Toy Biz, Inc. (later known as Marvel Toys ) was a toy manufacturer , originally founded in Montreal , Quebec as Charan Toys . The company is best known for holding the Marvel Comics toy license from 1990 to 2006.
87-592: In 1993, Marvel Entertainment Group acquired a minority stake in Toy Biz. In 1998, Toy Biz merged with Marvel Entertainment Group to bring it out of bankruptcy, with the two merged companies becoming Marvel Enterprises . Toy Biz would continue as the name of its toy manufacturing division. In 2005, the division would start to use the name Marvel Toys, as well as Toy Biz, to reflect the Marvel Cinematic Universe . In January 2006, Hasbro acquired
174-1187: A limited liability company (LLC) since then. For financial reporting purposes, Marvel was primarily reported as part of the Disney Consumer Products segment ever since Marvel Studios ' reorganization from Marvel Entertainment into Walt Disney Studios . Over the years, Marvel Entertainment entered into several partnerships and negotiations with other companies across a variety of businesses. As of 2024 , Marvel has film licensing agreements with Sony Pictures via Columbia Pictures (for Spider-Man films ) and theme park licensing agreements with IMG Worlds of Adventure and Universal Destinations & Experiences (for specific Marvel character rights at Islands of Adventure ). Aside from their contract with Universal Destinations & Experiences, Marvel's characters and properties have also appeared at Disney Parks . On March 29, 2023, Marvel Entertainment's remaining units were folded into Disney's other divisions. Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. (or MEG ), incorporated on December 2, 1986 , and included Marvel Comics and Marvel Productions . That year, it
261-653: A 1995 Toy Biz acquisition, from Marvel. In summer 2003, Marvel placed an offer for Artisan Entertainment . A new unit, Marvel International, was set up in London under a president, Bruno Maglione, to extend the company's operation and presence in major overseas markets in November 2003. In December 2003, Marvel Entertainment acquired Cover Concepts from Hearst Communications, Inc. In November 2004, Marvel consolidated its children's sleepwear-apparel licensing business with American Marketing Enterprises, Inc. In November 2004,
348-524: A 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m ) suite at 135 W. 50th Street, New York City, under a nine-year sublease contract. Stan Lee Media 's lawsuit against Marvel was dismissed again in February 2011. In March 2013, Feld Entertainment agreed with Marvel to produce a Marvel Character-based live arena show . Marvel was also launching a new pop culture and lifestyle web show, "Earth's Mightiest Show". On August 22, 2013, Marvel Entertainment announced that it
435-480: A Romper Room toy line. A month-long Teamsters strike and Far Eastern supplier troubles caused the company to post a $ 1 million loss for the year. In 1970, Hasbro began a plan of diversification and opened the Romper Room Nursery School franchise chain to cash in on President Richard Nixon 's Family Assistance Plan which subsidized day care for working mothers. By 1975, the company had ended
522-460: A billion dollars in bonds under the direction of Perelman, which was passed up in dividends to Perelman's group of companies. Later on, Marvel and Acclaim Entertainment teamed up to provide a video game license in the early 1990s, which eventually formed into a joint label, Marvel Software in 1994. On July 5, 1994, Marvel acquired Panini Group , an Italian sticker-maker, followed by Malibu Comics on November 3 and Heroes World Distribution ,
609-572: A company selling textile remnants. Over the next two decades, the company expanded to produce pencil cases and school supplies. On January 8, 1926, Hassenfeld Brothers was incorporated in Rhode Island; Hillel left for another textile business while Henry took charge of the corporation. They began making their own pencils after their pencil supplier began making pencil cases as well. Hassenfeld Brothers produced modeling clay and then doctor and nurse kits as their first toys, and they became primarily
696-474: A deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $ 4 billion, with Marvel shareholders to receive $ 30 and approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each share of Marvel they own. Shareholders from both companies approved the deal on December 31, 2009; it was finalised on the same day. The company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange under its ticker symbol (MVL), due to the closing of
783-407: A detailed article that Hasbro came close to buying Lionsgate , exploring options to expand its entertainment division and bolster its content production capabilities due to interest in film and television ventures, but the deal fell through. On February 16, 2018, Saban Brands appointed Hasbro as the global master toy licensee for Power Rangers with a future collaboration and option to purchase
870-594: A flying projectile with a sharp metal point causing multiple deaths. The other toy was named The Hypo-Squirt, a hypodermic needle-shaped water gun tagged by the press as a "junior junkie" kit. Both were recalled. Romper Room and its toy line had continued success, although Action for Children's Television citizens group considered the program to be an advertising channel for toys. Merrill Hassenfeld took over as CEO in 1974, and his son Stephen D. Hassenfeld became president. The company became profitable once again but had mixed results due to cash flow problems from increasing
