this July 31.

The card game has been developed by the comic book publisher in partnership with Studio71 Games, a Red Arrow Studios company, and aims to bring the fantastical and dysfunctional world of The Umbrella Academy to life in the living room.

“We are thrilled with the continued fan response and reception to The Umbrella Academy. Our love for these stories and characters is what makes us excited for you all to get to experience them firsthand with the Studio71 Umbrella Academy Card Game,” said Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, creators of The Umbrella Academy comic series.

The game brings together your favourite seven siblings to defeat hordes of villains in cooperative battle. Play as Five, Séance, Space Boy, The Rumor, The Horror, The Kraken, or Vanya, each with their own unique powers. These abilities give players a powerful strategy to follow during the game.

Players will battle deadly villains like Carmichael, Dr. Terminal, Perseus X and Medusa, Hazel & Cha Cha, and more. Based on the number of players, shuffle and place the indicated number of villain cards in the middle of the play area, face down. Those villains will use villain attack cards to battle against the siblings.

‘An Umbrella Academy game would be nothing without a little dysfunction, brothers will fight, there will be confrontation, hopelessness, you might even hit rock bottom,’ reads the game’s description. ‘Throughout the game, dysfunctional family cards bring the comic themes to life and affect each round. The siblings are victorious when all the villain cards are defeated, but if the villains overwhelm the siblings the world will be destroyed.’

The Umbrella Academy Card Game is available to pre-order now.

Spacetoon to develop consumer product programme for YouTube’s The Moshaya Family across MENA

Spacetoon, one of the MENA region’s largest family content providers, has signed a new partnership with The Moshaya Family – the top rated family friendly content creator in the Arab world – to roll out a consumer products and digital media programme that will encompass a new animated series.

Through the agreement, Spacetoon will work to transform the hit YouTube channel into a lifestyle franchise across a variety of consumer products including toys, animation series, video games, and FMCG specially designed to targeting and entertain kids and families.

In developing the consumer products programme for the channel, Spacetoon will introduce the franchise to the toy industry for the first time. The official announcement coincides with the unveiling of a new brand identity for The Moshaya Family, including a new logo reflective of the connection the family has established with its fan base across MENA.

The new brand identity is considered to be the first action towards building a strong brand positioning in the market for The Moshaya Family. As a result, this will pave the way for companies which look for partnership opportunities to boost their businesses through products for children and families.

Ahmad Weiss, commercial director of Spacetoon, said: “This is truly one of the most exciting partnerships that we have ever involved with. We’re so thrilled to be collaborating with the pioneer in the family content creation in the region to provide new experiences for kids and families throughout a variety of consumer products.

“Being in the family entertainment industry for over 20 years has made us closer to the consumers especially parents in a way that helps us win their trust. This couldn’t have been done without the massive support of our global and local partners.”

Muhammed Moshaya, the founder of The Moshaya Family YouTube channel, added: “We are so thrilled for this opportunity with Spacetoon. We have always been interested in enlarging our work throughout in many fields such as toys and licensing, but it was difficult to find the right partner. Now with this alliance we are so excited to finally see the results coming to light.”

Spacetoon has already partnered with Toy Pro, a Dubai-based company specialised in toy distribution and licensing, to launch the first toy line for The Moshaya Family brand in the markets alongside working on wide range of consumer products.

 

Discovery Inc launches its Shark Week 2020 consumer products programme

Discovery Inc has revealed its list of merchandising partner’s for its long-running summer event, Discovery Channel’s Shark Week 2020. The week-long programming event will air on Sunday, August 9th and run until Sunday, August 16th.

This year’s consumer products programme includes new and returning partners across apparel, accessories, toys, and publishing categories, with the likes of Build-A-Bear and Mattel on board for new toy ranges for 2020.

