9 minute read
Spinning New Tales
Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends casts an entertaining web for younger fans.
It’s never too early to introduce young kids to the world of Spider-Man and some of the other Marvel superheroes. That, at least, is what the development folks at Disney were thinking when they greenlit Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends, a preschool show which centers on the adventures of Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy and their buddies Hulk, Ms. Marvel and Black Panther.
The show’s exec producer is Harrison Wilcox, whose many credits include Avengers Assemble, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ultimate Spider-Man. “I had just rolled off Black Panther’s Quest and now that I had young kids of my own, I was excited about making a show for them,” he tells us. “What has always drawn me to this job is the opportunity to introduce Marvel characters to the next generation of fans. The show is fun, like laugh-out-loud fun. It’s got that feeling of wonderment from the Marvel and Spider-Man stories I grew up on, plus that joy that Disney and Disney Junior series are known for.” “The show is also my first CG series and the first show I’ve worked on at Marvel where I’ve been involved in every step of the process,” he notes. “I thought the biggest challenge would be in the writers room, tailoring stories to such a young audience. But that wasn’t the case at all. There’s something about Marvel characters, and Spider-Man characters in particular, that works for all ages.”
The Marvel veteran says the show is the result of close collaboration between the writers and the artists. “It’s a creative team with as few barriers as possible. Everyone has their responsibilities, but our writers and our board artists and directors communicate openly throughout the process. We’ll take a good idea from anyone on the team, regardless of their title.”
Canada’s Atomic Cartoons was the animation partner studio for the project. “They’ve done an amazing job and created a vibrant look that fits well with the comic-book roots of the show,” says Wilcox.
A Very Youthful Hero
Wilcox adds, “When Spider-Man was created, he was the first superhero that wasn’t an adult. There’s always been a youthful exuberance and relatability to the character. Making a show about a team of Spider characters, Miles, Gwen and Peter, that represent many elements of our audience, was something we leaned into and it felt like a very natural fit. Also, we’ve been lucky to have the very best of partners with Joe D’Ambrosia and Lori Mozilo, our executives at Disney Junior on this project. Lori in particular has been in the trenches with us every day. This show would not be half as good without her expertise with this demographic.” Wilcox says that he and his team all felt very lucky to be making a show that’s meant to bring laughter and joy to young children, especially during such tough times. “That’s definitely been one thing that helps us keep motivated during these workfrom-home conditions,” he says. “I hope kids will have fun and find the same joy with these characters that I did when I was a kid.”
When we ask Wilcox to share some words of wisdom about thriving in animation, he responds, “Conan O’Brien, on his last taping of The Tonight Show, said something about how nobody gets exactly what they want in the entertainment business, but if you work hard and are kind, amazing things will happen. As he was saying this, the live-action series I was working on at NBC was cancelled. Not long after, I was offered a job at Marvel to help create animated shows for the next generation of Marvel fans. I had never worked in animation before, but am glad I took the job and was able to be a part of Marvel and Disney for the past decade. So I’ve always taken what Conan said to heart, and tell that story to anyone who asks me this question!” ◆
Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends premieres Friday, August 6 at 9 a.m. on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.
Cretaceous Play Pals: Gigantosaurus has over 60 licensing partners around the world, including JAKKS Pacific as its worldwide master toy partner and Templar as its publishing partner. Other categories such as apparel, party goods, bedding and DIY were introduced to the market this year.
A Dino-Mite Licensing Bonanza
Cyber Group Studios’ Pierre Sissmann talks about the worldwide licensing success of the blockbuster animated show Gigantosaurus.
When international studio Cyber Group introduced its hugely successful animated series Gigantosaurus in 2019, it also opened the doors to a new wave of global licensing and merchandising for the company. Based on Jonny Duddle’s popular books, the show follows the adventures of four Mesozoic-era dinos who explore their world and seek out and learn about the biggest, fiercest dinosaur of all!
