Jean Theberge – always a pleasure to see you. We’ve interviewed you a couple of times, of course! People can read your origin story here…
Jean: Thanks for having us back, Deej!

You’re always welcome – I love your products! And Jean-Marc Guérin, this is your first time with this. I understand you’re the driving force behind a new product at Wrebbit, though. Tell me about it!
Jean-Marc: Thank you! Everything here is very much a team effort, of course, but I’m in charge of the development department at Wrebbit. As you know, we have a collection that’s called Urbania. There are four models in it so far: a hotel, a cinema, a café, and a fire station… The idea for that collection came to me around ten years ago when we were coming back from Nuremberg. That’s because – when we go to those show – people are always asking us if we can make the building next to their where they live…

Ha! Just anonymous buildings?
Jean-Marc: Yes, that’s it exactly: we can’t make those because they’re not known around the world. So it came to me that what we have to do is create a village that people feel could be close to the them… Buildings that feel common everywhere in the world. The first four were illustrated by Eric Gallant, who’s the son of Paul, the inventor of 3D puzzle. Since then, they’ve always been my favourite among our products – and I don’t know why, but I’ve always had in mind that it would be great if we had diner! I think because I love this kind of architecture, you know.

Perfect! And I’ll put a photo of the new model, the Diner in here… My only concern being that it’s impossible to do it full justice because there’s no way to show off this beautiful foil printing. How did that come about?
Jean-Marc: We had a meeting with one of the printers we work with. Just out of passion, he was showing me what they can now do with foil. While I was aware of some of those techniques, I didn’t know that it could go that far… The colours were really popping; I was amazed by it. I immediately thought now would be the right time to do a diner with that printing and have the same tinting on the box.

It looks amazing! And does having that foil vastly change the production process?
Jean: No, the printing process is only a little different. At the beginning, we had to wonder: ‘Will our materials cut the same way with the metallic foil on? What if it’s not cut perfectly?’ We had to look into that because it’s easier to tear down if it’s only paper. But we experimented to find out what difference it made to the puzzle pieces. And we were very happy with what we found! We knew we had to do it, and that now is the right time; it’s a great timing for the diner.

And why is now the right time for it?
Jean-Marc: Now’s the right time not only because of the printing process, but also because the world is in difficult times. The diner has that 1950’s vibe, though… People tend to look at that time with nostalgia. They felt a new era was coming; they were excited. And a lot of people feel we need something like that now – just to make our minds dream again. In fact, we did wonder if we should create a new collection that was more focused on retro… In the end, though we choose to put the diner in the Urbania collection because it looks so great when when you put all the models together.

Nostalgia’s not what it used to be though, is it?! But I guess if I’d realized I could print that metallic finish, the temptation would be to do a spaceship or something that’s all shiny… But the diner is very tasteful; it fits in with the collection…
Jean-Marc: Yes, because I had the feeling that if it’s ALL shiny, you lose the interest of it. We need some contrast. So some parts are matt and that helps the shiny parts to pop. In fact, when we were making tests for the puzzle cuts, we had sheets that weren’t printed… they were only shiny. And we realised then that we would need contrast to help tell a story tell a story – because we’re always trying to tell a story with with our puzzles.

And that brings us to the lovely details in the puzzle… Tell me about some of the Easter eggs.
Jean-Marc: Right. We wanted to include some puzzle pieces that, when you find them, give you a feeling… They make you dream or think back, or reflect on the music of the time, say. As this was coming together, I was listening to one of my favourite Canadian singers. As an homage, I just put the name of one of his songs – Kiki BBQ – on the sign here…

I thought we’d change it later but, in the end, we left it there! Another Easter egg is the sign on top of the puzzle. The founder of the original company, Paul Gallant, was a musician so we put his name over this beautiful guitar to symbolise the music of the time! Also, the radio station has its frequency on this sign is 199.1. That’s because 1991 was the year Wrebbit came to fruition with 3D puzzles.

