DSTChuck has released a new Diamond Select Toys Q&A over on their
Art Asylum website for your viewing pleasure.
In this weeks edition focuses on miscellaneous questions. Check out all out the entire Q&A below:
Jin Saotome
Hey there, long time buyer/fan and avid toy customizer here. I love that you guys are still continuing the Marvel Select line even tho there’s so many scales of Marvel characters out right now from other companies. That being said, are you going to continue making ‘larger bulky’ characters that fit in with the Marvel Legends series as you have done in the past with such sculpts as Sabertooth, Hulk, and Thanos? (Juggernaut please?) And if so, would you ever consider making equally scaled 8″ characters that worked with the new 3 3/4″ scale of Marvel figures, should that be determined as the ‘new scale’ that Hasbro intends to use?
DSTChuck: Jin, when we set the scale of MS there was not even a ML line at Toy Biz, so we have no intention of changing the scale or direction of the line. We do like to do larger characters because when we started the MS line the idea was to create a very true to scale figure line and in order to do that we need to mix in some of the larger characters. We’re going to continue the mix of classic iconic characters, new editorial content and more collector or eclectic choices (which includes the larger scale figures). We have no plans to change that due to Hasbro’s shift to the smaller scale.
Brandon Arnold
How about classic Storm w/ Danger Room base? :)
DSTChuck: Right now we do not have a classic Storm figure planned but as we go along with this line it does begin to make more and more sense that we get to doing a Storm figure. As for the danger room, that’s something we’d of course consider.
Ikraam Ali
Will we ever see any Cylon figures done in vac-metalized gold and/or silver?
DSTChuck: We have done many Cylon variants to this point and each time it shocks us how well they do, so I guess its possible.
Ray Villalobos
Hello, I was wondering if the Star Wars Bust Bank of the different variation of the Clone Troopers (yellow, blue, red) will be available everywhere or if they are exclusive for some certain website stores or San Diego Comic Con?
DSTChuck: We’re planning a basic clone release for all markets and then some variants that might be a show or retailer exclusive. I don’t think we’re going to do MANY variants though just a few to start and go from there.
Bob White
Will the Iron Man Mark IV Borders exclusive be offered online or just in stores? I’m hoping not to have to go to eBay to be able to get one. Thanks
DSTChuck: To be honest I don’t know Borders’ intentions. Its their first MM exclusive with us so I hope they offer it everywhere but since they are buying by the assortment it might be hard for them to offer the MM on their website.
Robert Medellin
Hey guys! I was really excited to hear an Ultimate Quarter Scale Darth Vader is in the works. is there any chance at all we might see either Buffy or any movie Iron Man UQS?
DSTChuck: We do not have the rights to that size figure for the Buffy line so for now the answer is no. For Iron Man I think the timing and the need to do tons of new tooling makes it pretty impossible for us to get one done. Maybe for Avengers or if they do an IM3, we can take a shot.
Sean Curry
Let’s start off with the obvious, you all do great work - you can already hear the “but” right? The but is that you’ve answered in a handful of Q/As now that Mini-mates is your grand, multi-verse/property spanning line and that’s great… for those who buy them. I have to be brutally honest though when I say that while Mini-mates are “cute”, “kitschy” and even moderately “interesting”, I have no desire to own any of them. Ever. Now, your mini-mates answer typically comes in response to questions about diving into the 3.75 pool and I want to make sure you understand that for every Mini-mates I will never buy, there are numerous 3.75 properties I WILL buy assuming the quality is there (take a page from Playmates’ recent Star Trek line… and burn that page). I would happily shell out a Hamilton (though 8 Georges would be ok too) each for the crew of the Serenity, for 3.75′ish scale Colonial Vipers and for well-done versions of the Enterprise’s many crews for starters. Now for the question part of the question: why not 3.75? Is it patent related? Does Hasbro have patents on most useable forms or articulation at that scale (maybe this explains Mattel’s unfortunate foray into the field)? Is it trademark related? Does going to that scale involve purchasing different rights to the various brands? The Mini-mates have got to be a success or you guys would have stopped making them long ago - that being said, if you got these properties out there at 3.75, I suspect they would go through the roof. Thanks again for all your great stuff.
