McFarlane Toys has the DC Comics License

[palitoy]

Looks like DC is splitting this amongst various companies, good news for Mego.

https://news.toyark.com/2019/02/12/mcfarlane-toys-gets-dc-comics-license-332043?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3ByaPgq9SC1yAlVpxoKNMfj-EQtr5iqt5tGpzKXrsLjrzW5SKagBb5omA

[hedrap]

So 6, 12 and 14 are covered. FTC has held 8" since...'13 right? With all the other deals changing in 2020, makes me wonder...

[Earth 2 Chris]

Wow, didn't see that one coming.

I wonder what this means for DC Collectibles. Nothing? Do they still make their stuff as is? This sounds like it's more retail to fill the Multiverse/Marvel Legends type niche...

Chris

[samurainoir]

McFarlane Toys has A DC Comics License. Looks like the concept of a "Master Toy License" for DC is thing of the past as Warners slices down the pieces of the pie as thinly as possible?

From the looks of things on the outside, as the collectors market goes ridiculously niche, there might not necessarily be exclusivity in scale anymore. So that Mezco can have 6" cloth-outfit figures (at a certain higher price point for the collector's market?) while Mattel or McFarlane might have a (presumably) more mass market sculpted 6" figure that will generally be sold at Walmart and Target? Or (depending if FTC's licence lasts until or past 2020?) McFarlane 12" sculpted figures existing alongside FTC 12" retro cloth figures (And the fact that Hot Toys exists at that scale as well... on the extreme high end of price point).

Again, this is all just speculation on my part based on observation, but different "versions" or properties within can be licensed out seperately? So that Funko might have 3 3/4" Batman 66 and the Suicide Squad, while someone else like DC Collectibles can do 3 3/4" Injustice? Or that they can do a one-time limited license for Golden Age Superman/Wonder Woman in that scale specifically for the Funko Subscription boxes? Or Neca can do Classics scale Christopher Reeve Superman and Keaton Batman, BUT only if it is a promotion that accompanies a Blue-ray? One has to suspect if they divide up scaled action figures based on articulation as well? So retro style 3 3/4", five points of articuculation as a seperate specific license (Mattel DC Multiverse) vs. a highly articulated Hasbro GI Joe type figure (DC Collectibles).

The other thing to wonder about is length of license, and someone else snapping up that license as soon as it expires. So we have the case of FTC ending their KISS retro cloth 8" licence and Mego getting it now. We can only imagine what properties Mego is eye-balling or even negotiating with behind the scenes depending on the expiry dates of existing licenses in the retro cloth 8" category.

[palitoy]

FTC is still making KISS, that one seems super blurry.

[samurainoir]

FTC is still making KISS, that one seems super blurry.

Really? in 8" scale? When was their last relese for that one? I guess that is a question for the Q&A at Mego Meet!

Maybe they still retain just the 12" scale, I recall that came out recently? And a limited license for the Wrestling figure in that scale?

[EMCE Hammer]

FTC is still making KISS, that one seems super blurry.

I hate to see Mattel suffer, but they're keeping the license I most care about and that's Imaginext. I haven't been inspired to buy any of their other DC offerings in years. So far I like the added specificity of the licenses. It's pretty cool that I can buy a NECA Freddy or a Mego; or a FTC and Mego KISS.

[palitoy]

Really? in 8" scale? When was their last relese for that one? I guess that is a question for the Q&A at Mego Meet!

Maybe they still retain just the 12" scale, I recall that came out recently? And a limited license for the Wrestling figure in that scale?

They announced the reissue of some of the 8" figures they produced around the time of wave 2. So they're still making KISS.

[cjefferys]

Damn, two companies making KISS dolls and still no Elder outfits!

[samurainoir]

I hate to see Mattel suffer, but they're keeping the license I most care about and that's Imaginext. I haven't been inspired to buy any of their other DC offerings in years. So far I like the added specificity of the licenses. It's pretty cool that I can buy a NECA Freddy or a Mego; or a FTC and Mego KISS.

Oh yeah! Looks like NECA has Freddy Krueger at the same time that Mego does as well. Maybe they have sliced down the KISS and Freddy licenses down to particularly versions of each without exclusivity? NECA seems to have done a thorough job covering earlier movies already, and their latest release is New Nightmare. This is definitely a question someone should ask Marty Abrams at Mego Meet.

I really dig those imaginext figures as well. Partiuclarly when they really dig into their character selections of B and C listers.

[CrimsonGhost]

From what I understand, the KISS license FTC has is for specialty market and Mego has a mass market license. I assume the same goes for NECA with Freddy.

[Brown Bear]

Would love to see Mego and FTC pump out DC 8 inch guys concurrently. The more the better for us!

[MRP]

The other thing to wonder about is length of license, and someone else snapping up that license as soon as it expires.

According to the article, both the McFarlane license and the Spinmasters license start in 2020 and are for a three year period.

-M

[hedrap]

From what I understand, the KISS license FTC has is for specialty market and Mego has a mass market license. I assume the same goes for NECA with Freddy.

With Mattel out, doesn't this imply the 8" mass market for WB licenses - HB characters for example - should be fair game?

[CrimsonGhost]

Depends on what licenses will be made available and how they're made available. I'm sure it's not a surprise that KISS slices their licenses pretty thin. Hasbro, on the other hand, doesn't and keeps their Marvel license pretty much for themselves. How WB handles things will remain to be seen.