blogs

Blogs

Toyland: The High Stakes Game of the Toy Industry, by Sydney Ladensohn Stern and Ted Schoenhaus, combines storytelling with an informative, in-depth exposition of everything to do with the toys and ga...

Your teams have worked hard for probably a year or two on your top new toy introductions, and they’re finally at retail or ready to ship - Congratulations!  Now wouldn’t it be amazing...

I Cannot Remain Silent: My Abortion Story By Nancy Zwiers   Note: I originally published this article on LinkedIn in December 2021, when it became clear that abortion rights were under threat ...

About Jenga: The Remarkable Business of Creating a Game that Became a Household Name, written by its creator, Leslie Scott, takes readers along for the journey of how Jenga, which began as a game play...

We Teach What We Allow By Nancy Zwiers   I recently heard a funny story from a friend.    Married for 40 years, my friend told me how her husband kept forgetting her birthday, even...

  BLIP TOYS’ BILL NICHOLS AND PETER CMIEL THOUGHTFUL NEW TAKE ON CLASSIC PLAY CONCEPTS   With over two decades in the toy industry, Blip Toys is still creatively cranking ...

  We have some exciting news! Eddy’s World was just nominated for an Emmy Award. It\'s for the Los Angeles area. Jury Award Winner for Best Documentary Short from Vero Beach Film ...

         Advertised as “a true-life business suspense story,” author G. Wayne Miller certainly delivered with his book Toy Wars: The Epic Struggle B...

  Hi Steve! Thank you for taking time for our inteview despite your crazy travel schedule now. Please share with our readers your roles and responsibilities in our industry?   I believe...

“Vital Activities” Enliven You—What are Yours? By Nancy Zwiers Back in 2011, when I was suffering from panic attacks in the face of a breast cancer diagnosis, my psychiatrist recom...

Hidden Role: The Brains Behind your Favorite Games --- What goes into a great game? There\'s no easy answer, but Matt Leacock, creator of Pandemic and master game designer, might just know the answer...

  Hidden Role: The Brains Behind your Favorite Games --- When master game designer Matt Leacock started out, it wasn\'t about the money, it was about making the best game possible! In part one ...

There have been a lot of articles written about the success of Wordle, and no wonder. Over the span of less than a year, it grew to have over two million players. If you haven’t played it, the g...

Taraji P. Henson Revealed as First New Star Voice Talent for PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie™ Highly Anticipated Sequel Set to Hit Theatres Worldwide October 2023 With Additional Cast Announceme...

Hi David! Thank you for taking time to answer a few questions. First, our readers would love to hear what you do in our industry?   My role is to be the creative visionary that will turn ideas...

    PLAYMONSTER PARTNERS WITH VIACOMCBS TO LAUNCH NEW ADULT GAME IN 2022:CRIMINAL MINDS UNKNOWN SUBJECT Fans of the Popular TV Show can Race to Catch a Killer in this Fast-Paced Socia...

A Parable About Time Management By Nancy Zwiers   The teacher stood in front of her students who had signed up for a course on time management.  They were committed to using their preciou...

    OAKBROOK, IL, May 24, 2022 -- Today, TOMY announced a large-scale crowd-funded Star Trek NCC-1701 U.S.S. Enterprise will be available for pre-order starting June 7, 2022, through July ...

Chasing Ghosts and Shadows In China  “a brief guide to   un-orthodox methods of controlling copies”   Understanding the Problem   Copies of toys is a constant...

Hidden Role: The Brains Behind your Favorite Games --- Nicholas Cravotta and Rebecca Bleau are the creative minds behind over a hundred games and puzzles. From cooperative Escape Rooms to party game...

MEDIA ALERT   Gameboard + GameStop Team-Up For Live, In-Store Game Night Experience   The 10-City Gameboard Experience Kicks-Off in Oklahoma Ushering In The Next Dimension of Tabletop ...

  Hi Morgan! Thank you for sharing a bit about yourself with us today. What drew you to the toy industry?   Cartoons, specifically Japanese Animés, toys, games, and video games w...

Spin Master Opens Applications for 2022 Future of Play Scholarship Program   Now in its second year, the program will support those studying in the fields of  Toys, Entertainment and Digit...

Soar With Your Strengths By Nancy Zwiers I visited my daughter Nikki who is in graduate school in Europe this past month, and over dinner, I shared with a group of her fellow student friends that I ...

    Hi Andrew! Thank you for taking time for this interview. We know there is a lot going on at Funko. What are your roles and responsibilities at Funko?   Chief Executive Officer...

    For whatever reason, the notion of having and keeping a pet has always been part of human nature.  Playing with and caring for a pet is an intrinsic value, part of being a good ...

Hidden Role: The Brains Behind your Favorite Games --- Tanya Thompson, Senior Director of Design Innovation and Inventor Relations at Hasbro, gives incredible insights on how to pitch your toy or ga...

  Hidden Role: The Brains Behind your Favorite Games --- Listen to Marjorie Spitalnik, activist and Founder & CEO of Little Rebels, details her journey to make her toy line a reality; figh...

Hidden Role: The Brains Behind your Favorite Games --- In this episode, Matt Nuccio shares stories from his many years as a toy designer, from joining the \"family business\" as a kid, to Pogs, to Tex...

Hidden Role: The Brains Behind your Favorite Games --- When an inventor pitches to a game company, a Game Scout picks what ideas stay and go! Josh West is that person, and using his two decades in t...

Tait & Lily, Inventors of Betcha Can't!