Award-winning independent animation studio ZAG has signed Megalicense, the leading licensing agency across Russia and CIS, to represent its ZAG Heroez brand portfolio, headlined by the pop culture hit Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. The announcement was made today by Julian Zag, EVP, Global Operations and Head of Consumer Products.
Signature Publishing and One Animation have inked a deal to launch a dedicated Oddbods-themed issue of Signature’s successful changing-theme magazine for pre-school children, Adventures With. Under the partnership, the ‘Adventures With Oddbods’ issue will go on sale in the UK from 10th February.
Continuing to bolster its executive team for the rapidly growing Kartoon Channel!, Genius Brands International (“Genius Brands”) has announced the appointment of Cindy Kelly to the newly created position of Head of Advertising Sales & Co-Chief Revenue Officer for Kartoon Channel!, working alongside Todd Steinman, who was recently appointed Co-Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer.
One of the most joyous milestones of being a parent is when your child learns to ride a bike! But for the child, the excitement is all about the accessories. And now, the noise! The Spokester bicycle noisemaker snaps on to the front fork of the bicycle and makes an undeniable motorcycle sound. Boys and girls imagine they are riding the real thing. Parents are delighted to know they and others on the road or sidewalk can “hear” their child even if they can’t see them.
When it comes to the littles, cute PJ’s are a hot ticket item in the fashion world. Of course, every holiday has their line-up of matching jammies for the entire family, but cute jammies are not just for the holidays anymore. All year long, cute PJ’s continue to be a must-have. Plush toy maker and lifestyle gift creator, Douglas Company, agrees with this trend, and is adding three new PJ Pups for 2022!
Just in time for the 20th anniversary of the popular and beloved series, the sensational anime success Naruto will be released in Playmobil format! The popular anime series Naruto has been flickering across screens for two decades now, fascinating fans of all ages, all over the globe. Based on the manga of the same name, the series shows the exciting journey of the young ninja Naruto. In time for this special birthday, 24 characters from the hit series Naruto Shippuden will be available as lovingly designed figures from Playmobil, starting in September.
Horst Brandstätter Group has set itself ambitious corporate sustainability goals. By 2027, the group of companies aims to be climate-neutral and avoiding emissions. The enterprise is already involved in off-shore parks and going to invest around 50 million euros in climate protection in the coming years. By 2030, business models are to be as circular as possible, i.e. part of closed material cycles.
WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, and Jay Ward Productions, Inc., have signed an agreement across distribution, production and licensing for the entire portfolio of classic Ward-owned IP that includes such legendary properties as George of the Jungle, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Dudley Do-Right, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Super Chicken and more. Under the agreement, WildBrain will add 788 episodes of Jay Ward Productions’ classic animation to its distribution library, and the two companies will create brand-new content based on the Ward portfolio.
Award-winning STEAM brand, Osmo from BYJU’S, announces Kar-Han Tan’s appointment as Head of Computer Vision and Machine Learning, effective immediately. With three decades leading teams in robotics and AI research and development, Tan will further the development of a world-class computer vision and AI platform that aids in the creation of new products, games, and devices incorporating gains made in deep learning technology. In addition, he will lead a growing global team to research, develop, and optimize new algorithms for computer vision and AI-enabled features such as object detection, object recognition, hand tracking, pattern matching, and hand-drawing analysis, among others, all in an effort to create the best learning tools and outcomes.