Etch A Sketch sold after half-century under one roof

Etch A Sketch will draw a new path for itself after its first shakeup in a half century.

The Bryan, Ohio-based metal lithography firm that owned the famously rectangular, red, mechanical drawing toy has sold the rights to produce the contraption after owning it for more than five decades.

The Ohio Art Co. announced Thursday that it sold Etch A Sketch and Doodle Sketch to Spin Master Corp., a publicly traded global toymaker based in Toronto. Terms of the deal were not released.

“We are very happy that children around the world will continue to be able to enjoy Etch A Sketch, one of the world’s most iconic toys, as Spin Master is committed to building upon the success that The Ohio Art Company has created and sustained for more than 50 years,” Ohio Art CEO Elena West said in a statement.

The Ohio Art Co. said it would train its focus on its metal lithography business. Spin Master said it would use its global footprint to expand sales of Etch A Sketch and Doodle Sketch.

"We want to hear from inventors, creators and designers who love Etch A Sketch and Doodle Sketch," Spin Master co-CEO Anton Rabie said in a statement. "These toys have been popular for more than 50 years and we look forward to building on this foundation of fun and creativity."

French electrical technician André Cassagnes used "the clinging properties of an electrostatic charge to invent a mechanical drawing toy with no spare parts," introducing the L’Ecran Magique at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1959, according to the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play.

Although numerous toymakers were unimpressed, The Ohio Art Co. paid $25,000 to license the toy and renamed it Etch A Sketch. After an advertising blitz, the toy became a "must-have item" in Christmas 1960, according to the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Users tinker with circular knobs, controlling horizontal and vertical rods that transform a mixture of aluminum powder and beads into anything from a masterpiece to silly drawings.

With a few shakes, the picture is erased and a blank canvas presents itself.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.