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Aaron Margolin

@aaron-margolin.bsky.social
504 followers 270 following 105 posts

Senior Global Brand Manager @ Jazwares FNAF, Halo, Total Anime - Formerly Pokémon, Nerf, Cocomelon) - All post/views are my own. (He/Him)

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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
I apologize, we can’t really control how retailers sell our products. Exclusives are sometimes characters who otherwise could not show up in a mainline wave (not always, but sometimes) opportunities afforded to us by retailers like Hot Topic let us do those characters rather than not.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
I’m posting this on Bluesky for a specific reason lol Ok, back to nonsenseposting lol
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
If you *ever* doubt what I’m for or against, ask me in person and I’d be happy to tell you. I generally don’t post about serious stuff cause I prefer to donate and take action offline. I don’t really want to be targeted for stuff by those on the wrong side of history in high places.
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Reposted by Aaron Margolin
Katt @sarcastickatt.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
I'm seeing a lot of posts to call your reps but little on actually how. 5calls.org is a great site where you can put in your zip code and get numbers for your house representative and two senators. You also can get a script if you're like me and stumble over your thoughts.
5calls.org
5 Calls
Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Blood for the blood god. We literally can’t stop aiding in or directly perpetrating horrific war crimes. What a misery.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
A kind reminder for all that I hate generative AI. I find its usage ghoulish and lazy.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Thank you! I mulled over this for the past few days haha.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Hey! Tricky question, but nearly every product that we put out from 2019 to mid-2025 was in part selected by me to be developed. As far as personal development efforts, I assisted with the designs of a few figures and plush, but only lightly. I did program all of our feature items though.
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Reposted by Aaron Margolin
Daniel Dockery @dandock.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I adore the background art in Digimon Adventure. There's often a kind of pastel dreaminess - not necessarily real-life, but the way we view childhood through the lens of nostalgia. Considering the whole series revolves around a coming-of-age, summer camp experience, it's fitting.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Also, if more people enjoy what’s made over a longer period of time, it’s easier to take much deeper and fan-centric actions down the line. Keep the lights on and you’ll get more opportunities to shine. THREAD OVER
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I think there were a lot of really great considerations made in the film. There were details that were incredibly considerate. As someone with a writing background, I can understand how people would have criticisms, but I also think people have been extremely volatile.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I say this as someone who has and will continue to openly communicate that I will produce fan-first product lines. By no means does that consideration overwrite that I need to ensure that as many folks as possible resonate with what I help develop.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
If something is done in the name of a fandom and that audience does not resonate with the outcome, the backlash can be more brutal than critical panning. Not only do they not care for what was done, it was apparently done in *their* name.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Fandoms are VERY passionate communities who have members who are personally invested in what they love. This has only become more true with the advent of social media and the good and bad effects of big brands becoming full lifestyles and not just casual hobbies.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
To put it simply? It depends. That’s the risk you take when you communicate that everything was done with the fanbase in mind. Even if that’s not the case in practice, that messaging can be polarizing.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Now, what happens when large company-backed adaptations of established IPs are communicated as being created exclusively “for the fans” and consideration for general audiences is secondary or seemingly disregarded?
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
By doing this, we didn’t risk losing support for the line, we were afforded more mistakes, we could expand more steadily, and we could do even deeper cuts over time.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I didn’t get it right every time, but I learned very quickly that you have to find a balance to ensure that you’re casting the net as wide as possible for success in the eyes of fans and those who just care about financial or critical success.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
So what I did was pack all new characters who were not Mascot or A+ level in popularity with Mascot level characters. For the fans and hardcore collectors there was something new and unexpected. For regular folks there was something immediately recognizable.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
To be blunt: There are over 1000 Pokémon and not everyone knows who Shuckle is. *I* do. *I* love Shuckle.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I’ll use Pokémon as an example. During the 5~ years that I oversaw the Pokémon line, we made 250+ action figures. As a lifelong fan, there were some “deeper cut” characters I wanted us to make, but if a figure did not sell well, that could potentially impact the longterm health of the line.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
