In the counting of 20 years, IHEARTCOMIX has been a complete showstopper at the intersection of pop culture, entertainment, and music. Founded back in 2004 by Franki Chan, what began as a tame record label evolved into an innovative creative agency and content studio known for crafting complete visionary concepts, and rather unforgettable productions - namely the Rolling Stones' live release concert with Lady Gaga in New York to the Olivia Rodrigo Guts World Tour Bus Experience. This media agency is no stranger to perfecting a pop culture moment. As they celebrate their 20th anniversary with the IH20 Ball, the event was held at the The Bellwether (in the heart of Los Angeles).

Much like the IHEARTCOMIX notion of consistent imaginative concepts to made-to-life realities, The Bellwether was carefully curated as a time capsule of the creative agency’s visionary endeavors throughout the years. Ode to countless partnerships and pioneering productions, large walls of photo collages decorated the venue in verticle alignment for attendees to take in. 

The outside of the venue lacked no imagination of what was going on inside of the venue as a jeweled-out mail truck sat outside. Within the party laid Red velvet couches, gold wallpaper, speakers sitting a-top of larger speakers, and the YO GABBA GABBA squad running around with dancing guests. Attendees fully enjoyed the company of characters Plex, Muno, Foofa, Toodee, and Brobee while later in the night enjoying the quintet's blown-out performance. On the grand stage and all. 

On the uphill to destroying disco, indie sleaze pop boy, The Dare came to stun. Alongside performances from Fcukers, Boys Noize, and Nation of Language. Safe to say, the night was full of festive celebration. Heartfelt aspects also came bestowed upon the night as Marvel's Dr. Strange actor presented a special birthday message just because! Yo Gabba Gabba's characters later joined in alongside host Reggie Watts.

The night, whose attendees range from Chris McKenna (writer of the last 3 Spider-Man movies) to Danny Brown, Alex Edelman, and Alan Polomo was not one to miss, and so be the much-needed camera flashes of photographers The Cobra Snake, Glenjamn, Jessie Lirola, Matt Weinberger, and Shadowscene. In full force, the 20th-anniversary celebration left no doubts about IHEARTCOMIX's impact on digital strategy angles, and what immersive campaigns can make up of fun and fresh community.

The celebrations had more room for staple standings Flaunt spoke with IHEARTCOMIX's Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Franki Chan for a recap of the creative agency's journey, plans for extended projects, and aspirations for the company daring unraveling as the years go on, and on.

Reaching the 20-year mark is an incredible milestone. What does legacy mean to IHEARTCOMIX’s journey?

Legacy in this moment means everything to us. Since IHEARTCOMIX has evolved greatly over the years, a lot of our audience from the old days of events and record label are disconnected from our current form as a creative agency, so this was our chance to showcase our story in a way that cemented it all together.

This 20 year mark was our opportunity to fold our past into our present for a new future where we’re combining all the best elements from every era into WHAT’S NEXT! Our legacy is the foundation of our credibility to make that possible.

IHEARTCOMIX has thrived for two decades, navigating the ever-evolving worlds of culture, entertainment, and music. How has the IHC intention and ethos evolved over the years? 

The beautiful thing is that it hasn’t. The core of who we are has never changed, while the ways in which we express those things has evolved with the times. Our goals has always been about supporting the culture we love, fostering community and pushing the boundaries of creative - all without ever forgetting to have fun and embrace the experience of being a fan. 

It’s all been in the name since day one and I’m proud that we’ve maintained an ethos of creating a stage for the next wave of artists/art no matter the scale.

IHC has built a reputation on daring creativity, from collaborations with major names and partnerships. How do you continue to push boundaries in your experimental productions and experiences?  

We’re constantly trying to build on what we’ve learned and push ourselves into new spaces along the way. Part of what makes us who we are is having the legacy we have and knowing what our lane is. The more we can be true to ourselves and apply a genuine approach to all collaborations from Marvel Studios to Olivia Rodrigo to Sundance to The Dare, the more it allows us to innovate while delivering a quintessential IHEARTCOMIX production.

As a pioneer in blending pop culture and digital strategy, what advice would you give to emerging creatives striving to carve their own legacies in this space and leave a lasting mark?

Use the technology in front of you as a cheat code. This doesn’t need to mean you need to be a smartie (I’m not), but even early tech like email lists and posting photos on the internet gave us a reach in the early 2000s that automatically put us on an equal playing field as other majors.

Now, the possibilities are endless with the ability to compete with major movie studios and tech brands in the palm of your hands. If that’s where you’re starting, what’s your next step? The most exciting part of the past 20 years is that every day there are less and less rules and whole new languages of expression being written. All one has to do is define themselves.

With the IHC20 Ball, what experience or message do you hope resonates most with attendees?

That what comes next is more exciting than what came before!

While we went through great efforts to curate audiences and archival materials that showcased all eras, the line-up and production were intended not to say “Remember when we were cool”, but more “We’re the best we’ve ever been.”

How do you see the next chapter of IHEARTCOMIX unfolding after this celebration, and what dreams are still on the horizon?

The first 12 years of IHC were all about building a brand and community. Then we had to put that on the shelf mainly as we built the agency. Now, we can finally start to be both of ourselves at once using all of our skills to both deliver great projects for clients and reward our community with unique happenings. What does that mean exactly? I think we are all ecstatic to find out, but we’ve definitely entered a new era that is full of possibilities!