First title in the new program, UNIVERSAL MONSTERS, to publish on September 7, 2021
New York, May 26, 2021— Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, will launch a new, groundbreaking publishing program in collaboration with Funko Pop! and Universal Brand Development, it was announced today. The books will be available in the iconic Little Golden Book format, with the first release, UNIVERSAL MONSTERS, publishing on September 7, 2021. Dennis Shealy, Editorial Director, Licensed Publishing, will edit all titles in the program.
Adorable Funko Pop! versions of Universal Pictures’ classic monsters Dracula, Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and other thrilling creatures are making their first Little Golden Books appearance in UNIVERSAL MONSTERS. Geared for readers ages two to five, these books will also appeal to older collectors of Little Golden Books, Funko Pop! figurines, and Universal Monsters products, while offering kids a fun introduction to these often-misunderstood characters, now presented in Funko Pop! form.
Future Little Golden Books in the Funko Pop! stylized series include titles from NBCUniversal’s vast array of franchises and properties, including Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Back to the Future, NBC’s The Office, and more, with a plan to release two titles per year.
Says Shealy, “We are absolutely delighted to bring together Funko’s quirky and infinitely collectible style with NBCUniversal’s iconic movies and television properties inside the pages of Little Golden Books. This series of Funko Little Golden Books will allow parents, grandparents, and caregivers to introduce these beloved characters and stories to a whole new generation.”
“Funko’s motto is ‘Everyone’s a fan of something,’ and that includes young readers,” said Jason Bischoff, Funko Director of Global Licensing. “Funko is the leader in pop culture consumer products, and we’re thrilled to partner with Universal and Random House Children’s Books on this new line of children’s books. Both Universal and Little Golden Books have legacies of excellence, and this series in Funko style brings a new level of fun for everyone.”
“This creative collaboration—truly groundbreaking for the toy and publishing industries—will delight a new generation of fans, combining books, collectibles, and stories that are truly Universal,” said Joe Lawandus, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Toys and Hardlines at Universal Brand Development. “We can’t wait to introduce more iconic NBCUniversal characters through this series.”
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Random House Children’s Books (rhcbooks.com) is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, and nonfiction, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
About Funko
Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources, and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, toys, plush, apparel, board games, housewares, and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters. Learn more at funko.com, and follow us on Twitter (@OriginalFunko) and Instagram (@OriginalFunko).
About Universal Brand Development
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of NBCUniversal’s intellectual properties, franchises, characters, and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development’s core businesses include Consumer Products and Games and Digital Platforms based on the company’s extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. Universal Brand Development is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. universalbranddevelopment.com
