Toy Biz

The company's original forerunner, Canadian company Chantex, Inc., was founded in the late 19th century by the Zuckerman family. The business grew from $.16 million in sales to sales of $4.5 million in 1980. In 1980, Chantex merged with Earl Takefman's Randim Marketing, Inc., a school supply manufacturer and wholesaler, to become Charan Industries Inc.{{Cite book|last=Ward|first=Arthur|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OvLJDwAAQBAJ&q=1980%20chantex%20merge%20with%20randim%20marketing&pg=PT480|title=Action Figures: From Action Man to Zelda|date=2020-02-24|publisher=The Crowood Press|isbn=978-1-78500-688-3|language=en}} Its Charan Toy, Inc. subsidiary became a leading licensing toy company in 1985. In addition to toys, Charan implemented brands in other areas, including acquiring a hockey equipment brand in the mid-1980s.{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1987-04-09-0120200050-story.html|title=BUSINESS DEAL. Charan Industries Inc. of Montreal...|last=Sentinel|first=Orlando|website=OrlandoSentinel.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-17}}

In 1988, Charan Toys was renamed Toy Biz and became an American firm.{{Cite web |title=Toy Biz Lives on in Hasbro Marvel Action Figures |url=https://www.entertainmentearth.com/s/toy-biz/c |access-date=15 June 2023 |website=Entertainment Earth}}{{Cite web |title=ToyBiz Marvel |url=http://figure-archive.net/manuf.aspx?manufID=353 |access-date=15 June 2023 |website=Figure Archive}}

In 1990, Charan, including the Toy Biz subsidiary, was purchased by businessman Ike Perlmutter.{{Cite web|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/marvels-14-billion-man/|title=Marvel's $1.4 Billion Man}} In 1993, Toy Biz made a deal for "exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licenses" of Marvel Characters for 46 percent of Toy Biz equity.{{cite book|last=Raviv|first=Dan|title=Comic Wars|date=April 2002|publisher=Broadway Books|isbn=0-7679-0830-9|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/features/comicwars/timeline.html}} Avi Arad, a toy designer and comic book fan, joined Toy Biz that same year.

Toy Biz continued licensing outside brands, including DC Comics characters, producing goods such as the Batman's (1989) Batmobile and some action figures,[https://13thdimension.com/the-top-13-wonderful-batman-89-toys-ranked/ The TOP 13 Wonderful BATMAN ’89 Toys] Posted By Dan Greenfield on Feb 19, 2021, the 13th Dimension.com Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess action figures based on the Action Pack television series shown on many New World Television stations. Also, agreements with Gerber{{Cite web|url=https://buffalonews.com/1994/02/19/competitors-crowd-fisher-prices-market/|title=Competitors crowd Fisher-Price's market|last=Madore|first=Bt James T.|date=1994-02-19|website=The Buffalo News|language=en-us|access-date=2019-04-17}} and NASCAR were acquired.{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}} In 1995, Toy Biz acquired Spectra Star, Inc.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/22/business/company-briefs-678395.html|title=Company Briefs|date=1995-08-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-17|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} and Quest Aerospace Education, Inc., both toy companies. Toy Biz started up its Classic Heroes candy division in 1996, which sold candy/toy combinations using mainly Marvel characters.{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}} The company also entered the electronic learning aids (ELA) segment of the toy industry in 1996 with a licensing agreement with Apple Computer.

Toy Biz partially acquired Marvel Entertainment Group.{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/1998/06/29/companies/marvel/|title=Toy Biz to take over Marvel - Jun. 29, 1998|website=money.cnn.com|access-date=2019-04-17}} In the late 1990s, Marvel Entertainment Group filed for bankruptcy and became the subject of a battle for control in bankruptcy court.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/29/business/marvel-proposes-a-merger-with-toy-biz.html|title=Marvel Proposes a Merger With Toy Biz|last=Norris|first=Floyd|date=1997-04-29|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-17|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/33907/marvel-files-for-bankruptcy|title=Marvel Files for Bankruptcy|last=Errico|date=27 December 1996}} The company was salvaged in 1997 and merged with Toy Biz in 1998.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/the-wrap/article/How-Marvel-Bounced-Back-From-Bankruptcy-to-Become-12867943.php|title=How Marvel Bounced Back From Bankruptcy to Become Hollywood's Biggest Brand|last=Williams|first=Trey|date=2018-04-29|website=SFGate|access-date=2019-04-17}} The new company became Marvel Enterprises, and Toy Biz became a division of the new company.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/29/business/marvel-proposes-a-merger-with-toy-biz.html|title=Marvel Proposes a Merger With Toy Biz|last=Norris|first=Floyd|date=29 April 1997|newspaper=The New York Times}}

