The Hugga Bunch

Last updated
Type Action figures
Company Kenner
CountryUnited States
Availability1985–

The Hugga Bunch was a 1980s toy line from the Kenner, Parker Brothers companies and Hallmark Cards. Starting in early 1985, [1] [2] the companies manufactured the Hugga Bunch dolls, each of which held a smaller doll called a "huglet" in their arms. [3] During that year, the line generated over US$40 million in sales. [4]

Contents

The title characters in the franchise lived in a place called "Huggaland".

Film

The Hugga Bunch
Written by David Swift
Directed byGus Jekel
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
BudgetUS$1.4 million [5]
Release
Original release1985 (1985)

The toys inspired The Hugga Bunch, a 1985 television film produced by Filmfair Communications.

Written by David Swift and directed by Gus Jekel, it earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects. Produced for US$1.4 million, it was the most expensive TV special ever produced at the time. [5] Along with a making-of special, it was released on VHS, LaserDisc and Beta by Vestron Video's Children's Video Library. [6] To date, it has not been released on DVD and/or Blu-ray.

Plot

In the film, a girl travels through her mirror into HuggaLand to find a way to keep her grandmother—the only one who knows how to hug—young.

Cast

A Day Full of Hugs

Also in 1985, Parker Brothers released an album. Singers included Jonathan Edwards, Bradley Kane, Russell Horton, Michael Mark, Jessica Craven, Merle Miller, Terry Teszor, John Henry Kurtz, Stephen and Tom Chapin.

SongSongwriters
Everybody Needs A Friend Tom and Stephen Chapin
All Kinds of Hugs Tom Chapin, John Forster and Stephen Chapin
Smiling AgainJohn Forster
The Choose-Up SongJohn Forster, Stephen and Tom Chapin
Through the Mirror Stephen Chapin, Tom Chapin and John Forster
March to the Bookworm's House Tom and Stephen Chapin
The Bookworm's Book Stephen Chapin, Tom Chapin and John Forster
The Hug-A-Lug SongJohnny Talon and Don Specht
Shrugs Are Like the Measles Tom Chapin, John Forster and Stephen Chapin
Love to ShareJohn Forster

Related Research Articles

<i>Cabbage Patch Kids</i> American doll brand

Cabbage Kids are a line of cloth dolls with plastic heads first produced by Coleco Industries in 1982. They were inspired by the Little People soft sculptured dolls sold by Xavier Roberts as collectibles. The brand was renamed 'Cabbage Kids' by Roger L. Schlaifer when he acquired the exclusive worldwide licensing rights in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hasbro</span> American multinational toy and entertainment company

Hasbro, Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of Kenner, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, and Wizards of the Coast, among others. As of August 2020 over 81.5% of its shares were held by large financial institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbie</span> Fashion doll brand by Mattel

Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.

The Mego Corporation is an American toy company that in its original iteration was first founded in 1954. Originally known as a purveyor of dime store toys, in 1971 the company shifted direction and became famous for producing licensed dolls, celebrity dolls, and the Micronauts toy line. For a time in the 1970s, their line of 8-inch-scale action figures with interchangeable bodies became the industry standard.

Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy company founded in 1946. Throughout its history, the Kenner brand produced several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures like the original series of Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Batman as well as die cast models. The company was closed by its corporate parent Hasbro in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Care Bears</span> Fictional character group

Care Bears are multi-colored bears, originally painted in 1981 by artist Elena Kucharik to be used on greeting cards from American Greetings. In 1983, the characters were turned into plush teddy bears and later headlined their own television series called Care Bears from 1985 to 1988. They also made three feature films: The Care Bears Movie (1985), Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986), and The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland (1987).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blythe (doll)</span>

Blythe is a fashion doll, about 28 cm (11 inch) tall, with an oversized head and large eyes that change color with the pull of a string. It was created in 1972 and was initially only sold for one year in the United States by toy company Kenner. In 2001 the Japanese toy company Takara began producing new editions of Blythe dolls. There is a network of hobbyists who customize the doll for resale and create clothing and shoes for Blythe. Enthusiasts share photographs of their work and other types of dolls on the Internet.

Toyetic is a term referring to the suitability of a media property, such as a cartoon or movie, for merchandising tie-in lines of licensed toys, games and novelties. The term is attributed to Bernard Loomis, a toy development executive for Kenner Toys, in discussing the opportunities for marketing the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, telling its producer Steven Spielberg that the movie was not "toyetic" enough, leading Loomis towards acquiring the lucrative license for the upcoming Star Wars properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tickle Me Elmo</span> Muppet character childrens plush toy

Tickle Me Elmo is a children's plush toy from Tyco Preschool, a division of Tyco Toys, of the Muppet character Elmo from the children's television show Sesame Street. When squeezed, Elmo shakes, vibrates, and recites his trademark giggle.

