The Anime Network has announced a nationwide in-store signage promotion with Waldenbooks, America's largest mall based book retailer. Starting August 1, 2003, Waldenbooks will promote the Anime Network with signs placed in the manga section of its stores. The deal is an extension of the partnership between Waldenbooks and the network’s parent company A. D. Vision, Inc., which brings home-entertainment anime products in Waldenbooks’ locations.

A.D. Vision Inc. has officially announced the founding of ADV Toys, the firm's new merchandise division. Word of the new arm was first hinted at Anime Expo 2003. The new division will create toys and collectible merchandise based upon the company's film, manga and original content properties.

LevyMann Entertainment has entered into an agreement with Toys "R" Us to release its direct-to-video, animated musical pre-school series, ITTY BITTY HEARTBEATS. As part of the deal, Toys “R” Us will also carry a combo pack featuring a VHS of four eleven-minute episodes, a musical CD and two plush toys of the series' lead characters, CoolHeart and SweetHeart. All products will be exclusive to all Toys "R" Us stores beginning October 21, 2003, before launching wide 30 days later.

On August 16, 2003, U.S. postmaster general John E. Potter unveiled a new commemorative postage stamp honoring music legend Henry Mancini at the 2003 Mancini Musicale at UCLA. Stamp artist Victor Stabin's painting shows Mancini conducting as the titles of some of his most popular film and television projects appear to scroll over a screen behind him. Mancini created the theme for the PINK PANTHER and the stamp features the animated visage of the title character. The stamp is scheduled to be issued April 13, 2004.

Marx Toys and Entertainment Corp. has received its first order of 10,000 units for its revolutionary TOYWARE line from Hanan Enterprise Sales Inc. TOYWARE Interactive technology allows action figures to move and speak using interactive commands received wirelessly from a computer. This includes text-to-speech applications for Instant Messages, using the company's first product -- "The IM Buddy."

TOKYOPOP Inc. has inked a licensing deal with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to publish Cine-Manga based on JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES. Volume 1 will debut November 11, 2003 with two more coming sometime in January and April 2004. The series will bring the Kids' WB! TV series to readers on full-color pages with images pulled directly from animated TV series.

Boomerang has teamed with Sunkist Growers, Del Monte Fresh Produce and the National Watermelon Promotion Board to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables with an in-store Albertsons grocery store campaign entitled "The Wacky Days of Summer.” The campaign will contain fruit-bin wraps, posters, grocery-bag stuffers, free fruit recipe and activity booklets and live weekend events in select Albertsons stores. The four-week campaign will run August 1 - September 30, 2003.

Simon Spotlight and Scholastic have announced they will each publish a line of books based on HIT Entertainment's new animated television series RUBBADUBBERS. Simon Spotlight will publish novelty and storybook formats and Scholastic will publish coloring and activity formats. The books will launch in the summer 2004 with Spotlight and Scholastic jointly coordinating sales and marketing efforts.

Kids’ WB! and Dimension Films are teaming up for a new contest in connection with the release of SPY KIDS 3D: GAME OVER. The 2nd Annual Kids' WB! Way Outta The Way Road Trip Sweepstakes will kick off on Monday, July 14, 2003, and will give one grand prize winner the chance to drive home in an Isuzu Axiom SPY Mobile - delivered by the stars of the film, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara.

On the heels of the HULK movie release, Marvel Enterprises Inc. and X3D Technical Corp. have united in a strategic licensing agreement that grants X3D exclusive three-dimensional publishing rights to past and future Marvel comic books in CD-ROM formats – Marvel ComX3D. For the first time, the agreement expands Marvel Comics' publication portfolio to be viewed in 3D on virtually any PC screen.