The Friday Five

Matt Nelson is the primary comic book grader at CGC Comics. In this edition of The Friday Five, Matt details the process comics undergo during grading and explains what people need to keep in mind when preserving their comics.

Ben Drury is the CEO and co-founder of Yoto, an audio platform created specifically for children. In this edition of The Friday Five, Drury talks about the role of storytelling in the lives of children and the company’s new partnership with Disney and Pixar.

Stephanie Lensing is a brand experience manager at Betty Crocker and heads the brand’s BettyLab project. Here, Lensing explains the connection between culinary skills and STEM learning.

Ben Alder’s “Winnie the Pooh” LEGO Ideas submission was chosen by LEGO for production and sale. In this edition of The Friday Five, Alder shares his insights into the LEGO Ideas process.

The Story Time Chess game teaches chess to children as young as three. In this edition of The Friday Five, game creator, Andrew Kashian, explains how teaching chess through storytelling removes the traditional barriers to learning the game and makes chess accessible to people of all ages.

Brian DePass blended his experiences as an advertising executive and a parent to create Operation Playtime, a new app that helps connect sellers and buyers of used toys and games. In this edition of The Friday Five, DePass shares his motivation for creating the app and explains how to use the platform. 

Adam Borton uses his experience in the toy and game industry to teach other designers how to hone their craft through his Toy and Game School program. In this edition of The Friday Five, Borton explains how he got his start in the industry and shares some common misconceptions about the business.

Tanis Gray is a knitwear designer with a talent for interpreting pop culture characters into fanciful knitting projects. Here, she talks with Toy Tales about her latest book, Star Wars: Knitting the Galaxy, and the importance of sharing the things we love. 

Valarie McLeckie is the consignment director of video games at Heritage Auctions. In this edition of The Friday Five, McLeckie reveals what she looks for when evaluating a video game for auction and how the pandemic has affected the collectables market.

Jordan Greenlee, Director of Administration at the Museum of Science & History, talks about bringing Toytopia — an exhibit highlighting popular toys and games of the twentieth century — to the Jacksonville, Florida museum.

Filmmaker Joshua Tsui talks with Toy Tales about Insert Coin, his new documentary chronicling the heydey of arcade game publisher Midway Games, known for Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, Narc, Rampage, and other seminal titles.

Eric Nyman, Chief Consumer Officer at Hasbro, shares details about PulseCon, a virtual event that brings fans together with their favorite Hasbro brands and celebrities.

Toy Tales talks with Mary Couzin about the recent rebranding of her organization, ChiTAG, to People of Play and what sets today’s young inventors apart from their predecessors.

Tim Cohen-Laurie is an executive producer on What’s It Worth?, a show that looks for hidden treasures owned by everyday people, starring comedian Jeff Foxworthy as host. Cohen-Laurie talked to us about the pandemic’s effect on the production of the show and how people can be considered for future seasons.

Toy Tales talks with The Toy Guy, Christopher Byrne about the impact of COVID-19 on the toy industry and The Playground, the podcast he co-hosts with Richard Gottlieb of Global Toy Experts.

Connor and Bauer Lee of Cardboard Superheroes talk about how their cardboard creations caught the eye of Comic-Con.

As its iconic toy Etch A Sketch celebrates 60 years of encouraging analog play, Spin Master’s Arlene Biran discloses why the company acquired the brand and what consumers can look forward to seeing (and buying!) in honour of the milestone anniversary.

Pinewood Derby enthusiast Joel Redfearn shares his start with this competitive racing hobby and how it led to him owning two businesses.