Jul 18, 2011
Top News for July 18: Ark Music Factory Teams with WowWee; Round 2 expands relationship with KISS; CBS, Willy Wonka News
Ark Music Factory’s New Star, Lexi St. George, Signs Deal
Ark Music Factory has announced that its newest star, Lexi St. George, will appear in TV ads for WowWee’s Paper Jamz Pro Jam Series Microphone. The ads will feature St. George and her debut single and video “Dancing to the Rhythm.”
The Paper Jamz Pro Series Microphone helps kids sing like a pro by allowing them to transfer their favorite songs onto the microphone, and letting them adjust to their “perfect pitch” with chorus, harmony, vibrato and other vocal controls. The microphone is $29.99 and available at Wal-Mart, with distribution in Target, Toys “R” Us, and KMart later this month.
New KISS Models Bring Destroyer Album Cover to Life
Round 2 is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the KISS album Destroyer by creating model kits based on the album’s cover art. The kits are pre-painted in minute detail, from the iconic black-and-white makeup to the traditional hairstyles and monstrously tall platform boots. Fully assembled on the base, each figure—Starchild, Demon, Spaceman, and Catman—stands nearly a foot tall.
Each kit is packaged with one of four mini posters, which, when assembled together, form a 2.5-by-2.5 foot poster of the Destroyer album art.
The deal was brokered by Live Nation, KISS’ worldwide licensing agent. For information on Live Nation licensing, email Steve Senk, VP of Licensing, at stevesenk@livenation.com, and visit Live Nation licensing online.
CBS Reveals Exclusive Merchandise at Comic-Con
CBS Consumer Products announced that it will debut new products for Star Trek, CSI, NCIS, Dexter, Charmed, Cheers, and The Twilight Zone, at San Diego Comic-Con, beginning July 21.
Star Trek is annually one of Comic-Con’s biggest draws, and will have 11 licensees on hand exhibiting products, including Diamond Comics (Booth #2607), which will show Star Trek Mr. Potato Heads from PPW featuring characters from The Original Series. At the CBS booth (#4129), StarTrek.com will offer free limited-edition Enterprise Bottle Opener Keychains and wristbands to fans.
New Willy Wonka Contest for 40th Anniversary DVD Release
Warner Home Video will release a special 40th anniversary edition of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, complete with a Wonka Bar and Golden Ticket Instant Win Piece for a chance to enter and win a trip for two to Los Angeles.
The three-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray/DVD combo will cost $64.99, while a single-DVD version will retail for $12.97. The film will be available On Demand and through online retailers including Amazon on Demand and iTunes.
The releases will come in October, no matter how much Veruca wants them now.
—Charlie Bucket
