Rest In Play - 2020 - 2029

Penny Sawyer LIEBERMAN, born April 18th, 1941 in Brooklyn, NY, died peacefully in her sleep after a long battle with pancreatic cancer on July 9th, 2022 in New York, NY. Penny is survived by her husba...nd, Jay; her children, Juliet and Matthew Lublin, Erik and Alexis Ekstein, Andrea Lieberman and her husband Vincent Passeri; along with her beloved grandchildren, Jordan, Tyler, Garrett, Evan, Owen, Paloma, Leonardo; and her beloved dog, Bebe. Penny was a toy inventor extraordinaire, responsible for creating Puffy Stickers and The Pillow People, a line of soft pillow dolls developed to help children deal with their fear of the dark. From her linkedin profile: Inventor of the first PILLOW DOLL, a patented design. Creator of the PILLOW PEOPLE that helped kids not be afraid of the dark. Animation, PILLOW PEOPLE SAVES CHRISTMAS syndicated on TV for 10 years. Springs Industries manufactured and distributed and sold over $120million.Show more

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Veteran game designer, engineer, and university professor Mike Sellers has passed away. News of his passing was shared on social media by friends and peers, who described Sellers as someone with a gre...at capacity for kindness and generosity. Sellers began his career as a software engineer, working at companies including Tektronix and Mentor Graphics during the '80s. He eventually began applying his talents to games at New World Designers, where he worked as a lead UI and UX designer on a variety of products including children's games. After that, he went on to establish Archetype Interactive and create massively multiplayer title, Meridian 59. After Archetype was acquired by 3DO, Sellers was snapped up by the studio to continue leading production on Meridian 59 and other game projects. Eventually, Sellers would join Electronic Arts and work on titles such as SimCity Online, The Sims 2, and Ultima Online in his role as a senior game designer. After departing EA in 2002, Sellers became a consultant before having stints at Online Alchemy, Kabam, and Rumble -- accepting leadership roles at all three companies. In his later years, Sellers ventured into the world of academia and most recently served as the director and professor of practice on Indiana University's game design degree program.Show more

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Former Sega of America president and Sony Computer Entertainment America vice president Bernie Stolar has passed away. The news was shared by GamesBeat, which said that Stolar's funeral service to...ok place in Los Angeles over the weekend. Stolar was a prominent figure in the games industry for decades and worked on the original PlayStation while at Sony, helping to launch the popular system while also signing key franchises including Crash Bandicoot, Ridge Racer, and Spyro the Dragon. During his time at Sega, Stolar led development on the Dreamcast and acquired Visual Concepts, which was eventually sold to Take-Two Interactive and used by the publisher to create its 2K label. Later on, Stolar became an advisor and director at in-game advertising company Adscape Media, which would later be purchased by Google. Google then brought Stolar on board as its own games evangelist, helping the influential figure add to his already extensive résumé. Those who knew Stolar have been paying tribute on social media after hearing news of his passing.Show more

