DC and Warner Bros mark Black History Month with new comics, books and merch 

Throughout February, DC and Warner Bros Consumer Products will honour the artistic expression and contributions of Black comic creators, artists and characters by unveiling a new collection of comics, books and merchandise.

The company will also launch initiatives to support and develop Black creators and inspire a new generation of comic book professionals. In addition, Milestone Compendium One allows DC fans to explore the anthology of Black Super Heroes in a 1,300 page book available today.

Announced during DC FanDome 2021, The Milestone Initiative was created by DC and Milestone Media, along with Ally Financial Services, to identify, develop and mentor aspiring comic book professionals of colour. Applicants selected for the Milestone Initiative Development Program will receive both in-person tutelage from working comic book professionals, in addition to virtual education through the prestigious Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. After study, attendees will be paired with other comic book professionals to create new, original stories within the Milestone Universe.

“Continuing our rich history of amplifying Black stories and talent, the launch of our Black History Month selection of new comics, books and merch celebrates the Black visionaries amongst us and collectively promotes and supports the telling of stories from the Black perspective,” says Anne Leung DePies, senior vice president and general manager of DC. “Focused on boosting representation of aspiring comic book professionals of colour and introducing them to positive apprenticeship in the art, The Milestone Initiative will pave the way for change by creating a place for individuals to be supported by mentors and connect over a shared love for comics.”

DC kicks off the celebration by releasing a series of new comics and books, as well as new Black History Month products at the DC Shop. In collaboration with Milestone Comics, titles Static Season One, Hardware Season One and Icon and Rocket Season One celebrate powerful DC Black Super Heroes, now available at participating comic book stores and digital platforms.

DC spotlights Black creators and characters in comic books including I Am Batman, written by John Ridley, NAOMI Season Two, co-written by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker, with art by Jamal Campbell, Nubia and the Amazons, by Stephanie Williams with art from Alitha Martinez, released today, February 1, plus Aquamen, by Chuck Brown, Brandon Thomas, Sami, Basri and Adriano Lucas debuting February 22nd. Green Lantern, by Geoffrey Thorne, Tom Raney, and Marco Santucci, and Suicide Squad (featuring Amanda Waller) by Robbie Thompson and Eduardo Pansica are also all available at participating comic book stores and digital platforms.

DC released a new Young Adult Graphic Novel as well as Collected Editions including Milestone Compendium One, REPRESENT! on sale today and later this month Batwing: Luke Fox on sale February 15th.  Other titles featuring Black Super Heroes include The Other History of the DC Universe by John Ridley, Andrea Cucchi and Giuseppe Camuncoli; Green Lantern John Stewart: A Celebration of 50 Years, Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles; and Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney and Robyn Smith, all available at participating comic book stores and digital platforms.

DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Digital Subscription Platform will feature a free selection of curated titles spotlighting Black DC Super Heroes. For more information and a free trial, fans can check out the website at www.dcuniverseinfinite.com.

The DC Shop today revealed designs featuring DC Super Hero and flagship Milestone character Virgil Hawkins, aka Static. Virgil takes front and centre on a collection of items, including tees, hoodies and sporting goods highlighting his electromagnetic powers. Also available exclusively on the DC Shop is a brand new skate deck featuring Static, retailing for US $99.

Additional merchandise coming to the DC Shop this month features the all-new DC Black History Month logo and key art by artist Alitha Martinez and the return of the popular Juneteenth key art by Milestone co-founder Denys Cowan.

Fans can delve into the history and enduring influence of Black characters and creators this month and throughout the year at https://shop.dccomics.com/en-US/collections/black-history-month.

Outright Games to launch ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ video game in 2022

Outright Games has revealed the first-ever look at the forthcoming ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ video game as part of DC Kids FanDome, the 24-hour, immersive, global virtual event that took place this weekend.

The game, which is inspired by the Warner Bros film due in theatres in summer 2022, is licensed by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment on behalf of DC and will be available on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC Digital in 2022.

DC League of Super-Pets is a 3D on-rail action game that puts players in the paws of Super-Pets Krypto the Super-Dog and Ace as they fly over the city skylines to protect the animal population of Metropolis from a new and looming threat.

Founded in 2016, Outright Games has established its place in the market delivering interactive games featuring beloved global entertainment characters. Its titles include Jumanji: The Video Game (with Sony Pictures), Paw Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls (with Nickelodeon), Ben 10 Power Trip (with Cartoon Network) and Dragons: Dawn of New Riders (with NBC Universal).

