Voiced by an autistic actor, the newest
character in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go was developed in
collaboration with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Easterseals
Southern California, and respected writers and figures with
autism
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Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today the introduction of
Bruno, the first autistic character in the iconic Thomas &
Friends franchise. Mattel Television developed Bruno in
collaboration with respected organizations including the Autistic
Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and Easterseals Southern California,
as well as writers and spokespeople with autism including Daniel
Share-Strom and Aaron Likens. Voiced by Chuck Smith, an autistic
actor, the new series regular will make his debut on the Season 26
premiere of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go on Monday,
September 12 at 8:30 am ET/PT on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network in
the U.S. and on September 17 at 8:50 am ET/PT on Treehouse and
STACKTV in Canada.
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Bruno will make his debut on the Season
26 premiere of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go on Monday,
September 12 at 8:30 am ET/PT on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network in
the U.S. and on September 17 at 8:50 am ET/PT on Treehouse and
STACKTV in Canada. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Bruno is a joyful, pun-making brake car. He is great at his job
and keeps big, heavy cargo steady with his strong brakes—a vital
role in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go. Bruno rolls in
reverse at the end of the train, which gives him a unique
perspective on the world. Detail-oriented Bruno enjoys schedules,
routine, and knows where all the tracks lead on Sodor. Bruno has
stairs and a lantern on his bright, red exterior that indicate his
emotional state, moving when he is excited or cautious. Bruno’s
best day is one spent with his friends, who love and respect him
for who he is, just as he loves them back. Through his on-screen
presence, Bruno’s rich friendships and important work introduces
audiences to a positive, neurodivergent role model. Together with
key partners, Mattel carefully curated Bruno’s character to ensure
an accurate fictional representation of an autistic child in the
real world.
“The most important aspect of Bruno's development was getting
autistic input throughout the process of creating the character and
his interactions with his world,” said Zoe Gross, Director of
Advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). “It was
great to be able to contribute to that as part of a team of
consultants from ASAN. Autistic people have been involved in all
aspects of creating Bruno, from us as consultants to writers on the
show and Bruno's voice actor—this makes Bruno ring true as an
autistic character. I hope that Bruno will provide viewers with
meaningful examples of inclusion in everyday life.”
Experts from ASAN and Easterseals Southern California, alongside
the creative and writing team at Mattel Television, leveraged years
of experience dedicated to the understanding of autism to
respectfully and artistically create an accurate, on-screen
representation. Through their hard work, dedication and care, Bruno
opens the door for global audiences in a way Thomas & Friends
has never done before.
“Our commitment and contributions alongside Mattel have ensured
that an honest version of Bruno is what kids and families across
the world will experience,” said Dr. Paula Pompa Craven, Chief
Clinical Officer at Easterseals Southern California. “Audiences
will be able to see the real-life experiences of an autistic child
through Bruno, including opportunities to learn and grow alongside
him as he demonstrates his ability to give and receive support from
his friends.”
While Bruno thoughtfully reflects the traits and preferences of
some autistic people, one animated character could never encompass
the real-life experience of every autistic person. A key character
within the Thomas & Friends franchise, Bruno’s introduction
will span across all content with appearances in a YouTube series,
music album, the Thomas & Friends Storytime podcast, the
upcoming Mystery of Lookout Mountain special, and consumer products
set to debut later this year.
“Bruno’s introduction organically embraces a global audience
that is underrepresented and deserves to be celebrated in
children’s programming,” said Christopher Keenan, Senior Vice
President & Executive Producer, Global Content Development and
Production at Mattel. “So much care and thought went into the
development of his character, and we can’t wait for audiences to
meet and love Bruno as much as we do.”
In its upcoming season on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network in the
U.S. and Treehouse and STACKTV in Canada, Thomas & Friends: All
Engines Go is back on track with big adventures fueled by
friendship. Thomas and the gang will face unexpected surprises and
discover more about one another as they play, learn, and grow
together. Featuring new original songs and even bigger adventures,
the latest season of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go welcomes
everyone to the Island of Sodor for a toot-ally awesome
journey!
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go is co-produced by Mattel
and Nelvana, a world-leading producer, distributor, and licensor of
children’s animated and live-action content, and is executive
produced by Christopher Keenan and Fred Soulie for Mattel and by
Colin Bohm, Doug Murphy, and Pam Westman for Nelvana. Nelvana is
also the exclusive licensing agent representing non-toy categories
for Thomas & Friends in Canada.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the
strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment
franchises in the world. We create innovative products and
experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through
play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands,
including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®,
Thomas & Friends®, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Monster
High® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties
that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment
companies. Our offerings include film and television content,
gaming, music, and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our
products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration
with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its
founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in
empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach
their full potential. Visit us online at mattel.com.
About The Autistic Self Advocacy
Network
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization run by and for autistic people. ASAN is a national
grassroots disability rights organization for the autistic
community. We fight for disability rights. We work to make sure
autistic people are included in policy-making, so that laws and
policies meet our community’s needs. We work to support all forms
of self-advocacy and to change the way people think about autism.
Our members and supporters include autistic adults and youth,
cross-disability advocates, and non-autistic family members,
professionals, educators, and friends.
About Easterseals Southern
California
Easterseals is leading the way to full equity, inclusion and
access through life-changing disability and community services. For
more than 100 years, we have worked tirelessly with our partners to
enhance quality of life and expand local access to healthcare,
education and employment opportunities. Easterseals Southern
California provides essential services and on-the-ground supports
to more than 15,000 people each year—from early childhood programs
for the critical first five years, to autism services, daily and
independent living services for adults, employment programs,
veterans’ services and more. Our public education, policy and
advocacy initiatives positively shape perceptions and address the
urgent and evolving needs of the one in four Americans with
disabilities today. Together, we’re empowering people with
disabilities, families and communities to be full and equal
participants in society. Learn more at
www.easterseals.com/southerncal.
About Nelvana
Entertaining kids for over 50 years, Nelvana is a world-leading
international producer and distributor of children's animated and
live-action content. Nelvana produces a stable of award-winning and
globally renowned brands that focus on comedies, preschool and
action series, and ancillary consumer products programs. Nelvana's
content airs on Corus Entertainment's kids channels in Canada and
in over 180 countries around the world. The Nelvana library has
over 4,800 episodes of programming and has received over 70 major
international program awards including Emmys® and Canadian Screen
Awards. Visit the Nelvana website at nelvana.com. Follow Nelvana
Enterprises on Twitter @NelvanaEnt.
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Niki Kazakos Mattel Niki.Kazakos@mattel.com
Casey McDonald Mattel Casey.McDonald@mattel.com
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