KB Toys begins liquidation sales

On the heels of announcing its Chapter 11 bankruptcy and just days before Christmas, US specialty retailer KB Toys will be closing up shop for good and has declared a nationwide Going-Out-of-Business sale at all 461 stores.

Though the 86-year-old retailer had actually been improving its retail, wholesale and operational areas, but slower consumer spending and tightening credit sources have led to its downfall. The doors on all stores will shut by February 2009.

Prices have been lowered on KB's entire stock, with discounts starting at 40% off regular prices at all KB Toys, KB Toy Outlets, KB Toy Works and BY Toys Holiday Stores.

McDonald's launches promo deal for Night at the Museum sequel

Prepping for the sequel of Twentieth Century Fox's Night at the Museum, McDonald's is hosting the online launch of the movie's teaser trailer Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian on www.HappyMeal.com.

The trailer event is only a small part of the promo deal with the fast-food giant, which will launch a special Happy Meal collection of toys to coincide with the film's release on May 22, 2009. The toys will be available in eight different designs and feature characters from the original film as well as the sequel.

Kidz Entertainment to rep Miffy

Watch out Hello Kitty, Copenhagen, Denmark-based licensing agency Kidz Entertainment has been signed on to launch an all-ages licensing program for Miffy in Nordic and Eastern Europe.

A limited licensing program for the classic publishing property, created by Dutch author Dick Bruna, was picked up last fall by upscale retailer KappAhl, featuring children's and young teens apparel. The program will be expanded to include toys, publishing, stationery, bags and accessories that appeal to demos outside Miffy's traditional preschool audience.

Nintendo opens in-store boutique at TRU Times Square

One thousand square feet of Nintendo merch is set to greet customers at Toys 'R' Us' flagship store in Times Square in a new department on level one.

Holiday shoppers will get to play select games on an expansive interactive Wii wall and demo some DS games on the eight handheld systems set up in the boutique. Also inside the department will be a Nintendo gallery with images from the company's history of classic and current games.

Nintendo experts will be on hand to walk shoppers through the department experience, which will be around past the holiday season, and provide info about the products. A full range is also located in the 'R' Zone department on TRU's lower level.

Campbell's finds Despereaux mmm, mmm good

With Universal Pictures' animated feature The Tale of Despereaux hitting theaters across the US today, Campbell's Soup Company has come aboard as a promo partner, the first major movie partnership for the company.

The deal sees Campbell's releasing a special on-pack promotion on 50 million labels of its Chicken Noodle and Tomato soup, with the the film's main mouse Despereaux pictured holding a golden spoon. The soup labels contain special codes that kids can enter on Campbell's new kid-centric website www.myslurp.com to win a "Royally Cool Cruise." The movie, based on Kate DiCamillo's award-winning book, proves a good fit for the food company as it takes place in the Kingdom of Dor, a land once known for its soups where soup has since become a rare treat.

Campbell's, which stated that it's investing in growth and development of kids through educational and health programs, has also posted clips, photos, games and downloads based on the movie to MySlurp. The company is also supporting the Lollipop Theater Network, which screens films to children confined to hospitals with chronic or terminal illnesses.

Plus Licens opens Ukraine office

Looking to expand its Eastern European presence, indie licensing agency Plus Licens is opening an office in Kiev.

Maxim Kharchenko has been appointed GM for Plus Licens Ukraine, where, for the last year and half, he held post at Tetra Pak Ukraine as trade marketing manager in retail, wholesale, national promotions and development of trade motivation programs.

Thirty-year-old Plus Licens is headquartered in Stockholm, with offices in Scandinavia, Poland and Russia, to name a few, and much of its business centered on repping TV-driven entertainment properties, as well as fashion-centric design IP.

Ovadia signs TWF master toy deal with Think Wow

With a daily presence on Cartoon Network US now, Al Ovadia & Associates has pinned down a US master toy licensee for Animation Collective's comedic and quirky shorts series TWF: Thumb Wrestling Federation.

Think Wow Toys, a division of WowWee Toys USA, is now on-board for to produce a range of playthings, including figures, play sets, vehicles, role play, and trading cards. The toyco has plans for aggressive marketing the goods State-side, from TV-supported to grassroots efforts, which will include regional thumb wrestling competitions and the announcement of a national winner in spring 2010.

Think Wow joins a US roster of TWF licensees that includes Berkshire Fashions (accessories), Mad Engine (tees, fleece, fashion tops and hoodies), Mad Dog Concepts (boxers and socks) and Dream Apparel (sleepwear).

