Jakks Pacific, Inc. signed a licensing agreement with AMC to manufacture, distribute, and market Deluxe Plug It In & Play TV Games based on The Walking Dead, the original drama series on AMC. The Walking Dead Deluxe TV Games line is expected to launch at retail nationwide next fall. The Walking Dead Deluxe TV Games from Jakks features a realistic pump-and-shoot shotgun controller that plugs into the A/V jacks of any standard TV, and contains multiple games in each controller.

Jakks also signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Marvel Entertainment, LLC for a line of plush products based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad that ties into the new Marvel virtual online world, HeroUp.com. The product line is expected to include collectible plush, plush clip-ons, and large plush with online components. The line is expected to launch at specialty retailers this spring with broad distribution in mass retail channels starting in 2013. Under the same agreement, Jakks has the rights to manufacture, distribute, and market skill and action games inspired by Marvel classic characters, slated to launch this spring.

Jakks Pacific’s Tollytots division has signed a long-term agreement with Seven Towns Limited, the owners of Rubik’s Cube, to manufacture, distribute, and market a line of early learning preschool toys, named Rubik’s Clever Kids.

It has been more than 30 years since Hungarian university lecturer Dr. Erno Rubik invented his mind-boggling colored cube and introduced it to the world. Rubik’s Clever Kids preschool line builds on parental recognition of the Rubik’s brand and offers a unique approach to developmental toys for young kids featuring a variety of fun activities while at the same time teaching important developmental and motor skills through the use of colors, shapes, and puzzle-solving.

The deal was brokered by The Sharpe Company, Inc., which represents Rubik’s Cube in North America on behalf of Seven Towns Ltd., international developers, agents, and licensors for many of the nation’s favorite toys and games, and the owner of the rights to the Rubik’s brand.

Tollytots expects to launch the Rubik’s product line at retailers nationwide next fall.

Jakks Pacific, Inc. continues to expand global distribution for toys based on the Monsuno original animated television series with exclusive agreements with Planet Fun distributing for the New Zealand territory and Prima Toys for the South African territory. International distributors also include the Giochi Preziosi Group for Europe and Hunter Products for Australia.

The Monsuno series (52 x 30 min) is an epic boys’ action adventure where kids discover, command, and battle creatures with destructive potential. Targeting boys 6–11, the Monsuno series will be supported by a Jakks Pacific toy line featuring innovative, kid-controlled action figures, accessories, play sets, collectables, electronics, and integrated role play.

Nickelodeon will launch the series to audiences on owned channels in the United States, Latin America, the United Kingdom, key European and Eastern European territories, Australia and New Zealand, India, Southeast Asia, Russia, and Africa. The Monsuno series will first launch in the U.S. on Nicktoons, the fast-growing kids’ network, and select English-speaking countries.

The Monsuno series is being co-produced by Pacific Animation Partners LLC, a joint venture between Jakks Pacific, Inc. & Dentsu Entertainment USA, Inc., with FremantleMedia Enterprises and The Topps Company, Inc. FME will be responsible for the exclusive worldwide distribution of Monsuno TV programming, except for Asia, and act as the master licensing agent for the Monsuno brand outside of Asia. Jakks Pacific is the creator of the underlying Monsuno property and master toymaker for the Monsuno toy line, which is expected to hit U.S. retail shelves to coincide with the U.S. TV series premiere anticipated for spring 2012. The Topps Company has signed on to produce Monsuno trading card games, confectioneries, and related products.

U.S. Open Welcomes Uglydoll Characters

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and Uglydoll announced today their partnership to create three limited-edition tennis-themed Uglydoll characters that will be available during this year’s U.S. Open, held in New York August 29-September 11.

The characters Ox, Big Toe, and Trunko will come with their own tennis-inspired narrative that will provide consumers with a unique and fun way to share their passion for tennis. The plush toy collection will be featured in three sizes. The toys will be available at U.S. Open event retail shops beginning August 23 and are now available at the FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue store. Consumers also will be able to purchase the merchandise online at www.uglydolls.com and www.usopenshop.org.

Jakks Pacific to Acquire Moose Mountain Toymakers

Jakks Pacific, Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire Hong Kong-based Moose Mountain Toymakers Limited, which sells and manufactures sports arcade products, foot-to-floor ride-ons, tents, safe soft-play environments, arcade pinball games, and wagons.

Jakks Pacific will acquire all of the shares of stock of Moose Mountain, a 15-year-old, privately held company, and its Parsippany, NJ-based affiliate, Moose Mountain Marketing, Inc. The business includes licenses for well-known characters and brands, and its children’s product lines are complementary to Jakks Pacific’s product portfolio.

The transaction is scheduled to close in the third quarter of 2011, subject to third-party approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Smack Sportswear Signs Licensing Deal with National Volleyball League

Smack Sportswear (Smack), a brand of custom-designed volleyball apparel for both indoor and beach volleyball players alike, has signed a licensing deal with the National Volleyball League (NVL), the U.S.’s new professional beach volleyball tour.

