David Norman of Stormin’ Studios on inventors, Orchard Toys – and shaking things up!

David, it’s great to catch up. For anyone new to Stormin’ Studios, talk us through it.
The name Stormin’ Studios was inspired by my nickname – Stormin’ Norman – which is how so many people in the industry know me. The ‘studio’ part was really leaning into what that evokes creatively. We don’t want to just be another toy manufacturer; we want to really shake things up through inspired ideas and a totally fresh take on play. So Stormin’ Studios was born out of the idea of bringing new cool creative stuff to the industry in unique ways. It’s not just a name, it’s our mission statement.

As part of our growth strategy, we are looking to acquire companies with complimentary portfolios, who are already in the development funnel in their own right, leading us to be an umbrella with multiple studios of innovation in the future.

And as a nod to doing the unexpected, our logo flips the colors to be the visual cue to our unconventional approach to what we do. As far as I know, a blue lightning bolt with an orange cloud is a first. You can expect to see exactly that kind of thinking applied to everything we do.

And you wasted no time in making your first acquisition. Tell us about that.
We are fortunate to have acquired the assets from a company called The Canadian Group (TCG Toys) which is based out of Canada and has over 25 years of history in making quality brand name products in the industry. A core group of talented folks from the original team were retained to drive the business forward, led by our Managing Director Jess Gavin. The team is out of Toronto which is a hub of toy excellence, so this was a really fun first acquisition for me.

We play in the categories of compounds, preschool toys, action figures, crafts and activities, games and puzzle, with brands that include: Megamats, Surelox Puzzles, Magnetic Creations and Flexfigs. We are currently shipping key mass market and specialty retailers domestically and direct import in North America; and partnering with great distributors around the world.

We are genuinely thrilled to continue to partner with some of the most respected licensed brands in the industry including Mattel, Hasbro, BBC, Spin Master, SEGA, Lumistella and more.

And Stormin’ Studios also signed as the US distributor for Orchard Toys?
Yes, I’m a huge fan of Orchard Toys, it’s the best pre-school games brand out there both for quality and thoughtful play innovation. They’ve proven it in the UK and in Australia, where if you walk the aisles at retail you will see that they command full runs, up to 12 feet, of linear shelf space in places. That kind of retail real estate only comes through deep consumer engagement and brand trust.

We look forward to proving the power of this brand in North America. I believe the brand can be successful pretty much at the jump, with the look and feel of it. I also feel it needs to have a bigger specialty presence, like it does in the UK and Australia, so that’ll be part of what we do.

You’ve previously been at larger companies like University Games, Goliath, and Moose Toys. How are you finding doing your own thing?
When I co-founded and led Goliath Games’ North American office, we started as a one-man band in my house. I had to do every job! Fortunately, we grew quickly and established a great team, but I loved the early stages of the business. When I went to Moose, despite its large size, I was afforded the opportunity to build my part of the business like a start-up.

I love the early stages of a business; it’s where incredible ideation and inspiration happen. I guess the part that’s less fun is the investment in cash that is required to get this rolling, but I have to say, I love every bit of this.

Terrific. And some might think, with market challenges being what they are, that this year isn’t the ideal time to launch a new company…
I’m really good at starting businesses at the worst possible time.

Ha!
Goliath Games’ launch in 2008 was the absolute wrong time to start a business, right? And now, with Stormin’ Studios, this was the time for me to do it. I’m ready to go! The good news is we started with zero revenue in late 2025, so everything we do is up.

Where do you see the business going? Which categories are of interest moving forward?
From my history at Goliath, Moose, and University Games, people think of me as the games guy, and it’s true, I have a deep passion for this category. But Stormin’ Studios has a much broader mix of products: games, puzzles, action figures and activities.

We’re playing with a broader portfolio, which is energizing and allows for even more out-of-the-box thinking. We’re definitely looking across all categories in toys and games in terms of how to grow, including the launch of a hit collectibles line at the LA show. I’m super excited about it.

You’ve worked with inventors over the years – are inventors important to Stormin’ Studios?
Yes! We’ve signed seven deals with inventors since we started, from the biggest of big inventors to the smallest of small. We’ve been very fortunate that the inventing community has seen us as a real option to show their products. I appreciate you guys at Mojo Nation for your help to get connected and tell our story. I also have to thank Mary Couzin – she introduced us and got us set up at People of Play, so we had good support from them.

And what do you want to see from inventors?
Cool stuff that’s unexpected. If it’s amazing, it doesn’t have to be in categories where we currently play. When you pitch, have a reason why you think it’s going to sell, some sort of hook. It’s key to figure that out. Also, I want to do something different in dice games and I want some help in that area.

What do you see as key to successful inventor relations?
In my experience, the most important thing is communication. Even if it’s bad news, inventors want to hear: “I’m not going to do this, but this is the reason why.” All inventors can take bad news, but what they struggle with is no news, so you’ve got to communicate.

From a company perspective it’s important to stay curious. You never know how a single meeting can spark an idea that creates real electricity. There have been many deals where we started with the kernel of an idea and then worked together to make something even better. I love the inventors who want to continue to have a connection to their product even after the sale is done.

Also from our end, it’s important to be malleable. Inventors should feel confident to say what they think and feel heard. With everyone, you have to figure out the right amount of follow-up. Have those regular check-ins to ensure everybody stays happy.

And what keeps you enthused and passionate about the industry David?
Being around people – other creative people. And just seeing, talking, and getting that vibe from them. I wake up every day stimulated to figure what’s the next big, exciting thing we can do.

The other thing that really helps me is time for deep thinking. At a different company, you might have a calendar that’s blocked in 15-to-30-minute increments throughout the day. And really, what you’re doing there is helping other people achieve what they need to do – which is important, by the way. But I really like the idea, and think it is vital, to set aside time to individually create, in addition to the all-important collaborative time to create alongside other people. Fostering an environment where creativity has a seat at the table is a primary focus for me.

What do you think is the most underrated item you’ve worked on in your career?
We had this game at Goliath from Rehkemper called Fish Food. This fish would spin around and spit cards out to you. You’d grab cards, lose them, switch them and all while this fish would sass you during the game. I thought that was an amazing, amazing game. We had it in a cool window box showing this fish. It simply didn’t sell through as well as well everyone hoped. But I will always take chances on unique products like this, with the potential to be great.

It looks fun!
It was great. We had another game at Goliath called HolograFX. It was invented by a great magician named Andre Armanante and utilized the pepper’s ghost holographic effect. I thought it was going to be the next big thing, but I don’t think the packaging conveyed the story well enough.

Before we go, you’ll be at the LA Previews in September?
Yes, I’m local every day of the year! And we have a permanent showroom in the 1960 Grand Building, in Suite 390. The space is really large so we’ve invited Rainbow Loom, Fotorama and Longshore to join us in the showroom. It’s a great environment which we use off-season for inventor meetings and licensor meetings too. This season you can expect the unexpected when you come visit our space, so I really hope people will come see us.

I’m sure they will! David, a huge thanks again and congrats on the launch of Stormin’ Studios.

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