Line #14 Creator/Mattel


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mattel_logo.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:[[TagLine "You can tell it's Mattel, it's swell!"]]]]
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4	Formed in 1945, [[https://mattel.com Mattel]] is the world's largest toy company. It owns some of the most popular and [[LongRunners longest-running]] franchises in the industry, most notably ''Literature/AmericanGirl'', ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'', ''Creator/FisherPrice'', ''Toys/HotWheels'', ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'', ''Toys/MonsterHigh'', and ''Franchise/SeeNSay''.
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6	Mattel was also one of the first toy makers to get involved in other parts of the entertainment industry. As far back as 1959, it was the sole sponsor of ''Matty's Funday Funnies'', which brought the shorts featuring Creator/HarveyComics characters to television.[[note]]A later version of the show introduced ''WesternAnimation/BeanyAndCecil''.[[/note]] It then pioneered the concept of MerchandiseDriven AnimatedShows with a 1969 SaturdayMorningCartoon based on the pre-existing ''WesternAnimation/HotWheels'' line. The show got in trouble when Mattel's corporate rivals complained to the FCC, proving that the world wasn't quite ready for half-hour toy commercials--yet. However, by TheEighties, times had changed. Mattel spun off a successful action figure line into ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983''; the result was a smash hit that not only retains a loyal fandom decades later, but spawned a whole genre of toy-based cartoons that continues today. The company also had a profitable licensing deal with Creator/DCComics, and has been Creator/{{Disney}}'s preferred toy partner for many years.
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8	Mattel once had a subsidary website, [[https://www.mattycollector.com/store/matty/DisplayHomeOffersPage#.UnLn1yfqiSo MattyCollector.com]], which sold to adult collectors. The site offered new versions of ''Masters of the Universe'' characters, as well as DC heroes not available at retail. They also had the ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}'' license for a while, and added ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats1985'' to the roster in 2015. It closed in December 2016 with a clearance sale, and Mattel ended all of their specialty collector lines. Remaining stock has been shifted to their own online shop, their eBay store and their UsefulNotes/{{Walmart}} online store, with the ''Masters of the Universe Classics'' line passed onto boutique toy company [=Super7=] until Mattel reclaimed the rights.
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10	Creator/GeorgeLucas approached Mattel to produce ''Franchise/StarWars'' toys when [[Film/ANewHope the first film]] was in production. They turned it down, as like many in the industry, they expressed little faith in the film being a success. Ahem... Creator/{{Kenner}} obtained that license instead and Mattel ultimately regretted the decision. They attempted to cash in on the success with their own ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'' toys but they did not prove to be anywhere near as popular. One reason behind the creation of ''Masters of the Universe'' was due to Mattel's experiences with licensed toy properties, feeling they could ultimately invest less money and avoid licensing fees with their own brand. This proved successful as the ''Masters'' brand lasted for several years, and Mattel would later achieve similar success with the original ''Monster High'' brand.
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12	Of note is that Mattel also had a chance to produce ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'' action figures and even created prototypes, only to lose the license when Creator/ToddMcFarlane wasn't satisfied with them and decided to start his own toy company. Similarly, in the early 1980s Mattel was contacted to create toys for ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'', only to pass when they saw how violent the film was. They were also working on ''MOTU'' at the time, which led to a lawsuit claiming that ''MOTU'' was a direct ripoff of ''Conan''--a case that Mattel eventually won when the judge ruled the properties were only similar in BroadStrokes. (Remco eventually made figures for the ''Conan'' movie.)
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14	Between 1977 and [[MediaNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 early 1984]], the Mattel Electronics division produced handheld electronic games, the Platform/{{Intellivision}} console and the Aquarius computer. Mattel's association with video games continued with their distribution of the European and Canadian models of the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem and the now-infamous Power Glove accessory.
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16	For a period between 1998 and 2001, Mattel actually owned the Creator/TheLearningCompany (and by extension, Creator/BroderbundSoftware), which they rebranded into Mattel Interactive/Mattel Media. The division ran at a loss and was quickly resold to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. To date, this acquisition is often quoted as Mattel's worst move.
