The Many Hues of Adult Coloring

Although publishers report continued strong sales for adult coloring books (at least in the U.S.), and licensors are still entering the market or looking into doing so, this now-crowded sector is starting to mature. One indication is its diversification and expansion in several directions:

• Adjacent categories. Buffalo Games has a line of puzzles that come with a coloring poster, under license from Johanna Basford, the top-selling illustrator in the adult-coloring market to date. Similarly, Karmin offers a line of adult coloring-themed puzzles and posters, with Highlights for Children (or “Highlights for [Grown-Up] Children,” as it is billed on the box), among its licenses.
• New DIY horizons. Beyond the puzzles and posters that are natural extensions of adult coloring, the popularity of crafting and do-it-yourself projects meets the coloring craze in a growing number of products made of fabrics (e.g. doll clothes and felted posters) and ceramics (mugs and plates), which allow users to color between the lines using their own palettes. One example: Living Royal’s Crayola-licensed color-in socks. The designs of such products are often simpler than the typical adult coloring pattern, due to practical/technical concerns related to the materials, and/or to a strategy that focuses on younger consumers.
• New age groups. Companies such as Fox Chapel and Klutz are capitalizing on the fact that “adult” coloring books appeal to a wide age range by offering tween-specific titles that feature a similar, very detailed art style along with topics and sometimes text tailored to this younger reader. This emerging trend likely holds opportunities for licensors of the right properties.
• New crafts. Some observers believe adult dot-to-dots, featuring thousands of dots per page, will be the “next adult coloring book.” Thunder Bay Press is one company that has introduced a number of titles, including one under license from Marvel.

For more on these trends, as observed at the recent New York Toy Fair, see Karen’s recent article in Publishers Weekly (subscription). If you’re interested in ongoing reporting on licensed publishing and book-based licensed products, sign up for the free Children’s Bookshelf e-newsletter, where most of Karen’s coverage for PW appears first.