Walt Disney Co. will absorb Marvel Studios’ marketing into Disney’s film studio, eliminating Marvel’s marketing department. Disney reported a 60 percent drop in film-unit earnings in its most recent quarter and seeks ways to lower film costs, according to Ronald Grover reporting for Bloomberg.com.

Disney bought Marvel in 2009, but Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures released Marvel’s Thor and Captain America in a deal that ended this year. Disney will release Marvel’s The Avengers next spring.

Nickelodeon Consumer Products (NCP) also announced company changes this week. NCP, a division of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), plans to take its Canadian licensing and merchandising business in-house as of October 1. NCP Canada’s Toronto-based office will exclusively represent VIMN’s portfolio of properties and brands, including Nickelodeon, MTV, and Comedy Central, and manage all operations and retail and licensee relationships for NCP.

Marvel Heads to the Kitchen with Williams-Sonoma

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, has partnered with Williams-Sonoma to launch a collection of superhero kitchen and bakeware merchandise sold exclusively at Williams-Sonoma.

Designed exclusively for the retailer, the products include renowned superheroes from the Marvel Universe, including Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man. Featuring retro character art and graphics, the Williams-Sonoma collection captures the charm and artistry of the original Marvel Comics.

The program launches with an array of bakeware and kitchen essentials including cookie cutters, pancake molds, adult and child aprons, spatulas, and iced cookies. Product will be available at all Williams-Sonoma stores in the U.S. and Canada, and also via catalog and online.

Berkshire Signs Fila Licensing Deal

Italy’s Fila Luxembourg, S.a.r.l. has entered into a multiyear licensing deal with Berkshire Fashions, Inc. to design, manufacturer, and sell Fila accessories for the U.S. market, commencing this fall.

The line for Fila, which marks its 100 anniversary this year, will feature men’s women’s, boys’, and girls’ headwear, cold weather accessories, sweatbands, bags, and water bottles.

Disney Consumer Products To Showcase Merchandise at D23 Expo 2011

Disney Consumer Products (DCP) will showcase an extensive collection of Disney merchandise and interactive experiences inside its Disney Living Pavilion at the ultimate Disney fan event, D23 Expo, held at the Anaheim Convention Center from August 19-21.

D23 Expo attendees can explore the ultimate Disney lifestyle through the neighborhoods of “Style,” “Play,” and “Celebrations.” From the latest toys and newest fashions to the ultimate Disney birthday party and some of the most beloved Disney classics such as Disney It’s a Small World, guests can experience all things Disney through an immersive environment featuring exclusive and never-before-seen products; meet and greets with artists, designers, authors, and innovators; hands-on demos and activities; and live performances at the Disney Living Pavilion stage.

Guests can commemorate the event with specially released D23 merchandise, including a new Hallmark keepsake ornament, a Toy Story Woody action figure, a Finn McMissile Cars vehicle from Mattel, a Minnie Mouse plush from Just Play, and limited-edition 25th anniversary items from Disney Store.

Tickets to D23 Expo 2011 are available at http://www.D23Expo.com. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 Expo and can be purchased for single days or for the full three days of festivities. More details about D23 Expo entertainment, events, and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can keep up with all the news by visiting www.D23Expo.com, as well as by following “Disney D23″ on Twitter and Facebook.

—Melissa Tinklepaugh

Marvel Entertainment, LLC has entered into a licensing agreement with Blip Toys, the innovative toy company behind the hugely successful line of Squinkies collectible figures. As part of the multiyear deal, Blip Toys has created an all-new collection of Squinkies for boys inspired by Marvel’s most popular Super Heroes and Super Villains. Squinkies Marvel Universe Capsule Pack Series 1 and Series 2, which each include 12 miniature figures, are currently available online at http://shop.squinkies.com and through major retailers across the country including Target, Walmart, and Toys “R” Us.

The Squinkies Marvel line includes Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Wolverine, Silver Surfer, Thing, Human Torch, Doctor Doom, and Green Goblin. Each miniature figure comes encased in a unique toy plastic bubble that kids pop open in order to discover the Super Hero “Surprize Inside.”

“We are always looking for innovative products that would marry well with the Marvel brand, and Squinkies are one of the most exciting things we’ve seen out in the market,” says Paul Gitter, president of consumer products for North America, Marvel Entertainment. “Bringing together Squinkies with some of our legendary Super Heroes and Super Villains from the Marvel Universe, we feel, will be an instant hit with both comic fans young and old.”

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, and the National Basketball Association have announced a collaboration to launch an exclusive collection of co-branded merchandise featuring NBA team logos alongside Super Heroes in the Marvel Universe.

The line will include co-branded apparel and accessories, with artwork featuring a variety of Marvel Super Heroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man and Captain America, dressed in NBA team colors and logos.

The collection will launch with headwear and apparel, including T-shirts and sweatshirts by C-Life, as well as headwear by New Era.

Modell’s and Madison Square Garden will launch the New York collection and the STAPLES Center will be the first destination for L.A. Lakers co-branded merchandise to debut at the NBA All-Star game on February 20. The products will then be made available in other national and regional sporting goods retailers, specialty stores, additional NBA arena stores, and mid-tier channels sports apparel departments.