957-653: A good working relationship with New Line Cinema following their Blade toy line , Toy Biz managed to get the rights in spite of stiff competition from other companies. Toy Biz made several developments with this line - going for a slightly larger 6 inch scaled figure as opposed to the 3 31/4” scale popularised by toy lines such as Hasbro's Star Wars figures and going for a mixture of screen accuracy and articulation/playability in order to appease both child and adult collectors. The company would later license products for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Curious George and Code Lyoko . In 2001, Marvel Enterprises licensed
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#17327730521931044-542: A lawsuit accusing him of helping divert $ 553.5 million in notes when he controlled the company. ToyBiz and Marvel Entertainment Group were merged into Marvel Enterprises to bring it out of bankruptcy on June 2, 1998. In February 1999, Fleer/Skybox was sold to a corporation owned by Alex and Roger Grass, a father and son, for US$ 30 million. Later, the rights to names like "Spider-Man" were being challenged. Toy Biz hired an attorney to review its license agreement. Los Angeles patent attorney Carole E. Handler found
1131-569: A legal loophole in the licensing of the Marvel name and was successful in reclaiming Marvel Enterprises' movie rights to its character Spider-Man. Marvel Enterprise organized itself into four major units, Marvel Studios, Toy Biz, Licensing and Publishing, while in November 1999 adding Marvel Characters Group to manage Marvel's IP and oversee marketing. Marvel named its Marvel New Media president, Steve Milo, in November 2000 to oversee its website. In 2003, Bill Stine purchased back Quest Aerospace ,
1218-654: A makeover, with rides being redone and renamed to Hasbro properties. Construction was begun later that month and scheduled to wrap up in late 2020. On August 22, 2019, Hasbro announced its purchase of Entertainment One for about US$ 4 billion. The deal was completed on December 30, 2019. On October 24, 2019, Hasbro announced the closing of Backflip Studios, while its Wizards of the Coast subsidiary purchased Tuque Games in October. On February 28, 2020, Hasbro announced that Campbell Arnott's former CMO David McNeil had joined
1305-420: A manufacturer of infant products and the world's largest bib producer, and Knickerbocker Toy Company, a struggling Warner Communications subsidiary. Hasbro paid 37% of its stock to Warner, which was paid into Hasbro's executive-controlled voting trust, and also received a cash infusion. In 1984, Alan G. Hassenfeld took over as president from his brother Stephen, who continued as CEO and chairman. That same year,
1392-708: A new field with the development of a scripted podcast series, Wolverine: The Long Night , announced on December 5, 2017. Marvel and SiriusXM announced on October 22, 2019, a multi-year deal for scripted and unscripted podcast series and themed live events. Marvel Entertainment announced a new pre-school franchise, Marvel Super Hero Adventures , in September 2017 consisting of a short-form animated series along with publishing and merchandise during "Marvel Mania" October. On December 7, 2017, Marvel announced its Marvel Rising franchise focusing on new characters as youngsters starting with animation in 2018. Marvel Comics
1479-414: A new five-year contract. As of fiscal year 2012, Goldner had a total calculated compensation of $ 9,684,285. On July 9, 2013, Backflip Studios sold a 70% stake in the company to Hasbro for $ 112 million in cash. On November 6, 2012, it was rumored that The Walt Disney Company was discussing a multi-billion dollar deal to acquire Hasbro. While Hasbro declined to discuss the rumor, advisors stated there
1566-461: A plan to save Marvel in which the company would merge with Toy Biz after Perelman spent $ 350 million for the Toy Biz shares that he did not already own. He would then receive newly issued Marvel shares to maintain his 80 percent stake. Separately, in July 1996, Marvel filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to raise money to create a private entity called Marvel Studios . Much of
1653-517: A regional distributor to comic-book shops, in December. On March 10, 1995, it acquired trading card company SkyBox International with the acquisition being fully completed later in May. Marvel's attempt to distribute its products directly led to a decrease in sales and aggravated the losses which Marvel suffered when the comic book bubble popped, the 1994 Major League Baseball strike massacred
1740-408: A school supply manufacturer and wholesaler, to become Charan Industries Inc. Its Charan Toy, Inc. subsidiary became a leading licensing toy company in 1985. In addition to toys, Charan implemented brands in other areas, including acquiring a hockey equipment brand in the mid-1980s. In 1988, Charan Toys was renamed Toy Biz and became an American firm. In 1990, Charan, including the Toy Biz subsidiary,
