The Playground Podcast

Richard and Chris talk with game inventor Elan Lee about his hugely successful game Exploding Kittens, developing great games, and his new line of Kitten Games, which Elan developed with his 4-year-old daughter. This high-energy conversation will have you thinking about what makes a good game in the current market. Elan is also hugely entertaining and thoughtful about the role of games in our live...

Serial inventor, professor, inveterate innovator and advocate of play Brendan Boyle of Fuse London joins us for a lively and wide-ranging conversation. From his early career to his current gig with Fuse, Brendan has been a joyful advocate of play for kids, for organizations and for enhancing life overall. Join us for a super fun episode.

Chris and Richard talk to Alex Prieto, who calls himself director of fun for Toy. Zone. Of course, he does much more than that. Listen in as the wide-ranging conversation covers current issues, running a global company, AI, and what may be ahead for this company as we come out of the pandemic. Toy Zone defines itself as a 360° Toy & Entertainment Agency… we truly cover all areas of creative, d...

Chris and Richard, with Richard on the keys, have a conversation with Jessica Kalichman, director of marketing for WowWee about her career, the company's use of Tik Tok both to market and create community. They talk about why it works, what social media reveals, how a company run by Milliennials is different, and how engaging consumers with the real folks behind the scenes at a toy company (an...

Join Richard (on the keys) and Chris as they talk with inventor Dan Klitsner, creator of Bop-It about his newest puzzle Free Fall from ThinkFun . They talk about this new innovation, the challenges and rewards of inventing and delve into the topic of AI and what it might mean for creatives and everyone in the toy business. You wont' want to miss this lively conversation. The Playground is spon...

We kick of season five of The Playground Podcast with Madame Alexander's VP of sales, David Morgenstern. Richard, Chris, and guest host Chris Bensch from The Strong Museum of Play chat about this history, the legend, and what's new for the next chapter in the life of this iconic brand. 

Chris was back in Hong Kong for the 49th annual Toys & Games Fair… for the first time since 2020. Listen to what’s going on at the Fair—and hear the folks who are making the most of this transitional edition. The Playground is sponsored by Global Toy Experts , The Toy Guy , Beacon Media Group and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council .

Richard and Chris talk to Christian Ulrich from Spielwarenmesse about the upcoming Nuremberg Show. What’s new, what to expect, and the general excitement of gathering once again at the world’s largest Toy Fair. The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy Experts , The Toy Guy ,   Beacon Media Group , and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council .

Richard and Chris talk with John Baulch from Toy World UK and James Zahn from The Toy Book for our 4th Annual year-end conversation. From inventory levels to new challenges, to the potential for the revitalized Toys "R" Us, to, of course, the issue of Toy Fairs, the panel looks back at 2022 and ahead to 2023 and beyond.  The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy Experts , The Toy Guy...

Richard and Chris talk to Josh Loerzel of Sky Castle Toys about his career and his ongoing success in using social media to create hits. From his early days at Zing where he made a monster hit out of Stikbot, Josh talks about how he did it and the three important elements of building a social media strategy. Moreover, how has social media changed the landscape for the trade? Josh will clue you in....

Richard and Chris talk with Jim and Donna Pressman about their new book, A Century of American Toys & Games: The Story of Pressman . They talk about the  company's colorful history over the past century. It was a labor of love, and it's an important book for anyone who loves toys...the process all started with an elephant.  After you listen, you'll want to buy the book. It makes a gr...

Richard and Chris talk to Ron Solomon, creator and CEO of MAPPTrap , an online software service that allows manufacturers to monitor compliance with minimum advertised pricing policies across all distribution channels (even ones they may not know about.) They discuss how it works, why it's important, and why the "race to the bottom" on pricing hurts manufacturers and retailers.  It's an impor...

Richard and Chris talk to Isaac Larian, founder and CEO of MGA. From his earliest days to having unprecedented success in the industry, Isaac talks about his vision, how he's built the company, worked with his team, and what the toy industry means to him. In this exclusive conversation, Isaac shares what it takes to make it in the toy industry, how it's a non-stop challenge, and why it's actually...

