Pete, Tim, Lucas and Kev – what an honour! You’ve dedicated your careers to invention, so tell me: why is innovation in toys important?
Tim Rowe: Every year, retailers need to see new stuff and that’s what drives the invention. If it’s an invention, if it’s something proprietary, something that’s never been seen before, it’s an easier story for them to sell.

Pete Cartlidge: It’s like fast moving consumer goods. If you named lots of really successful toys, they’re all great inventions. Within our careers, we’ve patented quite a few things and they’ve been really successful.

Tim: That’s a sign of a good invention, if it’s patentable…

Pete: Which is not to say everything has to be patentable! If it is, though, it’s more protectable in the marketplace. But it can cost a lot of money. You have to be sure.

Tim: Something that’s going to stick around is worth patenting.

Kevin Gillon: Kids want toys they can play with over and over, and parents love toys that keep their kids engaged. Innovation usually means a great play pattern –something kids can repeat over and over. That’s what makes a toy last.

Speaking of sticking around, you’re approaching 25 years at Fuse… What drew you all to the toy industry?
Lucas Tyler: I was drawn to the industry after working in the consumer products industry. My first job was designing kitchen products and I did a year at that place and I was miserable because it was so boring. I went to Chris Taylor, who was the owner of Origin… He’d originally offered me a job I said to him, “Do you remember me? Could I please come and work for you?” And he was very gracious and said, “Yes!” It was like a breath of fresh air – and it’s still fun.

Pete: I just came straight from college. I’d done an undergrad degree at Leeds, the same course that Tim did, and then I did a master’s… I was looking for a design job. I always loved toys, collected toys and – even at that age – was still playing with toys. So when I saw an ad for a designer at a toy company, I applied straight away.

Kev: After a summer of applying for industrial design jobs in London, I spotted a tiny ad in Design Week. Origin Products was looking for a freelance model maker to work on toy prototypes. I didn’t know anything about toy inventing, but after the interview, I thought, “This is perfect – I love model making.” A couple of weeks later, I heard back from Origin and another design company offering me jobs. Choosing the toy company was easy – it looked like an amazing opportunity.

Lucas: I think we have good ‘dinner party jobs’! The question of what everybody does goes around and – when it gets to me and I say, “I’m a toy inventor” the room normally goes, “Oh my God – wow!”

Pete: Yes! If you tell someone you’re a toy inventor, it seems to light up everyone’s imagination a little bit…

Tim: Most people have great memories of toys as kids, don’t they? So it just reminds them of that, I think.

Definitely! So how did you all end up at Fuse?
Tim: Pete, Lucas and I all met at Origin, then we formed Evolve… Then we ‘fused’ with Kev.

You had your own company, Kev?
Kev: Yes, I’d started my own company, Play On Design, after Origin sold the Polly Pocket brand to Mattel. Within two years, we were licensing toys to Mattel brands like Polly Pocket, Disney Princess and Hot Wheels. I had a small team of five and was looking to grow. David Edey – a friend and consultant I’d worked with at Origin, Polly Pocket Group, and Play On – suggested I meet the Evolve guys…

I already knew them from Origin, and both our companies were working with similar toy firms and licensing to big names like Mattel and Hasbro. The difference was in our strengths: I focused on doll brands like Polly Pocket and Disney Princess, while Evolve had huge success with action and wheels brands. We met, hit it off, and decided to join forces. The rest is history.

Lucas: We were basically all colleagues at Origin, we were all designers, but Tim, Pete and I were the only ones that didn’t work on Polly Pocket.

Pete: Chris told us that Origin used to invent and licence IP and that’s when we really thought we’d be an inventing and licensing business. I was intrigued about the whole process of licensing inventions, and was kind of already going down that path of meeting the clients, showing stuff, then feeding back to Lucas and Tim.

Ah, so tell me more about this switch from designing to inventing…
Kev: At Origin, we were already coming up with inventions and working closely with Mattel to get the best products into the Polly line. I was just doing it for someone else.

Tim: I guess the difference is that good design-work tells a great story or play pattern in a toy… When a toy company sees a cool invention, though, they get super excited about it with the possibilities to advertise and sell something unique to their customers.

Lucas: It took us a little while to get our heads around it. It was our natural strengths which really dictated our roles.

Because you’re all creative in different ways?
Pete: Exactly. Each of us is creative and each had their own particular area of expertise… When we started licensing concepts, we had people that we could go to to execute ideas or briefs. They were all designers, not really inventors. That’s really what we ended up doing. We became inventors, and then we turned other people into inventors, and they had successful careers.

What a great legacy! Speaking of, what else would you add?
Kev: One standout moment was an invention we licensed that became a huge success… Mattel challenged us to find an easy way to dress small dolls. I worked with Mark Buckley, a designer I’d known since Origin. It was tough because adding mechanisms or special materials adds cost, and it had to be simple enough for a three-year-old. One prototype that stood out was a plastic dress split down the middle. Pinch the base, it opens like a clothes peg, drop the doll in, and it closes—super simple! Mattel turned it into the MagiClip line, which sold millions of dolls for many years. Doing that so early at Fuse proved how important collaboration and partnerships are.

Pete: Most toys last about three years, don’t they? That was what we were always kind of told…

Tim: If you can get three years out of your invention, that’s a good run.

Pete: But we’re lucky with Gravity Maze, that’s at 12 years now. Kumi is eight years. Total Action Football is over 20 years.

And what about outside your products?
Pete: The annual beermat-flipping competition at Spielwarenmesse is one for me. It started with just a few of us playing a game where you stack the coasters up and then you flip them and catch them in one motion without them hitting the floor. The next year, we met again and we played to win an engraved silver coaster. That was it. Every year more and more people gathered.

Lucas: And then you got the beer mats printed! The word got around… It’s a bigger event now, isn’t it? It takes over a whole venue.

Oh wow!
Lucas: We also did our stint on The Apprentice – Fuse was featured on the show. I don’t know if that’s a legacy, but it was certainly an experience.

Tim: Tommy the Talking Turtle. I’ll never forget that. Ha!

Lucas: It’s the only all-nighter I’ve ever done for Evolve or Fuse. The producers said they wanted this fully working, electronic prototype delivered to The Apprentice house at seven the next morning! So we built it overnight and delivered it. When I sat down with my family to watch the episode on TV, I believe I was on screen for about four seconds. Ha! But it was a really fun experience.

It certainly sounds it!
Lucas: And then the buildings. That’s kind of a little behind the scenes, isn’t it? The property stuff that we have that, when – if – we stop designing toys, the properties will keep paying the rent for us!

Pete: And then, obviously the people that have left us who have gone on to continue in the business…

Lucas: We’ve employed and trained people that have worked at Disney, Lego and Warner Bros. Others have gone to rival invention houses or set up their own companies. What’s nice is that people have come in completely fresh – their first experience of the toy industry is at Fuse. And then they’ve continued their careers elsewhere.

Kev: I hope everyone who worked at Fuse enjoyed their time here. We’ve always tried to make it a fun, inspiring place where you learn fast. Some of our team members go on to start their own toy invention businesses or join big toy companies in the UK and beyond. There aren’t any toy invention courses in the UK, so people learn how to invent at Fuse and take those skills with them. We support anyone who wants to move on and start their own thing. Hopefully, as their businesses grow, they’ll use what they learned here.

Amazing! And if I remember correctly, you were involved in the making of the first I.D.I.O.T Award… Am I right?
Tim: Ha! Yes! When I started at Origin, Chris Taylor had me make some badges for this ‘I.D.I.O.T Award’… I had absolutely no idea what it was. I handmade these badges for the Inventor Dinners and saw the I.D.I.O.T Awards being handed out for the first time. But the new ones they’ve made are cool cast metal which look really great. I had to apologise for the state of the ones that everyone had been getting for years because they were made by me!

Kev: Ha! I remember the awards being made in the studio before I’d even been to the Toy Inventors Dinner. Someone always seemed to lose one and need a replacement just before the event!

Gosh, so it must’ve been a bit of a strange, full-circle moment when Fuse won the award?
Tim: It’s weird to think back. We used to think the recipients were old when they were getting their awards for being in the industry for so long and for doing, obviously, good work. It’s kind of strange to think we’ve got to that age where we were applauded for our work – but it’s very touching.

Lucas: When we would go to the big toy company events at the start of our careers in the industry, I’d walk into those rooms full of people and I didn’t know anyone. I’d just stand there a little bit in awe at the Inventors Dinner… You’d see all these people with medals – and now I walk into these events; I know everyone and they’re all friends and people I’ve known for years. But when we won, Kev and I were in L.A. when and I was gutted. I didn’t for a minute think we’d be recipients – but it was nice that four of us were honoured.

Well, I know Simon Skelton introduced the award and the two of you – Pete, Tim – said a few words collecting it. Will transcribe that down the bottom here… In the meanwhile, what does the I.D.I.O.T Award mean to you all individually and professionally?
Lucas: Because it’s peer related within our niche industry, it is a real acknowledgement, because I think sometimes we still don’t appreciate how well known and how well regarded we are as a company and as a group.

Tim: I think, like you say, the fact it’s voted for by your peers means a lot.

Pete: It’s affirmation that you’re actually good at what you do. We spend a lot of time bigging ourselves up on our ideas so that external validation is nice.

Lucas: We spend so much time chasing the money, don’t we? Trying to make sure that we can pay the bills. But the I.D.I.O.T. Award isn’t a financial thing. It’s about your reputation and your achievements: the products and the relationships we’ve built.

Pete: Tim, I think you said it was the biggest achievement last year?

Tim: It was for me, it stood out. It was the most proud moment last year.

Pete: It will mean more than financial stuff when we put our feet up!

Kev: It’s always great to get recognition, and I love that the four of us received it together. I’ve been in the toy industry for 30 years and worked with Tim, Lucas, and Pete for most of that time.

To wrap it up, then, what’s your proudest achievement?
Pete: That’s easy, It’s having a career with these guys. Our friendship has sustained through all of it. We’re still mates and still have a great time. We managed to make a business out of it.

Tim: David Edey always says that we make our decisions by committee. We make decisions together – and that seems to have worked.

Lucas: I think that we’ve supported each other through lots of stuff – not only work wise, but also our own personal stuff. We were able to give each other time and support. That’s immeasurable, really.

Pete: Yes, the trust in each other is just rock solid, so it’s great to get all these awards… But, at the end of the day, we just keep turning up and doing this because we’re all there to support each other and because it still excites us.

Fantastic! Thank you so much for making time to talk. Will end on that transcription from the night you picked up the award…

2025 I.D.I.O.T. Award

Simon Skelton: The essence of development is to evolve, to unfold and to adapt… And the recipients of this year’s I.D.I.O.T. Award have always adapted to a changing environment. Whether that environment is being in the desert on a motorbike or when following the ups and downs of their favourite football teams – which happen to be both Leeds and West Ham! They are known as the voice of reason… And a very good chef!

They are a singer, a passionate pool player, commercially minded and financially astute… Apart from the time they actually lost a Tesla! And our winner was once employed in a financial role because they had neat handwriting! When they were young, they had a passion for architecture, and it’s rumoured they once did a course in bricklaying. They are the one that sings. They are the stylish one. The vodka-drinking, crazy-eyed one, the one who rides horses and runs marathons…

And the one who, believe it or not, turned down the very first job in the toy industry, only to return a year later and flip that rather dull job for the toy industry. job flipping beer mats. They are the prince of magical fashion, the master of the BatTech Batcave, the genius inside the Gravity Maze and the brains behind the Fisher-Price Sit-to-Stand playset. This year’s winners of the I.D.I.O.T. Award are the fab four from Fuse. Please show your appreciation for Pete Cartlidge, Kevin Gillon, Tim Rowe and Lucas Tyler.

