Los Angeles, CA (May 26, 2010) — The Jim Henson Company is pleased to announce that several new licensees have boarded the “Dinosaur Train” over the past year, bringing the total number of licensing partners to 23 in the U.S. The announcement was made today by Melissa Segal, SVP, Global Consumer Products, The Jim Henson Company.
Most recently to join the “Dinosaur Train’s” domestic partner line-up in 2010 are DecoPac for cake toppers; Anagram for balloons; Cranston for fabric; Kidz World Inc. for upholstered furniture; Pacific Play Tents for tents, slumber bags and folding animal chairs; a Publications International for sound books and look and find books, and VM Global Manufacturing for scooters, skates & bikes.
“The ‘Dinosaur Train’ licensing program continues to gain momentum, and we are excited to add these latest licensees to our ever growing global team,” comments Segal. “Following the successful debut of the television series, we are looking forward to introducing this compelling line of merchandise to the U.S. market starting late summer and are thrilled with the retailer response heading into the launch.”
Current global licensees include: Learning Curve for master toys; Crayola for activity; Hallmark Cards for party goods and ornaments; and Mega Brands for construction toys. Also aboard for the U.S. are: Edushape for bath toys and floor play mats; Imagine Apparel for sleepwear and underwear; Kids with Character for sportswear, tees, sets, separates and outerwear; MediBadge, Inc. for stickers through doctor and dentist offices; Mystic Apparel for backpacks, headwear and lunch kits; Grossett & Dunlap, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group for paperback storybooks, board books and novelty books; Trevco Sportswear, Inc. for t-shirts; and Weisner Products, Inc. for footwear and hosiery; California Costume Collection for Halloween costumes; Pressman Toy Corp. for board games; Random House for coloring, activity books, unique novelty formats and Little Golden Books; and Patch Products, Inc. for magnetic play sets, puzzles and activity kits. PBS Home Video will release three “Dinosaur Train” DVDs this year.
“Dinosaur Train” merchandise will begin to hit retail stores later this summer with a full assortment of products available for the holiday season.
“Dinosaur Train” is the perfect marriage of the two things 3–6 year olds love the most—trains and dinosaurs. Created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), “Dinosaur Train” airs on PBS KIDS® in the U.S. and embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific thinking and skills. Each 30-minute episode includes two 11-minute animated segments with live action sequences featuring well-known paleontologist, Scott Sampson, Ph.D. Dr. Scott brings to life the show’s natural science and natural history curriculum for preschoolers as he gives specific facts about dinosaurs and compares their features to animals of today.
PBSKIDS.org/dinosaurtrain welcomes more than 2.4 million visits each month, offering engaging content designed to continue dinosaur exploration beyond the television series, including printables, games, and a dinosaur field guide.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Michelle Orsi & Carol Holdsworth
Three.Sixty Marketing & Communications
310.418.6430/8052521848
michelle@360-comm.com
carol@360-comm.com
Nicole Goldman/Ann Schwarz
The Jim Henson Company
323.802.1608/323.802.1667
ngoldman@henson.com
aschwarz@henson.com
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The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy® nominated “Sid the Science Kid,” “Dinosaur Train,” “Wilson & Ditch: Digging America” and “Pajanimals.” Features include “The Dark Crystal,” “Labyrinth,” “MirrorMask,” and “Unstable Fables” and television productions include “Fraggle Rock” and the sci-fi cult series “Farscape.”
With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment. The Company’s Henson Alternative brand has recently launched the national tour of “Stuffed and Unstrung,” a live puppet improvisational show named one of the top 10 “Best Stage Shows of 2010” by Entertainment Weekly.
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