Talking Supermasked - unmasking the heroes

Talking Supermasked...

Julien Barbier, CEO, Consumer Product Connection (CPC), unmasks the animated superhero saga for Total Licensing... First of all, can you give us a quick outline of Supermasked and how it came into being?

The talented Spanish Artist Javi Molner/Maya Studio, a huge fan of the classic superheroes, wanted to bring to kids his own vision of those kind of characters. After several years of brainstorming and developments, Supermasked was born. Supermasked is an animated superhero saga that will show kids that you don’t need to be perfect to be a superhero. A mix of comedy and epic battles, the Supermasked characters have one primary defect - they don’t know how to use their superpowers.

In what format is the initial rollout? And on what platforms?

The series are released on Youtube, initially in Spanish and English, and will be dubbed to each local language before the product launches, with two seasons of 15 episodes each (4’ eps) in development. On top of that, a fighting app has been launched and is already available for IOS and GooglePlay. The studio is also developing content for TikTok and Instagram to boost awareness of the property. The concept is already generating the interest of producers to create new and different content in the future.

What age range is Supermasked aimed at? Boys and girls?

Supermasked is a 6+ Boys property, which matches perfectly with the market as there is a lack of new IPs for that target.

Tell us about your planned product launches for 2022!

The strategic toy development partner, Eolo Toys, has secured a raft of best-in-class toy distributors in all key markets, with significant announcements due shortly. The innovative toy range including Stretchy figures with sounds and sensors, Tab Launchers, Playsets and more will be launched on a global basis during 2022, supported in each territory by TV advertising, digital content, and social media. In addition, Panini has signed on for a range of collectibles and is developing several publishing formats. As a result of a successful BLE show in 2021, we are already signing several agreements in Apparel, BTS, and more categories. At the same time, the agents´ network is working in each territory to develop the Licensing program. Also, as Maya Studio is now part of NoGroup Company (www.nogroup. company), we are already working on live experiences for the fans to be involved in the Supermasked world.

How many characters does the show consist of? And will these fall under the collectible category?

The property is definitely collectible. The main characters are seven Supermasked leaded by the great Pepper Man, and five Antimasked lead by the evil Whispers. Additionally, we have developed up to 108 different characters, divided in academies (as they all need to understand how their super powers work). The new characters will first appear in the fighting app and then in the second season on YouTube.

And what are the general themes of Supermasked ? How do the episodes play out?

The first season is based on the main 12 characters attacking and defending Masked Ville, at the same time they are discovering and training their super powers, which will trigger lots of hilarious situations. The second season will be focused on the different academies and new characters. The twelve most famous ones will remain being the center of the action, but the appearance of the academies will bring more fun. As each Supermasked & Antimasked has his own superpower based on his personality, we can promise lots of fun!