Because cut `n’ paste series Angela Anaconda stars a third-grade Daria-like character, the folks at Saban Consumer Products are confident the property will skew as old as tween and as young as six.

The division is ramping up a licensing program for the Decode Entertainment/ C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures series, which began airing on Fox Family Channel in the U.S. in September 1999 and was recently picked up by Cartoon Network in the U.K.

Angela’s non-typical-girl antics include trying to convince her classmates to attend a monster truck show for the class field trip, rather than taking in a Russian ballet.

It’s this attitude, mixed with the novel animation style, that makes the property perfect for girls ages six to 12 and beyond, into the tween market, says Sharon Markowitz, VP of licensing at Saban Entertainment.

Licensees who have come on-board so far include New York’s Fun 4 All for keychains and plush dolls, master publisher Simon & Schuster of New York for books, San Leandro, California-based Winterland for T-shirts, and Worldwide Dreams of New York for accessories. Merchandise launches are expected to begin at specialty stores in the U.S. by fall 2000. Five humorous books will be published by Simon & Schuster for 2001, including a digest novel, a joke book, two chapter books and a notebook-style book.

Markowitz feels another key category for the Angela Anaconda licensing program will be social expressions, because of the quirkiness of the main character and the catty insults that fly between Angela and class rival Nanette Manoir. A line of stationery is planned along with cards, stickers, toys and back-to-school merch.

Toronto’s Decode has the interactive category rights which is another area being explored for an upcoming Angela game.