Warner Music’s global artist and label services division WEA, has signed a European and UK retail and licensing agreement with acclaimed illustrator Joe Whale aka The Doodle Boy.

At just 11 years old, Joe Whale has been likened to a young Keith Haring and has had artwork commissioned by the Royal Family, the stage design for the US television series Little Big Shots (he was also featured on the show) and the White Elephant Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida to name a few. Working with WEA’s retail and licensing teams, Whale will be releasing high end clothing range including on-trend t-shirts and jumpers.

“I’m so excited to be partnering with Warner Music. Some of my favourite artists are signed to Warner so it’s really cool to be working with them,” says The Doodle Boy, “They’ve got some great ideas for my art which I can’t wait for everyone to see.”

Sophie Bishop, Director, Retail Merchandise A&R, WEA, Warner Music, added: “We’re delighted to start working with Joe and to help build on his brand. He’s an incredible artist and we can’t wait to start delivering inspirational fashion designs to the market. We’re always looking for new and interesting ways to partner our artists with other creatives and I’m sure this partnership with Joe will result in some really amazing products.”

Over the past year The Doodle Boy has collaborated with Scholastic to release a chapter book series based on his illustrations, a colouring book with the widely known Dover Publishing, as well as emoji and sticker packs for iPhones and Androids via Bare Tree Media. The Doodle Boy’s fast-growing global merchandising and licensing program has been formulated with the help of Striker Entertainment.

“As a young creator Joe is using his talent to not only tell stories, but to motivate others to pursue their dreams no matter how sizeable they may be,” said Meagan Renner from Striker. “We are excited to have a front row seat as we watch Joe’s artwork continue to come to life across multiple product categories in partnership with some of the best companies in the industry, including WEA, through high-quality merchandise, as well as an animated series that is currently in development.”

This is the latest partnership from Warner Music’s WEA, whose recent deals include Grateful Dead with Nike and Joy Division with Medicom.

WEA is a 360 artist services division of Warner Music. As brand builders, Warner Music and WEA support and build the artist brand across global consumer touchpoints – from supplying and distributing tour merchandise, executing retail, and licensing campaigns in both high end and mass market channels. They also build and manage the artists D2C stores.

Striker Entertainment is a full-service global licensing agency dedicated to maximizing licensing opportunities and building brand equity for its clients. Striker represents some of the biggest global entertainment franchises including AMC’s The Walking Dead, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Umbrella Academy, Ozark, The Dragon Prince, Creepshow, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared and more. Striker has been awarded several Licensing Industry Excellence Awards for its licensing programs, including AMC’s The Walking Dead, The Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Angry Birds. Headed by industry veteran Russell Binder, Striker’s client roster is robust and continues to grow.