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Bob was chief executive of Palitoy from the late 1960s through to the early 1980s and was credited with bringing top brands Action Man, Tiny Tears and Star Wars to the company. It is with great sad...ness that we report the passing of Bob Simpson, who was the chief executive at Palitoy during a golden era for the company. Although he was very much a ‘behind the scenes’ director, leaving Harry Trowell and his sales team take a lot of the limelight, he did a great job working with the American owners and helped to bring numerous top brands to the company, including Action Man, Tiny Tears and Star Wars. The funeral service will be held at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Kirby Muxloe, just outside Leicester on Monday 11th July at 12.30pm. Any former colleagues wishing to attend the service and the wake at the Royal Oak should contact Bobwhitworth@btopenworld.com. We are grateful to former Palitoy chief designer Bob Brechin for providing the following obituary: “Born in 1930, Bob Simpson was a proud Scotsman from Edinburgh. During his National Service he was posted to Leicester and met his future wife. Wanting to be near her, he joined the police force and was able to get a transfer to Leicester. He subsequently joined Cascelloid in its sales department, after which he became the marketing manager of the company’s Palitoy toy brand. In the early 1960s, Cascelloid’s owners BXL decided to sell off the toy division, which began with a move of staff including Bob, his boss Miles Fletcher and the design team under Bill Pugh, to the Coalville site, which had been manufacturing toys since 1937, just two years after the Palitoy name was registered. This was when the Palitoy brand entered the modern world of TV advertising with the introduction of Tressy, Tiny Tears and Action Man. Bob was instrumental in gaining licences for all of these products between 1964 and 1966, as well as the licence for G.I. Joe from Hasbro in the USA. Two years later, with three very strong tv-advertised toy lines, Bob played a big part in the sale of the Palitoy brand to General Mills Inc. After a year or so of American control, Bob became chief executive of Palitoy Limited, overseeing a golden era for the company: Tiny Tears was voted best girls toy for three consecutive years, while Action Man also won many awards, including the Toy of the Decade in 1980. The company developed numerous toy ranges, including Discovery Time, Parker Games and award-winning Pippa. From a modest £300,000 turnover pre-Tressy, Bob would steer the company to £30m by the start of the 1980s. Come the start of that decade, the General Mills Toy Group was beginning its strategy of global branding. This involved directing the Palitoy management to close down licence deals with competitors such as Tomy and Mego, helping to make way for new American-designed ranges such as Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears to join the first global toy brand, Star Wars. Bob decided to depart, taking other senior people with him to set up a new toy importing company, Emblem Toys, in collaboration with David Yeh of Universal Toys of Hong Kong. Shortly afterwards, David Yeh acquired the ailing Matchbox company and persuaded Bob to reverse its fortunes. Having succeeded in doing that, Bob chose to retire from the toy industry. In 2017, Bob unveiled the Leicestershire County Council green plaque on the site of the former Palitoy factory to celebrate 80 years of toy-making in Coalville. He also opened the Many Faces of Palitoy exhibition, held at the former factory in 2019, which commemorated 100 years since Alf Pallett founded Cascelloid in Leicester. Bob should be remembered as the ‘father of Action Man’. There has been much debate about the origins of the name, but in the Coalville Heritage Society interview in 2019, Bob revealed that he briefed the advertising agency, Gee Advertising, and it came up with a long list of names, including ‘Man of Action’. “I like it. But that’s too long to go on the packaging,” was Bob’s opinion – and Action Man was born.” Our condolences to Bob’s family, and friends and colleagues from the toy community.Show more

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The founder and managing director of the specialist educational toy retailer Brightminds, Alison Quill, passed away in April.  Toy World is sad to report the passing of Alison Quill, the founder a...nd managing director of Brightminds, on 1st April after a long illness. Brightminds told Toy World that only the day before her passing, Alison had contributed with her usual vigour and good humour at a board meeting, and that her drive, enthusiasm and knowledge shone through to the very end. The specialist retailer’s official statement read: “Her colleagues will miss those attributes terribly but, above all, they – like us – will miss Alison the person. She was a regular fixture at various toy fairs at home and abroad, well known and respected throughout the industry. This world of ours now has one less genuinely good person.” Alison was a science teacher who left the profession to form Brightminds in 1998. In her own words: “The National Curriculum became like teaching by recipe and I want to set off that spark in childrens’ minds.” Alison was clear from the outset that the key was sourcing educational toys that inspire children to be curious about the world around them. Consequently, every product in the Brightminds range was tested and hand-picked to these guidelines. Alison had been ill for some time and when news of her prognosis became apparent, she embarked upon a handover process as best she could, though her involvement in the day to day business had to be reduced. Her wish, according to her friends and colleagues, was that the company she had given so much to create and build continued to prosper and realise the aspirations of all of its employees, shareholders and loyal customers and suppliers. The running of Brightminds is now being assumed by the remaining directors, led by David Crellin as interim CEO. David says: “We have no greater desire than to carry on fulfilling Alison’s wishes in bringing a little joy and inspiration to the young people of this world. Whilst Alison can never be replaced, we do have the privilege of being given the opportunity to carry on her ethos and legacy. It is a mantle we intend to pursue to the best of our abilities”. Toy World would like to join Alison’s friends and colleagues at Brightminds in sending condolences to her husband, John, and wider family.Show more