 

Rubies launches range of adaptive costumes to make dress up and role-play more inclusive

Rubies has released a new range of adaptive costumes designed for children with limited mobility and boasting a selection of features that makes them optimised for ease of wear, accessibility and fitting.

The new collection has been designed to enable all children – regardless of their level of ability – can engage in role-play and dress up, with specially designed features that allow them to do so.

Features include back opening in the trousers and skirts, which allows wheelchair users to dress in bed or in a laying down position, and the combination of Velcro fastenings with elasticated areas add comfort and allow for easier dressing. A discrete front flap opening allows access to tubes on the abdominal area.

Furthermore, the seated area of the costumes is free from costume fabric, helping to reduce pressure points which can cause sores and ulcers from wrinkles, creases or pronounced seams.

To ensure the collection provided comfort and inclusivity with the key demographic, the costumes have been tried and tested on a select focus group of participants in this year’s Superhero Series Powered by Marvel, with positive feedback across the board on the designs and features. One of the costumes even featured on a Good Morning Britain section with Emerson Grant showcasing his Spider-man outfit to the nation.

Mike O’Connell, managing director, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce the introduction of Adaptive Costumes into our extensive licensed portfolio. As an inclusive and innovative company, we strive to create a world where everyone can express themselves equally. Although our exclusive Adaptive Range costumes are different in their features and design, we wanted to ensure our price point matched any other costume of the same quality within our range.

“Dress-up play is a very important part of childhood, allowing children to explore different characters and role models and shape who they become, and we hope these costumes will allow every child to be able to do this.”

The new range will launch with a choice of characters from Marvel, DC and The Mandalorian that are instantly recognisable and highly inspiring to children. The superhero range in particular focuses on Captain America and Spider-Man’s jumpsuits featuring 3D padded muscles; both consist of tops, trousers and snood.

The range also includes Wonder Woman’s dress which has a shimmering sequin bodice detail, a full layered skirt and comes with a range of accessories to complete the character including cape, boot covers, gauntlets and a foam tiara.

Adaptive Costumes will be available to order in time for Halloween. Contact the Rubies sales team to find out more.

Bravado and Warner Bros. Consumer Products line up expansive UK licensing partnership

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Bravado – the merchandise and brand management division of Universal Music Group – have detailed a new partnership across some of the biggest titles of the Studio’s 2021 and 2022 slate, as well as over 100 iconic movies and heritage brands.

A first of its kind partnership between the two industry giants, the agreement recognises Bravado as a key UK licensee, covering adult apparel for iconic film and entertainment brands including Space Jam, Mortal Kombat, and The Matrix, as well as franchises within the DC universe, including Aquaman, Batman, Black Adam, and Justice League.

The first lines of merchandise will hit UK retail, online and in-store, beginning Summer 2021.

‘Having developed an impressive and extensive roster of entertainment-based licenses, the Warner Bros. Consumer Products partnership reaffirms Bravado’s position as the go to licensing management company for global brands that cross into music, film, TV and sport,’ read a statement from the firm.

‘With its extensive range of partners and licenses, Bravado’s scope compliments Warner Bros.’s vast portfolio of multigenerational titles, delivering a breadth of opportunity in the retail space.’

Keith Taperell, vice president, retail and sales, Bravado UK, said: “We’re extremely excited about the creative possibilities this partnership carries. The huge offering and diversity of titles, iconic brands and the multi-generational fanbases that accompany them, delivers real scope from design stage to retail placement. We’re very much looking forward to working with the team at Warner Bros. on making this collaboration as far reaching as possible.”

The multi-collection partnership will service a broad range of partners across all areas of retail including a series of fashion led capsule collections. Product will be live across UK retail stores and eCommerce from Summer 2021.

Warner Bros. teams with Toybox to let fans 3D print their own licensed toys at home

Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered with Toybox, a company specialised in 3D printers that allow fans to create their own toys at home, to enable audiences to print characters from across the Warner Bros. portfolio.

Marked by many as a major step forward in the ongoing development and evolution of the 3D printing space and its implications for the future of the toy industry, the new partnership will allow Toybox fans the chance to print items based on DC, Cartoon Network, Looney Tunes, Friends, even Seinfeld.

The deal also extends to classic films under the Warner Bros. banner, such as Polar Express and Elf.

