In a slightly ironic pairing of brand names, LA’s Rebel Girls has named King Features Syndicate as its first global agent. The New York-based distributor will manage all of the girl-empowerment brand’s promotions, partnerships and licensing opportunities.
This deal builds on the steady franchise-building momentum for the Rebel Girls publishing brand, which encompasses upwards of 20 stand-alone books and several boxed-set collections telling the real-life stories of 2,000-plus historic women. They’ve collectively sold more than eight million copies, and podcast series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls has racked up close to 20 million downloads.
In 2022, the company set up a content partnership with Nike EMEA during the EUFA European Women’s Championship in July to develop 25 original digital stories based on female soccer athletes, along with a limited-edition book called Rebel Girls: Game-Changing Footballers, 12 Thrilling Stories of Female Athletes. On the consumer products front, the Rebel Girls program features licensees including Jay Franco for housewares, Mad Engine for female apparel, and Build-a-Bear for plush.
Carla Silva, VP and global head of licensing at King Features, says her company’s core focus for the Rebel Girls brand is to expand its reach into new territories through content partnerships and merchandising opportunities. The distributor specializes in developing global licensing programs for brands including game-first IP Cuphead (Studio MDHR), Popeye the Sailor Man and Dennis the Menace.
“We want to continue building an omni-channel universe for girls everywhere, and secure new partnerships that identify with the optimistic and energetic message [of Rebel Girls],” Silva tells Kidscreen.