YOKO! JAKAMOKO! TOTO! JOINS UNITED MEDIA’S LICENSING LINEUP
United Media and one of Europe’s leading animation studios, Collingwood O’Hare Entertainment, have recently announced a joint venture to represent the U.S. licensing rights for the award winning pre-school series, Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto! (YJT). United Media will build a licensing program for YJT with an initial focus on toys, publishing and videos. Additional categories such as gifts, packaged goods, stationery, HBA and domestics will also be targeted. The winner of two Children’s BAFTAs and Best Pilot at Annecy, YJT’s rich blend of visuals, music and non-verbal storylines stimulates kids to laugh, imagine, and be optimistic as they follow a dynamic trio of characters (Yoko, Jakamoko and Toto) on their fun-filled adventures. Airing weekdays on Cartoon Network’s recently expanded “Tickle U” block from 9am-2pm, YJT has 52 episodes already in existence with more on the way.
MARY ENGELBREIT’S MOTHER GOOSE IS PRIMED FOR PLUSH
United Media will be actively targeting plush companies during Toy Fair for the best-selling title, Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose. Mary Engelbreit licensees are also developing other products featuring art from the well-known book, including classroom decorations, fabric, and gift items. For more than 20 years, Mary Engelbreit's unmistakable illustration style, imbued with spirited wit and nostalgic warmth, has won her fans the world over. She has become established as a top-selling children's book illustrator. With more than $1 billion dollars in lifetime retail sales of licensed products that stretch from calendars and books to dinnerware and fabric, a successful e-commerce operation and a retail store in her hometown, an award-winning magazine, more than 150 book titles published and millions of greeting cards sold, the most apt description of artist Mary Engelbreit may be a line pulled from one of her well-known greeting card designs - she truly is "The Queen of Everything."
IRON CHEF AMERICA TAKES AIM FOR GAMES
United Media will be pursing opportunities with game and toy partners at Toy Fair for Iron Chef America, Food Network’s high-level energy runaway hit. The unique battle format, with secret ingredients and celebrity chefs provides enormous potential in which to translate the program into a game. Coming up soon, look for Iron Chef American cookware and utensils which is due to launch at retail in time for the 2006 holiday season.
DILBERT BRINGS HIS OFFICE ANTICS TO MOBILE PHONES Namco Networks America Inc. and United Media recently announced plans to bring Dilbert to mobile phones. Namco will be creating a Dilbert-based mobile game that will allow fans of the comic to interact with Dilbert and his corporate world. Dilbert’s North American mobile game debut is scheduled to launch in fall 2006.
STORYBOOK PILLOWS PROVIDE SWEET DREAMS FOR FANS OF UNITED MEDIA’S POPULAR PROPERTIES
United Media has partnered with Senario LLC to create Storybook Pillows for Peanuts, Raggedy Ann & Andy, and Precious Moments. Senario’s Storybook Pillows, a unique new category for licensed plush, are body pillows that look exactly like books and feature classic characters that we all know and love. Inside each pillow book are soft satin print pages that reveal entire stories perfect for bedtime reading. Senario is aiming for a fourth quarter ‘06 launch and is targeting major department, specialty and mass retailers.
SNOOPY TAKES TO THE SKIES IN ORIGINAL MULTIPLATFORM ADVENTURE
“This time I’ve got you, Red Baron! This time you’re mine!” This fall, leading video games publisher and developer Namco Hometek Inc. is launching Snoopy vs. the Red Baron, an exhilarating aerial-based action adventure game starring top dog Snoopy and the cast of Peanuts characters. While taking a nap atop his doghouse, Snoopy has a magical dream and becomes a World War I flying ace who must pilot his bi-plane in a heroic attempt to foil the plans of his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron. Featuring over 50 single-player and co-op missions, action-packed dogfights and customizable planes across six unique environments, Snoopy vs. the Red Baron will be available on multiple consoles.
