Rubie’s Costume Company, Inc., has received the 2011 Monster High North America Rookie Licensee of the year award from Mattel.

As one of the most successful children’s licenses of last year, characters from the Monster High Costume Collection include Frankie Stein, Lagoona Blue, Cleo de Nile, Clawdeen Wolf, and Draculaura. Available in children’s, tween, and adult sizes, each character comes to life with unique designs, intricate detailing, and coordinating accessories. In addition to the colorful costumes, the line also includes wigs and make-up kits.

With the expansion of the 2012 Monster High Collection, Rubie’s continues to create costumes that reflect the characters’ unique personalities while paying homage to their cool monster heritage. As they say at Monster High, freaky just got fabulous.

Robert Eckert has informed Mattel’s board of directors of his decision to retire as CEO, after 11 years with the company, effective December 31. The board has named Bryan Stockton (pictured), who has held the position of COO for the past year, to succeed Eckert as CEO, effective January 1, 2012. Eckert has agreed to continue in his role as chairman of the board, and the board has elected Stockton as a member of the board, effective January 1.

For the past year, Stockton has served as COO, with responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the company, including its business units: Mattel Brands, Fisher-Price, American Girl, and the North American and International divisions. Stockton has also been responsible for the operations and corporate responsibility functions. Stockton joined Mattel in November 2000 as executive vice president of business planning and development, and was responsible for identifying and developing strategic opportunities for the company, as well as managing all merger and acquisition activity. He gained responsibility for the International division in 2003, where he began driving Mattel’s business outside the U.S., including sales and marketing for Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price. He was promoted to president of International in 2007.

Mattel is in the final stages of negotiating a £500 million deal to buy Hit Entertainment, the children’s media group behind Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine, from Apax Partners, according to The Financial Times. Apax had bought Hit Entertainment in 2005 for £489 million.

Hit’s portfolio includes Thomas the Tank Engine, Angelina Ballerina, Fireman Sam, and Pingu. The sale of Hit reportedly doesn’t include the group’s stake in Sprout, a U.S. channel for children.

The Wall Street Journal published a full article today on the possible deal.

Mattel is releasing a space-themed toy line inspired by Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story. The line includes a Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Spaceship Command Center and character action figures. To introduce the line, Mattel and Disney Consumer Products released a “toymation” video that uses stop-motion animation. The video stars Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and Rex as they travel into outer space.

A crew of eight people worked more than 1,300 hours during a span of four weeks to complete the toymation, according to Mattel and DCP. The companies also reported that every second needed 12 frames of pictures, and every shot needed at least three takes, many of which had to be done separately with each toy and composited together later.

Other toymation facts include:

• Each toy had to be taken apart and reassembled with wire and museum putty to be rigged properly to animate.
• The dust bunnies were created from an old carpet the team almost threw out right before production on the toymation project began.
• The crew made five trips to the supermarket to clear out its asparagus, big broccoli heads, and artichokes to build the vegetable forest set.

Comic-Con International has brought franchises including Voltron, Captain America, and Star Trek, to the estimated 125,000 comic fans gathered in San Diego July 21-24, while toymakers have embraced the opportunity to funnel exclusive licensed merchandise to collectors.

Toy companies like Mattel and Hasbro offer exclusive merchandise presented in unique packaging that committed collectors would appreciate, according to Gregory Schmidt’s New York Times article about toymakers at Comic-Con. “Packaging is not just something to hold the figure,” said Frank Varela, an art director for Mattel, in the article. “Packaging enhances the experience of having the toy. It harkens to nostalgia for the fan boys.”

Along with Swamp Thing and Voltron toys, Mattel comes to Comic-Con with a 20-inch replica of the Stay-Puft Marshamallow Man from Ghostbusters, with a city diorama and packaged inside a box resembling a suitcase. Mattel also brings two Hot Wheels vehicles, including the DeLorean from Back to the Future with a movie diorama.

Hasbro brings a Star Wars set that includes 12 action figures in a box designed to look like the Death Star. The company will also display Ultimate Optimus Prime, Marvel Universe Sentinel, Transformers, G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, and the new Kre-O brand, which is making its Comic-Con debut with 12 building sets featuring Transformers characters.

