Looney Labs Explained

Looney Labs, Inc.
Type:Privately held corporation
Industry:Gaming
Predecessor:IceHouse Games, Inc.
Founded: in College Park, Maryland
Founders:Andrew Looney
Kristin Looney
Hq Location:The Sterling Building
Hq Location City:College Park, Maryland
Hq Location Country:United States
Areas Served:-->
Products:card games, Icehouse sets
Revenue:$1 million
Revenue Year:2012
Owners:Andrew Looney
Kristin Looney
Num Employees:7
Num Employees Year:2012

Looney Labs, Inc. is a small game company based in College Park, Maryland, United States. It is named after its founders, Andrew Looney and Kristin Looney, and is best known for creating the Fluxx line of card games. The company has three U.S. patents and eight Origins Awards.[1]

The company's games are distributed by ACD Distribution, Alliance Game Distributors and GTS for the US hobby game market, Lion Rampant for Canada and Publisher Services, Inc. for U.S. mass market and book trade and the international market.

Icehouse Games: predecessor company

Andrew and Kristin Looney previously entered game design and manufacturing with Icehouse Games which was started to manufacture pieces for the formerly fictional IceHouse game in 1989. In 1996, Looney shut down Icehouse Games, Inc. as the cost to create Icehouse pyramid molds would cost $12,000 and to focus on designing a card game.[2]

History

Home based

Andrew Looney soon designed the Fluxx card game. Looney Laboratories was launched in 1996 as a part-time home based design company[3] soon adding a nearby storage unit as a warehouse.[4] Fluxx was licensed out to Iron Crown Enterprises to publish.[5] At the 1998 Origins International Game Expo and Fair in Columbus, Ohio, Looney launched its Aquarius card game.[3] Proton and Q-Turn were design in 1998–1999.[4] Alison Frane started working at Looney Labs with Fluxx using her artistic abilities. The company's November 1999 weekly web zine officially launched its Mad Lab Rabbit fan demo program.[6]

Iron Crown went into bankruptcy thus the Looney triggered the license provision allowing the rights to revert to the company. Lab then decided to publish Fluxx in house instead of finding another publisher. Kristin Looney by 2000 quit her job to work full-time.[5] By 2000, the company re-released Icehouse as ,[7] released Chrononauts[6] and a new printing of Fluxx (version 2.1).[4] Icehouse sold poorly in stores while selling briskly on the company's website.[6]

In summer 2001, ACMS, later renamed Print Mail Communications (PMC), took over from the storage unit as warehousing and distribution company.[4] In 2001, IceHouse and Chrononauts both won Origins Awards 2000[7] while Looney Labs published Cosmic Coasters, Fluxx Blanxx, and Chrononauts: Lost Identities.[4] Icehouse pieces were released as monochrome stash tubes in 2001.

Andrew Looney became full-time by 2002.[5] Labs released in 2002 Nanofictionary, Are You a Werewolf? and a new Fluxx primary version.[4] In 2003, the company expanded the Fluxx line with its first themed variant and a licensed German language version.

Looney Labs found in 2004 that an unaware Covenant Communications had published a rip-off of their game, Aquarius, as Search, Ponder, and Play! in 2003, for which Labs reached a licensing deal with Covenant.[8] In 2004, the Zendo icehouse set won Best Abstract Board Game of 2003.[9] while in 2005 the set won the Mensa Select Game Award.[10]

Apartment based

Company offices moved to Janet's Attic, an attic apartment in their friends' house several blocks away in early 2005. By October 2005, EcoFluxx was in play testing while Just Desserts was in prototype, or beta stage.[6]

Robin Vinopal joined the company in early 2006 becoming Chief Operating Officer, Treasurer, and member of the Board of Directors. In 2006, Lab revamped their Icehouse sets to the Treehouse main set[11] plus two color schemes and also released Martian Coasters. With the 2007 publishing of Zombie Fluxx the first new type of card, Creeper, is introduced. Also in 2007, the Mad Rabbits fan/demo program was shut down.[12]

With Frane's purchase of a house, Pepperland, in 2008, the company moved into its basement apartment. Product wise that year, Labs released edition 4 Fluxx and worked with Toy Vault to release Monty Python Fluxx.[13] The company began using a standard two-part box instead of to-fit tuck box for a consistent look and shelving ease.