In 1999, Toy Biz ventured into professional wrestling, acquiring the master toy license to World Championship Wrestling (WCW). After two years, the license deal was cut short, due to WCW being purchased by the World Wrestling Federation in 2001.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-23|title=20 Years Ago Today WWF Bought WCW|url=https://www.wrestlingnewssource.com/news/67205/20-Years-Ago-Today-WWF-Bought-WCW/|access-date=2022-02-25|website=WrestlingNewsSource|language=en}}

Toy Biz were also notable for producing action figures for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy between 2001 and 2005. Having developed a good working relationship with New Line Cinema following their Blade toy line , Toy Biz managed to get the rights in spite of stiff competition from other companies. Toy Biz made several developments with this line - going for a slightly larger 6 inch scaled figure as opposed to the 3 31/4” scale popularised by toy lines such as Hasbro's Star Wars figures and going for a mixture of screen accuracy and articulation/playability in order to appease both child and adult collectors. {{Cite web|date=2021-04-14|title= 13 Frodos changed action figures forever|url=https://www.polygon.com/lord-of-the-rings/22383558/frodo-action-figures-lotr-toy-biz-marvel-star-wars|access-date=2024-01-02|website=polygon.com|language=en}}

The company would later license products for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Curious George and Code Lyoko.{{Cite web |title=Figure Collections |url=http://figurecollections.com/line.php?id=9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520182010/http://figurecollections.com/line.php?id=9|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 20, 2007}}{{Cite web |title=Toy Biz Gets 'Curious George' License |url=https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/6437/toy-biz-gets-curious-george-license |access-date=2022-02-25 |website=icv2.com |language=en}}

In 2001, Marvel Enterprises licensed the rights to the 'Toy Biz' name to a Hong Kong–based toy manufacturer, Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd. Toy Biz also outsourced much of the manufacturing to Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd.{{Cite news|title=Marvel Reviews Synergies in Toy and Toy Licensing Operations|language=en|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20031201005823/en/Marvel-Reviews-Synergies-Toy-Toy-Licensing-Operations|access-date=2018-03-30}} File:MarvelToyslogo.jpg

In January 2006, Marvel Entertainment signed a five-year licensing agreement with Hasbro Inc. for $205 million, giving Hasbro the right to make toys and games based on Marvel Comic licenses. As a result of this, Marvel Entertainment prematurely terminated its agreements with Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd, by a year.{{Cite news|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/licensing/marvel-toy-biz-worldwide-part-ways/|title=Marvel, Toy Biz Worldwide Part Ways|date=2006-01-09|work=Animation Magazine|access-date=2018-03-26|language=en-US}} As a result of the early termination, Marvel Entertainment paid Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd. a penalty of between $13–16 million USD.{{Cite web|date=2006-01-09|title=Marvel Terminates Toy Biz Worldwide Licensing Agreement and Plans for Transition to Hasbro License in 2007|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060109005496/en/Marvel-Terminates-Toy-Biz-Worldwide-Licensing-Agreement|access-date=2019-05-01|website=www.businesswire.com|language=en}}

Throughout 2007, the division struggled to stay afloat without the Marvel Comic licenses. The company introduced a series called the Legendary Comic Book Heroes – making action figures of non-Marvel Comic characters, though it suffered with poor sales. The company also furthered its TNA Wrestling and Curious George lines. Marvel Entertainment quietly began to close the division. In late 2007, the company's website shut down.{{Cite web|url=http://www.toybiz.com/|title=Marvel Toys - Home|date=October 31, 2007|access-date=2018-03-26|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031152006/http://www.toybiz.com/|archive-date=October 31, 2007}}

In 2022, Hasbro released updated versions of Toy Biz's first wave of Marvel Legends figures to celebrate the line's twentieth anniversary.{{Cite web|last=K|first=Dabid|date=2021-10-23|title=Marvel Legends 20th Anniversary Captain America & Iron Man Up for Order!|url=https://marveltoynews.com/marvel-legends-20th-anniversary-captain-america-iron-man-up-for-order/|access-date=2022-02-25|website=Marvel Toy News|language=en-US}}

• Toy Biz v. United States, a court case that determined that Toy Biz action figures were toys, not dolls.

{{reflist}}

• [http://ComicFigs.net ComicFigs.Net (formerly Marvel Legends.net)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227010811/http://comicfigs.net/ |date=2009-02-27 }}
• [http://toynewsi.com/index.php?itemid=10959/ Legendary Comic Book Heroes]

{{Superhero toy lines}}

Category:Marvel Entertainment

Category:1988 establishments in Quebec

Category:2007 disestablishments in New York (state)

Category:Canadian companies established in 1988

Category:American companies disestablished in 2007

Category:Toy companies established in 1988

Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2007

Category:Toy companies of the United States

Category:Toys based on comics

Category:Defunct manufacturing companies based in New York City