Raving Toy Maniac

Hallmark Signs New Licensing Agreement with Mattel

Barbie® ornaments and plush products will be available from Hallmark in 2015.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - January 07, 2015 - Hallmark and Mattel today announced a new licensing agreement that will bring the Barbie® brand license back to Hallmark in 2015.

With this contract, Hallmark secures the rights to create holiday ornaments and plush products in the U.S. and Canada. The products will have broad distribution through multiple retail channels, with exclusive items in the nationwide network of Hallmark Gold Crown® stores.

"It's beyond exciting to have Barbie back at Hallmark," said Cindy Mahoney, Vice President – Hallmark Licensing. "The iconic Barbie brand is so beloved by families and collectors alike, particularly Holiday Barbie. And get ready, because we have some creative, quality products planned to celebrate Barbie's return."

The first new Barbie™ products from Hallmark will appear in Hallmark Gold Crown stores for Keepsake Ornament Premiere in July 2015.

You Can't Be What You Can't See: Meet Entrepreneur Barbie®

June 18, 2014 -- With 150+ careers, Barbie® has always encouraged girls that if you can dream it, you can be it. With the launch of the Entrepreneur Barbie® doll, available now, she is blazing trails along with other female leaders who are proud to be the boss. This year alone, female entrepreneurs have graced the cover of TIME's Most Influential People issue and lead 1-in-5 start-ups. Alongside Barbie®, female entrepreneurs are changing the world, surpassing their goals and showing girls they can be both capable and captivating.

To celebrate her newest career, Barbie® has partnered with a diverse group of female entrepreneurs. These women include the founders of Girls Who Code, Rent the Runway, One Kings Lane, Plum Alley, Genuine Insights, Sugarfina and The TomKat Studio, who all have inspiring stories for girls today and are truly #unapologetic about living their dream.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products And Mattel Extend Strategic Alliance

BURBANK, Calif., June 12, 2014 -- Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), with DC Entertainment, announced today that it has once again extended its successful relationship with leading worldwide toy manufacturer, Mattel, Inc. The new multi-year agreement grants Mattel rights to continue as master toy licensee for the entire universe of DC Comics characters. Under the terms of this strategic alliance, Mattel is granted unprecedented access to the complete breadth and scope of the DC Comics vault of characters, which includes more than a thousand world-famous DC Comics Super Heroes and DC Comics Super-Villains, such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and The Joker. The deal continues Mattel's support of the universe of DC Comics characters across its entire portfolio of core brands, including Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, Barbie®, Mattel Games and Fisher-Price®.

Sony Pictures Entertainment And Mattel Announce Plan To Bring The Iconic Character Of Barbie To Life On Screen

Live-Action Comedy Set to Begin Production End of Year

Sony Pictures Entertainment's Next Global Franchise to be Produced by Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald and written by Jenny Bicks

CULVER CITY, Calif., April 23, 2014 -- Sony Pictures Entertainment, Mattel and Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation today announced a partnership on a live-action comedy featuring the beloved and dynamic icon Barbie. The studio sees this as its next big, global franchise and plans to go into production by the end of the year. Written by Jenny Bicks and produced by Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, the film will be executive produced by Parkes+MacDonald's president Marc Resteghini alongside Julia Pistor, who will executive produce for Mattel's Playground Productions.

Mattel to Expand its Playing Field with Acquisition of MEGA Brands

MEGA Brands to Add Its Leading Construction and Arts & Crafts Portfolio to the Mattel Family of Companies and Best-Selling Brands

Transaction Highlights

• MEGA Brands shareholders will receive C$17.75 per share in cash ("Purchase Price")
• The transaction represents a total enterprise value of approximately US$460 million, including the net debt of MEGA Brands to be assumed or repaid by Mattel, and is about 9.8 times MEGA Brands' preliminary estimated FY 2013 EBITDA of approximately $47 million
• Senior Secured Debentures will be refinanced at closing and holders will receive 105% of par plus any accrued and unpaid interest
• MEGA Brands shareholders holding approximately 39% of MEGA Brands common shares have agreed to vote in favor of the transaction

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & MONTREAL -- February 28, 2014 -- Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) and MEGA Brands Inc. (TSX: MB, MB.WT, MB.NT) announced today a definitive agreement for Mattel's acquisition, through a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., of MEGA Brands for US$460 million.

