DIC hopes that its rebranding of the Trollz property will bring in top licensing dollars. © DIC Entertainment.

Animation maintained a high profile at Licensing International 2004, the New York trade show where property owners pitch their wares to manufacturers, retailers and promotional partners. Held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center June 8-10, the show attracted 20,600 attendees and 520 exhibitors (up from 425 in 2003) and showcased 5,700 individual properties.

The anime craze is here to stay, judging from a walk down the aisles. Even more Asian licenses — from Japan, Korea and China — were on display this year than in the past. Some of the properties exhibited are already on the air in the U.S., mostly on Cartoon Network or the Fox Box programming block, while others are about to launch and still others are established in Europe or Asia but just being introduced to North America. Properties ranged from cute animals for young kids (such as Korea’s Mashimaro) to fashion-driven tween girls series (4Kids’ Winx Club) to action-adventure properties for male teens and tweens (Warner Bros.’ Megas XLR).

Some examples of note included Warner’s Hi Hi Puffy Ani Yumi, which will debut in late November 2004. Based on a popular Japanese music group, the half-hour comedy will feature three 7-minute animated segments with two 30-second, live-action bookends. Fashion and publishing are among the licensed products planned. TokyoPop highlighted its Rave Master; the series airs on Cartoon Network and has spawned a DVD, Cine-Manga titles published by TokyoPop, and a master toy line from Hasbro.

Jetix Consumer Products, the licensing arm of Fox Kids Europe, promoted Pucca, a Korean fashion and lifestyle property inspired by Chinese opera. Korean animation studio Vooz has created Flash interstitials for the Web and is developing an animated series in conjunction with Fox Kids Europe. Jetix also showed Shin chan, a classic Japanese property for boys with a library of 300 half-hour TV episodes. It has gained popularity in Spain and is set for a consumer products program across Europe.

RubbaDubbers is finding success in the profitable video market. © HIT Entertainment.

ShoPro displayed a number of properties, some new to the U.S. licensing community. Cartoon Network has purchased 104 episodes of InuYasha, for tween and teen boys, and several licensees have signed to produce merchandise. Zatchbell is a new series for older children involving demons, while Edeko Boko Friends is ShoPro’s first preschool initiative. (It also licenses Hamtaro, for early school-age viewers.) Other properties at the ShoPro booth included Mirmo and Croket.

FUNimation showed Case Closed, Yu Yu Hakusho, Tenchi Muyo, Spiral and DragonBall Z; Geneon had Lupin III and Gungrave; the Pokemon Co., the company credited with starting the anime craze in the U.S., had a large booth; and Tezuka Osamu World highlighted the classic properties of the man known as “the Walt Disney of Japan.”

Studios Sell Direct
Several animation studios exhibited their proprietary properties at the show, mainly showcasing television series available for licensing. PorchLight Entertainment announced Playhut as its licensing and broadcast representative for Jay Jay the Jet Plane in the Chinese market. Nelvana highlighted several properties, including Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends, which premieres fall 2004 on Nickelodeon and has Fisher-Price on board as the master toy licensee. Alliance Atlantis promoted Dragon Booster, which debuts on ABC Family’s Jetix block in the U.S. in October. Konami has videogame rights, while Funimation will distribute home videos.