The best-selling video game Cuphead will be immortalized in a new fashion collection from Zara, the Inditex Group’s popular apparel retailer.
The collection is being brought out through a deal between King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst and home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters. The deal is brokered by its local licensing agent in Spain, Caravanserai.
“Cuphead continues to resonate with dedicated fans around the world and inspire pop-culture collaborations across all categories,” said Carla Silva, VP/GM, global head of licensing, King Features. “Working with ZARA is a true reflection of Cuphead’s popularity, and we are thrilled to partner with such a prominent brand to bring fresh and exciting fashion styles to fans worldwide.”
The eight-time platinum selling game is produced by Studio MDHR, a Canadian independent video game company founded by brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer.
Working remotely with a team across North America, Studio MDHR launched Cuphead on Xbox One and PC to commercial and critical acclaim.
Cuphead centers on plucky brothers Cuphead and Mugman in their quest to pay back their debt to the Devil. Across the strange world of the Inkwell Isles, players battle massive, screen-filling bosses, acquire new weapons and discover hidden secrets in single-player or local co-op.
The game is loved as much for its style as for its game play. Inspired by a mixture of classic run-and-gun action video games and cartoons of the 1930s, Cuphead’s visuals and audio are painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era: traditional hand-drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds and backed up by original jazz recordings.
“Padma and Caravanserai are excited to partner with Cuphead in securing this great collection in a top retailer like ZARA,” said a representative of Padma Textiles. “Padma is already working to develop a second collection as we expect this first one to be a success.”
The apparel deal is just one aspect of Cuphead’s growing success in the licensing space. The game is continuing to level up around the world with new publishing programs in development for art books and graphic novels.
Dark Horse and Norma Editorial are expanding the existing lineup of Cuphead books based on the original video game with “The Art of Cuphead” art book launching in Spain. The book will also hit shelves globally in markets across Europe and Asia such as France, Italy, Japan and more.
Additionally, Cuphead graphic novels will launch in Spain, France, Italy, Israel, Japan and additional markets across Europe and Asia.
The game was also recently transformed into an animated series on Netflix. The first episodes of The Cuphead Show!, which debuted on Feb. 18, made the Top 10 Kids list in 90+ countries. Due to its successful premiere, The Cuphead Show! is returning with a fresh set of episodes dropping this summer on Aug. 19.