WWE® and Mattel Extend Partnership

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & STAMFORD, Conn. -- February 14, 2014 -- Mattel, Inc. and WWE today announced a multi-year extension of their global master toy licensing agreement through 2019.

Since 2009, Mattel and WWE have developed a wildly popular and diverse portfolio of innovative toys currently available in more than 50 global markets around the world. WWE action figures have ranked as the number 1 action figure property in the U.S.(1); and consistently hold a top ranking. Sporting cutting-edge innovations such as FlexForce® figures that incorporate signature WWE Superstar moves, and plush Brawlin' Buddies™, Mattel has brought the world of WWE to life in the playroom like never before.

December 2013 - Team Coco has passed along a video clip of Conan's visit to the American Girl store.

Conan Visits The American Girl Store

http://teamcoco.com/node/75055

THE 12 DAYS OF GRAYSKULL!

December 2013 - As the Castle Grayskull playsets from Mattel begin to arrive at the doorsteps of good little boys and girls all over the world (by mail of course - those things are way too big for even Santa's magical bag!!), the Four Horsemen are putting up a daily feature chronicling the creation of this massive project!

Over the next week or so, "Desk Jockey: Twelve Days of Grayskull" will follow Four Horsemen sculptor Eric Treadaway on his journey from adding that first hunk of clay all the way through the final finished behemoth of a sculpture that eventually went into production and landed at your door. You can head over to the Four Horsemen's main internet hub, Source Horsemen and check out this and all of the recent "Desk Jockey" entrees by going here: http://www.sourcehorsemen.com/?page_id=1090

-FOUR HORSEMEN-

MATTEL ANNOUNCES THE GLOBAL LAUNCH OF EVER AFTER HIGH™

New spellbinding brand reaches tweens around the globe with original storylines and creative characters

October 28, 2013 - Turning a new page in fairytale history, Mattel announces the global launch of its newest intellectual property - Ever After High™. Based on the relatable everyday lives of extraordinary teenage sons and daughters of well-known fairytale legends, Ever After High™ features creative storylines and original characters, leveraging multiple platforms to reach consumers at every touch point.

"Ever After High celebrates the idea that the story of your life is not written in permanent ink - our characters help convey to girls the importance of having the courage and confidence to make your own decisions and to create your own destiny," said Stephanie Cota, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Marketing for Mattel. "Ever After High is not like the fairytales you grew-up reading, these are new stories and new characters based on old favorites with modern twists."

A Global Debut

Dolphin Entertainment, Mattel To Develop, Produce "Max Steel," Open Road Films To Distribute For Wide Theatrical Release

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 4, 2013 -- Dolphin Entertainment, Inc. and Mattel, Inc., have partnered to develop the live-action, feature-length film "Max Steel" based on Mattel's franchise property of the same name. The film will be produced by Dolphin Films, a newly-formed subsidiary of Dolphin Entertainment. Open Road Films will distribute "Max Steel" in the U.S. as the first of a multi-picture agreement with Dolphin Films. The film will be given a wide release in theaters in the fourth quarter of 2014.

"Today marks the beginning of an exciting new relationship between Dolphin Entertainment and Mattel, two companies that have consistently worked to delight and entertain children all over the world," said Bill O'Dowd, CEO, Dolphin Entertainment. "We couldn't think of a better property to kick off Dolphin's feature film division than Max Steel, which tells a story of the power of friendship and teamwork, with a heavy dose of humor – all qualities we hope to bring to our partnership with the Mattel team."