Oh, I love things like that! You know the two of you just come alive with passion when you talk! I love it. What was the trickiest part of creating this?
Jean: Compared to other product, the trickiest part was, I think, Jean-Marc putting a lot of work into it… But not knowing how it would play in production with the die cut and everything. That was that was the real challenge…

It was a great relief when we we did initial tests and found we could use a particular level of pressure on this puzzle to make sure the cut is perfect… This way, when you dismantle the model, everything is fine! There’s no breaking of pieces or what have you. So that was a big concern at first; a tricky challenge, but it worked out beautifully.

And how does that silver end up on the material, Jean? Does it somehow go through a printer twice?
Jean-Marc: No, it’s pretty much the opposite! The board already has the metallic finish on. Then, the printers have eight different colours that we print onto the silver areas we want to eliminate…

Ohhhhhhh! I see! Gosh. That’s amazing!
Jean: With this print, it’s the foil first. Then they print over the foil with all the other colours. And Jean Marc’s twist is that he needed to tone down certain areas of the print so that the foil comes up – or not! It’s pretty difficult.

Jean-Marc: I have three different ways to block the foil line. First, I could put a white ink on it. The white ink completely blocks the silver… Then I can print the the colours on it: it’s like printing on a regular paper. Alternatively, I can put down a dark colour… That also blocks the metallic effect. Finally, I have a varnish we can apply. So I have to work out which technique would work best in which area before adding three or four different layers of colour.

Well, you’ve done something there that’s quite beautiful. Tell me Jean-Marc, how did you come to be in the industry?
Jean-Marc: Ah! That’s a fun story… I was actually an independent photographer back then; a commercial photographer. But I had a friend working at Wrebbit. My friend said that the regular photographer was on vacation when they needed a job doing urgently. He asked if I could help with it. And I thought, ‘Why not?’ So I made some pictures – and they never went back to the other guy after that!

Ha! No? So somewhere out there is a chap that used to take the photos wondering how he lost the Wrebbit contract?!
Jean-Marc: Exactly, yes!

Awww! He only went on vacation… 20 years on, he’s still scratching his head!
Jean-Marc: Well, I did the photographs for about five years. The Wrebbit changed ownership when they had their problems. But by that time, it was about 80% of my business… Things slowed down very fast, and – in effect – I was without a job.

Jean: And we talked about those problems, Deej, when we spoke for the first time…

Quite so. Fascinating story. People can read about that here. But when Phoenix, but when Wrebbit rose from the ashes…
Jean-Marc: Then, they called me and said something to the effect that they didn’t need photos, but they needed something done in Photoshop. They knew that I could do that, and they wanted help preparing graphics for the upcoming New York Toy Fair. And they asked if I could come and work with the new team for two weeks.

And you thought, ‘Why not?’!
Jean-Marc: Right! Why not?! I’m free. I went in and I never left since 2000.

My God! So one way or the other, you’ve been doing this for 25 years? Amazing…
Jean: Ha! We wanted Jean-Marc back – so when everybody was telling me I should relaunch Wrebbit, I knocked on his door and the door of a great designer from before… A few people like that. So we joined everyone together. In 2012, we we launched the company together – thirteen thirteen years ago.

Mind you, I don’t suppose he dares take many vacations! But I do love that you put the old team back together. Again, it speaks to your passion.
Jean-Marc: Well, passion is the right word! I still remember the day, 13 years ago, that Jean called me about bringing back Wrebbit. He said he had a project we should chat about. I was so excited to go back to those puzzles! Because the work is interesting, and we have a lot of fun. After twenty five years, I’m still loving my job and loving those projects.

Brilliant.
Jean: And when you mention, Deej, that we’re all passionate about what we’re doing… Well, it’s been like that since 1991. All the people that worked in the former Wrebbit company from 1991 – until 2005; 2006 when it shut down – remember this as a good time. So they were excited when I called people in 2011 and 2012 and said, “You want to go back?” Because they loved wanted to get back into that passion. And that’s been like that for all these years: we’re a very good family, I would say; we’re very tight together…

That means we get even get together when times are tougher and remind each other that we’re going to get through it. So it’s not just a job we’re coming to in the morning, doing for the paycheck and that’s it. We’re all into it – and that’s why we celebrate and have some great success in good times, but cope and push on in bad times – because we’re all together.

