Cloudco Entertainment

Last updated
Those Characters from Cleveland, LLC
Cloudco Entertainment
FormerlyThose Characters from Cleveland (as trade name: 1981–late 90s)
AG Properties (2000s-2015)
American Greetings Entertainment (2015–2018)
Company type Private
IndustryEntertainment, Licensing, Creative Services, Marketing, Social Media, Digital/Games
GenreChildren and family
Founded1981; 41 years ago
FounderTom Wilson
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California
Products Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese
Buddy Thunderstruck
Care Bears
Holly Hobbie
Madballs
Tinpo
OwnerWeiss family (2018-2023)
IVEST Consumer Partners (2023-present)
Members11-50 employees
Subsidiaries CloudCo, LLC
Website http://www.cloudcoentertainment.com/

Those Characters from Cleveland, LLC, officially doing business as Cloudco Entertainment and formerly known as AG Properties and American Greetings Entertainment, is an American company which formerly traded as American Greetings' former character brand division. Properties owned by the company include Care Bears , Holly Hobbie , Madballs , Buddy Thunderstruck , Tinpo , The Get Along Gang and Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese .

Contents

History

As Those Characters from Cleveland (1980s)

Holly Hobbie premiered in 1967 as a line of greeting cards by American Greetings. [1] Knickerbocker Toy Co. manufactured stuffed Holly Hobbie dolls from 1968 to 1983. [2] The character's public appeal led to the formation of Those Characters From Cleveland, Inc. In 1972, the company introduced Ziggy, created by Tom Wilson, which soon had a newspaper cartoon strip generating significant additional income. Universal Press later purchased the creative rights. By 1977, Holly Hobbie became one of the top female licensed characters in the world. [3]

Those Characters From Cleveland was started up by Tom Wilson on behalf of American Greetings [4] in 1981 to handle its licensing business. [5] The first property out of Those Characters was Strawberry Shortcake, which generated in 1981 $500 million in retail sales, followed by the Care Bears with $2 billion in sales over its first two years. [3] The Care Bears were announced in 1982 with M.A.D., Marketing and Design Service of the toy group of General Mills, and launched in Spring 1983 with toys with a syndicated TV special. [6]

Ralph Shaffer, senior vice-president and creative head at From Cleveland, oversaw the creation of Madballs, foam balls with disfigured faces. AmToy, another American Greetings subsidiary, released them as toys in 1986 and reached the #4 on the toy best-seller list by September of that year. [7]

With Mattel, Those Characters From Cleveland had launched the Popples in 1986. in 1986. In 1987, Those Characters came out with four plush variants that do more than just be huggable but playable to be introduced in 1988 through three toy companies. [8]

As AG Properties (2000s-2015)

AG Properties in 2001 named DIC Entertainment as the licensing agent for Strawberry Shortcake.

With DIC merging with Cookie Jar thus transfersring the rights, the company sued. In the settlement, AG agreed to sell Shortcake, the Care Bears and the Sushi Pack crime-fighting characters to Cookie Jar for $195 million with payment due September 30, 2008. Cookie Jar could not come up with the financing, but continued to claim to have Shortcake licensing rights. AG found a new buyer of Shortcake and the Bears in MoonScoop, while settling with Cookie Jar with AG to buy out its rights to Shortcake. MoonScoop was to pay part of the purchases price to allow AG to pay Cookie Jar for its rights. Missing that deadline, AG back out of the deal as MoonScoop attempt to complete the deal by the full payment deadline of June 7, 2009. MoonScoop sued with American Greetings winning the case in November 2012. [9]

AG Properties by September 19, 2012, became global licensing agent for Pūkeko Pictures The WotWots as they sublicensed the property to EXIM Licensing Group in the Latin America region, Segal Licensing in Canada, Stella Projects in the Australian and New Zealand region. [10]

Sean Gorman was promoted to president of AG Properties in June 2013 with the mandate to add boy franchises. Gorman was hired in 2007 as vice president, entertainment production and development. [11]

Packages from Planet X was produced for Disney XD by DHX Media in Vancouver and Disney and premiered on July 13, 2013. [12] In January 2012, American Greetings Properties and Exim Licensing Group international licensing agent signed a Holly Hobbie publishing deal with V & R Editoras for most of Latin America and the Caribbean. [1]

