She doesn’t look a day over 30, but the comic character Red Sonja is celebrating 50 years of sword-swinging action this year.
To celebrate the big anniversary, Red Sonja, LLC has signed a new collection of merchandise licensing partners.
The company says Red Sonja’s partners plan to surprise fans with innovative products “that capture the spirit, adventure and imagination of this longstanding comic series. From new premium novels to red-hot sauce, design challenges and unique collectibles, these new licensees aim to delight loyal Red Sonja fans throughout the world.”
The new partners are joining the franchise’s anchor partner Dynamite Comics with a series of products and publishing launching throughout Q3 and Q4 of 2023, and into 2024.
“Red Sonja’s dedicated fans deserve all of the very best we can give them,” says Red Sonja LLC president Luke Liberman. “We look forward to working with these new first-rate partners to create new stories and products. Sonja is timeless, but her time is now.”
The anniversary celebration kicked-off on Free Comic Book Day on May 3 with over 95,000 copies of the new release Red Sonja #0 from Dynamite Comics.
Dynamite will debut a new comic series on July 19th, written by the celebrated comics writer Torunn Grønbekk with art from Walter Geovani. The new series is timed to coincide with San Diego Comic-Con, where several fan activities will be held, including an all-star Red Sonja panel on Friday, July 21 from 11:30am – 12:30pm in hall 5AB.
The character Red Sonja, also known as the “She-Devil with a Sword,” first graced the pages of Marvel Comics in 1973.
The fictional sword and sorcery comic book heroine caught fire in the 1970’s and was etched into the pop culture zeitgeist by legendary artists. Five decades and hundreds of comics later, Sonja remains a singularly popular icon of the comic book fantasy genre. That popularity is now being expanded by the release of a new Red Sonja movie, directed by M.J. Bassett and staring Matilda Lutz in the title role, along with Robert Sheehan, that is currently in post-production.
New partnerships include:
Boss Fight Studio, LLC for articulated action figures in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and Europe, and for global online sales.
Jade City Foods, LLC for foods and beverages, including hot sauce, coffee, matcha, soda, ice cream and salsa.
Orbit Books, a division of Hachette, for full length prose novels; written by Gail Simmone.
Sideshow Collectibles for high-end resin statues, with a worldwide license.
Threadless for apparel and accessories, and a Design Challenge contest.
X-Plus Co., Ltd. for plastic model kits.
Ongoing Red Sonja news about upcoming events and releases can be found on Instagram @redsonjaofficial and Facebook @Red Sonja. For additional licensing information and inquiries, the company says you can contact Alison Wallace at adubconsult@gmail.com
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