That’s something a lot of marketing people would have me believe, Jean, but when you say it, I believe it. So! My final question, Jean-Marc, is this: what’s the most interesting object on your desk?
Jean-Marc: Oh! Good question. Hmmm. My computer!

Oh! What a great answer!
Jean-Marc: My computer is a tool I use; it lets me express anything I have in my mind. And, of course, when I first started working, we had no tools that compare to those we have today! But now these tools let me have so much fun with what’s in my brain… My computer allows me to do so many things.

Well, when you put it like that, I wonder why no one’s said it before. Alright! I’m going to link here to a video here to show off the new diner… But let me first thank both of you – what a pleasure to chat.

The post Wrebbit’s Jean Theberge and Jean-Marc Guerin reflect on the metallic finish of their new 3D-puzzle diner appeared first on Mojo Nation.

Want great Ghostbusters product? Who ya gonna call?! Jean Théberge on the Firehouse 3D puzzle.

Jean, terrific to see you! We’ve spoken to you on our sister site before; people can read that here… Something you had on the stand in Nuremberg really caught my eye, though: the Ghostbusters fire station. It looks amazing, tell us about it!
Thank you, Deej. Since we had already released Ghostbusters ECTO-1 ambulance, the Firehouse Headquarters was a natural and great addition to our portfolio. As you saw in Germany, it’s a beautiful set… There are 500 pieces. When built, the Firehouse is 30cm tall, and just over 23cm by 18 deep and wide respectively.

It’s substantial – and beautiful, it has to be said. You also have some lovely extra touches that should make this irresistible to fans. Tell us about them…
The Ghostbusters Firehouse HQ has lovely fine details! The StayPuft Marshmallow Man is impressively illustrated on the back… There are other illustrated features and hidden elements that it might be fun for people to discover for themselves! But it also comes with a small ECTO-1 ambulance and – of course – the Slimer character.

Of course! That’s a very cute addition. And am I to understand you I’ve gone the extra mile with the building instructions?
Yes, we’re particularly proud to bring a third dimension to the product… We’ve added interactive online instructions and video support on various social media platforms. These help highlight product details and enhances our fans’ experience with immersive features. This extra touch lets us reach new customers and build loyal patronage.

How did this model come about, Jean?
While discussing our license renewal with Sony Pictures Consumer Products at the end of November, we learned the date of the theatrical release of the new Ghostbusters movie, Frozen Empire. As you may know, it had been postponed due to the strikes in the cinema industry in 2023.

Right! And rescheduled for release at the end of March 2024…
Exactly. We immediately saw a fit with Ghostbusters Firehouse HQ for a new Wrebbit3D puzzle as a complement to the ECTO-1 3D puzzle that we introduced in September 2021… But obviously, we had to act very rapidly if we were to have that product align with the new film’s theatrical release…

How rapidly?!
We made our final decision in late November and had it in production at the end of February… So it took us just 11 weeks. And that included taking the two-week holiday for Christmas and New Year. So, yes… Our design and creative teams really rolled up their sleeves and put all the energy into this new model.

This turnaround was exceptionally fast and was achieved due to Sony Pictures Consumer Products development team… The collaboration and exchanges we had with them were superb. We needed to execute quickly in order to get product approval prior to London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs at the end of January this year and being able to show final results to trade.

So the turnaround of this was incredibly quick… For context, how long would it normally have taken?
Usually when introducing a new Wrebbit3D jigsaw puzzle, it takes us anywhere from four to six months from initial idea to final product ready for production… It all depends on the dimensions and piece count. The reduced production time included not only the puzzle design in 3D and the illustrated puzzle, with its wonderful hidden elements, but also the packaging design.

And sign off, presumably?
Yes! Everything is subject to the licensor’s approval. For any licensed 3D puzzle, the licensor’s collaboration is not only key, but also very important for us; very meaningful. We want them to be delighted. And as I say, they were superb.

Fantastic. I almost daren’t ask this, though… Now that you know you can turn something around as fast as this, is there a chance you’re going to overwork your team?!
Ha! Well, it’s true that we cannot always ask the Wrebbit teams to execute in such shorter development time! Given the numerous delays and postponements in new theatrical film and series releases, though, I think everyone was energised by the fact that we had a fantastic opportunity. The timing was great for a couple of reasons. First, the market introduction – it fell in very well with the numerous toy fairs at the beginning of the year. Second, what good fortune that the product was ready almost one month prior to theatrical release.