The property, which also includes the digital-native and real-time animation series Giganto Club, launched a substantial licensing plan with over 60 licensing partners worldwide that includes deals with JAKKS Pacific, Templar Books, Outright Games and partners for other product categories such as apparel, party goods, DIY, bedding, etc. in 2021. We recently spoke to Pierre Sissmann, president and CEO of Cyber Group Studios, to find out more about the successful licensing plans for this property:
First of all, congrats on the continued success of your popular little dinosaurs! What is your take on the value of licensing?
Pierre Sissmann: When I was working for Disney in the 1980s, I learned a lot about the value of strengthening your brand by bringing it to the homes of the fans. It allows kids and families to stay connected with the property after they shut off the screens. Back then, it started with a plush toy or a book or a simple game. I remember once seeing a young girl clutching a book with one of our characters on the TV news. The book was very inexpensive, so it was affordable for all families to buy it for their kids. It really opened my eyes to the value of licensing. I don’t talk to people who tell me they have an IP and they just want to make a show or a movie to make money through licensing.
Can you tell us a bit about the licensing division at your studio?
We have a great team that reports to our licensing VP Bruno Pierre Sissmann
Danzel d’Aumont, who is an industry veteran. There’s a team of five people who are creating style guides based on our shows, and they work with teams all over the world. It’s important to coordinate your efforts and be mindful of all your TV shows that air on different platforms. Timing is very important in introducing books, toys, homeware and apparel. You have to start with media products and toys and expand it as you go along. I guess the bigger plans for Gigantosaurus are a live show and a theme park, which is slated to open in 2023.
How would you define your general approach to licensing?
Our ultimate goal is to create an experience around a successful brand. They can read the books, play with the toys, go to school with the backpacks, etc. A good licensing program brings a big social value in addition to the economic value of the show. You need to have the right people to take care of the plan around the world. We make worldwide deals out of our U.S. office and regional ones, for example in France. The key is to have enough resources to back up a competitive property. We meet with our agents at licensing conventions in London and Las Vegas where we share our experiences with our global partners. Geography plays a big part in a successful licensing program. When you are launching a clothing program in Scandinavia, you focus more on heavier clothes, but in Southern Europe, you introduce lighter fare first. Even when you look at publishing programs, you have to have the regional preferences in mind: For example, in Europe, Panini has this category of magazines that come packaged with toys. Well, that program has to be repurposed or modified for the U.S. because that consumer base doesn’t exist in the U.S. What it all boils down to is that you need to have a strong creative base that you can expand as you go along. I strongly recommend everyone who is interested in licensing to read Kenichi Ohmae’s 1986 book Triad Power. It’s an amazing book by the business and management strategist who analyzes the global market and how to stay competitive. I’ve relied on it throughout my whole career.
What are some of the key hallmarks of a successful licensing program?
You have to work closely with your partners and always be upfront about the exact premiere date of the series. You don’t want to disappoint your partners. Make sure the platforms have enough power to deliver the impressions and then work together to put the best products on the market. Not all shows should have a huge program. We had a huge hit with Gigantosaurus. Our show Taffy is a big comedy series, but it’s not something that has massive merchandising power now. You have to make sure that you don’t spend too much time on something that doesn’t have a big potential for licensing. Our next big show is Droners; we will start producing a second season of the show in the fall. We’ll soon have enough coverage to launch a world licensing program for it. The third season of Gigantosaurus will debut towards the end of the year and beginning of 2022. But we started developing the show back in 2017, so it takes a lot of years to build a successful program.
Why do you think Gigantosaurus is able to generate so much licensing interest worldwide?
Well, dinosaurs have fascinated generations of boys and girls throughout the years. But the colorful series also brings a lot of fun, adventure and excitement to its audience all throughout the world. We also took great care with working with all our licensees to create products in all categories that would enable kids to bring the series home with them to create their own adventures! By the way, my own seven-year-old grandson is coming to visit soon, and I have put a new pair of Gigantosaurus pajamas on his bed, ready for him to wear. They’re beautiful!
Droners