Despite the current temperatures this week (96º in NYC), Comic-Con isn’t always so hot for film studios.

Comic-Con attendees can generate negative buzz that hurts a film, said Tim Palen, Lionsgate’s president for theatrical marketing, in an AdAge.com article by Andrew Hampp.

“If the fans don’t think something is cool, they will let you know—instantly, and passionately,” Palen told Ad Age. “So if you come to Comic-Con, you’d better have the goods, because there are other opportunities to launch, and it’s very hard to recover from bad Comic-Con buzz.”

Mid-sized studios Lionsgate and Relativity Media are presenting at least four movies each, showing screenings or selected content from their upcoming releases, while Warner Bros., Disney, and DreamWorks stayed home this year.

Relativity announced at Comic-Con that it has optioned the feature film rights for Voltron from World Event Productions. The studio will adapt the live-action big screen version from the 1984 animated series Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Comic-Con is big for Voltron this year, as the franchise made it Comic-Con panel debut Thursday with a presentation of new and classic Voltron content.

Dissenting from the worry of other big studios, Sony has a panel for 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man movie and is advertising the Ghost Rider sequel. Comic-Con also scored participation from Summit Entertainment with a panel for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Universal with a Cowboys and Aliens premiere, and Paramount with a Captain America: The First Avenger screening and a panel for The Adventures of Tintin. Audience members of Captain America will receive RealD 3D Collector’s custom red, white, and blue Captain America glasses, a limited-edition poster, and a grand prize package of Captain America merchandise and other Marvel items given away to an audience member at each screening.

Television properties have a presence at Comic-Con as well. Nickelodeon, Toynami, and vinyl toy brand Unkl partnered to create co-branded SpongeBob SquarePants urban vinyl toys, modeled after Unkl’s UniPo figures, available this fall. Toynami unveiled working prototypes of the first wave of figures at Comic-Con, which will include SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and The Flying Dutchman. Nickelodeon Consumer Products also unveiled a new lineup of toys from Jazwares for Fanboy and Chum Chum, available in August from Toys “R” Us.

CBS has come to the convention with exclusive sneak peeks, signings, and limited-edition products based on its television brands, including Star Trek, CSI, NCIS, Dexter, Charmed, Cheers, and The Twilight Zone. Since these TV properties have been long-established and don’t face the same need movies have to garner buzz and then box office sales, TV shows seem to cater to the collector in a similar way as the toy companies. CBS attends Comic-Con to reach its audience directly, said Liz Kalodner, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Consumer Products. “By offering these exclusive items we can reward our greatest fans with products that can’t be found anywhere else.”

—Melissa Tinklepaugh

Walmart Will Share Sales Data

Big news from the retail front, where Walmart has agreed to share sales data with research organizations through Nielson & Co.

Walmart previously kept sales data to itself, leading research firms to use consumer panel data and advanced modeling to estimate the mega-retailer’s packaged-good sales totals.

Nielsen’s Niffer Frighetto told Advertising Age‘s Jack Neff that sales data will be available in a “few months,” and that the data will cover sales from U.S. Walmart stores, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club, and will include some historical data.

NHL Announces A Good Number of Deals

The National Hockey League, of which the Boston Bruins are champions, announced 23 new licensees at its annual licensing and trade show Wednesday and Thursday.

New licensees include A&E Group for outerwear; Coveroo for cell phone covers; and Levelwear for apparel and outerwear in Canada. Franklin Sports also signed a renewal agreement for its two-decade partnership to create NHL Street Hockey Gear.

Did we mention that the Bruins won the Stanley Cup?

—Bryan Joiner

Toy licensing of movie franchises has garnered attention from mainstream media this week. Time looked into the relationship between Mattel and Warner Bros. while developing toy products for the new blockbuster Green Lantern. The Wall Street Journal focused on what defines a Cars product. With more franchise blockbuster movies to hit by the year’s end, this can only be the beginning of the movie explosion in toy aisles—with X-Men: First Class currently in theaters; Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Winnie the Pooh, The Smurfs, and Captain America all due by the end of July; and The Muppets releasing in November.

