News Analysis

It’s the WereBear bunch!

With nostalgia for 80s toy brands continuing to drive sales, Midco Toys’ David Middleton has seen an opportunity to bring back a classic from that decade that hasn’t been in the public eye for over forty years. Toy World caught up with him to find out why he believes the time is right for a WereBears revival.

For those who weren’t around in the 80s, what can you tell us about the WereBears?

The WereBears brand was created by George Nicholas and released by Hornby in 1983, when it saw massive success in the UK. The bears were named Grizzler, Howler, Fang and Gums. Each bear came with a story tape narrated by Oliver Postgate, the man behind Bagpuss.

The WereBears adventure begins near the fictional village of Munchen-Luncheon, a village in a remote corner of Bavaria where time seems to have stood still. The Bears were created by kindly old toymaker Baron Egon Baconburger, who lives in Castle Casserole. The Baron fell victim to an ancient curse which changed him into a werewolf, and somehow, he passed on this curse to the four teddy bears, who became WereBears. Now the Bears have got themselves hopelessly lost in the forest and the Baron desperately needs to find them before his secret is discovered. The Baron and the Bears may look scary, but are innocent and kind-hearted inside. However, there are darker forces to be reckoned with in the forest beyond MunchenLuncheon, the enchanted domain of the evil Witch Hazel, her hideous TerrorTeds and other assorted nasties.

Why do you believe it’s a good time for the brand to make a comeback?

Currently there’s a popular trend with kids for the supernatural, paranormal and scary, as shown by recent successes like Five Nights At Freddys, Poppy Playtime, Doors and Bendy and The Ink Machine. There are thousands of ‘jump scare’ videos all over YouTube and TikTok, along with ‘paranormal encounters’ - and kids love it. Cute scary is definitely something that is resonating in the market, and classics like The Nightmare Before Christmas are a prime example.

The WereBears were a massive success in the UK in the 80s and into the early 90s. At that time, a deal was extremely close to being signed with a massive motion picture company for a movie that was set to rival Gremlins. However, unapproved changes to the product design and characters saw this fall through at the last minute, just as product was set to hit the market.

WereBears feels like a brand that didn’t quite reach its potential to become massive the first time round - a couple of stumbling blocks stopped it at the final hurdle. With its fantastic concept, and the range, style and story behind it, I’m certain it could become a leading toy brand again.

How did you come to be involved with Werebears?

I’ve always wanted to be involved in bringing a licence to market, especially one that I was passionate about. The Toys That Made Us TV show and the story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles inspires me, and WereBears had been on my mind for a while. Many of the classic ‘boys’ licences, such as Masters of the Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Thundercats have already been brought back, but WereBears never has. Every time I speak to someone about WereBears, their face lights up, as if I had just brought back a massive childhood memory.

So, I reached out to George, the original creator, and we’ve already had a lot of interest from well-known toy companies, both in the UK and across the pond.

I would like to see WereBears back in the market as a full-blown licensed property, not just a toy range. I see WereBears working on a whole host of products lunchboxes, bed covers, the works. Dream big I guess - but why not?

To discuss getting involved with the WereBears revival, contact Dave on 07477 898299 or midcotoys@yahoo.co.uk.