Yes! And I’m quite looking forward to seeing it, too. So… Speed aside, what was the biggest challenge making this a reality?
As mentioned, sometimes there are delays that are out of our control. A licensor’s review process, say, or third-party suppliers enabling us to squeeze in some material and components production. On this product specifically, though, it was a challenge getting it to bed during a period that included Christmas and New Year! That was indeed a challenge as every stakeholder involved had a different holiday shutdown schedule.

Oh, wow! Yes… I can imagine. Now… Stay with me here! I’m given to understand that the image of the Eiffel Tower at night has some rights limitations! Given that the fire station in Ghostbusters – and, by extension, this puzzle – is based on a real building, do you have to pay any sort of image rights on that?!
Interesting question! So there are a couple of things… First, if a building or other structure is part of public domain, there are usually no rights limitations. I think the Eiffel Tower at night has limitations because of the lighting, not the building!

Is that right?! That would make sense!
I think so… But in the case at hand, we have also adapted the ‘firehouse building’ to distinguish it from the ‘real building’. On top of that, since we were reproducing Ghostbusters creative elements and assets, our rights are limited and restricted to licensor and other stakeholder review and approval – and subject to terms and conditions of the license agreement.

A suitably interesting answer! Thank you. We need to wrap this up, Jean, but let’s give the product a bloody good plug! Who’s distributing this for you? where can people get a copy?
With our first production in mid-February, we were able to ship units to North America as well as Europe. Since Wrebbit has a Logistics hub in Belgium, it enabled our EU and UK distributors to get units in their respective warehouses earlier this week… Just in time for Frozen Empire’s theatrical release. In the UK, our Wrebbit3D puzzles are distributed by our friends at Coiledspring Games.

Ah, yes! Lovely people. Finally, Jean, I neglected to ask last time: what’s the most interesting object in your office or on your desk?
Apart from our team mascot – Super Dog KaChou, who wanders around the company cheering up and reducing stress among our dedicated crew of employees… You will also find our 27 licensed jigsaw puzzles from TOP licensed properties renowned worldwide!

A winning answer! Thank you, Jean.

The post Going gangbusters for Ghostbusters: Jean Théberge on the fast production of Wrebbit’s new 3D puzzle appeared first on Mojo Nation.

Jean, what a great pleasure to meet you. Thanks for making time. Let’s start with the company’s name… Where does Wrebbit come from?

An animal name?
Well… WREBBIT is an onomatopoeia; it emulates the croak of a frog. We wanted the name to be synonymous with the logo. The iconic WREBBIT 3D puzzles were then known as “The one with the frog on the box.”

Got it!
In connection with the 30th anniversary of the very first 3D puzzle on the market, WREBBIT is re-branding its logo. We decided to reintroduce the frog for retailers and consumers to create the same association, which often brings a large smile to everyone’s face.

Great! I was also fascinated to learn about the rise and fall and rise of Wrebbit 3D Puzzles. Can you tell us about it?
The former WREBBIT company brought this original 3D puzzle to market in the fall of 1991. It was a Canadian invention and revolutionised the world of jigsaw puzzles…

In what way?
By creating this totally new category of puzzles to capture the imagination and hearts of millions of people everywhere. Between 1991 to 2005, over 30 million 3D puzzle units designed and developed by Wrebbit® Original team were sold around the world.

Wow! So the original was very pioneering, and sold terrific numbers…
Yes. We saw an important and rapid surge in demand for this novelty – not only for specialty but also for mass market… The first seven to eight years brought with it various production and distribution challenges. While important investments in equipment, production and distribution facilities were made in the late 1990s, the popularity of 3D puzzles had dwindled – they were no longer considered a novelty.

Interesting. They went out of fashion for a short time, then?
They did. Then, in 2011, former employees launched a new WREBBIT, WREBBIT PUZZLES INC. This new team is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the dream of the original 3D puzzle inventor Paul E. Gallant. We aim to bring the highest possible challenge to puzzle fans and collectors – with a different twist.