Customers will be able to buy a range of toys starting with DC’s Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman by purchasing Toybox Bolts, an online currency unique to the Toybox platform. This is a first of its kind licensing agreement with a major studio that allows customers to print their toys at home.

Toys available to print at launch will be Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman action figures with nine points of articulation, Batarangs, Batman’s Batcave computer, Batmobile, Batman disc launcher, Bat-Signal, Justice League disc launchers, Daily Planet building; with additional items to follow.

Ben Baltes, CEO of Toybox, said: “We are so excited to announce this partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Toybox is the only platform to offer at home toy printing tied to a secure 3D printer. Bringing our Toybox users the world class properties from the WB catalogue is a dream for them and for us.”

DC to bring Ozzy Osbourne and Megadeth to Dark Nights: Death Metal comic universe

The comic book publisher, DC has detailed its plans to collaborate with seven of the most renowned metal music bands for its runaway hit limited comic book series Dark Nights: Death Metal – Band Edition.

In a partnership with Global Merchandising Services, DC has revealed it will be collaborating with the likes of Megadeth, Ghost, and Ozzy Osbourne, as well as Sepultura and Dream Theater.

Under the partnership, exclusive merchandise featuring the unique variant covers will be made available for fans from both universes. Information on the availability of this will be announced in conjunction with each release.

Representing a cross-section of metal music from across genres and generations, each special edition will feature a variant cover spotlighting a different metal band, an introduction from the band and exclusive interview.

The lineup will see Megadeth take issue one, Ghost in issue two, and Lacuna Coil in issue three. Issue four will feature Opeth, Sepultura will take the fifth issue, issue six will be Dream Theater, and issue seven will star Ozzy Osbourne.

The Dark Knights: Death Metal seven-issue series event will launch in 13 countries internationally in March and rollout throughout 2021.

Dark Nights: Death Metal, from the bestselling team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, launched in the US in June 2020 and is the sequel to the smash-hit 2017-18 series, Dark Nights: Metal which brought widespread changes to the DC universe and introduced fans to the Dark Multiverse and a runaway hit villain the Batman Who Laughs.

When the Earth is enveloped by the Dark Multiverse, the Justice League is at the mercy of the Batman Who Laughs. Humanity struggles to survive in a hellish landscape twisted beyond recognition, while Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, who have all been separated, fight to survive. 

The seven single issues with the Band edition variant covers will be published monthly in eight countries: France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Turkey.

For the Collectors’ Omnibus Edition featuring additional bonus content, these eight countries will be joined by Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Korea and Japan.

Wow! Stuff’s collectables range Wow! Pods tops the Amazon Best Seller Charts

Wow! Stuff’s recently-launched and hit collectable range, Wow! Pods has risen to in the sales ranking to top the charts on Amazon’s Best Seller list in two categories, a result that the company cites as ‘all the more impressive,’ given that the brand’s TV ads haven’t even aired yet.

“We have some super TV commercials waiting in the wings which were due to air across the usual TV channels in the UK,” said Richard North, Wow! Stuff CEO. “We had seen the sell-through success in other territories and now at UK retail without any promotions at all, so decided to launch with our social media campaign from the KidsKnowBest team.

“The sales at our retail partners has beaten everyone’s forecasts and we’ve now sold out several times and are ranked number one in two categories across Amazon: Kids’ Play Action figures and Collectables Figures and Memorabilia.

“Facebook comments are extraordinary, fans just love them and 2021 will reveal loads of new great brands and rare models for fans to add to their collections.”

Marvel, DC, Harry Potter, and Pixar brands are among the leading licenses within the Wow! Pods collection, while Facebook comments indicate that the Wow! Pods collection has already picked up a broad age range of fans and collectors.

One social media comment read: “See, you’re advertising with young kids which means I’m gonna feel stupid buying em… I’m still gonna. I’m 52 and a nerd so the hell with it.”

LEGO unleashes the LEGO DC Batman 1989 Batwing, inspired by the Tim Burton classic movie

The LEGO Group celebrated Batman Day this month in true style, by partnering with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC to release the LEGO DC Batman 1989 Batwing, a LEGO brick reconstruction of the vehicle seen in Tim Burton’s iconic 1989 Batman film.

One for the keen-eyed Batman fans to appreciate, the design uses the smooth lines and features from the original model to bring the gothic elegance to the build. Fans of LEGO and DC alike can explore a full interior, removable canopy and poseable aerodynamic wings. The kit is also dotted with Easter eggs to surprise builders, such as a screen featuring The Joker’s gas balloons and a Bat Engine label.

