King Features - an overview

From Fan Favorites to Franchises, in 2021 King Features is focused on fun!

Total Licensing caught up with Carla Silva to talk about how the future is looking for King Features.

What’s King Features’ Licensing Outlook for 2021? Despite the global challenges of the past year, we’re approaching 2021 with a renewed focus on our deep portfolio of valuable, untapped opportunities. King Features’ core stable of world-renowned IP is full of great stories and classic characters that provide millions with entertainment and the comfort of nostalgia. We’re also growing our business through newer licensing representation deals with video-game sensation Cuphead, popular Korean media franchise Pucca, and internationally beloved children’s publishing franchise Moomin. Overall, the brand strategy for our properties is to continue developing new content, broaden their fanbases and to keep growing our brand presence in the digital space through ecommerce and social engagement. In addition, King Features has several high-profile entertainment projects in development led by the highly-anticipated The Cuphead Show! debuting on Netflix in late-2021, the just announced Hagar animated series being developed in partnership with The Jim Henson Company and an unannounced project in development with Apple.

Are there any key categories and/or territories that KFS is focusing on for growth? Our licensing strategy is unique to each brand and territory. Making predictions is a tricky business at the best of times, but especially so after this past year. We are fortunate to have a very solid roster of classic brands in our portfolio and we will continue our focus on key territories, such as the US, Japan, India, UK/EU, Brazil and China. In the past few years, our agent in China, Medialink, has delivered a wide range of notable activations for KFS including a Popeye 90th Anniversary art exhibition featuring works from 50 artists around the globe, large-scale experiential events such as a fashion show and an interactive mall installation, collectible toys designed by highprofile artists, plus a Popeye musical is currently in development. Building on this momentum, we’re anticipating even more amazing things out of China in 2021 and beyond. But we’ve had some great partnerships around the world this year. Our Italian agent, Premium Licensing, consistently delivers on beautifully executed, high-fashion collaborations. The most recent launches were with Monnalisa, Benetton kids, Original Marines kids and Iceberg Junior. In Spain, our agent Caravanserai launched a Popeye collection with sustainable fashion brand, Brava Fabrics as well as a global kids’ program with Zara. The WOD Life in Australia released a Popeye inspired fitness collection thanks to our agent, Merchantwise. And this February, C&A in Mexico will be launching a very special Valentine’s Day collection starring Olive Oyl and Popeye that will be supported with a marketing campaign tied to the holiday. The deal is being managed by our local agent, Tycoon Enterprises. In terms of categories, publishing is always a focus for all of our brands, but this year we also are laser focused on expanding programs for: Cuphead & The Cuphead Show!: toys, apparel, loungewear, graphic novels, middle grade readers, costumes and games; Popeye and Olive Oyl: consumables, video games, collectibles and apparel collaborations and promotions; Flash Gordon/The Phantom: toys, collectibles, board games, apparel, art prints, and graphic novels In addition, we’re actively working to secure deals for our new IP in the US/ Canada: PUCCA: Apparel, collaborations, promotions, social expression, Moomin: Apparel, publishing, housewares, plush. Focus on specialty, Archie: Skateboards, apparel, personal care, PURENorway: Apparel, backpacks, outdoor/sporting goods Since Publishing is a focus for you, what new titles are launching this year? Yes! Publishing is such an important key driver for our brands and my team, particularly Christina Nix Lynch, our Licensing Director who runs lead on the category, has done a phenomenal job in this space. Here’s a short list of what we have in the works: Cuphead: Dark Horse is releasing their second graphic novel “Cartoon Chronicles & Calamities” on July 13, 2021. Little Brown Young Readers launched their latest prose novel, “A Mountain of Trouble,” on December 8, 2020 and we will announce our children’s book partner and art book publisher for The Cuphead Show! very soon! Popeye: Hermes Press is planning to launch a new Popeye title during San Diego Comic-Con and Fantagraphics is developing reprint books. The Phantom: Egmont is our biggest publishing partner in Nordic countries and they continue to have success with The Phantom and Beetle Bailey in these territories. Regal is tapping into the growing popularity of The Phantom in India, releasing 77 titles in Malayalam and English, and is introducing Mandrake the Magician to the territory with 25 titles!