1827-458: A slate of 10 unscripted series including two from Marvel New Media was revealed for Disney+ . After Rahmani left for Google , podcast host Ryan Penagos became vice president and creative executive for the organization. Marvel and SiriusXM announced on October 22, 2019, a multi-year deal for multiple scripted and unscripted podcast series for 2020 debuts. The first four scripted series feature Black Widow, Hawkeye, Star-Lord, and Wolverine, which
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#17327730521931914-491: A toy company by 1942. Hillel died in 1943 and Henry Hassenfeld became CEO, while his son Anthony Merrill became president. The company entered the plastic fields during World War II to support its toy line. The Hassenfeld brothers, immigrants from Ulanów , Poland, also spent the war years helping to rescue and employ fellow Jews from Ulanów; Jacob Klapper, a holocaust survivor born in Ulanów, recalled being told when he arrived in
2001-647: A year. As a result of the early termination, Marvel Entertainment paid Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd. a penalty of between $ 13–16 million USD. Throughout 2007, the division struggled to stay afloat without the Marvel Comic licenses. The company introduced a series called the Legendary Comic Book Heroes – making action figures of non-Marvel Comic characters, though it suffered with poor sales. The company also furthered its TNA Wrestling and Curious George lines. Marvel Entertainment quietly began to close
2088-402: Is a unit of The Walt Disney Company consisting of the company's website, web series, and podcast. Digital shows under New Media are THWIP! The Big Marvel Show , The Marvel Minute , Marvel LIVE! and Marvel Top 10 . In October 2017, Ron Richards began working at Marvel Entertainment as vice president and Managing Editor of New Media, while Marvel Digital freelance on-air host Lorraine Cink
2175-443: Is expected to publish material for Marvel Rising, but delayed any announcement on their material. In May 2018, The Walt Disney Company Australia purchased eight-year naming rights to Docklands Stadium from Melbourne Stadiums Limited and selected the Marvel brand as part of the name. Since September 1, 2018, the stadium has been known commercially as Marvel Stadium. A Marvel retail store and other inclusion of Marvel would be added to
2262-547: Is incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island . Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of Kenner , Milton Bradley , Parker Brothers , and Wizards of the Coast , among others. As of August 2020, over 81.5% of its shares were held by large financial institutions. Mr. Potato Head serves as Hasbro’s iconic, official mascot along with its preschool children’s subsidiary Playskool . Among Hasbro's products are Transformers , G.I. Joe , Power Rangers , Rom
2349-430: Is planned to lead to a fifth series featuring all four characters. The slate's unscripted podcasts would consist of talk shows, Marvel's history via a modern-day pop cultural view, and popular Marvel franchises-focused podcasts. In early 2023, as part of cost-cutting moves by its parent company Disney, the in-house audio production unit responsible for Marvel podcasts was cut from six to three people. The move also marked
2436-674: Is the former parent of mass media and entertainment company Entertainment One . Hasbro sold Entertainment One to Lionsgate on December 27, 2023, however, it kept eOne's family brands and eOne's stake in Astley Baker Davies , placing them into a new subsidiary called Hasbro Entertainment , founded on August 16, 2023. The company celebrated their 100th anniversary on December 6, 2023. Three Polish-Jewish brothers, Herman, Hillel, and Henry Hassenfeld, founded Hassenfeld Brothers in Providence, Rhode Island , in late 1923,
2523-503: The Action Pack television series shown on many New World Television stations. Also, agreements with Gerber and NASCAR were acquired. In 1995, Toy Biz acquired Spectra Star, Inc. and Quest Aerospace Education, Inc., both toy companies. Toy Biz started up its Classic Heroes candy division in 1996, which sold candy/toy combinations using mainly Marvel characters. The company also entered the electronic learning aids (ELA) segment of
2610-864: The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a summary judgment in favor of Marvel, which was affirmed in August 2013 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit . The Kirby estate filed a petition on March 21, 2014, for a review of the case by the Supreme Court of the United States , but a settlement was reached on September 26, 2014, and
2697-508: The trading card company Fleer on July 24, 1992. On April 30, 1993, Marvel acquired 46% of ToyBiz , which gave the company the rights to make Marvel toys. The Andrews Group named Avi Arad of ToyBiz as the president and CEO of the Marvel Films division. In 1993 and 1994, Marvel's holding companies , Marvel Holdings, Inc. and Marvel Parent Holdings, Inc., were formed between Andrews Group and MEG. The companies issued over half
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2784-465: The 1983 International Tokyo Toy Show [ ja ] , the company licensed the toylines and subsequently launched the successful Transformers toy line along with a children's animated TV series two years later. With the toys and TV series being popular, Stephen Hassenfeld posed with the toys for a People magazine cover photo. In 1982, Hasbro produced the successful toy franchise My Little Pony . In 1983, they purchased GLENCO Infant Items,