VIZ and Warner Home Video sign home entertainment deal

It looks like Naruto and other VIZ Media properties are getting a new home entertainment distributor.

VIZ has inked a new deal with Warner Home Video that will see the entertainment giant exclusively take on new and catalogue DVD releases in the US and Mexico, effective April 1, 2009.

The Naruto Uncut Box 13 special edition is among the first new DVD releases slated for release on April 7, 2009. WHV is looking to make a name for itself in anime distribution.

Rocket Licensing sets the L&M stage for Fame

With a reborn version of 1980's hit musical Fame hitting the big screen on September 25, 2009, Rocket Licensing has been moving full-steam ahead to develop a UK L&M program for the tween and teen market.

The first group of licensees includes Character World (home textiles, summer 2009), International Greetings (back-to-school bags, stationery, accessories), Danilo (cards and calendars), Kinnerton (confectionery), Spearmark (lunch, table and drinkware), Susan Prescott Games (game), TDP (textiles), Aykroyds and Sons (children's and tween nightwear and underwear) and Blues Clothing (apparel).

Along with targeting tween and teen girls, product should appeal their mothers, as well as other young adults who may remember the original movie. Retail distribution is focused on the high street, with some distribution through major mail order companies, specialty, fashion outlets, major supermarkets and online.

Legoland opens sixth park in East Asia

In spite of the economic climate, Merlin Entertainments, the company behind Legoland, is looking to grow its reach by opening a sixth Legoland park in Iskandar, Malaysia.

The US$210 million joint-venture is slated for a 2013 public opening and Merlin will design and operate Legoland Malaysia (which will mirror other Legoland resorts), in the northeast corner of Medini Iskandar Malaysia - a 2,300-acre international mixed-use development in the heart of Nusajaya. Not only that, it'll also be in the middle of a 145-acre complex, set to include a lifestyle retail center, offices, hotels, serviced apartments and residential units.

The latest park will house more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions, targeting families with children between two and 12 years old.

Harry Potter flying into the windy city

Fans of J.K. Rowling's popular boy wizard who are impatiently awaiting next year's opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park exhibit in Orlando can head to Chicago next spring to get their Potter fix.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Becker Group are bringing Harry Potter: The Exhibition, a 10,000-square-foot exhibit to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago on April 30, 2009. Visitors will be able to lay their eyes on authentic costumes and props from the films, displayed in Hogwarts-inspired film sets, from the Gryffindor common room to Hagrid's hut.

The exhibition will run at the museum from April until September 7, and will then find homes at other major cultural and entertainment venues and institutions in the US and internationally. And as production comes to a close on the last few movies in the Harry Potter film series, the exhibition will be updated to include those artifacts.

Tickets are now on sale exclusively online at www.msichicago.org.

AGP inks raft of international Care Bears deals

American Greetings Properties has locked in a number of licensing deals for Care Bears as it continues to expand the property's global presence.

A new partnership with Spain-based women's fashion retailer Oysho recently launched Classic Care Bears apparel and accessories in Europe, the Middle East and South America, with product slated to roll out in all 362 stores in 23 countries in June 2009. The deal includes t-shirts, sleepwear, undergarments, intimate wear, swimwear, casual outerwear, pants, dresses, skirts, footwear and accessories.

Consumer products deals in Europe include Fipo Group Aps in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (children's and adult apparel), D'arpeje in France (toys and ride-ons, April 2009), Branded Clothing (vintage apparel collection, this winter), Aykroyds TDP (sleepwear, summer/fall 2009).

Over in Asia, AGP has signed on Shanhai Joint Force in China (housewares), Seggan Taiwan in Taiwan (stationery), Sterling Paper Products in the Philippines (branded stationery, spring 2009) and NewUrbanMale.com in Singapore (adult vintage apparel, spring 2009).

South America has some new licensees as well. Editorial Vertice will publish activity and coloring books in spring 2009 for Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile, while Deomar Editora takes on stickers and sticker albums for Brazil in March 2009.

And down under, new partners include Apparel House (girls infant wear) and Apparel House Design & Supply (apparel and accessories) in New Zealand, Casco Blue (pajamas) in New Zealand and Australia, and Vita New Zealand Limited for nursery items and boosters.

Care Bears series are currently broadcast in more than 150 territories worldwide including Italy, Germany, Middle East, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Poland, Japan and Southeast Asia.

