4Kids Entertainment, Inc. has announced a multi-year licensing agreement with Mattel which gives the toymaker the exclusive worldwide (outside of Asia) toy manufacturing and marketing rights for Shaman King.

 

Mattel's master toy license gives it the rights to produce action figures and accessories, vehicles, playsets, puzzles, board games, role-playing products and youth electronic and visual toys.  Mattel has previously announced some Shaman King products (see 'Shaman King Battling Figures from Mattel'); now the line will presumably broaden considerably. 

 

Shaman King, which was created in Japan by Hiroyuki Takei, began as a manga in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1998, making its U.S. debut in Shonen Jump.  Shaman King graphic novels sold more than twenty million copies in Japan, which led to a popular anime.

 

The coming Mattel licensed releases will join Upper Deck's CCG (see 'Upper Deck to Release Shaman King CCG'), the anime on FoxBox (see 'Fox Box Mixes It Up'), and the Viz graphic novels to spearhead the Shaman King marketing blitz.