Work and Business

Marketing the Macabre and More

Vying for a place in children's toy chests, toy companies at the American International TOY FAIR™ are introducing new takes on old ideas and adding some twisted humor in the process.

While most baby dolls on the market coo, gurgle or otherwise emulate typical natal behavior, the Terrible Babies from Basic Fun Inc. don't do much of anything. With misshapen eyes, multiple appendages and "mushie" bodies, these babies come with poems that cleverly reference their "terrible"-ness. One baby named Wolfgang possesses stray patches of hair and a disconcertingly sharp tooth. A frown graces his face as his poem reads: "My awfulest nightmare/ has just come true/ the moon is full/ and my pants are too."

Jim Benton, the creative mind behind Terrible Babies, is also responsible for It's Happy Bunny, the "cruel but cute" cartoon rabbit that addresses his audience with phrases such as, "Hi, loser." Big Fun holds the license to Happy Bunny as well as Benton's first book series, which is centered on Franny K. Stein, a little girl who's one part cutie and two parts mad scientist. The toy line consists of various plushies, figurines and a few oddities, like "Oozy Goo." Billed as coming "straight from Franny's lab," it's a green slime that contains mad scientist staples such as fake eyeballs, spiders and bats. Though Happy Bunny is already on the market, and Franny just hit shelves, consumers will have to wait until later this year for Terrible Babies.

Turning the macabre to the marketable is Diamond Select Toys with a line of plushies and Minimates to be based upon Death Jr., the green skeleton son of Death, who's also the star of a videogame slated for the Playstation Portable. The toys will be introduced in late 2005 to coincide with the game's release. Until then, Death Jr. will be practicing his scythe swing with dear ol' dad.

To counteract the cynicism comes the I-Dog from the Hasbro Games Group. The I-Dog is the new millennium's Dancing Flowers, those plastic flowers of the '80s that "danced" to any sound they heard. Connect the I-Dog to any MP3 player, stereo or compact disc player, and I-Dog will react to the music. Depending upon the type of music played, the I-Dog will express himself with one of four moods. Fast-paced songs make the I-Dog move his ears up and down as his head flashes different color patterns, while a soothing song will subdue this savage beast. At times, he barks in response to the music and reacts to rebukes of "bad dog" with a growl. The I-Dog will be up for adoption in fall 2005.

Also from Hasbro, and set for release in November, are plush toys and figurines of characters from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Disney's new movie. Set to be released in December, the movie is based on the first book of "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis, a friend and contemporary of J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien authored the popular "Lord of the Rings," which were adapted into movies in recent years and birthed a powerful merchandising force. The figurines were renowned for their incredible detail but are sure to be overshadowed by the Narnia line. With characters such as minotaurs and centaurs in full armor, the Narnia figurines feature amazingly detailed shadow and fur, creating a realism that will make it an item on everyone's list. Just be wary of the White Witch. Although her figurine is as enchanting as the rest, her character in the tale is responsible for making it "always winter and never Christmas" — a prospect that would frighten the toy industry, whose fall releases cater to Christmas and holiday sales.