Cloudco Entertainment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Entertainment |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Tom Wilson |
| Headquarters | Cleveland , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Sean Gorman (President) |
| Products | Animation studio, Entertainment properties including Care Bears, Holly Hobbie, Madballs, Buddy Thunderstruck, Tinpo, The Get Along Gang, Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese |
| Owner | IVEST Consumer Partners (since 2023) |
Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC, which operates under the name Cloudco Entertainment and was previously identified as AG Properties and American Greetings Entertainment, is a U.S.-based animation studio and entertainment firm. Its portfolio includes well-known properties such as Care Bears, Holly Hobbie, Madballs, Buddy Thunderstruck, Tinpo, The Get Along Gang, and Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese.
Origins as Those Characters From Cleveland (1980s)
The character Holly Hobbie was first introduced in 1967 as part of a greeting card collection by American Greetings. From 1968 until 1983, Knickerbocker Toy Co. manufactured Holly Hobbie dolls. The character’s success prompted the establishment of Those Characters From Cleveland, Inc. In 1972, Tom Wilson created Ziggy, a comic strip that became highly profitable; its rights were eventually acquired by Universal Press. By 1977, Holly Hobbie had become one of the most popular licensed female characters worldwide.
Founded in 1981 by Tom Wilson on behalf of American Greetings, Those Characters From Cleveland specialized in licensing major brands. Their initial blockbuster was Strawberry Shortcake, which generated $500 million in retail sales during 1981. This was followed by the launch of Care Bears in 1983, which amassed $2 billion in sales within two years. The Care Bears brand debuted with toys and a syndicated television special produced through a collaboration with General Mills’ M.A.D., Marketing and Design Service.
Ralph Shaffer, serving as senior vice president and creative director, created Madballs, a series of foam balls featuring grotesque faces released by AmToy in 1986; these toys ranked fourth on the best-seller list that year.
In partnership with Mattel, Those Characters From Cleveland introduced Popples in 1986. By 1987, the company unveiled four lines of plush toys designed to combine softness with interactive play elements, distributed through three different toy manufacturers by 1988.
Transition to AG Properties (2000s–2015)
In 2001, AG Properties appointed DIC Entertainment as the licensing representative for Strawberry Shortcake. Following DIC’s merger with Cookie Jar and the subsequent transfer of rights, AG initiated legal action. The resulting settlement obligated AG to sell the Strawberry Shortcake franchise along with Care Bears and Sushi Pack to Cookie Jar for $195 million by September 30, 2008. Despite Cookie Jar’s inability to secure financing, they asserted licensing claims. AG then negotiated a sale to French company MoonScoop, reaching an agreement with Cookie Jar to acquire its rights. After MoonScoop failed to meet payment deadlines, AG terminated the deal; MoonScoop filed suit but AG prevailed in November 2012.
By September 2012, AG Properties had become the worldwide licensing agent for Pūkeko Pictures’ The WotWots, sublicensing rights to EXIM Licensing Group for Latin America, Segal Licensing for Canada, and Stella Projects for Australia and New Zealand.
Sean Gorman was elevated to president of AG Properties in June 2013 with a mandate to grow franchises aimed at young male audiences. He initially joined the company in 2007 as vice president of entertainment production and development.
The animated series Packages from Planet X, produced by Vancouver-based DHX Media alongside Disney for Disney XD, premiered on July 13, 2013. In January 2012, AG Properties partnered with Exim Licensing Group to launch a publishing agreement for Holly Hobbie across Latin America and the Caribbean.
AG Properties licensed titles including Care Bears, Madballs, and Packages from Planet X to Lion Forge Comics under their Roar Comics imprint for release in late 2014.
On February 3, 2015, Iconix Brand Group reached an agreement to purchase the Strawberry Shortcake brand along with related assets from AG Properties for $105 million USD. Subsequently, DHX Media (now WildBrain) acquired the franchise in 2017 by purchasing Iconix's entertainment holdings, which included an 80% stake in Peanuts Worldwide.
