Chronicle Books joins Macmillan Publishers and Drawn & Quarterly as a North American licensee for Moomin, the children’s brand based on the books by Tove Jansson. Chronicle will produce a line of games, stationery and other products for children and adults.
“The art of Tove Jansson represents the very best in children’s illustration,” says Naomi Kirsten, associate editor at Chronicle. “We really value the overall look and aesthetic of what we produce, and we thought pairing [Jansson’s art] with our formats would celebrate the kind of publishing we do and also honor her body of work, which is so rich and dynamic.”
In spring 2012, Chronicle will release products that skew toward young children, including flash cards (to teach about feelings), a matching game to introduce the characters, and wall decals. Later lists, including fall 2012, will also feature products with crossover appeal to older consumers, such as journals and stationery. “The brand is not just for kids,” Kirsten says. “It has a philosophical component that an adult can appreciate. The books are lyrical and deep.”
The 65-year-old property, which originated in Finland and has generated over $1 billion worldwide in retail sales of merchandise, according to the licensor, is being formally offered for licensing in North America for the first time. The brand’s new North American licensing agent, memBrain Licensing, plans to announce partners for apparel, accessories, footwear, gifts, and housewares in 2011. More than 200 licensees around the world currently sell Moomin products.
Macmillan publishes hardcover and paperback editions of the classic Moomin children’s books in North America, through its Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Square Fish imprints, while Canadian publisher Drawn & Quarterly releases comic strip compilations.
Jansson published The Moomins and the Great Flood in 1945, followed by 11 more novels (the last in 1977), picture books, a theatrical play and a comic strip published in the London’s Evening News until 1960. The property, which features a family of hippopotamus-like trolls who live in Moominvalley, has continued to gain global exposure, especially in Europe and Japan, through publishing, television, film, merchandise and a theme park, Moomin World, in Finland.
Jansson debuted The Moomins and the Great Flood in 1945, followed by 11 more novels (the last in 1977), picture books, a theatrical play and a comic strip published in the London’s Evening News until 1960. The property, which features a family of hippopotamus-like trolls who live in Moominvalley, has continued to gain global exposure, especially in Europe and Japan, through publishing, television, film, merchandise and a theme park, Moomin World, in Finland.
In North America, the property is less familiar and more rooted in the books. “If there is a movie, it would be a boon for our program,” Kirsten says. “But that’s not what drew us to the brand. It was really the multilayered, lush world that is Moominvalley. We’re bringing it to all these formats that will resonate through a wide variety of channels. I hope that adults and lovers of literature won’t just come to our products, but will revisit the books and the comic strips.”