Film studios bring in toy makers early in the development process for a film like Green Lantern in order to ensure brand visibility in toy aisles, according to the Time article, “Green Lantern and Mattel: Friends with Benefits.” Doug Wadleigh, senior vice president of franchise development at Mattel, told Time that Mattel has access and input into big upcoming projects up to 18 months before theater release, and Mattel spent more than a year designing Green Lantern action figures and products.

Toy makers like Mattel give the studios input earlier in the film development process to tell why that particular film could translate into toys. Doing this integrates the toy company with the filmmakers to develop products kids want. Newer brands, like Green Lantern, cost toy makers less money to license the film and come as a lower risk if movie tickets and products don’t sell. Thus, according to Time, Mattel paid Warner Bros. $2.5 million in royalty fees for Green Lantern, expects perhaps $20 million in toy sales for the film, and as a $5-billion-a-year company, is risking much less of a loss if sales don’t do as well as expected. (See USA Today for more about Green Lantern products.)

Studios, however, increase the likelihood of reward by focusing on films with the potential for sequels, spin-offs, products, games, and even theme-park attractions, according to The Wall Street Journal’s article “Cars 2 Is Already a Hit–In Stores.” WSJ cites an estimate that Cars 2 cost slightly less than Toy Story 3’s $200 million production costs. In order for Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios to generate profits beyond breaking even on production costs, the studio looks for merchandise tie-ins for a portion of its films.

Target announced earlier this month its collection of merchandise inspired by Cars 2, which hits theaters June 24. Fur further integration, Target features a dedicated boutique of Cars 2 products online at Target.com/Cars2, including an interactive experience with the movie’s characters and an exclusive custom animated TV spot created for Target by Disney•Pixar.

“Fans are clamoring for Cars-inspired merchandise that brings the stories and characters from the film to life,” said Bruce Morrison, senior vice president of sales at Disney Consumer Products, in a press release. “Target has captured some of the movie’s magic through its expansive Cars 2 assortment, and we know fans will love it.”

Disney and its licensees also have products lining Walmart and Toys “R” Us shelves, and merchandise expands through multiple departments, with products such as Kleenex, shampoo, food items, kids’ furniture, sleeping bags, and video games, according to WSJ. Furthering franchise expansion, Disney has plans to open a 12-acre Cars Land at it California Adventure theme park next year, and DisneyToon animation studio is working on Cars spin-off direct-to-DVD films.

In another WSJ article, “Franchise Guardian at Pixar Tries to Keep Cars 2 on High Road,” Pixar’s Jay Ward said he seeks to keep merchandise tie-ins authentic, measuring by “truth in materials,” such as a heavier car moving slower than a lighter counterpart. He also monitors products for accuracy to the characters and the world they live in.

Cars 2 may sell more merchandise than any single previous Disney film, including Toy Story 3, which set the bar last year with $2.8 billion in merchandise sales, according to WSJ. The first Cars installment has sold an average of $2 billion annually since 2006.

With focus on films’ potential for retail sales, it’s not surprising that Warner Bros.’s Legendary Entertainment is negotiating with Mattel, in this case to receive film rights to the Hot Wheels toy car line, according to Variety. By purchasing film rights from a well-known toy line, it’s hard to imagine a toy maker more seamlessly integrated into a film.

—Melissa Tinklepaugh

Mattel, the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of toys and family products, and Classic Media, a global media company with a portfolio of some of the world’s leading family entertainment brands, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Masters of the Universe with the launch of a consumer products program for the iconic franchise that will include 30th anniversary apparel from Changes, costumes from Disguise, and a special 30th anniversary edition DVD box set from Mill Creek Entertainment. Publishing partners will be announced shortly.

The award-winning Masters of the Universe Classics toy line, featuring updated sculpts of vintage Mattel toys, will also continue throughout 2012 only on Mattycollector.com. The 2012 annual subscription will go on sale the week of San Diego Comic-Con starting July 22. Additionally, the 30th anniversary program will include interaction with the collector community through “FAN-atic” activities at Comic-Con International: San Diego and New York Comic Con.

