Tag Archives: king features

Cuphead collection debuts at Zara

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King Features Syndicate, along with its local agent in Spain, Caravanserai, has announced that gaming phenomenon Cuphead is building on its successful international presence with a new clothing collection at ZARA, the Inditex Group’s popular apparel retailer.

Cuphead, Mugman and other fan favourite characters are jumping off the screen and onto the runway with new apparel for adults and kids. Available now at ZARA stores worldwide, the collection features t-shirts, sweatshirts and shorts with designs inspired by the highly celebrated game’s classic animation style.

“Cuphead continues to resonate with dedicated fans around the world and inspire pop-culture collaborations across all categories,” says Carla Silva, VP/GM, global head of licensing, King Features. “Working with ZARA is a true reflection of Cuphead’s popularity, and we are thrilled to partner with such a prominent brand to bring fresh and exciting fashion styles to fans worldwide.”

Cuphead is continuing to level up around the world with new publishing programmes in development for art books and graphic novels. Dark Horse and Norma Editorial are expanding the existing lineup of Cuphead books based on the original video game with “The Art of Cuphead” art book launching in Spain. The book will also hit shelves globally in markets across Europe and Asia such as France, Italy, Japan and more. Additionally, Cuphead graphic novels will launch in Spain, France, Italy, Israel, Japan and additional markets across Europe and Asia.

Studio MDHR’s Cuphead is celebrated by fans around the world for its arcade-action gameplay, highly original art design and award-winning soundtrack, featuring almost three hours of original jazz, early big band and ragtime music. A true cultural phenomenon, the game has sold millions of units worldwide and won over 20 major awards. In addition to a wide range of new product releases, this year, on 30June the Studio will launch Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course which will add an entire new island to the game, as well as introducing a new playable character, Ms. Chalice.

The game was also recently transformed into an animated series on Netflix. The first episodes of The Cuphead Show!, which debuted on February 18, made the Top 10 Kids list in 90+ countries. Due to its successful premiere, The Cuphead Show! is returning with a fresh set of episodes dropping this summer on August 19.

Popeye teams up with mey for sustainable menswear capsule collection

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mey, a leading European brand of high-quality bodywear for women and men, has announced its newest capsule collection, featuring King Features’ iconic character, Popeye. The menswear collection, which recently launched online, in mey stores and at selected retail partners, includes a range of daywear and nightwear that incorporates Popeye’s trademark nautical style.

Inspired by the spinach-eating sailorman, the collection includes 12 different styles of t-shirts, nightwear, swimsuits and underwear featuring Popeye-themed designs and colours. The collection is made of sustainable organic cotton with a comfortable elastane component while the styles, except the swimsuit, are also Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified and have the Grüner Knopf state-regulated textile label.

“A fashion icon, Popeye is also known around the world for his nautical style, ocean conservation advocacy and alignment with eco-friendly partners,” says Carla Silva, VP/GM, global head of licensing, King Features. “We are thrilled to collaborate with mey on this new collection that captures his whimsical personality and provides fans with high-quality apparel that is sustainably sourced.”

The mey x Popeye capsule collection is currently available in approximately 450 stores across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Benelux and online at www.mey.com. The collection ranges from €29.95- 79.95.

 

King Features builds momentum for Popeye and Olive Oyl with expansion into new territories

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King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst and home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters, today announced expansion into new territories, Benelux, India and the Middle East, for its iconic comic characters Popeye and Olive Oyl.

Building upon its existing global licensing programme, brand owner King Features has signed new agents to support growth in the territories, including J&M Brands (Benelux), WildBrain CPLG (Middle East), and Black White & Orange (India).

Affinity for Popeye and Olive Oyl continues to skyrocket across Europe, and now J&M Brands will continue to grow the beloved characters’ presence in Benelux, which is comprised of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. J&M Brands will focus on introducing new apparel, collabs, food, health and beauty, and sustainable partnerships that align with the brand and resonate with European audiences. This year, they will introduce two new eco-conscious Popeye partnerships. School of Life Projects (Netherlands) incorporates materials like wool, a renewable fibre source, into their collections to preserve traditional artisan crafts, and apparel brand, A-Dam (Netherlands), develops their garments using recycled and organic materials.

In the Middle East, WildBrain CPLG is expanding Popeye and Olive Oyl’s reach in new territories including Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates with fashion retailer Riva Fashion and product distributor Trucare FZC.

