Licensing is Full Speed Ahead for DOROTHY OF OZ

, LLC, who is spearheading the global licensing and retail development efforts on the DOROTHY OF OZ franchise for Summertime Entertainment, has confirmed that several major retailers will support the brand with a myriad of licensed products next year.

The film, an independently financed and produced project geared for a late summer 2012 release, has already acquired numerous licensees in categories such as: toys, apparel, accessories, back to school, paper goods, costumes and novelties, early in the film's production process – with Bandai America Incorporated, as the global master toy partner, as its most recent announced deal.

Rutherford aims to capture additional licensing partners to round out the product assortments in social expression, party goods, cosmetics, childrens electronics, candy and confections, publishing, bedding and home decor at the Licensing International Expo.

"We already have a very robust licensing program established," Rutherford said. "My goal at the Licensing Show is to meet with additional domestic and international licensing partners to fill the various open categories, assign the international agent representation rights, and present the franchise to the other major retailers who have not yet seen the outstanding animation and great merchandisable characters from the film."

"We are very pleased with the traction and feedback from the retail and licensing community thus far – especially with the film still being early in the production process.  With many tier-one licensing partners along with the assistance of Travis James LLC, will be delivering a meaningful and comprehensive licensing and promotional program for the film opening next year," said , President of Summertime Entertainment.

Recently, Summertime Entertainment signed and announced a Master Worldwide Toy License Agreement with Bandai America Incorporated. It will feature dolls, play sets, plush, role-play, trading cards and more.

Other licensees participating the program geared toward girls ages 4–8 include:

The Awake division of Jem Sportswear will create a line of girls T-shirts and fashion tops. SG Footwear will handle footwear and SGI Apparel has been licensed for girls sleepwear, both a division of the SG Companies. Hypnotic will provide hosiery. & Sons will create a diverse line of bags, backpacks and lunch bags. IDW Publishing is doing a 4 title comic book series and graphic novel. Trends International will create posters and bookmarks with the possibility of adding calendars and stickers to the assortment. Culturenik Publishing will provide novelty paper goods. Just Play will do cut & sew role-play / dress up items, along with some novelty products in the HBA category. Madame Alexander is producing a beautiful collection of high-end collectible dolls. Attraction Media & Entertainment is producing a 3-D/4-D theme park attraction, which will incorporate footage from the film. .

The Matador Word: Dorothy of Oz

This is easy! Each week on Thursday I post my homily idea...my main focus for preaching this coming Sunday. What I am hoping for is a reaction from people in the pews. Does my "focus" connect with your daily life, faith, and experience? Or not? Either affirm the direction I am going in (by giving me an example from your life) or challenge me, ask for clarification! Questions are the best! Reaction rather than reflection is what I'm looking for here. Don't be afraid, get in the ring. Ole! The line of Dorothy's that strikes at the heart of this week's Ascension Mystery is " My, people certainly come and go quickly around here!". Yes, indeed, "coming and going" is a phrase that describes a kind of dynamic interchange. You might see this most vividly If you ever "people watch" at an airport. What you see is the unending chain of farewell and hello, in fact that is the whole point of an airport...coming and going. God comes to us in creation and goes away from us in banishment from the garden. God comes to us in the Exodus and goes away in the wandering of the desert. God comes to us in the Law at Sinai and goes away in idol worship. God comes to us in the promised land and goes away in the exile. God Gomes to us in the Annunciation and goes away in the Passion. God comes to us in the Resurrection and goes away in the Ascension, God comes to us in Pentecost and goes away into the persecuted life of the Church. God comes to us in the Sacraments/Eucharist and goes away through the death to self. At 12:30 Mass we will celebrate this dynamic. The farewell of our two priests. The priesthood is one of these dynamic interchanges by which God comes to us so richly, in the unique presence of "another Christ". All the while (but especially in their departure from us) the priesthood is also an "usher" or an attendant for the household of heaven, leading us in the "farewell" that is this life and entering us into the life with Christ.

I understand how alot of the saints experienced the dark night. I understand that He uses the dark night of the soul to purify and draw nearer to Him. However, it is still confusing to me why He would make Himself so elusive and draw away from us. To test our faith? To keep us from thinking we are holier than we really are? To teach us how to persevere? Probably all of these things. lr

He is ALWAYS with us,he is in the center of our being, he will never leave us. The way I understand is we are "babies" in a spiritual way. Like a baby reaches the point of no more milk from the mother and has to get use to eat solid food, causing lots of pain a tears, Jesus do the same to us, he console us with beautiful feelings and them He pretend that he is not with us, because he want us to mature in our love for him and cry for him. Particularly interesting to me was the thinking about what happens as we experience a feeling of departure from Jesus in our lives – and how this helps us mature in our love for him. It seems to me that another effect of this feeling of loss is an opening of our heart to others, bringing about deeper communion with God and with others. For instance, when my mother died, my first reaction was deep sorrow. But as time went on that love that could no longer be spent on her was shared with a variety of others - just in different ways. Of course that person who is missing in the way to which we had become accustomed (physically present) can never be replaced; but rather than that love wasting away, it can be poured out in different ways on others who are in need. While our temptation may be to shut down – “why are you standing there looking at the sky?” – the Spirit pushes us on – “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…teaching them.” In other words, perhaps Jesus showers us with His love so that we can know the experience of God in our lives – and then as He draws away (not leaving us, but leaving us open) we realize the call to share that love He shared with us, thereby building up the Body of Christ even further, broadening the circle of communion and love extended by His Father and ours.

RT : Tonight at The Wizard of Oz, Emma Housley () will be on as Dorothy

RT : Tonight at The Wizard of Oz, Emma Housley () will be on as Dorothy

RT : Tonight at The Wizard of Oz, Emma Housley () will be on as Dorothy

RT : Tonight at The Wizard of Oz, Emma Housley () will be on as Dorothy

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