Playmates Toys is a prominent toy company best known for its licensed action figures.
Founded in Hong Kong in 1966, Playmates carried on in profitable obscurity until 1987, when it decided to enter the marketplace for figures based on Merchandise-Driven cartoons. The company signed on with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, becoming the licensee for the first animated series. It was a make-or-break gamble, but it paid off handsomely; TMNT became not only a sensation, but a hugely popular franchise that has endured for decades. This massive success gave Playmates the clout to license other well-known properties like Star Trek and The Simpsons, but TMNT is still its signature product. One of the crossovers Playmates did for TMNT was with Star Trek, decades before the franchises came under common ownership.
During much of the 90s, the company had a working relationship with Universal; many of Universal's properties or adaptations had their toys produced by Playmates, and in turn some Playmates properties like Earthworm Jim had their media produced by Universal.
For a while, the company had a video game division, Playmates Interactive Entertainment; it's best remembered for introducing the Earthworm Jim franchise.
Works that Playmates has created toys for:
- The Addams Family (1992)
- Aladdin
- Antz
- Atomic Betty
- Barnyard Commandos
- Ben 10 (2016)
- Billie Eilish
- Chicken Run
- Coneheads
- Darkwing Duck
- Dick Tracy (the 1990 film)
- Disney Fairies
- Disney Princess
- Earthworm Jim
- Eon Kid
- Exo Squad
- Robotech (as part of the Exo Squad line)
- everGirl
- Family Guy
- Frozen II
- Flash Gordon (1996)
- Garfield
- Godzilla
- Hilary Duff
- H₂O: Just Add Water
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
- iCarly
- Jackie Chan Adventures
- The King and I (the 1999 animated film)
- King Kong (2005)
- Lilo & Stitch
- Looney Tunes
- Meat Puppet
- Michael Jackson
- Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
- Monster Force
- Monster Rancher
- Mysticons
- Pikwik Pack
- Pound Puppies
- Power Players
- Primal Rage
- The Ripping Friends (not released)
- Ronin Warriors
- The Savage Dragon
- SeaQuest DSV
- Shrek Forever After
- The Simpsons
- Skeleton Warriors
- Space Jam
- Star Trek
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad
- TaleSpin
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Terminator Salvation
- Tomb Raider
- Toxic Crusaders
- Voltron: Legendary Defender
- Wild C.A.T.s (1994)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds
- Zorro