“Masters of the Universe is an iconic franchise with a legacy that’s deeply rooted in fantastical storytelling which translates naturally to play experiences and products kids of all ages love,” says Michael Riley, VP, Franchise Development, Mattel. “In 2012 the property celebrates its milestone 30th anniversary allowing us to create a robust synergistic program that offers something for all fans.”

Changes will develop T-shirts, sweatshirts, thermals, track jackets, and fashion tops for men, women, and juniors. The company will also launch an accessory line based on the Masters of the Universe brand including wristbands, belts and belt buckles, key chains, and costume jewelry. In addition, Disguise is launching a line of Halloween costumes and accessories, including Skeletor, He-Man, and She-Ra adult costumes that will first be available this fall through a leading online retailer.

As part of the celebration, Classic Media will introduce a brand-new comprehensive Masters of the Universe style guide featuring retro artwork, all-new modern artist renderings, as well as a special 30th anniversary logo, all of which will be available this summer. Classic Media and Mill Creek Entertainment together will also release the complete series of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in a special 30th anniversary edition DVD set. The collection will be available in fall 2012 and will include special bonus material along with other memorable content developed especially with collectors in mind.

Since the debut of Mattel’s toy line in 1982, Masters of the Universe has become a hugely successful franchise that continues to have a strong cult following to this day. In 1983, Filmation debuted the original television series, introducing fans nationwide to “By the power of Grayskull…I have the power!,” and in 1987 Warner Bros. released the first film based on the series, Master of the Universe, starring Dolph Lundgren, worldwide. In 1990, animated television series The New Adventures of He-Man launched, and in 2002, Cartoon Network premiered the most recent series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Allied Integrated Marketing will manage national promotions, product placement, marketing partnerships and strategic alliances for Mattel‘s Games Division. The announcement was made yesterday by Lee Ann Wong, vice president, Games & Radica Marketing, Mattel, Inc.; Ed Horasz, director, Worldwide Business Development & Partnerships, Mattel, Inc., and Erin Corbett, senior vice president, Strategic Marketing & Branded Entertainment, Allied Integrated Marketing.

Mattel’s games portfolio spans the family, women, kids, and tech innovations categories and includes such titles as UNO, Pictionary, Whac-A-Mole, Othello, Apples to Apples and Loopz.

Allied’s Strategic Marketing & Branded Entertainment team, headed by Corbett, also includes Jennifer Palombo, VP, Strategic Marketing & Branded Entertainment, and Melissa Croll, executive consultant.

Mattel, Inc.’s subsidiary, Fisher-Price, Inc., and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. have entered into an exclusive licensing relationship in which Fisher-Price will serve as the worldwide master toy licensee for a number of DreamWorks Animation’s theatrical feature film releases and TV series.

Fisher-Price will debut the first of its new toy collections for Kung Fu Panda 2 and The Penguins of Madagascar at Toy Fair 2011. The additional DreamWorks Animation properties under the licensing relationship include Puss In Boots, The Croods, Madagascar 3 and Legend of the Guardians and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.

HIT Entertainment has selected Fisher-Price, Inc. as the global master toy licensee for Angelina Ballerina, it was announced today.

The toy line will be based on the all-new CG animated series, Angelina Ballerina The Next Steps that sees the aspiring prima ballerina at a school for the performing arts where she is exposed to diverse styles of music and dance. The series, which launched in September 2009, currently airs in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and France, and is slated to launch in 30 more countries in 2010.

Fisher-Price, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., plans to develop, manufacture and market a variety of toys, dolls and role play items for girls 4 to 7 years old for figures and dolls; playsets, dollhouses, and vehicles; plush toys; and preschool toys including electronic learning and developmental toys.

The line will be produced under the Mattel brand name, with the first items scheduled to launch in the US in fall 2010 exclusively at Target and Target.com. Fisher-Price will debut its Angelina Ballerina line at mass retailers in the rest of the world starting in 2011.