Aside from drivers like publishing, how do you keep a classic brand relevant today? Keeping a classic brand fresh is largely down to opportunities for scale across product categories, promotions and great creative. There are so many more brands competing for our attention these days. In the past, the older brands stood out in a much smaller marketplace. Those that have survived are genuinely regarded as special. To be relevant a brand must be relatable. The challenge is to continually find ways to genuinely connect with newer audiences and create fresh, engaging content. It’s crucial that the market identify with the brands’ attributes and messaging so that they continue to support it over time, but it is equally vital that room is made for new talent and ideas to flourish. The key to the longevity of all classic brands arises from initial reach – without incredibly strong awareness, a brand can never become a true classic. However, through licensing, social media and constant reinvention both in

terms of the delivery and the creative design, a brand can stay fresh forever. This is one of the reasons why I love what I do so much. Together with my amazing team, we have the ability to continuously introduce our classic brands to a new generation of fans.

Are there any upcoming ‘firsts’ for King’s brands? 2021 is going to be a great year for Cuphead fans everywhere, as Cuphead and Mugman are doing double-time by starring in their first-ever series on Netflix as well as The Delicious Last Course, the highly anticipated final chapter to their hit video game. King Features will be supporting these two tentpole events with world class products including new toys, collectibles, games, apparel, and publishing and an influencer marketing campaign timed to the show launch. Also, although not technically a first, the launch of NECA’s Defender of the Earth Reel Toys line celebrating the 35th anniversary of the show is one to note as the release marks the first CP offering based on the series in a long time! The collection will feature all of the classic King Features characters including Flash Gordon, Ming the Merciless, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Lothar and more! In addition, we are beyond excited about our growing partnership with Boss Fight Studios who will be bringing out amazing new products for Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Popeye, Olive Oyl and a very special collectible toy line for fans of the Sunday Funnies! In the US, we are striving to deliver the first collection of earth-friendly products under the Norwegian lifestyle brand, PURENorway. We’re also expanding our Popeye spokes-character relationship with The SeaCleaners into a merchandise program that will help support their sea cleaning and protection initiatives. The Manta, the first offshore vessel capable of collecting and processing in continuous flow large quantities of macro-plastic waste floating on the surface of the oceans, is launching at the end of this month. As a sailorman, Popeye is a natural protector of the sea, so the mission of the organization aligns with his strong values. He’s proud to represent such a proactive agent for change in the world. This coming year, in addition to serving as an educational ambassador for the organization, 2021 will see Popeye and The SeaCleaners release co-branded products where a portion of proceeds will benefit their ocean clean-up project. To learn more about the organization and how fans can help make a difference, check out The SeaCleaners website.

The Cuphead Show! will be airing on Netflix later this year. How are you preparing for that launch? I can’t go into specifics, but I am confident we will have publishing, apparel, art prints and toys to support the launch of this amazing new content.

In terms of new IP acquisition, are there specific categories or territories that you are focusing on? We’re always on the hunt for new IP that complements our current library! If we see a really amazing brand that has global franchise potential, we’re open to having a conversation around possible representation. However, as you can see from the list of brands we talked about, we have a very solid portfolio and our main focus is to concentrate on building merchandise programs for our classic, fully-owned brands and new IP with entertainment. It’s important to stay focused on the opportunities in our portfolio which will give us the most long-term success. So right now, we’re working on CP programs in support of our entertainment-based brands with new content coming soon, like Cuphead (Netflix), The Phantom (Universal Content Productions), Flash Gordon (20th Century) Hägar the Horrible (The Jim Henson Company) ...and more to be announced!

How do creative, social media and digital marketing play a role in your business? For King Features, new character art and the regular release of fashion trend guides are key to ensuring our products are always on the forefront of trends. Last year we launched new character art for Flash Gordon and The Phantom, and this year look to release similar work for Prince Valiant and Mandrake the Magician. We now have the opportunity to build upon the foundations for Flash and The Phantom with new fashion trend guides fo that we look forward to sharing later in the year. We also just launched a branding exploration project for our leading lady, Olive Oyl, who you’ll be seeing a lot more of in the months to come. Our seasoned social media manager, Jackie Saumell is busy expanding our engaged global following across platforms! While KFS houses 60+ brands, her focus is in sharing a daily dose of laughter from Comics Kingdom, home to our comic strip brands, while creating content for our classic comic characters that connects them with today’s audience. Using Popeye’s following of over 9 Million fans as inspiration, over time Jackie looks to build the social presence for properties like Flash Gordon, The Phantom and Olive Oyl to a similar level of influence. She’s also excited to launch the first-ever social strategy for The Cuphead Show! later this year which will be supported by a targeted influencer campaign near the launch. We’re also excited to have Henderson Chatargun on board as a digital project manager. He keeps all of our digital systems moving and is playing a key role in our King Features website redesign, which we are looking forward to launching this year.