Pete Cartlidge: Wow. I’m very rarely speechless, but I think tonight I am. Thank you so much. Thank you to the committee. Thanks to all the invited guests…

This event has always been very close to my heart; very close to Fuse’s heart as well. When we started our career in the industry, we knew that Chris Taylor had been arranging and participating in this dinner for many years. Chris had been part of the heritage of not only Origin and the wider UK toy industry, but also globally…

So this event was a great introduction for me when I started my career, because Chris said, “When you take over, I think you should get involved, meet some people. It’s a great way to get to know the industry.” And it really was!

A bit daunting to help arrange an event of this magnitude, with this calibre of people and professional talent here… But it was one that I embraced with the help of Mary Danby and everybody on the committee who was so passionate about this event. As everybody knows, every year is such a great event. We always have a lot of fun…

So, yes… I was welcomed with open arms and for my first few events. I think the first one was at the Savoy Theatre and that was a great event, but every single one, even though it follows the same blueprint, is always fantastically attended and richly enjoyed… The I.D.I.O.T.s are very warmly and passionately celebrated. And anybody who’s got one of these medals will know what that means!

That’s because it’s a unique club, but I think everybody here is in this club in a way; everybody in this room is part of a fantastic community through good times and bad times, hard times and very successful times. I think we’re all here because we just are passionate about toys and games. We love what we do…

We love spending time with each other and sharing our stories, successes, tribulations, etc. And we’ve enjoyed that for many years. And we very much will continue to do so. So I think on behalf of myself, Tim – Tim’s hasn’t got a word in edgewise, but that’s kind of like the way it is at Fuse – sorry about that, Tim! Anything you want to say, Tim?!

Tim Rowe: Well, thanks for that, Pete. “Rarely speechless” he says! I’ve just got one thing to say, actually… When I started at Origin, the first thing Chris Taylor asked me to do was make some I.D.I.O.T. Awards! “Tim, could you make some I.D.I.O.T. Awards for us?” “What the hell are I.D.I.O.T. Awards?!” Ha!

So yes, I made the old ones; cast them off… So I have to just apologise to those of you that have got the ones I made in about 1996! But maybe they’ll become a collector’s item. You know, I don’t deserve this beautiful metal one which just looks amazing… So thank you.

Pete: And I think just one final thing on behalf of Kev and Lucas who are in L.A., showing toys and pitching game ideas. These medals are accepted on behalf of the four of us. We’re very, very grateful. And I think the other thing I would say is that there are four of us, but Fuse and Evolve have employed very many talented staff over the years. It’s been a privilege to watch their careers grow and develop. So we’d also like to accept the award on behalf of all our staff over the many years.

So! Have a good night; thanks ever so much again. And we’ll see you next year. We’ll enjoy seeing you over the next couple of Toy Fairs. Thanks very much, everyone.

–

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Born in Hackney East London.

Did an Engineering apprenticeship at Hammond and Champness Lift makers.

Chris actually wanted to be a rock star and he played in a band but needed a proper job.

Worked as a design engineer at Torvac designing electron beam welders.

Took a career change in 1974, sold his house in Cambridge and became a student.

Attended Central School of Art and Design in London 1974 studying Industrial Design.

Graduated with First Class Honours in 1977.

He set up Christpher Wiggs Design in a premises he had bought in Battersea while still at college.

He got involved with manufacturing unique styled Japanese soaking bath tubs amongst other designs.

In 1980 he partnered with Chris Taylor whom he had met at Central.
They started Taylor Wiggs Industrial Design.

They also started Formech Limited, design, build and sales of manual vacuum forming machines.

Rather poetically one of the Formech machines is now used in the workshop at Central School!

They then formed Origin Products Limited making plastic briefcases, winning the Crucible of Creativity Award at the Birmingham Gift Fair in 1981 (Seriously!)

Realising that hourly paid work would not fund the indulgent lifestyle they had planned, they started inventing and licensing toys.

They were joined by Brian Whitehead, a Central School Alumni.

Early success in toys was by partnering with Tom Kremer at Seven Towns till the Mid 1980s, licensing The Orb by Waddington’s and Parker Brothers which Origin helped manufacture in the Uk and Rubiks Clock which Chris designed and Manta Force with Bluebird.

They worked closely with Larry Mass originally at Art Taylor’s office in New York, then Larry started Seven Towns in the US.

The Orb was launched in 1983 and now bought back by Hasbro as Atomix 40 years later!

Origin then licensed a number of products to Bluebird and Peter Pan Playthings, developing some of the first products to be digitised by pantograph from pattern accurate models made by the skilled gnomes and elves at Origin. Hard to believe there was no internet and no 3D printing.

The first was Manta Force that ran for six years, then Zero Hour, Oh Penny and most famously of all Polly Pocket.

Chris made the first compact with clothes peg on the back and with a tiny one piece carved wooden doll inside for his daughter Kate after being given a huge metal badge by Dave Berko at Amtoy during a Toy fair in New York, the label read Cute as a Button.

Kate played with it for years then during a clear out gave it back to Chris.
It was shown to Torquil Norman at Bluebird who asked if the doll could articulate at the waist, which Brian swiftly prototyped.

Chris drew a series of interlocking compacts, and the concept was licensed to Bluebird then on to Mattel and Bandai.

It became the go to birthday party gift and is still loved by children the world over. Polly Pocket then influenced an enormous range of Licensed Miniature toys from Bluebird such as Disney’s Tiny Collection, Marvel, Batman, etc.

Chris probably designed and drew at least a thousand toys in his career, he was prolific, a wonderful artist and illustrator, a very good modelmaker and a fine engineer.

With an experienced team at Origin, who later went on to form the toy inventing company Fuse, Chris was able to spend more time indulging his musical roots and he built a full music studio at home and even became the manager and roadie for his son Ben’s band.

Chris also designed a unique hybrid Motorcycle come scooter and researched manufacturing it in the UK. In fact, many of today’s motorcycles look very like the concept Chris pioneered.

Chris bought a plot of land in Berkhamsted and build a unique home, with an enormous workshop and recording studio, a workshop with rooms as it was known.

Origin was sold to Mattel in 2007 and Chris then travelled the world, much of it on his bicycle before deciding to live in Eze in the South if France where he had a full workshop and a recording studio in the building.

Chris’s music lives at Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/h1hbc5a1Lg2h8YmP7

Chris is survived by his wife Carolyn, children Kate and Ben and 5 grandchildren.

–

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Simon Birchenough, John Stewart, Harry Thomson and Pierre Sourdive… Four I.D.I.O.T. winners on one page, Deej? Couldn’t find them?
No, I found them; just couldn’t persuade them! To be fair, Harry was just incredibly modest. Not only could he not bring himself to do an interview, but he was also mortified at the idea that we could get someone else to speak about his career!

So you’re not going to talk about him?
No – but he did give us a charming statement. Suffice to say Harry’s worked in the industry since 1980. He’s generated millions of sales through the products he’s licensed – and is very quick to give the credit to others.

Alright. You’re giving me the wide eye as if to say don’t ask any more than that…
That’s exactly right – I’m quite impressed, Bill… It’s not like you to take a hint. Ha! The only thing I’ll add is that Harry got his I.D.I.O.T. Award in 2004 at The Staple Inn. It’s an extraordinary Jacobean building in Holborn; looks like a jar of Everton mints…

Everton mints? If anyone knows what you’re talking about, should they write in?
You don’t know what an Everton Mint is?

No one knows what an Everton mint is!
Ha! Right, well… They’re mints that look like the Staple Inn! After the old Everton FC kit… Black and white stripes. No?! Everton Mints! I’ll put a photo in!

Can’t wait. Alright. Let’s put the statement in here…
I’ll just read it out… Harry said:

“I was genuinely surprised when I received the I.D.I.O.T. Award. It’s very nice to be recognised personally for your work. I do need to emphasise, though, that it’s teamwork that creates – then successfully gets to market – most of the best ideas.

My friends and colleagues, especially John and Shaun at Pape Woodward, with whom I’ve worked for over 40 years, equally deserve to share the award. 2025 marks my 50th year in the toy industry. At the last Inventors Dinner, it was great to see lots of new younger faces. The future of toy inventing lies with them now.”

Amazing! Nice guy!
Lovely guy!

Alright… Simon Birchenough and John Stewart. I used to speak with John when he worked with the BTHA – he was very passionate about helping new inventors.
That I can believe. He and Simon – as you know – were the founder partners of Worlds Apart. That was in 1983, but they met at design college in the 1970s. Over the next 35 years, they fostered a culture of innovation and design within the business – and the industry…

And Worlds Apart was acquired by Moose Toys in 2018…
Quite. And I’m told they were both delighted to visit recently and see how Moose – in John’s words – “turbocharged that innovative culture, is expanding the team and continuing to create award-winning products.” Generous words – as often seems to be the case in this industry; almost everyone is quite lovely! And I’m sure that’s what people would say about Simon and John if I asked for contributions.

You’re not going to?
No… Again, I sense they’re not crazy about people talking about them! Too modest, maybe. What I will say is that they won their I.D.I.O.T. Awards in 2013. That was at the British Medical Association… According to Mary Danby, they were given them because, “they were unfailingly supportive of inventors and always made time to encourage innovation and consider submissions of all kinds.”

Perfect. And finally, then… Pierre Sourdive… Where is Pierre?
Pierre Sourdive has achieved his life’s ambition! He’s an actor, living and working in Paris. I’m quite pleased for him, actually.

But he didn’t want to do an interview?
One must assume not… I emailed. I wrote. I phoned. I texted. I was this close to disguising myself as a gin-soaked sop and stalking the theatres of Paris!

Ha!
But then one of his former colleagues said something like: “If I know Pierre, he won’t want to be found…” So pain me though it did, I thought better of it.

Got it. Which is why we’ve got this list of – what should we call them? Testimonials?
Testimonials, yes… Tributes, maybe. I asked a few people that have worked with Pierre to say what they thought of him. And I tracked down a picture of him – but then I felt a bit uneasy about using it. I don’t think the man’s spoken to anyone in the industry for a couple of decades, so we’ll use an artist’s impression of him rather than his actual image.

And what did the publicity-shy Pierre actually do?
I believe he was best known as the marketing wizard at General Mills Miro-Meccano and – later – Ideal Loisir. Very good with TV commercials by all accounts – something of a guru at the time.

Alright… Let’s wrap this up with one quick question: when and where did Pierre win his I.D.I.O.T.?
You know, there’s a little uncertainty about that! Liz Moody has done a fair amount of research on the dates and locations, but the record keeping was a bit wobbly back then…

It’s an earlier one, then?
Yes. We think he got it in 1998 when Mike Myers got his second award… You’ll remember Mike won a mini one first! Either way, we’re pretty sure it was at The Copthorne Tara Hotel. Ordinarily, I’d give you a little tidbit about the location, Bill, but that hotel is conspicuously inconspicuous as an Inventor Dinner venue. All I can say is that it’s lovely and it’s very close to Olympia!

Ha! Alright! Thank you, Deej. And we’ll just go straight to the testimonials… Here’s what people said about Pierre Sourdive…

“Pierre had a particular openness to new ideas. During discussions, he could move from the world of toys to the theatre while wandering through books or the cinema, twirling from one to the other in the same sentence or the same minute… Always without stopping; restless, vibrating without ever showing off, thinking first of others. Above all, he wanted to convey lightness in an incessant flow of words and happiness.”
Bernard Farkas

“For me, Pierre has been a tremendous example of what a marketing genius is. He was always forward thinking on what we should be doing in order to advertise and promote the products sold by Ideal Loisirs…

I still have in my mind his idea of going to the toy fair in Paris with just a shopping cart full of catalogues and distributing them on site! Great! Also, being by the side of Bernard Farkas, they made an amazing scouting and sourcing team… They truly brought the best toys to France and then Europe.”
Laurent Taieb

“Pierre was a gem! He was funny and droll – a real character. I remember that he really wanted to be an actor… And that he always ordered his desert first, then had the main course afterwards!”
Chris Taylor

“I have known Pierre since 1976 or ’77 when I hired him to be the advertising manager at General Mills Miro-Meccano operation in France. TV advertising was beginning to be allowed in a limited way on French channels. He was very knowledgeable in film production and produced some excellent TV spots as the US material was inappropriate for French viewers.