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18	In 2006, Mattel attempted to re-enter the console market with the Platform/{{Hyperscan}}. However, it had a questionable CPU and GPU (an off-brand [=SoC=] from Sunplus, a notoriously shady semiconductor company, with an equally obscure architecture called [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%2Bcore S+Core]][[note]]Sunplus is notorious for not disclosing details about their architectures, besides violating the GPL when they made a jerry-rigged fork of GCC with support for their [=CPUs=].[[/note]]). The RAM- 16MB of it- was in line with other sixth generation consoles like the [[Platform/{{SegaDreamcast}} Dreamcast]] and Platform/PlayStation2. But by then the industry had shifted to the ''seventh generation''. This left it severely underpowered and at a disadvantage- which, ironically, was the very same problem that plagued the Intellivision. Also, the selection of games was small, and they tended to be poorly programmed and have LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading (not helped by the fact that they sourced a really slow CD drive), which did not sit well with both the target and periphery demographic. All these problems led Mattel to call the Hyperscan a flop and leave the market again the next year.
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20	In late 2011, Mattel bought Creator/HiTEntertainment for US$680 million. [[http://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/oct/24/mattel-buys-hit-entertainment]]
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22	In late 2013, Mattel [[http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/mattels-bold-plan-to-take-control-back-from-hollywood-1200795906/ announced]] that they were [[StartMyOwn starting their own studio]], Playground Productions, to make movies, TV series, etc. based on the properties they own.
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24	In early 2016, [[http://www.inc.com/lindsay-blakely/mattel-buys-fuhu-out-of-bankruptcy-for-$215-million.html Mattel bought Fuhu Inc]]--the company that makes the ''Nabi'' line of kids and family-oriented tablets--when said company filed for bankruptcy, showing that Mattel's interest in the computing market hasn't waned one bit despite the failure of the Platform/{{Intellivision}} and Platform/HyperScan, though it too ran on borrowed time and silently wound down a few years later, closing down its Facebook and Twitter pages and announcing through email that they will be shuttering all Nabi online services on March 2019, effectively killing off the children's smart device line.
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26	See also Creator/{{Hasbro}}, Mattel's most formidable {{rival}}.
27	----
28	!!Franchises created and/or owned by Mattel:
29	[[index]]
30	* ''Literature/AmericanGirl'' (acquired from Pleasant Rowland in 1998)
31	** ''American Girl 300 Wishes'' (2004 board game)
32	* ''Angel Bunny'' (short-lived toy range that ran from 1984-1985, has nothing to do with [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Fluttershy's pet rabbit]]).
33	* ''TabletopGame/ApplesToApples''
34	* ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}''
35	* ''WesternAnimation/ComputerWarriors''
36	* ''Toys/DivaStarz''
37	* ''Toys/{{Enchantimals}}''
38	* ''Toys/EverAfterHigh''
39	* ''Creator/FisherPrice'' (acquired from Quaker group in 1993)
40	** ''Color Me Gemz'' (in partnership with ''Sabrina Bryan'' of ''Film/TheCheetahGirls'')
41	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Little People\|Egmont}}''
42	** ''WesternAnimation/RescueHeroes''
43	* ''Flavas''
44	* ''Fuhu inc.'' (maker of the Nabi line of children's and family-oriented tablets).
45	* Creator/HITEntertainment - see their page for a list of franchises they own/are involved in.
46	* ''Franchise/HotWheels''
47	** Toys/HotWheels (the toyline proper)
48	** ''WesternAnimation/HotWheels'' (the 1969 AnimatedSeries)
49	** ''WesternAnimation/HotWheelsAcceleracers''
50	** ''WesternAnimation/HotWheelsBattleForce5''
51	* Platform/HyperScan
52	* Platform/{{Intellivision}}
53	* ''WesternAnimation/JayceAndTheWheeledWarriors''
54	* The Learning Company - sold in late 2001
55	** Creator/BroderbundSoftware - sold with parent ''The Learning Company'' in late 2001.
56	** ''VideoGame/{{Cluefinders}}'' - asset sold with ''The Learning Company'' in late 2001.
57	** ''VideoGame/ReaderRabbit'' - asset sold with ''The Learning Company'' in late 2001.