2871-696: The CEO and chairman of the board. Between 1978 and 1981, Stephen reduced the Hasbro product line by one-third and its new products by one-half. Hasbro focused on simple, low-cost, longer life-cycle toys like Mr. Potato Head. Hasbro thus stayed out of the electronic games field which went bust in the early 1980s. In 1982, Hasbro revived its G.I. Joe line with the help of Marvel Comics , as an anti-terrorist special forces team based on current events. Following an interest in Takara 's Diaclone and Micro Change toylines in
2958-449: The Coast was bought in a deal worth $ 325 million. Wizards of the Coast is now a subsidiary of Hasbro and has Avalon Hill as its division. In 2001 money-losing Hasbro Interactive was sold to Infogrames , a French software concern, for $ 100 million. Hasbro entered the building block toy with its Built to Rule line in 2003, which did not hold together well or were too hard for the targeted age group, thus ended in 2005. In 2004,
3045-513: The Coast subsidiary "posted revenue of $ 816 million last year, up 24% from 2019, fueled by what Hasbro says were record years for" Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering . ICv2 reported, "the WotC and Digital Gaming segment is over $ 112 million more than the operating profit for Hasbro's entire consumer products segment" and that "Wizards of the Coast on its own is also more profitable than Hasbro's consumer products segment [...]. From
3132-566: The Far East as an important market to expand. In 1992, Hasbro purchased Nomura Toys Ltd. in Japan, and majority ownership of Palmyra, a Southeast Asian toy distributor. These increased the proportion of international sales from 22% in 1985 to 45% ($ 1.28 billion) in 1995. In 1993, Hasbro lost its bid for J. W. Spear & Sons , a U.K.-based game maker, to Mattel . In the US, Hasbro's growth since 1980
3219-832: The Hasbro Toy Group. Meanwhile, Mattel purchased Fisher-Price and retook the top spot in the toy industry. Hasbro Interactive was started in 1995 and released the Monopoly game on CD-ROM. Mattel also proposed a merger that year, but was turned down by the Hasbro board in 1996 due to antitrust issues and Justice Department investigation into exclusionary policies between toy manufacturers and toy retailers, particularly Toys "R" Us . In 1998, Hasbro bought Avalon Hill for $ 6 million and Galoob for $ 220 million. That same year, Milton Bradley merged with Parker Bros. to form Hasbro Games. In 1999, Hasbro paid $ 325 million for rights to Pokémon toys. The same year, Wizards of
3306-502: The Hasbro trade name, and it shortened its name to Hasbro Industries on July 12, 1968, and sold a minor stake in the corporation to the public. The Vietnam War was at its height in 1969, so Hasbro redesigned GI Joe to be less militaristic and more adventure-oriented. Its promotional efforts included the catchphrase "Boy Oh Boy! It's A Hasbro Toy!" in television commercials and print ads. Also in 1969, Hasbro bought Burt Claster Enterprises which produced " Romper Room " and had just begun
3393-626: The Marvel Comics toy license, to release its first products in January 2007. The division attempted to continue with non-Marvel licenses, but became inactive by fall 2007. The company's original forerunner, Canadian company Chantex, Inc., was founded in the late 19th century by the Zuckerman family. The business grew from $ .16 million in sales to sales of $ 4.5 million in 1980. In 1980, Chantex merged with Earl Takefman's Randim Marketing, Inc.,
3480-614: The Space Knight , Micronauts , M.A.S.K. , Monopoly , Furby , Nerf , Potato Head , Ouija boards , Play-Doh , Twister , and My Little Pony , and with the Entertainment One (now Lionsgate Canada ) acquisition on December 30, 2019, franchises like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks . Hasbro also spawned TV shows to promote its products, such as Family Game Night on the Discovery Family network. It
3567-537: The United States that Hassenfeld Brothers would employ any survivor from Ulanów, no questions asked. Hassenfeld Brothers' first popular toy was Mr. Potato Head , which the company purchased from George Lerner in 1952. In 1954, the company became a Disney major licensee. In 1960, Henry died and Merrill took over the parent company, and his older brother Harold ran the pencil-making business of Empire Pencil. Hassenfeld Brothers expanded to Canada with Hassenfeld Brothers (Canada) Ltd. in 1961. In 1962, Hasbro purchased
Toy Biz - Misplaced Pages Continue
3654-623: The building block market since the failure of the Built to Rule line, Hasbro re-entered the market with the Kre-O line in late 2011, starting with some Transformers -based sets. In 2012, Hasbro received a $ 1.6 million tax credit from the state of Rhode Island with a promise to create 245 new jobs in the state. Instead, they laid off more than 125 workers. This was followed in 2013 with further layoffs of North American workers, amounting to 10% of its salaried employees. Meanwhile, CEO Brian Goldner signed
3741-504: The business of the creation and marketing of characters." Marvel made an initial public offering of 40% of the stock ( ticker symbol NYSE:MRV) on July 15, 1991, giving $ 40 million from the proceeds to Andrews Group, Marvel's then direct parent corporation within MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings. In the early 1990s, Marvel Entertainment Group began expanding through acquisitions and the formation of new divisions. Marvel purchased
