May, 1983 Playthings Magazine and Licensing
Going through issue after issue of Playthings magazine last week uncovered many great articles and editorials, including one from 1983 in which the magazine’s publisher — I can read the “Harry J” in his signature, but not the last name — takes time to discuss the (then) recent change in licensing where toy companies license characters to others.
The publisher writes:
“The TV spinoff success of American Greetings’ Strawberry Shortcake has apparently been closely watched by Mattel and Hasbro, whose Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe lines, respectively, have been translated into animated shows.”
Anyone who has read Each Sold Separately* and Action Figures Not Included* already knows my thoughts on Strawberry Shortcake and its impact on the action figure marketing of the eighties. Still, it’s always fun to find material from the eighties that supports my insistence that our beloved action figure cartoons of the eighties wouldn’t be here today if not for Strawberry Shortcake.
“The turnabout techniques at work in the licensing industry prove once again that there are literally an infinite number of ways to market a product, and traditional is not always the right way.”
Fantastic stuff, and the next time I get my hands on this issue I need to hunt for the publisher’s full name.
For more on action figure cartoons of the eighties you’ve gotta read The Man Who Invented Saturday Morning*Related articles