New in 2020, Smathers and Branson, the personalised accessories company, will launch a line of Shark Week themed hand-stitched needlepoint accessories including belts, hats, card wallets, koozies and key fobs in July available at SmathersandBranson.com. Meanwhile, the apparel company RSVLTS is joining Shark Week with men’s apparel, including short-sleeve button ups, neckties and pocket squares available on RSVLTS.com or through the @rsvlts Instagram in July.

Also new, men’s and women’s apparel company The Forecast Agency is debuting an apparel line at the end of July retailing at Urban Outfitters, PacSun and DesertDreamerLA.com.

Discovery has also lined up an extensive list of returning partners that includes Build-A-Bear and its Shark Week collection featuring the Great White Shark and Saw Shark, while Mattel is launching a Shark Week themed UNO this month. Bright Kingdom is returning with a line of shark play-sets, plush shark toys will be made available courtesy of Dandee, and Meredith is partnering with Discovery on a shark-themed bookazine called The Ultimate Book of Sharks.

On top of this, a number of accessories partners are returning for this year’s Shark Week. Knockaround Sunglasses is returning for a sixth year, launching its special release shark-themed sunglasses on Knockaround.com with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Oceana, a charitable organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans on a global scale, and Discovery’s charitable partner.

Sock Fancy is back for a third year with a line of unisex socks, launching in July on SockFancy.com. Freestyle Watches is back for year two with a new collection of its Classic Shark timepieces available with digital or analog movements launching in July at Freestyleusa.com, Ron Jon’s, Tilly’s, Zumiez and other fine retailers.

Freestyle will also be launching a limited series of its signature leash and clip watch straps made to accessorize Apple Smart Watches, launching in July and available exclusively at Freestyleusa.com

“Every year, we look forward to enhancing our viewers’ love for Shark Week by providing them with an appealing and diverse slate of merchandise,” said Carolann Dunn, vice president, consumer products licensing, Discovery, Inc. “Our goal is to allow shark lovers to go beyond watching shark-themed programming by wearing or playing with shark-themed products, and this year’s consumer products programming provides the opportunity to do just that.”

Each year, Shark Week takes fascinated viewers on a week-long journey to the depths of the sea to uncover the secrets of the ocean’s top creature. Found in 220 countries and territories around the globe, Shark Week is a pop culture phenomenon that thrills fans of all ages with dynamic programming around these often-misunderstood sea creatures.

Skateboarding brand DGK carves out new Otter Pops collab for US nostalgia chasers

The skateboarding and lifestyle specialist, DGK has struck up a new partnership with Jel Sert to bring the popular US brand Otter Pops onto the skating scene with a new, nostalgia-driven collection of apparel, accessories, and skateboards. The deal was brokered by the licensing agency Lisa Marks Associates.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Otter Pops, the capsule collection will be launched with Zumiez and other key DGK accounts.

Founded in Hollywood in 1970, Otter Pops is a beloved treat and pop culture icon that has captivated hearts across the US for generations. Otter Pops is widely recognised as the number one selling ice pop on the west coast with national distribution and a cast of classic characters.

DGK is Dirty Ghetto Kids, a clothing, skateboard, and accessories line created by Stevie Williams in 2002. Growing up on the streets of Philadelphia, Williams and his crew of friends took to calling themselves “Dirty Ghetto Kids”. Years later, Dirty Ghetto Kids is now seen on street smart folks all over the place, with worldwide recognition of the DGK brand, and its graffiti-inspired designs.

“The new DGK x Otter Pops program will be loved by DGK and Otter Pops fans across America,” said LMA president Lisa Marks. “What better way to celebrate fan favourite Otter Pops 50th Anniversary than with an awesome DGK tee shirt, sweatshirt, socks and skateboards.”

“Otter Pops is essential to the streets like DGK,” said Williams, founder/owner/pro skateboarder of DGK. “The best go-to freezer snack in the game mixed with skateboards. A true kids favourite.”

“We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity and timing to partner with DGK for Otter Pops 50th Anniversary,” said Kyle Harrington, brand manager of Otter Pops. “An Otter Pop in one hand and a skateboard in the other – name a better combo.”