Genius Brands

Genius Brands International
Public corporation
Traded as OTCQB: GNUS
Industry Entertainment
Founded November 2013 (2013-11)
Founders Andy Heyward
Key people
Products
  • videos
  • music
  • books
Brands
  • Kid Genius
  • Baby Genius
  • Spacepop
Services Licensing
Owners Andy Heyward
Amy Moynihan Heyward
Divisions Genius Brands Music
Kid Genius Channel
Subsidiaries A Squared Entertainment LLC
Stan Lee Comics LLC (60%)
Website gnusbrands.com

Genius Brands International (GBI) is an entertainment company head by Andy Heyward and his wife, Amy Moynihan Heyward. The company was formed in a merger of Genius Brands International and A Squared Entertainment.

Predecessor companies

A2 Squared Background

A couple of future A Squared Entertainment properties originated at Andy Heyward's previous company, DIC Entertainment. DIC signed a TV series production deal in July 2003 with Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment for Stan Lee's Secret Super Six property.[1] While in 2006, DIC was in development on Secret Millionaires Club with Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett.[2]

A Squared Entertainment

A Squared Entertainment (A2, A Squared) was formed by Heyward and his wife, Amy Moynihan Heyward, in 2009 as an animation company. The company had an initial four show celebrity-inspired cartoon slate to be seen on AOL starting in Q4 2009 with the last starting in 2010. The four shows would then switch from a webisode format of 26 episodes of three-to-five-minute to TV with 13 22-minute shows. The slate then consisted of Secret Millionaires Club, GiGi and The Green Team (working title), Little Martha (working title) and Kosmos. Kosmos was a series to be based on Carl Sagan's life as a famous astronomer.[3] A2's first animated program was Secret Millionaires Club, which features an animated Buffett as a secret mentor to a group of enterprising children. Also, Martha & Friends with Martha Stewart and Gisele & the Green Team with Gisele Bundchen were created and launched by A Square.[4]

In February 2010, A2 partnered with POW! Entertainment and Archie Comics to create the Stan Lee Comics joint venture for the Stan Lee's Super Seven franchise.[5] On December 7, 2010, A Squared in conjunction with AOLkids.com and Gisele Bündchen launched Gisele & The Green Team webseries.[6]

In April 2012, Stan Lee's Mighty 7 was slated to be developed into other media formats via A Squared Elxsi Entertainment LLC (A2E2). A2E2 was a joint-venture between A Squared Entertainment (A2) and Tata Elxsi[7] formed in January 2011 which Elxsi ends in October 2012.[8] Also in 2012, A2 took over Archies' ownership stake in Stan Lee Comics.[9]

By November 2013, A2 had Thomas Edison's Secret Lab in development.[4]

Pacific Entertainment

Pacific Entertainment Corporation was founded by Baby Genius creators Klaus Moeller and Larry Balaban in 2006. In January 2006, Pacific Entertainment purchased the Baby Genius and other lines from Genius Products, Inc. for $3 million. The other lines were Wee Worship preschool brands and Little Tikes music and DVD series production deal. Genius Products retained exclusive U.S. distribution rights for the lines.[10]

GBI licensed Baby Genius in January 2011 to Jakks Pacific's Tollytots division for a musical and early learning toys toy line.[11] At the Toy Fair 2012, Tollytots introduced the line with 20 product.[12]

In December 2011, Pacific Entertainment Corporation changed its name to Genius Brands International, Inc. (GBI).[13] Genuis Brands digitized its Baby Genius book line in July 2013 via conversion deal with Graphicly.[14]

History

Genius Brands International (GBI) was formed in November 2013 from the merger of A2 Entertainment with pre-merger Genius Brands (former Pacific Entertainment) with the Heywards of A2 taking over as top executives. Pre-merged Genius Brands CEO Klaus Moeller moved to vice president of special markets GBI. GBI's board of directors included former California governor Gray Davis and American Greetings Corp. president-COO Jeff Weiss.[4]

Baby Genius subscription Video on demand services was set up online in April 2014.[15] GBI launched Kid Genius children's entertainment VOD channel in October 2015 through Comcast’s Xfinity On Demand. Besides its Baby Genius and other Genius distributed properties, the service included Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? and Dennis the Menace .[16] Debra Pierson was named as general manager for the channel in March 2016.[17]

In June 2014, Genius Brands agreed to license Baby Genius, Secret Millionaires Club and Thomas Edison's Secret Lab to LeapFrog Enterprises for kids learning tablet content.[18] The first few Leap Frog tablet apps from the deal were released in December 2014 with two for both Baby Genius and Secret Millionaires Club.[19]

GBI issued and sold 4.3 million shares of stock and warrants in November 2014 to investors and management at par $1. The working capital raised would be used for brand marketing, new properties acquisition and development and Kid Genius channel. [20]


Penguin Young Readers and author/illustrator Anna Dewdney has agreed for Genius to develop animated content and manage licensing for Llama Llama franchise in February 2016. The products, from apparel to toys, are slated to arrive in 2016.[21]

