A wide range of licensed apparel, giftware and homewares based on the world of Dog Man is available now from pop culture retailer Forbidden Planet across the UK – and the company tell downthetubes it’s proven a major success.
The partnership bringing Dav Pilkey’s characters to life in many ways was brokered by The Joester Loria Group, exclusive global licensing agent for Dog Man and Cat Kid Comic Club, on behalf of Writers House and creator Dav Pilkey.
Launched in the wake of Dog Man: The Movie, (and FP’s also very popular Wallace & Gromit collectables line, launched in January) the line is described as Forbidden Planet’s most exciting product launch ever, and features multiple t-shirts, and accessories – including beanies, scarves, enamel pins and keychains, badges, mugs coasters, tote bags, ceramic hanging ornaments, sticker sheets, postcards, posters and cushions.
“What an honour to welcome Dav Pilkey’s smash-hit Dog Man universe to Forbidden Planet,” says Anthony Garnon, FP’s Head of Pop Culture. “Forbidden Planet is the home of global pop culture and the perfect fit for the world’s number one selling graphic novel series – we’re absolutely delighted to be offering merchandise that you just can’t get anywhere else.”
“We are delighted to bring these two brands together,” says Jackie DeMaio, Senior Licensing Director, The Joester Loria Group. “The partnership of Forbidden Planet and Dog Man comes together in such a fun and stylish collection that is sure to excite Dog Man fans.
With his trademark humour and heart, Number One bestselling author and award-winning illustrator Dav Pilkey has made reading fun for kids with the Dog Man graphic novel series, which was launched by Scholastic in August 2016, has sold more than 60 million copies in print and been translated into 47 languages. The latest title in the series, Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder (Affiliate Link), published in March 2024, was the Number One bestselling book overall (children’s and adult books combined) in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Number One bestselling children’s book in the UK.
Pilkey’s Cat Kid Comic Club series, a spin-off of Dog Man, launched in 2020 to critical acclaim and topped bestseller lists worldwide.
When Dav Pilkey was in second grade, he was diagnosed with dyslexia and what is now widely known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Because of his learning and behavioural issues in school, he was often sent out in the hallway. It was in his elementary school hallway where he created comic books about superheroes that eventually became Captain Underpants and Dog Man.
Launched nearly 30 years ago, Pilkey’s pioneering Captain Underpants series has helped to create the illustrated children’s chapter book category. The series has more than 90 million copies in print, translations in 38 languages, released as a feature film by DreamWorks Animation, as well as an original series on Netflix. Pilkey’s Cat Kid Comic Club series, a spin-off of Dog Man which launched in December 2020, is also a Number One worldwide bestseller, with more than 12 million copies in print and translations in 26 languages to date. Dav has created over 70 books for children and was awarded a Caldecott Honour for his picture book, The Paperboy.
• Read Tim Robins review of Dog Man: The Movie
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Animation, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Licensing, Magazines, Other Worlds, US Comics
Leave a Reply