ASTRA welcomes back their new, and returning staff member, Katie Cooley (Marso). Katie will be working part-time as ASTRA’s Education Coordinator, getting their education programming back on track!
Just Play, a leading global play company behind several best-selling toy lines including Disney Doorables, Moonbug Entertainment’s CoComelon, Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues & You, and Slinky announced the appointment of Sujata Luther as the company’s President.
Lisa Marks Associates (LMA), a premier licensing agency, is pleased to announce an unprecedented collaboration between the beloved MoonPie brand and Finaflex, a leader in the functional food space. The two brands are teaming up to introduce Power Pie, a new protein snack inspired by the iconic MoonPie. Power Pie is a milk chocolate-covered, non-GMO, super-stacked protein snack built with all-natural ingredients that sandwich two soft & chewy cookies together with a creamy marshmallow filling, delivering 14 grams of Finaflex protein in every deliciously powerful pie! Both chocolate and vanilla varieties will be available initially, with more flavors to come.
The Toy Association held a Summer Party for toy industry figures and influencers alike, and attendance was packed! Please enjoy some snapshots and highlights of the evening:
Karma’s World Entertainment, Ludacris’ entertainment media company, and leading toy distributor Mattel launched a Karma’s World doll and accessories collection featuring various student designs by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) DTech Lab. The dolls, which sport an array of vibrant apparel, are now available at Target, Amazon, Walmart, and many other retailers!
Jazwares, a leading global toy company, has announced that two of the toy industry’s top powerhouse brands are teaming up, Squishmallows and Pokémon! Exclusively revealed at San Diego Comic-Con, the new Squishmallows x Pokémon collection is a collaboration with The Pokémon Company International, combining the loveable personalities of Squishmallows with the most iconic Pokémon in the franchise.
At the high-profile Kidscreen Awards ceremony, hosted by actor/comedian Grey Griffin and exclusively sponsored by the Canada Media Fund, the year’s best work in children’s television and digital media was announced and celebrated by the global kids entertainment community.
Mattel, Incorporated has announced that Mike DeLaet has been appointed Global Head of Digital Gaming, effective July 25. DeLaet brings more than two decades of gaming expertise to Mattel, most recently serving as SVP, Strategic Partnerships for Scopely, a global interactive entertainment and mobile-first games company.
Spin Master Corporation, a leading global children’s entertainment company, has announced that it has entered into a global licensing agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). Spin Master will be the global master toy licensee for the SIE’s PlayStation brand and SIE-owned PlayStation titles, including but not limited to God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us, and Uncharted, and will develop products in the action figure, collectible, playset, plush, roleplay, vehicles, RC, and games & puzzles categories.