What’s your outlook for 2021 and beyond? Where Focus Goes, Energy Flows… Always Moving Forward. I believe that we can accomplish great things even during challenging times. It’s not always easy, but now more than ever, we need to be innovative and flexible. We have a great team in place, fantastic brands and we see a world of opportunities! Let’s put our plans into action and make 2021 our best year ever!

RIKI’S FIXIES CHOSEN AS A MASCOT FOR DUBAI EVENT

Riki Group report that The Fixies were chosen as a mascot of the Russian Pavilion at the World Exhibition ‘Expo’ in Dubai. The mascot will be presented as a part of the big presentation of the Russian Pavilion on April 8-9, 2021 in Dubai at the “Russia Creates” conference. In addition, the animated feature The Fixies vs. Crabots was released theatrically in the UAE and Saudi Arabia on January 21. Expo-2020 will be held in Dubai from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 and will be one of the largest in history. The subject of the World Exhibition is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. The professional jury included the Chairman of the Union of designers of Russia ,Vitaly Stavitsky, the President of the Association of branding agencies of Russia, Oleg Beriev, journalist Sergey Gordeev, artist, sculptor and designer Alexander Frolov, Director of the Russian Pavilion, Alexander Getman, Manager Department of tourism and Commerce marketing of Dubai for Russia and CIS, Daria Chumachenko, Deputy Director of Department of state regulation of foreign trade of Ministry of industry and trade of the Russian Federation, Konstantin Kim. They awarded first place to the characters from the much-loved animated series of The Fixies.

SECOND SEASON FOR MONDO SERIES

Mondo TV has announced plans for the second series of its popular environmentally themed animated kids’ show MeteoHeroes. With the first series already sold or confirmed into over 120 countries and among the hit shows on Cartoonito in Italy last autumn, it was inevitable that Meteo Operations Italia (MOPI), which originated the concept, and Mondo TV would get together to co-produce series two – and now it’s been confirmed! The second season will consist of 52 episodes of 11 minutes each. Production of series two will start in the first quarter of 2021 and is expected to be completed by 2022. MeteoHeroes is the only cartoon in the world dedicated entirely to climate and environmental issues. Each episode focuses on issues related to ecology and respect for nature through the adventures of six superpowered kids who can control weather phenomena. Working alongside scientists and meteorologists at their futuristic HQ based in Gran Sasso Mountain National Park in Italy, the MeteoHeroes are trained to control their powers and fulfil their mission: to save the Earth. But the success of MeteoHeroes is not surprising. It’s a stylish cartoon show delivering action, comedy and real scientific information in thrilling storylines that discuss complex contemporary issues like climate change and weather patterns in an accessible and appealing way. Each episode is based on a real event with each story on screen linked to images and footage of the news stories that inspired it and the science behind each mission.

J&M BRANDS TO REP SPACE ARCHIVES

The International Space Archives have appointed J&M Brands to expand their ranges of licensed products. International Space Archives is a digital library containing the best of the incredible imagery created by our planet’s exploration of the universe. For the first time ever, the International Space Archives is bringing together the best of this still and video imagery into one comprehensive collection and making it available for licensing. The Mission patches, photos, films and video contained in the licensing archive come from a variety of sources including NASA (the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the international space programs of Russia, Japan, China, India and the European Union. Jannienke Mulder, Co-Founder J&M Brands, says “We are very excited to be working with ISA and this is undoubtedly a huge opportunity for potential licensees. The ISA contain an unprecedented amount of incredible images that can be utilized by our licensees to increase profits, target new consumer streams and open up new retail channels that might have been closed to them before.” She continues by saying “there is such a broad market for this license and the variety of imagery lends itself well for many products and promotions. We are certain of its potential success.”