Cole Watson

Mississauga

Staff Writer at Kidscreen

Sr. PC Editor at Comics and Gaming Magazine (CGMagazine)

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Articles

Deals in Brief - June 16, 2026

1 week ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

WEBTOON Entertainment has expanded its partnership with Dark Horse Comics and will adapt the publisher’s graphic novels The Legend of Korra and Plants vs Zombies into vertical-scrolling comics that are designed to be read on mobile devices. With Q3 release dates planned, this new deal builds on a pre-existing agreement between the two companies that has yieldedwebtoons that have been viewed more than 13 million times since March 2024.
Roku and Amazon forge an advertising partnership

1 week ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

Roku has signed an exclusive partnership with Amazon that will give advertisers the ability to extend their reach to 80% of US households by leveraging both platforms’ subscribers. This new integration will launch in Q4, opening up access to an estimated 80 million CTV users across the country through the e-commerce retailer’s Amazon DSP service, which automates digital advertising purchasing across several publishers.
Licensing International elects five new board members

2 weeks ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

Licensing International’s (LI) members have elected five new directors to join its board and support the multi-billion-dollar licensing industry.
Mattel and OpenAI form new partnership

2 weeks ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

Mattel has inked a new deal with LA-based software developer OpenAI to create AI-powered consumer products and experiences based on its iconic toy brands. The toyco will initially leverage OpenAI’s expertise to design, develop and launch new interactive toys, the first of which it expects to unveil later this year.
Netflix showcases new Stranger Things animated series at Annecy

2 weeks ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

Netflix unveiled the first footage of its new Stranger Things CG-animated series during its animation slate presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival yesterday. Titled Stranger Things: Tales of ’85, the franchise’s first-ever animated entry will take place between seasons two and three of the live-action series.
Ad Populum sues AENT for poaching Diamond Comic Distributors’ employees

2 weeks ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

Diamond Comic Distributors’ new parentco Ad Populum has launched a lawsuit against Alliance Entertainment (AENT) for allegedly poaching employees and stealing trade secrets. This move comes after the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland approved joint bidders Ad Populum and Universal Distribution to acquire all of Diamond’s assets in May for US$57 million.
Walmart launches a new AI-powered assistant for shoppers

2 weeks ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

Walmart is bolstering its suite of AI-powered tools with a new shopping assistant called Sparky that went live on Monday. Consumers can interact with this assistant through the “Ask Sparky” button on Walmart’s e-commerce site and app, which provides strong search functions, answers questions about products on the platform, and even compares different items to determine the best one.
People Moves - June 11, 2025

2 weeks ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

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BBC Studios and Blink Industries team up for new anime-inspired toon

2 weeks ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

BBC Studios Kids & Family is developing a new anime-inspired comedy series with the working title Children Vs Battle SuperStars as part of its first-look deal with London-based prodco Blink Industries. This 2D-animated series (22 x 22 minutes) will target eight- to 12-year-olds and follows three ordinary kids who compete in a martial arts tournament against the world’s strongest fighters.
SAG-AFTRA reaches tentative agreement with gamecos to end strike

2 weeks ago | kidscreen.com | Cole Watson

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has reached a tentative agreement with major video game companies to end the ongoing voice actors’ strike. Vid game voice actors have been picketing since July 31, 2024, when protracted contract negotiations broke down between the union and several US-based gamecos—including Electronic Arts, Disney, Epic Games and WB Games—due to a lack of AI protections for performers.