3828-403: The chairman position. However, the executives clashed and Shea left after a few months, and Stephen and Alan returned to their previous positions. On June 6, 1985, the company changed its name again to just Hasbro, Inc. The Jumpstarters toys were the subject of a lawsuit in 1985 when Hasbro sued a toy manufacturer for selling toys based on their Transformers design. Hasbro won the suit. In
3915-683: The company as the managing director for Pacific operations. On September 30, 2020, Renegade Game Studios announced they had acquired licensing for creating tabletop games for multiple Hasbro brands. Several of the games would be using the 5E role-playing system owned by Hasbro's subsidiary Wizards of the Coast. On February 25, 2021, during the 2021 Investor Event, Hasbro announced a company reorganization with three divisions: Consumer Products, Entertainment, and Wizards & Digital. The Wall Street Journal reported that "Hasbro's net revenue fell 8% last year to $ 5.47 billion, due in part to retail shutdowns related to Covid-19," however, its Wizards of
4002-439: The company entered into a deal with Paramount Home Entertainment to release its programs based on its games and toys on VHS and DVD. In 2008, Hasbro acquired game maker Cranium, Inc. for $ 77.5 million. The deal was announced on January 4 and closed on January 25. Hasbro and Universal Pictures signed an agreement in February 2008 to derive four films from seven Hasbro properties for production. In May, Bennett Schneir
4089-522: The company having gone from sales of $ 104 million in the year he took control to 1989 sales of over $ 1.4 billion. Alan succeeded Stephen as chairman and CEO. In 1991, Hasbro purchased Tonka Corp. for $ 486 million, along with its units Parker Brothers , the maker of Monopoly , and Kenner Products . Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers were merged into one division. Alan moved to expand Hasbro overseas with new units in Greece, Hungary, and Mexico. Alan saw
4176-485: The company praise from Greenpeace executive director Phil Radford , who said: "The new Hasbro policy will also increase the recycled and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper in its toy packaging. Hasbro's new commitments are great news for Indonesian rainforests and the people and wildlife that depend on them." By April 2011, Hasbro started 360 Manufacturing Services, a contract OEM game manufacturing operating out of Hasbro's USA plant. Having been absent from
4263-503: The company was the nation's sixth best-selling toymaker, and then acquired the Milton Bradley Company , which was the nation's fifth best-selling toymaker. This brought The Game of Life , Twister , Easy Money , and Playskool into the Hasbro fold and on September 10 transformed Hasbro into Hasbro Bradley . Stephen Hassenfeld became the merged company's president and CEO, with Milton Bradley chief James Shea Jr. taking
4350-618: The company's stock. Later, in June 1997, Icahn won the right to replace Marvel's board, including Perelman. In December 1997, during the post-bankruptcy reorganization phase, Toy Biz came to an agreement to purchase Marvel from the banks. In December 1997, the bankruptcy court appointed a trustee to oversee the company in place of Icahn. In April 1998, while the legal battle continued, the NYSE delisted Marvel stock. In August 2008, former company head Ronald Perelman paid $ 80 million to settle
4437-528: The company's treatment of the Empire Pencil subsidiary as Empire received lower levels of capital spending relative to profits than did the toy division. With Merrill's death in 1979, Harold did not recognize Stephen's authority as the successor to the chairman and CEO position. As a solution, Hasbro spun off Empire Pencil in 1980, which was the nation's largest pencil maker, with Harold trading his Hasbro shares for those of Empire. Stephen then became both
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#17327730521934524-552: The control of its chief content officer. Hasbro announced that it would launch its own convention, named HasCon , and featuring "all things Hasbro" in 2016, with the inaugural event being held at the Rhode Island Convention Center in September 2017. On November 15, 2017, Mattel, Inc. rejected an offer from the company. At the time, Mattel's worth was $ 5 billion, while Hasbro's worth was about $ 11 billion. On February 27, 2018, Variety reported in
4611-544: The corporation sued South Korea -based NCSoft Corp . and San Jose, California -based Cryptic Studios Inc. over possible trademark infringement in their City of Heroes massive multiplayer online game. Marvel settled a film-royalties lawsuit in April 2005 with its former editor-in-chief, publisher and creator, Stan Lee , paying him $ 10 million and negotiating an end to his royalties. In September 2005, Marvel Enterprises changed its name to Marvel Entertainment to reflect
4698-484: The corporation's expansion into financing its own movie slate . In 2007, several Stan Lee Media related groups filed lawsuits against Marvel Entertainment for $ 1 billion and for Lee's Marvel creations in multiple states, most of which have been dismissed. Additionally, a lawsuit over ownership of the character Ghost Rider was filed on March 30, 2007, by Gary Friedrich and Gary Friedrich Enterprises, Inc. On August 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced
