This past December 2018, we got word that Mattel would be losing the DC Comics license for the Boys Action category. Additional information, did confirm that Mattel would be retaining the Girls Toy and Preschool toy license, presumably to continue producing DC Super Hero Girls and Imaginext DC Super Friends respectively. Whereas, Spin Master signed a deal for the Boy Action category, but nothing was stated for the collector’s focused action figures. Speculation on the internet has been rampant as DC announced that DC Collectibles was going to be scaled back, and merged into the Warner Bros Consumer Products division. This left the future of DC Collector’s oriented action figures as a mystery until today…
This morning, IGN posted an article reporting that Todd McFarlane and McFarlane Toys have entered a three-year licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to produce DC Comics action figures and collectibles. The deal will begin in 2020, which is the same time that Spin Master will be taking over the Boys Action license for DC. McFarlane will able to produce DC Action Figures in the 6 inch to 12 inch size based on the comics, movies and TV series. The figures are expected to be sold at mass retail as well as direct sales via online stores and comic shops. For those unaware, unlike other properties, Warner Bros Consumer Products does not assign a master toy license for DC. The licensing rights are broken up by WB themselves to different companies. This is how Mattel and the in-house DC Collectibles could both produce collector’s action figures for DC alongside one another. Going into 2020 we are seeing a shift from Mattel making a majority of products for the brand to Mattel, Spin Master and McFarlane Toys handling different aspects of the license.
Also in the late afternoon, IGN posted a short interview with Todd McFarlane, who is the owner of McFarlane toys. The full interview is available here and provides a few more details as to what McFarlane will be producing in the future. We will summarize a few key points from the interview for our readers’ convenience. The IGN article states that the earliest McFarlane will show their DC products will be at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, but nothing is set in stone currently. McFarlane is also set to be producing statues, busts and other high-end collectibles to fill a gap created by the loss of DC Collectibles. During the interview, Todd McFarlane had this to say about the upcoming collector’s action figures:
“The technical category is ‘DC Multiverse collector figures’,” said McFarlane. “You’re going out and doing a little more sophistication with the toy at a higher price point, and maybe the packaging is a little more sophisticated. A little more in terms of props. It’s not an obvious buy for a five-year-old. There’s plenty of those… It’s for the people who are a little bit older like yourself or myself who say, ‘Hey, I don’t mind spending an extra $5 or $10 if we get the extra value out of it and it looks cool.’ That’s where I step in.”
In conclusion, this news should put collector’s mind at some ease and provide anticipation for the future of DC Collector’s action figures. A month or so ago, it was unclear if any company would be producing figures for a large portion of the toy collecting community. Stay tuned to Hero Club for further updates on DC toys and products coming in the future.
As I longtime DC action figure collector, I wanted to put in my two cents on this news. The DC toy market has been dominated by Mattel since the early 2000s and DC Direct/ DC Collectibles has been dominating the direct sales market since the late 1990s. The recent news has been the biggest shake-up in the last 20 years or so for DC collectors. While the future is uncertain as to what actual figures and toys will be released, most DC collectors agree that the last several years have provided a lot of lackluster product for collectors between both Mattel and DC Collectibles. I am still going to get whatever comes out from Mattel in the remainder of 2019, but I am excited to see two brand new companies tackle the World’s Greatest Heroes. No matter what, Imaginext DC Super Friends gets to continue so I have that comfort always waiting.
Source: IGN Announcement Article, IGN Todd McFarlane Interview
