Where We Started
Manhead didn’t start as a company. It started in vans, venues, and late nights.
In the mid 1990s, founder Chris Cornell was playing in bands around the New Jersey Shore, figuring out how to fund life on the road. Printing and selling shirts helped cover gas, keep tours going, and make the next show possible. He began printing merch for friends’ bands not as a business plan, but to solve a real problem.
At the time, Chris was playing in his own band, Kid With Man Head. When it came time to name the work he was doing, that name stuck. Manhead became a nod to those early touring years and the hands on, figure-it-out mindset behind it.
That same approach carried forward. What began as small print runs grew into a deeper understanding of how merch fits into an artist’s world. Built by people who have worked the merch table and lived the realities of touring, Manhead grew by staying close to the work and the artists.
As the industry changed, so did we. We expanded into new genres, leaned into technology early, and grew beyond any single lane with the same goal. Build things that work for artists and feel right to fans.
Who We Are Today
Today, Manhead is an independent, global company supporting artists and partners across touring, e-commerce, retail, licensing, VIP, and experiential programs.
We work with over 100 artists and bands across the globe. But growth has never been the point on its own. What matters is how we work. Embedded with our partners, detail-oriented, and focused on long-term relationships over one-off moments.
Our teams bring together creative, production, operations, and data, allowing us to build fully integrated programs from design through delivery. We don’t believe merch should feel disconnected from the artist or the fan. When it’s done right, it’s part of the story.
We’re in the merch business, but more importantly, we’re in the memories business. The shirts fans wear years later, the posters still taped to bedroom walls, the items pulled out of a closet that instantly bring a show back to life. That’s what matters to us.
Merch that hits harder than the encore
isn’t about volume or hype. It’s about creating something that lasts after the night is over.
Where We’re Headed
We’re focused on building smarter, more connected ways for artists to reach fans. On tour, online, in retail, and everywhere in between.
That means continuing to invest in technology, creative partnerships, and experiences that feel intentional, not forced. It’s why artists trust us to handle the details that matter, and why we’re known for doing this work at the highest level. As the industry evolves, we aim to stay flexible, curious, and a few steps ahead, without losing the human side of what we do.
From a garage in New Jersey to a global operation, our mission hasn’t changed.
It’s still about helping artists connect with fans and giving fans something real to take with them. Connection is the point.