In, Looney Labs published one new card game, Are You the Traitor?, another Fluxx variant, new editions of its two other card games and a few expansion sets while starting to use a postcard promo card for marketing. The company on started distributing through Publisher Services, Inc. for international accounts, and to the book trade.[14] On, Labs launched its Full Baked Ideas imprint with a new edition of Stoner Fluxx and expectations for a drinking variant of Fluxx.[15]

The Back to the Future: The Card Game was released in 2010 along with two Fluxx re-releases in the new box format. Two new Fluxx variants debuted in 2011 that saw the IceHouse pyramids re-released with a new lead game set, IceDice. The company's fan/demo club was restarted in 2011.[12]

The company on reduced the number of distribution companies that they ship through to ACD Distribution and Alliance Game Distributors for the US hobby game market, Lion Rampant for Canada and Publisher Services, Inc. for U.S. mass market and book trade and the international market. ACD and Alliance would also make their supporting material available via subscription.[16]

On August 1, 2012, Looney Labs got a simplified less expensive general market version with redesigned packaging of Fluxx into Target stores.[2] On February 7, 2013, Labs released the 2.0 edition of Nanofictionary as a print on demand product.[17]

Office based

In August 2013, the company moved from Pepperland basement to the top floor of The Sterling Building, an actual office complex.[18] In May 2015, Labs changed its fulfillment company from PMC to Excel.[19] Lab added in mid-2015 GTS as another distributor.[20]

Loonacy was released in March 2014[16] [21] and won the Parents' Choice FunStuff Award Spring 2014 Games. While two other Loonacy versions were released in the next two following years.[22] [23]

In 2017, Looney Labs had multiple releases with three Fully Baked Ideas summer releases of variants of existing games, a revived Nanofictionary version, a few variants of Fluxx including Chemistry Fluxx[24] and Zendo. In December 2017, the company reissued Zendo game separate from the Looney pyramids line for the first time.[25]

Graphic artist Mary Engelbreit was signed to a licensing deal in February 2018 with Looney Labs' for versions of Fluxx and Loonacy games to be released in the third quarter 2018. Two second quarter games were also scheduled, a new Fluxx set and Get the MacGuffin card game.[26]

Games

The Card Game variant (by)[35] art by Derek Ring, won 2011 Origins Award for Best Traditional Card Game[36]

