The Toy Book Podcasts by Adventure Media & Events

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes toy and entertainment attorney Scott Landsbaum to the show.

Over the past 25 years, Landsbaum has represented intellectual property (IP) clients, including toy companies, entrepreneurs, inventors, designers, and artists across multiple industries.

On the show, Landsbaum shares details on what his background in hedge fund taxes has in common with toys. Then, he unpacks the complexities of executing a merger in the toy industry. From there, Albritton and Landsbaum discuss the current speed of the industry, the need for patents, and how legal, marketing, creative, and finance converge to create one licensed item.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Radio Flyer's Chief Wagon Officer, Robert Pasin.

Pasin is the grandson of Antonio Pasin, who in 1917 created The Liberty Coaster, a wooden wagon crafted in a one room workshop. Now, Robert leads the charge at Radio Flyer as the company continues to produce timeless toys for kids, including tricycles, scooters, go-karts, and more, including the iconic little red wagon.

On the show, Albritton and Pasin dig deep into the company's history and its vision for the future, including its seven-time honor as one of Fortune Magazine's Best Places to Work.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes back Wind Sun Sky CEO/executive producer Catherine Winder (The Angry Birds Movie, Super Dinosaur). Winder is a former Lucasfilm exec who worked with George Lucas to assemble the team behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars and now also leads Skybound North Entertainment, the company behind the Amazon hit, Invincible, and more.

On the show, Winder discusses My Singing Monsters: Fandemonium, Wind Sun Sky's latest collaboration with Big Blue Bubble, the developers of the My Singing Monsters app. Fandemonium is a cutting-edge live animated interactive variety show and Albritton and Winder discuss the technologies used to create it and the crossover potential with toys and games.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes David Capon, president of FoxMind Games, the company behind the viral hits Go Pop! and Pop-It!

On the show, Capon discusses the invention of Go Pop! and the massive trend of poppable fidget toys that FoxMind Games is currently in the midst of. Additionally, Albritton and Capon discuss the critical components of creating games that stimulate the mind and why they work so well in the market.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Chris and Jennifer Armstrong of Solid Roots. The family-focused company produces games, including Mind the Gap, Hipsterology, and Trapped, alongside the Hangup + Hangout Device Detox Box.

On the show, the Armstrongs explain how they turned the classic white elephant gift game into a marketable product, and how Jen’s live event production skills and Chris’s background in graphic design come together for game creation. Additionally, Albritton and the Armstrongs discuss the marketing challenges of the pandemic era and the step-by-step process of how Solid Roots went from concept to reality.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Warren Schorr, vice president of business development and global licensing for Crayola.

Prior to joining Crayola in 2010, Schorr held executive roles at Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and MGM. Now he works to grow and extend a brand that has become a true "household name," with brand recognition in 99% of U.S. homes.

On the show, Schorr discusses the animated properties that he worked with at Warner Bros. before delving into Crayola's position as "stewards of color." From there, the conversation explores the history of Crayola from its founding in 1885, and its long history of breaking into new product categories. Finally, Schorr details the history and development of Crayola's new IDEAworks exhibit at the Franklin Institute.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Patrick Matthews, project manager at Triller and president of Live Oak Games.

On the show, Albritton and Matthews explore the value and challenges of creating complex, story-based games, and the differences between developing digital and physical games. Additionally, the duo has a conversation about the negative aspects of games that are purely engineered for addiction. Matthews also delves into the behind-the-scenes process of how he developed the Thinkfun game Distraction and his experience writing books for young readers

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes award-winning graphic novelist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, creator of the superhero La Borinqueña.

Miranda-Rodriguez, whose portfolio includes work created for Marvel Comics, Atlantic Records, Sony, and others, created La Borinqueña in 2016 as a direct response to the economic crisis affecting the island of Puerto Rico. 

On the show, Miranda-Rodriguez shares how his experience curating art for the Caribbean Cultural Center launched him into the comics industry. Additionally, Albritton and Miranda-Rodriguez discuss the challenges of writing a character who confronts real-world issues; the history and controversy of La Borinqueña’s costume; and the vision for the future of the La Borinqueña character and brand. 

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Nick Metzler, incubation and new business specialist at Spin Master. Metzler has designed and marketed dozens of award-winning games, including Squashed, Marvel's Wakanda Forever and Hail Hydra, Harry Potter Hedbanz, Battle of the Sexes, and many more.

Metzler was the winner of the TAGIE Award for Young Innovator of the Year in 2013 and Rising Star Innovator in 2018. He was also the back-to-back winner of the Young Inventor Challenge (WIC) in 2010 and 2011 and has supported YIC ever since.

On the show, Metzler and Albritton discuss how creating complex games requires an understanding of human psychology and how to deliver game rules in the most understandable way. Finally, the discussion delves into the value and future of gamification.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design welcomes Harrison Brooks, the 17-year-old creator and CEO (Chief Elevator Officer) of ElevatorUp and database and content manager at People of Play.

On the show, Albritton and Brooks discuss the success of ElevatorUp, a card game that balances strategy and chance. Additionally, Brooks shares his perspective on classic and current games while discussing the challenges that he encountered in developing ElevatorUp and bringing it to market last year.