AG Properties had licensed Lion Forge Comics the Care Bears, Madball and Packages from Planet X for titles under their Roar Comics all-ages imprint for release in late 2014. [13]

On February 3, 2015, Iconix Brand Group signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Strawberry Shortcake brand and related intangible assets from AG Properties for US$105 million. [14] [15] DHX Media (now WildBrain) would eventually acquire the franchise in 2017 as part of their buyout of Iconix's entertainment assets, which also included an 80% majority stake in Peanuts owner Peanuts Worldwide. [16]

As American Greetings Entertainment (2015-18)

On October 6, 2015, American Greetings changed the unit's name to American Greetings Entertainment as an indication of a shift in focus to the Care Bears property, alongside additional multi-character and entertainment properties. [17] On October 11, the newly-renamed company announced Buddy Thunderstruck , a stop-motion animated series co-produced with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios that would premiere on Netflix in 2017. [18]

In May 2016, irish production company Sixteen South named American Greetings Entertainment the worldwide distributor of Claude, an animated TV Adaptation of Alex T. Smith's bestselling picture book series. [19] On October 17, 2016, the company announced a partnership with Gaumont Animation to relaunch Herself the Elf with a new television series that the two companies would co-develop, co-produce and co-distribute. [20]

On October 13, 2017, UK pre-school broadcaster CBeebies greenlit a Tinpo television series, which would be co-produced by Dentsu, OLM Digital and Sprite Animation Studios, for a late 2018 release on the network. [21]

In April 2018, Hulu commissioned a Holly Hobbie live action TV series by Aircraft Pictures. It ran for 5 seasons (50 episodes). [22] In May 2018, an advert showcased at the Licensing Expo showcased new redesigns of the Care Bears for a new television series that would premiere in Late-2018. [23]

As Cloudco Entertainment (2018-2023)

On April 6, 2018, the Weiss family announced it was to sell the majority shareholding in American Greetings to US investment company, Clayton Dubilier & Rice. [24] The ownership of American Greetings Entertainment was fully retained by the Weiss family, and so on August 28, 2018, the company was spun off from American Greetings as Cloudco Entertainment, becoming a stand-alone company. The previous management was retained, including president Sean Gorman. [25]

On September 6, the planned new Care Bears animated series previously previewed at the licensing expo would be called Care Bears: Unlock the Magic and would premiere on the Boomerang SVOD service in January 2019. [26] [27] On September 20, 2018, Cloudco announced they had opened up a UK office. [28]

Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese the animated series was co-commissioned by CBBC and Gulli in October 2018, which is co-produced with Watch Next Media in France and Kavaleer Productions in Ireland, and premiered on October 31, 2019. [29]

On June 24, 2019, Warner Music Group's Arts Music division launched the licensed Cloudco Entertainment label with the release of the current Holly Hobbie TV show theme song as a part of a multi-season deal. [30]

In January 2021, Cloudco announced they would team up with Topps to create a new toy range that crosses over Cloudco's Madballs and Topps' Garbage Pail Kids franchises. [31] On March 16, 2021, Cloudco and Marblemedia announced they would team-up to co-produce a new live-action comedy series called Overlord and the Underwoods . On the same day, it was confirmed that the show had been picked up by Nickelodeon internationally, ITV in the United Kingdom, CBC in Canada and BYUtv in the United States. [32]

In October 2022, it was announced that a live-action television adaption of Pretty Freekin Scary was commissioned for Disney Channel as a co-production with CakeStart Entertainment, a joint venture between Cake Entertainment and JumpStart Entertainment, as part of the latter's first-look deal with Disney. [33]

Purchase by IVEST Consumer Partners (2023-present)

On August 24, 2023, it was announced that Canadian-based private equity firm IVEST Consumer Partners had purchased Cloudco Entertainment for $100 Million. [34] IVEST's intentions with Cloudco is to put a major focus on the Care Bears franchise and turn it into a major household name. [35] Other plans include utilizing existing Cloudco properties for developing new content, producing new IP, as well as Cloudco being used to acquire and license other properties that IVEST could pick up. [36]