Marvel Entertainment has partnered with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers to launch Super Hero Squad and Iron Man 2 children’s book publishing programs, including novels, early readers, storybooks and activity books. Starting this spring, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will release six Iron Man 2 titles and the first three Super Hero Squad books.

Additionally, Marvel has expanded its partnership with Bendon Publishing to launch an expanded children’s reading program featuring Spider Man, Marvel Heroes, Super Hero Squad, Iron Man 2, and the Incredible Hulk.

Through this expanded agreement, Bendon Publishing will augment its existing line of Marvel children’s books with new formats for a wide range of Marvel properties. The children’s reading programs will include activity books, coloring books, pop-up books, workbooks, flash cards, reward stickers, and board books. The initial line of titles will be available at drug stores, discount stores, department stores, mass market, price clubs, super market/grocery, and craft and hobby stores.

Shout! Factory and Marvel Animation have expanded their partnership to bring the Marvel Knights Animation series to the U.S. home entertainment marketplace. The announcement was made today by Shout! Factory founding partners Richard Foos, Bob Emmer, and Garson Foos; and Marvel Animation President Eric Rollman.

Under the multi-year agreement, Shout! Factory will be the exclusive U.S. home entertainment distributor with licensing rights to Marvel Knights Animation properties, including Astonishing X-Men: Gifted, Black Panther, Iron Man: Extremis, Spider-Woman, and others to be announced soon.

Early this year, Shout! Factory announced an agreement with Marvel Animation to be the exclusive U.S. home entertainment distributor to Marvel’s animated series, The Super Hero Squad Show.

In other Marvel news, Marvel Entertainment and Paramount Pictures have teamed with Burger King for an Iron Man 2-themed Kids’ Meal promotion in advance of the movie’s May 7 release.

Each Kids’ Meal will come with one of eight Iron Man 2 toys.Kids can collect up to eight Iron Man 2 toys, including four targeted towards girls and four for boys. Additionally, kids can find an Iron Man 2 Zoom Space game online at www.ClubBK.com.

To hold you over until May 7, here’s the Iron Man 2 trailer:

Marvel Entertainment, LLC has partnered with Diesel, fragrance licensee of the Luxury Products Division of L’Oréal, to launch an exclusive co-branded men’s fragrance tied to the upcoming release of Iron Man 2. The new Diesel fragrance, Only The Brave— Iron Man Limited Edition, will be available worldwide at high-end retail, including perfumeries, department stores and Diesel stores, beginning mid-April 2010, in advance of the worldwide premiere of the Iron Man 2 feature film. Diesel Only The Brave—Iron Man Limited Edition is bottled in the iconic Only The Brave flacon, garbed in flashy red for the occasion. Marvel and Diesel will support the launch of the fragrance with several digital initiatives, including a dedicated website, downloadable video game, online contests and more.  Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7.

Spidey’s feet just got happier.

Marvel Entertainment today expanded its partnership with Reebok with a collection of children’s sneakers featuring Spider-Man at Finish Line.

This new line expands on Marvel’s relationship with Reebok, which initially launched with a collection of children’s sneakers featuring Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in spring 2008 and was followed by a collection of Spider-Man sneakers at Finish Line in 2009. Building on that success, the new line of co-branded sneakers will be available at Finish Line stores nationwide beginning in spring 2010.

The sneakers are designed exclusively for Finish Line, and Reebok and Finish Line are supporting the Marvel introduction with in-store signage and graphics.

When we think of super heroes, we think of Marvel.

As it turns out, one of our personal super heroes here at TLB, Stephen King, has teamed up with Marvel to create a comic book adaptation of one of his newest short stories, “N.,” originally printed in King’s most recent short story collection, Just After Sunset.

The Marvel version is a four-issue limited series starting in March, adapted by writer Marc Guggenheim with art by Alex Maleev,

Guggenheim and Maleev already adapted “N.” as a motion comic that was released by Marvel in 2008, but they had to re-vamp the story for comic books, expanding the 25 short video episodes into four printed comics, taking the spoken dialogue and making it work in word balloons, and redoing the artwork to tell the story in a sequential format.

The new version will add to the story, with a different beginning and ending, plus new characters.

“N.” tells the story of a psychiatrist who falls victim to the same mysterious obsession as one of his patients—a man simply labeled as “N.” The obsession stems from a visit to a circle of rocks placed in “Ackerman’s Field” on the outskirts of town, and it starts to affect more than just one person.

Here’s to hoping that the new comic book is as catching as the mysterious ailment in the story itself.

And “Here’s to you, Constant Reader,” as King would say.

The only thing cooler than watching a movie or cartoon with your favorite super hero is watching a cartoon with ALL of your favorite super heroes.

Shout! Factory and Marvel Animation, Inc. have announced a new alliance to bring Marvel’s animated series The Super Hero Squad Show to the home entertainment marketplace. Under the multi-year deal, Shout! Factory will be the exclusive U.S. home entertainment distributor with licensing rights to the series, currently airing on Cartoon Network.

Shout! Factory is planning a strategic rollout of The Super Hero Squad Show home entertainment product line later this year.

When the greatest heroes on the planet unite to face the world’s greatest villains, you get the biggest, most family-friendly Super Hero team-up in TV history… The Super Hero Squad Show.