Quickly building buzz, the California native comes out of the hit-making machine that catapulted Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers and the High School Musical cast to stardom. If all goes as planned, the Walt Disney Co. will package Blatz, 21, into a marketing juggernaut that extends across the company's many platforms, from television and film to music and merchandise.

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Judy Taylor, the Disney Channel's vice president of casting and talent, remembers the day Blatz came in to audition. "He had been in the room for about 10 minutes when we said, 'Maybe we should find [Disney Channel Entertainment President] Gary Marsh and introduce him,' " she recalls of a Shia LaBeouf-like star quality. "We felt that strongly from the moment we saw him."

Always focused on the next big thing, the mouse house's latest venture, Disney XD, has pinned its hopes--and marketing dollars--on the young actor. Today he can be seen playing the title role on the new network's flagship series Aaron Stone. A former Starbucks barista, Blatz also has a leading part in a much larger push: to attract male tweens to a network tailored to their tastes.

Until February's XD launch, there was a relative shortage of programming designed specifically for the 18 million male tween viewers in the U.S. It's a powerful piece of the younger population to under-serve: Internationally, the age group, usually defined as kids 6 to 14, injects an estimated $50 billion into the economy.

Later this year, XD will serve up still more tween boy talent. The 16-year-old newcomers Hutch Dano and Adam Hicks star in a documentary-style comedy, Zeke & Luther. The pair will play best friends who have set their sights on becoming the world's best skateboarders.

"I'm always looking for talent that you can relate to and that can handle a show," says Taylor.

Over at rival network Nickelodeon, which has enjoyed success with its female-focused iCarly and cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants, executives are placing their big bets on Nat and Alex Wolff, 14 and 11, the telegenic duo behind the film and TV series The Naked Brothers Band. The popular series, small-screen films and concert tour--not to mention videogames and merchandise galore--have shot the young pair to rock-star fame.

After the Wolffs' 2005 debut film was a hit at the Hamptons Film Festival, Nickelodeon knew it would have a slam-dunk with the mockumentary series that followed. According to the Viacom-owned network, the show's third season premiere charmed a record 4 million viewers.

But it takes more than charm to achieve Jonas Brother status in the increasingly competitive tween landscape. More often than not, these young superstars in the making are not only actors but also singers, dancers, athletes and potential merchandizing magnets.

United Talent Agency executive Mitchell Gossett, who counts Cyrus and Spectacular's Victoria Justice among his clients, likens the young talent to clay that can be molded by the likes of a Disney and Nick into successful brands.

Consider Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas. Like Cyrus before them, the Jonas Brothers skyrocketed to fame with projects across the company's television, music, consumer products and studio divisions. They continue to dominate the charts and lure fans to shell out big for tickets, albums, books, DVDs and all things Jonas.

Come spring, the brothers will attempt to grow that fan base with a barely fictional Disney Channel series titled, simply, JONAS. The series will serve as a launch pad for their younger brother, Frankie, 8, who's known affectionately as the Bonus Jonas.

While the distribution platforms and marketing power of traditional media companies have been integral to the brand-building process for many, they aren't necessary. Proof: a 15-year-old YouTube phenomenon named Lucas Cruikshank, better known as his Web alter ego, the fast-talking, attention-starved 6-year-old Fred Figglehorn.

Cruikshank's two- to three-minute videos quickly caught the world's attention and helped make the Nebraska ninth grader one of the fastest-rising stars in YouTube history. His YouTube channel has garnered some 900,000 subscribers and reportedly generates more than $100,000 a month in advertising revenue. Hoping that popularity can rub off, Nick recently invited the Web sensation to appear on an episode of the series iCarly.

"This is a game-changing time," says Gossett of the tween marketplace. "Young artists ... have more chances than ever to give their dreams a shot."