It wasn't until I was writing about prototypes the other day that I remembered something that crossed my mind a while ago that didn't make sense. The term "Animagic" was used in early Worlds of Wonder literature, but disappeared shortly after it's initial introduction. Why was that?

The history behind the word takes us back a bit in time. Going through my research, I learned that Ken Forsee used to be an Imagineer at Disney Parks. Imagineers are responsible for creating, piecing together, and maintaining the animatronics that you'd see in Disney Theme Parks. Forsee himself worked on many attractions, such as the famous Abraham Lincoln and It's a Small World ride. 

​And Animagic was also sprinkled over a few other Teddy related documents and news pieces. In this December article titled "Toy Shopping is No Child's Play" from The Washington Post that covered the shortage of bears due to it being a Christmas success, it was mentioned as the following:
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And Animagic was also mentioned in the famous copyright infringement lawsuit of Worlds of Wonder against Veritel Learning Systems in October of 1986 for utilizing the audio track technology to animate Teddy Ruxpin bears to Veritel's own brand tapes.
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​There's no dispute that the term "Animagic" was trademarked by Ken Forsee and Alchemy II, and that it was used all over anything Worlds of Wonder initially touched. And the only other use I can find is actually by the stop-motion animation industry in the 60s and 70s (check out this Wikipedia article here that talks about it). But what's odd is that shortly after it's introduction, the term Animagic literally disappears from anything Teddy Ruxpin related after that court case in 1986. 

Want proof? Compare these different pictures of Teddy Ruxpin boxes. The first image is a close up of the ad above with the prototype Teddy circa 1985. You can barely make out the text, but I believe it says "Animagic Adventure Cassette and Storybook Included!" The second picture is of a recent eBay listing that shows completely different text on the front. The text completely removes the term "Animagic" from any marketing copy. This box says "Includes your first adventure storybook and special animation cassette that makes Teddy Ruxpin come to life!"
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​In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a box in person that's actually had the word Animagic anywhere on it. Why the switch? Why is there never another mention of Animagic again? Seeing that there was an entire toy line of animatronic characters (Mother Goose, Snoopy, Mickey Mouse), they had an opportunity to brand the entire line. No mention of the term was made (that I can find) past the fall lawsuit in 1986 against Veritel Learning Systems, and that's actually the only time I can find it used in 1986 alone.

On June 24th, 2006, Alchemy II let the trademark "Animagic" expire. On June 22nd, 2009, a new company trademarked the term under toys and games. That company is Vivid Toys and Games, a British toy company. 

Why do you think Worlds of Wonder stopped using the term Animagic? Am I missing something? Maybe you can help me solve the mystery. Let me know in the comments below.

I don't know about you, but ever since I was a little girl and learned that *special* versions of Teddy Ruxpin were created for various display or marketing purposes, I became obsessed with learning all I could about them. I dreamt about the day I'd walk into a Goodwill and light would shine down from the heavens on a hastily discarded prototype, just waiting to be loved. Obviously that hasn't happened (believe me, I've thought about it every time I've walked into a thrift store over the past 20 years!), but that doesn't mean we can't learn as much as we can about them in case one of us is lucky enough to come across one. These are really, really rare, and in the event that one is discovered, should be bought by a collector and well taken care of.

So, off we go! To start us off, I've found one of the earliest prototype versions of Teddy I can. In the Teddy Ruxpin fandom, I'm sure we've all seen the image of what seems to be one of the first Worlds of Wonder prototype Teddy Ruxpin bears that was designed to be a reference for mass production. Note, Ken Forsse actually created his *own* prototype Teddy and this one looks considerably different. It's possible he was used to entice investors or demonstrate the technology overseas in Asia to possible manufacturers. He was skinnier, lighter, and was rumored to house a Sharp Tape Player in the back capable of being rewound when a story had finished. He also looked considerably different than other prototype WOW bears that were used for marketing purposes. 

Chances are also likely if you're interested in Teddy memorabilia that you've seen the prototype WOW bear in the ad below. His eyes are an amber color and slightly oversized for his face. He's skinny (or skinnier at least than the bear that was mass produced. All-in-all, a very different (scary to me!) version than the bear above. In the ad below, there are actually two different bears featured. Or at least two different vests. Let's hope there was just one of these guys made. :| The bear on the left page has a patch sewn on his that vest only contains the words "Teddy Ruxpin", and didn't include the iconic face below the text like later versions do. For the bear on the right, there isn't a patch at all! Also, note the prototype tape! I can't make out the title on it, but it's definitely *not* The Airship. Maybe an eagle-eyed reader can?

As for the transition between Worlds of Wonder Teddy Ruxpin and Playskool Teddy Ruxpin, things haven't been well-documented. There is, however, an amazing post by CyborgIlliop on the Teddy Ruxpin Online Forums that talks about the historical timeline. The Worlds of Wonder Teddy II (smaller Teddy Ruxpin that took cartridges and AA batteries opposed to cassettes and C batteries, manufactured 1987-1990ish) had very few distinguished features as a prototype. The most I can tell is that the arms were slightly more stuffed than the mass-produced teddies. However, when Playskool officially took over production, they went all out -- they changed the fur and clothing color and actually created a very specific-looking prototype that they used *everywhere*: box art, marketing materials, magazine ads. As you can see below, the Playskool prototype had paws that had sewn lines for fingers and toes, and the fabric on each paw is noticeably darker than the teddies that were mass produced.

And as I mentioned above, Playskool used that prototype version in *all* of their marketing as they slowly phased out the Worlds of Wonder Teddy II.

So there you have it! A look across the most iconic prototype bears for Worlds of Wonder and Playskool. Also, I'm sure there's probably images or marketing materials of more. If you're as interested in these guys as I am, try to remember the unique features with both, and when you scour eBay or take a trip to the thrift store, maybe this time you'll make your childhood dream come true!

Have you found a bear that looks like a prototype that I missed? Comment and link below!