4785-451: The deal. On June 2, 2010, Marvel announced that it promoted Joe Quesada to chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment. In June 2010, Marvel set up a television division headed by Jeph Loeb as executive vice president. Three months later, Smith & Tinker licensed from Marvel the character rights for a superhero digital collectible game for Facebook and Apple's mobile platform. On October 1, 2010, Marvel moved its offices to
4872-459: The dismissal of executives of vice president level and above in TV and animation under Feige, plus the removal of Brian Crosby as creative director of Themed Entertainment for Marvel Entertainment. On March 29, 2023, Disney laid off Marvel Entertainment's chairman Isaac Perlmutter and the subsidiary's units were folded into Disney's other divisions. Marvel New Media (also called Marvel Digital )
4959-510: The division. In late 2007, the company's website shut down. In 2022, Hasbro released updated versions of Toy Biz's first wave of Marvel Legends figures to celebrate the line's twentieth anniversary. Marvel Entertainment Group Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and Marvel Enterprises, Inc. ) was an American entertainment company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, formed by
5046-530: The end of 2015, Disney gave Hasbro a chance to gain the license given their work on Star Wars , which led to a Descendants license. DCP was also attempting to evolve the brand from one of them less as damsels and more as heroines. In September 2014, Disney announced that Hasbro would be the doll licensee for the Disney Princess line starting on January 1, 2016. On July 13, 2016, Hasbro acquired Dublin-based Boulder Media Limited and placed it under
5133-538: The end of the co-production agreement with SiriusXM, making Wastelanders the final series produced under the partnership. All the films are made for Direct-to-video /television and produced by Marvel Animation, except as indicated. Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. ( / ˈ h æ z b r oʊ / ; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herman Hassenfeld and
5220-426: The family requested that the petition be dismissed. Marvel president of TV, publishing and brand Dan Buckley was promoted to Marvel Entertainment president in January 2017 adding games, global brand management and the franchise groups to his current responsibilities. In October 2017, Ron Richards began working at Marvel Entertainment as vice president and Managing Editor of New Media. Marvel New Media expanded into
5307-486: The former Potter & Johnston manufacturing company building on Newport Avenue in Pawtucket, Rhode Island . The Pawtucket plant facilities were eventually expanded to over 300,000 square feet. In 1963 the company introduced Flubber , but reports of sore throats and rashes from the product and knock-offs prompted an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration and a voluntary recall by Hassenfeld Brothers. The company
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#17327730521935394-401: The franchise. On May 1, 2018, Hasbro agreed to purchase Power Rangers and other entertainment assets from Saban Brands for $ 522 million in cash and stock with the licensing fee recently paid with credit. The sale, which also collaborated with My Pet Monster , Popples , Julius Jr. , Treehouse Detectives and additional properties, was expected to close in the second quarter until it
5481-748: The hotel when it opened in 2019. Hasbro granted Kingsmen Creatives a license to build a chain of NERF Action Xperience family entertainment centers, with the first to be opened in Singapore in fall/winter 2019. In November, the company issued a license for family entertainment centers to Kilburn Live, who were to launch a new division for the centers. That December, the company granted a license for theme parks to Imagine Resorts and Hotels, co-founded by Bruce Neviaser. Neviaser had previously co-founded Great Lakes Companies, which launched Great Wolf Resorts indoor waterpark resorts. On December 18, 2019, Hasbro and West Edmonton Mall announced that Galaxyland would get
5568-520: The intent to sell its last two factories, in Ireland and East Longmeadow, Massachusetts (including its 360 Manufacturing Services), to Cartamundi . The deal was set to close in sixty days. Hasbro signed a five-year deal with Cartamundi to produce their board games at the East Longmeadow plant. With Mattel adding two competing lines, and the expiration of their Disney Princess license at
5655-650: The late 1980s, Hasbro moved to increase international sales by taking toys overseas that had failed in the US market and selling them for as much as four times the original price. This increased international sales from $ 268 million in 1985 to $ 433 million in 1988. In 1988, Hasbro purchased part of Coleco Industries' indoor and outdoor children's furniture and ride-on toy product lines for $ 21 million including two just closed manufacturing plants in Amsterdam, New York. In July 1989, Hasbro acquired bankrupt Coleco for $ 85 million. Stephen Hassenfeld died later that year with