The LEGO DC Batman 1989 Batwing comes in at an impressive 2,363 pieces and measures over 11cm high. The construction set also features a special brick which allows builders to mount and display their model on the wall. The kit joins the previously released LEGO DC Batman 1989 Batmobile as a dramatic addition to any collector’s line up.

LEGO Creative lead Jesper C. Nielsen, said: “The emblematic set truly takes fans on a journey, as they immerse themselves into Gotham city and get hands-on with the set, using Batman, The Joker and Boombox goon minifigures to relive their favourite moments from the film.

“Fans can even create the infamous scene when The Joker barges in on the Dark Knight and utters his classic words “have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?.”

The LEGO 1989 Batwing construction set is the latest example of how the LEGO Group aims to inspire builders of all ages to build, rebuild and get excited by the process of creation. A complex and rewarding build, the LEGO 1989 Batwing construction set allows builders to relax as they escape from the real world and enter the Batman universe.

Designed for those aged 18 and upwards, the new set will also feature the new stylish packaging designed to reflect the sophisticated nature of the creative process.

All new products in the LEGO Group’s ranges that appeal to adults will now feature the sleek, minimalistic new design across related packaging, building instructions, exclusive content and in-store and online store design.

LEGO 1989 Batwing will be available for LEGO VIP members from 21st October and for remaining LEGO fans from 1st November, directly via LEGO.com and LEGO Stores.

 

DC to celebrate global Batman Day and puts wheels in motion with GPS app Waze

DC has revealed its plans for a global Batman Day celebration taking place on September 19th this year, inviting fans from across the globe to participate in a range of Batman-themed activities.

The celebration will kick off with a new partnership with the GPS navigation app Waze, introducing a Batman and The Riddler theme to the system, alongside a collection of Waze and DC Super Hero or Super-Villain playlists on Spotify while driving via the Waze Audio Player feature to complete the driving experience.

On top of this, free digital comics, free activity kits for kids, a Batman Virtual 5K and 10K run or walk, and even a digital mystery to solve in which fans can take on the role of the caped crusader, will all launch in celebration of the DC super hero.

Fans can also team up with Batman to protect Gotham City in a series of digital activities, such as joining the celebration on social media and helping Batman to piece together a series of clues left behind by The Riddler. Players who successfully decode the mischievous hints will unlock exclusive, limited-time reveals.

The adventure begins when the virtual Bat-Signal lights up at 12PM PT, September 18, on the @DCComics Twitter.

The new Waze Batman theme allows for more than 100 million monthly active Waze users to ride along with Batman and The Riddler from August 31 to October 31.

Waze drivers can opt to hear directions in the style of Batman, voiced by Batman: The Animated Series actor Kevin Conroy, as well as select a custom Batmobile icon and Batman mood. Drivers who want a slightly more villainous experience can select The Riddler voice directions (voiced by actor Wally Wingert), mood and custom vehicle. Waze users worldwide can experience the Batman theme in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Mad Beauty partners with Warner Bros Consumer Products for Friends, DC, and Looney Tunes lines

The UK bath, body, and cosmetics specialist Mad Beauty has detailed a new partnership with Warner Bros Consumer Products to develop a collection inspired by its iconic brands Friends, DC, and Looney Tunes. The new deal and subsequent collection will bolster the firm’s plans for growth across the UK and US.

The partnership marks another milestone for Mad Beauty who has cited ‘extraordinary growth’ over the last two years in home markets. Already 2020 has seen announcements including international extensions of existing brand licenses, the launch of Mad Beauty USA, and establishing new warehouse and fulfilment support.

The first collaboration coming out of the new partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products will be a collection inspired by the hit television series Friends. The assortment will launch into market from AW20, consisting of Eyeshadow Palette, Lip Glosses, Make-up Brushes, Face Masks, Shower hats, and more.

“We see ourselves as a beauty company that makes gifts rather than a gift company that makes beauty products and we believe that combining our experience in producing high quality beauty, bath and body ranges with some of Warner Bros’ most iconic characters is a winning formula that retailers will enjoy offering and fans will love,” said Mad Beauty’s managing director, Trevor Cash.

“We’re excited to partner with Mad Beauty on this wonderful new collection. This collaboration provides a great opportunity for fans to celebrate their favourite characters and incorporate them into their daily lives, said Rachel Wakley, general manager UK & Ireland, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.