Aardman has secured a number of new licensing partners for its brand new stop-motion pre-school property TIMMY including Vivid Imaginations as Master Toy partner and Egmont as Master Publisher.
Vivid Imaginations, the U.K.'s no.1 British toy company, has acquired master toy rights and worldwide manufacturing rights for TIMMY and will be launching products across plush, playsets, games, puzzles and outdoor toys for autumn/winter 2009.
Sean Clarke, Head of Marketing and Licensing at Aardman said, "It is fantastic that we already have three world class licensing partners on board for TIMMY, and we will be actively looking to find partners in all other open categories for the U.K. and appoint international agents at the New York Licensing Show in June."
"We are thrilled to be working with Aardman on such an exciting preschool show," said Emma Sherski, Marketing and Licensing Director at Vivid Imaginations. "The charming characters and creative story telling effortlessly translate into a great toy line with world wide appeal."
Egmont U.K. has picked up U.K. and Commonwealth publishing rights and in a separate deal, Titan Magazines will be producing a monthly comic for the U.K. and Ireland.
David Riley, Director of Egmont Publishing, said, "We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Aardman with this wonderful addition to our SHAUN THE SHEEP and WALLACE & GROMIT portfolio. TIMMY is already a huge star and we are thrilled to be launching an exciting range of books to support this brand."
Currently in production, TIMMY is scheduled for transmission in 2009 and Aardman will be looking for products to launch from autumn 2009. The 52x10 animated series has already been pre-bought by Disney Channels Worldwide, including the U.S. and by CBeebies in the U.K.
