The Friday Five

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.

Brian Volk-Weiss, creator of the Netflix docuseries The Toys That Made Us, talks about his new series, A Toy Store Near You, and reflects on some of his favourite vintage toys.

Spin Master recently announced their Meccano Co-Lab STEM programme for schools in the United Kingdom. they talked to Toy Tales about the programme and how Meccano serves as a conduit for both learning and fun.

David Glanzer has the enviable job of promoting one of San Diego’s most anticipated upcoming attractions, Comic-Con Museum. Here, Glanzer explains the impetus behind the attraction and what the recent appointment of Chief Curator, Gary Sassaman, means for the Museum.

Cynthia Jones oversees operations at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan. Here, she shares details about the Museum’s surprising upcoming exhibit, Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes.

Once considered a lowbrow form of entertainment, pulp magazines went on to influence major contemporary filmmakers. The Pulp Magazine Project’s editorial board member, Nathan Vernon Madison, talked to Toy Tales about the genre’s journey from guilty pleasure to respected art form.

Matt Proulx oversees location-based entertainment at Hasbro. Here, Proulx shares Hasbro’s plans for a theme park at West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada, as announced in December 2019.

Jill Nash Malool is the Museum Director at Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping the history and art of puppetry alive and well in North America. In this edition of The Friday Five, Malool expands on the role of the Center and shares why it’s important to preserve the history of puppetry arts.

Nick Collins’ Blockbuster-inspired basement video store and personal VHS collection has turned into a full-time pursuit. Here, he shares the origin of his unlikely hobby.

Kelly McClain serves as consignment manager of Hake’s Auctions. Here, McClain tells Toy Tales how Hake’s came to auction the Boba Fett J-slot rocket-firing prototype and explains why the demand for pop culture collectibles has changed over time.

A new exhibit called Toy Boom! at the North Carolina Museum of History showcases toys of the 1950s and ’60s. Here, curator Katie Edwards talks about the role of the museum in preserving the cultural heritage of North Carolina and how toys fit into that mandate.

Writer G. Wayne Miller captured the dynamics of the toy industry and its relationship with Hollywood in his 1998 bestselling book Toy Wars. In his new book, Kid Number One: Alan Hassenfeld and Hasbro, Miller revisits Hasbro to uncover the unlikely rise of the Hassenfeld Brothers – the eponymous founders of Hasbro – and shines the light on one of the company’s most fabled leaders.

BMC Toys is quickly becoming a household name since announcing a new line of female toy soldiers. Jeff Imel, company president, talks about the genesis of the idea and the challenges involved in creating a line from scratch.

While Barbie debuted in 1959, the doll’s impact on popular culture is still unfolding to this day. Author Robin Gerber has dedicated significant time researching and writing about the toy doll. With her second Barbie-focused book, Barbie Forever: Her Inspiration, History, and Legacy, approaching its release date, she talked to Toy Tales about Barbie’s notable legacy.

Blacked-out windows, video surveillance, and elaborate disguises; toy-industry legend Marvin Glass was an eccentric and highly-private man. Author Bill Paxton uncovers the myths and realities about Glass and his career in his new book A World Without Reality: Inside Marvin Glass’s Toy Vault.

The Society of Illustrators in New York City showcases the history of Batman art and illustrations in a series of exhibits on until October 12, 2019. Co-curators John Lind and Robert Pistella explain the mandate of the Society and share what surprised them the most as they put together the exhibits highlighting the crime-fighting superhero.

As co-president and founding partner of Wicked Cool Toys, Michael Rinzler has his finger on the pulse of the toy industry. Rinzler talks about the company’s upcoming Micro Machines launch and the opportunity facing entrepreneurs in the wake of the loss of Toys “R” Us.