Cadbury Yowie
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Cadbury Yowies are a line of toys and children's products produced by Cadbury and based on the mythology surrounding the Australian Yowies. Invented by Bryce Courtenay and Geoff Piker, they were similar to Kinder Surprises in that they are basically a chocolate shell around a plastic capsule, with a toy inside. Unlike Kinder Surprises, the toy is usually an Australian or New Zealand animal, with a leaflet with educational facts and a picture of the animal.
There have been several series of Yowie toys; the first were animals, with limited edition Yowie pencil toppers in some of them. Later, Grumkin pencil toppers also appeared. In 2001 there was a departure from the usual kind of Yowies. In conjunction with an Australian Museum exhibit called The Lost Kingdoms, new Yowies came out. Instead of endangered animals, these had extinct animals in them, along with the modern koala and platypus. The packaging also got overhauled. The wrappers of the Lost Kingdom Yowies could be distinguished by the sign and shovel being held in their paws.
The Yowies, according to the story, are protectors of the various environments of Gondwana. Their names were Rumble (deserts), Boof (rainforests and mountains), Crag (swamps and mangroves), Ditty (bushland), Nap (gum forests) and Squish (rivers and waterways, possibly the ocean as well). The Yowies were ruled by Buynip who lived in a billabong.
The Yowies each had a respective enemy, called a Grumkin, representing the damage being done to it by careless humans. The Grumkins were: Munch (careless building, enemy of Rumble), Blob (pollution, enemy of Crag), Ooz (also pollution, enemy of Squish), Spark (careless firelighting, enemy of Nap), Slob (litter, enemy of Ditty) and Chomp the Tiger Toothed Tree Chomper (deforestation, enemy of Boof).
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[edit] Series
[edit] Yowie Series
The first series of Yowies was released in 1997 with 50 animal figurines, and 6 limited-edition Yowie Men (Rumble, Boof, Crag, Squish, Nap & Ditty). The series was discontinued in late 1998, but resurfaced in 2005 from left-over factory editions.
In 1998 the second series was released, this time featuring 50 animals. It was discontinued in 1999 when the third series was released.
The third series of Yowies released in early 1999 was compromised of 50 figurines, and 6 limited edition Grumkins (Slob, Munch, Ooz, Spark, Chomp & Blob). This series remained the most common of all the series, extending into 2002, and then scattered releases until the series ended in 2005.
The fourth series of Yowies was released in late 1999. The series was the first to have "Yowie World" animals, in which animals from Africa or Asia were released. It remained the second-most popular series extending until 2005.
After the Yowie line added extinct dinosaurs in 2000, the fifth series of Yowie was released in 2001. The series had 30 figurines, and was often regarded as the rarest series,[citation needed] considering supplies seemed limited. It is the most highly sought-after series of all Yowies.
[edit] Lost Kingdoms Series
The Lost Kingdoms series was launched in 2000, under the name "Yowie And The Lost Kingdoms". Series A, had 50 prehistoric figurines and 6 limited edition skulls. It was later replaced by Series B, released in 2001, which only had 30 figurines and 6 limited edition skulls. In 2002 the third and final series, Series C, was released, with 30 figurines and 6 limited edition dazzling dinosaurs.
[edit] Adventure Series
The Adventure Series saw a turn towards the Kinder Surprise craze in 2001 when Series 1 was released. The series consisted of 5 animals, 5 Yowie men, 5 furniture pieces, 5 flora and 5 helpers. The series was updated in 2002 with a second release with 30 figurines, similar to the previous series, except more animals appeared in this series and the Yowie men and helpers were replaced with Grumkins and helpers.
[edit] Forgotten Friends
In 2003 Yowie released their Forgotten Friends Series A, which compromised of 30 figurines, with 6 glow-in-the-dark yowie men. The series took another step for Yowie with the animals being from the not-too distant past (last 400 years)
In 2004 Series B of the Forgotten Friends range was released, this time with 5 limited edition Glow in the dark Grumkins. Spark was left out as it was regarded a bad message to children.
In mid 2005 the Yowie was removed from sales in Australia and New Zealand. It was rumored that the Yowie's sales decended as of 2001-(7 years ago)
