First skin tone inclusive Kewpie® jewelry adorns comedian, Atsuko, on cover of CONTRAST Magazine 

Las Vegas, NV — Licensing Works!® announced immediate availability of the Kewpie® x ONCH collaboration featuring skin tone inclusive Kewpie characters for the first time on jewelry and skateboards designed by ONCH.

Kewpie-cute enamel earrings, pins, necklaces, and skateboard decks allow Kewpie fans to celebrate their uniqueness and individuality.  As part of the design, Kewpie is seen holding ONCH’s signature double-twist pretzel, which represents a heart with DNA (double helix), something we all share no matter what skin we’re in.

The collection first appeared Friday on mobile-first video shopping platform NTWRK, known for offering fans highly coveted collectibles and unique collaborations from the world’s hottest brands.  The product is now also available on www.onch.us.

“This collection was designed to embrace inclusivity and celebrate our individuality,” said ONCH.  He continued, “It is such an honor to team up with a company that shares my same beliefs allowing me to use my art to help continue the legacy of Rose O’Neill and her iconic Kewpie characters”.

“Working with ONCH is a dream opportunity,” said Leslie Levine, Owner at Licensing Works!®. “His creativity is amazing and the talent he collaborated with on this project really delivered the important messaging that would have made Kewpie-creator, Rose O’Neill, proud”, continued Levine.

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka is adorned in Kewpie accessories for the October 16th issue cover of Contrast Magazine. Atsuko, recently named “10 Comics to Watch for 2022” by Variety, will be featured in her first solo HBO Special airing in December.  For the inclusive marketing campaign, ONCH invited nine celebrity friends to be featured which along with Atsuko and her husband Ryan Harper Gray, including Courtney Revolution from Netflix’ “The Circle”, Kent Boyd from Fox’ “So You Think You Can Dance”, Alessandra Torresani from “The Big Bang Theory”, with her real life Kewpie Doll, Lady as well as actor, Daniel Nguyen, music artist, Saika, influencer/podcaster, Rory Uphold, actresses and sisters, Josetty and Gennesis Hurtado and celebrity fitness trainer, Nicole Steen. Makeup for the campaign shoot was generously supplied by Lady Gaga’s makeup company, Haus Labs.

Kewpie, one of the world’s first global licensing sensations, was created more than a century ago by artist and writer, Rose O’Neill, later labeled as “America’s First Female Cartoonist”.  A prolific illustrator, Smithsonian Magazine wrote that O’Neill “revolutionized the intertwining of marketing and political activism”, referring to her fight for women’s right to vote, support of racial equality and advocacy for the poor.  Originally launched as a comic published in1909 in Ladies’ Home Journal, O’Neill’s Kewpie illustrations and stories featured these “little cupids” doing good deeds in funny and unexpected ways. Rose O’Neill described a Kewpie as “…always searching for ways to make the world a better and a funnier place.”  O’Neill’s tiny-winged, wide-eyed, round-bellied Kewpies – with their distinctive facial expressions and their message encouraging merriment, love and kindness – were an instant hit with both kids and adults.  Little did Rose know that more than a century later, Rolling Stone Magazine would write about Kewpie helping to define “pop culture cuteness”.

About ONCH:  LA-based ONCH is the creative force behind the “ONCH” brand (previously known as ONCH Movement.  ONCH’s career kicked off, when still in his teens, supermodel Kate Moss was spotted out & about in LA wearing one of his creations. Following that illustrious intro, the fresh-faced fashion phenom was asked to provide the accessories for an LA Fashion Week show. He subsequently launched his long-term relationship with cult-fave Hello Kitty, which culminated in his recent role as designer for the brand’s first collection at Forever21, The Hello Kitty Forever jewelry collection. Hasbro has also enlisted the edgy designer to bring some of their most beloved brands to life, choosing him for their very first jewelry collabs for Mr. Potato Head & My Little Pony, not to mention asking ONCH to create a 30-inch, not-so ‘Little Pony,’ currently touring the world at different toy conventions. The ONCH brand launched successful collaborations with DreamWorks Animation, Sanrio, Pokemon, and in Summer 2016, ONCH was selected by LA PRIDE as the featured artist to create public art for the main “instagrammable” moment. That Fall, the FORD automotive group teamed up with ONCH to launch their new car by creating a tiny home to create a social media buzz at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY) for the exhibition “CAMP: Notes on fashion”. Stylist and the artists themselves look to ONCH to design their ‘wearable art’.  ONCH boasts a discerning VIP client list that includes Kate Moss, Kim Kardashian, and Nicki Minaj, Paris Hilton, Ariana Grande, Jojo Siwa,  Latto, G-Eazy and Kristin Chenoweth, among others. For more information, please visit www.onch.us.

About KEWPIE® and KEWPIE CORPORATION:  Kewpie® is the adorably cheerful and charming character brand whose very name is synonymous with cute! Rose O’Neill, “America’s First Female Cartoonist”, created Kewpie as “a good-will ambassador” in 1909 to spread love, laughter, and philanthropy. O’Neill’s illustrated stories, from well over 100 years ago, tackled difficult subjects including suffrage and discrimination, ultimately winning Rose a 2019 induction into the Women’s Hall of Fame and more recently at San Diego Comic Con into the Eisner Hall of Fame. The uniquely adorable Kewpies continue to endear themselves to each new generation.  Kewpie Corporation acquired the Kewpie Brand from Jesco Imports in 2012. For more information, please visit: www.kewpielicensing.com. 

About LICENSING WORKS!®:  Licensing Works!® celebrates 15 years of representing timeless iconic Brands in 2022. We partner with the owners of intellectual properties to increase brand awareness and valuation by creating and growing new revenue streams. We work to deliver the brand essence in every license product translation for our clients, while protecting their intellectual property. Licensing Works!® is a registered trademark of Licensing Works, LLC. For more information, please visit: www.licensingworks.us.