ZDF's mermaids move into Eastern Europe

FremantleMedia Licensing Germany has acquired exclusive Eastern European licensing rights to ZDF Enterprises' teen mermaid property H20 - Just Add Water.

The TV series, produced by Australia's Jonathan M. Shiff Productions, has been exceeding the channel average on Germany's ZDF by more than four times for kids ages three to 13. FLG has the exclusive rights to off-air and on-air promotion, sponsorship and music (subject to third parties' rights therein) and mobile content (excluding the television rights). Merch deals are set to close across a range of categories from publishing to stationery in Bulgaria, Hungary, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Little Airplane launches publishing imprint

Little Airplane Books is the latest project to fly out of the entertainment hub at Little Airplane Productions' New York location.

Helmed by writer, director and producer Tone Thyne, the newly formed boutique imprint will publish original preschool and early reader books. All operations will be handled in-house at the company's New York-based studios, including writing, design and book binding.

To celebrate the launch of the new division, a reading event will be held at the Little Airplane Studios on December 18 at 5 p.m., where Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden is reading a book of poems by Little Airplane president Josh Selig called A Book For You, illustrated by Stephanie Cleaver.

Kidrobot heads for the high street

Specialty toy store Kidrobot, a subsidiary of Wildbrain, is setting up shop for the first time in the UK with a store and gallery set to open on the London high street in January.

A 1,000-square-foot Kidrobot universe will greet shoppers at The Wonder Room at high-end retailer Selfridges' Oxford Street outlet from January 22 to February 21 next year. Huge inflatable replicas of Kidrobot's urban vinyl toys will line the street windows and the shop will sell a curated collection of limited-edition and exclusive new merch.

To kick off the opening, Kidrobot and Selfridges are holding a release party for the shop's Ye Olde English Dunny series designed by top UK artists.

CPLG opens Canadian operations

European-based licensing agency Copyrights Promotions Licensing Group is taking on clients in the Great White North under the leadership of former Cookie Jar SVP of marketing, Kelly Elwood.

The new Canadian arm of the agency will start out managing consumer products opps in the territory for Cookie Jar's extensive portfolio of kids properties, including Caillou, The Doodlebops and Inspector Gadget.

CPLG was acquired by Cookie Jar Entertainment this past summer as part of its buyout of DIC Entertainment and Elwood brings 25 years of industry experience with her to CPLG Canada. She'll be reporting directly to CPLG CEO Katarina Dietrich, who is based in London.

ITV ushers in Britannia High licensees

A UK licensing program for ITV's tween musical drama property Britannia High is well on its way, with eight partners on-board to launch products inspired by the series' characters.

The lifestyle licensees include Christy's Group (fashion dress-up and union flag dresses), Global Licensing (fashion t-shirts and sweatshirts), SilverKnit (teen and ladies nightwear, underwear and swimwear for girls nine and up), Fashion UK (fashion t-shirts), Powerplay Textiles (nightwear, t-shrits, underwear for tween girls), JBI Footwear/Sutton Group (lifestyle footwear, shoe accessories and multiples), Danilo Promotions (greeting cards and calendars) and Panini (collectible photo-cards).

Product will hit the high street just in time for the holidays at a number of major retailers, including Asda/George, Mothercare, Sainsburys and Tesco.

Chorion and Bandai expand Noddy relationship

With Noddy's 60th anniversary fast-approaching, Chorion has expanded its partnership with Bandai as the toy distributor for the evergreen preschool property in the UK.

Come January 1, 2009, the toyco will be distributing product from master toy licensee NSR. More than 200 other global Noddy licensees will rollout new product next year that will tie in with the release of a brand new 52-ep TV series .

NVCP signs Toy Island for licensed wooden toy sets

Some of Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products' top preschool properties are getting the wooden toy treatment in a new, multi-year deal with Toy Island.

High-quality wood products based on The Wonder Pets!, Ni Hao, Kai-lan, The Backyardigans, Dora and Diego will hit shelves at specialty toy retailers in the US in 2009. Items in the lineup include lacing bead sets, bead chasers, vehicles, figures and figure playsets.

HarperCollins snags book rights to Emily the Strange

The anti-cool gothic property Emily the Strange will be making its way to bookshelves thanks to a deal with HarperCollins.

A four-book young adult novel deal with HarperCollins covers the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The novels will be based on Emily's diaries and the first title, Emily the Strange: The Lost Days will be published in the UK in June 2009. Emily also recently celebrated her 13th anniversary with an Emily the Strange concept store in Hong Kong, and 20th Century Fox is on board to produce a feature film based on the character.