Skybound Entertainment’s Garima Sharma on the rise and rise of Invincible

Garima, it’s great to catch up. To kick us off, how did you find your way into licensing?
It’s like Platform 9 ¾ isn’t it? You just kind of magically find your way in!

Ha! It’s a good analogy!
I got my start at Studio 71. If I was to oversimplify it, I’d call it an influencer management company. The company represented about 1,300 content creators and digital first and digital native brands. They were doing 10 billion views a month about six years ago, which was a massive number. My role specifically was to help build direct to consumer businesses for our IPs and our celebrities. That was my first taste of how to build something tangible for fandoms and that’s what got me into licensing.

Then I came to Skybound and this world opened up to me. And it’s been perfect because if you talk to my friends or peers, they’ll tell you my nickname is the human popcorn machine.

“We know that our ‘show fans’ are different from our ‘comic book fans’.”

Ha!
If there’s a problem or an opportunity, I’ll think on it and pop up with lots of ideas. I love connecting the dots. For example, we have Invincible – it’s a big part of Skybound. I thought ‘We need a hot sauce!’ It’s a big category and we’ll have a Bloody Invincible Hot Sauce. Then there’s band-aids… Imagine a band-aid that says: ‘I’m Invincible!’ I love connecting the dots and coming up with creative brand experiences. Yes, we can do the standard licensing things – and fans love products like our Invincible Funko Pops – but we know there are so many doors we can open for our fans.

What brands take up most of your attention at Skybound?
Invincible is top of mind. The Walking Dead is always there, of course, but right now, there’s a big focus on Invincible. We also have an IP called Impact Winter – it’s an Audible Original that we’ve developed. It’s written and created by Travis Beacham, who created Carnival Row and wrote Pacific Rim. We’ve done a prequel comic for Impact Winter and that’s also going to be a big one for us. And then there’s Stillwater – we all love Stillwater, so that’s something I want to get licensing going for.

I’m a big fan of Stillwater too. Terrific comic. Now, the most recent season of Invincible has just landed. Why has this show resonated so much with fans?
Invincible is a unique kind of adult animation; it’s brought something different to the table. And it’s a very different superhero story. Omni-Man is a good superhero, but also a very bad superhero, right? There’s nuance to the story – it’s not just black or white. And we’re now seeing fans of the show discover the comics and it blows their minds!

And we don’t do a ‘one size fits all’ licensing program. We know that our ‘show fans’ are different from our ‘comic book fans’. Somebody who’s been on the journey with Invincible for the past 20 years might not want the same kind of product that a newer fan of the TV show might want… We’ve been very particular about our licensees.

Was licensing happening for the comic on its own before the show? Or did the show kickstart that activity?
It came about because of the show. We always had interest in the past with the comic, but a lot of the licensing focus was on The Walking Dead. Once season one of Invincible aired, it turbocharged the licensing efforts. We had interest from people right after the first episode.

What products would you point to as good examples for how creative licensees can be with Invincible?
Youtooz is a great example. They’re fantastic – their approach, their speed to market, the design and the quality of the product… What Youtooz is doing for season three of Invincible will blow people’s socks off. Then there’s also Invincible: The Hero-Building Game from Dire Wolf. They’ve done great justice to the brand. It’s really resonated with fans, critics and reviewers alike.

Nice picks! Now, we’re talking about Invincible and you mentioned Stillwater earlier – and Skybound is home to plenty of brilliant comics… So what gives a comic licensing potential?
A couple of things. One is that it needs a constantly engaged fandom – one that’s asking for more… That’s one way of knowing there’s product potential there. For example, fans of Ultramega keep asking for t-shirts, so we know there’s something there, right? Now might not be the right time to take it into toys and collectables, but we know there’s apparel potential. So, the first thing is an engaged fandom.

