Teddy Ruxpin Is Coming Back In 2017

Last Updated on January 3, 2020 by Danielle

Wicked Toys and Alchemy II plan to bring Teddy Ruxpin to a whole new generation of kids. New toys and merchandise are expected to arrive in autumn 2017.

UPDATE: You can preorder Teddy Ruxpin on Amazon through this link. He will be available August 1st.

Were you a child during the 80s? You probably remember Teddy Ruxpin. It was an interactive toy that took the form of an animated talking teddy bear. For many parents and grandparents the original Teddy Ruxpin was one their favorite toys. It was a timeless toy.

Now Wicked Cool Toys is partnering with Alchemy II to relaunch Teddy Ruxpin brand globally. New toys, content, and merchandise are going to arrive in the fall of 2017. This will be the 5th generation of Teddy Ruxbin toys. The original was manufactured by Worlds of Wonder.

Wicked Cool has already rebooted the Cabbage Patch kids. Now Wicked Toys is bringing back another popular 80s toy. Will it manage to capture the magic of the original? Other companies have tried to bring Teddy Ruxbin back, but nobody has really succeeded. Playskool, YES! Entertainment, and BackPack Toys have tried rebooting it. In 2006, Teddy Ruxpin was named one of the top Christmas toys by Creative Child Magazine. It’s been at least 10 years since the last toy was released.

Back in 1985, the original Teddy Ruxpin was released by Alchemy II. In 1985 and 1986, the toy’s popularity reached its peak and it became one of the best selling toys. The toy went onto to sell over 8 million toys and was a global success. Eventually, it was released in over 13 languages. It was one of the most iconic toys ever released. Back when it came out it was the first animated toy and earned a spot on Time’s 100 Greatest Toys of All Time.

See the original Teddy Ruxpin commercial:

It was designed by Ken Forsse, who was a former Disney imagineer. He founded Alchemy II in 1982. While Forsse passed away in March of 2014, Teddy Ruxbin was instrumental in opening the door for future talking toys.

With innovative technology and a brand new play pattern, the toy was really ahead of its time. The toy had a hidden tape deck in its back that allowed parents to insert a cassette. With it, it had the ability to read stories and sing songs to kids. Both his mouth and his eyes were synchronized with his voice as he read stories.

The way it worked is actually quiet ingenious. Cassettes had 2 audio tracks. One track was used for his voice and the other was used to tell the toy when to move its mouth. It gave the impression that the toy was really talking. For kids, Teddy Ruxpin became more than just a toy. He became a friend.

It didn’t stop with just toys. In 1987, Alchemy II created an animated series, “The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin,” based on the toy along with 60 books and audio tapes. The brand grew with interactive games, push, clothing and more. Over the course of 3 years, the combined gross earnings were estimated to be 6 billion dollars. Because of its success, Alchemy II went on to develop other licensed talking toys including a talking Mickey Mouse, Mother Goose, Goofy, Snoopy, and Charlie Brown.

Now an entire new generation of kids can experience the magic of Teddy Ruxpin with the new partnership between Wicked Toys and Alchemy II. Wicked Toys hopes the new Teddy will be just as innovative as when it first appeared. It will be interesting to see if the original 30 cassettes will be introduced in a new format. Will the technology be built inside Teddy Ruxpin or will Wicked Cool create a supporting app?

Jeremy Padawer, co-president and partner of Wicked Cool Toys, said: “We are embracing the past and making Teddy Ruxpin as adorable and engaging as ever, while innovating Teddy with features that will amaze parents and their tech-savvy children.”

Wicked Toys plans to meet with partners at the Miami Kidscreen Summit and upcoming New York Toy Fair 2016. Stay tuned for more news on Teddy Ruxpin as it breaks.