The deal covers a 12-issue comic run, multiple trade paperback volumes, and a Deluxe Edition across territories including the US, Canada, Latin America, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

“The adrenaline-pumping world of Contra has always been rooted in rich, character-driven action, making it a perfect candidate for the comic book medium,” said Jennifer Coleman, Senior Vice President, Licensing and Marketing at Konami Cross Media NY.

“Mad Cave Studios has a proven pedigree for delivering high-impact narratives across a diverse range of genres. We are thrilled to partner with a publisher that shares our passion for the IP and has the creative vision to expand the Contra universe for both long-time fans and new readers.”

Mark London, CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Mad Cave Studios, added: “Contra is a cornerstone of gaming history, and we are honoured to take the mantle of bringing its explosive energy to the page.

“Our team is dedicated to cultivating an impactful, character-focused story that honours the source material while pushing the boundaries of what fans expect from a sci-fi action comic. We can’t wait to show the world what we’ve been building.”

Fans can look forward to the first issue’s arrival in January 2027 at local comic shops and major book retailers.

The post Konami Cross Media NY partners with Mad Cave Studios for Contra comic book series appeared first on Brands Untapped.

You mention the recent partnership with Nike there. What made that an exciting proposition?
Footwear is always a dream. It’s the Air Max 95’s 30th anniversary, so Nike actually reached out to us – and their team has a genuine passion for Yu-Gi-Oh! They are fans of the brand and were very familiar with Air Max 95’s history with Yu-Gi-Oh!

The history being that Joey Wheeler wore those sneakers in the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series.
That’s right. And so with this drop, it was all about paying homage to that Air Max 95 silhouette, right? And the level of respect and knowledge the Nike team brought – along with to their creative ideas – was so impressive. We were blown away. And the campaign around the launch centred on recognizing trading card players as athletes in their own right, which was a neat twist.

And the launch also included some exclusive Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME cards?
Yes! So we have two different colourways for the sneaker. The global colourway – the Joey one – and then a monochromatic one that’s going into Japan. There were two promotional custom cards that were developed hand-in-hand with the Nike team and our team in Japan, who develop all the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards. So there’s two different ones that accompany both launches.

Why was it important to have that connection to back to Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME?
It’s part and parcel of the lifeblood for the Yu-Gi-Oh! IP, so anytime that we can reference back to that, we’ll try… But it’s also got to be a special opportunity, right? You don’t want to overdo it. It has to be special for the fans. And these cards are playable, but they’re not playable in tournament play. It had to be special, but we also don’t want to alienate our trading card game fans who have kept this IP so vibrant for so long. It’s more of a collector’s item.

Makes absolute sense. And does a big banner partnership like this Nike collab give a ‘shot in the arm’ to the brand more generally?
It has a ripple effect for sure – and not just for us on the licensing side. It more broadly helps our fans to re-engage with the brand. They might seek out episodes off the back of this – for the first time or from a nostalgia standpoint. Nike is such a huge player in the global footwear market, so it allows us to showcase the brand to new audiences. It’s a win-win all-round.

Do you play the game? And does that matter to your role?
I’m not a Yu-Gi-Oh! player, but I love is this fanbase and this community. When you’ve had the pleasure of working on a brand like this – as I have for many, many years – whether you’re a fan or not, you come to respect the fanbase and the community. And that’s key. You don’t just have to understand the brand, you need to respect it.

Being at one of our tournaments – one our regional qualifiers – to see our fans interact with each other when they’re playing the game, or how they engage with the brand at a convention… Coming across a Dark Magician Girl walking the streets of Los Angeles at Anime Expo… Seeing that joy and passion is what it’s all about.

“With this drop, it was all about paying homage to that Air Max 95 silhouette.”

Absolutely. And what are some of your ‘north stars’ when it comes to successful licensee/licensor relationships?
Honesty, respect, transparency… You’ve got to take the time to understand what the other partner is looking to bring to the table and looking to get out of it. So it’s about mutual respect – that’s got to be the driver. Basic human kindness and respect!

Last question! What areas are still untapped for Yu-Gi-Oh!?
Oh my gosh, Billy, I’ve got a list!

