Stuart Little director Rob Minkoff and film stars Hugh Laurie, Jonathan Lipnicki and Geena Davis.All photos are courtesy of and © Jacquie Kubin.

With a KaBoom! animation has exploded, a trend reflected in the manufacturers' lines at the 1999 American International Toy Fair in New York (February 1999). Here are the news highlights...

On hand, the first day of the event, director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King) introduced his newest film, Stuart Little (Columbia Pictures), starring Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie and Jonathan Lipnicki as the Little family. Michael J. Fox provides the voice of the movie's CGI star, Stuart. Comparing the animated white mouse to his human stars, Minkoff said that the animated actor may never surpass the live actor, but that they each have their place in storytelling. "I think that the art and the artistry of animation is without a doubt equal to that of live-action filmmaking -- but they are completely different," Mr. Minkoff told Animation World. "I guess I understand why animation has less cache, because you saw what happened when Geena (Davis), Jonathan (Lipnicki) and Hugh (Laurie) went up on stage, suddenly the paparazzi rushed to their feet and started flashing pictures. Why? Because they have life and vitality, and can appear in public."

Not to disagree with Mr. Minkoff, but Stuart Little made a very physical appearance at Toy Fair that was well received by fans and paparazzi alike. Advanced models of plush and sculpted Stuart Little figures, as well as playsets and accessories, show promise that Stuart Little will become a popular and evergreen product with children and collectors alike. Licensor for the property, Sony Signatures, announced partnerships with Hasbro for a toy line including plush dolls, puzzles, collectible figures, a talking Stuart Little and even a Stuart Little toy motor car just like the one he drives in the book and movie. Other licenses awarded from the film include HarperCollins for book publishing and Learning Curve for felt playboard and playscenes, wooden puzzles and plush for pre-schoolers. Stuart Little will be on store shelves for the May release of the movie.

Also from Hasbro's animated toy shelves will be a line of new Pokemon toys including mini plush. The first wave features Meowth, Charizard, Squirtle, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Poliwhirl, Eevee and Snorlax ($4.99/July 1999). Pokemon plush collectors will also want to gather up the eight inch tall Pikachu Plush in July ($9.99).