The limits imposed by the French government meant TV advertising had to be very impactful for the restricted frequency of spots permitted. On the other hand, there was not so much limitation on content, so more freedom for creativity was possible.

A notable case was Kenner’s ‘Smash Up Derby’ toy. Pierre created a TV spot filmed in slow motion between two classic French cars renamed ‘Les Cascadeurs’. We sold a million units!

Pierre stayed with Miro Meccano after I had left – but I briefly joined him at Ideal-Loisirs and Majorette. There, he had created a dynamo of creative toys for the French market based on, at that time, the smaller US companies.

Pierre was always creative and positive with new ideas. He embraced them, perhaps even at times when they were not so great – but we all tend to do that. He was always a pleasure to work with. He often mentioned that his real love was for acting in theatre or films. Those were also his words to me after we’d both left Ideal-Loisirs in 1998.”
Mike Bucher

“Pierre Sourdive is a one off! He has an amazing sensor of humour, was a great guy to work with and was outstanding company. He loved toys and the toy business and was as knowledgeable about toys as anyone in the industry…

Despite his love and knowledge of the toy industry, Pierre made the surprising decision to walk away from one of his loves. He also enjoyed holidaying in deserts and living on street food many years before it became fashionable. A lovely man.”
Roger Dyson

“I loved working with Pierre – he is very smart and creative. I remember he once flew from Paris to NY and back in a day just to look at a new product line my team at Matchbox USA were working on. He was a really great product guy and a super-nice individual.”
John Barbour

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So Deej – here we are again! We’re discussing another I.D.I.O.T. winner that’s not yet done an interview: David Fear. But it’s not that we can’t find him?
No, quite so. I’ve been in touch with David. He hopes to do an interview at some point – just not now… But of course, we do want something on the site in time for the Inventors Dinner’s 40th anniversary…

Perfect. To give people a sense of what David Fear is all about, what’s he like?
Interesting place to start! You know, I quite like something Pete Kellond said about David… That – when it came to toy invention – David was the most passionate man he’d met. They worked together at Hasbro where David would smoke his pipe thoughtfully throughout every meeting. Worth remembering, Bill, that people used to be able to smoke at work… Pipes, cigarettes, cigars… Kippers sometimes!

Ha! These are creative people!
Pete describes David as a “quiet gentleman” but says his whole demeanour would change when he saw a toy he liked! He’d laugh and get tremendously excited. Consequently, he’d fight hard to keep items he liked. He’d also get very passionate if it looked like an item was going to be dropped for a disagreeable reason… A lack of attention, or something that didn’t make sense. And, interestingly, Ben Rathbone also used the word “gentleman” to describe David – adding that he has a great sense of humour.

Ben Rathbone worked with him at Hasbro?
Right! Apparently, David introduced Ben to “the wonderful world of Inventor Relations”. Ben says he still looks back at that time “with many fond memories of working with some of the greatest inventors of the time.” In fact, he goes a bit further than that… Ben credits David with teaching him how to be a great partner to the inventor community and how to be their advocates to the company they represented. So David was clearly a huge influence on Ben.

So David was at Hasbro with Pete and Ben – both fellow I.D.I.O.T. Award winners, so people can read interviews with them here and here… Where else did David work?
He was also at Bluebird and Tinker Toys. Perhaps most memorably, though, he was a product manager at Pedigree Dolls and Toys back in the sixties and seventies. Now, dolls are very much not my area, Bill, nor yours… And I don’t think Adam Butler has much to say about them either! That being the case, I’m going to draw on some of David’s friends and other resources to discuss this! First, an interview that David did a number of years ago in 12S magazine…

12S? What is that?
12S was a Sindy fanzine. 12S stands, I believe, for the size of the doll and its name: 12 inches; S for Sindy. And 12S, issue six, written and edited by Thom and Hilary Sewell in 2002, had a really in-depth interview with David Fear. I’m delighted to say Hilary’s given us permission to reproduce the article – it’s absolute gold! You can read see it in full here.

And actually, their headline was ‘Without Fear’ which is wonderfully ironic! But this is relevant because David contributed immeasurably to the development of Sindy. Sindy – for the benefit of younger and overseas readers— was the British Barbie. Or rather, she wasn’t! So for this, we need to go to the early 1960s when Lines Brothers was still a huge force in the toy industry…

That was one of the parent companies of Pedigree Dolls and Toys… Tri-ang Toys?
Right – John Reynolds talks about this in his I.D.I.O.T. interview here. As well as dolls, Lines Brothers made pushchairs, prams, rocking horses, go-karts… They owned Scalextric, Dinky Toys, Hornby, Meccano… Huge brands! They also owned the London toy shop Hamleys for a time.

I know Lines Brothers was run by three brothers in the Lines family – and that’s how Tri-ang got its name… Three Lines made a triangle.
Absolutely right! And in the early sixties, one of the directors – Alan Cathcart –was offered Barbie for the UK… But they had cold feet about it. So instead of jumping all in, they did some market research, which was unusual at the time…

What it showed was that English girls didn’t care for Barbie. They liked the idea of a fashion doll, but not what David described as the frilly, “full-busted, sugar-and-spice” Barbie. She was too American, basically. British girls couldn’t relate to her. So Pedigree set about designing a doll that would appeal to the UK market – one with what you might call a girl-next-door look.

More wholesome?
More wholesome, less severe; a larger, rounder face… And these wide, sideways-glancing eyes. It’s those – this is my opinion, not David’s – that made her look much younger and less confident than Barbie. And in relation to the rest of the Pedigree line, the eyes were somewhat radical because I believe they were their first eyes that didn’t automatically close when you laid the doll down…

Sleepy eyes…
…so Sindy was distinctly different. Also, her scale was important because although teenage dolls were popular in the 1950s, they were usually much bigger… Somewhere between 15 and 20 inches. Just as critically, they didn’t have fashion outfits that you collected, mixed and matched – and Sindy’s clothes were based on fashions of the day. That made her very relatable: little girls saw their big sisters and other teenagers wearing similar outfits. So Pedigree really nailed that and the accessories.

When did Sindy launch, Deej? And was David part of that?
He was a HUGE part of that; he co-ordinated the actual launch. And Sindy launched on September 6th, 1963. It didn’t go particularly smoothly, though… Not least of all because there wasn’t enough budget for Pedigree to launch nationally. Instead, they concentrated on the London area. Even then, sales of other fashion dolls had dropped off tremendously – so retailers were overstocked with old product. That made them a little gun-shy. But on that, I’ll just mention something interesting that formed part of the launch! Pedigree sent retailers a promotional record, a 45rpm gramophone, to introduce Sindy.

Wait a second – like a vinyl record? With music?
Well, yes and no – a vinyl record, yes… But the content was the jingle from the TV ad intercut with a chap speaking with a cut-glass English accent; received pronunciation. So for a little over four-minutes, it promotes and explains the Sindy range. We should put in a link to Our Sindy Museum here because they have the recording – it’s quite extraordinary. Actually, maybe we can transcribe it as well… Put that down the bottom. That being the case, I’ll just say that the TV jingle was produced by a now-dissolved company called Charles Hobson and Grey.

Okay, so the launch didn’t go well. At what point did things turn around?
The interesting thing here is how David explained Sindy’s TV adverts. Granted, they were limited to the London area… But, until then, it’d been customary for Lines Brothers to take 15-minute TV segments. They then showed the company’s whole new range in one go! But Sindy was advertised, as David put it, “like soap powder”. So the ads were short, frequent and focused.

And arguably, that worked rather too well! Despite retailer indifference, Sindy was a hit with the public almost immediately. In Colette Mansell’s book, The History of Sindy, the author says that – during the last three months of 1963, Pedigree delivered 200,000 Sindy dolls. The Daily Mail reported that it was the biggest selling toy that Christmas. But retailers were caught off guard – and the demand on David and the rest of the team was huge. They really struggled to keep up.

Wow…
So in next to no time, Pedigree found themselves with a hit. They quickly expanded the universe with an accessory range called Scenesetters – the name David gave it. Also, one of Sindy’s friends was called Poppet after the nickname of one of David’s girlfriends… Because by 1967, Sindy’s boyfriend – Paul – and little sister, Patch, had been added to the range, followed by Mitzi, Betsy, Vicki and Poppet to help make Sindy even more appealing in the rest of Europe. But Scenesetters in particular was a huge success! The furniture, play-scene accessories and vehicles Sindy started to accumulate outstripped the demand for clothing. And actually, there was an amusing story that David told in 12S…

It seems David did a presentation to distributors in Portugal. It was going pretty well until he showed Sindy’s horse – which was greeted with confusion. It turns out that the price of the toy horse could easily have bought you a real donkey over there! So that item needed a bit of a rethink. Ha!

Ha! Just to clarify, though… David didn’t design the toys? He wasn’t a product designer?
No. He would certainly speak with designers and, as he put it, say, “That’s not quite right”, or “Why don’t you do this, that or the other…” So he’d steer the ideas. A great example of that might be a horse cart that launched in 1982. It was called a gig in the UK, and a buggy in the USA…

Like a two-wheeled horse carriage?
Yes, exactly. My understanding is the design of this was researched by one of Pedigree’s R&D team, Peter Bing. At David’s urging, Peter went down to Regents Park early one Easter Monday to look at carriages in the London horse-harness parade. He took hundreds of photos of horses and carriages!

When he got back, David decided on which of the images the new buggy would be modelled. So by all accounts, he spent a tremendous amount of his time working on the styling, the packaging, the names and so on. Because – as you can imagine – Sindy evolved over the years; her look and movements were always developing. In fact, David instigated a ‘new look’ Sindy in 1968 that I think was rather bold!

In what way?
Just that the original was such a huge success… So any kind of tinkering runs a risk, I think. But the 1968 Sindy had a twisting waist and more bendable legs. More noticeably, they added inset eyelashes alongside those that were painted on. She had a more glamorous hairdo as well – actually, ‘more glamorous’ is probably the key thing here. Sindy still had that very open face, which many would say was her key feature, but her new look was more glamorous; a little less girl-next-door.

Also, in the mid-seventies, Pedigree launched another concept of David’s: Anna Moore and The Champions. Anna was a 10-inch doll, or just over, but specifically a showjumper… Happytime was her horse. They were modelled on a real-life champion showjumper, Anne Moore. I’d love to know more about the licensing deal there! Those toys were hugely articulated; you could pose them every which way! Naturally, the range included all sorts of equestrian clothes and accessories.

Amazing. We should probably start wrapping things up, Deej, but – of course – the reason we’re talking about David Fear right now is to celebrate his winning the I.D.I.O.T. Award. When did he get that?
I think that was 1994 at The Hurlingham Club in London. The Hurlingham Club is a private club with a stately Georgian mansion, croquet lawns, tennis courts, a botanical garden. Impressive… Naturally, getting the I.D.I.O.T. meant a great deal to him! He told me how proud and honoured he felt; that it was a tremendous honour to be elevated to the level of his industry heroes – including Sir Torquil Norman and Roger Ford.

