Taffy Entertainments licensing division has closed five additional deals in the U.S. for PET ALIEN, the groundbreaking new CGI character-comedy premiering on Cartoon Network Jan. 23, 2005, at 10:00 am. The deals include Baby Boom Consumer Products for cuddle pillows, Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company for gift and specialty market plush, Childrens Apparel Network for apparel, Fast Forward for bags and backpacks, and Mello Smello for stickers.
PET ALIEN continues to capture the attention of leading companies across all categories, said Eric Stein, vp of licensing for Taffy. The buzz about the successful launch of PET ALIEN in territories like France, where the series premiered on TFI with a 50.3% share, has clearly made its way to the United States. Thats a very significant number when you realize the usual share for TF1 is 43%.
Previously announced licensees include American Marketing Enterprises for sleepwear, Berkshire for accessories, Jay Franco for domestics, JEM Sportswear for t-shirts and sweatshirts, and SG Footwear for footwear.
Aimed at kids 6-11, PET ALIEN is a non-sequitur, character-comedy with a strong spine of cartoony physical gags. The laughs multiply, looking at a rather normal boys life and relationships through anything but normal alien eyes specifically the eyes of Dinko, Gumpers, Flip, Swanky and Scruffy. These unique characters take up residence with 12-year-old Earth boy Tommy Cadle. The aliens try to help him in every aspect of his complicated pre-adolescent life, managing to turn his existence inside out and upside down.
The 26x30 series is produced by Mike Young Productions with co-producers Antefilm/TF1 (France), Crest (India) and Telegael (Ireland). PET ALIEN is based on a property created by Jeff Muncy of John Doze Studios.
Taffy Ent., a new business unit (owned by parent MYP) is a full service distribution and licensing and merchandising rights management company dedicated to children's and family programming. The company has a complete in-house distribution and post-production servicing staff, as well as a licensing and merchandising operation.
One of the most prolific independent animation studios in Hollywood today, Mike Young Prods. represents the convergence of three major talents: Mike Young, creator of the British Academy award-winning series SUPERTED; Liz Young, supervising producer of Scholastic Entertainment's Emmy Award-nominated CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, and its spin-off, PUPPY DAYS, both on PBS KIDS and Bill Schultz, Emmy Award-winning producer of THE SIMPSONS and exec producer of the critically acclaimed TODDWORLD for Discovery Kids. With more than 12 years experience in the industry, MYP has a long and successful track record of creating quality animated series that touch, teach and delight their audiences.
