Pokemon Joins World Wrestling Federation 'WWF' as
Blockbuster Licenses for Toymax
PLAINVIEW, N.Y., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Toymax International, Inc.
(Nasdaq: TMAX), announced today that its Candy Planet division will begin
allocating shipments under a recently completed Pokemon license with Nintendo
of America, Inc. through Leisure Concepts Inc., the licensing division of
4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: KIDE).
The first available product in the extensive Pokemon product line will be
Poke Gum printed with characters and packaged with one of 144 collectible
character puzzle cards. Other items will include gummy fruit treats in the
shape of Pokemon characters and gum and candy dispensers.
Steven Lebensfeld, President of Toymax, stated "Our licensing agreements
for Pokemon candy and our popular World Wrestling Federation "WWF"
(Nasdaq: WWFE) product line facilitate our strategy to broaden Toymax's
distribution into new retail channels. Candy Planet products will soon be
available in convenience, drug, stationery and grocery stores in addition to
our current mass-market outlets."
About Nintendo Co. Ltd.
Nintendo Co. Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan is a worldwide leader in the creation of
interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than one billion
video games worldwide, has created such industry icons as Mario and Donkey
Kong, and launched franchises like Pokemon and the legend of Zelda. Nintendo
manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular video game
systems, including the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy -- the world's best-selling
video game system. As a wholly-owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc.,
based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in
North America.
About 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.
Headquartered in New York City, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: KIDE)
is a vertically-integrated entertainment company whose wholly-owned
subsidiaries include: Leisure Concepts, Inc., a leader in domestic and
international merchandise licensing and product development; 4Kids
Productions, a television, film, and home video production company, and Summit
Media, a domestic and international television distribution, media buying and
planning company.
About WWF Entertainment, Inc.
As a leader in entertainment programming and marketing, World Wrestling
Federation Entertainment, Inc. produces television programming in
157 countries (cable and syndication), live events, pay-per-view, print and
on-line publishing, home video, merchandising and licensing on a worldwide
basis. Based in Stamford, Connecticut, World Wrestling Federation
Entertainment was incorporated in 1982.
About Toymax
Toymax (http://www.toymax.com) is a children's consumer products company
that creates, designs and markets innovative and technologically advanced toys
and leisure products. Toymax products promote fun and creative play and are
available under several brands: Toymax(R) toys, such as R.A.D.(TM) Robot,
Mighty Mo's(TM) vehicles, the award-winning Laser Challenge(TM) and Creepy
Crawlers(R) brands and a new line of educational hand-held and tabletop
electronics under the Jumpstart(TM) brand licensed from Knowledge Adventure
Inc., and the Math Blaster(TM) brand licensed from Davidson & Associates,
Inc.; Go Fly A Kite(R) kites, windsocks and banners; Candy Planet(TM) candy
products; and Monogram(R) gift, novelty and souvenir products. Toymax is
headquartered in Plainview, N.Y. and its products are available at retailers
worldwide.
The statements made in this press release contain certain forward-looking
statements. The Company cautions readers that all forward-looking statements
are necessarily speculative and accordingly undue reliance should not be
placed on any such forward-looking statements, which only speak as of the date
made. Actual results may vary materially from those anticipated by the
Company for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, changes in
retail sell-through of the Company's products, differences between bookings
received from customers and actual orders received, changing consumer demand
for its products, a reliance on new product introductions, the dependence on a
limited number of customers, seasonal and quarterly fluctuations, the
dependence on a limited number of product lines and the loss of existing
licenses or the inability to renew or extend licenses under favorable terms.
The risks highlighted herein should not be assumed to be the only things that
could affect the future performance of the Company. The Company undertakes no
obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these
forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect events or
circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events. Readers are referred to the documents filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically, the most
recent reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, which
identify important risk factors.
SOURCE Toymax International, Inc.
-0- 10/19/1999
/CONTACT: Media - Brendan McMahon, 212-462-2890, ext. 224,
bmcmahon@accesspr.com, or Liz Savery, 212-462-2890, ext. 235,
lsavery@accesspr.com, both of Access Communications, for Toymax International,
Inc.; or Investor - Bill Johnson of Toymax International, Inc., 516-391-9898;
or Christine DiSanto or Chad Jacobs, both of Integrated Corporate Relations,
203-222-9013, for Toymax International, Inc./
/Web site: www.toymax.com/
(TMAX KIDE WWFE)
CO: Toymax International, Inc.; Nintendo of America, Inc.; Leisure Concepts
Inc.; 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.
ST: New York, Japan, Connecticut
IN: REA
SU:
HW
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2707 10/19/1999 07:30 EDT prnewswire.com |
