Mattel to conjure up Shaman King toy line

4Kids is kicking its consumer products program for Shaman King into high gear, naming Mattel as the property’s master toy licensee. The toyco has picked up worldwide rights (excluding Asia) for the Fox Box series and plans to start rolling toys out to retail in fall 2004. Items slated for the line include action figures and accessories, board games, puzzles, vehicles, play sets, activity and role-play pieces and youth electronics.

4Kids expects the Shaman King program, along with new merch lines for powerhouses Yu-Gi-Oh! and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to keep the revenue-generating ball rolling. The company had an exceptional 2003, boasting a 92% net revenue increase and ringing up sales of US$102 million.

Rep changes for Peak, Pepper’s Ghost and Sesame

London, England’s Peak Entertainment has signed The Sharpe Company as the North American agent for its Countin’ Sheep plush characters. The toy line, consisting of 12 plush sheep for insomniacs to count – each ID’d by a branded number patch that contains name, personality traits and birthday – launched in the U.K. in 2003 and will make its North American debut at Licensing Show next month.

Meanwhile, Brit studio Pepper’s Ghost has appointed Exim Licensing Group as its exclusive merch agent for Tiny Planets in Latin America. Discovery Kids Latin America, Mexico’s Televisa and Brazil’s TV Cultura currently broadcast the adventures of Bing and Bong in the region, and a home video/DVD license agreement with Tycoon Entertainment Group is Exim’s first deal for the property.

And Down Under, Sesame Workshop has a new licensing agent in kiwi country. Global Licensing will now rep Grover and the gang in New Zealand.

Evergreen pays homage to tweens

California’s Evergreen Concepts is the new agent for estrogen-charged tween board game property Go Goddess! Launched in 2000, Go Goddess! encourages girls to discover their inner goddesses while learning about mythological ones such as Athena and Diana. Evergreen is looking for publishing and TV partners, and it’s also on the hunt for toy, apparel, stationery and home furnishing licensees.