Surge Licensing is helping bring fan-favorite Webtoon comics to new places.
Webtoon is known in the comic industry as a platform artists use to independently publish their work. In addition to the self-published webcomics, it has a full collection of Webtoon Originals. While many Originals got their start being artist-published, they are now licensed by Webtoon itself, receiving an editor, marketing support, and more.
Surge Licensing, in partnership with Genuine Entertainment, is the exclusive licensing agent for Webtoon Entertainment. It’s been hard at work bringing new opportunities to the digital comics it represents, with partnerships featuring products across numerous categories.
New partners include Bioworld as the master apparel partner, Walter Foster as Webtoon’s official “How to Draw” partner, and FiGPiN planning for a series of collectibles across its enamel pin formats as well as the new Cyber Cel collectible card program. Webtoon’s e-commerce partner, Event Merchandising, will also be helping the service build out a full online web store.
Popular Webtoon intellectual properties (IP) will be the initial focus for the new merchandising plans, all of them having seen plans for expansion to formats outside of Webtoon, including Lore Olympus, with an animated series from Wattpad Webtoon Studios and The Jim Henson Company; UnOrdinary, with graphic novels from HarperCollins coming this November; True Beauty, in production as an animated feature and continuing graphic novels from UnScrolled; and Tower of God, with season 2 of its Crunchyroll anime on the way.
Additional Webtoon Originals expected to be featured in the new licensing partnerships include Cursed Princess Club, Hooky, Boyfriends, Morgana & Oz, and more. Webtoon series have already seen success with streaming platforms such as Netflix and Crunchyroll, and the company continues to seek new opportunities for the comics it hosts.
