Quad-City Times from Davenport, Iowa • 12

TIMES QCTIMES.COM A12 SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2009 early days, you didn't know enough about it." Toymakers had different problems as they tried to figure out how to capitalize on a show that seemed to celebrate underachieve-ment irking cultural critics from Bill Cosby to then-President George H.W. Bush. stymied because they didn't know how the characters would develop. "A lot of licensees took the limited art (that Fox had) and put it on the front of a T- shirt or backpack or whatever," recalls former Fox merchandising chief Al Ovadia, now an independent consultant. "In the not always successfully.

"They had too many products, and they didn't do a good job of controlling the knockoffs," says Gary Caplan, who runs an independent licensing consulting firm. "That probably slowed (the franchise) down a little bit." The folks at Fox also were mm laughs coming. Fox recently renewed "The Simpsons" for two years, ensuring that it will pass "Gunsmoke" as television's longest running prime -time series. If the show can stay fresh, Fox executives say that their three -pronged strategy can keep the franchise growing. They're developing products that reflect the gimlet -eyed comic sensibilities of the show's writers.

They're carefully targeting different merchandise to different kinds of fans. And they're looking for creative ways to keep "The Simpsons" in the public eye. "The course we are on now ensures its future as an evergreen," says Elie Dekel, 20th Century Fox's executive vice president for licensing and merchandis -ing. "It's what we call a living classic. We're still expanding." To that end, the franchise is branching out to: Stamps.

"The Simpsons" have became the first TV characters to be represented on U.S. postage stamps while the show's still in production. The U.S. Postal Service will print about 1 billion stamps at 44 cents apiece the just-raised price for a first-class letter. "It's the biggest deal ever," Groening says.

"But it's a little odd. I feel like, wait a minute: I'm not Dr. Seuss.I'm still alive." SIMPSONS From PageAQ night show on Fox have been sliding. About 6.7 million people tuned in to "The Simpsons" each week this season, about half as many as the show drew a decade ago, according to Nielsen. "If the ratings go down, then licensing will decline," says Michael Stone, CEO of The Beanstalk Group, a licensing consulting firm.

There's a lot at stake. Consumers worldwide spent more than $750 million on licensed merchandise last year, about half of that coming from the U. S. Fox says. In addition, advertisers spent $314.8 million last year on the prime-time show on Fox and reruns that local stations air, according to research firm TNS Media Intelligence.

That's down 16.8 percent vs. 2007. The creative forces behind the show feel the pressure. "We had a great template in the beginning with really strong characters," says creator Matt Groening. "Now the struggle is to keep amusing and surprising the audience with stories and characters that they've seen for a couple of decades.

It's hard." They have to keep the Museums. In January, Fox will launch a museum tour featuring original art and other artifacts that illustrate how the show developed and its impact on pop culture. "Instead of commercializing it, we're doing it from within the museum community," Dekel says. "It would start at a major museum and then potentially tour the world." Guitars. Fox also is working with an undisclosed partner to develop a limited-edition line of guitars inspired by musicians who have appeared on the show.

These initiatives follow a deal last year with Apple to offer digital downloads of recent episodes of the show on iTunes and with Hallmark to create a line of "Simpsons" greeting cards. And in May last year Uni -versal Studios introduced The Simpsons Ride at its theme parks in Los Angeles and Orlando. Since then, they've sold more than 5 million tickets to the motion simulator that, with the help of 3D video, takes visitors on a six-minute ride where they try to avoid Sideshow Bob's efforts to sabotage their trip through Krusty the Clown's dilapidated Krustyland park. After "The Simpsons" premiere in 1990, Fox was unprepared for its instant popularity and improvised, i rr-rr MOLINE, HMNOI 4 2sx if 9 I- I i 1 MENT Announcements of business and professional achievements are published as a public service at a standard charge. To place your announcement, call 563-383-2200.

REALTORS announces Sales Production achievements Powells earn membership in prestigious Million Dollar Round Table and Court of the Table i Caroline Ruhl, President of REALTORS, is pleased to announce Brent Scogland (563.441.5007) of the Bettendorf Office has achieved the sales production level of Silver Club and Carol Seitz (563.441.5008) also of the Bettendorf Office has achieved the sales production level of Bronze Club. Steven Powell, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, AEP and Jarod A. Powell, LUTCF, of Powell Financial Group in Bettendorf, Iowa, were notified by Walton Rogers, the 2009 President of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) that they have both qualified for the 2009 Million Dollar Mel Foster Co. announces record market share Krif Ratigan, Director of Marketing announced that the company experienced record market share for Scott County during the month of April. Based on data supplied by the QCARA Multiple Listing Service, as of April 30, 2009, Mel Foster Co.

increased its market share from March by 2.5 to end April at 50.6. "Despite the challenging economy, we continue to experience tremendous gain in our residential and condo sales," Ms. Ratigan said. Congratulations to the entire Mel Foster Co. team on a job well done! Mel Foster Company's Real Estate Division is proud to announce Mel Foster agents who achieved Sales Levels Dave Maubach with the Bettendorf Office and Pat Fortin with the Kimberly Davenport Office achieved the $3,000,000 sales production level and Sherry Creen with the Rock Island Office and Geri Doyle with the 1-74 and Elmore, Davenport Office achieved the $2,000,000 sales production level.

Marty Eilen and Gary Kampmann with the Bettendorf Office, and Pam Gray and Chria Kaufinann with the Kimberly Rd Davenport Office achieved the $1,000,000 sales achievement level. Carol Seitz Brent Scogland Steven Powell Jarod Powell Round Table. MDRT is the premier association of financial professionals in the world. Steve Powell is a 37-year qualifying and life member of the Round Table and is also a member of the Court of the Table. Jarod Powell is a six-year qualifying member of the Round Table and current state committeeman of the Quad Cities chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA).