Both I.D.I.O.T. winners themselves! Okay… Let’s wrap it up there, Deej. I’ll put in links to Sir Torquil Norman’s interview here, and Roger Ford’s here – well… Roger Ford’s is an interview with Max Ford, of course, but I’ll still link to it that way.
And then we can put in the record transcription… Also, I do just need to thank everybody that contributed to the piece: Hilary Sewell, Annie Jalili and Kathy Weatherhead at oursindymuseum.com… Pete Kellond, Mary Danby, Ben Rathbone, Colette Mansell, John Reynolds, Jon Morse at the V&A – and David himself!

And David himself. Done.

Launch Record Transcription

Take an S, take an I,
Take an N, D, Y,
And what have you got?
You’ve got Sindy!

You’ve got Sindy! Sindy: the doll you love to dress. Sindy: more than a doll.
A new rage for girls. Sindy: a completely new concept in doll promotion. Sindy: the doll they’ll ask for by name!

Never before has a doll – or indeed any other single toy – been so widely advertised on television – for children, and in children’s time! Between the 30th of September and Christmas alone, Sindy will appear on television 25 times.
And further vigorous advertising is scheduled all through 1964… Winter, spring, summer, autumn. Children will be hearing the catchy Sindy song – and singing it – and asking for Sindy by name. Maybe you’d like to hear it…

Take an S, take an I,
Take an N, D, Y,
And what have you got?
You’ve got Sindy!

The doll you love to dress!

Who is the belle of every ball.
Who wears the prettiest dress of them all?
Who is the girl they all love best?
It’s Sindy:

The doll you love to dress!

Who steals a scene at every show?
Who is the best dressed girl you know?
Who is the girl they all love best?
It’s Sindy!

The doll you love to dress!

Get Sindy and start collecting all these wonderful outfits. They’re beautifully made, like this duffle coat – perfect in every detail.

Who’s got a record player? Brush and comb?
A little doggy – all of her own!
Who is the girl they all love best?
It’s Sindy!

The doll you love to dress!

Sindy!

Sindy is a free-swinging girl. Every little girl’s dream of what she longs to become. Sindy has a beautiful wardrobe, designed by leading fashion experts. Matched and made with exquisite care. Perfect miniature replicas of the clothes worn by today’s young women… Sports clothes, glamour clothes, everyday clothes. Eight full outfits and more to come, each complete with accessories: a dog, skates, a gramophone… Everything a girl could want!

There are separates too! Eight individual items to supplement Sindy’s wardrobe, which are bought on their own. All Sindy dolls and outfits are beautifully boxed and presented. Sindy: the doll they’ll love to dress. The doll they’ll ask for by name… Catchy tune, wasn’t it? Like to hear it again?

Who’s got a record player? Brush and comb?
A little doggy – all of her own!
Who is the girl they all love best?
It’s Sindy!

The doll you love to dress!

Sindy!

Well, we’re selling Sindy in the home – now it’s up to you. This is your big chance to make profits higher than ever before. Remember: Sindy – the doll they’ll ask for by name. Be ready for them…

Our representative will be calling soon – but to make sure of supplies, fill in the reply-paid order form now. There’s a free display too with your first stock order, to provide a central tie up with television at the point of sale. Who is the doll they all love best? It’s Sindy the doll you love to dress…

Take an S, take an I,
Take an N, D, Y,
And what have you got?
You’ve got Sindy!

The doll you love to dress!

Who is the belle of every ball?
Who wears the prettiest dress of them all?
Who is the girl they all love best?
It’s Sindy:

The doll you love to dress!

Who steals the scene at every show?
Who is the best dressed girl you know?
Who is the girl they all love best?
It’s Sindy!

The doll you love to dress!

Get Sindy and start collecting all these wonderful outfits –
they’re beautifully made! Like this duffle coat: perfect in every detail…

Who’s got a record player? Brush and comb?
A little doggy – all of her own!
Who is the girl they all love best?
It’s Sindy!

The doll you love to dress!

Sindy!

–

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The post Cheer for Fear: Billy Langsworthy and Deej Johnson discuss I.D.I.O.T. winner David Fear appeared first on Mojo Nation.

As part of our series on I.D.I.O.T. Award winners, we’re pleased to re-publish an interview with David Fear from 2002. By kind permission of Hilary Sewell, the following pages are published exactly as they appeared in 12S Magazine. Without Fear by Thom and Hilary Sewell. © 2002.

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The post In this one-off republication of a 2002 article, Thom and Hilary Sewell talk to I.D.I.O.T. winner David Fear appeared first on Mojo Nation.

Ben, it’s taken a while to get our diaries to align… But here we are – thank you for making time!
Pleasure!

So… Yours is a friendly, familiar and seemingly omnipresent face in the industry. How did you come to be in toys and games?
I used to work at the very first Games Workshop which was around the corner from my school in Hammersmith, London. I also used to hang out there, playing games. Just through that, I got to know a gentleman called Stephen Baker, whom you may have heard of…

Oh, yes… And I’ll just say that if people want to know why that’s a legendary name, they can read an interview with Stephen Baker here. For now, you would say people best know him as…
Oh, the inventor of Hero Quest! In those days, though – for a while – he was the manager of Games Workshop. So I knew him from playing games. And then we had a gentleman called Roger Ford, sadly no longer with us. He’s the father of Max Ford… Roger ran Milton Bradley in the UK at the time. He came in and started chatting, then he asked if we’d to like to come and test some games for him. Stephen went along too; he then basically got a job there.

Stephen went to Milton Bradley?
Right. Meanwhile, I went to university down in Brighton on the south coast. But then – between my second and third year – Stephen asked if I wanted to come and do some summer work there; testing and refining his new game, Hero Quest. So I did some work on that. And it happens that they were based in Richmond, Greater London… Which is my hometown!

No?!
Yes! They were round the corner! So that was great. After I finished, I went back down to Brighton, but I was keeping in touch. And for whatever reason, they mentioned they’d got an assistant designer position available and asked if I wanted to join them. It was one of those time and place things.

Yes, but you’re being a little modest. You were also the right person! So you more or less went from university straight into the industry… This is your whole life! And for context, when was this, Ben? What was the year?
It’s 34 years ago; 1989. And Stephen and I both ended up in the States. He lives two hours that way!

So straight out of uni, into the industry; 34 years – and still going strong. Let me ask you this: if you didn’t do that, if you weren’t in toys and games, what do you think you would be doing?
Well, originally I was looking to get into publishing. That’s what I was originally, looking to do because I did English and history at Brighton University. And publishing is what I was investigating. But it’s one of these things… I never really thought there were people who professionally worked on the design of games.

But games were on your radar, obviously… You played them as a child?
Oh, yes; we always played games as a family… I’ve got two older brothers. One of them got a copy of Dungeons & Dragons way back when it first came out – our friend’s father traveled to the US a lot and brought an early copy back with him. So we played that. But once Roger Ford mentioned designing games, I just thought: ‘that’s kind of interesting’.

Not to interrupt you, Ben, but Roger Ford and Max Ford are both I.D.I.O.T. winners, of course… And I want to mention that Max did a lovely interview about their awards. People can read that here. Apologies! You also mentioned role-playing games there, and that interests me because a lot of inventor relations folk at mass market companies don’t have a great interest in that. Not a criticism – they just focus more on other types of game. What kind of games do you personally prefer?
That’s a great question! I have a scarily large collection of games. And since I live in the US, I have a giant basement where I can store them! Which is not a good thing because it just encourages me…

Ha!
These days, though, I’ve got to the point where I just can’t be doing with deep-strategy games anymore. I just haven’t got the time for them. So I currently prefer to play games that are low- to mid-level strategy. Things that you can play over two hours and repeat. I also like card games. I’m kind-of fascinated by all the classic card games and what you can do with them. Look at Rummy… Rummy’s done all sorts of things with it. Mystery Rummy’s a great example. But then, I also like just pulling out new things and trying those!

Time permitting…
Time permitting! In fact, one sad thing about Gen Con this year was – because we were demoing on the stand the whole time – we didn’t really get time to go out and play stuff. But at home, we still have our family favourites. Monopoly Deal just came to mind! Monopoly Deal, by the way, is the thing I’m most proud of in all my time at Hasbro.

Is that right? And you did a lot of games at Hasbro…
Right. But Monopoly Deal is the one that’s really stayed. Still sells, still going… And it took a while to develop – but people just love it. I always have one in my bag. As a family, we always travel with it. It can play equally well with two players or five.

In my head, Monopoly Deal has also got Richard Heayes’s fingerprints on it… Was that an inventor item?
No, it was in-house; but you’re right – Richard was part of the Hasbro games design team who worked on that. The design was mainly led by an excellent designer who is no longer in the industry: Katharine Chapman. And then it was me, Scott Dean, Richard Heayes…

Ah! Makes sense! I have it on good authority that – of the ten best-selling Monopoly products over the last 15 years – Scott Dean, Richard Heayes and Amanda Birkinshaw collectively designed eight of them… That’s something that came up in an interview; I’ll link to it here. In any case, what is it about Monopoly Deal that’s compelling? What’s the X factor there?
It’s really about the fact that you can come back from behind very easily! You can be doing really badly, then – 10 minutes later – you’ve destroyed everyone and taken everything. Ha! So yes, it’s got that great up and down… That makes it a little unpredictable; you don’t know what’s gonna happen. I love that about it.

Great answer! And that speaks to your very broad taste, I think. So you’re happy to find something cool anywhere on the spectrum…
Yes, and I still do! I still see stuff come to the table that I’ve never seen before. You know, when people ask about game design, I often use cooking as an analogy. Everyone basically has the same ingredients, but there’s so many different ways you can put this stuff together, mix it serve it up and garnish it. That’s what I really find fascinating… How people can just take one idea, put it together, or take one idea and spin it in a whole different way. And that’s what keeps the industry going, and keeps it fresh.

Out of interest then, is there one type of game about which you feel less enthusiastic?
I think the only thing that I am less enthusiastic about these days is the abundance of party games that have got one rule and 200 cards that play to that rule! They often depend on a clever name and engaging card copy.

Ha! Plenty of those about!
There’s plenty of them about, and they do very well. Those are the games, though, that I feel are offering something that’s easy to get into, but there is a constant stream of them.

I always wonder if that’s just attention-span related… Because that kind of game is instantaneously accessible. It’s like fast food: it’s easy to buy; easy to consume… But because the experience is quick and disposable, you don’t necessarily find it that satisfying.
Yes, that’s why it’s so popular. That’s why it does so well! I’m not saying it’s wrong. I totally understand why they’re successful.

In terms of your role at Buffalo, Ben, I guess you’ve been there for two years now?
A little over two, yes. I started near the end of May 2022.

That’s right then. So, in your current role, what do you look for in an idea at Buffalo that perhaps would be useful for inventors to know?
Well, as you know, the great thing is – first of all – we have three brands. We’ve got Buffalo Games, Gamewright Games, and Brainwright Games. One of the interesting things was pulling that together as one games team, and then laying that out in terms of what we want to see. Buffalo Games are more trend based. That tends to be where we have our party games, licensed games, dexterity games and more of our core modern-family games. We also run our light strategy games there.

Gamewright offers our cross-generational family games. It also allows us to do some fun, quirky little games… Some for core families, some for younger kids, but with rules that have a tiny, steep learning curve. And they’ve got a lot of great games in the catalogue already from Sushi Go to Abandon All Artichokes, even things like Dragonwood and Dragon Realm. They have great little mechanisms in the centre, but are easy to demo and take people through. We do some kids and party games there, but not many… Slamwich, Rat-A-Tat Cat… Both of those have been going for 30 years.

