TOY FAMILY SERIES
Q&A with the Zawitz Family by Mary Couzin
Three generations of Tangle: Nick Zawitz (left), Richard X Zawitz (center), Charlie Zawitz (right)
Nick Zawitz (left), and Jan Marie Zawitz (right)
Our feature story highlighting the Zawitz family came to fruition in an unusual way. I had met Nick and knew a bit about the Tangle story of course, but it was Isabelle Hodges, their new team member who also consults on our POP website, who suggested we feature the Zawitz family. Richard shared his thoughts on Tangle’s life-affirming three generation story, and I know you will enjoy reading them as much as I did. How did you and your family first enter the toy industry? We first entered the gift/speciality/toy industry in 1982 through my invention called Tangle®. Tangle was my attempt at bringing art and sculpture to the masses. I wanted to create something that adults, kids, families could feel challengeless playing with while being able to enjoy art at the same time. I also wanted to instill creativity into people that never thought they were creative. My first product was called Tangle: the Infinite Sculpture which first debuted at gift shows. Eventually I started to market the product and sold it to high-end stores like Bloomingdales, MoMA, Sharper Image, Macy’s, Harrods and Hamleys in England, and other notable gift and specialty stores. In 1989, we partnered with Slinky® and the amazing Betty James, who then distributed Tangle for 3.5 years. Slinky® went on to sell the first blister card version of the Tangle® to the Kmart toy section in 1989 and Tangle became a toy! Tangle is in every essence, the First Art and Fidget Toy ever created! Richard X Zawitz 28 tfe September 2022