Thunderbirds Lady Penelope focus of new merchandise from Half Moon Bay

By John Freeman on October 3, 2018

Award-winning wholesaler Half Moon Bay has secured the licensing rights for both Moomin and Thunderbirds, adding the classic brands to its expanding gift and publishing portfolio in the UK, with new launches early in 2019.

The Bath-based company, established in 1995, already has a licensing slate that this year alone has seen eleven new additions including Disney’s Mary Poppins, JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Marvel’s Black Panther. Their product portfolio – on sale in high street stores – includes Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Star Wars and more.

Launching from January 2019, the company is releasing a collection of gifts and books, pitched as perfect for gift shops. The launch will include some of Half Moon Bay’s most successful and well-known formats such as notebooks, drinkware and lifestyle accessories, as well as a first look at its new gift books under Ice House Books.

“It makes perfect sense for Half Moon Bay to move into gift books,” says Etta Saunders Bingham, head of licensing and product development, who joined the company this year and who’s previously worked at Marvel, Redan and Parragon, “and the new list from Ice House Books offers engaging and accessible content for our existing customer base to enjoy.

“Our mini hardback range features quirky and fun, material that reflects popular culture and features some of the characters from our products ranges, as well as original artwork and genuine quotes from the license’s archives.”

The Thunderbirds collection features artwork and iconic vehicles and characters drawing on the nostalgia for the 1960s science fiction series. The Lady Penelope sub-range will include Lady Penelope’s Boss Lady Handbook and has been described as “perfect for classy women everywhere, offering pearls of wisdom to inspire and entertain.”

Featuring key quotes against character-appropriate colour palettes, the range will also include a variety of drinkware, stationery and lifestyle accessories. The Lady Penelope’s Boss Lady gift set focuses on the ‘elegant and daring’ London agent of the Thunderbirds series, comprising a Boss Lady mug and gift handbook featuring original artwork and quotes from the Thunderbirds archives.

“Half Mon Bay has taken a fresh and fun approach to Thunderbirds,” commented Steve Green, eVP Kids Content and Distribution at ITV Studios Global Entertainment, “infusing this nostalgic brand with a contemporary feel that will appeal to fans old and new.”

The Moomin range will take original artwork from the Tove Jansson book and comic strip library, focusing on the characters and their quotes to create an illustrated range featuring stylised florals and on-trend rose gold detailing.

The range will nod to the environmentally aware aspect of the Moomins, with the inclusion of a rice husk Huskup travel mug and a bamboo lunch box, alongside notebooks, kitchen textiles and pin badges.

“Together with the lovely Moomin Comfort Food cookbook full of tasty recipes launching in January, the range is perfect for some Moomin-style family fun in the kitchen,” says Etta.

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.