Wow. And Brainwright?
Brainwright has more of the puzzle games, fidget stuff. Very different from the rest of it. So it’s a nicely separated portfolio that we manage together as one team. But another thing I should say about what we have been building is that – a lot of the time – we’ll come up with an initial idea, then go out to separate inventors and say, “Hey, we kind of had this thought. Do you want to work on it with us?”

So you have the germ of an idea? But you’ll contact inventors to germinate them; to grow them?
Exactly. Because we do have a lot of internal ideas, but we don’t have a vast team to do them all. We’ll say, “What about this?” or “This could be that…” You know? Some of them are literally just a name… So then we’ll think about who would be good to work on it… Who’s good with card games? Or card games with dice, say. And we’ll reach out and say, “Hey, do you want to collaborate on something with us?” We’ve got about four games in the 2024 line that have come from that.

Love it! And do you still invent yourself, Ben?
Actually, it’s funny you should ask… Have you met or talked with Erica Bouyouris?

Yes, I interviewed Erica a while ago. Interesting stuff – I’ll put a link into her interview here. Well – presuming you’re about to say something positive!
Ha! Yes, it’s positive! Erica’s an inventor based in Canada, but – when I was at Spin – I hired her to be our gameplay person. We worked very closely. She kind of put me back on to building games and doing them myself. So I’ve built two totally new games since I’ve been at Buffalo, because Erica’s process is great.

And they’re finished?
One is mostly complete. The other I’ve got to finish… But I got back into that hands-on creative process and having to think through the card creation and the mechanics and the balancing. That part is something I hadn’t done for a long time – so it was good to get back into that.

I can imagine, actually. It’s always an interesting feeling to come back to certain types of creativity. Speaking of which, something I wanted to come back to was how inventors structure the pitch when they show you ideas. Do you prefer them to do that in a particular way?
No, I don’t; not really. I mean, I do always prefer face-to-face meetings – whether it’s over Zoom or in person – because it gives you the chance to chat. It also gives you a chance to ask questions and just think about stuff. So I think that’s the most effective way, and if I don’t quite get something, I can ask, “Why do you do this?”; “What’s the reason for that?” Also, in that sort of conversation – if I see something, but it’s not for me – I can give some meaningful feedback. Because I want to make sure the inventor has some good feedback and maybe something they can use to improve that game, even if they’re taking it somewhere else.

You’ll give advice even if the idea’s not for you?
Right. Because I’ve got a fair bit of experience, and I want to help inventors with some of that thinking if I can… Just in terms of how they can perhaps improve an idea or think about a game in a different way. Even if it’s not for Buffalo.

Excellent. But other than being face-to-face, you don’t have a particular structure? No strong views on sale sheets? Or sizzles?
No! The way I see it is that everyone’s got their own style. Everyone does it in a way that suits them. And I can look at it in any way! I’d rather everyone just feels comfortable. I don’t need to see a video… As long as the idea comes across clearly. And if it doesn’t, by doing it face-to-face with someone who needs a bit of guidance, I can ask questions and then direct if need be.

Great answer… It’s quite unusual to have someone say, “Relax; do what you like.”
Well, here’s the thing: I usually pick up on ideas pretty quickly. I’ve seen enough stuff to know what things are; I kind of know where things are going. Although I’ll occasionally think, “Whoa, I didn’t see that coming!” Those pitches are often the fun ones. But, for the most part, I think I can see a sell sheet and know what kind of a game it is. And there are some inventors, professionals, who suggest that – if I don’t like what they’re saying halfway through, I should just tell them. And I’ll do that.

Wow. No wonder people rate you so highly, Ben. You’re like a gift to inventors with that laid back approach!
To me it’s a creative chat. I enjoy it. And the game industry is a small one, so it doesn’t make any sense to just limit people or shut them down. Because we really want to encourage inventors and make them better. Honestly, if you can give some pointers to a new inventor so they can think in a different way, then – hopefully – they’ll come back with an even better product.

Brilliant. We’ll need to start wrapping this up quite soon because I know how busy you are, but I wanted to talk about your I.D.I.O.T. Award, Ben. So now… What would you say if I were to ask why you think you were singled out for that?
Well… For a start, I was truly surprised; completely taken aback. And you know, it was one of these things where I was chatting away and could hear in the background a little about who the winner is, what they’d done… And it was Roger Ford doing this intro: he’d originally hired me at Hasbro. But I didn’t put it together right away. As to why – who knows?

I don’t remember the timing of things, but I think I’d been in inventor relations for a while by the time of the award. Maybe I was new enough or young enough at a time when inventor relations was on a cusp; moving from old school to new school. I think, if I looked at it, it’s as though we’d had the old school with some of the greats – Phil Orbanes and Mike Myers and David Fear – the latter both previous winners. They’d all been been driving the industry… But maybe I was one of the younger ones coming through. I don’t know if or why I’d made an impression, or if I was seen as making waves… I don’t know!

It intrigues me too – because this is quite common – that people are sitting at that dinner and there’s a sort of quiet babble because you’re supposed to be listening to the talk – but you’re also trying to finish up a conversation with an old friend, so you’re not paying full attention. But at some point during the speech, you realise they’re actually talking about you! At what point did you say to yourself, “Hang on a second… Is it me?!”
Oh, it was very close to the end! I couldn’t believe it.

They said your name, basically!
Ha! But you know one of my big regrets to this day is that, because I was so shocked, I really didn’t thank the people I should’ve thanked – because I was just so stunned. I mean… Wow. One minute I’m sitting there chatting. The next I’m up there and I’m too stunned, you know?

I can well imagine! You were so stunned you literally didn’t thank anyone on the night?
No, I literally went up there and I was, “Oh yeah, thank you!”… But I regret not being able to thank specific people.

Whom would you have thanked?
I would’ve thanked Roger Ford, Stephen Baker, Mike Gray, and David Fear who was basically my boss at the time. He’d more or less taken me round and introduced me to people and showed me the ropes on inventor relations. Great people.

Brilliant. Well, there we are, Ben… Let’s end with those overdue thank yous! If nothing else, it feels like we’ve put that on the record and righted an understandable wrong! Thanks, Ben.

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The post I.D.I.O.T. Award Winner Ben Rathbone discusses his lifetime in games and much, much more… appeared first on Mojo Nation.

Mary, thanks for making time! I just re-read your last Mojo interview – which people can see here. I think it’s important to remind folk that you’ve invented games yourself! What was your first one?
Hi Deej! My first successful game was Hollywood’s Reel Schpeel. I co-invented it with a real-estate colleague at the time and we had a great time doing it. We made many ‘top game’ lists in the media, and self produced for many years until we licensed a version of it. Afterwards, there were a few smaller games and of course MANY pitches! I admire inventors greatly for their creativity and persistence… And I love their stories!

How did it come to be on the market? Through what process did you go?
Like all small inventing and self-producing companies back then and now, we went through all the hard bits of playtesting, designing packaging, calling on retailers – you always remember your first sales! – and exhibiting at trade shows. It was exhibiting at trade shows that I met other inventors and formed DiscoverGames.com and then DiscoverGamesAndToys.com, which was a co-op of inventors.

Having a bigger booth with more toys and games meant more buyers and product acquisition execs stopped by to see what we had. It was a great way to meet people in the industry. During this time, I kept my day job, so I took vacation days to exhibit. Helping other inventors led to forming the Inventor Conferences we now host.

Brilliant! Have you any plans to invent again?
Yes, I do plan to invent again someday. Eddy Goldfarb is 103 and still tinkering. That being said, someone recently told me that I am an inventor of events, which is awesome.

Of which, your events continue to go from strength to strength! And you’re now at the beginning of a new era, in partnership with the Toy Association. What can we look forward to from that partnership?
We will be even stronger with the Toy Association resources. It is a new era for the Toy Association as well. They want to reach inventors and consumers and are fully backing us. Very exciting!

It’s a very exciting time. Congratulations! Now… In 2019, you won the I.D.I.O.T. Award. Do you recall the introduction to that? Who gave it, and what kind of thing they said?
Rich Mazel gave a wonderful, humorous and warm introduction. He told a story of catching me taking a catnap in what I thought was a hidden corner during our Inventor Conferences at Navy Pier… And, of course, that we both graduated from Notre Dame.

And at what point during the introduction did you think, ‘Hang on a second… Are they talking about me?!’
Since the stories were unique to me, I caught on early. It never crossed my mind that I would ever, ever even be considered. I didn’t think I was eligible. It had been a long time since I’d invented anything, and anything I invented was not the level of the inventors honoured throughout the years… So it was quite a shock as well as an extraordinary, amazing honour. I still can’t quite believe it.

Do you remember what you said accepting your award?
I remember thanking Simon Skelton and the Committee as well as Rich, but nothing else. I think I was in shock!

Well, I hope you can see how much you deserved it in hindsight! Thank you, Mary. I know how busy you are – particularly at this time of year – so thanks for making time.

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The post People of Play’s Mary Couzin on winning the I.D.I.O.T. Award – and a return to inventing? appeared first on Mojo Nation.

Max, thanks for doing this! Let’s dive right in. You pretty much grew up in the toy industry, so this question might carry quite a bit of weight… What was your favourite toy growing up?
You know, I checked this with my mum once because I always thought it was G.I. Joe… But then I wondered! So I asked my mother… She said, “Oh, it was those little soldier action figures…” So even my mother confirmed it.

There we go! I also have it in my head that you’re a big collector of LEGO minifigures. Have I got that right? Or did I make that up?
No, you’re right… They’re all in a cabinet in my toilet.

The LEGO’s in your toilet? Are you shitting bricks?!
Ha! Well… The toilet here is known as the toylet: T-O-Y-L-E-T. Shall I take you on a tour?

Ha! Toylet! Love it! By all means…
Here we go… This is where I’m up to on the last series. This whole cabinet opens up; it’s double thick. Somewhere behind here… There’s a whole other row behind this. It’s complete; all the series from the blindbags. I don’t know how many that is…

Too many, some would say – not enough, I’d say! What’s the appeal of the minifig to you, Max?
I think what’s so remarkable about them is that they’re so adaptable to all the licences. LEGO’s done a fantastic job… So often, you see toys come in and go out and breathe for a season or two depending on their TV show. LEGO’s created a collectible figure that could work with every license that’s ever been made – but it predates all of them!

Absolutely! So true…
And as a fan, I’m just as excited about the Harry Potter release they do in the bags – or boxes, now – as I am about the man dressed as a banana.

No argument for me… I wrote a short opinion piece on the minifigure. I could’ve written twice as much; it would still only be the tip of the iceberg. Now look: I was originally going to talk to you in the context of your winning the I.D.I.O.T. Award – but your dad, Roger Ford, also won it! So maybe we should start with him. Am I right in saying he had a hand in Connect 4?
Yes, dad was the head of design at MB Games before Hasbro bought them… So yes, he was involved in the engineering design of Connect 4. For example, he designed the original teeth that made the counters grip together…

The studs and dimples that made the sound?
I don’t remember them making a sound! Do they make a sound?

DON’T they make a sound?! A sort of ‘viiiiiiiiiiiip’ as they drop? I actually thought that’s why the dimples were there!
Maybe that was part of it. Mainly, the stacking I thought…

Well, you’d know better than I… Maybe they don’t go viiiiiiiiiiiip at all? Maybe I’m in the multiverse! In any case, Connect 4 was very satisfying… It’s satisfying to stack the counters. It’s satisfying to drop them. It’s satisfying to release them underneath! There’s no part of Connect 4 that isn’t satisfying, which is – presumably – the genius of the original design!
I think so, yes. And I still play a lot of Connect 4; my daughter Hetty is fantastic at it. But we use the travel version because we take it to restaurants… I still have the original set we had as children. I’ll check it out. I’m sending you a picture of my daughter playing Connect 4… That should come through. Our rule is that if you get five games in a row, you get a dot stuck to your forehead.