Richard and Chris talk to Sue Warfield, president of ASTRA and board members Tom Rushton and Cassidy Smith about ASTRA's Toy Boat next February. Find out why this actually is a great opportunity to cost-effectively reach the specialty trade. Also, they talk about the state of specialty, particularly coming out of COVID, what specialty means today and the terrific opportunities for both retailers a...

Richard and Chris talk to Bill Nichols and Peter Cmiel co-presidents of Blip Toys about their careers, their strategies, the benefits and challenges of just being a "Blip" on the radar of the toy industry (despite major successes) and how they manage to keep the company lean, creative, and successful. Plus, they chat about Chris's favorite active play toy of 2022. 

Richard and Chris have a lively chat with Kim Carcone, EVP of the Toy Association about the current state of Toy Fair, the upcoming Dallas show, what's ahead for 2023, and new initiatives to make the show more useful and relevant than ever. 

Amanda Gummer and Frances Cain from The Good Play Guide talk with Richard and Chris about their scientifically based accreditation program for evaluating toys for their potential to support STEM and STEAM learning. Beyond marketing buzzwords, this insightful conversation talks about the value of play, its role in learning...and why fun is an essential element of any toy that they validate.  W...

Chris and Richard talk to Didier Pietri about how he built a toy business from a business-to-business operation, their entry into the market, how they’ve developed unique products, and marketing. From creating their own animation studio, to managing current supply chain issues, to the decision to sell exclusively direct-to-consumer; Pietri talks about navigating the market…and answers the question...

After a successful 10-store pilot, the Canadian trend retailer Showcase is coming to the U.S., and that is big news for the toy industry. Richard and Chris talk to the retailer's CEO Samir Kulkarni about the store, their growth, their U.S. strategy and the unique and powerful combination of high tech systems and a deep understanding of trends to create a retail destination in malls across the U.S....

Richard and Chris talk with Toy Industry Hall of Fame designer Jeffrey Breslow about his career, his time with Marvin Glass and associates, the inspirations and tragedies that shaped his career. "Brez," as he's known, entered the toy industry when he was hired by Glass on the spot and spent the next 41 years developing games, and ultimately leading the company.  The conversation covers all th...

Richard and Chris talk with Chad Gharring of Boley about the dramatic rise of the company as a private label, brand building company and as an innovator in sustainability--and increasingly hot and important topic in the toy industry. They also talk about the advantages of being a Chinese/American hybrid company. You'll want to know more about this big and competitive company that, till now, has la...

Richard and Chris talk to Kenny Davis, CEO of the start-up Action Face about the new platform that allows users to create avatars, action figures and much more using advanced scanning technology, right on the phone. They discuss the evolution of the concept, Kenny's background, and how managers can maximize the new virtual world of work.  The Playground Podcast is supported by Global Toy Expe...

Richard and Chris talk with Aaron Muderick, executive chairman of the Toy Association, about Toy Fair in New York in 2023, Dallas in 2022, and related issues. They also talk about the Association's efforts on lobbying and challenges and opportunities for the industry as it moves into a new era. Muderick's thoughtful and insightful comments make this a must-hear interview for this dynamic industry....

CEO of Star Stable Entertainment Johan Sjöberg calls his game "World of Warcraft...for girls." The hugely successful game is now making its move into toys under a licensing agreement with Just Play. In this episode, Richard and Chris talk with Sjöberg about the development of the brand, how they engage with kids and the expansion onto iOS and Android platforms as well as the strategy that has made...

Richard and Chris talk to Barry Schwartz of Schwartz PR about his incredible career. From his start as a kid in vaudeville, Barry moved into PR (another kind of showbiz, he notes) and was the creative and PR force behind many hits of the mid-20th Century. From introducing LEGO and the Othello game to the United States, to launching Hello Kitty in America to the recent TOTY winner Create-A-Castle,...