DSTChuck: Sean, I think you kind of made my point for me…You like 3 3/4 inch and Minimates are not your thing, right? Well DST likes Minimates and 3 3/4 is not our thing. Maybe someday, but not right now. The argument I hear most for 3 3/4 is so you can have lots of licenses in one scale, well we have that with Minimates and while MM might not be for everyone, 3 3/4 is not for everyone. If you are correct that tons of fans will come out of the woodwork to buy these figures at that size then I guess we’ll have to wait for another company to take that chance and make those figures. I’ve never said DST would never work in that scale, but it’s just not something we’re looking to concentrate on right now.
David Heitman
Hi! Does Diamond Select Toys have any big plans for bttf’s 25th anniversary? What about a large scale delorean similar to the scale of the hot toys tumbler with interchangable parts to recreate the numerous versions. It colud even have a diecast body with lights. Also, will the deloreans ever have the DMC mark on the grill? And not a decal please. thanks for taking the time to read all that
DSTChuck: Right now I would not say BIG plans but yes we have some products planned. The last version of the time machine what we are calling “rail ready” will be released in 2010. We also how to go back in production on some of the earlier versions but no we do not have any plans for a die-cast version. We’ve never done anything like that and development time even if we started now would not be ready this year. In order to have the name Delorian and/or the marks someone would have to get in contact with the folks that now own those. It’s something we might look to do in the future but not something that we’re in discussions for right now.
Andy Teal
Hello! I’ve just seen the big news about the upcoming Universal Horror Select figures, and I couldn’t be happier! I just wanted to ask - and I apologize in advance for asking a release date question - I couldn’t help but notice that the proposed release dates on the cards seem to start almost two years from now, at the end of 2011. Is that really the plan at this point? That you have articulated production samples on display suggests that they’re quite far along in the process, so I was wondering why they were being released so far in the future? I’m sure there’s a good reason, I’m just wondering what it is… as I’m now officially champing at the bit for these!
DSTChuck: The first figures and Minimates as well as retro cloth figures from this license will start to appear in stores September 2010, so a long wait but not two years. Our plan is to release new product every year in September in time for Halloween each year and make it an event for stores and consumers. These characters are Icons and could sell at anytime but by focusing our releases and everyone’s marketing efforts we hope each year they will get the attention they deserve. The downside is yea you might have to wait three years to get the figure you want. As you can see from the pictures at the show, we’re dedicated to this line and hope it will continue for many years.
Jeffrey Miceli
Wanting to know if the quarter scale cario indiana jones is going to make it to the shelf? I can see henry or mutt being cancelled but one more indy with the haversack would have been a great send off!!! Also when will the quarter scale vader be ready for order? thanks and continue the great work you all are doing it is most appreciated!!! jeffrey
DSTChuck: Jeffrey, I am sorry to say all outstanding products for the Indian Jones right now are canceled. It’s our sincere hope that we will be able to re-present these items in the future when retail might be more supportive of the property. UQS Vader is now listed in the March issue of Previews for order.
Daniel Sayre
You recently stated the Transformers bust line was on hold after orders for a last bust which a lot of people presumed to be Sunstorm. Yet you had a Powermaster Optimus Prime on display at Toy Fair. Is he the “one more” or is the line still going to continue? If so, it is going to primarily be different versions of Prime and/or Megatron perhaps Star Convoy and Super Megatron?
DSTChuck: The items we showed at Toy Fair, 2 banks, 2 statues and the bust were already done and complete prototypes so the decision was made to show them and see what kind of interest we could get from retail. If there was enough interest we planned to go forward with as many as possible.
Mike Mitchell
When are we going to see the glow in the dark stay puft bank hit stores???
DSTChuck: Right now we have not planned or started production on a GID version/s. Its very possible thought that at some point we do make one, but time will tell.
Rustin Parr
I was thrilled to see the BTT3 Time Machine with train wheels at Toy Fair! This completes the set for DeLorien’s so is there any chance of doing Doc’s Train next? Obviously its size is prohibitive (both for you to produce and me to display) so I’d love for to a similar size to the Time Machine’s you’ve made so far (about 13″ in length). Also, any chance for a deluxe BTT2 Time Machine with the wheels permanently down with lights in the hubcaps? No one has EVER produced either of these I’m fans would eat them up, especially the train! Plus, the Train was pretty much Pop Culture’s introduction to steampunk (beyond “20,000 Leagues”) and that genre really has come to the forefront recently so that would really help boost sales on a piece with so much new tooling!
DSTChuck: Right now we have no plans to make the train or a dlx time machine. I think of the two you would have a better chance seeing a dlx time machine but not in 2010 for sure. We have our hands full with the models we’ve already shown and begun work on.
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