Fully Baked Ideas

Fully Baked Ideas is Looney Labs's mature publishing imprint.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: 2007 Origins Award Winners. June 8, 2015. ICv2. July 9, 2007.
  2. News: Robbins . Lindsey . For the Looneys, the game's the thing . June 25, 2015 . The Gazette . Post Community Media, LLC . August 30, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150626103736/http://www.gazette.net/article/20120830/NEWS/708309805/-1/for-the-looneys-the-game-s-the-thing%26template%3Dgazette . June 26, 2015 . dead .
  3. News: Barnes. Denise. The Looneys devise a game plan. June 18, 2015. Washington Times. August 27, 1998.
  4. Web site: History of Looney Labs. Looney Labs.com. Looney Labs. July 22, 2015.
  5. News: Ford. C. Benjamin. Looneys working through the serious business of fun. June 16, 2015. The Gazette. Post Community Media, LLC. November 22, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20150617194419/http://ww2.gazette.net/gazette_archive/2002/200247/business/news/132311-1.html. June 17, 2015. dead.
  6. West. Susan. The Looney Labs Experiment . GAMES . October 2005 . June 16, 2015.
  7. News: Jackson . Micah . Origins Awards Announced: Pyramid Wins Best Magazine. June 8, 2015. Pyramid Magazine. Steve Jackson Games. July 7, 2001.
  8. Web site: Looney . Andrew . Looney. Kristin. The Covenant Communications Story. Wunderland. Looney Labs. July 22, 2015.
  9. News: Origins Award Winners for 2003. June 8, 2015. ICv2. June 28, 2004.
  10. Web site: Arneson. Erik. Mensa Select Award Winners. About. June 24, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150626134309/http://boardgames.about.com/od/awards/a/mensa_select.htm. June 26, 2015.
  11. News: Niebling. William. Review: 'Looney Pyramids'--'Treehouse' AND 'Pink Hijinks'. June 10, 2015. ICv2. December 17, 2012.
  12. Web site: Investing in Looney Labs. looneylabs.com. Looney Labs. September 2013. July 27, 2015.
  13. News: Kai. Monty Python Fluxx. July 27, 2015. Meeple Magazine. January 29, 2011.
  14. News: Looney Labs Signs With PSI. June 30, 2015. ICv2. July 10, 2009.
  15. News: Looney Labs Launches Fully Baked. June 30, 2015. ICv2. October 26, 2009.
  16. News: Looney Labs Cuts Distributors. June 30, 2015. ICv2. January 5, 2012.
  17. Web site: Nanofictionary. DriveThruCards.com . OneBookShelf. July 27, 2015. February 7, 2013.
  18. News: The Sterling Building. July 27, 2015. Wunderland.com. Looney Labs. July 20, 2013.
  19. News: Looney. Andy. Thanks PMC!. July 27, 2015. Wunderland. Looney Labs. May 19, 2015.
  20. News: Thorne. Scott. Rolling FOR Initiative--Another Day, Another Distributor Exclusive Ends. March 16, 2016. ICv2. February 1, 2016.
  21. News: 'Loonacy: The Maniacal Matching Card Game' . March 16, 2016 . ICv2 . February 7, 2014.
  22. News: Bunge . Nicole . 'Retro Loonacy' Card Game. March 16, 2016. ICv2. July 27, 2015.
  23. News: Bunge . Nicole . 'Uglydolls' Invade Game World . March 16, 2016 . ICv2 . November 23, 2015.
  24. News: Niebling. William. Looney Labs Revives 'Nanofictionary'. February 13, 2018. ICv2. March 6, 2017. en.
  25. News: Bunge. Nicole. 'Zendo' Returns. February 13, 2018. ICv2. November 1, 2017. en.
  26. News: Bunge. Nicole. Mary Engelbreit Supplies 'Fluxx' with Upbeat Whimsey. February 13, 2018. ICv2. February 7, 2018. en.
  27. Clifton. Paul. Ellen Do . Sketch Game. CHI. 2009. 17 May 2012.
  28. News: Liu. Jonathan H.. Fluxx: The Board Game. June 23, 2015. Geek Dad. August 7, 2013.
  29. News: 2008 Origins Award Winners. 23 July 2015. ICv2. June 29, 2008.
  30. Web site: Parents' Choice Award-Winning Company: Looney Labs. Parents-Choice.org. Parents' Choice Foundation. June 24, 2015.
  31. News: Teverbaugh. Rick. Stringing dragons goal of new Looney Labs game. June 23, 2015. The Herald Bulletin. Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.. August 24, 2011.
  32. News: Kidwell. Tim. Seven Dragons from Looney Labs. June 23, 2015. Model Retailer Magazine. Kalmach Publishing Co.. May 26, 2011.
  33. Web site: Out Of Print (OOP) Pyramid Products. Wunderland. Looney Labs. June 10, 2015.
  34. News: Niebling. William. Review of 'IceDice'. June 10, 2015. ICv2. March 30, 2011.
  35. News: 'Back to the Future: The Card Game'. July 23, 2015. ICv2. September 11, 2010.
  36. News: 2011 Origins Award Winners. July 23, 2015. ICv2. June 27, 2011.
  37. News: Smith . Tim . 'Chrono-Trek' Into The Final Frontier . April 21, 2020 . icv2.com . May 17, 2019 . en.
  38. News: Bunge . Nicole . 'Marvel' and 'Jumanji Fluxx' in the Works . April 21, 2020 . ICv2 . February 14, 2019 . en.
  39. News: Bunge . Nicole . 'Star Trek Fluxx' Gets Foil Expansion That Breaks The Timeline . December 17, 2018 . ICv2 . June 14, 2018 . en.
  40. News: Looney Labs' Demo Kit Program. July 23, 2015. ICv2. June 8, 2009.
  41. News: 36TH ANNUAL ORIGINS AWARDS. July 23, 2015. ICv2. June 27, 2010.
  42. News: Smith. Nick. Review: 'Choose One' (Card Game). 23 June 2015. ICv2. January 6, 2014.
  43. Web site: Mary Engelbreit Games - Product Announcement Looney Labs . Looney Labs.com . Looney Labs . December 18, 2018.
  44. News: Bunge. Nicole. 'Cartoon Network Fluxx' Hobby Release. June 29, 2015. ICv2. March 9, 2015.
  45. News: Niebling. William. Looney Labs Declares 'Just Desserts' 'Better with Bacon'. February 13, 2018. ICv2. November 3, 2016. en.
  46. News: Niebling. William. Looney Labs Reveals 'Mad Libs: The Game' Details. March 16, 2016. ICv2. November 24, 2015.
  47. News: Niebling. William. 'Anatomy Fluxx' and 'Get the MacGuffin'. February 13, 2018. ICv2. January 17, 2018. en.
  48. News: Bunge . Nicole . 'Marvel' and 'Jumanji Fluxx' in the Works . April 21, 2020 . ICv2 . February 14, 2019 . en.
  49. News: Niebling . William . Looney Labs Kicks Off 'Year of Time Travel' With 'Time Breaker' . April 21, 2020 . icv2 . January 11, 2019 . en.
  50. News: Niebling. William. Fully Baked Presents 'Adult Mad Libs: The Game'. February 13, 2018. ICv2. February 3, 2017. en.
  51. News: Bunge. Nicole. Fully Baked Ideas Introduces Adults-Only 'Loonacy'. February 13, 2018. ICv2. February 15, 2017. en.

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