Domo retailer does double duty as distributor

In an effort to begin seeding the North American merch market for Japanese cult import Domo, New York’s Big Tent Entertainment has hooked up with on-line retailer Ty’s Toy Box. Besides opening up the first official Domo shop (Domonation.com/shop) on this side of the pond this month, Ty’s will also act as a distributor and begin placing product at selected U.S. bricks-and-mortar specialty retailers. About the decision to have the e-tailer step into the role traditionally taken by licensees, Big Tent VP of marketing Rich Maryyanek says North American fans and independent retailers have been asking for product. And with new licensees not quite ready to roll out product, he adds, this was the easiest way to get merch out now ‘while priming the market for future growth.’

Agency roundup – who’s repping who

A number of deals have followed on the heels of Brand Licensing held in London this past October:

BBC Worldwide named San Francisco, California’s Dimensional Branding Group as North American licensing agent for Collingwood O’Hare kids comedy/action series The Secret Show, slated to launch stateside on Nicktoons in January. DBG is currently on the hunt for toy, game and interactive licensees.

On the portfolio front, Cookie Jar Entertainment has tapped Coolabai as its U.K. agent for its boy-skewing Spider Riders and preschool properties The Doodlebops and Caillou.

Snoopy and the gang have new representation in France as United Media appointed Euro player Copyright Promotions Licensing Group to the post. CPLG’s London office also recently picked up U.K. rep rights for Sesame Street from New York-based Sesame Workshop.

The first property hatched by Vancouver’s Nerds Corps continues to build steam on the licensing front as Target Entertainment joins the ranks of licensing agents now representing Storm Hawks. Currently MGM Consumer Products is overseeing North America, while Target will take on the U.K. for the boys-action toon launching on Cartoon Network in fall ’07.