Flashback: January 1995 1.
The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon chronicles the adventures of Dudley after he awakens from a 100-year-long nap. In the show, two 10year-old kids, Matt and Sally, help Dudley solve mysteries, observe the wonders of nature, and discover what they can do to protect the environment. Several licensees are set to debut product, ranging from plush to athletic shoes. The character will be a spokescharacter for a national reading promotion campaign for the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress; will appear in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City; and have Dudley centers created at Macy’s, FAO Schwarz, JCPenney, and Toys “R” Us stores in his honor. 2. Puppy In My Pocket is a line of miniature, collectible, and realistic-looking puppies, each with its own name, personality, and story. Additional lines of animals will be available, including Kitty In My Pocket and Pony In My Pocket. 3. The Great Heroes of Time is a new line of action figure sets that come with detailed figures and a full-color 24-page booklet, which recounts the stories of the heroes’ historical pasts. Parents can introduce positive values with historical accuracy into their children’s playtime.
1.
2.
News Briefs WBCP Has New Wave of Free Willy Licenses Warner Bros. Consumer Products has announced a new wave of Free Willy licenses, seeking to capitalize on the summer 1995 release of Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home and the debut of Free Willy, the animated television series. The licenses are for apparel, accessories, domestic goods, housewares, gifts, novelties, adhesive bandages, books, paper goods, stationery, toys, and games.
Federal Judge Decides Nintendo Case The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a judgment in favor of Nintendo against an importer of counterfeit video game software. In a precedent-setting decision, the court held that Nintendo was entitled to monetary damages for both copyright and trademark infringement resulting from the sale of counterfeit video game cartridges. Nintendo will recover more than $450,000 from the decision.
Acclaim Develops Chip That Replaces ROM Cartridge Battery Back-up
58 • THE TOY BOOK
3.
Acclaim has announced that it has developed a memory chip that replaces higher-priced, conventional ROM cartridge battery back-up systems. The new technology will be used in its NFL Quarterback Club Sega Genesis video game.
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015