Wrinkles is a discontinued line of plush toys previously manufactured by Canadian toy company Ganz Bros released in Canada in 1985. The toys are identified by their characteristic wrinkled faces and clothing. They were based on the hound breed of dog. The original design was created by Senitt Puppets, based in Carnarvon, Ontario. Catherine Senitt designed and sold handmade puppets for over twenty years throughout the United States and Canada.
The dogs were made in three sizes. Most common are the medium-sized toys, which are about 18 inches (46 cm) high, and are the most anthropomorphic, as they were designed to sit upright. They are dressed in jogging suits, in overalls and a T-shirt, or in dresses, and have openings to allow them to double as hand puppets. [1] There are also smaller, nine-inch-high (23 cm) toys, who sit on four legs and wear bonnets and booties, and larger toys, which are over 2 feet (61 cm) tall. Other Wrinkles animals were also manufactured, including a moose named Moogums (or Moogy), and an elephant named Trunkit.
As proof of authenticity, all Wrinkles toys have a bone-shaped symbol embroidered into their ear. As well, they all came with a fabric bone. The plush Wrinkles spawned some additional merchandise, including metal dinner trays, [2] PVC figures, poseable dolls and even a direct to video movie featuring child actress Ami Foster. [3]
The Wrinkles TV advertisement which aired during the 1980s featured the Wrinkles talking and chatting to the camera and finished with the dog looking to the screen and exclaiming "Hi, I'm Wrinkles, I've got my name under my ear!", at which point it flicked its little plush head to one side, lifting its ear to reveal the bone-shaped symbol under the ear. [4]
Wrinkles have been sold as part of Ganz's "Heritage Collection", though the line appears to have been discontinued. Wrinkles dogs are fairly common fare on eBay and other auction sites selling toys. [5] They can also still be purchased from the original designers at Senitt Puppets.[ citation needed ]
The Keeshond is a medium-sized dog with a plush, two-layer coat of silver and black fur with a ruff and a curled tail. It originated in Holland, and its closest relatives are the German spitzes such as the Großspitz, Mittelspitz, Kleinspitz, Zwergspitz (Dwarf-Spitz) or Pomeranian.
The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ground-scent is second only to the Bloodhound.
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Rainbow Brite is a media franchise by Hallmark Cards, introduced in 1984. The animated Rainbow Brite television series first aired in 1984, the same year Hallmark licensed Rainbow Brite to Mattel for a range of dolls and other merchandise. A theatrical feature-length film, Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer, was released by Warner Bros. in 1985. The franchise was rebooted in 2014 with a three part mini-series released on Hallmark's online streaming video service, Feeln. A line of new merchandise by Hallmark online and in its shops debuted in 2015.
The English Toy Terrier is a small breed of terrier in the toy dog group.
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Gund is a Canadian-owned manufacturer of plush stuffed animals. The company is based in Edison, New Jersey, and distributes throughout the United States and Canada as well as in Europe, Japan, Australia, and South America. Gund is currently run by third generation family owner Bruce Raiffe whose grandfather Jacob Swedlin purchased the company from the original founder in 1925. Their slogan is “Gotta Getta Gund”.
Ganz Midwest-CBK LLC is a Canadian soft toy and home décor company, famous for its plush animals and collectibles. They are the manufacturer of Webkinz, a toy with an interactive virtual-reality Internet site for children.
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Catherine Senitt is a Canadian painter and inventor of Wrinkles dogs. Her works are in the permanent collections of a number of major Canadian public galleries, though she has not publicly exhibited since 1979.
6. “Wrinkles Steals the Season | Macleans | Dec 1985” https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1985/12/9/wrinkles-steals-the-season Retrieved 2022-9-27