Figuring out the future

It is an understatement to say the action figure category has slowed in recent years.

Senior Editor Dave Gerardi spoke with action figure execs Mike Horn, president of Palisades Marketing, and Digger, president of Art Asylum, on a range of topics. Maker of Resident Evil and House of the Dead figures, Palisades takes on Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, the upcoming film from Square and Columbia Pictures. Art Asylum, the development house turned toy company that's worked on Kiss, Silent Screamers and Sid and Marty Krofft figures, recently committed to making Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Eminem figures.

On the state of the category:

Mike Horn: The traditional action figure category is slowing, but that's not happening for us. We're not tied into major new events with the exception of Final Fantasy, which we look at as a continuation of the (video game) series.

Digger: The category is a little stale. Everyone has been so intent on copying Todd (McFarlane). That's not where I want to be. I want to be in a position where I'm doing what I want creatively. I'm trying to breathe some air into this stale world.

On unlicensed figures:

MH: Isn't that kind of what Spawn is? You make up a nice backstory or create a comic book…I think it's something we will do. Look at the stuff that Blue Box is doing with Cy Girls. Isn't that what G. I. Joe is? They made it into a license later.

Digger: It was a different time when G. I. Joe came out. The industry was in a certain place. We're at over-saturation now. We can't change the game 100 percent overnight. So we'll change it 50 percent, and, once you're used to seeing this, we'll change it more. I would love to do completely original stuff, but I also love doing Crouching Tiger.

On collectibility vs. play value:

MH: Our philosophy is that playability adds to collectibility. We're not making children's play toys. Our figures have lots of movement, but that's what makes it collectible. The figures are fun to play with. We made an exclusive version of the Resident Evil figures—an alternative head and hand—for Electronics Boutique, but we don't make a paint change for the sake of collectibility. You can't make a collectible. You make something cool, then it'll become a collectible.

Digger: One way to look at it is: 'This is my vision of the (property). I perceive this pose as the signature pose for this character.' Half of me says, "that's fine." The other half says, "Interactivity is super important." I grew up on Micronauts and Star Wars. Imagination is everything.

On gimmicks:

MH: You'll never see water-squirting action on one of our figures. We say that to a lot of people who don't understand the difference between a kid's toy and a collectible figure. Pokémon would not be a good license for us.

Digger: We look for three things: look, movement and gimmick. Generally when they put a mechanism into a figure, it makes its chest too big—like he's ready to ride down Niagara Falls. We'll put in a mechanism if it doesn't affect the look.

On the future:

MH: We have talked about (merchandising a video game and figure together). The biggest obstacle is timing. It takes so long to get one of those things (figures) made. I think it'd be a cool premium.

Digger: We're doing preschool stuff that's going to blow people away. It's influenced by cubism, abstract and fine art. I'm taking a super hardcore character and making it simplistic and linear. People get scared when they hear that. But I take Rob Zombie and make him childlike, and suddenly it's not as scary to mass. I want them to say "I've never seen that before." What I love about Art Asylum is bouncing ideas off everybody and having them all contribute.