My Pet Monster is a character that began as a plush doll first produced by American Greetings in 1986. It has horns, blue fur, a fanged smile, and wears breakaway orange plastic handcuffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pound Puppies</span> Toy line

Pound Puppies is a toy line that was created by Tonka in the 1980s. It later inspired an animated TV special, two animated TV series, and a feature film. Shipments of the toys over five years generated sales of $300 million in 35 countries.

The Britney Spears doll is a celebrity doll made in the likeness of American pop singer Britney Spears. Several versions of the doll were released. Each doll is dressed in costumes that resemble the clothing Spears had worn in concerts, appearances, and music videos. The Britney Spears doll was the first doll produced by Play Along Toys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOTA Toys</span> American toy company

SOTA Toys, or State Of The Art Toys, is a developer, manufacturer, and wholesaler of collectibles based on licensed properties from companies such as Capcom and Universal. Formed in 2000 by Jerry Macaluso, they have created and manufactured numerous licensed products based on the characters from popular films, TV shows, hit video games, and literary works, as well as legendary musicians and pop stars. Aside from being a developer and manufacturer, SOTA Toys also serves as fabricator and prototyper for the motion picture, toys/collectibles, and video game industry.

<i>Womens Wear Daily</i> Fashion-industry trade journal

Women's Wear Daily is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". It provides information and intelligence on changing trends and breaking news in the men and women's fashion, beauty and retail industries. Its readership is made up largely of retailers, designers, manufacturers, marketers, financiers, media executives, advertising agencies, socialites and trend makers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion doll</span>

Fashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adults. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, though child, male, and even some non-human variants exist. Contemporary fashion dolls are typically made of vinyl or another plastic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madame Alexander Doll Company</span> American Toy Company

Madame Alexander Doll Company is an American manufacturer of collectible dolls, founded in 1923 by Beatrice Alexander in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sindy</span> Fashion doll made in the United Kingdom

Sindy is a British fashion doll created by Pedigree Dolls & Toys in 1963. A rival to Barbie, Sindy's wholesome look and range of fashions and accessories made her the best-selling toy in the United Kingdom in 1968 and 1970. After Marx Toys' unsuccessful attempt to introduce Sindy in the United States in the late 1970s, Hasbro bought the rights to Sindy and remodelled the doll to look more American. As a result, the doll's popularity declined; in addition Barbie manufacturer Mattel filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement, which was settled when Hasbro agreed to remodel Sindy's face. During the 1990s, Barbie's share of the doll market continued to grow while Sindy's diminished, which led to Sindy being delisted from major retailers in 1997. Hasbro returned the doll's licence to Pedigree, and the doll was relaunched in 1999, manufactured by Vivid Imaginations. Sindy's 40th anniversary in 2003 saw a new manufacturer, New Moons, and another relaunch and redesign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palitoy</span>

Palitoy was a British toy company. It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence. Its products included Action Man, Action Girl, Action Force, Tiny Tears, Pippa, Tressy, Mainline Model Railways, Merlin, Star Wars figures, Play-Doh and the Care Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strawberry Shortcake</span> Cartoon character

Strawberry Shortcake is a cartoon character used in greeting cards published by American Greetings. The line was later expanded to include dolls, posters, and other products featuring the character and an extended cast of friends and pets. In addition, the franchise has spawned television specials, animated television series and films. The franchise is currently owned by the Canadian children's television company WildBrain and American brand management company Iconix Brand Group through the holding company Shortcake IP Holdings LLC.

References

  1. Haynes, Kevin (June 18, 1985). "Licensing show spurs vendors, but retail turnout disappoints". Women's Wear Daily (WWD). Fairchild Publications (149): 15.
  2. Haynes, Kevin (March 11, 1985). "A matter of character". Women's Wear Daily (WWD). Fairchild Publications (149): Y50.
  3. "Pound Puppies, Hugga Bunch to seek plush stardom". Discount Store News. Lebhar-Friedman Inc. (24): 41. February 18, 1985.
  4. "Hugga Bunch". Forbes . 140 (10–14): 192. 1987. In 1985 Kenner Parker sold about $40 million worth of its Hugga Bunch doll, good for a new toy. Sad to say, Kenner Parker manufactured dolls valued at $60 million.
  5. 1 2 "Hugga Bunch". Television/Radio Age . Television Editorial Corp. 33: 49. 1985. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
  6. "These Hugs Are Worth Millions!" (Advertisement). Billboard . Vol. 97, no. 51. VNU/Nielsen Business Media. December 21, 1985. p. 35. Retrieved September 3, 2010.