Popeye Sails into 90th Anniversary

King Features has unveiled a score of new partnerships ahead of the 90th anniversary celebration of its animated property “Popeye.”

Fans of the spinach-loving sailor can look foward to t-shirts and sweaters in Canada from Vision/Eleven Apparel; apparel, accessories and novelties from American Features Co. in Japan; adult and children’s apparel from Saborn and Manifatture in Benelux and Italy, respectively; t-shirts, hoodies and pajamas  from Oaktarget Garments in the U.K. and Ireland; performance swimwear and accessories from Taymory across multiple territories; and adult tees from Chocoolate in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada and the U.K.

Additional new product lines coming down the road in 2018 and 2019 include a footwear collaboration with Sperry, launching in spring 2019; toys from partners like Funko, available now in U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and New Zealand; a limited edition figurine from Mezco Toys, available worldwide at the end of the year; magazine promotions for Olive Oyl and Brutus with Magazine House Co.. in Japan; hand-painted figurines and additional gift items from Arguydal in France; adult costumes from Rubie’s in the British Isles and Ireland; apparel and novelties from Trektor in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; and slippers and sandals featuring Popeye and Olive Oyl from PT Siantar Madju in Indonesia.

King Features is also focused on maintaining Popeye’s popularity within the streetwear world through new collaborations with H3 and apparel from A Bathing Ape, which will launch in the U.S. later this year.

“Over the last two years, we have worked to extend Popeye’s reach to new and younger demographics while enhancing engagement amongst our existing fans. As we head into his anniversary year we are continuing towards this goal with a strong focus on growing Popeye’s social platforms, creating new content for his anniversary and fostering creative collaborations with high-end partners across the globe,” says Carla Silva, vice president and general manager, global head, licensing for King Features. “Now, 2019 is primed to be Popeye’s biggest year ever with dozens of partners on board to help celebrate the pop-culture icon with exciting product lines, events, and content.”