Popeye’s 90th Anniversary: King Features unveils score of new partnerships

Ahead of the 90th anniversary celebration of its animated sailor character “Popeye”, King Features has unveiled a score of new associations.

Here’s where you can spot the spinach-loving sailor:

• T-shirts and sweaters in Canada from Vision/Eleven Apparel
• Apparel, accessories and novelties from American Features Corporation in Japan
• Adult and children’s apparel from Saborn and Manifatture in Benelux and Italy
• T-shirts, hoodies and pajamas from Oaktarget Garments in the UK and Ireland
• Performance swimwear and accessories from Taymory across multiple territories
• Adult tees from Chocoolate in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada and the UK

Besides, additional new product lines are on the cards in 2018 and 2019, which include a footwear collaboration with Sperry, a limited-edition figurine from Mezco Toys, hand-painted figurines and additional gift items from Arguydal in France; adult costumes from Rubie’s in the British Isles and slippers and sandals featuring Popeye and Olive Oyl from PT Siantar Madju in Indonesia.

“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,” said Carla Silva, vice president and general manager, global head, licensing for King Features.

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 US later this year.

Popeye the Sailor Man captured the hearts of millions of fans around the globe. Popeye is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar. The character first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip, Thimble Theatre, on January 17, 1929.