As American Greetings Entertainment (2015–18)
On October 6, 2015, the division was renamed American Greetings Entertainment to highlight its dedication to the Care Bears brand and other entertainment ventures. Shortly thereafter, on October 11, it revealed Buddy Thunderstruck, a stop-motion animated series produced in collaboration with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, scheduled to debut on Netflix in 2017.
In May 2016, Irish production company Sixteen South designated American Greetings Entertainment as the global distributor for Claude, an animated series based on Alex T. Smith's popular children's books. Later that year, on October 17, the company joined forces with Gaumont Animation to revive Herself the Elf through a jointly developed and produced television show.
On October 13, 2017, UK preschool channel CBeebies approved the Tinpo series, co-produced by Dentsu, OLM Digital, and Sprite Animation Studios, aiming for a release in late 2018.
In April 2018, Hulu commissioned Aircraft Pictures to produce a live-action adaptation of Holly Hobbie, which ran for five seasons totaling 50 episodes. The next month, redesigned Care Bears were presented at Licensing Expo as part of a new television series launching in late 2018 on Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and Pop.
As Cloudco Entertainment (2018–23)
On April 6, 2018, the Weiss family divested their majority interest in American Greetings to Clayton Dubilier & Rice, a US-based investment firm. Nevertheless, they maintained full ownership of American Greetings Entertainment, which was spun off as Cloudco Entertainment on August 28, 2018, establishing itself as an independent entity with Sean Gorman remaining as president.
Cloudco announced on September 6, 2018, a new Care Bears animated series titled Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, set to premiere on Boomerang’s SVOD platform in January 2019. Shortly after, on September 20, Cloudco inaugurated a UK office to broaden its market reach.
In October 2018, Cloudco co-commissioned the animated show Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese alongside CBBC and Gulli, collaborating with Watch Next Media (France) and Kavaleer Productions (Ireland). The series premiered on October 31, 2019.
On June 24, 2019, Warner Music Group’s Arts Music division launched a licensed label for Cloudco Entertainment that released the theme song for the current Holly Hobbie television series under a multi-season deal.
In January 2021, Cloudco collaborated with Topps to create a new toy collection merging Cloudco’s Madballs and Topps’ Garbage Pail Kids properties. On March 16, 2021, Cloudco and Marblemedia announced their co-production of the live-action comedy series Overlord and the Underwoods, which secured international distribution through Nickelodeon, ITV (UK), CBC (Canada), and BYUtv (US).
In October 2022, Cloudco partnered with CakeStart Entertainment—a joint venture between Cake Entertainment and JumpStart Entertainment—to co-produce a live-action version of Pretty Freekin Scary for Disney Channel under JumpStart’s first-look agreement with Disney.
Acquisition by IVEST Consumer Partners (2023–Present)
On August 24, 2023, Cloudco Entertainment was purchased by the Canadian private equity firm IVEST Consumer Partners for $100 million. IVEST's plan centers on rejuvenating the Care Bears franchise by appealing to both contemporary children and adults with nostalgic ties to the brand. This approach involves launching retro-inspired merchandise collaborations with retailers such as Primark, Shein, Claire's, Pop Mart, and MINISO. Additionally, IVEST intends to capitalize on Cloudco’s existing intellectual properties to generate fresh content, develop new original IP, and explore further acquisitions and licensing deals that complement their portfolio.
On October 16, 2024, Cloudco joined forces with WildBrain to unveil The Care Berry Switch, a forty-four-minute special that marks the inaugural crossover event between Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears. This project also signifies Cloudco’s first production involving Strawberry Shortcake since the property was sold to Iconix/WildBrain in 2015.
On June 5, 2025, Warner Bros. Pictures revealed plans to produce a hybrid live-action/animated Care Bears feature film, appointing Josh Greenbaum as director.
