Imperial Toy Corporation
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn American toy manufacturer known for rubber animals, novelty toys, licensed character products, and action figures.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Imperial Toy Corporation was an American toy manufacturer based in North Hills, California. Fred Kort founded the company in April 1969, and its product range developed around inexpensive, novelty-oriented toys suitable for mass-market retail and rack-toy distribution. The company became particularly associated with rubber animals and other simple, tactile products, while also producing toys connected to space exploration, prehistoric creatures, Halloween themes, playsets, jewelry and vanity items, and licensed entertainment properties. Among its early original products was The Hungry Mouse in the Cheese House, a novelty set featuring two rubber mice and a rubber wedge of Swiss cheese. The company also offered the Silly Dilly Sky Diving Poopatroopers, an irreverent 1971 toy concept, as well as Halloween items such as Boney Benny and Booo the Bat, an Apollo Moon Exploring Series, and prehistoric-animal toys. These products reflected Imperial Toy's focus on accessible play patterns, recognizable themes, and low-cost impulse purchases rather than complex electronic or high-end toys. Imperial also built a substantial licensed-products business. Its documented licensed lines included toys associated with Jaws, The Phantom Jet, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Hanna-Barbera characters, Marvel superheroes, 1941, Buck Rogers, Spider-Woman, Tarzan, Woody Woodpecker, Mr. T, Godzilla, King Kong, The Delta Force, and James Bond. The company's 1978 toy based on the alien from Close Encounters of the Third Kind illustrates its use of contemporary film licensing, while its Godzilla action figures became one of its most recognizable product families. An articulated Godzilla figure was made in multiple sizes and gained additional popular visibility after appearing regularly on the television sitcom Roseanne. By 2006, Imperial Toy had produced more than 900 products. That year, Peter Tiger and Art Hirsch purchased the business from the Kort family. Their ownership period continued the company's role as a producer of novelty and licensed toys, although publicly available reference material provides limited detail about its later operations, product strategy, revenue, or workforce. Imperial faced a consumer-safety controversy in 2003 when the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission sued the company over the importation of toys that had previously been recalled twice because of small-parts safety concerns. Imperial Toy filed for bankruptcy in 2020. It was subsequently acquired by Ja-Ru, Inc., another company active in rack toys. The acquisition placed Imperial's business or assets within a larger novelty-toy context, but available reference material does not clearly establish whether Imperial Toy continued as an independent operating company, whether all of its brands were retained, or the precise terms and date of the transaction. Accordingly, its present corporate status is best treated as uncertain rather than definitively active or defunct.
History
Imperial Toy Corporation was founded by Fred Kort in North Hills, California, in April 1969. From its beginning, the company operated as a manufacturer of affordable toys oriented toward novelty, impulse purchasing, and broad retail distribution. Its early range included rubber animals, seasonal Halloween products, space-themed toys, prehistoric animals, and simple play concepts. The company's products were generally recognizable, inexpensive, and easy to display or sell through rack-toy channels. One early example was The Hungry Mouse in the Cheese House, introduced in 1970. The set used two rubber mice and a rubber Swiss-cheese piece to create a straightforward novelty play pattern. In 1971, Imperial released Silly Dilly Sky Diving Poopatroopers, an example of the humorous and unconventional concepts found in its catalog. Other original products included Boney Benny and Booo the Bat, an Apollo Moon Exploring Series, and prehistoric-animal toys. Licensing became an important part of Imperial Toy's catalog. During the 1970s and 1980s, the company produced toys connected with popular films, television programs, comic-book characters, and entertainment franchises. Documented examples include Jaws and The Phantom Jet in 1975; Close Encounters of the Third Kind in the late 1970s; Hanna-Barbera properties, Marvel Super Hero Finger Puppets, and 1941; and later products tied to Buck Rogers, Spider-Woman, Tarzan, Woody Woodpecker, Mr. T, Godzilla, King Kong, The Delta Force, and James Bond. The exact release year of some products is not consistently documented in the available reference material. Imperial's Godzilla products became especially visible. The company made an articulated Godzilla action figure in several sizes, and the toy was regularly seen on the sitcom Roseanne, giving the product exposure beyond conventional toy retail. The company also produced a licensed alien toy from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, demonstrating its use of contemporary film properties alongside original novelty products. The company encountered regulatory difficulties in 2003. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission sued Imperial over the importation of toys that had twice been recalled for problems involving small parts. The available reference does not provide the final legal outcome or detailed settlement terms, but the case represents a significant product-safety episode in Imperial's history. In 2006, Peter Tiger and Art Hirsch purchased Imperial Toy from the Kort family. At that point, the company was reported to have made more than 900 products. The public record supplied here contains little information about the company's management structure, manufacturing footprint, international distribution, or financial performance after the ownership change. Imperial Toy went bankrupt in 2020. Ja-Ru, Inc., a fellow rack-toy company, subsequently acquired it. The available sources do not identify the precise assets acquired, the transaction value, or whether Imperial Toy continued operating as an independent legal entity or brand. Its historical importance rests on a large catalog of low-cost rubber and novelty toys, a broad collection of entertainment licenses, and the notable visibility of its Godzilla products.