In February 2016, Genius Brand and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment announced a multi-year marketing and distribution agreement for four existing properties plus three under development. Existing properties under the deal are SpacePop, a new original “Baby Genius” series, “Secret Millionaires Club” and “Stan Lee’s Mighty 7". The new “Baby Genius” series would be relaunched on Amazon.com in September.[22]

The company pair that Sony agreement with another in April 2016. This agreement was with Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings for Genius Brands Music label. the label would have two age focused imprints, for toddlers, Baby Genius, and children-to-tweens, Kid Genius.[23]

Units

Production library

Title Year(s) Type Production
partner(s)		 Distributor Notes
Gisele & The Green Team (2 seasons) 2010-2012 animated series
AOLkids.com
Martha & Friends 2011 AOLkids.com
2012 Animated movie Hallmark Channel Martha's Magnificent Egg[24]
Secret Millionaires Club animated series Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Kids Genius Channel[16]
2014 tablet apps Leap Frog Enterprise
  • Secret Millionaires Club: New Beginnings
  • Secret Millionaires Club: Rhythm and Responsibility
Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab April 2015 animated series
  • Symbiosis Technologies
  • Telegael Teoran[9]
  • GPB
 APT[25]
Kids Genius Channel[16]
SpacePop animated series 2016 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
books Imprint (an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
  • Not Your Average Princesses (July 2016) written by Erin Downing and illustrated by Jen Bartel
  • Rocking the Resistance (January 2017)[26]
Baby Genius animated series Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Llama Llama[21] NCircle Entertainment[27]
merchandising Kids Preferred (toy)[27]

References

  1. ↑ Rick DeMott, Rick DeMott (July 18, 2003). "POW! Stan Lee Reloaded". AWN Profile. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ball, Ryan (February 8, 2006). "DIC, Buffett Form Millionaire's Club". Animation Magazine.net. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  3. ↑ Castleman, Lana (July 24, 2009). "Heyward returns to toons with AOL deal in tow". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Bond, Paul (November 15, 2013). "Genius Brands Merges With Andy Heyward's A Squared Entertainment". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  5. 1 2 Truitt, Brian (2010-02-22). "Meet Stan Lee's newest super-team, 'Super Seven'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  6. 1 2 Neigher, Julie (December 12, 2010). "Gisele Bündchen talks about modeling, her family and 'Gisele & the Green Team'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  7. ↑ Rusak, Gary (April 2, 2012). "A2E2 to develop Stan Lee and the Mighty 7". kidscreen.com. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Tata Elxsi calls off joint venture with A Squared Entertainment LLC, USA". Live Mint.com. October 9, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "FORM 10-K: Annual Report December 31, 2015" (PDF). stockpr.com. Genius Brands International. p. F13-F14. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  10. ↑ Baisley, Sarah (January 20, 2006). "Genius Products Sells Baby Genius Back to Creators". Animation World Network. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Jakks Signs Deal with Baby Genius". License! Magazine. UBM Advanstar. January 13, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Baby Genius Toys Debut at Toy Fair". License! Magazine. UBM Advanstar. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Pacific Entertainment Corporation Changes Name and Ticker" (Press release). Reuters. GLOBE NEWSWIRE. December 6, 2011. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  14. ↑ Dickson, Jeremy (July 30, 2013). "Genius Brands goes deeper into digital world". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  15. ↑ Goldman Getzler, Wendy (April 8, 2014). "Baby Genius grows into own streaming service". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 Hansen, Darah (October 8, 2015). "Kid Genius channel launches on Xfinity on demand". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. StreamDaily. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  17. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (March 28, 2016). "Debra Pierson Appointed GM of Kid Genius Channel". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  18. ↑ Fisher, Daniela (June 5, 2014). "Genius Brands bounds onto LeapPads, launches distribution division". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  19. ↑ Fisher, Daniela (December 5, 2014). "Baby Genius, Secret Millionaires jump onto LeapPads". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  20. ↑ Dickson, Jeremy (October 30, 2015). "Genius Brands International to sell US$4.3 million in stock". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  21. 1 2 Milligan, Mercedes (February 19, 2015). "Genius Brands Animating 'Llama Llama'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  22. ↑ McNary, Dave (February 22, 2016). "Sony, Genius Brands Set Home Entertainment Distribution Pact". Variety. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  23. ↑ Christman, Ed (April 18, 2016). "Genius Brands Teams with Sony Music, Legacy to Launch Kids Label". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  24. ↑ Ng, Philiana (April 4, 2012). "Martha Stewart's 'Martha & Friends' Gets Ready for Easter". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  25. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (October 7, 2014). "'Thomas Edison's Secret Lab' To Debut in 2015". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  26. ↑ Wolfe, Jennifer (January 14, 2016). "GBI to Debut 'Spacepop' in Summer 2016". Animation World Network. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  27. 1 2 Milligan, Mercedes (July 30, 2015). "NCircle to Bring 'Llama Llama' Home". Animation Magazine.
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