Continuing growth for the characters in India, Black White Orange Brands recently brokered a deal with Universal Sportsbiz Pvt. Ltd. for a successful Popeye collaboration with popular Indian youth fashion and apparel brand, WROGN. WROGN was co-created by Indian cricket star, Virat Kohli, who served as the face of the Popeye campaign. The Popeye x WROGN collection includes a range of 28 t-shirts featuring classic poses of the spinach-eating sailor paired with the graphic WROGN logo.

“We’re tremendously proud of the growth and success that the Popeye brand has experienced globally and look forward to the brand’s continued expansion with our newest international agents and partners. There’s something extraordinary about the iconic Popeye and his universe that truly transcends across all cultures,” says Carla Silva, VP/GM, global head of licensing, King Features.

King Features’ expansion into new territories comes on the heels of several successful Popeye initiatives, including apparel collections from ICEBERG, Moncler, Intimissimi Uomo and Mey, NFTs from UNDONE and MADWorld, along with sustainability-focused partnerships with the Popeye Sail Club powered Pick a Pier in partnership with Blue Flag, and an Angry Birds Friends x Popeye tournament in support of ocean clean-up organisation, The SeaCleaners.

MAD:BOXX to release the latest officially licensed Popeye NFT series

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Popeye the Sailor Man is partnering with UNDONE, the world’s leading custom watch brand, and MADworld to release an NFT collection across Asia.

The POPEYE METAVERSE MADNESS tells the story of Popeye in different parallels, where the balance of time and space is broken and chaos occurs. The programme will include more than 4,000 Popeye character variations dressed in an assortment of costumes, set against a variety of backgrounds, and released in the form of algorithmically generated NFTs. The deal was brokered by MEDIALINK, Popeye brand owner King Features’ local agent in China.

The first drop of 2000 Popeye NFTs will be sold in the form of MAD:BOXX blind boxes, to help ensure random distribution of the NFTs across all three tiers and create a fair environment for buyers.

The Whitelisted Mint date will be on May 18, 2022. The Public Mint date will be on May 20, 2022. Information regarding the whitelisting campaign, minting link, and scheduling will be released in a later official announcement.

 

 

Intimissimi Uomo launches Popeye collection

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Intimissimi Uomo, a leading menswear brand focused on underwear, easywear, nightwear and beachwear within the Italian fashion collective Calzedonia Group, has created a complete Spring/Summer 2022 collection inspired by King Features’ iconic characters, Popeye the Sailor Man and Olive Oyl.

The collection incorporates Popeye’s trademark nautical style across a full range of apparel: underwear, cropped pajamas, t-shirts, matching socks and swimwear.

The designs feature retro-inspired prints and stylings influenced by the iconic Popeye and his girlfriend Olive Oyl. Premium Licensing, King Features’ Italian agent, brokered the deal.

“Popeye has always been appreciated by men who relate to his masculine persona yet also enjoy his playfulness,” says Grazia Bussandri of Premium Licensing. “This particular collection by Intimissimi Uomo has been very well conceived, with refined retro graphics that will surely be appreciated by his fans. We are proud of this collaboration with Calzedonia Group. They are an important Group in International fashion, with strategically placed stores and great-quality products.”

“The line is engaging and fresh,” adds Carla Silva, VP/GM, global head of licensing, King Features, “and the sophisticated designs starring Popeye and Olive Oyl enrich the garments’ appeal among the style-savvy.

“We’re pleased to have Intimissimi Uomo on board to develop apparel that captures the brand’s essence and aligns with the long-term vision of the franchise. This impressive collection, supported by a strong marketing campaign and retail activations across multiple touchpoints, will surely give this collaboration great international attention and visibility.”

The Popeye products by Intimissimi Uomo are now available at Intimissimi/Intimissimi Uomo stores and e-commerce sites around the world. The launch line will be supported across social media with photos and videos, and the Intimissimi Uomo flagship stores will create window displays dedicated to the Popeye collection.

 

Lady Luck Games to launch Popeye and Flash Gordon digital game content

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King Features Syndicate, home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters, is partnering with Swedish slots specialist Lady Luck Games to create branded digital game content featuring iconic comic characters Popeye, Olive Oyl, Beetle Bailey and Flash Gordon.

The new games will be available for players in slots across Europe and Asia for the first time, further expanding the reach of the character brands to fans across the world within the growing online casino game category.

To bring these games to life, King Features Syndicate is working in tandem with Lady Luck’s maths specialists to merge the classic character designs and elements with unique gameplay. The first games will be showcased at ICE London in April.

“We see enormous growth potential in the online gaming category and are excited to bring these iconic characters to life with the impressive development expertise and entertaining features of Lady Luck Games,” says Carla Silva, vice president and general manager, global head of licensing, King Features.