So how does this apply to my experience with making toys for large brands? Well, as I tell the students I present to, “Toy is the intersection of entertainment and commerce.” This consideration can be directly applied to a toy line of a large brand.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I’ll reiterate that I don’t mention this cynically. In fact, this formula REALLY seems to work! Sonics 1-3 and Mario attracted general audiences AND had many members of their respective fanbases celebrate “being catered to.” Studios make their money, audiences are happy. The world keeps turning.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Live and Learn, “Talk about a low budget flight,” SA2 Chao Posters, etc. It’s auxiliary fluff, but to a fan it *feels* correct. “Hey, that’s that thing I know from that thing I love! “
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Sonic 3 takes a LOT of liberties with established Video Game lore to service the established Film canon and ‘general appeal.’ That could have bothered a lot of fans, but the movie also has a TON of details added to validate the fanbase.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I think a great example of this philosophy being successfully employed is with the latest Sonic film franchise, specifically Sonic 3:
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Think Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, Castlevania, Fallout, etc. All were praised for their faithfulness upon release, but really, they’re original stories with easter eggs and winks to the fanbase to signal, “yes, we like this thing you like too!”
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Thanks to 3 decades of “unfaithful” adaptations “for the masses” any measure of fan first authenticity feels like a triumph.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Enter the early 2020’s, when we really start seeing studios cater towards the fans. Nothing is made JUST for the fans, but there are clear attempts to appeal to fanbases and “ring true” to the source material.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
The fans may hate it, because it’s “not the thing they love” which alienates the baked in consumer base. So it’s entirely up to “mass appeal.”
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Now here’s the trick. You can’t JUST aim for the masses. You risk watering down the IP or worse, making it unrecognizable to those who care about it the most. This was very common with Video Game Film adaptations in the 1980’s-2010’s.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
You can call them “normies” if you want, but the “casual” fan group are the masses. If a brand’s Film or TV entry resonates with them, it’s a SUBSTANTIALLY larger group of people than any hardcore fanbase can achieve. To a big corporation, that means more money.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
We’re in a time period where legacy brands have never been “bigger.” A lot of 10+ year old Video Game brands have fanbases that consist of an older generation, a younger generation, and a non age-specific “casual” fan group that’s brought in through passive accessible media like TV and Film.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
This makes execs at big organizations extremely risk adverse. There is no “we think this will be a hit” it *must* be a hit.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Since, let’s say 2020, Film studios and retail stores share an aligned sentiment: “If I’m going to invest X (retail space, theatrical distribution, etc) then I better get either an explosive return or a significant longterm return.”
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
First, lets set the stage. We’re in the latest stage of the ‘bottom line’ as the end-all-be-all for major corporations. Film, Toy, Video Games, Comics, etc. I’m not saying this cynically, this is reality. Immediate Money = Good Longterm Money = Really Good
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
TLDR: When adapting anything that has an established history and a passionate fanbase, the sweet spot is to take *actions* that appeal to the general public while *considering* the fans.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I posted a summary on X, but here’s a BIG THREAD of my take on doing stuff “for the fans” based on my experience developing toy lines. (This applies to every big brand, not just FNAF)
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I keep trying to get into Fallout 76, but I just can’t. I hate MMO gameplay loops and the game pushes micro transactions so much. I just want a new Fallout experience 😭😭😭
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
What a good year
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Super proud of the ARG stuff I managed to sneak into some announcements. I’ve always wanted to do hidden things in my projects and FNAF is the perfect IP to do stuff like this. I wanted it to feel like the older FNAF promos.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Cracking open my gifts today. Let’s just say I’m gonna move differently when I’m done with this.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
Happy holidays! Were you naughty or nice this year?
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
If you’re wondering why all I do is post about work, it’s because my life revolves around the following: 1. Work 2. Loving my Fiancé 3. Work 4. Writing or playing D&D 5. Work
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
Now’s probably a good time to share that starting in 2026, I’ll also be managing our ‘Total Anime’ line! (For those who don’t know, that’s our anthology Anime line with figs & plush from MHA, JJK, Chainsaw Man, & more!)
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
Thanks, Carter!!
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
This was me solo-leading the FNAF pitch. Time flies 😅😅.
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Gonna try to post on here a bit more! Sharing and following would be appreciated 😅 Hi everyone I’m Aaron Margolin! I’m the Senior Brand Manager of the FNAF & Halo lines at Jazwares. I previously oversaw our Pokémon line and a few others too!
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
I’d love to post on here more, but my reach is so limited 🥲🥲 I should just mimic all of my posts from Tw*tter shouldn’t I?
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Aaron Margolin @aaron-margolin.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
We are nearing the release of some of the final items that I got to start development on during my time on the Pokémon team. There’s still a few left, but this really was one of the highlights to leave on!
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