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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 4.4 - JULY 1999
Licensing
Darth Maul Action Figure Tops Sales. eToys Inc., an Internet retailer of children's products, reports that Darth Maul tops their list of most popular action figure characters. Samuel L. Jackson's Mace Windu, despite limited screen time, is number two. The least popular action figure characters at eToys are Senator Palpatine and the Naboo space craft pilot Ric Olie. Hasbro paid $590 million, and gave George Lucas a 7.4% stake in the company, for the licensing rights to Star Wars Episodes One, Two, and Three.
Top Ten Action Figure Characters at eToys
1. Darth Maul
2. Mace Windu
3. C-3PO
4. Battle Droid
5. Obi-Wan Kenobi
6. Qui-Gon Jinn
7. Anakin Skywalker
8. Queen Amidala
9. Darth Sidious
10. Jar Jar Binks
Nickelodeon And Kid Rhino Offer Rugrats CD. In Search Of The Mighty Reptar, an audio adventure based on The Rugrats, the Nickelodeon TV series, will be released by Nickelodeon and Kid Rhino on July 20th. The release contains two separate stories, "Reptar On Ice" and "Journey To The Center Of The Basement." "Reptar On Ice" takes the Rugrats on a quest to meet Reptar, the giant lizard beloved by Tommy Pickles and his pals, at the Reptar on Ice Show. "Journey To The Center Of The Basement" tells how the Rugrats summon up their courage to rescue baby Reptar, who is accidentally brought down into the dark and scary basement. In Search Of The Mighty Reptar will debut in the US on July 20th at stores for $13.98 on CD and $9.98 on cassette.
The release will launch as part of Nickelodeon's Rugrats "Go Reptar!" event, anchored by a direct-to-video release of Runaway Reptar from Paramount Home Video and a broad consumer products campaign across all categories. The initiative will be supported through a Reptar-themed week-long programming event, as well as through a major promotion via nick.com and Nickelodeon Magazine. Promotional partners supporting the release of the home video are Lincoln Mercury, Motts, Campbells, Broderbund, and Oral B. Reptar theming will be incorporated across all merchandise categories and there will be a dedicated one-week Reptar-themed on-air promotion in August 1999, which will be followed up by a Burger King promotion. In Search Of The Mighty Reptar will be supported by cross promotions with Mattel, THQ, Simon & Schuster, and University Games/Colorforms.
Rugrats, Nickelodeon's animated series about life from a baby's point of view, is the highest rated kids TV program in the U.S., attracting 23 million viewers each week. Whenever adults are around, the Rugrats act like real babies, but when they're alone, they talk to each other with the vocabulary of five-year-olds. The Rugrats are Tommy Pickles, the one-year-old hero; his best friend Chuckie; the twins from next door, Phil and Lil; and Tommy's bratty cousin Angelica.
Kid Rhino Collects A Cartoon Medley. On July 6 Kid Rhino and Cartoon Network celebrate tunes from some of the best-loved cartoon TV shows of this century with Cartoon Medley, a collection of 38 of Cartoon Network's greatest hits. The collection features themes from Josie & The Pussycats, The Flintstones, Speed Racer, The Jetsons, Space Ghost Coast-To-Coast, Scooby-Doo Where Are You?, Dexter's Laboratory, and the current cult favorite The Powerpuff Girls. Lyrics are included in the CD booklet. Cartoon Medley will retail for $16.98/CD and $10.98/cassette, and will also be available on the Kid Rhino Web site www.kidrhino.com.
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The Iron Giant. © Warner Bros.
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Iron Giant Gets Licensed. The Iron Giant, which opens
in the US on August 6, will be accompanied by the following merchandising.
On August 3 Rhino Records will release The Iron Giant soundtrack. In
addition to an original score by Michael Kamen (Lethal Weapon, 101 Dalmations),
this collection includes tracks such as Eddie Platt's 1958 hit "Cha-Hua-Hua,"
The Magnificents' "Let's Do The Cha-Cha," and Jimmie Haskell's
"Rockin' In Orbit." Compiled by Rhino's James Austin, The
Iron Giant soundtrack will retail for $16.98/CD, $10.98/cassette. Other
promotions include those with '50s-style diner Johnny Rockets (which will
give away a cassette sampler with the purchase of each child's meal), toy
company Trendmaster (which is releasing eight Iron Giant toys), and Act II
Popcorn (which will offer a rebate on the soundtrack with popcorn tubs in
theatres). Directed by Brad
Bird (Family Dog, The Simpsons, King Of The Hill), The Iron
Giant film is set at the dawn of the Space Race when nine year-old
Hogarth Hughes adopts a giant metal-eating robot who has crash landed in his
neighborhood. The screenplay is based on The Iron Man by British Poet
Laureate Ted Hughes, who wrote the book for his son after the death of his
wife Sylvia Plath.
Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.
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