Hasbro has signed a multi-year deal with HIT Entertainment for the licensing rights to their successful toon, BOB THE BUILDER. The current BBC series is scheduled to debut on Nick Jr. sometime next year. BOB garners 52% of the pre-school audience in the U.K. for its time period. Last holiday season the toys based on the series sold out in the U.K. Hasbro hopes that the series will build the same kind of fan base in the States as other foreign imports have done recently. Currently, Mainframe is producing a series called ACTION MAN based off Hasbro's British toy line of the same name.

Rhino is releasing the action stuffed soundtrack to the POWERPUFF GIRLS. On July 18, 2000, "Heroes and Villains" will hit shelves with music performed by top alternative artists. Songs from the series and inspired by the Powerpuff Girls will be featured on the album. Artists such as David Byrne, Devo, Frank Black, Shonen Knife, Apples In Stereo, Optiganally Yours, Kormeda, Cornelius, The Sugarplastic, Dressy Bessy and Bis will be featured. Series creator Craig McCracken set out to find bands that inspire him to participate on the compilation.

The Harvey Entertainment Company and Felix the Cat Productions have come to a new corporate agreement to bring Harvey characters to Latin America. Harvey Entertainment has appointed Felix the Cat Productions, Inc. as their exclusive licensing agent for Latin America. In turn, Donald Oriolo, president & CEO of Felix the Cat Productions, and the other heirs of Casper creator Joseph Oriolo have turned over to Harvey all rights and claims to the trademarks and copyrights of the Casper character.

Wolfmill Entertainment has signed a worldwide licensing deal with Living Toyz for a line of action figures based on Wolfmill's upcoming CGI animated feature film ELFQUEST. The fantasy-action film follows the journey of Cutter, a young elven chief, and his tribe across a hostile world to find a safe refuge. Before the theatrical release of ELFQUEST, Los Angeles-based Living Toyz will produce several sets of action figures based on the original ELFQUEST comic book designs by Warp Graphics.

London-based publisher Dorling Kindersley has lost US$40 million on the book adaptation of STAR WARS EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE. The educational and CD-Rom publisher had 13 million of the STAR WARS books printed for last holiday season and sold fewer than 3 million copies. After the initial news was released earlier this year, shares plummeted 40% and CEO James Middlehurst resigned. Chairman and 30% shareholder Peter Kindersley has taken over the head position. An unnamed worker told the LONDON DAILY EXPRESS that founder Kindersley has "fallen victim to a terrible error of judgment." Mr.

Burger King, a leading hamburger chain, has decided to back RUGRATS IN

PARIS with a licensing campaign to coincide with the film's Thanksgiving

release. Burger joint cross promotion of films released in the holiday

season means big money for both parties. Burger King opted to work out a

deal with the Nickelodeon/Paramount sequel to RUGRATS: THE MOVIE, which it

backed in 1998, instead of DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS,

starring Jim Carrey. Insiders say Burger King may drop US$20 million into

The Harvey Entertainment Company and PG Capital, an apparel industry

investment company, have finalized a joint venture for a new apparel

company, Harvey Fashion LLC. The new company will be responsible for

manufacturing, selling and marketing a complete apparel collection, based

on the popular Harvey Classic Character library. Paul Guez will serve as

chairman of the board and CEO. The creation of Harvey Fashion LLC replaces

and extends the scope of an earlier Harvey apparel venture planned with

On Wednesday, December 26, 2000, a second child was reported to have

suffocated on Burger King's promotional POKEMON ball. The 4-month old,

Indianapolis, Indiana boy was found dead by his grandmother who left the

toy in the crib with the sleeping child. Millions of the toys were recalled

on December 11, 1999 after a Sonora, California girl was found in her

playpen with half the ball over her nose and mouth. U.S. federal officials

accused the Miami-based fast food chain of being too slow in recalling the

Cartoon Network, featured on Poland's Wizja TV, is the #1 rated channel on

the programming package and now Cartoon Network Magazine rules the

newsstand. The first issue sold over 500,000 copies making it the top

magazine in Poland. In just three days, the magazine sold out and

publishers ordered an immediate reprint. The Polish version of the mag with

comic strips, quizzes, posters and articles featuring Cartoon Net's legion

of toon heroes and heroines is based off the British version and is the

Is Pikachu anti-Semitic? The answer is no, even after questions to the
contrary circled when parents complained of a swastika-like symbol
appearing on the Japanese language cards for Pokemon's Golbat and Ditto.
These two cards, not yet released in the U.S. card collection, include a
Japanese symbol called a "manji," which is a mirror image of a swastika.
The symbol, however, is a centuries-old, Japanese symbol for good fortune.
Not wanting to create any bad financial karma, Nintendo has announced that
it will discontinue the questionable cards.