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.
Francis Turner collects toys produced by Louis Marx and Company. In this edition of Collector Spotlight, Francis explains how he came to open a museum dedicated to Marx toys and details the items in his collection that were personal to Louis Marx.
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.
Jonathan Sternfeld collects Harvey Comics merchandise. In this edition of Collector Spotlight, he shares how a childhood fondness for Richie Rich comics sparked a preservationist approach to collecting—and reveals the Holy Grail item that once risked attracting the attention of law enforcement.
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.
Vanessa Irino collects Casper toys, games, and memorabilia. In this edition of Collector Spotlight, Vanessa reveals her lifelong connection to the Friendly Ghost and talks about the role of the collecting community in encouraging her pursuit of a Guinness World Record.
Rob Berk collects pinball machines. In this edition of Collector Spotlight, Rob shares how his passion for pinball led to creating Pinball Expo and Past Times Arcade.
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.