From Superheroes And Battlestars To Remade Retro And Ghoul

New York, NY (February 2006) – Art Asylum, Inc. is launching several major new initiatives, as well as expanding past successful lines, at the American International Toy Fair in New York City at the International Toy Center, located at 200 5th Avenue, 10th floor, Suite 1057. 

“We have a great line-up of properties and toy lines this year, and are very excited to finally show them to the world at Toy Fair,” said Adam Unger, Vice President of Art Asylum.  “Art Asylum has come a long way since we launched the company a decade ago, and the one constant that has driven our growth is our drive and desire to make outstanding product while maintaining a level of creativity and artistry that is second to none,” said Unger.

With movie merchandise hotter than ever, Art Asylum will be unveiling an all-new X-Men MiniMates collection, which will include a Marvel MiniMates movie.  Marvel granted Art Asylum the rights to create a mini-movie, a DVD that will be packaged with four X-Men MiniMates characters - Wolverine, Cyclops, Magneto, and Juggernaut.  The CGI (Computer Generated Imaging) mini-movie and action figure set will hit stores including Toys “R” Us, Target and specialty, in April 2006 - just in time for the theatrical release of X-Men 3: The Last Stand in May of 2006.

Speed Racer Enterprises has teamed up with Art Asylum to create a unique product line based on of the classic Speed Racer animated television property including toys, collectibles, animated promos, and music, with a major event on February 13th (for VIP invitation, please contact Jennifer Newman).  Art Asylum will create animated promos that will be launched this summer, followed by DVD’s that will be packaged with the new toy line hitting retail stores in the fall of 2006.  Additionally, a follow-up soundtrack will hit stores in the fourth quarter of 2006, with all new music from some of today’s hottest artists.

Art Asylum will come out fighting with an all-new toy line based on Universal Studios Battlestar Galactica, the hottest new sci-fi series on TV.  The line will consist of new MiniMates characters with buildable mini-ships, as well as collectible resin masterpieces, including four ships, busts, and statues, and will be available at Toys “R” Us and specialty stores nationwide.  The show, which is in its second season, is the highest rated program ever on the Sci-Fi Channel.

King of horror Clive Barker, whose movies like the Hellraiser series, Candyman and Solomé, have terrified and fascinated moviegoers for over a decade and whose novels have won him the acclaim of critics and the admiration of millions of fans around the globe, is venturing into a new world – plush.  Art Asylum is has transformed Jump Tribe!, a series of characters from Clive Barker's imagination, into a new plush line, complete with stories written and illustrated by Clive Barker himself.  An exclusive book is packaged with every creature, and will be sold in specialty stores nationwide.  The first wave of characters will include Yaboo and Kungu-Nah, available in March 2006, and the second wave features Twoth and Billem, in stores July 2006.

Art Asylum has also inked a distribution deal with 3D Stars and their amazing new professional soccer (futbol) series of action figures, representing some of the greatest current stars in Europe.  The new company, 3D Stars, brings incredible life-like detail to their new toy line, which features the hottest players from the United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, and Italy.  Art Asylum will be handing this line for their US mass-market customers.  Check them out at www.3d-stars.com.

Finally, Art Asylum has teamed up with famed Hong Kong artist Ming to create Ghoul Skool, a dark, yet adorable line of gothic-inspired plush that will be packaged with unique picture books.  The first installation will feature Mollie, her pet, Koalie, Skullie Kid and his pet Skullie Cat.  These sets will be available in specialty stores beginning June 2006.

About Art Asylum

Manhattan, New York based Art Asylum was founded by Digger and Donna Soldano in 1996 as a creative, design studio providing premier work service to the toy industry. In 2001, the company partnered with Adam Unger and the founders of Play Along Toys, Inc., to launch a successful boy’s action toy company that created products for major brands like Star Trek, Tony Hawk, Bruce Lee, Kiss and built the MiniMates toy brand that continues on to this day.  In 2005, after Play Along’s successful sale to Jakks Pacific (JAKK) the company continued it’s progress and has moved on as a fully integrated toy manufacture. In 2006, Art Asylum will be launching with several new licenses including Speed Racer, Madballs from American Greetings, Battlestar Galactica, Clive Barker’s Jump Tribe and Advanced Play System’s Arc Tiles. Visit www.artasylum.com for more information.