Reemsborko signs on as EMEA agent for Gloomy Bear, All Purpose Bunny and Mimi & Neko

Reemsborko, the licensing agency specialising in animé and animé-adjacent properties, comics, films, TV and tattoo art, has teamed with Octas to bring Mori Chack’s Gloomy Bear and other IPs to EMEA.

Created by Japanese illustrator Mori Chack in 2000, the cute-yet-edgy, cuddly-but-violent Gloomy Bear took hold when counter-culture enthusiasts embraced him as the perfect antithesis to the typically cute but harmless kawaii characters loved by the mainstream.

Now, fueled by 30 short humorous animé episodes that will stream everywhere, Gloomy Bear is being licensed around the globe, with Funko, Bioworld, Isaac Morris, ID Supply, GE Animation and Fossil already on board as partners.

A long-form Gloomy Bear anime series is also planned, which will stream globally.

Other Mori Chack properties that will be represented by Reemsborko across EMEA include All Purpose Bunny – a genetically modified test-lab rabbit with strange properties and unnaturally long ears, who finally retaliated against humans for years of abuse. All Purpose Bunny and Gloomy Bear often team up to attack humans and get their revenge.

Also included in the Mori Chack portfolio are Mimi and Neko, a friendly duo of a cat and a bunny with cute bum cheeks as their charm point. Their origin story begins with Mimi and Neko as regular pets who aspired to become human. Suddenly, a magic star came along and granted their wish – but the wish was only 50 per cent effective. Mimi & Neko now have hands and feet, and distinctly cute behinds.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko commented: “Reemsborko continues to sign the most interesting IP out there. Octas are masters in securing very cool properties that will delight anime fans everywhere. There are some great partners on board already and if this looks right for you, please email max@reemsborko.com.”

Vince Shortino of Octas commented: “Octas brings Japanese artists and their IP to the world. We are delighted to have Reemsborko as the agent for all our cherished properties and look forward to the hustle they will bring.”

Octas was established in 2018 by Shortino, the founder of Crunchyroll Japan. With a mission to connect Japanese creators and their IP directly to fans around the world, Octas provides artists with collaboration opportunities, marketing support, brand management and business development.

 

 

 

Reemsborko signs artist Matt Bailey

Artist Matt Bailey has signed with Reemsborko exclusively for all territories and categories.

Bailey is an internationally renowned artist with a serious fanbase and social media following, whose work is always in demand on people’s bodies as both apparel and tattoos. He has worked with Mighty Jaxx on a collectable toy and also with the hip-hop artists Run The Jewels, designing a label for one of their beers.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko commented: “Reemsborko constantly seeks the most interesting IP out there and I first heard about Matt when he was suggested for a screen print license for one of our anime properties. Unfortunately, the licensor felt it was a little too out-there for the brand. His style and content is often not for the faint-hearted and much of it is frankly NSFW but that still leaves a lot of really commercial imagery that are proven best-sellers and which is already in demand from the retailers that have seen it.

“Funnily enough, in a presentation to a licensee last week, merely the mention of his name was sufficient for them to exclaim, ‘Oh, I love Matt Bailey – if we sign this, please can he also tattoo me?’”

“As my artwork has grown over the last few years, demand for my merchandise has overwhelmed my ability to keep up with it,” says Matt Bailey. “The idea of licensees putting this into retail is very appealing. The fans won’t have to wait for items as they will be able to buy it locally and I won’t have the hassle of shipping and the stress of returns.”

For licensing and merchandise enquiries, email max@reemsborko.com

Crunchyroll appoints Reemsborko as UK and Eire licensing agent for anime properties

Crunchyroll, which connects anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories through the content they love, has appointed Reemsborko Ltd as the UK and Eire licensing agent for One Punch Man, JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure, God of High School, Tower of God and Bananya.

“Crunchyroll are a great partner and I’m very pleased to be able to expand the Reemsborko roster,” says Max Arguile of Reemsborko. “Animé is a still growing genre, especially in the UK.”

