Joining the handful of interactive entertainment companies that are taking steps to license their original characters, Humongous Entertainment of Woodinville, Washington, has signed on Strategy Licensing as its licensing agency.

The multiyear agreement names Westport, Connecticut-based Strategy Licensing as the exclusive licensor of Putt-Putt, Freddi Fish and Pajama Sam. In the long term, the agency may also represent Fatty Bear and Buzzy the Knowledge Bug and new characters, but Humongous Entertainment is initially concentrating on these three.

Ralph Giuffre, executive vice president of marketing and licensing for Humongous Entertainment, says the outlook for licensing its characters is bright because ‘there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of kids who have been exposed to any one of or all of our properties.’ Putt-Putt, the purple car that was the first character introduced by the four-year-old software publisher and developer, has appeared in three titles. The second Freddi Fish title, Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse, is launching this month, and Pajama Sam will make his debut in September in No Need to Hide When It’s Dark Outside.

Strategy Licensing’s commitment to a high-quality, long-term approach to licensing and its experience in handling multimedia properties such as Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog are the reasons it won the business, says Giuffre.

The first licensed products will likely kick off in 1997, and Humongous Entertainment is looking at several categories, including publishing, apparel and plush toys. The company is also negotiating with firms to be represented for television, theatrical and home video ventures.