Got it… Okay! So in this photo, that dot says she’s beaten you five times running?
Yes. She was my Padawan in training but she’s getting really good at it.

Mmmm. Proud of her, you are! So at what point, Max, did you start working with your dad?
I joined my father’s company aged 21. I wasn’t planning to. I was working in PR, and a friend offered me a job as an estate agent in Mayfair…

Mayfair in London? Strewth… High end!
Right! I’m pretty sure I’d’ve been a more successful man today if I’d done that.
Anyway, I was so proud to tell dad I’d been offered this role. But dad, I remember very well, said, “No son of mine will be a fucking estate agent!”

Oh! Really?! Most fathers would’ve said, “No son of mine is going to play with toys for a living!”
Yes! Ha! He had an opinion on estate agents, it seems. He must have had a dislike of them, I guess. I don’t know why; I never really found out. But he took me in.

Took you in? Like an apprentice?
Well, yes. Actually, what I’ve come to appreciate lately is the word ‘master’, as in mastery of a profession. My father had mastered the design of toys – or games specifically, I would say. When he took me in, I don’t think he knew – even when he died – that the five years I worked for him was an apprenticeship for me. But it was clear to both of us that there was a great opportunity to learn, right up at the top level with people he knew…

Such as?
We’d be meeting with Alan Hassenfeld, Ben Varadi – all sorts of really rather cool people. As a 22-year-old boy I was there, quiet and listening and learning. My dad gave me an awful lot of tools, let’s say… I don’t think my dad appreciated, though, that what happens when you become a master is there’s not really anywhere else to go.

Is there not?
Not really. You either have to zen in the practice of the field, or to teach! Well… We never talked about it, but I think he got quite a lot out of teaching me how to do this. And I like to think today that it gave him a lot of joy to show me the way. From his company, I moved to Holland to run the development team for Upper Deck. Dad got quite a lot of joy in checking in on an almost daily basis on what I was up to and trying to advise and help. I think he got quite a lot out of it, which I’m grateful for – if I gave him that in return for what he gave me.

Which, from the sound of it, is a very great deal.
Right. And going back to something you said earlier, dad was – among all other things – an I.D.I.O.T. Award winner. I think for a lot of my career, especially after he died, I had a slightly egotistical goal to be an I.D.I.O.T. Award winner myself. When I was younger, it was a real ambition of mine; to be validated by one’s peers and above. I remember fantasising about it, actually.

That’s a very honest statement…
It’s just moments of slight vanity, in fact. Then I realised – when the award actually happened – that I’d gone past that, really. But I think actually getting the award was a bit of a shock. I didn’t expect it.

Well, no; so much so that you weren’t at the Inventor Dinner to collect it! Is it impolitic to ask where you were?
No, not at all! I planned to go – I do love that dinner – but then I made a decision not to go to London Toy Fair… Simply because Nuremberg would tick all the boxes.

Oh, I see! You weren’t in London at all…
No. Gary Pyper and I were talking the day before the fair. He was on the Inventor Dinner board. He said, “See you in London.” So I said, really in passing, “No, I’m not coming.” The next thing I knew Simon Skelton was calling me to tell me I’d won the I.D.I.O.T.

Crikey. Do you recall where were you; what were you doing?
When I got the phone call from Simon? I was with a friend, eating fish at a stand by a canal here in Holland. Simon explained I’d won. I think I said, “Fuck, really?” “Yes, you’re the I.D.I.O.T.” I was like, “Oh, shit.” Because there was still time to get on a plane and fly to London for the dinner. It was the same day, but I could’ve made it. But that would have been very vain.

Gosh. I imagine that must’ve been complicated for you, Max, given how much – earlier in your life – you thought it might mean TO win?
That was what was interesting… I was faced with the moment of deciding: do I get on a plane? To do what? Score this vanity goal? And I called my adviser, Aad Obbens. He worked at Jumbo for decades… I called him, and said, “What do I do?” He said, “Get on a plane and go.” And I said, “I don’t think I want to.” Because getting on a plane specifically because I’m going to win an award felt really odd. I just wasn’t jumping up and down about it. I was perplexed and going like, “Really?”

I hear you. I can’t imagine processing that.
It was a bit frustrating that the goal was gone. I wasn’t ready for it, I think. It was something I was working towards. Maybe I feel like it was awarded prematurely… Because look at other people that have won it, like Adi Golad, say. I mean, Adi Golad built Goliath, you know?! So I went from wanting it to not wanting it, and it was rather weird…

Anyway, that told me that the ego had gone – and that terrified me too because what happens when you’re not driven like that anymore? Then I thought, well, if I get on a plane, then I’m being vain. The whole thing threw me off, actually. In the end, I just decided almost to ignore that it happened because I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve the award – except try to make a living. I haven’t made the waves that others have. I’ve just been here a long time I guess. You’ll have to see what the powers-that-be say behind my back!

Oh, they don’t talk to me… I know my place! But this has been a real revelation, Max, because I didn’t know how complicated a subject the I.D.I.O.T. was for you. One thing that does cross my mind, though, was that – because you didn’t collect the award – you didn’t give a thank you speech…
No… But there’s only really one person to thank, isn’t there? I mean, I could’ve thanked my friends, and the people who supported me, but my father gave me everything. He gave me a great childhood too – oh, I’ve got goosebumps… Even today, I meet people who remember him in the industry and nothing but great stories, nothing but an honourable man. His secretary was with him – and moved company – for 35 years.

Wow.
Dad was just the embodiment of loyalty, and a gentleman, and – with that – this incredible creative who, remarkably, left a stamp on the game industry. It’s forgotten by consumers, and not known by many in the industry… But I have the privilege of having known my father not just AS a father, but also a man who worked, and knowing his work relationship is a whole other part of his life…

I had the privilege of traveling with him too, and getting to know him, learning from a master. Then – having mastered, to a level, what he taught me – to have had the honour of remaking the products that he made. I’m confident he’d be interested in and proud of what I did, so that’s great.

So, yes… There is only one man to thank and one person to thank. I could’ve collected the award, and I could’ve done an acceptance speech, but it would just be praise to him and a chance to say it’s an honour to have won the same award that he had, even if I still feel unworthy of that… My entire career is down to one man. My life is down to one man.

And now here I am, relaunching Hotel, and there are things that I do to memorialise him. I’ll show you a couple of examples. On this game, Don’t Wake Dad, the alarm clock says 22:12 in the 24-hour clock. The date of dad’s death was the 22nd of December. Then, for the new version of Hotel, the banknote needed a fake code…

Like a serial number?
Exactly, exactly. It starts RF151241. RF is for Roger Ford; 15/12/41 is his birthdate… And then 221207 is the date of his death. I put him in there to remember him. Because what else can I do? I can’t show him this stuff anymore. I wouldn’t be doing it without him. I don’t think I’m bad at what I do. And I’m grateful for the award, but don’t need it to tell me I can do it… I think it’s just okay to be grateful and put the vanities to one side.

This has been surprisingly moving, Max, you’ve really caught me off guard. It’s clear what your dad meant to you and I’m so grateful that you’ve shared that. To wrap things up with your dad, then: he also won the I.D.I.O.T. Award… Do you know what it meant to him?
I do, yes – absolutely… It meant a great deal to him. He was very proud of it. And actually, I grew up seeing that medallion on his bedside. I remember, before I worked for him – because he was quite an early winner; like number two or three or four…

Third, I think
Third. Well, I remember seeing this thing when he went to the Inventors Dinner… Him dressing up and wearing it when he left the house. It was a hell of a thing; this medallion around his neck like some sort of Lord Mayor piece of jewellery. It was a big thing for him.

After he died, one of the things I got from the house was this small, beautiful wooden tray. He kept all his cufflinks and things in it. I don’t have a need for that kind of tray! I think it’s got my Rennie Relief and hayfever-relief tablets and things sitting there. But it had his much-treasured I.D.I.O.T. Award in it.

Fantastic. Listen, Max – I can’t thank you enough for your time. It’s been very moving… I hope that lifts off the page; I hope I can leave all the heart in because it’s one of the most heartfelt interviews I’ve done.
Well… I’ve been getting goosebumps all the way through this, Deej. So thank you for bringing me in touch with that. I don’t get to say it often. I’m glad we had the chance to talk.

Thank you, Max.

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The post Awards for the Fords: Max Ford’s heartfelt thoughts on the family’s two I.D.I.O.T.s appeared first on Mojo Nation.

So, Deej: we’ve managed to feature almost all the I.D.I.O.T. Award winners in Mojo Nation interviews… But there are a couple that didn’t get back to you. Is it personal, do you think? Should I try?!
Ha! One of your milder insults, Bill; thank you! But I fear not… In fact, I have to keep reminding myself that – much as we want to talk to them – some of these amazing people have been retired or out of the industry for 20 or 30 years. They don’t want to speak to us – despite, Billy Langsworthy, the charm of the interviewer!

Yes – fair point… Would you want to chat to me 20 years after you left Mojo Nation?!
I don’t want to chat to you now! But with Paul Snyder, there’s still a chance; I’m still hoping that someone that worked with him will step up… Then we can take this down and put up a piece that really does Paul Snyder justice

The Snyder Justice Cut… But as it stands, we know enough about him to fill in some blanks?
Yes! For now, we can talk about him; get a feel for why he won the I.D.I.O.T. Award – then maybe see if we can coax him out of hiding!

And I meant to ask: is he one of those people that’s been out of the industry for a while?
He’s been out of the industry for about 25 years… I believe he’s retired and living on the west coast of Florida. But before he retired – get this – Paul Snyder worked at Fisher-Price for 29 years! He had two roles: first, he was a toy designer himself. Second, he did what we’d now call inventor relations. So he started out designing, then took on the role of scouting the world for toys as well.

And is there an example of a toy he designed? Or one that he found and was proud of?
Yes – we can do at least one of each… And actually, do you recall that I quite often used to ask interviewees, “What was your favourite toy growing up?”

Yes! Good question!
Well, more by good luck than good journalism, we can speak about that! Because Paul gave an interview about it some years ago. It turns out that he loved model kits of ships and airplanes… He also used to take pictures from magazines and turn them into homemade jigsaw puzzles, and he would build marble mazes out of cardboard. Then, when he was six, his parents gave him an electric train set. His parents built it overnight on Christmas Eve. As well as a beautiful train, part of the room was filled with model streets – plastic houses, trees and cars!

Amazing. Do you know when this was?
Yes – sorry, I meant to say: 1950; Christmas 1950. And I’m not into model trains at all, but I have to say this is a really great-looking train! I’ll put in a picture of it at the bottom; it’s a model of 1930’s Union Pacific streamlined passenger train. And that appears to have been an important toy memory for Paul, so I’m kicking things off with that! Then, in terms of a toy that he designed, there was the Play Family Village…

A playset for Fisher-Price Little People…
Right. They were enormously popular back then! It came out in 1973 and sold about 1.7 million units in the first year. And it’s worth saying: since Paul joined Fisher-Price as a Junior Designer in 1970, it’s reasonable to assume this was one of the first things he worked on. It’s really cute! It had a barber shop, police station, mechanic’s shop and firehouse.

How long was it before Paul started looking at other people’s ideas?
That’s a great question, Bill – which is my way of saying: I’ve no idea! Ha! But that might be something we can work out in a minute with the roller skates. I just wanted to mention one particular inventor item that was intriguing to me, though, because of the way Paul framed it… He said it came through as a complete surprise when he was in Japan. He’d looked at a number of items, and not seen anything he wanted to take it back to East Aurora – New York…

Fisher-Price’s head office?
Fisher-Price’s head office. But evidently, he didn’t want to leave empty handed! So he points to what looks like a plush toy up on a shelf and asks what it is. Even as they’re taking it down, they’re more or less saying, “You really don’t want this because it didn’t do well in our country.” It was a soft toy; you squeezed it and it sounded like a toy dinosaur’s roar! Because inside it was what Paul described as “a backwards bellows with foam in.” So when you squeezed it, it made this long roar; this kind of “E-huhhhhhhhrrr” sound!