Waell Oueslati of Crunchyroll adds: “Reemsborko have done strong work so far for Crunchyroll with Junji Itô Collection. It makes sense to expand this with these properties.”

For licensing opportunities, contact max@reemsborko.com

Reemsborko details flurry of global partners for graphic novel IP Trese

Reemsborko, the UK agency specialising in cult and pop culture licensing from across the world, has secured a flurry of new partnerships for the best-selling graphic novel series, Trese.

In a run of new deals for the series publisher, Ablaze Publishing, the graphic novel IP now finds itself expanding its consumer products presence across categories including apparel and accessories, drinkware, wall decor, statues, and more.

Joining the licensing portfolio is the likes of Bioworld who has signed on for apparel and accessories for global distribution, Goodie Two Sleeves who will be delivering apparel and accessories to the North American market, Pyramid America who will delight North American audiences with its wall decor and drinkware, and Great Eastern Entertainment, signed on for multiple categories across North America.

They are joined by IndieGo Distribution who will deliver apparel to the European market, and Bedrock Collectables whose polyresin statues will be distributed worldwide.

Trese is set in a Manila where the mythical creatures of Filipino folklore live in hiding among humans. It follows the story of the hero Alexandra Trese as she battles with a criminal underworld run by malevolent supernatural beings. Seven volumes of the comic have so far been released in the Philippines and are now being steadily republished worldwide by ABLAZE. 

Reemsborko is the agent for all categories and territories. The property has become even more popular this year since the Season One Anime series started streaming on Netflix in July.

Comic book series Trese enters licensing arena with Reemsborko as Netflix series readies to land

Ablaze Publishing’s award-winning comic, Trese, is making its leap into the licensing arena, having appointed the pop culture licensing entity, Reemsborko as its global representative across all categories for merchandising.

The deal marks the latest addition to the portfolio for Reemsborko, founded by Max Arguile, who earlier this week welcomed the webcomic and clothing brand Zombie Makeout Club to its library of pop culture and fan-focused brands.

Created by writer Budjette Tan and the artist Kajo Baldisimo, Trese is set in Manila where the mythical creatures of Filipino folklore live in hiding among humans. The story follows the heroine Alexandra Trese as she battles with a criminal underworld run by malevolent supernatural beings.

The comic has seen seven volumes released within the Philippines to date, and are now being steadily republished worldwide by Ablaze.

Clothing is about to appear in the US courtesy of two apparel licensees and apparel is in discussion already in Europe. Reemsborko’s Max Arguile believes that the property is due to become ‘even more popular this year when the animated version starts on Netflix.’

He said: “Trese is phenomenal storytelling. Budjette and Kajo first learned of these mythical beasts as kids via bed-time stories from their parents. Once the Netflix series hits, we should already have product in the market for the fans.”

Rich Young, co-founder of Ablaze, said: “We are delighted to have Reemsborko on-board helping create a must-have range of merchandising for Trese. This is going to be great.”

Clothing brand and webcomic Zombie Makeout Club taps Reemsborko for global licensing expansion

The clothing brand and webcomic series, Zombie Makeout Club has tapped Max Arguile and Reemsborko to represent the brand globally across all product categories for merchandising.

The move has been made as Zombie Makeout Club looks to strengthen its licensing presence and build on the success of a portfolio of products that have already been selling well for the company via its online website over the past three years. The appointment of Reemsborko will see the brand cross-over into the bricks and mortar retail space.

In the US, Goodie Two Sleeves is already enjoying strong sales having recently launched at Hot Topic.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko, said: “I am very pleased to secure the rights to Zombie Makeout Club. Horror and animé are experiencing big surges in popularity right now. This style is bang on-trend, as we have seen with licenses like Junji Itô, (the apparel for which is currently on fire in the both the US and Australia and is now coming soon to Europe) so there is definitely scope for ZMC in the market.

“Peter Richardson is an amazing artist with an eye for edgy but commercial designs. This is going to be great.”

Peter Richardson, owner of Zombie Makeout Club, added: “Reemsborko has great in-roads into retail in all territories and solid relationships with key licensees that can deliver. We look forward to the growth and expansion of our brand and are particularly keen for this to be republished as a manga.”