Ha!
I feel like we have not even scratched the surface! The big one is that regionally we haven’t tapped a lot of the audiences in different parts of the world. We want to build that out across various product categories because we’re underserving our fans in that respect.

For the TRADING CARD GAME, Japan is the top home market and the US is our second biggest market. And fans are either coming to us through the manga, through the anime series or through the trading card games. So different aspects of the brand resonate with those different fans – and that all varies region by region, and by demographic.

Gen Z really have a passion for the anime because they remember coming home from school and watching it – that was their gateway to the brand. Whereas, Millennials or our Gen X tend to be more into the manga or the trading card game. So there’s lots of different strings to pull on when it comes to offering fans new ways to engage with Yu-Gi-Oh!

Huge thanks again Jennifer. Let’s be sure to chat again soon!

The post “Footwear is always a dream!”: Konami Cross Media NY’s Jennifer Coleman on the brand’s recent collaboration with Nike appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The range includes the Nike Air Max 95 QS YGO which replicates the original vision seen in Yu-Gi-Oh!, as well as an apparel collection.

“The passion, care, and attention to detail Nike brought to this Yu-Gi-Oh! collaboration has been extraordinary” said Jennifer Coleman, Senior Vice President of Licensing and Marketing for Konami Cross Media, NY.

“Their unique vision of Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and fans as athletes – combined with Nike’s iconic marketing, footwear, and apparel design – will redefine how our audience connects with their favourite characters, especially Joey Wheeler.”

Dave Vericker, Sr. Director, Neighborhood Merchandise at Nike, added: “At Nike, we believe the future of sport is creative and unlimited in possibility, and we know that athletes draw inspiration from extraordinary sources in the video games they play and the anime they watch.

“We didn’t invent this lore: It was born organically from the community. Through our partnership with Konami, we wanted to show love to longtime fans and inspire the next generation by bringing a beloved, mythical story to life through design with these special Air Max 95s and a limited apparel collection.”

The NIKE Air Max 95 QS YGO and complementary apparel will be available globally in the “Joey” colourway from September 12th. The Japan-exclusive “Jonouchi” colourway and apparel will be available September 12th at select Japanese retail locations.

The post Konami Cross Media NY and Nike debut Yu-Gi-Oh! collection appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The canned sparkling waters will be packaged with the likenesses of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s most popular characters.

“Just when Yu-Gi-Oh! fans think they’ve seen it all, we’re excited to open our phenomenal anime property to the specialty beverage product category for the first time,” said Jennifer Coleman, Vice President of Licensing and Marketing at Konami Cross Media NY, Inc.

“Available to consumers in North and South America, the European Union and the United Kingdom, YHB’s Ocean Bomb canned sparkling flavoured waters will be sold through specialty stores focused on the food and beverage category.”

Y.H.B. Biotech executive En En added: “We have had tremendous success in packaging our refreshing flavours of sparkling waters with likenesses from Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Super and other popular anime properties.

“Yu-Gi-Oh!’s dominance in the global marketplace for over 25 years will be a tremendous boost in bolstering consumer awareness and introducing the Ocean Bomb product line to new markets throughout the Americas, Europe and the UK. It’s a wonderful partnership and growth opportunity for both Ocean Bomb and Yu-Gi-Oh!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Sparkling water will be launched in Q2 2025.

The post Konami Cross Media NY teams with Ocean Bomb for Yu-Gi-Oh! sparkling flavoured waters appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The company’s license period is now extended for a further three years, through to the end of 2027, and allows for more product categories, including homeware, gifts and collectibles. Territories include North America, Australasia and Europe.

“You do business with people not companies and it’s hard to find a more dedicated bunch of people who have genuine passion for the brand they are part of then the Konami team,” said Anthony Marks, MD at Fanattik.

“Whether we are in their UK, NYC or Los Angeles offices, they all have an energy that we try and match.”

Jennifer Coleman, Vice President, Licensing & Marketing, Konami Cross Media, NY, added: “It has been an amazing five years of working with Anthony and the Fanattik team. We love their enthusiasm and the care they put into each Yu-Gi-Oh! piece they create and we look forward to more years of collaboration.”

The post Fanattik extends and expands partnership with Konami for Yu-Gi-Oh! appeared first on Brands Untapped.