![]() How did that come about? Was it difficult to “get the band back together,” so to speak? I heard you brought back several of the core team that was with you at Playing Mantis. Sure, I’ve been following Johnny Lightning since I sold the business in 2004 to RC2. I have a good relationship with a couple of executives at RC2 (now TOMY), and I have been talking to them about the possibility of me taking over JL for a few years now. The approach had to be different because it is not an abandoned brand without any tool bank, like it was in 1994. Have you been watching JL’s fortunes over the last 12 years? At what point did you feel the calling to play that role again? Did you approach it the same way the second time? With this announcement, you are in the unique position of having twice brought the Johnny Lightning brand back from the brink of extinction. The challenge for Tom and the Round 2 crew is deciding which ones not to rerelease! So we went straight to the source and asked Tom how it all came about and what collectors can expect from the new generation of Johnny Lightning.īy the time RC2 bought Playing Mantis, JL had amassed quite a tool library. This past September, Round 2 made the big announcement that it had acquired the rights to JL and would be resuming production of the beloved brand. The producer of the Auto World brand of 1:18 and 1:64 diecast, Round 2 was uniquely positioned to understand the current market conditions and also the value of the JL brand. It initially continued to rerelease versions of RC2’s JL castings, but in 2013, it suspended JL production.Įnter, once again, Tom Lowe and his current venture: Round 2. RC2 itself was bought by Japanese toy manufacturer TOMY in 2011. The JL brand soldiered on under RC2’s stewardship, but the company gradually shifted its focus toward its more lucrative preschool markets and JL, while still rolling, got less attention. The brand thrived and eventually caught the eye of RC2, who purchased Playing Mantis from Tom in 2004. Fans of the original Topper JLs were drawn in by the nostalgia, while a new generation of fans was attracted by JL’s commitment to the accurate portrayal of real vehicles. The victories raised the brand’s profile and greatly boosted sales, but even that was not enough to weather the financial difficulties of its parent company, which went under in 1971.įast-forward 22 years, when Tom Lowe, CEO of Playing Mantis, acquired the rights to the brand name and revived production of many of the original castings, soon to be joined by a host of all-new vehicles. To raise brand awareness and further emphasize its association with speed, JL sponsored Al Unser’s race car in the 1970 and ’71 Indy 500s, capturing victory both years. Introduced originally by Topper Toys in 1969, quick on the heels of Hot Wheels’ launch, JL focused from the outset on speed above all. Johnny Lightning (JL) is a brand name with which all fans of 1:64 diecast will be instantly familiar. Having resurrected the brand once back in 1994 with Playing Mantis, he is doing it again with his current company, Round 2. The Johnny Lightning brand is near and dear to Tom Lowe. ![]()
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