The art of Hatsune Miku | The virtual pop sensation that’s selling out concerts, inspiring art projects, and growing a global licensing programme

Even by the standards of a generation that grew up on the animated band, Gorillaz or witnessed the explosion of the BT21 brand (a lifestyle brand comprising characters devised by members of the K-Pop brand BTS), Hatsune Miku presents an interesting concept.

Officially, Hatsune Miku is a Vocaloid software voicebank that has been developed by Crypton Future Media that takes on the appearance of a 16 year old singer designed in the style of the Japanese anime art form. To the legions of fans of Hatsune Miku across Japan and increasingly, the Western World, she is a virtual pop sensation.

Utilising Yamaha Corporation’s Vocaloid 2, Vocaloid 3, and Vocaloid 4 singing synthesizing technologies, Hatsune Miku has performed at sell-out concerts onstage as an animated projection with a definitive look that has led to a large scale licensing operation across Japan. And the appeal is spreading.

Most recently, this virtual pop-star was announced the first licensed partner for the Japanese restaurant Shoryu Ramen and its range of DIY Ramen Kits. The partnership marked the latest development for the brand’s move in on the UK market,and, while there is still some distance to go before its popularity hits the same notes as its Japanese reverence, the European licensing agency, Reemsborko is excited by the potential.

Here, Licensing.biz catches up with Max Arguile, director of Reemsborko to learn more about Hatsune Miku’s global licensing plans and understand the deep passion that the virtual pop star’s audience has for the brand.

Hello Max, thanks for chatting. So, Hatsune Miku is an interesting concept. A vocal software package that takes on the shape of an anime 16 year old pop star. It sounds like a hard sell, but we’ve seen the extensive list of licensing partners signed to the brand already. It’s clear this brand works. But what drives it? What is it about Hatsune Miku that caught the audience attention?

It is interesting, and with Hatsune Miku, the fans are involved from the very beginning via the creative aspect of the property. Hatsune Miku and five other characters originate from a voice software package that allows you to generate a song from scratch. Using that software, fans have created music and video contents featuring the characters, and published them on the internet for other fans to enjoy. There are more than half a million of these fan-created videos that can be viewed online.

The fans also make a lot of artwork of Miku and friends, which is also uploaded. The whole thing adds up to a vibrant online community of Miku fans that sometimes don’t even have the chance to meet up in real life, like when the Miku Expos happen.

And what are these Miku Expos, because they sound fun?

Miku Expos are live tours, the last of which was in early 2020 – five dates starting with Brixton Academy in London, then France, Germany, Holland, and Spain. I went to the London date and was blown away by the ardour of the fans, many of whom (men and women) were in cosplay, dressed as Miku or one of the other characters.

The next day, keen for a chance to congregate once more, hundreds of them came to an in-store event at Westfield Shepherds Bush in order to meet up and contribute to a collaborative art project.

OK, let’s explore that a bit more… what do these collaborative art projects look like?

Alongside every Miku Expo, wherever possible, Crypton will organise a meet-up in the same town as the concert. This is advertised in advance and they will have the tour merchandise and other Miku merchandise on sale at the venue for perhaps two weeks in advance of the concert, culminating in a collaborative art project.

The venues can be a local comic shop, but in our case it was a Japanese restaurant/supermarket. The venue gets increased traffic in the lead up to the gig (the merch often sells out and needs to be replenished by the day of the concert) and on the activity day there can be 100 to 200 people that arrive and take part in the project.

It used to be old school felt tip pens and paper but in this case it was mostly digital. On arriving at the front of the queue, the fans were invited to download an app to their phone or tablet – this revealed black and white artwork. The first 50 people got an exclusive Miku stylus to use when doing the colouring. Once they had finished, they uploaded the artwork to a site to be shared with other fans. The venue had a hugely increased footfall on Sunday morning in January and they sold a lot of product in general, the fans loved being able to make Miku artwork together and just hang out.

