THE HYPE WHERE, CHRISTMAS 2002 IS JOB 1.

The presents are still under the Christmas trees. Bits of wrapping paper are stuck to toy boxes, which remain piled up in the corner of the family room. Christmas may still be lingering in houses across the country, but it's a distant memory for MGA Entertainment.

There's no rest for employees of the North Hills-based toy manufacturer. Today, the company's 150 employees were back at their desks, gearing up for next Christmas. Dolls must be made, robots must be programmed and toys must be packaged - beginning this week - if they're ever going to make it under Christmas trees in 2002.

Call MGA Santa's Workshop, Valley Division.

``There's no rest in this business,'' says MGA Head Elf, er, President Isaac Larian. ``We've had a fantastic year (in 2001), and we expect to double our business next year.''

The key to MGA's success this year was the introduction of Bratz, a quartet of fashion-conscious dolls for kids who think the icon of fashion dolls - Mattel's 30-year-old Barbie - is dated. Bratz sold like, well, Barbie dolls, earning a slew of commendations including a Toy of the Year nomination from the Toy Industry Association, the major industry trade group.

MGA is already hard at work on the next variations of Bratz, including Sports Bratz and Mini Bratz, which will be introduced this spring. The company has also signed eight licensing deals, so Bratz lunch bags, party goods and clothing are on the way.

``This is definitely the breakthrough year with the success of Bratz and how the 'tween' generation has accepted the dolls,'' said David Malacrida, an MGA spokesman.

MGA Entertainment was born in the Valley in 1979 as Micro Games of America, producing handheld consumer electronics. Larian says the company got into the toy business by accident in 1993 when it became the exclusive distributor for Nintendo games.

MGA continues to produce electronic games in addition to large specialty dolls and licensed products like the Mrs. Fields Baking Center. Larian said the company will generate $150 million in revenue this year, double its 2000 total, and expects to double its sales in 2002 as well.

That is, it'll double sales if all the elves are back at work this week.

``We (were) open on Christmas Eve,'' Malacrida said. ``We're open and back at work (this week). We're jamming for 2002.''

- Chris J. Parker

FILM

'LORD' IT OVER THEM: Looking for a belated holiday gift for that ``Lord of the Rings'' fan who has everything? New Line Cinema has put a few treasures from the film up for sale on eBay, including some genuine celluloid scraps from the cutting-room floor.

The goods on sale through Friday include a slate used by the clapper loader for ``Scene 33, Take One A'' (whatever that is); fleece vests worn by the crew bearing the film's logo and ``Day 133: May 23, 2000,'' which was the halfway point of the 18-month project; film clips from the editing-room floor in New Zealand; and prototypes made by Toy Biz for its Frodo and Ringwraith action figures.

For the complete list of ``Lord of the Rings'' memorabilia, go to members.ebay.com/aboutme/newlinecinema/.

- Valerie Kuklenski

TELEVISION

THE FORECAST - HOT AND SULTRY: KTTV weather girl Jillian Barberie has been reporting rain and spreading sunshine for years on Fox's ``Good Day L.A.'' (now also produced in an hour-long national version called ``Good Day Live'') but never with as much enthusiasm or as little clothing as she shows in the 2002 special edition calendar for FHM magazine now on newsstands.

Dressed in a skimpy string bikini with cowboy hat to shade her eyes from the sun, Barberie is obviously expecting July to be a sizzler.

She's the only network newsie in a calendar with topless celebs such as Tiffani Thiessen and Carmen Electra, and FHM magazine's executive editor Rob Hill says she was a refreshing choice, particularly because she'd never done that kind of pose before.

``We picked her because she's a guy's kind of girl - the kind you'd hang out with. She's very accessible and loves sports and even sky dives. Plus she's married to Bret Barberie, a retired major league baseball player, so we knew she'd be appealing to our readers,'' Hill explained.

- Barbara De Witt

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 3) Isaac Larian, president of MGA Entertainment, grinds out some Christmas rock while surrounded by some of his company's toys. Above, Bratz is MGA's increasingly popular line of dolls that have found a very active following among young girls. At far right, a designer's hands work on the electrical innards of a giraffe toy at the MGA Entertainment workshop in North Hills.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(4) no caption (Jillian Barberie)