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Maureen Hiron (1942–June, 2022) In Maureen's own words from an interview we had with her... I’m Maureen Hiron and I’m thrilled to be inducted into the Games Hall of Fame. I used to be the ...head of the Physical Education department of an Inner London comprehensive school. Then part of that school fell on my head, and at 32 I was pensioned off from teaching. The future looked bleak. But I did have one ace up my sleeve. I was already an expert bridge player, having represented England and Britain at bridge. So I devoted my mental energies to the game. And the thought processes involved penetrated the cloud that enshrouded my brain. Then a medical phenomenon occurred. It appeared that the former dormant areas of my brain had taken over the role of the damaged parts. The result was that I was able to reason with the intuitive mind of a child, yet still retain my acquired knowledge and 156 IQ level. The first manifestation of this came on April Fools Day 1982. I was listening to music by my favourite composer, Bach – when in a lightbulb moment I invented the first of my games. This was Continuo. A game that is a nice blend of skill and luck. That a 5-year-old can play on equal terms with all other ages. That many can play together, yet is also pleasing as a solo patience game. That is understood in seconds and transcends all language barriers. Yes – that’s a lot of claims for one small game, yet it all proved to be true, judging by the millions sold. But Continuo was no One Game wonder for me. I’ve now had over 70 games published, which are sold in over 50 countries. I’ve been asked, “What makes a game successful?” If I had the answer to that, I’d never invent a bummer! But for me, it seems that the quicker I invent a game, the more successful it becomes. Especially if the rules are minimal. Take 7Ate9 (Unter Spannung in Germany and various other names in other countries.) I was helping Irish Bridge International Desmond Deery putting new cards into the bridge duplicate boards, when I had another of those flashes of inspiration. Me and my company HIRON GAMES LTD came to the attention of City of London financiers – maybe because of my high-profiling with the media – I had even been the subject of a BBC TV documentary A WILL TO WIN. In the time-honoured phrase, they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. The idea was that my company would make a reverse take-over of a major UK games company, which had a stock-market listing. My life – written off by my previous employers, had taken a considerable upturn. But tragedy struck again. I was diagnosed with cancer, so my business ambitions (I had reached the semi-finals of the Businesswoman of the Year competition) couldn’t be brought to fruition – I needed to address the problem of kicking this cancer into touch. But even whilst an in-patient at the Royal Marsden Hospital – the world’s first specialist cancer hospital – I continued to invent games, using my fellow patients as play-testers. Including CHIP IN, which my company produced to spearhead the Marsden’s £25 million appeal – under the then presidency of Princess Diana. And I persuaded Brian Hitchen CBE, then editor of the Daily Star, to back the appeal. This he did, in a big way for two months, and often from the front page of the Daily Star. Sadly, Brian and his wife were killed in a car accident in Alicante, Spain. I also involved the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – happily playing CHIP IN with her in her study, whilst members of the Cabinet waited patiently downstairs. I’ve not restricted myself to inventing games. With my late husband Alan we wrote several best-selling books, including The Ultimate Trivia Quiz Game Book, which reached No.2 in the British Bestsellers list. I also worked on a number of TV shows, including Krypton Factor and Fifteen to One. And in 1990 I was voted ‘Londoner of the Year’ in London Electricity’s ‘Brightening Up London’ awards. Sadly, Alan died in 1999, and my idyllic world came crashing down. Alan Hiron was a bridge world champion and was bridge correspondent to The Independent. We were considered to be the perfect partnership – as opposites – for I was as hyper as Alan was laid back. I proof-read Alan’s articles and he play-tested my games. On his death I was appointed Bridge Correspondent to The Independent, and soon added 6 columns per week for the Irish Independent. The music you hear is ‘Forward to Freedom’ – composed in the Matzar genre which I created. I wrote the music – tweaked for the better by Sheyla Bonnick of Boney M. Sheyla wrote the lyrics, with tweaks from me, and the whole is arranged by Sheyla’s Icelandic husband Ingvar Areliusson. And singing it is Sheyla Bonnick – a founder member of Boney M. Just Sheyla – including all harmonies – her voice has gone from strength to strength. During my college days I wrote a children’s operetta, which I called CATS – based on T.S. Eliot’s ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.’ Sounds familiar? But I did it first. Then music went onto the back burner, when I got bitten by the bridge bug, and later the games bug. However… Whilst on a Caribbean cruise in 2011 I met Sheyla Bonnick on MV Braemar. Boney M were the star turn on that cruise, and I was the bridge lecturer. There was immediate empathy between Sheyla and I. Then I brought Boney M over to Spain to perform at my 70th birthday party, which was a roaring success. Having recently renewed my interest in music, I had installed a concert organ, which I was teaching myself to play. Sheyla was impressed by the pieces I’d composed, and in a style she’d never heard before. When Ingvar came to take Sheyla home, she asked me to play those compositions again. Ingvar was also impressed – impressed enough to to suggest Sheyla and I do an album together. And so the album LOOK BEYOND – in the new musical genre of Matzar was created, sung in its entirety by Sheyla Bonnick It transpired that Sheyla was a keen games player, and so became a trustworthy play-tester of my games creations. And I became her business adviser. Boney M – and especially Sheyla Bonnick’s group (all former members formed their own groups) have come back into demand again. Whereas the voices of the others have gone downhill, Sheyla’s has gone from strength to strength. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with her and Ingvar. Especially as, in our breaks, we play-test my new games.Show more