So, art projects and cosplay events to one side, for the moment, what do you think Hatsune Miku is bringing to the licensing space? Why does it translate well for European audiences, and how does the licensing approach differ between the Japanese and the European markets?

Hatsune Miku is essentially, a fun property based around creativity. It has the loo and feel of anime, which is one of the biggest trends in licensing right now. Miku’s appeal is international, so is perfect for licensees with that distribution but for me it means I can also now talk to licensees in other territories that may only need to service their local market.

In Japan, this is a brand that is licensed on a very large scale, but internationally it still has some distance to go before reaching the same level. Although buyers can still be resistant to change and wary of something unfamiliar, once in-store, it always works. The reactions we’ve had from licensees once their product goes into retail just exceeds all expectations. Trademark has told that the brand has become one of the top selling properties in HMV, and it has sustained that popularity.

Given the brand’s roots and creation, is Hatsune Miku a good representation of the surge in popularity of anime and manga across the European markets?

Yes and no. Unlike most animé, there is no narrative content behind the brand – in that sense it is closer to Hello Kitty than traditional animé, but there is no committee that meets once a week and might get to review your submissions (but might not) so the approval process on Miku is much slicker.

The team at Crypton are not just the best for approvals in animé, they are one of the best I have ever worked with in 25 years of licensing. In terms of markets, Ben Woodman from GB eye put it very well when he told me that “Miku is a key animé property, her popularity has grown across Europe in the last 12 months and despite the pandemic, we’ve seen our Miku sales increase year on year.”

With various streaming platform really ramping up their anime content over the past 12 months, it seems like the pandemic could have presented a real opportunity to tap directly into emerging audiences. What lasting effect do you think the past year will have in the popularity of manga/anime IP?

Licensing around tent-pole theatrical releases will come back, eventually,  but right now, while cinemas are closed, licensees could be forgiven for avoiding film licenses. Everyone stayed home in 2020 and 2021 will unfortunately see much of the same. People have been used to getting entertained at home and the big winners, I have been told umpteen times by licensees, are gaming and animé brands.

Investment in the production of original animé by Netflix is expanding, Amazon and HBO are continuing to secure classic animé properties, and Crunchyroll has just hit 4 million paid subscribers (their fastest growth to date because they only reached 3 million last year).

Beyond that, the purchase of Crunchyroll by Funimation will soon yield an animé powerhouse in the West. So yes, there is a lot of activity in the industry which will ensure not only that classic properties are more available but that new content continues to be created. It is a great time to be an animé fan.

You’ve shown us a list of the licensing partners that Hatsune Miku is already signed up. There are 18 of them, signed in just the past year, including AR badges and pop-up restaurants. It was only a year ago that you had just two deals. That’s some impressive licensing there, Max. How will you continue to innovate and push the envelope in the licensing of the brand?

I have lots of plans in place to keep the Hatsune Miku brand innovative in the licensing space. The adult colouring book from Anthem fits very nicely from a creative perspective, and the WristWorld mobile game (a company run by teenagers in Oklahoma) is also notable. I also love the limited edition screen-prints from Under The Floorboards and the Rubber Road range – the Christmas decoration is sold out and the rubber duck is in progress. If we can do that and it be commercial, then surely the sky is the limit?

What are your expectations for the brand this year and beyond? Will anime/manga continue to grow in popularity across Europe, and what does the future hold for Hatsune Miku?

The expectations are that yes, anime/manga will continue to grow across Europe. For Miku, there should be return to live touring next year but since performing in front of fans is not possible right now (not even for virtual pop stars), Crypton is putting on a free online gig this summer.

Launched on Kickstarter, the target of $240K was reached in 24 hours – the fans sure love Miku. Check out the Kickstarter campaign here.

Hit action anime series Baki taps Reemsborko for Europe and Australasia licensing

The popular action anime, Baki is on the path to grow its licensing activity across Europa and Australasia, having appointed the pop culture licensing specialist, Reemsborko to represent the property across all categories.

