Raving Toy Maniac

Hasbro Showcases Portfolio of Brands and Innovative New Play Experiences at the 110th American International Toy Fair

Premier Global Branded Play Company Highlights New Introductions from TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, PLAY-DOH, FURBY and More

NEW YORK -- February 7, 2013 -- Hasbro, Inc., home to many of the world's favorite entertainment and playtime brands, will celebrate new initiatives and product launches at the largest toy industry expo in the western hemisphere.

"Hasbro continues to deliver the best in branded play to consumers around the world with our unparalleled portfolio of multi-platform properties including TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY and MONOPOLY," said John Frascotti, chief marketing officer, Hasbro. "In 2013 Hasbro will offer a wide variety of new ways to experience our brands across multiple formats, making them available anytime and anywhere consumers want."

K'NEX® Brands Launches Fifth Annual Fundraising Initiative To Benefit The United Way

Hatfield, PA, February, 2013 – K'NEX, the only US construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love®, recently announced their fifth annual fundraising initiative benefiting United Way. K'NEX is donating 10% of sales from http://knex.com during the month of February to the North Penn United Way chapter and will also be accepting additional donations through its website.

"We're proud to support the United Way again this year," said Michael Araten, president of K'NEX Brands. "The devastation brought forth by Hurricane Sandy underscored the importance of gratitude and giving back. Raising funds for an organization like the United Way, which provides vital aid to those both around the world and around the corner, is important now more than ever."

February 2013 - CustomCon 34 (Spring 2013) is coming soon! The event itself will be held from April 22 to 26, but the entry deadline is April 1. (No joke, it just happened that the Monday of the week we were aiming for was April 1st.)

We will post the entry guidelines soon, but there are no major changes from years past, so mark your calendars now to be able to include your custom action figures in this online event.

LEGO Systems Unveils 250 New Building Sets at American International Toy Fair

- Builders of all ages will be inspired by endless LEGO possibilities, from new preschool play options to classic themes and new licenses to the introduction of the most advanced LEGO® robotics product ever -

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2013 -- American International Toy Fair -- LEGO Systems, Inc., makers of the world's leading construction toys, will unveil its largest collection of build and play toys ever – 250 new products – at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. With new products launching throughout the year, children of all ages and interests will find a LEGO® building set or theme to spark their building creativity, inspire storytelling and role play or keep them engaged in imaginative play for hours. New items are on display in Booth #1351 in Hall 3B of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from February 10-13.

Saban Brands Celebrates 20 Years of Power Rangers at American International Toy Fair 2013

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2013 -- Saban Brands and its licensing partners will showcase a playful assortment of Power Rangers inspired toys next week during the American International Toy Fair, Feb. 10-13 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. There will be a variety of action figures, plush, board games, consumer electronics and more to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the iconic franchise. New Power Rangers Megaforce products will be on display for the all-new season now airing on Nickelodeon, as well as some items inspired by the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series to commemorate the 20th anniversary year. All products are expected to hit shelves throughout the year.

The LEGO Group Announces Building Sets Inspired by Disney's The Lone Ranger

NEW YORK, American International Toy Fair (February 7, 2013) – The LEGO Group today announced an upcoming collection of LEGO® construction toys inspired by the Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' feature film The Lone Ranger, which debuts in theaters July 3, 2013. Scheduled to launch this April, six new building sets will bring the action and stories of the film to life in LEGO form, and will include iconic characters such as John Reid (aka The Lone Ranger), Tonto and the horse, Silver.

"We are thrilled to once again collaborate with Disney Consumer Products to create construction toys based on a live action film," said Jill Wilfert, vice president licensing & entertainment at The LEGO Group. "We have not offered a LEGO western theme in over 10 years, and The Lone Ranger provided the quintessential inspiration with familiar characters, stories and scenes, allowing us to develop authentic and exciting models for children and adult collectors alike."

February 8, 2013 - Listed below are the toy (and child-related) recalls from this week; these links go to the official announcements on the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site.

- Mutsy USA Recalls EVO Strollers Due to Strangulation Hazard

- Play Yard Sheets Recalled by 4moms Due to Entrapment Hazard

BANDAI AMERICA AND SABAN BRANDS CELEBRATE THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF POWER RANGERS WITH AN ALL NEW TOY LINE INSPIRED BY POWER RANGERS MEGAFORCE TV SERIES

Cypress, California – February 6, 2013. -- Saban Brands and Bandai America Incorporated are pulling out all the stops for the epic 20th season of Power Rangers. The all-new Power Rangers Megaforce TV series will captivate kids as well as long-time fans and drive an inspired toy line that delivers on the series' action and excitement. Additionally, the toy line integrates key elements from the TV series with mobile innovation that allows for a deeper play experience, all while celebrating 20 years of Power Rangers.

Saban Brands Announces Nickelodeon as U.S. Broadcast Partner for Brand-New Digimon Fusion Series

The Powerful Anime Icon Gets a Reboot in 2013

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2013 -- Saban Brands announced today its new animated series, Digimon Fusion, will air on Nickelodeon in 2013. Digimon Fusion is the sixth installment of the hugely successful Digimon franchise, which Saban Brands re-acquired in 2012. Unleashing countless Digimon combinations, Digimon Fusion takes today's tech-savvy kids inside an adventure-packed digital world, where the heroes' courage is matched only by the fusion of their teamwork, loyalty and humor.

"Digimon is the longest-running Japanese anime property and has been enjoyed by kids for more than a decade," said Elie Dekel, President of Saban Brands. "We're thrilled to be bringing the all-new Digimon Fusion TV series to Nickelodeon, where we have the opportunity to introduce the series to a new generation of children while still engaging long-time fans."

NECA/WIZKIDS UNVEILS NEW Dota 2 AND TEAM FORTRESS 2 COLLECTIBLES, GAMES, WITH VALVE

Announce Dota 2 HeroClix and Team Fortress 2 'NextChess' Preview at New York Toy Fair, 2013

Hillside, NJ - February 6, 2013 - From game world to real world, game creator and leading entertainment conglomerate, NECA/WizKids, under a merchandise licensee agreement with game developer and publisher Valve, today unveiled plans to launch an upcoming Dota 2 HeroClix collection and new game platform entitled 'NextChess', featuring Team Fortress 2 (TF2), both based on the best-selling game franchises. Both titles are set to launch this summer.

The announcement follows NECA/WizKids' publication of the much-anticipated Half Life 2 Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator (a.k.a. "Gravity Gun") replica and release of the Limited Edition Portal 2 Gun Replica, which launched with overwhelming response last fall.

"We're pleased to once again team up with Valve to bring popular characters and elements from the Dota 2 and Team Fortress 2 franchises to life in physical form, " said Justin Ziran, president at NECA/WizKids.