VANCOUVER, CANADA — Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands — the distribution and consumer products arms of Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV:TBRD, OTC – THBRF) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”) — are pleased to announce several platform and licensing deals for Mermicorno: Starfall, the new original animated series from Thunderbird-owned Atomic Cartoons, produced in partnership with global character, art and lifestyle brand tokidoki.

The first season of Mermicorno: Starfall (26 x 22 minutes) will be made available on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, Max in the U.S. and LATAM (Latin America and The Caribbean) — as well as Cartoon Network in LATAM and Southeast Asia. The series has also been acquired by Narrative Entertainment’s POP (UK) and Corus Entertainment for Treehouse, STACKTV and TELETOON+ (Canada). Mermicorno: Starfall is expected to launch on all Corus platforms in Canada in early 2025.

Thunderbird Brands has also appointed the first international licensing agent for the IP. Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, a renowned international producer, distributor, and licensor of children’s animated and live-action content, will represent Mermicorno: Starfall in the Canadian market, covering all major categories outside of toys and publishing.

Inspired by tokidoki’s hit Mermicorno character family launched in 2016, Mermicorno: Starfall is a smart and fun adventure-comedy for kids five to nine, that takes place in a fantastical and magical undersea world, where a team of Mermicornos (enchanting unicorn-mermaids) join together to save the ocean from an evil threat. During their epic mission, our heroes unlock the magic of creative self-expression, discover new depths of friendship, and find the best bowl of ramen in the sea. The series is currently in production at Atomic’s Ottawa studio

“From the outset, we’ve known Mermicorno: Starfall is special and unique to the market, based on the fans of tokidoki’s Mermicorno characters,” said Thunderbird President of Global Distribution & Consumer Products, Richard Goldsmith. “And as we continue to attract more top-tier platforms and partners like Nelvana Enterprises, it reconfirms the huge opportunity that we have with our awesome new animated series and multi-year plans for more content and consumer products.”

“We have dreamed of this for many years and cannot wait to see our Mermicorno come to life in animation,” said Pooneh Mohajer, tokidoki’s CEO & Co-Founder. “Nelvana has an impressive consumer products team — they are the perfect licensing partners for Canada!”

“Growing up, I was always impressed with animation of any kind: Western cartoons and Japanese anime touched my heart and imagination. When I draw new characters, I envision them already moving and interacting with their own voice. I’m thrilled to share a piece of my inner world through animation,” said tokidoki’s Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Simone Legno.

“tokidoki already has a very strong fanbase here in Canada, including the team at Nelvana, which makes this partnership even more exciting,” said Mellany Welsh, VP and Head of Nelvana and Kids Can Press. “We couldn’t be happier to partner with Thunderbird on the first tokidoki brand extension. Mermicorno has all the right elements for success — from tokidoki’s iconic style and Thunderbird and Atomic’s character-driven series, to Nelvana’s retail and licensing expertise in Canada — the merchandise program is sure to resonate with Canadian kids.”

Thunderbird Brands (booth H236) and tokidoki (booth G214), which co-manage the consumer products program for the IP, will be attending the global licensing industry’s premier trade event, Licensing Expo, May 21 – 23, 2024, in Las Vegas.

ABOUT THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Ottawa. Thunderbird creates award-winning scripted, unscripted, and animated programming for the world’s leading digital platforms, as well as Canadian and international broadcasters. The Company develops, produces, and distributes animated, factual, and scripted content through its various content arms, including Thunderbird Kids and Family (Atomic Cartoons), Thunderbird Unscripted (Great Pacific Media) and Thunderbird Scripted. Productions under the Thunderbird umbrella include The Last Kids on Earth, Molly of Denali, Highway Thru Hell, Kim’s Convenience, Reginald the Vampire and Boot Camp. Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands manage global media and consumer products rights, respectively, for the Company and select third parties. Thunderbird is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @tbirdent. For more information, visit: www.thunderbird.tv.

ABOUT TOKIDOKI
tokidoki, which translates to “sometimes” in Japanese, is an internationally recognized and iconic lifestyle brand based on the vision of Italian artist Simone Legno and his partners, serial entrepreneurs Pooneh Mohajer and Ivan Arnold. Since debuting in 2005, tokidoki has amassed a cult-like following for its larger-than-life characters and emerged as a sought-after global lifestyle brand. tokidoki offers an extensive range of products which include apparel, handbags, cosmetics, accessories, toys and more. Simone Legno, tokidoki’s Chief Creative Officer, was born in Rome, Italy, and from a very young age developed a deep love of Japan and a fascination with world cultures. Combining Legno’s unique talent and creativity with Mohajer’s business acumen, tokidoki has grown exponentially. As an innovative company, tokidoki is known not only for its eye-popping aesthetic and criminally cute characters but also its megawatt partnerships. tokidoki is on Facebook and Twitter at @tokidoki and on Instagram at @tokidokibrand. For more information visit: www.tokidoki.it