- 2020
Bankruptcy and acquisition by Ja-Ru
[1]Imperial Toy went bankrupt and was acquired by Ja-Ru, Inc.
- 2006
Ownership passes to Peter Tiger and Art Hirsch
[1]Peter Tiger and Art Hirsch purchased Imperial Toy from the Kort family.
- 2003
Consumer-safety lawsuit
[1]The Consumer Product Safety Commission sued Imperial over imported toys involving small-parts safety concerns and prior recalls.
- 1985
Godzilla toys become part of the catalog
[1]Imperial released articulated Godzilla action figures in several sizes, later gaining visibility through Roseanne.
- 1978
Close Encounters and Hanna-Barbera licensed products appear
[1]Imperial produced licensed products connected with Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Hanna-Barbera characters.
- 1971
Silly Dilly Sky Diving Poopatroopers is released
[1]The company expanded its novelty range with an irreverent skydiving-themed toy.
- 1970
The Hungry Mouse in the Cheese House is introduced
[1]Imperial released a novelty set featuring two rubber mice and a rubber Swiss-cheese wedge.
- 1969
Imperial Toy is founded
[1]Fred Kort founded Imperial Toy Corporation in April 1969 in North Hills, California.
Products and positioning
Mass-market and rack-toy manufacturer focused on affordable novelty products, rubber animals, character licenses, seasonal toys, and impulse-oriented playthings.
Original novelty toys
Rubber animals
Rubber animals were Imperial Toy's signature product area and a central part of its identity as a novelty-toy manufacturer. These products emphasized tactile play, simple forms, recognizable animals, and low-cost distribution. The company's broader catalog also included other rubber-based character and animal novelties.
Novelty playset · 1970
The Hungry Mouse in the Cheese House
Introduced in 1970, this compact novelty set consisted of two rubber mice and a rubber wedge of Swiss cheese. Its simple premise and small physical format matched Imperial Toy's emphasis on inexpensive, easily merchandised playthings.
Novelty toy · 1971
Silly Dilly Sky Diving Poopatroopers
Released in 1971, this humorous skydiving-themed product exemplified Imperial's willingness to use comic and unusual concepts in low-cost novelty toys. Detailed specifications and sales information are not provided in the available reference material.
Space-themed toy
Apollo Moon Exploring Series
The Apollo Moon Exploring Series was an original space-themed line associated with the era's public fascination with lunar exploration. The available reference identifies the line but does not provide a complete product list or precise launch date.
Licensed film toy · 1978
Close Encounters of the Third Kind alien toy
Imperial produced a licensed toy representing the alien from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The product placed the company within the late-1970s market for toys based on major science-fiction films.
Licensed action figure · 1985
Godzilla articulated action figures
Imperial's Godzilla line included articulated figures in several sizes. The toys became among the company's best-known products and were regularly visible on Roseanne, giving the figures a prominent television association.
Entertainment merchandise · 1975
Licensed character and film toys
Imperial's licensed catalog covered films, television properties, comic-book characters, and action franchises. Documented examples include Jaws, The Phantom Jet, Hanna-Barbera characters, Marvel Super Heroes, 1941, Buck Rogers, Spider-Woman, Tarzan, Woody Woodpecker, Mr. T, King Kong, The Delta Force, and James Bond.
Controversies
2003
Consumer Product Safety Commission lawsuit
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission sued Imperial Toy over the importation of toys that had twice been recalled for safety problems involving small parts. The available reference does not state the final disposition of the case.
Brand decisions
2020
Bankruptcy followed by acquisition by Ja-RuOtherBackground
Imperial Toy entered bankruptcy after decades of producing novelty and licensed toys.
Action taken
Ja-Ru, Inc. acquired Imperial Toy after the bankruptcy.
Aftermath
The acquisition connected Imperial Toy with another rack-toy company. The precise assets, transaction terms, and continuing status of the Imperial name are not established in the available sources.
2006
Sale of Imperial Toy to Peter Tiger and Art HirschM&ABackground
The Kort family sold Imperial Toy after the company had developed a catalog of more than 900 products.
Action taken
Peter Tiger and Art Hirsch purchased the company and became its owners.
Aftermath
The purchase marked a change in ownership, but the available material does not describe subsequent management, financial performance, or strategic changes in detail.
Sources2 sources
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