 Mads V. Jørgensen, CEO, Lady Luck Games, adds: “We are extremely humbled and honoured that King Features Syndicate has chosen an up-and-coming studio like ours to represent its hugely popular and world-renowned brands. It shows that our strategy works and the games that we produce are some of the most beautiful and entertaining in the business. This is easily one of the most important milestones in the company’s history and will make a huge difference in our outreach to both customers and players.”

 

Olive Oyl turns fashionista with Moncler Genius collection

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King Features has announced its latest partnership for Olive Oyl. The animation icon features in the 2 MONCLER 1952 WOMAN Spring/Summer 2022 collection by Veronica Leoni, part of the fashion brand’s MONCLER GENIUS project.

Olive Oyl has been a groundbreaking female character since her debut in 1919. Veronica Leoni chose to feature Olive in her latest collection due to her “widely recognised confidence and humour”, selecting retro images of Olive to appear on a capsule of T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts.

“We are very happy to have secured this collaboration with such a high-end and innovative brand as Moncler and such an iconic character as Olive Oyl,” says Grazia Bussandri of Premium Licensing, King Features’ Italian agent, who secured the deal with Moncler.

“For decades, style makers around the world have been inspired by Olive’s confidence and glamorous self-perception,” adds Carla Silva, VP/GM, Global Head of Licensing, King Features, “but this capsule from Moncler is in a class of its own. The clever designs highlight what a dynamic individual Olive Oyl is and the characteristics that make her so appealing to fans and fashionistas alike.”

The capsule collection is available now on Moncler.com and in select Moncler boutiques.

Popeye stars in ICEBERG’s latest menswear collection

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The Autumn/Winter 2022 men’s collection from luxury sportswear brand ICEBERG features items inspired by iconic comic character Popeye the Sailorman.

The new ICEBERG men’s collection aims to capture the rugged and intrepid lifestyle of explorers and survivalists, and features Popeye-inspired, nautical themed designs throughout the line. The spinach-eating sailor and clean ocean advocate’s strong values embody the spirit of the collection and are an integral part of the garments’ concepts.

“Popeye, Olive Oyl and ICEBERG have a long tradition of collaboration and a strong fellowship which started more than 30 years ago,” says Grazia Bussandri of Premium Licensing, Popeye’s Italian agent who brokered the deal with ICEBERG. “Their garments have always been fresh, innovative and inspiring, but the AW22 designs have extra oomph. The graphics have been carefully constructed, interweaving the collection’s theme with Popeye’s brand philosophy. And the message is a powerful one: strength, resilience, confidence and freedom to be yourself are so integral to Popeye’s identity.”

“Partnering with ICEBERG is always a first-in-class experience,” adds Carla Silva, VP/GM, Global Head of Licensing at King Features, owners of the Popeye IP. “Their innovative work never disappoints and they really understand the Popeye brand. The AW22 designs are refreshing and inspiring, and we’re proud to have Popeye join their mission to fashionably spread optimism.”

ICEBERG will soon reveal a new set of fashion pieces inspired by one of illustration’s most iconic female characters, Olive Oyl. Strong, confident and fearlessly female, Olive’s fashionable appeal and sense of humour are captured in ICEBERG’s new women’s AW22 collection, which features tops, dresses, jackets and pants in the brand’s signature bold sportswear style.

The full men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and accessories collections in the ICEBERG AW22/23 line will be available at top retailers around the world, starting August 2022.

 

Popeye and Angry Birds Friends unite in support of ocean conservation

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Popeye the Sailorman and video game developer Rovio Entertainment have announced a partnership for a new, co-branded Angry Birds Friends x Popeye tournament in support of ocean clean-up organisation The SeaCleaners.

Running from January 31 to February 6, the tournament contains 24 Popeye-themed levels of competition alongside in-game ocean conservation messaging from The SeaCleaners.

Throughout the seven-day tournament, players will be tasked with stopping Bluto and the piggies from polluting, while collecting plastic waste in the game. As players advance through the game, they will learn unique and eye-opening facts about how our oceans are impacted by waste. For example, according to The SeaCleaners, every year between 9 and 12 million tons of plastic waste is tipped into the ocean. To combat this, the organisation advises players in the game to avoid single-use plastic by choosing reusable bags and bottles and plastic-free packaging.

“Rovio is delighted to team up with The SeaCleaners and Popeye to do our part for ocean conservation,” says Heini Kaihu, chief sustainability officer, Rovio. “Combining compelling games content with this very important message is a meaningful way of impacting our environment. We have a large audience through our games, and if we can contribute to increasing the respect for and safety of our planet, we want to take that opportunity. The Angry Birds may be angry, but they want to use their powers for good!”

