IHEARTCOMIX is a 19-year-old creative agency and content studio that focuses on the worlds of music, entertainment, and lifestyle. The brand has produced a number of headline-grabbing events recently, including a three-day fan experience and private release party for Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever album, an immersive theater drive-thru for Universal Pictures’ Nobody, and fun photo moments for the premiere of Fast X. Appropriate to its name, IHEARTCOMIX also worked on Marvel Studios' first-ever Coachella presence, a Guardians of the Galaxy-inspired pop-up that took over a gas station in the desert.
IHEARTCOMIX founder and executive creative director Franki ChanPhoto: Courtesy of IHEARTCOMIX
“I quickly ran out of money and didn’t have a job—but the one thing I knew how to do was throw parties," Chan remembers, adding that the IHEARTCOMIX name came about when he quickly had to think of something for a flyer. In time, Chan and his friends' parties started to gain notoriety for booking local and touring bands that went on to become popular. The parties also gained notoriety in part due to the photographer The Cobrasnake, who often documented the events (and later went on to release a picture book of his Y2K party archives earlier this year).
“All these kids from around the world started looking at our parties and being like, ‘Who are these kids in Los Angeles doing these crazy things?’” remembers Chan. As Chan and Aoki both started to do their own thing, he quickly realized IHEARTCOMIX was becoming its own brand, and he started working to develop it into a record label and a music blog, and even had discussions for a TV pilot with Seth Rogen. 
Marvel Studios hosted some of the music industry's most influential names for the pop-up nightclub and theater called Knowhere Bar, designed to celebrate the crucial role that music has played in the Guardians of the Galaxy film trilogy. IHEARTCOMIX conceived of and developed the nightlife destination, which featured a re-creation of several elements of the set along with a 180-seat movie theater constructed from scratch.Photo: Yasi/Jasmine Safaeian
After about a decade, he recalls, a few interesting things started to happen: "One, the audience at our parties started to get real jobs—they were no longer 20-somethings. Now they were, say, in charge of the events for a major studio. And they’d start to reach back out to us and say, I’ve always loved going to the things that you do. Why don't you do that for this project?" Chan explains, noting these types of connections led to jobs with major brands like Sundance, Adult Swim, Universal, and Vice.
Over time, the success gave Chan the confidence to break out of the promoter space and start applying his skills to larger experiential events. One of his first major wins? A 2018 project for Marvel Studios surrounding the first Black Panther movie called Taste of Wakanda. A collaboration with Bronx-based chef collective Ghetto Gastro, the campaign imagined what the cuisine of the fictional nation of Wakanda might be. The food was then brought to life as a centerpiece for a Blank Panther-themed show during New York Fashion Week. 
In its first-ever Coachella activation, Marvel Studios invited travelers to Knowhere, a nod to the home base of the characters of Guardians of the Galaxy. The activation was conceptualized and produced by IHEARTCOMIX.Photo: Courtesy of IHEARTCOMIX
IHEARTCOMIX's success exploded from there, with the team actually tripling its client base during the pandemic. Chan continues to lean on his skills as a promoter—along with his deep-rooted fandom—to create events and campaigns for a wide range of clients. BizBash recently chatted with him to learn some secrets to creating pop culture-centric events that make an impact.
1. Authenticity is everything.
“I think a lot of times when it comes to fan-centric properties, they end up being worked on by people that don’t understand it. So fans can feel talked down to, or improperly catered to," explains Chan. “If you hired me to talk about the NFL, I’m not a football fan and I’m going to pick out things that I assume football fans like—and that’s probably wrong.”
When working with such high-profile IP, Chan believes his agency's background—and even company name—has helped him cut through some red tape. “We wear our interests on our sleeves. We don’t only work on comic book stuff, but our name inherently shows that we’re nerds and we’re into genre content," he says, noting that his team really focuses on the niches they know they can excel in. "I think most agencies are purposefully broad, and they want big retainer clients and to work on all kinds of events. We’re kind of the opposite—we really do things we love around comic books, cool music, sci-fi, horror. If you call us about that, we’re gonna do a great job. We’re really deep fans, and we're very genuine about our skill sets and expertise in our niche." 
At last week’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, IHEARTCOMIX worked on the world premiere fan event of the live-action comedy series Twisted Metal. While enjoying a custom ice cream flavor, fans were surprised with a post-apocalyptic drum line that culminated in a performance by R&B singer Sisqó.Photo: Kursza/IHEARTCOMIX
2. Blending genres can help reach a wider audience.
Chan points out that it's natural to design experiences targeting a certain age or demographic, especially for fan-centric events. "But at the same time, you can't assume a fan is only someone who wears a Captain America shirt," he says. IHEARTCOMIX specializes in, as Chan puts it, "making the nerdy stuff cool, or bringing the cool stuff to the nerds. Marvel Studios, for example, comes to us to bring music and culture into their experiences."
And sometimes, that means catering to the more casual fans rather than only the diehards. "Our point of view is that a music fan or fashion fan probably also likes Marvel. They might not be as upfront with their fandom—but that doesn’t mean it’s uncool," he says. "We’re going to give you a platform to connect with the type of people you want to connect with, and have that experience with the thing that you love.”
It was part of IHEARTCOMIX's philosophy with the Blank Panther Taste of Wakanda event, for example, which blended the food and fashion industries. It was also seen at a recent IHEARTCOMIX-produced event in Los Angeles for Marvel Studio's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Celebrating the crucial role that music has played in the film trilogy, the event—hosted by Chris Pratt and Pom Klementieff—welcomed artists like Diplo, NIKI, Dorian Electra, Money Mark of the Beastie Boys, LUCK, and more. 
Also at Comic-Con International, IHEARTCOMIX helped promote Disney's new Haunted Mansion movie with private advanced screenings and an in-world after-party.Photo: Kursza/IHEARTCOMIX
3. Stay focused on new ideas, and on showing up in unexpected spaces.
“The same things are regurgitated too many times. It gets boring," says Chan. It's part of why he encourages brands like Marvel Studios to show up in unexpected places, like at this year's Coachella Festival. For the desert activation, Marvel Studios and IHEARTCOMIX invited travelers to Knowhere, a nod to the home base of the characters of Guardians of the Galaxy. The immersive space, situated on the side of the road that attendees travel to the festival, featured fun photo ops, musical programming, and exclusive giveaways centered on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In addition to the physical activation, folks driving out to the desert could tune in to K-GOTG Radio, a Guardians-themed station featuring music from all three films, as well as commentary from comedian Greg Barris.
4. Network and stay open to new opportunities.
While Chan is aware of his niche and skill sets, he also stays open to what's next, and who he'll meet that will take his company or client base in a new direction. His Marvel Studios connection came from a party at SXSW, for example, through a casual introduction by a friend. "After that, I bugged the [Marvel Studios] guy for about three years and he finally gave us a chance," Chan remembers with a laugh. “Every awesome contact I’ve ever met in my life, I’ve met at a party.”
