Genius Brands Signs National Retail Deal With Hot Topic for the Stan Lee Brand

A new line of apparel will hit Hot Topic’s online shelves this Christmas season, and more collectibles and products are on deck for the new year.

GNUS announced its first direct-to-retail program with specialty retailer, Hot Topic, to create a line of apparel for the Stan Lee brand as part of this year’s Stan Lee Centennial celebration campaign.

LA-based Genius Brands International is planning a wide consumer products program around the Stan Lee Universe that will kick off with a direct-to-retail range of print-on-demand apparel from Hot Topic next month to coincide with the late comic book creator’s 100th birthday.

It  owns and manages the global rights to the legendary Stan Lee’s name, physical likeness, voice, signature, and IP, called Stan Lee Universe, which includes the Stan Lee Celebrity brand, as well as new content to be created from Stan Lee’s portfolio of approximately 150 unmined ideas and character creations in his post-Marvel career, along with consumer products programs to be developed for these new projects.

The company is committed to building out the Stan Lee Universe brand, which includes the iconic creator’s likeness and a collection of his unexplored IPs and ideas. In March, Genius signed a 20-year deal allowing Marvel Studios and Disney to use Lee’s name and likeness in future films and shows. This partnership also gives Disney the rights to create and sell new lines of Stan Lee merchandise in its theme parks.

Genius Brands’ Chief Brand Officer Kerry Phelan stated: “We are launching the Stan Lee Centennial campaign to carry on his legacy for his millions of fans worldwide. We take our role of managing the Stan Lee brand very seriously and are being extremely selective with our partners, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring Hot Topic on board to drive this first direct-to-retail program for the brand.”

“Stan Lee is a legend and one of the most prolific creators of a generation,” said Ed Labay, EVP Merchandise & Marketing, Hot Topic Inc. “We are excited to partner with Genius Brands to celebrate Stan’s life and his invaluable cultural contribution through the creation of a direct-to-retail program that features high-quality merchandise for fans to enjoy.”

Beyond Lee’s likeness, Genius also manages the global rights to nearly 150 unmined characters and ideas he created after he left Marvel in the ’70s.