Additionally, The SeaCleaners will host a giveaway where players will have the chance to win Bird Coins that can be used to purchase items in Angry Birds Friends such as power-ups, Mighty Eagles, avatars and more. For a chance to win, players will be invited to answer four questions about plastic pollution, which can be found on The SeaCleaners’ website. Winners will be chosen at random the week after the tournament concludes.

“The fight against plastic pollution is a collective battle,” says Yvan Bourgnon, president, The SeaCleaners. “We are extremely grateful to Popeye and Rovio for their commitment. Raising awareness about the dangers that threaten the ocean is part of our mission. What better vehicle for this than Angry Birds Friends, an incredibly popular game around the world? And what better spokesperson than Popeye, a timeless sea hero whose values we share? We feel privileged to be able to count on them!”

“Popeye is thrilled to join Red and the other Angry Birds on their mission to save the ocean from polluting piggies,” comments Beth Nock, brand marketing director, King Features. “This exciting partnership unites two incredibly popular character brands — providing fans with entertaining game play, while promoting a great cause. The SeaCleaners’ ocean clean-up technology is unprecedented, and we are grateful that the Angry Birds have joined forces with Popeye to shine a light on their impactful work.”

Popeye, the iconic, spinach-eating sailor and clean ocean advocate, is owned by King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst and home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters. Popeye first announced his representation of The SeaCleaners, an organization that focuses on long-term and worldwide preservation of the ocean, in 2020, joining its fight against plastic pollution and raising awareness of its ocean conservation efforts. This partnership continues Popeye’s commitment to sustainability and ocean conservation. Most recently, King Features debuted Popeye’s newest eco-conscious partnership, the Popeye® Sail Club, developed in partnership with Pick A Pier and Blue Flag to be the most advanced, rewarding and sustainable boating club in the world. In recent months, Popeye also launched sustainability-focused fashion collections with partners such as United Colors of Benetton, Original Marines, Brava Fabrics and À La Garçonne.

Launching on Monday, January 31, the Angry Birds Friends x Popeye tournament is available in 13 different languages including English, Spanish, German and more. Angry Birds Friends is available in the App Store and Google Play.

 

 

King Features and Jade City Foods introduce Popeye foods line

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King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst and home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters, along with Florida-based food and beverage company Jade City Foods, has announced a new collection of high-end Popeye & Friends-inspired hot sauces and coffee. This latest expansion within the food category further solidifies Popeye as one of the most sought-after pop culture properties.

The spinach-loving sailorman and his friends will feature on packaging for four Popeye Signature Hot Sauces: Popeye’s ‘Strong to the Finish Hot Sauce’ (Jalapeño Spinach), Eugene the Jeep’s ‘Jeep! Jeep! Magic Hot Sauce’ (Pineapple Habanero), Wimpy’s ‘I’ll Gladly Pay You Tuesday for Some Burger Sauce Today’ (Sweet & Smokey Sriracha) and Bluto’s ‘You Can’t Handle My Hot Sauce, Runt!’ (Reaper, Scorpion & Ghost Peppers).

Additionally, the Jade City food line includes Popeye Signature Coffee, which will be available in three unique blends: Olive Oyl’s ‘I’m Too Kind-Hearted Blend’ (a Clean & Fruity Light Roast), Bluto’s ‘No Good Sailor Blend’ (a Bombastic & Balanced Medium Roast) and Popeye’s ‘Blow Me Down Blend!’ (a Courageously Strong Dark Roast).

“The Jade City team knows good food and they really connect with the Popeye brand,” says King Features Vice President, North America Licensing, Jarred Goro. “Their focus on delivering top-quality products that taste good paired with their creative approach to the development process — from ingredient selection to packaging — makes them the perfect partner to release this unique line of hot sauce flavours and signature coffee blends. We are thrilled to kick off the launch and can’t wait to see how fans respond.”

“Popeye has always been a love of mine from the early Fleischer cartoons to more recent IDW comics,” says Jade City founder Cliff Wiener. “It’s really fun to dig in and create foods inspired by the characters we know and love.”

The signature coffee blends and hot sauces are available in the US at the new online store, www.food.popeye.com, starting from November 16. Following the initial launch, Jade City Foods is set to introduce three hot cocoa blends – ‘Sea-Salty Sailor Salted Caramel,’ ‘Goo-Goo Gooey Chocolate’ and ‘“Oh, Dear!” Peppermint’ – along with a limited-edition ghost pepper hot sauce, ‘Bruiser Boys Club’ (Ghost Pepper Blueberry Hot Sauce), on Black Friday.