5742-562: The merger of Marvel Entertainment Group and Toy Biz . The company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company from 2009 until its dissolution in 2023, and was mainly known for consumer products, licensing, and comic books by Marvel Comics , as well as its early forays into films and television series , including those within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment for US$ 4 billion ; it had been
5829-521: The mid-1980s, Hasbro moved past Mattel to become the world's largest toy company. Hasbro then moved to outsell Mattel's Barbie in the fashion doll market with the 1986 introduction of Jem , a record producer/rock musician dual identity fashion doll. Jem initially posted strong sales but plummeted and was withdrawn from the market in 1987. Hasbro followed up in 1988 with Maxie , a Barbie-sized blonde doll, so that Barbie clothing and accessories would fit. Maxie lasted until 1990. Under Alan's initiative in
5916-414: The money to create Marvel Studios came from the sale of Toy Biz stock. On December 27, 1996, the Marvel group of companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection . At this time, Carl Icahn , an American businessman and investor, began buying Marvel's bonds at 20% of their value and moved to block Perelman's plan. In February 1997, Icahn won the bankruptcy court's approval to take control of
6003-568: The new company. In 1999, Toy Biz ventured into professional wrestling , acquiring the master toy license to World Championship Wrestling (WCW). After two years, the license deal was cut short, due to WCW being purchased by the World Wrestling Federation in 2001. Toy Biz were also notable for producing action figures for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy between 2001 and 2005. Having developed
6090-526: The number of toys in the line to offset G.I. Joe's declining sales. Hasbro ended the G.I. Joe line in 1975 because of the rising prices of plastic and crude oil. In 1977, Hasbro's losses were $ 2.5 million, and the company held a large debt load. That same year, Hasbro acquired licensing rights to Peanuts cartoon characters. With the financial situation poor, Hasbro's bankers made the company temporarily stop dividend payments in early 1979. The toy division's losses increased Harold Hassenfeld's resentment regarding
6177-622: The nursery chain. Hasbro also entered the cookware field with the Galloping Gourmet line based on a television cooking show. Two new 1970s toys were public relations disasters. One of the toys was named Javelin Darts which were similar to the ancient Roman plumbata . On December 19, 1988, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned lawn darts from sale in the United States due to their hazards as
6264-494: The profits of the Fleer unit, and Panini, whose revenue depended largely on Disney licensing, was hobbled by poor Disney showings at the box office. A minority of dissidents maintain no bubble existed. In late 1995, Marvel reported its first annual loss under Perelman, which was attributed mainly to the company's large size and a shrinking market. On January 4, 1996, Marvel laid off 275 employees. In late 1996, Perelman proposed
6351-675: The revival of the My Little Pony franchise, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , which became the network's highest-rated program and attracted a significant cult following among teens and adults . The Hub Network was rebranded as Discovery Family on October 13, 2014. In 2013, Hasbro renewed its deal to produce Marvel Comics and Star Wars toys through at least 2020. In 2011, Greenpeace accused Hasbro of purchasing paper for its packaging from ancient forests in Indonesia. Hasbro changed its paper purchasing policy, earning
6438-476: The rights to the 'Toy Biz' name to a Hong Kong–based toy manufacturer, Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd. Toy Biz also outsourced much of the manufacturing to Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd. In January 2006, Marvel Entertainment signed a five-year licensing agreement with Hasbro Inc. for $ 205 million, giving Hasbro the right to make toys and games based on Marvel Comic licenses. As a result of this, Marvel Entertainment prematurely terminated its agreements with Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd, by
6525-592: The stadium. In October 2019, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige was named Marvel's Chief Creative Officer, overseeing all the creative affairs within Marvel Entertainment in addition to Marvel Studios. Under the structure, Marvel Television and Marvel Family Entertainment (animation) moved to Marvel Studios, with Marvel Entertainment president Dan Buckley reporting to Feige. With the December 2019 announcement of folding of Marvel TV into Marvel Studios came
6612-410: The toy industry in 1996 with a licensing agreement with Apple Computer . Toy Biz partially acquired Marvel Entertainment Group. In the late 1990s, Marvel Entertainment Group filed for bankruptcy and became the subject of a battle for control in bankruptcy court. The company was salvaged in 1997 and merged with Toy Biz in 1998. The new company became Marvel Enterprises , and Toy Biz became a division of
