How a loving dad, clever storytelling, and the right product-development team at Gembah transformed a family tradition into an award-winning product reaching ten thousand families across North America.
When Marc Fetscherin set out to create Bones Is Back®, he didn’t simply want to make another Halloween toy. He wanted to create a new family tradition—one that was joyful, inclusive, interactive, fun for children, and easy for parents.
The idea came directly from Marc’s own family. What began as a playful Halloween tradition with his two daughters evolved into a bigger question: Why couldn’t Halloween have its own character that children could actually touch, play with, pose, and make part of their own adventures? That question eventually became Bones Is Back®: A Family Tradition for Halloween, an interactive storybook and glow-in-the-dark skeleton toy designed around a simple idea: let kids power the tradition.
The Vision
Marc’s background in entrepreneurship, branding, and marketing helped him see an opportunity to create something Halloween was missing: a tradition that combined storytelling, imaginative play, and a character children could truly make their own.
He envisioned a product with several distinctive elements:
- Story + toy in one experience — an engaging children’s book paired with a physical character that brings the story to life.
- Friendly, not frightening — Bones the skeleton was deliberately designed to be cute, approachable, and playful rather than scary.
- Built for imagination — the glow-in-the-dark feature adds a touch of Halloween magic, while 14 movable joints allow children to pose, play, prank, and create their own adventures.
- Designed to be touched and played with — unlike “look-but-don’t-touch” traditions, Bones is meant to be handled, moved, dressed, and enjoyed.
- Halloween built into the product itself — Bones stands 10.31 inches tall, a subtle nod to October 31. His size is also similar to many familiar dolls and holiday figures, allowing children to dress him in a wide variety of existing outfits.
- A positive message at the heart of the story — beyond the fun, the book reinforces kindness, with the playful message that kindness beats candy this time of year.
The result is not simply a Halloween toy, but a character designed to spark storytelling, creativity, and a family tradition children can actively shape themselves. Unlike traditions where parents secretly move a character every night, Bones puts children in charge: Play. Pose. Prank.™ The result is more than a toy. It is intended to turn Halloween from a single night centered largely around costumes and candy into a month-long opportunity for reading, imagination, play, and family connection.
That positioning has become increasingly central to the brand: “More Than a Toy. A Kid-Powered Family Tradition.”
Validating the Idea
Before committing to production, Marc conducted multiple U.S. market-research studies. The response was consistently positive: parents liked the combination of the book and toy, children responded to the Bones character, and purchase intent supported moving forward. Early social-media activity provided another signal. The Bones Is Back community grew rapidly even before the physical product reached the market. But turning a character and a story into a safe, manufacturable consumer product presented an entirely different challenge.
Finding the Right Product-Development Partner
Marc partnered with Gembah to transform the concept into a production-ready product. Gembah supported the project across critical parts of the development process, including product design, CAD development, engineering, packaging, factory discovery, sourcing, sampling, compliance, and preparation for manufacturing. For Marc, that combination of expertise was critical.
“I couldn’t have done it without Gembah. Bringing a product to life is a massive undertaking. You need specialists in design, engineering, compliance, packaging, sourcing, and manufacturing—but you also need people who understand how all those pieces fit together.”
Gembah helped turn the original idea into a distinctive commercial product while maintaining the features that made Bones different: the friendly character, poseability, glow-in-the-dark material, child-friendly design, and highly recognizable 10.31-inch height—a playful reference to October 31.
Kickstarter Provides the First Major Market Test
In May 2025, Bones Is Back launched on Kickstarter. The response provided immediate validation. The campaign was fully funded in less than one hour, passed 300% of its goal within two days, and ultimately raised $17,552—564% of its original funding goal—from 229 backers. What had begun as an idea developed by a father and his daughters now had paying customers. But Kickstarter was only the beginning.
From Product Launch to Commercial Traction
Following the successful crowdfunding campaign, Bones Is Back moved into full commercial production and began its first Halloween selling season. Amazon became an important early sales channel, followed by continued expansion into additional e-commerce and retail platforms. By the 2026 season, consumers could find Bones through Amazon, TikTok Shop, and Walmart, substantially broadening the product’s reach beyond its initial direct-to-consumer launch. TikTok Shop listings have shown hundreds of units sold and strong customer ratings, while Walmart now carries the product online.