58	* ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse''
59	* ''Toys/{{Matchbox}}'' (acquired from Tyco Toys in 1997, and a sister brand to former rival Hot Wheels ever since)
60	* ''Franchise/MaxSteel''
61	** ''WesternAnimation/MaxSteel''
62	** ''WesternAnimation/MaxSteel2013''
63	** ''Film/MaxSteel''
64	* ''Toys/MightyMax''
65	** ''WesternAnimation/MightyMax''
66	* ''Toys/MonsterHigh''
67	* ''Toys/MyScene''
68	* ''WesternAnimation/PeppermintRose''
69	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pictionary}}'' (board game; acquired from Hasbro)
70	* ''Poochie''
71	* ''Toys/PollyPocket''
72	* ''VideoGame/PurpleMoon'' (computer CD-ROM game company, possibly sold off alongside The Learning Company and its assets in 2001)
73	* ''Radica'' (including ''Girl Tech'')
74	* ''TabletopGame/SceneIt'' (under license from Creator/{{Screenlife\|LLC}})
75	* ''TabletopGame/{{Scrabble}}'' (international rights only (after the acquisition of JW Spears in 1994); US/Canada rights rest with Hasbro)
76	* ''Franchise/SeeNSay'' (later handed over to subsidiary Fisher-Price)
77	* ''WesternAnimation/StreetSharks''
78	** ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeDinosaurs''
79	* ''Toys/TeenTrends''
80	* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends''
81	** ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriendsAllEnginesGo''
82	[[/index]]
83
84	!!Games published in the early 1980s by Mattel Electronics:
85	[[index]]
86	* ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: VideoGame/TreasureOfTarmin''
87	* ''VideoGame/AdventuresOfTRON''
88	* ''VideoGame/ArmorBattle''
89	* ''VideoGame/{{Astrosmash}}''
90	* ''VideoGame/FrogBog''
91	* ''VideoGame/NightStalker''
92	* ''VideoGame/SharkShark''
93	* ''VideoGame/SpaceBattle''
94	* ''[[VideoGame/StarStrike1981 Star Strike]]''
95	* ''VideoGame/TronDeadlyDiscs''
96	* ''VideoGame/TronMazeATron''
97	[[/index]]
98
99	!!Works that Mattel created toys for:
100	* ''WesternAnimation/AaahhRealMonsters''
101	* ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010''
102	* ''Film/{{Avatar}}''
103	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
104	* ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture''
105	* ''WesternAnimation/BraveStarr''
106	* ''Series/CaptainPowerAndTheSoldiersOfTheFuture''
107	* Creator/CartoonNetwork
108	* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainSimianAndTheSpaceMonkeys''
109	* ''WesternAnimation/CatDog''
110	* ''Series/{{Clueless}}'' (the 1996 TV series)
111	* Creator/DCComics:
112	** ''Series/{{Batman\|1966}}''* (the 1966 TV series)
113	** ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''[[note]]Mattel reissued some of the Creator/{{Kenner}} figures[[/note]]
114	** ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman''
115	** ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy''
116	** ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo''
117	** ''Toys/DCSuperHeroGirls''
118	** ''Film/ManOfSteel''
119	** ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''* (the 1978 film)
120	* ''Film/DemolitionMan''
121	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dinotrux}}''
122	* Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon:
123	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}''
124	** ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire''
125	** ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''
126	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}''
127	** ''Franchise/{{Frozen}}''
128	*** ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII''
129	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}''
130	** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame\|Disney}}''
131	** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King\|1994}}''
132	** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid\|1989}}''
133	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}
134	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}''
135	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}''
136	** ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog''
137	** ''WesternAnimation/RayaAndTheLastDragon''
138	** ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty''
139	** ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs''
140	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}''
141	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}''
142	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Wish\|2023}}''
143	* ''Film/DisneyLiveActionRemakes''
144	** ''Film/{{The Little Mermaid\|2023}}''
145	** ''Film/PeterPanAndWendy''
146	* ''Franchise/DisneyPrincess''
147	* ''Disney V.I.P. Dolls'' [[note]] Featured characters from ''Series/HannahMontana'', ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'', ''Series/ShakeItUp'', ''Series/ANTFarm'', and ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie''[[/note]]
148	* ''Film/DoctorDolittle'' (the 1968 film)
149	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}''
150	* ''Film/TheFlintstones'' (the 1994 film)
151	* ''WesternAnimation/FlashGordon1979''
152	* ''WesternAnimation/HerselfTheElf''
153	* ''Franchise/JurassicPark''
154	** ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom''
155	** ''Film/JurassicWorldDominion''
156	** ''WesternAnimation/JurassicWorldCampCretaceous''
157	* ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex''
158	* ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}''*
