New Colorforms Animated Series, Extensive Toyline and Digital Apps Planned for New Generation to Love
Toy Industry Veteran George Vorkas Tapped as President of Colorforms Brand LLC
New York City – October 6, 2014 – Out of the Blue Enterprises LLC, a leader in children’s educational media founded by the creators of Super Why and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, has acquired the legacy brand Colorforms, named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Toys of All-Time. Out of the Blue focuses on multi-platform interactive, curriculum-based entertainment and consumer products, and are planning an extensive new toyline, animated series and digital apps based on the beloved Colorforms brand.
With over one billion sets sold throughout the past 60+ years, Colorforms vinyl stick-on playsets are one of the best-known toy brands. They provide safe, creative, open-ended and imaginative play, and have been trusted by generations of parents and grandparents. Colorforms began with basic shapes of squares, triangles and circles, and has evolved, incorporating relevant licensed characters and other innovations that engage kids in storytelling.
Colorforms Brand LLC, the new division of Out of the Blue, will showcase its new Colorforms toyline to retailers at the Dallas Fall Mass Market Preview this week in booth 12-414, and expects to debut product at retail in Fall 2015, based on popular and classic brands including, Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer, Bubble Guppies, SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Peter Rabbit, Pete the Cat and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
“We are very excited to expand our portfolio of owned IP with this acquisition,” said Samantha Freeman, CEO of Out of the Blue and Colorforms Brand. “Our focus has always been toys and entertainment that elicit creative play, and Colorforms is the ideal property. We see so much potential to expand the toys, and simultaneously develop across our current lines of business — TV and digital – to really bring Colorforms to life. This treasured brand infused with classic and contemporary applications will only strengthen its appeal to the next generation.”
Out of the Blue also recently appointed toy industry veteran George Vorkas to head up its Colorforms Brand division as President. Vorkas previously held senior positions with The Bridge Direct and Li and Fung.
“From Michael Jackson to Mickey Mouse, many of the biggest and most iconic entertainment characters of our time have been featured on Colorforms,” said Vorkas. “Colorforms is a premier creativity brand, and we have exciting plans for expansion, including new formats, price points and features for the toyline as well as new entertainment, licenses and digital content. I am honored to help bring this brand into the future with the team at Out of the Blue.”
Angela Santomero, Chief Creative Officer of Out of the Blue, will be creating a new animated series based on Colorforms. Santomero has extensive experience in children’s entertainment as the Creator/Executive producer of preschool entertainment hits, including Blue’s Clues, Super Why and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Connect with Colorforms on Social Media! https://www.facebook.com/colorforms
ABOUT OUT OF THE BLUE ENTERPRISES
Out of the Blue Enterprises is a leader in children’s educational media, with a portfolio of breakthrough,
interactive and multi-platform, curriculum-based entertainment for television, video, mobile apps and
consumer products. Out of the Blue creates and produces Super WHY, the hit Emmy-nominated literacy series
on PBS KIDS; Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, for The Fred Rogers Co/PBS Kids Galaxy and the upcoming
Wishenpoof for Amazon Studios and Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Room, and handles all licensing and merchandising
activity for Super WHY and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. The company also develops top-rated mobile
educational game apps, including Super WHY, Chuggington: Terrific Trainee, and Colorforms: Revolution. Led
by Co-Founders Angela C. Santomero, Creator of the hit preschool entertainment franchise, Blue’s Clues; and
Samantha Freeman, a former Nickelodeon and toy industry executive, Out of the Blue aims to engage kids and
families with age-appropriate, entertaining, and engaging learning