Mercer Mayer and John R. Sansevere Launch TWELVE/30

Initial projects include a deal with HarperCollins and a YouTube channel.

November 16, 2022

Little Critter.Mercer Mayer

Mercer Mayer has partnered with digital media writer, producer and game designer, John R. Sansevere, to form TWELVE/30, with a mission to develop Mayer’s catalog of over 300 titles across all media and consumer products. TWELVE/30 has exclusive media and licensing rights across all consumer products categories and all new publishing. Sansevere will serve as the company’s managing partner.

The initial brand focus for the newly established company will be Mayer’s

Little Critter

series.

TWELVE/30 has signed its first licensing agreement with

HarperCollins

for a new series of Little Critter books to include two titles under the publisher’s recently launched “I Can Read Comics” label, as well as two new readers in the “I Can Read” series.

“Multiple generations born after 1980 grew up with Mercer Mayer’s books and are now passing on their love for his characters and stories to their own children,” says Sansevere. “The first IP we will develop is Little Critter, one of the last remaining evergreen

U.S. publishing brands that has never had a TV show or large-scale licensing and merchandising program. With the 50th anniversary of Little Critter coming up in 2025, this is a perfect time to bring the world of Little Critter to new audiences everywhere through animated content and appealing products that will allow children to further engage with the brand.”

TWELVE/30 will also create animated content for the IP for television and/or streaming. The first project will be a series of animated shorts with the first Little Critter “I Can Read Comics” title as the basis for the initial episode, to premiere on a newly branded Little Critter YouTube channel.

“I’ve been publishing stories for over 55 years, adventures inspired from my childhood or my children’s childhoods, and now I get inspiration from my grandkids,” says Mayer. “I’ve long wanted to explore opportunities that will allow kids to engage with my characters and stories in ways that appeal to a new generation of children. Having worked with John over the years, I am extremely excited to collaborate with him again in the launch of TWELVE/30 and to continue creating inspiring new content and products based on my published works that parents will trust, and children will love.”