The second thing is the vision of the creator. Sometimes creators know very specifically that their comic could become a board game or a video game… And we listen to that. Then the third thing that plays a part is if it’s already on its way to a sort of ancillary expansion… Like if an IP is in negotiation for a TV show, or a video game, or another comic book spin-off… That all provides a runway that helps us with licensing.

“What Youtooz is doing for season three of Invincible will blow people’s socks off.”

Great answer! And unpicking your point about creators, is Robert Kirkman – creator of Invincible and Skybound Entertainment Chairman – hands on when it comes to where his characters go in licensing?
Yes, he’s amazing. With everyone he has going on, he still works on everything with us – all the products, every approval, every step of the way. It’s great. I love working with him. And it’s the same with all of our creations – they’re passionate and we work lockstep with them.

Are you a comic book fan? And does that matter in terms of the job you’re doing?
I grew up in India reading comics – Indian comics – but it wasn’t such a huge part of the culture when I was growing up. When I came to Skybound, I was familiar with The Walking Dead, but I was nowhere close to as big a comic book fan as what I am now.

And no, I don’t think you need to be a fan necessarily at the beginning when you join. But once you’re here, doing the job, absolutely – you have to know what’s happening. You have to read these comics so you can do the deal and ensure the creative development of a product is authentic. And once you start reading comics, you just can’t stop!

I’m with you there ­– it’s a slippery slope! On that, there’s so many comics I’ve got into that don’t have much of a licensing presence… Do you feel there’s more to be done in the world of comic book licensing generally?
Absolutely. As much as I love our licensing world, there’s a huge focus on celebrities, sports, film, music and TV. But I agree with you – there’s so much to talk about in comics, both in terms of licensing comic brands but also doing more licensed comics.

Is it unusual for a comic publisher to have a licensing person in-house?
Not at all. Every comics company I know has a licensing person in some way, shape or form. For some, it’s a much smaller operation, but people are realising the value of licensing. I think it’s on us, and other publishers, to really highlight to licensees the value and fandoms around comic book brands. We need to show they can commercially compete with sports IP and other entertainment brands.

“It’s on us, and other publishers, to highlight to licensees the value and fandoms around comic book brands.”

What do you think is the key to positive creative relationships between a licensee and a brand owner like Skybound?
The number one thing is communication. We want to share key beats, information and our strategy for the next few years with partners. That’s about us not just behaving like a licensor, but behaving like a partner with our licensees. That makes a lot of difference. The key to it is being a true partner versus behaving like an overlord.

Is there a brand in the Skybound portfolio that you feel is particularly untapped when it comes to licensing? Where do you see potential?
Definitely Stillwater. I think Stillwater could be a great board game. I also love Ava’s Demon. It’s a fantastic story and is so gorgeous – I would love to see that turned into consumer products. We also have an IP called I Hate This Place which is great – that’s another one that could be fantastic for licensing.

Great picks – and more comics for me to check out! Can I ask, how do you sell a licensee on the brand potential of a comic? Do you sometimes just have to launch product to assess how big a fandom is beyond comic book sales?
Sometimes you do have to do a kind of test run. Look at Ultramega – the creator believed merchandise would sell. We had no concrete data, but we did run tests and product did sell! So sometimes a creator knows their fans and the IP and you’ve got to trust that. Other times, we may encounter a licensee that’s willing to try things with a brand that might not be a Walking Dead or Invincible yet, but lends itself to interesting consumer products and has a passionate fanbase.

Before we wrap up, what helps fuel your creativity? What helps you have ideas for where your brands could go?
Conversations. Before I came to the US, I was a journalist in India for about eight years. One of the best parts of my job was talking to new people because they give you a new perspective on things. The more information that I get, the more I can see – the more pieces I have, the easier the puzzle comes together. Even now, talking to you, I’ve had some ideas for things I should talk to licensees about. So for me, it’s all about conversations. I love talking to people and connecting the dots. That’s what fuels ideas for new products.

Thanks again Garima!