Ah ha now for part 3/2, merchandising. so what is wrong with trying to earn a little money though the healthy merchandicing of your more popular characters and shows....Nothing....if you do the right amount. too much over saturates your market and sickin's your audiance turning some away from your product, and sometimes your show altogether. too little creates the atmostphere that you don't care about your fans, turning away a healthy market and can cause collectable mayhem if the show is popular. So what is too much? Too much is glass snowglobes at walmart for children I repeat GLASS SNOWGLOBES FOR CHILDREN. Too much is the Sponge Bob sponge. It was that kind of merchandicing that killed it for me. and tons of others., this type of merchandicing is what kills alot of nicklelodens more popular shows before they hit their strides. So what is too little? too little is when the only object a fan can find is some 50cent plastic do-hicky from a candy machine, or some plastic peice of crap from the bottom of some wendy's kids meal. (wendy's because they tend never to advertise the toys in their meals, usually a sure sign that a show isn't doing well. ) The companies that market these need to have a balance, first merchandicng alone cost money so lets not blow it all on items that are not going to bring in money or are so stupid to begin with that they will only sell as a joke. Less is more but, you do have to have some. stick to the basics when it comes to cartoons. Dolls/actionfigures, coloring books, small chaper'er books and the such, for older collecters comic books, and collectable (well made, diecast) models. Let's not go nuts, children and other fans don't want glass snowglobes that are ill painted and play something total unrelated to the show. Children want something to play with, adults want something to show off that is worth showing off, for that is the way of the fans, and if you want money, you want fans.