Juliet Lublin is the daughter of Pillow People creator Penny Ekstein and Matt Nuccio is president of Design Edge. In this edition of The Friday Five, Juliet and Matt discuss the return of Pillow Pillow and share how the kidult market influenced the relaunch of the beloved 1980s dolls.

Duncan Fisher is the son of Spirograph inventor Denys Fisher. In this edition of The Friday Five, Duncan shared his Dad’s unlikely path into the toy industry and explains why he’s now working to document his remarkable life and legacy.

Jarrod Roll collects vintage Star Wars action figures. In this edition of The Friday Five, he shares how his collection became the foundation for The Nostalgia Awakens: Retro Kenner Star Wars Action Figure Toys, a travelling exhibition now showing at The National Museum of Toys/Miniatures.

Brian Shea is executive editor at Game Informer. In this edition of The Friday Five, Brian talks about the relaunch of the long-running print magazine and the role the publication plays in the games media industry.

Pam Mastrota is executive director at The Toy Foundation. In this edition of The Friday Five, Pam talks about the organization’s Toy Chest and Play Fund initiatives and shares observations about the changing needs of vulnerable communities.

Neil King is co-founder of the Rubber Duck Museum. In this edition of The Friday Five, Neil talks about the inspiration behind the Point Roberts, Washington museum and reveals his quest for a rubber duck from the 1992 Friendly Floaties spill.

Peter Seibert is the president and CEO of the Independence Seaport Museum. In this edition of The Friday Five, Peter talks about the museum’s new Small but Mighty!: Models, Toys and Miniature Ships exhibit and explains the connection one of the models shares with the JAWS movie.

Doc Mack is the owner of Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield, Illinois. In this edition of The Friday Five, Doc explains some of the obstacles he encountered when establishing the arcade and shares his observations on how the arcade scene has changed over the years.

Niels Mølgård Frederiksen is a designer with LEGO Group. In this edition of The Friday Five, Niels discusses developing the Spring Festival Trotting Lantern set and shares the skills essential for anyone wanting to work as a LEGO designer. 

Rachele Harmuth is the board president of MESH Helps. In this edition of The Friday Five, Rachele talks about the vital role of play in nurturing good mental health in children and how the nonprofit organization’s MESH Accreditation program serves as a guide for adults looking for toys and games that bolster youth resilience.

Tamara Grindrod is the Senior Vice President, Creativity & PLAY-DOH Brand at Hasbro. In this edition of The Friday Five, Tamara underscores the importance of nurturing children’s creativity and how the brand’s PLAY-DOH Kids Can and PLAY-DOH Imagination Curriculum initiatives support skill development. 

Ed Catto is co-founder of Captain Action Enterprises. In this edition of The Friday Five, Ed shares the conversation that led to acquiring the Captain Action IP and talks about what fans can look forward to seeing from the brand in the near future and beyond.