Currently Owned
- Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese (2006)
- Buddy Thunderstruck (2015)
- Care Bears (1981)
- Care Bear Cousins
- The Get Along Gang (1983)
- Holly Hobbie (1967)
- Holly Hobbie & Friends (2005)
- Herself the Elf
- Lady Lovely Locks (1987)
- Madballs (1985)
- Maryoku Yummy (2001)
- Overlord and the Underwoods (2021)
- Packages from Planet X (2006)
- Pretty Freekin Scary (2006)
- Sushi Pack (2006)
- Tinpo (2007)
- Twisted Whiskers (2001)
Ownership Status Unclear
- Brush-a-Loves (1987)
- FlopaLots (1987)
- Nosy Bears (1987)
- Peppermint Rose (1990)
- Special Blessings (1987)
Divested Properties
- My Pet Monster (1986) – Transferred to Saban Brands in 2012; currently under Hasbro ownership.
- Popples (1986) – Initially a Mattel property; sold to Saban Brands in 2012; now owned by Hasbro.
- Strawberry Shortcake (1980) – Sold to Iconix Brand Group in 2015; presently owned by WildBrain.
- The Berrykins – Forest companions of Strawberry Shortcake
- Ziggy (1972) – Sold in 2011.
Television Series
| Title | Year(s) | Network | Co-Production With | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Get Along Gang | 1984 | CBS | DIC Audiovisuel | ||
| Care Bears | 1985 | Syndication | DIC Audiovisuel, LBS Communications | ||
| The Care Bears Family | 1986–1988 | Global Television Network | Nelvana | Renamed Care Bears for third season | |
| My Pet Monster | 1986–1988 | Global Television Network | Nelvana | ||
| Popples | 1986–1988 | Syndication | DIC Enterprises | ||
| Lady Lovely Locks | 1987 | Syndication | DIC Enterprises | ||
| Ring Raiders | 1989 | Syndication | DIC Enterprises, Bohbot Communications | ||
| Strawberry Shortcake | 2003–2008 | Direct-to-Video, Syndication, CBS | DIC Entertainment Corporation | ||
| Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-lot | 2007–2008 | CBS | SD Entertainment | ||
| Tinpo | 2007–2008 | CBS | Short-form series | ||
| Sushi Pack | 2007–2009 | CBS | DIC Entertainment Corporation, Studio Espinosa, Tom Ruegger Productions, The Hatchery, LLC | ||
| Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures | 2009–2015 | The Hub/Discovery Family | MoonScoop Entertainment, Splash Entertainment | ||
| The Twisted Whiskers Show | 2009 | The Hub | DQ Entertainment, MoonScoop Entertainment, Telegael | ||
| Maryoku Yummy | 2010 | The Hub | DQ Entertainment, Telegael | ||
| Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot | 2012 | The Hub | MoonScoop Entertainment | ||
| Packages from Planet X | 2013–2014 | Disney XD Canada, Disney XD | DHX Media Vancouver, DHX Media | ||
| Care Bears & Cousins | 2015–2016 | Netflix | Splash Entertainment | ||
| Buddy Thunderstruck | 2017 | Netflix | Stoopid Buddy Stoodios | ||
| Holly Hobbie | 2018–2022 | Hulu | Aircraft Pictures | ||
| Tinpo | 2018–2019 | CBeebies, TV Tokyo | Dentsu, Sprite Animation Studios, OLM Digital | ||
| Care Bears: Unlock the Magic | 2019–2020 | Boomerang | Copernicus Studios | ||
| Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese | 2019–2024 | CBBC, Gulli, RTÉ, Canal J, M6, Disney Channel | Watch Next Media, Kavaleer Productions, De Agostini | ||
| Overlord and the Underwoods | 2021–2022 | BYUtv, Nickelodeon, CBC | Marblemedia, Canfro Productions | ||
| Pretty Freekin Scary | 2023 | Disney Channel, Disney+ | KickStart Entertainment, Apt. 11H Productions, Cake Entertainment | Copyrighted to Disney Enterprises Inc. |
Films
Television and Streaming Specials
Direct-to-Video Specials
External links
- Articles with short description
- United States companies founded in 1981
- Media enterprises founded in 1981
- Mergers and acquisitions of 2023
- American Greetings
- Animation studios in the United States
- Privately owned firms in Ohio
- Privately owned firms in California
- U.S. entertainment corporations
- Popples
- American companies established in 1981