Introduction
If you made it to this website, then you must at least have already heard about Jojo’s.
Original Jojo’s is a series of small plastic toys created in 1995 by Michal and Ilan LAOR under the name of “LAOR Toys LTD”.
Initially released in Israel, the series is composed of 36 funny and numbered characters. The first figure is based on the character of “Jojo Khalastra“, played by Zvika Hadar on the TV show “The Comedy Store“.
Jojo Khalastra is even portrayed in many early marketing material and TV ads.
Ilan and Michal run into Claude Cohen (then director of the ad division of the main french broadcast channel, TF1) during a trip in Israel. The Jojo’s catch her eyes and quickly the Laor are invited into TF1 enterprises headquarters to launch their products worldwide.
In a single month, all contracts are signed and Jojo’s are ready to be launched in France.
TF1’s machinery is unstoppable and Jojo’s are also released in Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, USA, Lebanon, Japan…
To be more in sight with the European child, figures of Jojo Khalastra and unknown #7 are replaced with King (Caesar) and Nad (Squiggy). #8bis is produced alongside Luke (Jammer) before being removed from the line.
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In 1998, LAOR TOYS formed a partnership with Imperial Toy to introduce Jojo’s to the United States, the UK, and Canada.
This is when the “Bouncin Boneheads” label was added to the brand.
Imperial Toys added a new color to the Jojo’s line, and late released chromed and painted Jojo’s. They also made most of the Jojo’s merchandise you can find.
Later on, and surfing on the success of the Jojo’s Bouncin’ Boneheads, Imperial Toy decided to release 12 new characters. Made without LAOR’s input nor design guidelines, these 12 Jojo’s are object-shaped and differs a lot from the 36 originals.
The series isn’t a hit and are only released alongside regular S1 Jojo’s, in UK and Eastern Europe.
In 2002, TF1 releases once again our 36 original Jojo’s for almost a year, before introducing their own Series 2: the Jojo’s Tim’Foot.
Soccer themed, this new series is composed of 11 shirt-shaped characters and one unnumbered soccer ball character.
TF1 and its sub-company, HAXEY ENTERTAINMENT, planned to release a TV series alongside many merchandise items.
Seven years later, in 2009, TF1 attempted a final reboot of the Jojo’s, releasing a new series of 40 characters.
Well, “new” or not, because it’s actually a series of bones originally released in 1999 under the name Dracco Heads!
So, a cousin range has risen from the grave, been given a new look and a new name, and is now available in our toy stores.
(Un)fortunately, this is not a hit, and will be the last soubresaut of the franchise… Or will it?