Chapter 281: Monumental Hobbes II
Of course, desecrating the effort and conviction of a considerable legend was something to be proud of from a business perspective... but not from a moral standpoint.
It was best to just put that moral dilemma and whatnot on the backburner though... and simply move on.
Stuffed Hobbes is a considerably bold step into a new frontier for both the old and new 'Calvin and Hobbes' franchises.
Aside from breaking through stubborn creator ideologies from the old timeline, the Hobbes toy is also a breakthrough into a new toy category in the renewed timeline.
Creed Toys wasn't just adding a new toy line with this one but is actually stepping forth into the realm of stuffed toys.
They may already have considerable experience when it comes to figurines and action figures... but they still have to truly test their mettle in this new toy type.
Granted, stuffed toys are still toys but it is still a completely different "genre" by itself.
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By definition, a stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material.
They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, stuffed animals, and stuffies. In Britain and Australia, they are soft toys or cuddly toys.
Whatever way it may be called, it still has a unique aspect that makes them all one and the same.
In a way, these toys are distinguishable from other toys mainly by their softness, flexibility, and resemblance to animals or fictional characters.
Stuffed toys most commonly take the form of animals, especially bears in the case of teddy bears.
In fact, the teddy bear is arguable the most prevalent form and is said to have origins inspired by a drawing of President "Teddy" Roosevelt with a bear cub.
From that... a teddy bear fad was born until it eventually became a cultural phenomenon that struck out and became a norm.
Of course, stuffed toys could also go for the features of mammalian pets such as cats and dogs, and highly recognizable animals such as zebras, tigers, pandas, lizards, and elephants.
The elephant form has to be singled out as well... given that the very first stuffed toy is said to have been a felt elephant originally sold as a pincushion in the 1880s.
Not just being restricted to just common animals... even fictional characters from movies, TV shows, books, or other entertainment forms often appear in stuffed toy versions... as long as they're popular enough and feasible to make that is.
To further add to that diversity, they mostly come in an array of different sizes, with the smallest being thumb-sized and the largest being larger than a house.
Granted that most of them are designed to be an appropriate size for easy handling... with a wide variety of colors, cloth surfaces, fur textures, and humanizing embellishments.
With how abundant its variety is, it is also abundantly sold worldwide!
Through this prevalence, there were bound to be stuffed toys being sold in tourist attractions, airports, carnivals, fairs, downtown parks, and general public meeting places of almost any nature.
It is stupendously ubiquitous that it is quite easy to overlook how encompassing it truly is!
Action figures, legos, and whatnot have their own sway but it is safe to say that stuffed toys are among the most popular toys.
These features, factors, history, and whatnot have lined up into making the stuffed toy market into the surprising behemoth that it is and what it would become!
At some point, the global market for stuffed toys had practically reached an estimated to be 7.98 billion dollars and upwards...
Without doubt, this toy type was a beast on its own and probably has a business ecology that could support itself even without being grouped together with the rest of the toy market.
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Just from that business outlook, entering that market is only a matter of time for Creed Toys.
With Stuffed Hobbes, they also have another thing they're aiming for.
After all, the common thought is that stuffed toys help children in their growth and become their companions as they grow up.
Sleeping and cuddling with any of them are considered a comfort that reduces anxiety around separation, self-esteem, and fear of the night.
Basically, in everything that a child goes through... a stuffed toy is there to be a companion.
By estimates, Hobbes should be able to fit in that status quo as well.
Although stuffed toys are designed for children, the product does not have to be exclusively intended for playing in order for it to be considered a toy; it can have a decorative function as well.
Their uses are mostly for imaginative play, comfort objects, display or collecting, and as gifts. They have mostly become go-to gifts for occasions such as graduation, illness, condolences, Valentine's Day, Christmas, or birthdays.
In a way, they aren't just for children but adults as well.
Kids that loved these cuddly companions do inevitably grow up after all and they become sentimental objects to go back to.
In fact, it is humorously researched at some point that a third of British adults are said to still be sleeping with their soft toys and more than half of this percentage still kept the childhood toys they grew up with.
With 'Calvin and Hobbes' serializing along with a growing generation, wouldn't Stuffed Hobbes be something that fit the sentimental materialism side of things?
Brand recognition should grow exponentially if everything goes as planned.
With an appeal for nostalgia and companionship being utilized, it would be quite hard for people to extricate themselves from what Stuffed Hobbes is all about.
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Of course, the aforementioned is just a projection of a future where every best-case scenario is met.
A lot of factors are still bound to intervene and make it extremely unlikely for Stuffed Hobbes to be as culturally pervasive as the teddy bear.
As of now... it's just best to take things one step at a time and just introduce materialized Hobbes to the people who perceive him best. Tourist spots, airports, carnivals, fairs, and downtown parks are incredibly closed-off and aren't exactly the best fit for what Creed Toys were going for.
As perfect as an advertising platform Comic-Con might be... it still only capable of reaching a specific type of audience.
However, that was more than enough.
Hence, the trusty comic book stores and other established Creed brand retailers were the way to go... and remained as effective as it is.
The ripples of the SDCC splash should have riled their usual audience already and it was just time to cater to the expectations that it raised.
On a certain day of September, Stuffed Hobbes has been stuffed to their designated display shelves and at that point, Stuffed September should have really begun!