6699-489: Was "absolutely nothing going on" they knew of between the two companies. Additionally, financial analysts said the deal was illogical, as the rumor came out just a week after Disney had acquired Lucasfilm . Hasbro was named by Fortune magazine as one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2013, citing that the "company enhanced its vacation policy by giving new employees three weeks off in their first year instead of having to wait five years." On November 12, 2014, it
6786-466: Was approached in 1963 to license a toy based on The Lieutenant , which they turned down because they did not want to be tied to a possibly short-lived television series. Instead, Hassenfeld Brothers produced the G.I. Joe toy in 1964 which they termed an " action figure " in order to market it to boys who wouldn't want to play with dolls. In 1964 and 1965, G.I. Joe accounted for two-thirds of Hassenfeld's sales. The company had previously sold toys under
6873-546: Was finished with Saban's collab. On October 19, 2018, the company announced plans to cut jobs amounting to less than 10% of its 5,000-plus global workforce in response to changes in how consumers buy toys. In 2018, Hasbro signed a number of licensing agreements for hospitality deals based on Hasbro brands. On May 1, 2018, the Monopoly Mansion hotel agreement was announced by Hasbro, with M101 Holdings overseeing construction and M101's Sirocco Group assigned to manage
6960-486: Was formed for TV development, production and distribution. On December 11, 2012, Hasbro transferred all entertainment divisions to Hasbro Studios, including their LA-based film group, and Cake Mix Studio, the company's Rhode Island–based producer of commercials and short form content. Hasbro collaborated with Discovery on The Hub , a cable television network targeting younger children and families, which launched on October 10, 2010. The venture found unexpected success with
7047-458: Was from acquisitions and the leveraging of the new assets. New product development was not as successful except for film and TV tie-in product lines with Jurassic Park and Barney . Thus, US sales were stagnant in the early 1990s, falling from 1993 to 1995. To turn domestic performance around in 1994, Hasbro merged the Hasbro Toy, Playskool, Playskool Baby, Kenner, and Kid Dimension units into
7134-539: Was hired as Senior Creative Producer. Marvel New Media expanded into a new field with the development of a scripted podcast series, Wolverine: The Long Night , announced on December 5, 2017. On April 7, 2018, at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, Marvel New Media announced its new slate. Marvel named Shane Rahmani as senior vice president and general manager of new media in March 2019. On April 10, 2019,
7221-604: Was hired to lead its Hasbro Films division, while Hasbro also reacquired series based on their properties from Sunbow Productions . The year of his promotion to CEO of Hasbro, Brian Goldner was named CEO of the year by News Corp affiliate website MarketWatch .com. Goldner became the first person not from the founding Hassenfeld family to hold the position. In 2009, the Milton Bradley and Parker Bros. brands were retired after eleven years and eight years of Hasbro ownership respectively. That same year, Hasbro Studios
7308-565: Was purchased by businessman Ike Perlmutter. In 1993, Toy Biz made a deal for "exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licenses" of Marvel Characters for 46 percent of Toy Biz equity. Avi Arad , a toy designer and comic book fan joined Toy Biz that same year. Toy Biz continued licensing outside brands, including DC Comics characters, producing goods such as the Batman's (1989) Batmobile and some action figures, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess action figures based on
7395-417: Was reported that Hasbro was in talks to buy DreamWorks Animation . The proposal reportedly calls for the combined company to take the name "DreamWorks-Hasbro" and for Jeffrey Katzenberg to become its chairman, but as a matter of policy, neither Hasbro nor DWA publicly comment on mergers and acquisitions. Two days later, the talks were reported to have fallen through. On July 14, 2015, the company announced
7482-573: Was sold to New World Entertainment Ltd as part of the liquidation of Cadence Industries . On January 6, 1989, Ronald Perelman 's MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings bought Marvel Entertainment Group from New World for $ 82.5 million. The deal did not include Marvel Productions , which was folded into New World's TV and movie business. "It is a mini-Disney in terms of intellectual property," said Perelman. "Disney's got much more highly recognized characters and softer characters, whereas our characters are termed action heroes. But at Marvel we are now in
7569-811: Was working with Hero Ventures on The Marvel Experience , a traveling production/attraction. In April 2014, Hong Kong Disneyland announced the construction of Iron Man Experience , the first Marvel ride at any Disney theme park. It opened in 2017 and was built on a location in the park's Tomorrowland . On September 16, 2009, the Jack Kirby estate served notices of termination to Walt Disney Studios , 20th Century Fox , Universal Pictures , Paramount Pictures , and Sony Pictures to attempt to gain control of various Silver Age Marvel characters. Marvel sought to invalidate those claims. In mid-March 2010 Kirby's estate "sued Marvel to terminate copyrights and gain profits from [Kirby's] comic creations." In July 2011,
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