Autographs, Episode II Sneek Peeks
June 3, 2001
The Topps Company is preparing to issue a new series of Star Wars trading cards that features all the top characters.
BK Bags Ring Promos
May 30, 2001
New Line Cinema, the studio behind the LOTR trilogy has inked a major deal with Burger King for a promotional campaign that will 'expand beyond the traditional theatrical window of the movie.'
Another Marvel Film Project
May 30, 2001
Marvel has entered into an agreement with Dimension Films, a subdivision of Miramax, to develop a film based on the relatively short-lived 1980s comic Cloak and Dagger .
Best-sellers in Pop Culture Stores
May 27, 2001
Trends that we have seen during the first quarter, such as the increasing dominance of the DVD format, the overall sales importance of high ticket items, and the continuing reign of CCGs are even more apparent in the April numbers.
Pepsi, Taco Bell on Board
May 21, 2001
Tomb Raider has the potential to be one of the biggest films of the summer in the specialty store market.
Douglas Adams Dies at 49
May 13, 2001
Douglas Adams, creator of the cult classic science fiction comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy died of an apparent heart attack in California last Friday.
Ranma 1/2, Inu-Yasha More
May 12, 2001
Viz Comics is publishing English language editions of a series of anime art books that should prove to be an important product line for retailers who deal in anime and manga.
Original Series Can Build on DBZ Success
May 2, 2001
Funimation Productions has announced that the original Dragon Ball TV series will begin airing on the Cartoon Network's Toonami block on June 25th in a one hour block with Dragonball Z. A few episodes of the original Dragon Ball series were broadcast on U.S. TV during the 1990s, but Funimation has completely redone the episodes so they are much closer to the Japanese Dragon Ball series.
Top 10 Cool Lists for March
April 29, 2001
As more products became available in March stores reported positive sales trends to ICv2. In anime, DVDs took five of the ten spots including the first two, which were occupied by high ticket boxed and collector's set editions. Note that the videos in the top ten were all new releases from very popular series, Gundam Wing, Dragonball Z , and Martian Successor Nadesico.
What Recession?
April 6, 2001
Maybe it's because the specialty market is counter-cyclical, or maybe it's because it is product driven and there are lots of good products in the offing, but according to retailers ICv2 heard from, the pulse of the industry is strong right now, at least judging from the talk at the DC RRP.
