The Topps Company announced today that it has acquired the license to create trading cards for Monsters Inc., the next computer animated film from Disney/Pixar (see 'Best in Shows'), the studio that created Toy Story I and II and A Bug's Life.  The three Disney/Pixar films have moved a total of more than $5 billion retail dollars worth of tie-in merchandise worldwide.  Toy Story I was the original feature length computer animated film, the groundbreaking work that opened the way for this summer's highly popular computer concoctions, Shrek and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

Monsters, Inc, which features the voices of Billy Crystal and John Goodman, was the hit property at this year's New York Toy Fair.  As if the Pixar pedigree is not enough by itself, Disney is flogging the film with the largest promotional budget in film history.  Promotional partners for the film include some real heavyweights, McDonalds, Pepsico (Pepsi, Frito-Lay), and Kelloggs.  But far more important than all the hype is the fact that Monsters, Inc. has a clever storyline that should appeal to adults as well as children (the secret behind Shrek's $200 million+ box office success).  To get a small glimpse of the humor and inventiveness behind this film, check out the new trailer at  www.apple.com.

This will be the first series of Topps cards based on a Disney film since The Rocketeer, and the cards should have a strong appeal to Disney collectors.  In addition to a large number of highly individualized and colorful monster characters, the series will contain lots of interactive cards including pop-ups, puzzles, heat-sensitive images, and glow-in-the-dark cards.  Although the Topps cards will certainly be in some mass market venues, they will not be nearly as ubiquitous as Hasbro's Monsters, Inc. toy line -- and, most importantly, Topps will have the cards to pop culture retailers at least three weeks before the film opens on Nov. 2.