IWT closed the month at $6.50CDN. company got Austrialin market now. Per article below.
Dragonball Z Blazes A Trail In Toyland
Rochelle Burbury
03/28/2000
Australian Financial Review
Page 37
Copyright of John Fairfax Group Pty Ltd
Parents, brace yourselves. If pester power did not reach its zenith with the Pokemon phenomenon, it is about to begin all over again with the Australian launch of cartoon series Dragonball Z.
Like Pokemon, the Dragonball Z series emanates from Japan and involves a fantasy world of warriors fighting aliens. But unlike Pokemon, this series has captured older fans because of the clever twist of making each episode a soap opera-styled cliffhanger.
``Dragonball Z has the widest demographic of any children's show in the United States,' said Mr Gen Fukunaga, the man behind the Dragonball Z (or DBZ, to those in the know) assault.
``It has high, intense action and great battles which six- to 11-year-olds are into, and the show is unique.
``It's a soap opera and each episode leaves you hanging. It allows the characters to get older, have kids, and you follow the lives of the characters.
``It has a lot of fans in their 20s and 30s.'
Mr Fukunaga is a former Silicon Valley software product manager who, with the help of his uncle, a Japanese TV studio executive, bought the international rights, merchandising and marketing of Dragonball Z outside Japan.
In Australia to attend the Toy Fair and negotiate licensing deals, Mr Fukunaga said merchandise sales in Asia and Europe had already topped $3 billion.
Dragonball Z began screening on the Ten Network and the Cartoon Network a month ago, and the merchandise leviathan is beginning to hit toy shelves across the country. Dragonball Z action figures were the fifth most purchased toy this month, according to Toyspot.com.au.
The official website is fielding around 900,000 hits a day.
In Australia, Irwin Toys will distribute the biggest-selling action figures and Gaffney Toys will establish licensing agreements.
``In the US we have 60 licensees, each making 12 products, and most will be sourced into Australia. There will be hundreds of different products by Christmas this year,' Mr Fukunaga said.
Australia can expect to see trading cards, backpacks, pillowcases, calculators, apparel, sunglasses, keyrings, watches and outdoor inflatable pools.
``We believe this could be one of the biggest toy phenomena ever,' Irwin Toys ' Australian managing director, Mr Gary Hutchens, said.
Mr Fukunaga's company, FUNimation, is negotiating with Nintendo and Sony to produce computer games of Dragonball Z, with US film distributors for a movie and with Hungry Jacks to run a promotion with Dragonball Z merchandise
Too bad funimation is private. Still hot with my kids. Bought the litle DBZ figures.
Jack |