Smack will design and manufacture the NVL’s licensed beach and fan wear. The NVL licensed apparel will be sold at events, VBSuperstore.com, and many volleyball specialty stores nationwide.

—Melissa Tinklepaugh

We love Men in Black. We love Men in Black 2. If the pattern holds, we’ll love Men in Black 3, and licensees are starting to line up for the May 2012 Sony release. Jakks Pacific announced this morning that it has signed a master toy licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to manufacture, distribute, and market a line of toys and products based on the film.

The agreement covers the Men in Black franchise and includes action figures, accessories, playsets, role play, youth electronics, novelties, games and puzzles, and Halloween costumes. The line is planned to be released in spring 2012.

Men in Black 3 stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (which you knew), along with Josh Brolin.

Comic-Con Winners and Losers

Advertising Age’s Andrew Hampp has a big article up on Comic-Con winners and losers that we suggest you check out. Some winners include Warner Bros. Television and Sony Pictures, which plugged The Amazing Spider-Man and next summer’s Total Recall reboot. (Man, there’s a lot of Sony in the blog today.) Losers include Jon Favreau, director of Cowboys and Aliens, whose panel was overshadowed by a Game of Thrones panel… and whose Cowboys and Aliens ranked only No. 6 in the WebTrends analysis of movie buzz.

Mattel Co-Founder Dies

Elliot Handler, co-founder of Mattel, passed away last week at the age of 95.

The New York Times and others reported Handler’s death, which was due to heart failure. Handler and his wife, Ruth, started Mattel in 1945 and stayed there until they were forced out in 1975, the Times‘ Charles Duhigg reports.

It was Ruth Handler who pushed for Mattel to create a doll that looked like a “mature woman,” Duhigg writes, and thus Barbie was born, and named after the Handlers’ daughter. When Barbie’s male counterpart was created, he was named Ken, after the couple’s son.

—Bryan Joiner

Last week, Hidden City Entertainment’s Bella Sara announced a licensing partnership with Berkshire Fashions, Inc. to design and produce a variety of accessories. The new line will include Bella Sara-branded headwear, cold-weather accessories, hats, scarves, hosiery, slipper socks, rain gear, and packaged panties. The products will feature an array of designs complete with fans’ favorite horses.
In addition, Bella Sara recently launched a sleepwear line with licensee Bees and Jam, LLC, and a toy line with JAKKS Pacific.

JAKKS Pacific executive Jeremy Padawer  is taking on a new role as executive vice president of marketing for JAKKS brands. Padawer was formerly senior vice president of Marketing for Boys Entertainment brands. In his new role, Padawer is  responsible for product development, marketing, new business, intellectual property, and entertainment content development for JAKKS, including girls, dolls, activities, preschool, vehicles, seasonal, construction, boys entertainment, electronics, and pets. Padawer’s new role is not inclusive of JAKKS’ divisions, Creative Designs International (CDI), Tollytots, KidsOnly!, and Disguise. Padawer joined JAKKS in 2003 and has successfully grown the entertainment brand marketing division worldwide. Padawer was responsible for the business management and product development of all action figure and collectible brands, including Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pokémon, Club Penguin, and new initiatives with Lucas, Marvel, and Warner Bros.

Hidden City Entertainment, Inc. has announced the expansion of the Bella Sara toy line from licensee JAKKS Pacific.

JAKKS’ collectible Bella Sara figures feature a variety of the most recognizable horse characters for the avid collector. The key items in the spring lineup include the Bella Sara Magical Horse collection, complete with secret codes for additional play on the Bella Sara website. Girls can also play with their Magical Horse figures with the Bella’s Ball Playset.

Also included in the JAKKS’ line are the Mom & Baby figures. Equipped with magnetic noses, these mom and daughter horses can share sweet kisses with one another. Mom & Baby figures are available in a variety of styles including the brand’s namesake horse Bella and her daughter Bellissa.

New Bella Sara Magical Horses are available online, at Target, and in the trading card aisle in select Wal-Mart stores. The products will soon be available at Toys “R” Us.

On the heels of the news that JAKKS Pacific is expanding its Taylor Swift line of dolls, fashions and playsets for 2010, it’s time to stop and acknowledge one fact: Taylor Swift cannot be stopped. At the ripe old age of 20, she outsold every other musical act in the United States in 2008; her embrace of MySpace pretty much changed the online music medium; and on top of that, she hosted what was almost universally acclaimed as the best Saturday Night Live of the year.

The best way to describe this is that Taylor Swift has “it.” The “it” is a combination of intelligence, empathy humility and grace that has nothing to do with age. Most people learn to balance these things at a high level as they get older, and a lot of musicians Swift’s age have rough, fairly predictable adjustment periods to fame. Swift seems completely beyond all this: she knows who she is, and she has no problem moving ahead. She may not have an alter ego like Miley—but she doesn’t need one, either.