The company’s own operating plans also expanded from a single-channel startup into a multi-channel supply chain serving Amazon, TikTok, Walmart, direct customers, wholesale partners, and international distribution. The challenge evolved accordingly: Gembah had helped solve the first problem—how to manufacture Bones. The next challenge became how to keep enough product available to meet demand. At points during the 2026 season, Amazon inventory sold faster than it could be replenished, requiring customers to be directed toward other available channels.
Recognition Beyond Sales
Market traction has been accompanied by significant third-party recognition. The original storybook earned multiple literary honors, including Creative Child Magazine’s 2025 Book of the Year, as well as recognition from The BookFest, American Writing Awards, Story Monsters Approved, PenCraft, and other children’s-book organizations. Creative Child independently lists Bones Is Back among its 2025 Book of the Year recipients.
As the physical book-and-toy set reached the market, recognition expanded from publishing into the parenting and toy industries. Among the most significant achievements: Mom’s Choice Awards® Gold Award, recognizing excellence in family-friendly products; 2026 NAPPA Award, recognizing products that support creativity, learning, kindness, and family connection; and the 2026 PAL Award — Play Advances Learning, recognizing the product’s contribution to language, literacy, imaginative play, and child development.
Bones Is Back was also selected as a 2025 Halloween & Costume Association Most Innovative Product finalist, placing the small independent brand alongside established companies such as Ravensburger and major licensed-product manufacturers. In 2026, The Toy Book named Marc Fetscherin and Bones Is Back a Pulse of Play Awards Toy Inventor of the Year finalist, putting the product alongside innovations from companies including MAGNA-TILES, Moose Toys, Goliath, PMI Kids’ World, and Smart Toys & Games.
Entering the Toy Industry
Bones & Friends also moved beyond online selling and into the professional toy and specialty-retail industry. The brand participated in major industry events during 2026, including Toy Fair New York and ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, creating opportunities to introduce Bones directly to toy buyers and specialty retailers. For a young independent brand, the transition from a crowdfunding campaign to a recognized participant in the North American toy industry represented an important new stage of development.
Going International
In May 2026, Bones & Friends announced its first international expansion, partnering with Canadian distributor Vivere Ltd. The agreement opened the Canadian market to Bones Is Back and created access to Canadian retailers and consumers for the 2026 Halloween season. What had started as a Florida family project was becoming a North American brand.
From One Family’s Tradition to Thousands of Families
Perhaps the strongest measure of the product’s progress is not an award or a retailer. It is the number of families beginning their own traditions. Based on current 2026 demand and inventory, Bones & Friends expects to sell through its available inventory for the season. If that happens, the company estimates that approximately 10,000 families will have adopted Bones into their homes during its first two commercial Halloween seasons.
For Marc, that is the milestone that matters most.
“At the beginning, I said I wanted Bones to become part of families’ Halloween traditions. At that point, it was just a vision. Not even two years later, thousands of families are actually bringing Bones into their homes, their playtime, and their Halloween traditions. That is incredibly rewarding.”
The Bigger Lesson
The Bones Is Back story illustrates what happens when product development does not stop at creating a physical object. The original concept needed market research, storytelling, product design, engineering, compliance, sourcing, tooling, manufacturing, logistics, branding, distribution, retail relationships, and constant iteration. Marc’s advice to other entrepreneurs remains much the same as when the journey began:
Prepare financially. Developing and launching a physical product requires substantially more capital and complexity than most first-time founders expect.
Learn the entire business. Founders need to understand enough about design, manufacturing, logistics, finance, legal issues, marketing, and retail to make informed decisions or they need to learn it fast.
Surround yourself with specialists. No founder can be an expert in every discipline. “You need a team. You can’t do this alone.”
For Bones & Friends, Gembah was more than a product-development partner—it helped turn a family idea into a commercially viable product. From design and engineering to prototyping, sourcing, manufacturer selection, compliance, packaging, and mass production, Gembah supported key steps across the value chain.
The next chapter has been about proving that families actually want it. With award recognition, expanding distribution, international growth, multiple e-commerce channels, and potentially 10,000 families reached within its first two years, Bones Is Back is moving closer to the vision that started the journey: turning a simple skeleton into a new family tradition for Halloween.
The Original Story: Bringing Bones to Life
Originally published May 2025
How a loving dad, clever storytelling, and a powerful team brought a glowing skeleton to life.
