Schylling Associates, Inc. has been named the new U.S. distributor for Darda toys by Wm K. Walthers, Inc. and Simm Marketing GMBH. Earlier this month, Walthers sold the line to Simm.

As part of the transition to new ownership, both Schylling and Walthers representatives began taking orders for Darda products during Toy Fair New York. In-stock inventory will ship directly from the Walthers warehouse in Milwaukee. Future releases will ship from Schylling.

The shelves will turn a bit more ugly this year as Pretty Ugly expands its plush characters plus partners with Schylling and Abrams for additional products.

Pointy Max, who has a weakness for cheese and a phobia of blank paper, joins the Ugly Doll family along with Picksey, Mynus, Ninja Batty Shogun, Ket, Wippy, Nandy Bear, and Cozymonster.

In March, the company will release Series 2 Action Figures in new “C-Thru” boxes, which are packaged in a collection of 12. The following month, Pretty Ugly will debut six new Big Toe Collections in bright new colors.

The Ugly gang will premiere in new books such as Random House titles Ugly Guide 4-The Ugly Guide to Eating Out and Keeping it Down, and Ugly Colors, a board book, to be released by April. In the fall, another board book, Babo’s Cookie Problem, will be released.

Pretty Ugly will also team with Schylling to release new tin products including tin truck pencil holders, coin banks, wind-up robots, alarm clocks, and tin keepsake lunch boxes. Through a partnership with Abrams, the company will also release two calendars in the summer.