The following is an interview with Wandering Planet Toys co-founders Doc Wyatt (writer – Star Wars Resistance, Strech Armstrong and the Flex Fighters) and Gavin Hignight (writer – Star Wars Resistance, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), as well as Jenn Fisher (President of the Nancy Drew Sleuths) regarding the recently launched Kickstarter campaign for the first-ever officially licensed action figure line based on the classic book series, Nancy Drew. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Wyatt, Hignight, and Fisher about their decision to follow up their incredibly successful The Prisoner action figure line with Nancy Drew, the great backer rewards available with the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Following the incredible success of Wandering Planet’s Kickstarter campaign for the officially licensed The Prisoner action figure line, you are now leading a campaign for the first-ever officially licensed Nancy Drew action figure line! What can you share with readers about your decision to move forward with this particular property?
Gavin Hignight: Thank you! We are excited that the Prisoner did so well and are actually far along into development on a second wave… but before we dove into that, we’d become really interested in attempting to put Nancy Drew together. Doc had pitched it to me – he and his wife are huge fans – and I was a casual fan who greatly appreciated the cover art and character… so we thought about how Wandering Planet could approach the figures in a similar fashion to The Prisoner, reached out to Simon & Schuster, and the enthusiasm and momentum quickly led us on the path to where we are now. No6 from The Prisoner is an iconic character that uses his brain to solve impossible situations… Nancy Drew is an iconic character that uses her brain to solve impossible crimes… The synergy made sense to us.
BD: Jenn, as the President of the Nancy Drew Sleuths, what can you tell us about your first reaction to the news that the toy line would be coming to life, and what has been your experience in being involved with the creative process?
Jenn Fisher: I was extremely excited to hear that we would finally get a really neat collectible that brought the characters and the books to life. Something creative and clever that would resonate with fans and create excitement in the nostalgia of Nancy Drew and maybe even bring in new readers and fans!
BD: What are you most excited for Nancy Drew fans to experience with this new action figure line?
JF: There have been so few collectibles like this that I think it will be a great way to commemorate classic Nancy Drew and have something that fits in with the books so well in everyone’s collections. I want them to remember their favorite Nancy Drew books and think about why Nancy Drew as a character still is so popular today after so many decades of being published and marketed.
BD: As if this new action figure line is not enough, you will also be including an exclusive and official brand-new “lost” Nancy Drew novella in the campaign! What can you tell us about this novella, titled “The Clue of the Curious Collection,” and how will backers be able to garner a copy?
Doc Wyatt: New Nancy Drew books are still being published, of course. And they’re great. My 6-year-old loves them. But they’ve got a new, more contemporary style, and are for even younger readers. The novella with this campaign will be a CLASSIC Nancy Drew adventure, the kind that hasn’t really been published since the ’80s. It will fit on a collector’s shelf with the original stories. Backers can get the novella with certain tiers. It’s being written by a Simon & Schuster certified official “Caroline Keene” and will feature cover art by Ruth Sanderson who did covers for the classic novel series.
BD: Are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
GH: YES! I think there are two pledge levels that are ideal. The Tier 8 pledge level is a solid collection on its own, or makes a great gift. It includes all four of the single figures packaged in the secret book box packaging. They’ll go nicely together on a shelf front facing, or showing the spine. It’s a great representation of the line and it includes the novella.
The other Tier I’m really excited about is the ALL IN Tier 9 which we have nicknamed “The Secret Treasure Trove.” Yes, obviously it includes all the figures in wave one… but it also includes an awesome t-shirt that our designer Jenny Moore knocked out of the park. To most, it looks like a classic rock shirt for some band they’ve never heard of… but to those in the know on Nancy Drew, it’s a really unique Nancy Drew shirt disguised as classic rock shirt. And… should we fund the campaign and be able to make these… there is an additional shirt that will be made available to add on to pledges that is AMAZING. How’s that for a mysterious tease?
BD: Lastly, what is the best way to learn more about Wandering Planet Toys and your Kickstarter campaign?
DW: The best possible way to watch the campaign is to follow the campaign on Kickstarter. We have a Facebook and Instagram, and are very active on our Instagram. We would love to meet more Nancy Drew, Prisoner, and toy collector/fans there.