When Marc Fetscherin set out to create Bones is Back, he didn’t just want to make a Halloween-themed toy—he wanted to create a joyful, inclusive, and safe tradition that could live on in families’ homes for years to come. What started as a family tradition with his two daughters, evolved into a mission: to create a high-quality product from scratch, one that blends playfulness, encourages positive behavior, and sparks a sense of wonder.
And he knew he couldn’t do it alone.
The Vision
Marc’s background in entrepreneurship and marketing allowed him to recognize a clear market opportunity: the absence of a Halloween-themed character that checked all the right boxes. He envisioned a product that was:
- A storybook and toy set not tied to any specific religion
- A first-of-its-kind: a cute, glow-in-the-dark skeleton toy
- Inclusive and child-friendly—kids can touch, play, and interact freely
- Stress-free for parents—no nightly repositioning like Elf on the Shelf
- And most importantly, designed with safety and quality at its core
He also wanted the story and character to reinforce positive values—not just for kids, but for their parents too.
“The product is part of me,” Marc told us. “It’s an extension of myself.”
An Exciting Start
After conducting four market research studies in the United States, the results were clear and consistent: people loved the concept of a book and toy set. They found Bones irresistibly cute, were highly engaged with the story, and expressed strong purchase interest. Sharing early images of the Book & Toy Set sparked rapid growth on Instagram—averaging over 100 new followers per day. As of now, the account has already surpassed 6,000 followers.
He had initial proof of demand. Now he needed to figure out how to make Bones real.
Finding a Partner
Marc partnered with Gembah to bring the character Bones to life. The team helped turn sketches and ideas into a tangible product by guiding the design, sourcing, compliance, sampling, and manufacturing.
“I couldn’t have done it without Gembah,” Marc said. “Bringing a product to life is a massive undertaking. Having experts like Lance for CAD design, David for packaging, Larry for compliance, and Will and Nick guiding the overall process—plus the support of the sourcing team consisting of Chris and Lennon—gave me the confidence I needed every step of the way.”
That confidence was critical—Marc had seen from other companies what can go wrong with a product launch. Safety, timing, and reliability are non-negotiable.
“They didn’t just deliver a product—they brought Bones to life in a way that exceeded my expectations,” Marc shared. The partnership gave him the confidence to navigate a complex supply chain and launch on a tight timeline, all while staying true to his mission.
What’s Next?
Marc recently launched on Kickstarter for pre-sales and quickly began building a community of early fans. With Halloween just around the corner, Marc is focused on ramping up production and preparing for a delivery date in the Halloween season.
Marc launched Bones is Back on Kickstarter for four reasons:
- Market validation – to test if people actually wanted it.
- Social proof – being funded builds credibility.
- Momentum & visibility – a successful campaign can create buzz and PR.
- Early sales – directly supporting the first production run.
He’s quick to add, though, that running a Kickstarter campaign is a lot of work. Also there, you need professional help, smart strategy, and to watch out for scammers.
“Everybody promises you a lot on Fiverr—be careful who you trust.”
Advice for Entrepreneurs
Marc’s guidance for fellow founders is clear:
Prepare financially. Product development is expensive, and always costs more than you expect..
Be a generalist and a specialist at the same time. Understand the full stack—from accounting and legal to logistics and product development.
Partner with experts. “You need a team. You can’t do this alone.”
The Product: A Skeleton with Soul
Bones isn’t just a toy—he’s a fully developed character with a rich backstory (he used to be an elf!), a glow-in-the-dark body, and heartfelt details inspired by Marc’s daughters, like the two hidden hearts—one in his chest and one in his nose.
The accompanying storybook, already the winner of five book awards, encourages kids and parents alike to engage in positive behavior. Unlike other holiday characters meant to be watched from a distance, Bones is designed to be played with, hugged, and brought into everyday fun.
Thoughtfully crafted to fit most Elf on the Shelf costumes, Bones stands exactly 10.31 inches tall—a playful nod to Halloween’s date, October 31st. It’s just one of many small touches that make Bones more than a toy—he’s a tradition in the making.
The Final Word
Marc poured his heart into every inch of this product. And while the road from concept to launch was anything but easy, it was worth it, and we can’t wait his vision to become reality, that Bones is part of every family’s Halloween.
“I wanted to create something joyful, inclusive, and meaningful—a tradition families could truly connect with. And now, this has become reality.”.
Want to learn more about Bones is Back or see the Kickstarter campaign? Visit bonesisback.com or check out the kickstarter campaign here.
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