That’s quite a noise. Can you make it with your mouth as well? Ha!
Ha! I could try; it might not be as good! Well, the reason I know that’s how they sounded is that my neighbour’s children had some of these things. I thought it was a range called ‘Dino-roarrrrr’ but I’m reliably informed they were called Puffalumps. This was in the early 1990s… But yes: that’s how they went: “E-huhhhhhhhrrr”. In any case…. Ha! In any case, after Fisher-Price developed the range, they sold a couple of million pieces.

And the noise – one last time, please!
“E-huhhhhhhhrrr”! I’ll see if I can find a video in a minute; you see if I’m wrong! Also, I wanted to say: the material was extraordinary on those things! They were made of this smooth, shiny nylon – almost like day-glo! So in no way did they look like traditional dinosaurs; they were really colourful, garish, noisy toys. They kind of looked like shell suits actually… Possibly not a helpful reference: if you’re old enough to remember shell suits, you’re old enough to remember Dino-roarrrrr. Or Puffalumps!

Or dinosaurs! You also mentioned a roller skate before we started…
Yes! Another inventor item Paul found became Fisher-Price’s 1-2-3 Roller Skates… Skates that had three settings. Setting one let you lock the wheels so that a child could just walk in them. Setting two let the kid skate forward – but stopped the skates rolling backwards! And setting three was a freewheeling roller skate. Which must’ve been pretty revolutionary at the time. Revolutionary! Pun not intended – or celebrated!

Well, I just googled those skates… Looks like they came out in 1983. And it makes sense, doesn’t it, that Paul was scouting by the late 70s… So moving onto Paul’s I.D.I.O.T. Award… Do we know how Paul felt about winning that?
We don’t, actually. We know it was the 1996 event at Kensington Roof Gardens. That was the year the decision was made to give out five mini I.D.I.O.T. Awards…

Oh, right… Paul Snyder was one of the mini awards?
Right! So his I.D.I.O.T. was given along with a bunch of others… All of whose names are links to interviews here! So the mini-award winners were Paul, Mike Lyden, Mike Meyers, Tom Mason, and Tom Kremer. So no… We don’t yet have a quote on how Paul felt about winning that specifically. What we do have – and I think this is a great way to wrap things up – are two terrific quotes about his working in the toy industry! First, Paul said, “I had more fun than any human being should be allowed!” He also said, “My career spanned 29 years, and every moment felt more like play than work.” – which I think is terrific.

Amazing! That’s a great quote; they’re both great.
He clearly loved it! Which is why I have high hopes that he’ll do an interview with us when he sees this error-ridden, patch-up job that he knows he could do better than! Ha!

Ha! Well, it’s rapidly heading downhill; let’s wrap it up before one of us does the dinosaur noise again.

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The post 30 years at Fisher Price: Deej Johnson on I.D.I.O.T. Award winner Paul Snyder appeared first on Mojo Nation.

Mike, until recently most of our readers knew you as Chief Executive of Seven Towns. Now they also know you for dancing on stage at the Mojo awards! Either way, we’ve chatted to you about your fantastic career here. You also worked very closely with the late Tom Kremer. Now, I don’t want to dwell on it unduly, Mike, but I know Tom had an extraordinary start to his life…
Yes, he did. I didn’t join the company until the 1990s, so it’s a long time before me, but I know a little about it. The family was from Transylvania – at the time part of Romania. His father – an ex-Prussian Army Officer – was an Electrical retailer. During the war, Nazi occupied Hungary moved into Romania and Jewish Families were driven into ghettos; appallingly treated and eventually taken off to concentration camps.

Yes. Awful. And Tom was – what? A teenager when he went to a concentration camp?
Yes, he was 14. He, his parents and brother went to Bergen-Belsen. And this isn’t really my story to tell, but I believe, they were finally liberated on the Kaster Train in 1944 and reached safety in Switzerland

Yes, and Chrisi Trussell said much the same thing when we spoke with her. People can read that here… In any case, I do want to acknowledge it. It must’ve shaped him.
Yes, undoubtedly. After that period, the family went different ways. Tom went off to Switzerland, then Israel for a while. His brother went to Rhodesia. Eventually, Tom came to the UK and went to Edinburgh University to study philosophy, which is where he met Lady Allison Balfour. Lady Allison later became his dear wife. After they came to London, he was in education in some way.

As a special-needs teacher, I think…
Right. From there, he eventually decided to start making some educational games for the kids who would not read books, initially starting with a board game Wordmaster. His ILEA school inspectors were impressed and suggested he get it made – so he came to the industry that way.

Fascinating! So he started by creating his own educational games?
Exactly. Tom was proving a very creative and able man, so he inevitably found a way to make an extra living with his own ideas. He was now an inventor as well as a game publisher, a resourceful thinker. Of course, I start to know a little more about what happened after Tom created Seven Towns because that’s been my focus for a very, very long time.

Indeed! Let’s move to that, then. So Tom has all that background; he’s married to Lady Allison…
That’s right, great grandniece of Henry Balfour – at one time, the Prime Minister and author of the Balfour Declaration. Anyway, Seven Towns was founded in 1963; we recently celebrated our 60th. And I believe the first games he worked after Wordmaster was called World Soccer and Shapemaster. He went out and had them manufactured and sold them himself – so he was doing the whole gamut.

And he’d been on his own up to this point?
Not entirely – by the mid Sixties, he formed a relationship with a wholesaler to whom he referred as Mr. Helpful. Ha! Mr. Helpful was the Financial Director of a UK subsidiary distributorship for a Hong Kong company – so that helped Tom. They became good friends. But even while he was running around, Tom was always learning… How to get things manufactured, where the resources were – all this sort of operational stuff. And it was Mr. Helpful that encouraged Tom to build up Seven Towns, things slowly started developing from in a very small office somewhere round the back of Hamley’s…

And in terms of the name Seven Towns, I’ve heard conflicting information about it…
Well, one never really knows because Tom passed away several years ago! But the story that’s become lore is that he came from a place in Transylvania which was known as the Valley of the Seven Towns. But there was no relationship between the Seven Towns name and the town where he came from – just that the valley had seven towns around it.

Got it. Thank you. So he’s learning what he can, he’s getting help from Mr. Helpful… But he’s substantially on his own?
He was on his own, yes, and that was very Tom; that was the way it was in those days. He was a very determined, enigmatic man… He knew what he wanted to achieve and – come what may – he’d go and achieve it no matter what.

He sounds like he could be quite steely…
He was strong in so many ways. And you know, the early days must’ve been quite stressful. I mean, they lived in very basic accommodation and were starting a family – all that sort of stuff. And I would say that just because you have a business, it doesn’t make you a wealthy man. You have to fight for it, and he certainly did. In those days it would’ve been really tough – going around looking for manufacturing sources and getting things done in Britain.

And before we move on, do we know what happened to Mr. Helpful?
I don’t think we do, no, he’s only referred to as that in Tom’s book. He started a company called Condor Games. Condor Games went on to sell all of Tom’s games over the years; Tom launched everything through Condor – until he learned a hard lesson about licensing and distributing products… Because eventually Mr. Helpful became not so helpful! His company had financial difficulties and eventually went out of business, giving Tom just several months’ notice. So Tom had to move his games to new homes – and quickly.

Right. I guess he had all his eggs in one basket…
Yes. So he started to work out that he should move to a licensing operation which is now very obviously our bread and butter, of course; it’s what we do. But back then, Tom was learning his way to market, which he did very well. As you know, Deej, by the seventies he became very successful. He found his way to America, to Japan and many other places.

I just want to pick up on something… We’ve said of Tom steely, determined, strong and enigmatic. What other words would you use to describe the man?
Charismatic… An enormous character and sense of humour, and a great ability to read people. He was a craftsman. He was intellectually very smart and creatively very strong. He was determined and persuasive… A real visionary. He could look at an invention and not only know what do with it, but also how to place it. He knew to whom he should show things, and which person was the right person in each company. And he’d have the strength of personality to drive an idea home; make very senior toy executives believe in an idea.

And, by all accounts, a fantastic negotiator?
Oh yes, an artful negotiator. He really knew the value of ideas and would work to have that value recognised. To that end, he had a great ability to look someone in the eye and say, “No” in such an emphatic way that you really stopped and listened. Over the years, I personally watched him sort out a number of people that were truly powerful in the industry. He would just say NO, and mean it… “No, I’m not doing that.” And if he had to pack it up and take it home, he would.

He always had that ‘walk-away power’?
Yes. He wouldn’t just give in, no matter how big the companies were. He valued his inventions. He believed he should be paid fairly for them, and he negotiated in a very strong and creative way. To a degree, some people didn’t like that. And maybe that’s because he had, quite early on, that rude awakening with Condor’s demise… From then on, he built structure around deal making, which became the foundation rules of this company today.

Makes absolute sense. And it almost goes without saying that a lot of our conversation here is going to turn towards the Rubik’s Cube. How did Tom come to be in a place to discover that?
When Tom first started going out into toy world, he went to Nuremberg Toy Fair, obviously, where he years later found the Rubik’s Cube. Tom started exhibiting in Nuremberg inside what you could quite fairly call a box with a curtain… This tiny cube of a room with a curtain on the front. Nothing else! He would be behind that screen; he’d set himself up to show his ideas. Mostly he’d show them himself, maybe with Chrisi Trussell – she would’ve been with him by that time. Also, it’s worth saying that Tom was an absolute stickler for timekeeping. If he had appointments in that little room, they HAD to be on time!

What would he do if they weren’t?
If you missed the slot, he’d tell you straight: you missed your slot! Timekeeping in the toy industry’s very casual now but, in those days, it was very formal – especially in Germany. He used to have that rule: your slot is this half hour, and if you don’t make it, I’m booked the rest of the day. He wouldn’t keep other people waiting to fit latecomers in and it set an operational standard that still prevails today.

So… In terms of Tom and the Rubik’s Cube, I’ve always held the view that while Ernö invented it, Tom made it legendary. How do you see that?
Well, yes, it’s an interesting story. While Tom was at Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1979, he saw a man called Tibor Laczi showing the Cube. He was acting as a kind of sales agent for the Cube.

But it’s not a prototype at this point? It’s a finished product?
Yes, by 1979, it was already a plastic cube, a functional product. It was called Magic Cube. But in those days, Hungary was still part of the Communist Bloc. So if you invented something, the government automatically controlled sales and manufacturing. So at that time, the Cube was a very Hungarian affair. But they were trying to sell it, and Tom – because he knew enough Hungarian – was able to understand what was being said about the product and said, “Well, maybe I can help…”

Magic words to the sales guy! And interesting that Tom was listening so carefully…
And you know, this is what I do when I go around toy fair. I’m listening as much as I’m looking because it’s surprising what you find. From time to time, you see the most obscure things and think, ‘Oh, that hasn’t got a chance!’ but actually, you need to listen – you never know. Anyway, by that time, Tom had got all these contacts and was able to pick up that Mr. Laczi – well, I think he was a doctor, in fact – Dr. Laczi wasn’t really going to get very far, mostly speaking Hungarian and atrocious English to a mainly German audience. So Tom explained what he could do for the Cube…

In a way, he was selling himself to the salesman?
Yes. And while Tom was taken with the item, he knew it required something rather different to break through. He thought it was really original but there were a few major reasons that people were passing on the item – and went on passing even after Tom took it on. One of the big reasons is that it didn’t come with a solution. Another was categorising it… I mean: what is this cube? Is it a toy? A puzzle? A game? A Novelty? These things alone were huge hurdles to placing it… And oh yes! By the way folks: it’s made in the communist bloc! Ha!

