MALIBU, Calif. -- Oct. 18, 2005 -- JAKKS Pacific, Inc. has signed a Master licensing agreement with Marvel Enterprises, Inc. to develop and market products based on Classic and Movie Marvel Characters for categories including dog accessories, cat accessories, pet food and pet tents. The agreement covers products marketed under JAKKS' new pet division, JPI™. The products are expected to ship to retailers nationwide in Spring 2006.
JAKKS Pacific currently has rights to produce Plug It In & Play TV Games™ and other products based on Marvel properties. The new agreement includes classic and movie characters including, Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Captain America and Fantastic Four.
Jack Friedman, Chairman and CEO, JAKKS Pacific, Inc., states, "Blockbuster movies drive sales of licensed products, and Marvel has one of the best portfolios of top entertainment brands. Pet owners regard their pets as an integral part of the family, and this drives the sales of licensed pet products. We believe that pet owners will choose the Spider-Man squeak toy or Fantastic Four snacks for their pets as an alternative to generic commodity versions."
Tim Rothwell, President of Marvel's Worldwide Consumer Media Group Division, adds, "We are excited to expand into this category with JAKKS Pacific and to be able to offer pet toys, accessories and more based on our Marvel classic and film properties. Our high-profile, globally-known characters are an ideal match for JAKKS' pet product line, and we are confident that their vision will result in yet another successful line of Marvel-licensed products."
JAKKS Pacific expects to begin shipping the new Marvel pet products in 2006 to retail locations nationwide.
About Marvel Enterprises, Inc.:
Marvel Enterprises, Inc., is a leading global character-based entertainment company that has developed and owns a library of more than 5,000 characters, which have entertained generations around the world for over 60 years. Marvel's operations are focused in entertainment and consumer product licensing and comic book publishing. Marvel Studios supports the development of feature films, DVD/video products and TV series. Marvel's creative team also supports the creation of video games and toy lines based on its characters as well as for a broad and growing range of consumer products and services including apparel, collectibles, foods and promotions. Marvel's comic book division is a leading publisher in the global marketplace while also serving as an invaluable source of intellectual property. Marvel's Toy Biz division is a recognized creative force and leader in toy design, sales and marketing, developing and overseeing both licensee and in-house toy lines. For additional information visit http://www.marvel.com.
About JAKKS Pacific, Inc.:
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a multi-brand company that designs and markets a broad range of toys and consumer products. The product categories include: Action Figures, Art Activity Kits, Stationery, Writing Instruments, Performance Kites, Water Toys, Sports Activity Toys, Vehicles, Infant/Pre-School, Plush, Construction Toys, Electronics, Dolls and Pet Toys and Accessories. The products are sold under various brand names including JAKKS Pacific®, Play Along®, Flying Colors®, Road Champs®, Child Guidance®, Pentech®, Trendmasters®, Toymax®, Funnoodle®, Go Fly a Kite®, Color Workshop®, JPI™ and Plug It In & Play TV Games™. JAKKS and THQ are the members of THQ/JAKKS Pacific LLC, which publishes and markets WWE wrestling video games. For further information, visit http://www.jakkspacific.com or http://www.tvgames.com.
MARVEL, Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Captain America and Fantastic Four and all related Marvel characters are (C) and trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc., and are used with permission. Copyright (C) 2005 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.marvel.com.