You say a twist… Let’s talk about that. How did the brand evolve?
Wrebbit3D evolved considerably as a brand, with a wider offering of classics and popular-themed licensed 3D puzzles. Wrebbit3D puzzles are still at the forefront, with unparalleled 3D elements, highly detailed illustrations and a genuinely immersive 3D jigsaw-puzzle experience, setting Wrebbit apart in a class on its own.

So, looking at the old Wrebbit and the new, what are the similarities? And what are the critical differences?
From a product perspective, the similarities are mainly in the ongoing use of tenon-mortise technology, combined with polyethylene foam… This provides great sturdiness to 3D-puzzle assembly.

That’s what that’s called, is it; a tenon-mortise? That’s what’s locking it together?
Yes. Then, on the product-development side, the critical differences for the new Wrebbit puzzles include better 3D designs and tooling… Also, the illustrations are now pristine, with more detail, and we have higher efficiency in sourcing and inventory management. Then, from a production and distribution perspective, the former management – as I say – made some investment decisions that were not really fine tuned with market reality. Too many puzzles had been introduced and produced, which led to some overstock and closeouts. On top of that, the distribution chain had been broken… As you can imagine, that affected the whole brand negatively.

Yes. Interesting. But in 2011? With the new WREBBIT PUZZLES INC.?
In 2011, after approximately six years in the ‘penalty box’, renewed interest in 3D puzzles led to a new chapter. Motivated by its customary desire for innovation, the WREBBIT fable came back with a bold rebrand! To make a successful relaunch, we had to reinvent our production and distribution processes. Presciently, this included making the company’s supply chain available locally to better serve its global community of distributors and retailers.

And that, presumably, was a big change?
Yes, huge. Rather than using a similar business model to the former WREBBIT CO, this masterstroke enabled WREBBIT PUZZLES INC. to scale up production when demand warranted it. We could dependably ensure we had enough inventory to fill orders while limiting overstock via just-in-time manufacturing. Furthermore, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, brought us interesting distribution possibilities with the old continent.

But now you focus on producing exactly what you need, exactly when you need it…
Right. And for this new WREBBIT PUZZLES INC., maintaining proper focus is very important to us; it’s one of the main reasons for our current success. We’re more diversified in our business, not by reason of a broader range and variety of toys and games products being offered, but mainly by our numerous activities: designer, manufacturer, worldwide distributor, wholesaler to retail in North America and in Europe, and we’re now operating our own business-to-consumer website.

And what made you go in that direction?
Consumer habits have been evolving throughout the last few years, and the pandemic accelerated this transition even more. We felt that with e-commerce we could offer a seamless experience for puzzlers frequently visiting our website by adding the option to buy on top of useful resources and human customer service.
 
Excellent. You mentioned your manufacturing… I understand your puzzles are made in Montreal, with foam produced in the US… And printed puzzle sheets, assembly instructions and cardboard from Quebec! How helpful has that been given the troubled nature of supplies over the past couple of years?
Contrary to other companies sourcing their components or products from the Far East, the fact that WREBBIT PUZZLES INC. is operating a Just in Time facility – with access to local suppliers mainly from the Province of Quebec – has, indeed, helped greatly over the past couple of years.

How so?
It shortens production turnaround and it reduces potential break up in the supply chain. It also enables us to meet urgent needs from local and North American markets while shortening production and shipping-container orders to Europe within a 14 to 21 day timeframe.

And in terms of the product, some of your lines involve very interesting licensing… Here I’m thinking about everything from Lord of the Rings to Central Perk building from FRIENDS and Ecto 1 from Ghostbusters. What was it that took you down that road?
Initially focused on a classics theme by designing iconic buildings and landmarks in 3D, we felt it important to meet the demand and keep up with the trends by having a broader range and offering popular licensed puzzles.

From the start, WREBBIT always associated itself with the top licensed properties, such as Star Wars, Disney, and Lord of the Rings. Recently, we renewed some old partnerships – and forged new ones – with TOP licensed properties that including Harry Potter via Wizarding World, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey and, as you said, FRIENDS, and Ghostbusters. Timing new Wrebbit3D puzzle designs with theatrical releases, selecting popular evergreen licenses or popular TV series are key elements to our recent success.

