Studio Fun International, now an imprint of Printers Row Publishing Group, is back in business as a frontlist publisher. Printers Row highlighted new Studio Fun formats tied to My Little Pony: The Movie at the recent New York International Toy Fair.
Readerlink, parent company of Printers Row, purchased a variety of Studio Fun’s assets from Trusted Media Brands in October 2016, after the latter had shut down the division, formerly known as Reader’s Digest Children’s Publishing, the previous July.
Printers Row has been selling Studio Fun’s backlist titles since the sale, but was not able to produce new books until the imprint’s many licensing rights were transferred to the new owner. That process is expected to be completed this month, according to Simon Tasker, v-p and publisher of Silver Dolphin Books. (Children’s imprint Silver Dolphin is a sibling of Studio Fun within the Printers Row family of five imprints.)
Licensors that had been working with Studio Fun include Disney (along with its Marvel and Lucasfilm divisions), Nickelodeon, Hasbro, ASPCA, Mattel, Sesame Workshop, and DreamWorks Animation. All are expected to continue with Studio Fun under Readerlink ownership.
Tasker says Printers Row will continue to sell most of the interactive and novelty formats for which Studio Fun has been known, including its Movie Theater Storybooks, and plans to add new formats as well. The company is also in talks with additional property owners about expanding its roster of licenses. The list will be repositioned to appeal to a slightly younger demographic and to retail at a slightly lower price point than in the past, according to Tasker.
