Comic-Con’s Grown-Up Nerds Give Mattel, Hasbro New Toy Pitches
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Move over Green Lantern. The new stars of this week’s Comic-Con International comic-book festival may be Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake.
Like Hollywood studios, Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc. view the annual Comic-Con gathering in San Diego, the biggest U.S. comic-book and movie convention, as a pipeline to fans who can build buzz for new products. They’re pushing to put toys in films and on TV, and see the show as more than a nerd-fest.