Press Release Source: JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
JAKKS Pacific and Marvel Enterprises Expand Licensing Agreement, Increasing Product Categories and Character Brands
Multi-Category Agreement Encompasses Art Activity Kits, Water Toys, Kites and Yo-Yos
MALIBU, Calif., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK - News) today announced that the Company has signed an agreement with Marvel Enterprises, Inc. increasing the number of product categories, as well as the number of properties available for use by JAKKS Pacific®. The agreement includes craft and activities, pool and water toys, yo-yos and kites for several Marvel classic properties, including, The X-Men(TM), Ghost Rider(TM), Iron Man(TM), The Incredible Hulk(TM), Spider-Man(TM), Daredevil(TM), Captain America(TM), The Fantastic Four(TM) and Marvel's pre-school program, Spider-Man® and Friends. The agreement also covers Marvel movie properties including Iron Man(TM), Captain America(TM), Fantastic Four(TM) and Ghost Rider(TM), and future movies for Daredevil(TM), The Incredible Hulk(TM), and X-Men(TM).
JAKKS Pacific currently produces TV Games(TM) based on Marvel's Spider-Man(TM), The Incredible Hulk(TM), Blade(TM), Daredevil(TM), Ghost Rider(TM), Fantastic Four(TM) and Iron Man(TM) properties.
Jennifer Richmond, Senior Vice President, Licensing and Media, JAKKS Pacific, Inc. states, "Marvel's stellar line-up of characters, highlighted by Spider-Man, is loved by many generations, and is a perfect match for JAKKS Pacific's strategy of aligning with truly evergreen brands. We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Marvel to create a universe of merchandise ranging from kites and pool toys to back to school items and TV Games plug it in and play video games."
JAKKS Pacific expects to begin shipping the new Marvel products in 2005 to retail locations nationwide. JAKKS' Spider-Man TV Games is on retail shelves now.
About Marvel Enterprises, Inc.:
With a library of over 4,700 proprietary characters, Marvel Enterprises, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused in four areas: entertainment (Marvel Studios), licensing, comic book publishing and toys (Toy Biz). Marvel facilitates the creation of entertainment projects, including feature films, DVD/home video, video games and television based on its characters and also licenses its characters for use in a wide range of consumer products and services including apparel, collectibles, snack foods and promotions. Marvel's characters and plot lines are created by its comic book division, which continues to expand its leadership position in the U.S. and worldwide while also serving as an invaluable source of intellectual property.
About JAKKS Pacific, Inc.:
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a multi-brand company that designs and markets a broad range of toys and leisure products. The product categories include: Action Figures, Arts & Activity Kits, Stationery, Writing Instruments, Performance Kites, Water Toys, Sports Activity Toys, Vehicles, Infant/Pre-School, Plush, Construction Toys and Dolls. The products are sold under various brand names including Play Along®, Flying Colors®, Road Champs®, Remco®, Child Guidance®, Pentech®, Trendmasters®, Toymax®, Funnoodle®, Go Fly a Kite® and ColorWorkshop(TM). The Company also participates in a joint venture with THQ Inc. that has exclusive worldwide rights to publish and market World Wrestling Entertainment(TM) video games. For further information, visit
www.jakkspacific.com
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about JAKKS' business based, in part, on assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of JAKKS' future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, those described above and the following: changes in demand for JAKKS' products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing and difficulties encountered in the integration of acquired businesses. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and JAKKS does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.
Marvel, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Blade, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, X-Men, Captain America, Spider-Man and Friends, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc., and are used with permission. Copyright © 2004 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved. www.marvel.com.
Super Hero(es) is a co-owned trademark.