So when you’re looking to produce a licensed line, what are your considerations? What makes any particular IP a great candidate for Wrebbit?
First and foremost, the popularity of a particular licence. It also has to be an attractive licence that resonates strongly with our fans. Within each licensed theme, we need to select a building or a structure that can transpose itself well into a 3D jigsaw puzzle format. In the end, our goal is to offer the real 3D puzzle experience to our fans: challenging, entertaining, and sturdily assembled 3D puzzle.

I guess I’d had no real reason to think about it like that but it feels like a balancing act! So once you have an idea for a product, what’s the process? How do you get it from the back of your mind to the front of the shelf?!
WREBBIT PUZZLES INC. is a privately owned company working closely as a team. We meet every week to discuss various new 3D puzzle ideas… They range from classic-themed to major license. Our design and marketing teams then brainstorm together to identify the right thematic – iconic building or a popular license – to add to our Wrebbit3D brand, before initiating the next steps…

And what are the next steps?!
After the initial selection of a potential new puzzle, the creation and design team starts to produce an initial unillustrated mock-up, which we develop internally. We look to ensure that this new 3D puzzle sits well with our design and production processes.

Right…
Once we’re confident about the 3D rendering, the mock-up, and when applicable, after getting the licensor’s approval of this rough concept, we give an Official GO to this new project. We complete the 3D design, develop tooling (specific die for each 3D puzzle), illustrate the 3D puzzle, design packaging and prepare assembly instructions. Once those design steps are completed, marketing supporting elements are then developed for the benefit of our distributors and retailers as well as eventually for our fans (consumers).

The overall process takes usually from five to six months for each new Wrebbit3D puzzle. As mentioned above, since the timing of each new puzzle release is often crucial in our industry, our creative team can roll up their sleeves and reduce the development process lead time to three to four months.

This might seem like an odd question but if you weren’t running WREBBIT PUZZLES INC., what do you think you’d be doing?
I have a legal background – as a lawyer with a master’s degree in taxation – and had worked as a commercial legal counsel for over 10 years. I’d always been attracted by business in general, though, and it had always been part of my DNA… I dreamed of owning or joining some kind of business.

And when you were offered the chance to leave law for puzzles, was that a hard decision?
No, not really. When Paul E. Gallant invited me to join the former WREBBIT, I had the opportunity to combine my legal background with business development and licensing. I “ jumped on the bandwagon” without any form of hesitation. Now, after nearly 30 years of being actively engaged in the toy-and-game industry, and even after having faced some rougher times, I don’t regret any day of my involvement to bring challenging and entertaining 3D puzzles to families and our fans around the world. I look back with great pride at WREBBIT’s teams – old and new – and at all the accomplishments and realisations of these 30 years.

Fantastic! You seem genuinely passionate about it…
Absolutely. When Paul Gallant invented the 3D puzzle in 1991, he sparked a whole new industry that didn’t exist before then. Today, WREBBIT PUZZLES INC. expands on this unique Canadian invention and is now the 3D-puzzle authority offering the real 3D jigsaw-puzzle experience on the market and continues to be the gold standard when it comes to genuine 3D puzzling. I personally feel like an orchestra conductor leading a dedicated and experienced team of musicians to ensure all the parts are fine tuned and heading in the right direction with the same goal. Music to my ears!

Jean, it’s been wonderful listening to you speak so passionately about this. I’m so glad we made time to time; thank you. My penultimate question, then… What’s the one question I haven’t asked you that perhaps I should have?
You could ask me, “What’s the best part of your day?”

And what is the best part of your day?
Getting to the office every morning to join the great group of colleagues that I’m privileged to work with. Doesn’t really feel like work. Like the late Paul E. Gallant use to say, “We are not always doing that for fun, but we must have fun doing it.”

Oh, that’s brilliant. Wise words! Jean Théberge, thank you so much for joining us. What a pleasure.

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The post Jean Théberge on why licensed lines are at the heart of WREBBIT’s iconic 3D puzzles appeared first on Mojo Nation.