RAGGEDY DOLL SALES SOAR
Raggedy Ann & Andy 16” and Certificate Dolls are top-sellers at retail. In fact, over the past five months Vermont Country Store has sold approximately 20,000 Raggedy Ann items including the 16” dolls, books and the classic Raggedy Ann board game. As Raggedy Ann continues to celebrate her 90th anniversary this year, the Certificate Dolls are being snatched up by consumers as Russ Berrie will no longer be offering these keepsake dolls after the 90-year milestone ends in 2006. Finally, in 2006, Russ Berrie will be marketing Raggedy under the Applause brand in all channels which is expected to have a positive impact among retailers.
PARAMOUNT ROLLS OUT TWO PEANUTS CLASSICS
This spring, look for the DVD release of two full length Peanuts feature films from Paramount Home Entertainment. In A Boy Named Charlie Brown, the entire gang, lead by the lovable blockhead, make their silver screen debut in a movie filled with all the charm that has made Peanuts the most popular comic strip in the world. And what happens when America's favorite beagle turns up missing? Nothing short of a resounding cry from the entire Peanuts gang in Snoopy, Come Home, a most loved classic among Peanuts fans.
EL CHAVO SIGNS NEW APPAREL PARTNERS
Following the enormous success of the El Chavo apparel debut at Hot Topic this past December, new licensees and retailers have jumped on board. Freeze is launching men’s and junior’s El Chavo t-shirts, featuring live action art, at mid and mass for spring 2006. Headline Entertainment is extending their agreement for El Chavo which will be going to specialty and better department stores and Hot Topic is reordering new styles that will debut in early spring. In other news, show creator Roberto Gómez Bolańos has written 26 half hour episodes in Spanish for new El Chavo animation which is due to air late fall 2006. At MAGIC, Freeze’s booth number is JR 11101 and Headline Entertainment will be at booth number AL 21558.
NEW PEANUTS APPAREL IS TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL
Peanuts licensee NTD has seen what Snoopy can do for fashion and has jumped on the bandwagon with plans to launch girl’s 4-16 trend forward Peanuts apparel in ’06. With a wide array of styles at varied key price points, the new line focuses on innovative art treatments and trends, which of course feature everyone’s favorite beagle and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Look for the cool new styles throughout all tiers of distribution including Macy's and Bloomingdales, Kohl's, Wal-Mart and Kmart. Truly a design statement that is resonating with today's fashion minded girls!
VINTAGE PEANUTS CONTINUES TO SIZZLE
Coming off an incredible fourth quarter and a press frenzy surrounding the 40th Anniversary of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Awake, a division of JEM Sportswear, has continued to build its successful Vintage Peanuts women’s t-shirt line by launching all new styles for spring at upstairs retailers including Nordstrom’s, Lisa Kline and M. Fredric. Among the hundreds of recent Peanuts publicity mentions were great placements for Vintage Peanuts including Newsweek, CosmoGirl Shopping Guide, and Seventeen. Additionally, celebs like Kristin Chenoweth, Lindsay Lohan and Mariska Hargitay are just a few of the large roster of star-studded fans who are clamoring for the hip styles. For more information on Awake’s Vintage Peanuts line, visit them at MAGIC, booth number CO 15205.
YOKO! JAKAMOKO! TOTO! JOINS UNITED MEDIA’S LICENSING LINEUP 
MARY ENGELBREIT’S MOTHER GOOSE IS PRIMED FOR PLUSH
IRON CHEF AMERICA TAKES AIM FOR GAMES
DILBERT BRINGS HIS OFFICE ANTICS TO MOBILE PHONES
SNOOPY TAKES TO THE SKIES IN ORIGINAL MULTIPLATFORM ADVENTURE
RAGGEDY DOLL SALES SOAR
PARAMOUNT ROLLS OUT TWO PEANUTS CLASSICS
EL CHAVO SIGNS NEW APPAREL PARTNERS
VINTAGE PEANUTS CONTINUES TO SIZZLE