Ha! I think our industry has this fascinating cul-de-sac of creativity… If we see something TOTALLY new, and no one can categorise it… Well, it’s too revolutionary; it feels like an enormous risk.
Exactly. And, understandably, what most retailers will say in such a situation is that the ideas are really interesting – but that they don’t have a slot for it! Because where do they put it? The brainteaser category literally didn’t exist back then.

So no category, no solution. How, then, does Tom see the potential?
He could just feel it was something special, and he had the vision to realise that. But, you know, he went to many, many toy companies and met those very responses. It was also a one player thing – so it’s not a game… It’s not anything. Eventually, though, it makes its way to Lionel Weintraub, who was by then was President of Ideal Toy. It was just that time of year when he was looking for the next big thing to try and boost Ideal into the next year. Tom convinced them the Cube was that thing… Even though at this point there was still no solution. – but Tom was canny, he recognised that the cube could be sold in its solved position and – in a ‘Newton like’ moment – he figured it must be possible to return it to that position… He gambled a solution would emerge!

Good God. It feels like madness, even in hindsight!
Yes! Tom had had more passes on the Cube than probably anything else Seven Towns has ever presented… But Ideal Toy was having hard times, and Lionel was looking for something that he could put on TV. And of course, the Cube looked great on TV and took off into the millions. Which made Lionel, Tom and Ernö Rubik very happy! It really helped, I think, that when Ernö and Tom met, they could talk because they shared enough language between them.

This is great! I’m loving this, Mike; what a story! I do, though, have an impertinent question! Perhaps an impossible one… I’m really curious about this: If Tom Kremer had ignored the Cube, would it have been the same success?
Interesting question. I would say not… And yes, it may well have been missed altogether because it’s unlikely they would’ve continued bringing the Cube back to Nuremberg every year trying to make it stick…

That’s exactly what I’m thinking. Plus, the language barriers, market reluctance are huge factors. So without Tom’s persistence…
Yes. It’s very much a case of right time, right place, right language. A great maxim – one I use quite a lot of the time. Another one I feel is true and pertinent here is that opportunity rarely knocks twice. And most of us miss it… Even to the point where you don’t know you missed it.

Yes. You don’t know what would’ve happened if you turned left when you should’ve gone right…
Right. And it’s quite common in this industry. How many people will tell you that they were offered the Cube and passed? Or Trivial Pursuit?

Oh, my days! Not a month goes by without someone talking about a huge opportunity that they passed on. Almost like war stories!
Right! And these things all come into the ethos of Seven Towns… If we see something interesting, whether it’s got a category, or is missing a solution – don’t worry about it. Learn from Kremer and the Cube.

Well, there’s my headline! “Kremer and the Cube”! Ha!
Ha! And that’s where the story takes another twist – so to speak. Because, arguably, the Cube made Seven Towns world renowned while the Cube soared – for two years…

For two glorious years! It’s a craze; a sensation. And then it’s like the Hula Hoop? It gets to the point where everybody that wants a Cube HAS a Cube?
Yes. Then suddenly NOBODY wants a Cube! Now, obviously Seven Towns, Rubik and the Hungarian government did very, very well out of that and by that time, Tom had made the cube a global phenomenon. So, when it came to an end in ’82, it did what fads do… Dropped off a cliff – finished!

But to clarify, during that first fad, a solution appeared?
Oh, yes – soon there WAS a solution, and there were books about the solution… Then it turns out there’s more than one solution, and then there were a whole load of other products launched. But when the Rubik’s Cube fell off a cliff, the other products largely did the same. And that hurt Ideal Toy, which didn’t carry on for much longer. And that was that for Rubik until there was a relaunch in 1986 with Matchbox, who also came out with Rubik’s Magic.

The flat plate with the linking rings?
Exactly. Rubik’s Magic was clever but – by 1987 – it had gone again. And the Cube relaunch hadn’t really stuck, but it happened well enough to make some money. It was another 10 years before the Cube came back again.

Extraordinary story. So really the Cube got Seven Towns into America, followed by Rubik’s Magic, Rubik’s Snake… A plethora of product in a nascent category! But there were these other ideas, too?
Right. Tom went on to develop many new non-Rubik products with a couple of inventing guys on board – John Wallace and Chris Brewer. They were two industrial design guys that joined Tom and stayed for decades. Tom and the team came up with a whole range of other games too… Things like Forbidden Bridge, Frog Soccer, Dream Phone and Game of the Year…

Which is in your collection here…
Yes – on the shelves there you can see Great Game of Britain and The London Game. They were both with Condor after Rubik. There are toys like Boglins, Sectaurs, Junior Monopoly, Dream Phone, Game of the Year, Dohnutters… They’re all there. They became the core of where Seven Towns was going – and there were indeed some big hits…

As a result of that success, Tom built a team – he hired more designers, worked with other inventors and developed more products. And obviously, the company had more money. So then Tom took a certain amount of that hard-earned income and reinvested it in acquiring the Rubik trademarks from all those companies around the world at a point when it had gone off a cliff.

And that’s the point, I think, at which Tom transcends clever guy to become a genius. After the Cube’s gone off a cliff – so at a time when most people are up for selling the rights – Tom bought them up; all over the world! He’s a genius.
Yes. A masterstroke; brilliant! He took control of the Rubik’s brand by virtue of the trademarks. Of course, Ernö was a partner in all of that, and that relationship with Seven Towns goes on right up until the day it was sold to Spin Master. But it was Tom’s ingenuity to work out the business map for Rubik beyond the first collapse. Without question, Tom was the driver of that. He saw the value in Seven Towns owning and protecting all those rights and taking action against copies.

Absolutely brilliant – but then in 1990’s the Rubik’s Cube had its revival.
Yes, the next chapter demonstrates the degree to which the toy industry is about connections. When Matchbox had Rubik for a short time in 1986, ’87, it was under the watchful eye of Nick Austin. But his number two was John Barbour…

Both I.D.I.O.T. Award winners; people can read their interviews here and here…

Well, after John left Matchbox, he became marketing director of OddzOn in America – of Koosh Ball fame – and eventually CEO, I think. As such, he wanted to relaunch the entire Rubik line. This would be in 1995 or so, and Tom was eager.

Nick Austin wasn’t in this part of the picture?
No, by that time Matchbox had been acquired by Tyco and Nick had successfully started Vivid Imaginations. OddzOn launched the line in America and reached far and wide using the same successful tactics they had with Koosh.

Amazing!
And it grew exponentially through the late nineties. Hasbro had acquired Oddz On in 1997, around the time I joined Seven Towns. There were many new licensees throughout the world and Rubik was picking up momentum. By 2005 it was ubiquitous once again – indeed a brand in its own right… Which is what Tom always felt would happen. Then, in 2007, it blew the roof off when the movie The Pursuit of Happyness hit the silver screen.

Will Smith playing with a Cube was HUGE. Was there something else around that time as well?
Yes, The Pursuit of Happyness pulled a massive global audience and marketers also saw the Cube’s value in that whole area of pop culture. That’s when it began its transition into a lifestyle brand. And let’s not forget that around this time – 2006, 2007 – the Revolution Cube launched. The Revolution Cube was an electronic Cube… That did huge business!

But that’s the extraordinary thing – it came back again even stronger! I think you sold more Cubes than you did in the first craze!
Yes. It came back again and has sustained for a much longer period… It went up and it stayed up – which was exactly Tom’s vision.

Absolutely extraordinary. You know, I was going to ask why you thought Tom won an I.D.I.O.T. Award… But it’s completely redundant because the answer is, “He was a genius!” Ha!
Ha! Yes! Yes. And popular, too. Tom didn’t go to the Inventors Dinner all that often, but when he did go, everyone would want to talk with him. He’d usually be with Eddy Goldfarb, Nick Austin, John Barbour, Mike Bucher and I think Bob Moog. That was a group of such big characters – all sat there, mixing it together!

Most of the folk you mention there are I.D.I.O.T. winners, so I’ll ask Adam Butler to turn all their names into links. One thing that strikes me as a little odd is that Tom Kremer was one of five people that were given a mini I.D.I.O.T. Award in 1996. Not to disparage those awards, or that decision, but I have some trouble reconciling that… It seems to me like he deserved a spotlight of his own.
Yes, in my own view he should have been awarded the full I.D.I.O.T., but – as I understand it – they were trying to give away more awards. In fairness, Tom never commented on that; too much of a gentleman!

And at the point when you joined Seven Towns, Mike, how involved was Tom?
Still involved! By that time, David Kremer, his son, had been MD for several years. David hired me to come in and work with him because Tom was working on Winning Moves in the UK, US, France and later Germany.

Ah! Yes. Tell me a little about Winning Moves…
Tom founded Winning Moves in 1995 with three partners: Philip Orbanes, who’d been with Parker Brothers; Mike Meyers from Milton Bradley, then Hasbro; and Alex Randolph – a game inventor. The four of them started Winning Moves in the US, building on a base of inactive versions of Hasbro classics. By 2001, they were getting Rubiks and Pass the Pigs to the mom-and-pop stores across America…

In Europe, the focus was on Monopoly city editions, and then Top Trumps. That happened because Top Trumps was an inactive brand and Tom knew where the rights were from the days when Hasbro bought Waddingtons. He believed there was a big opportunity for both, and he had he had a very good relationship with Jane Ritson Parsons, who was running Hasbro licensing – they hatched a deal. So Tom more or less created Winning Moves Europe to capitalise on these brands.

Very clever man… He was great with these re-awakenings, wasn’t he?
Yes. He could see and think on many levels; a real lateral thinker… Another example of that is Monopoly Junior. Tom figured that if Scrabble could do a junior version, why couldn’t Parker Brothers do it with Monopoly? But at that time, Parker saw Monopoly as a game for age ten plus – a family game. Tom invented a junior version anyway, and continued pushing… And as we know, that junior version opened up a whole new brand positioning which has proved so successful. So yes – Tom was very good at looking at what established brands do from an outside perspective, and thinking: what else can I do with that? And that remains part of our business model today.

And did Tom run Winning Moves from here in Notting Hill?
Yes, Tom initially drove the growth of Winning Moves while still operating from the office here. In due course, they worked out of offices quite near here in Paddington. He later hired Tom Liddle for the UK division, and they did Monopoly City editions and relaunched Top Trumps – still flourishing and thriving today. And there’s one more venture that Tom got into – publishing books.

Yes. Notting Hill Editions. What was the impetus behind that? Do you know?
Well, initially the books had a specific aim. They were designed to revive the art of the essay, so they were quite short. And again, Notting Hill Editions still exists today – Tom’s daughter runs it: Kim Kremer. They put out half a dozen titles a year. Tom did a few titles himself in the early days. Some of them I have here, look… This particular title – The Missing Heart of Europe – is about the UK’s place in Europe.

Incredible. So many achievements! And that leads to my final question, I suppose, Mike… Tom passed over in 2017. Do you miss him?
Oh yes, absolutely. We all miss Tom. But you know, he was and remains ever present… His picture’s on the wall in the corridor here, and many of the team remember him and miss him. We miss his charm, and we miss his wit, his warmth and his whip.

Ha! His wit, his warmth and his whip! Oh, that’s fantastic! Ha! That’s so great; that’s the perfect note to end on. Mike, thank you so much for this. I’m really grateful that you spent so much of your time giving me an insight into a man who really does strike me as a genius.

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The post Kremer and the Cube: Mike Moody of Seven Towns on the genius of I.D.I.O.T. Award winner Tom Kremer appeared first on Mojo Nation.