Properties

Current

Ownership Unknown

Sold

Content

Television Shows

TitleYear(s)NetworkCo-Production WithNotesSources
The Get Along Gang 1984 CBS DIC Audiovisuel
Care Bears 1985 Syndication DIC Audiovisuel
LBS Communications
The Care Bears Family 1986–1988 Global Television Network Nelvana Retitled Care Bears for third series
My Pet Monster 1986–1988 Global Television Network Nelvana
Popples 1986-1988 Syndication DIC Enterprises
Lady Lovely Locks 1987 Syndication DIC Enterprises
Ring Raiders 1989 Syndication DIC Enterprises
Bohbot Communications
Strawberry Shortcake 2003-2008 Direct-to-Video
Syndication
CBS
DIC Entertainment Corporation Originally a Direct-to-Video series, new episodes were released this way in the United States
Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-lot 2007-2008 CBS SD Entertainment
Tinpo 2007-2008 CBS Short-form series
Sushi Pack 2007-2009 CBS DIC Entertainment Corporation
Studio Espinosa
Tom Ruegger Productions
The Hatchery, LLC
Cloudco handles distribution in North America, DIC/WildBrain handles distribution internationally
Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures 2009-2015 The Hub/Discovery Family MoonScoop Entertainment/Splash Entertainment
The Twisted Whiskers Show 2009 The Hub DQ Entertainment
MoonScoop Entertainment
Telegael
Maryoku Yummy 2010 The Hub DQ Entertainment
Telegael
Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot 2012 The Hub MoonScoop Entertainment
Packages from Planet X 2013-2014 Disney XD Canada
Disney XD
DHX Media Vancouver
DHX Media
Care Bears & Cousins 2015-2016 Netflix Splash Entertainment
Buddy Thunderstruck 2017 Netflix Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
Holly Hobbie 2018-2022 Hulu Aircraft Pictures
Tinpo 2018-2019 CBeebies
TV Tokyo
Dentsu
Sprite Animation Studios
OLM Digital
Care Bears: Unlock the Magic 2019-2020 Boomerang Copernicus Studios
Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese 2019-present CBBC
Gulli
RTÉ
Canal J
M6
Disney Channel
WatchNext Media
Kavaleer Productions
De Agostini
Overlord and the Underwoods 2021-2022 BYUtv
Nickelodeon
CBC
Marblemedia
Canfro Productions
Pretty Freekin Scary 2023 Disney Channel
Disney+
KickStart Entertainment
Apt. 11H Productions
CakeStart Entertainment
Copyrighted to Disney Enterprises, Inc. [41] [42]

