The following is an interview with Wandering Planet Toys co-founders Doc Wyatt (writer – Essentials, Star Wars Resistance, Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters) and Gavin Hignight (Star Wars Resistance, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) regarding their return to Kickstarter for the latest wave of officially licensed action figures based on the cult-classic TV show, The Prisoner. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Wyatt and Hignight about what they are most excited about with the new toy line, why crowdfunding is such a vital resource for creators, the great backer rewards available within the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Wandering Planet Toys recently returned to Kickstarter for your new action figure line based on The Prisoner. What can you share with readers about this new line of toys based on the fan-favorite television series?
Doc Wyatt: After we released Wave 1, fans reached out to us and BEGGED us to do a few characters that didn’t fit into Wave 1 because of tooling costs. Wave 2 goes there. Big time.
Gavin Hignight: Oh… there is so much to share. Wave one, we were getting our footing, we we learning in real time how to manufacture and release figures… Now, we are getting up to speed. We’ve been working with such a talented team to bring fan-favorite antagonists from the series into action figure form. Characters that we wanted, characters that our fans and backers requested. And, hopefully, some surprises. No6 from The General… a fun surprise I’d think… Leo McKern as No2, Mary Morris as No2, Peter Wyndgarde as No2… how can the collection be complete without them!?
BD: You have had incredible success utilizing Kickstarter to crowdfund your product lines. What makes crowdfunding such a vital asset for modern creators, and how do you feel that it has helped Wandering Planet throughout the years?
DW: The bottom line is that some stuff is too risky for big companies to try. The Prisoner is a show from 1967 that never had action figures. How would a big company know if there was a hunger out there for figures or not? How would they know if it’s worth their investment? They wouldn’t, so they don’t take the risk. Kickstarter and other crowdfunding mechanisms let the small guys, like us, put out niche projects that are outside the mainstream without going broke to do it. If we’re right, and the fans are out there, then the project funds.
GH: Because we are a small team and making very niche figures… there’s just no other way we could make these without crowdfunding (and those willing to pre-order and back these figures). We are so thankful to our backers from wave one and to Kickstarter itself for enabling us to make quality figures that otherwise would be too cost prohibitive. Tooling and manufacturing is not a cheap process… even the big toy companies now how to be strategic with pre-orders and crowdfunding to get certain collections and items out… we are happy to be in good company with them. Also, I’ll say that the Kickstarter crowdfunding model also really helps us with distribution and marketing. Getting the world out about these toys and getting the toys to the people that want them… is no small task. Kickstarter and crowdfunding has built a system that enables us to do that.
BD: In light of the Kickstarter campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you would like to highlight for our readers?
GH: We have a reward for all the carded figures as a set. Now, I love the episode two packs, and those characters included in the two packs are amazing… but I have to shout out to our package designer Jenny Moore… the cardbacks she created for wave no2 are so gorgeous, total pieces of art and they look amazing together, so I feel like if someone could only back one tier… the tier with the carded figures is a great choice. Now… everyone, don’t forget, the way we manage our campaign, a backer can pledge for one tier and add any items from other tiers that they want as ADD ONS… so lucky for backers and us, you don’t have to limit yourself to the items of one tier. : )
BD: You have always been very responsive to requests from fans. Do you have plans for future toy lines that you hope to launch, or are there other well-known properties that you’d like to work with?
DW: To quote a famous line from The Prisoner: “That would be telling.”
GH: We are indeed working on some new lines that I feel fans of our current figures will get excited about… Our approach will always be… what’s an amazing thing we love that doesn’t have proper action figures yet, let’s explore that. So far, with The Prisoner and with Nancy Drew we’ve found many others who feel the way we do and would like to celebrate these properties on their bookshelves, toy shelves, and desks… more of that to come.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way to learn more about Wandering Planet Toys and to support your Kickstarter campaign?
DW: Just find us on Kickstarter and hit the follow button, or back the campaign. We can’t make these figures without people to support and back us. WE NEED YOU!!!
GH: WHAT DOC SAID! Follow our campaigns on Kickstarter… also, we tend to be most active outside of Kickstarter on our Instagram (wanderingplanet_official). Follow us there for toys photos, BTS photos, and a general community of fun, easy-going toy collectors.