Baki has been the subject of multiple manga, anime, and video games over the last 30 years and the show is currently confirmed as a top ten Netflix show across 50 countries. The series currently consists of 39 episodes across two seasons, with a third season scheduled to land this year.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko, said: “In the absence of theatrical releases, everyone now gets their entertainment at home, and the only genres showing real growth for merchandise are gaming and animé. Baki has both heritage and current popularity and is on a great platform with more content on the way.

“It has just started venturing into merchandising outside Japan so this is a great opportunity for licensees.”

Cinzia Mariani, Vice President at TMS Paris, added: “Baki brings you all the sweat, tears and blood you could hope for. We’re very excited to team up with Reemsborko to expand in the field of merchandising both in Europe and down under.”

Image: ©Keisuke Itagaki(AKITASHOTEN)/Baki II Film Partners All Rights Reserved.

Reemsborko partners with TMS Entertainment to bring anime’s Lupin the Third to licensing

Reemsborko, the pop culture and anime licensing specialist has partnered with TMS Entertainment to represent the classic anime property, Lupin the Third in the consumer products space. Under the deal, Reemsborko will embark on a licensing programme for the European market.

A classic in the anime market, Lupin the Third was created in 1967 by the manga artist Kazuhiko Kato (under the pen name Monkey Punch) and has spawned a multi-media franchise encompassing six animated TV series, seven full length animated films, two live action films, multiple music albums and soundtracks, stage musicals, and video games.

Lupin the Third follows the story of the grandson of the fictional Arsène Lupin, the original gentleman thief, and one of the most famous and wanted crooks in the world. A ruthless criminal with a sense of humour, Lupin is constantly pursued by Interpol’s Zenigata and often accompanied by a group of not-so-faithful accomplices as he attempts some of the most outrageous thefts of all time, or deals with the many, many people holding a grudge against him.

The animé series have been heavily rotated on Funimation and Cartoon Network while new content is still being produced. The first CGI feature film is due to be in cinemas worldwide later this year.

Max Arguile of Reemsborko, said: “It’s really great to be working with TMS, representing the best of Lupin the Third. This classic animé property is still delivering new content that will drive consumer products to the fans.”

Cinzia Mariani, Vice President at TMS Paris, added: “We are very excited at TMS to team up with Reemsborko to bring all the swagger and allure of the Lupin family to European fans old and new. Do keep an eye out for our gentleman thief.”

 

Vault Comics taps Reemsborko as global agent for graphic-novel series Heathen

The US comic book publisher, Vault Comics, has named Reemsborko as its global agent for the company’s critically acclaimed and best-selling graphic novel series, Heathen.

Heathen tells the story of Aydis, a Viking warrior, outcast, and a self-proclaimed heathen, and her companion, the talking horse Saga, rescuer of the immortal Valkyrie Brynhild, and a battler of gods and fantastic monsters.

Born into a time of warfare, suffering, and subjugation of women, she is on a mission to end the oppressive reign of the god-king Odin.

Heathen is currently in pre-production as a major film release from Constantin and director Catherine Hardwicke (of Twilight fame).

Max Arguile, founder of Reemsborko, said: “I have read comics all my life and am a bit fussy about what to follow, but I love Heathen – this is a great narrative with interesting characters, plenty of action and of course, gorgeous artwork.

“Viking mythology is still popular for a reason – like all great stories, they change and are retold for every generation and in Aydis, Natasha Alterici has created an inspirational warrior for our times, the kind of character that has been all too rare in popular culture.

“Don’t let the politicians and pundits make you think that feminism is a dirty word, because it isn’t. We need Aydis in our lives.”

Adrian Wassel of Vault, added: “Natasha Alterici has done the (all but) impossible: she’s created a hero who brings different audiences together. Aydis never gives up. She fights for everyone. It’s her secret weapon—a simple one, but so effectively told, weaving grand myths with fragile emotions.

“Aydis battles the gods themselves to protect love, and when she dons her antlered helmet, you feel her triumph and bravery. No matter where Heathen ventures, the page, the screen, Aydis finds new fans. We’re thrilled to have Reemsborko carry Heathen to new heights.”