Movies and Specials

TitleYear(s)Co-Production WithDistributorFormatNotes
The World of Strawberry Shortcake 1980Muller/Rosen
Murakami-Wolf-Swenson
Toei Doga
RLR Associates
N/ASyndicated TV special
Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City 1981Muller/Rosen
Perpetual Motion Pictures
RLR Associates
N/ASyndicated TV special
Strawberry Shortcake: Pets on Parade 1982Muller/Rosen
Murakami-Wolf-Swenson
Toei Doga
N/ASyndicated TV special
Strawberry Shortcake: Housewarming Surprise 1983MAD Productions
Nelvana
N/ASyndicated TV special
The Magic of Herself the Elf 1983 Nelvana
Scholastic
N/ASyndicated TV special
The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings 1983 Atkinson Film-Arts N/ASyndicated TV special
Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name 1984MAD Productions
Nelvana
N/ASyndicated TV special
The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine 1984 Atkinson Film-Arts
MAD Productions
N/ASyndicated TV special
The Get Along Gang 1984 Nelvana
Scholastic
N/ASyndicated TV special
Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins 1985 Nelvana N/ASyndicated TV special, limited theatrical release with The Care Bears Movie in some territories
The Care Bears Movie 1985 Nelvana The Samuel Goldwyn Company Theatrical ReleaseCurrently owned by MGM
Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation 1986 Nelvana
LBS Communications
Columbia Pictures Theatrical ReleaseCurrently owned by Sony Pictures
Madballs: Escape from Orb 1986 Nelvana Hi-Tops Video Direct-to-Video Release
Madballs: Gross Jokes 1987 Nelvana Hi-Tops Video Direct-to-Video Release
The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland 1987 Nelvana Cineplex Odeon Films Theatrical Release
Care Bears Nutcracker Suite 1987 Nelvana GoodTimes Home Video TV Special (The Disney Channel), retitled Care Bears: The Nutcracker by Lionsgate in 2006
Peppermint Rose 1993Muller Stratford ProductionsN/ASyndicated TV special
Strawberry Shortcake: Meet Strawberry Shortcake 2003 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2002
Strawberry Shortcake: Spring for Strawberry Shortcake 2003 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2002
Strawberry Shortcake: Strawberry Shortcake's Get Well Adventure 2003 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2002
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Merry Christmas 2003 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2002
Strawberry Shortcake: Adventures on Ice Cream Island 2004 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2002
Strawberry Shortcake: Best Pets Yet 2004 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release
Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot 2004 Nelvana Lions Gate Home Entertainment
Universal Pictures Video
Direct-to-Video Release
Strawberry Shortcake: Play Day Surprise 2005 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2004
Strawberry Shortcake: Seaberry Beach Party 2005 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2004
Strawberry Shortcake: Moonlight Mysteries 2005 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2004
Strawberry Shortcake: Dress Up Days 2005 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2004
The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie 2005 Nelvana Lions Gate Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video Release
Strawberry Shortcake: World of Friends 2006 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2005
Holly Hobbie & Friends: Surprise Party 2006 Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Wang Film Productions
Paramount Home Entertainment Television Special and Direct-to-Video Release
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Fairy Tales 2006 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2005
Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Movie 2006 DIC Entertainment Corporation Kidtoon Films
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Limited Theatrical Release
Holly Hobbie & Friends: Christmas Wishes 2006 Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Wang Film Productions
Paramount Home Entertainment Television Special and Direct-to-Video Release
Strawberry Shortcake: Cooking Up Fun 2006 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2005
Holly Hobbie & Friends: Secret Adventures 2007 Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Wang Film Productions
Paramount Home Entertainment Television Special and Direct-to-Video Release
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Blossom Festival 2007 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2005
Care Bears: Oopsy Does It! 2007 SD Entertainment
The Hatchery
Kidtoon Films
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Limited Theatrical Release
Holly Hobbie & Friends: Best Friends Forever 2007 Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Wang Film Productions
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Television Special and Direct-to-Video Release
Strawberry Shortcake: Let's Dance 2007 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2005
Care Bears: Grizzle-ly Adventures 2008 SD Entertainment 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2007
Strawberry Shortcake: Big Country Fun 2008 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2007
Care Bears: Ups and Downs 2008 SD Entertainment 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2007
Strawberry Shortcake: Rockaberry Roll 2008 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2007
Holly Hobbie & Friends: Fabulous Fashion Show 2008 Toon City Animation
Cartoonuity
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video Release
Holly Hobbie & Friends: Marvelous Makeover 2009 Toon City Animation
Cartoonuity
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video Release
Strawberry Shortcake: Happily Ever After 2009 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2007
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Big Journeys 2009 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2007
The Strawberry Shortcake Movie: Sky's the Limit 2009 MoonScoop Entertainment 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video release
Care Bears: Share Bear Shines 2010 SD Entertainment Kidtoon Films
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Limited Theatrical Release, produced in 2009
Strawberry Shortcake: The Berryfest Princess Movie 2010 MoonScoop Entertainment 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2009
Care Bears: To the Rescue 2010 SD Entertainment Kidtoon Films
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Limited Theatrical Release, produced in 2009
Strawberry Shortcake: Berrywood, Here We Come! 2010 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2007
Care Bears: The Giving Festival 2010 SD Entertainment Lionsgate Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2009
Strawberry Shortcake: The Glimmerberry Ball Movie 2010 MoonScoop Entertainment 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2009
Strawberry Shortcake: Growing Up Dreams 2011 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2004
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Brick Road 2012 DIC Entertainment Corporation 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (most territories)Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2007
Care Bears: A Belly Badge for Wonderheart - The Movie 2013 MoonScoop Entertainment Lionsgate Home Entertainment Direct-to-Video Release, produced in 2012
Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile 2017 Stoopid Buddy Stoodios Netflix Interactive Streaming Special

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