The Million Dollar Round Tables values and principles are to increase the members' knowledge, ethics, service to clients and productivity. Steve and Jarod have qualified to attend the annual meeting in Indianapolis, June 7-11, 2009. Powell Financial Group is also honored to have three other advisors who qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table. They are Kerry Schepers, LUTCF and Paul Miller, CLU, ChFC in Maquoketa and L. Anderson Pierce in Ottumwa.

Powell Financial Group's main office is located at 5123 Middle Road, Bettendorf, Iowa, with additional offices in Maquoketa, Cedar Rapids and Ottumwa. For more information about Powell Financial Group, call 563-449-9181. A family-owned company since 1862, specializes in residential sales and offers services in relocation, new home sales, land development, farm sales, senior services and mortgage services through 1862 Mortgage. For more information on REALTORS, visit their website at RuhlHomes.com. REALTORS announces April Top Closers Caroline Ruhl, President of REALTORS, is pleased to announce the Top Closers for each of their 10 residential sales offices for the month of April 2009.

Top Closers represent those agents in each oflke closing the largest number of transaction sides in a particular calendar month. April Top Closers are Mama Nowack (563.441.5285), Bettendorf Office; Janet Munck (563.243.0627), Clinton Office! Natalie Glynn (563.441.5119), Davenport Office; Maher-Broden Team (563.659.9433), DeWitt Office; Jarcd Althoff (563.583.4550), DubuqueBellevue Offices; Lisa Lynea (319.339.8110), Iowa City Office; Elaine Smithjon (563.212.6360), Maquoketa Office; Penny Egert (309.743.8015), Moline Office; and Judy Bronner (563.288.2962), Muscatine Office. Vjj I 1 1 Dave Maubach Pat Fortin Sherry Creen tin lSj New Shive-Hatteiy employees Shive-Hattery welcomes four new design professionals and an addition to the administrative support team. 1 WW )HU if V-T i hi' i a Geri Doyle Marty Eilers Gary Kampmann Mama Nowack Janet Munck Natalie Glynn rs diu feSJ Wh Mechanical Engineer Bruce Sutton Structural Designer Robert Border, Jr. Intern Architect Trishna Pradhan, LEEDAP MM I Pam Gray Chris Kaufmann Maher-BrodersTeam cry Jared Althoff vS iiiiii mi li iinir nr Receptionist Charla Taylor Mechanical Engineer Tracy Van Damme, PE For more information on Mel Foster Co.

visit melfostcrco.com. Midwest Cardiovascular Research Foundation announce awards Midwest Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Davenport, announces the 2009 recipients of the Jesse Stoakes Student Research Awards for its 8-week summer session beginning in June. Jay Wdvaert has completed his junior year at Cornell College, Mount Vemon, Iowa, majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. Jay has worked as an EMT in the Mount Vernon area, and plans to pursue a career in medicine and medical research. Rahed Yaseen has completed his junior year at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, majoring in biology in preparation for a medical career.

'While attending the University of Iowa, Raheel worked for the Center for Diversity and Enrichment as a Supplemental Instruction Leader for Principles of Biology. Lisa Lynes Penny Egert Elaine Smithson if' Shive-Hattery is an architectural and engineering firm headquar-. tcred out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and has offices in Moline, Bloomingt cm and Downers Grove, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and West Des Moines, Iowa; and Chesterfield, Missouri. For more information, visit www.shive-hattery.com. TAG Healthcare Marketing, a division of The Ad Group wins 2009 Aster Award Mike Vondran, President and CEO of The Ad Group, announced recently that the TAG team was the recipient of a second national healthcare advertising award.

Winners have been announced in the 2009 Aster Awards for Medical Marketing and TAG HCM is the recipient of a gold award for the Consolidated Services Truck Wrap designed for Iowa Health System. The Aster Awards is an annual contest hosted by Creative Images, an internationally recognized firm specializing in strategic health care marketing. Based in the Quad Cities, The Ad Group is a complete advertising, marketing and public relations agency serving businesses in nearly every industry. TAG Healthcare Marketing is a division of The Ad Group. Since its founding in 1 990, The Ad Group has specialized in strategic analysis and creative solutions that achieve results via the staff 's creative, responsive and cost-effective service to their clients throughout the nation.

For more information, visit www.adgroup.biz. JayWervaert Raheel Yaseen Judy Bronner Rock Valley Physical Therapy announces Professional Staff Achievement Rock Valley Physical Therapy is proud to announce that Cindy VanDamnw PT, MPT, ATRIC has recently achieved her Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute Certification. Cindy graduated from St. Ambrose University and began her career with Rock Valley in 2002. She currently practices at the Lombard location in Davenport and provides aquatic therapy at the downtown Davenport MCA.

Cindy resides in Moline with her two children. Rock Valleys focus on delivering excellent results one patient at a time has allowed them to grow into the largest private practice provider of Physical Therapy services in the Quad Cities. Founded in 1984 Rock Valley has grown to thirteen locations throughout Iowa and Illinois. For more infnr (ion visit our website at The Stoakes Student Research Award was established in 2006 in memory of Jesse Stoakes, son of Penny and David Stoakes, Bettendorf, who had an avid interest in cardiovascular medicine. He died at the age of 16 of injuries suffered in an automobile accident.

Midwest Cardiovascular Research Foundation was established in 2002 by Nicolas W. Sham mas, MD, MS, as a 501(c)(3) non profit, tax exempt scientific and educational foundation dedicated to heart health, education and awareness through quality research and professional and community education programs and projects. w.rockvalleipt.com..