159	** ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 2016}}''
160	* ''Film/HarryPotter''
161	* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983''
162	* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002''
163	* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold''
164	* ''Film/HighSchoolMusical''
165	** ''Film/HighSchoolMusical2''
166	** ''Film/HighSchoolMusical3SeniorYear''
167	* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius''
168	* ''Karma's World''
169	* ''WesternAnimation/KingArthurAndTheKnightsOfJustice''
170	* ''Franchise/KungFuPanda''
171	* ''WesternAnimation/LadyLovelyLocks'' (1987)
172	* ''Film/LastActionHero''
173	* ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction''
174	* ''Creator/MarvelComics'' (plush toys and Hot Wheels vehicles only; Creator/{{Hasbro}} owns the primary license)
175	* ''WesternAnimation/MaryKateAndAshleyInAction''
176	* ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse''
177	* ''WesternAnimation/MightyDucksTheAnimatedSeries''
178	* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''
179	** ''VideoGame/MinecraftDungeons''
180	** ''VideoGame/MinecraftLegends''
181	* ''WesternAnimation/MinionsTheRiseOfGru''
182	* ''Series/MorkAndMindy''
183	* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}''
184	* ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfHeMan''
185	* ''Film/NewYorkMinute'' (the 2004 film)
186	* ''Franchise/OnePiece''
187	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar''
188	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Phantom 2040}}''[[note]]The series' producers announced that Mattel had the toy license, but no toys (or even photos of prototypes) ever came out[[/note]]
189	* Creator/{{Pixar}}:
190	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}''
191	** ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''
192	** ''Franchise/{{Cars}}''
193	*** ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 2}}''
194	*** ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 3}}''
195	*** ''WesternAnimation/CarsOnTheRoad''
196	*** ''WesternAnimation/{{Planes}}''
197	*** ''WesternAnimation/PlanesFireAndRescue''
198	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}''
199	** ''WesternAnimation/Elemental2023''
200	** ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''
201	** ''Franchise/TheIncredibles''
202	** ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut''
203	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Luca}}''
204	** ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc''
205	*** ''WesternAnimation/MonstersAtWork''
206	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Onward}}''
207	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}''
208	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}''
209	** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1''
210	*** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''
211	*** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4''
212	*** ''WesternAnimation/{{Lightyear}}''
213	** ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed''
214	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' (as PC CD-ROM games)
215	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Popples}}'' (a franchise created by Those Characters from Cleveland, Inc., later lost the rights to Saban Brands, LLC.)
216	* ''WesternAnimation/RainbowRangers''
217	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters''*
218	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}''
219	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''
220	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}''
221	* ''Scene It'' (DVD board game)
222	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays''
223	* ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984''
224	* ''Toys/SeeNSay''
225	* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower''
226	* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower''
227	* ''[[ForceFive Shogun Warriors]]''
228	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' [[note]]Mattel was the first of several companies to make ''Simpsons'' toys[[/note]]
229	* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst''
230	* ''Series/SoLittleTime''
231	* ''Series/{{Space 1999}}''
232	* ''Film/SpeedRacer'' (the 2008 film)
233	* ''WesternAnimation/SpiritUntamed''
234	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''
235	* ''Franchise/StarWars'' (plush toys and Hot Wheels vehicles only; Creator/{{Hasbro}} owns the primary license)
236	** ''Series/TheMandalorian''
237	* ''Teddy Beddy Bear'' (a franchise created by Morgan Inc., later lost the rights to Applause)
238	* ''Series/ThatsSoRaven''
239	* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats1985''*
240	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Turbo}}''
241	* ''Turning Mecard'' (Worldwide rights excluding South Korea and Mainland China)
242	* ''Franchise/{{Trolls}}'':
243	** ''WesternAnimation/TrollsBandTogether''
244	* ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter''
245	* ''WesternAnimation/TheWildThornberrys''
246	* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub''
247	* ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace''
248	* ''Wrestling/{{WWE}}''
249	* ''Franchise/YuGiOh''
250
251	[=*=] Available only through the Matty Collector site

Context Creator / Mattel