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Andrew Simon Thomas, a prominent figure in the New York City game development scene and creator of several independent games, has passed away following a vehicle collision on June 1. He was 32. Tho...mas' work included arena shooter Shillelagh and balance board-powered rolling game Roll Control. He'd previously worked at Shapeways, designing unique creations for the 3D printing platform. Friends and colleagues on social media are mourning his passing, with some calling him "an amazing and chaotic creative force for good." Others noted his pivotal role in community organizing, referring to him as a great leader. Digital Trends Gaming section lead Giovanni Colantonio (a longtime friend of Thomas) recalled their shared time in a high school punk band. "In that band, he pushed me to think completely different about art and be okay with making people uncomfortable and being totally out there," Colantonio wrote. Heart Machine community and PR lead Yiyi Zhang said that Thomas "had an incredible drive to improve himself, create great art, and uplift others," and called him "a true inspiration and friend." An image promoting the event captured Thomas' creative and anarchic spirit, turning a recently popular internet taunt into a commemorative message. "Andrew always evangelized touching grass as a way to stay grounded and find calm," the image reads.Show more

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Former managing director known as 'Mr Sega' appeared in several classic Dreamcast adverts. Former Sega managing director Hidekazu Yukawa has passed away aged 78. According to Famitsu, the games execut...ive passed away from pneumonia in June 2021, but news of his death has only just been made public. Yukawa took on the role of managing director in 1998, ahead of the release of the Dreamcast in December that year. He was also well known as 'Mr Sega' during his stint on account of his appearance in several comedic adverts promoting the launch of the console. Yukawa also made appearances in several Sega games, including Shenmue, and DLC for Sonic Adventure. Former Sega peers paid tribute to Yukawa on Twitter, including former Sonic Team head Yuji Naka and Sonic voice actor Junichi Kanemaru.Show more

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Wilhelm K. “Bill” Maisch, a longtime fixture on the buying side of the industry died on June 6, 2022. Maisch was known to many for his work as the buyer for the kids’ category at AC Moore in ...addition to his time spent at H. Clay Moore & Associates, and Jacent Strategic Merchandising. Last year, Maisch joined Cra-Z-Art as vice president of new business development. “Bill is a guy that I knew for nearly 20 years — he was a kind, knowledgeable, caring, and passionate merchant that helped me to build my businesses, and help to promote kids’ products,” says Doug Cass, co-founder of Kahootz Toys and specialty sales consultant at PlayMonster. Maisch is survived by his wife Lisa; his brother, Julius; his nieces and nephews, Nicole, Danielle, Leon, Matthew, Savina, Arianna, Valentina, Michael, Samantha, John, Bree, Trinity, and Caiden; his mother in law Theresa; his sister in law Doreen; his brother in law Michael; and his three dogs Max, Jetta, and Zuly.Show more

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Marilyn Feoranzo - With great sadness, we at Beacon Media Group share news of the passing of our friend and colleague, media specialist Marilyn Feoranzo. Marilyn brought passion, skill, and wit to her... tremendous work with clients every day — skillful and astute in her mastery of media planning, and tough in her negotiation and execution of top-performing media buys across the industry. She worked tirelessly to ensure clients got nothing less than the best in media delivery. And she made us laugh every day. Across a career spanning four decades, Marilyn managed hundreds of millions of dollars in media spending with a specialty in network, cable syndication, and radio markets at Bozell Ad Agency, eventually acquired by True North, where she worked on the JCPenney and Bausch & Lomb accounts before moving on to Unilever working on brands including Dove and Lipton Tea. She then moved to the Wyeth Ad Agency, where she worked on over-the-counter and direct-to-consumer brands such as Advil, Centrum, and ChapStick before moving to Beacon Media in New Jersey to focus her specialty on the kids and family market. With Beacon Media, for more than 10 years, she developed and executed TV buying strategies for many of the largest brands in the toy industry, including MGA Entertainment’s L.O.L. Surprise! and many more. Marilyn retired from her duties to focus on health and family in her final year, and while we are tremendously sad that she is gone, her fire, commitment, and example will long be part of our legacy and an approach that helps drive our team to success in the future. Marilyn leaves behind a husband, Bill, and daughters Nicole and Danielle. Rest In Peace, dearest Marilyn. We are eternally grateful to have known you. — The Beacon Media Group TeamShow more

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