Public Domain Superheroes

[spotter]

However, food for thought....

Cast A Way has Captain Action.
Captain Action needs costumes.
Licensed costumes make for a very expensive set (cost of the character license for the costume, and cost of the Capt Action license.)
Public Domain golden age costumes cuts the cost in half....


Anna

THIS IS THE KEY ! I got the "golden Age" version of Commander X from captain Eli and I love him but hve not bought any of the Jay's variants since I have most of those parts in other sets; I rotate all 4 of my phantom uniforms we don't need 'full Dolls" per se we need unform sets. - cheaper to ship and package

everyone is different - I actually prefer to dress up my guys and rotate now since I am out of space so I actually enjoy rotating my heroes.

However for those with more space or who prefer to have a doll to put out since it saves time you can sell bodies (which is already Done)

- all my classic Joes are dressed up - each uniform got a doll. ( most were assembled from spare parts back in the day pre internet and the dolls under the uniform are probably worth less than a modern reproduction since they are hammered.

[Tothiro]

^^^ Like kids are going to be happy with a Black Terror over Batman.

I'd have loved a Black Terror as a kid ... and I would now.

We assign a lot of preference bias on kids when it's really just our own projections. I don't think they care if the handbag is Gucci as much as we tend to demand they do. Granted this point is moot since in-the-aisle-toy-love isn't the Cast-A-Way business model... /shrug

[thunderbolt]

^^^ Right, but a kid today would have no clue who the Black Terror is. That's the thing about Castaway, its marketed to the geek population, not the kids. So, a line of the current Dynamite Superpowers comic would do ok with the same audience that bought the Phantom and Captain Action. I personally don't want uniforms and masks for CA, no interest in playing dress up.

[Tothiro]

Right, but a kid today would have no clue who the Black Terror is. That's the thing about Castaway, its marketed to the geek population, not the kids.

And I agree that a Golden Age or Serials line marketed to us could do well as well... without the legal licensing hassles of a specific iteration of a public domain character for something like a Com Cody.

My general point on Branding:

When I was a tot of He-man age, I pined for Warlock figures and cheapo knock-offs with the same generic body with twin reptile heads because they were so damned weird. Parents never picked them up (even at flea markets) because they were ... well, cheapo knock-offs. I never knew who they were, but they were interesting. Matter of fact, when actual He-Man cartoons started and he turned out to be something other than the simplistic proto-conan from the mini comics he came with I felt robbed. The story was better before they told it.

I loved Star Raiders, specifically Yog, since the first time I saw it on a peg... It didn't matter that it wasn't Star Wars (copyright) or that I didn't even have any other 8" figures to play with... I liked the goofy monster design and after my parents tried to tell me it sucked and I would hate it, they ended up giving in and buying exactly one (which I think my father sat on, announcing it broken, never to be seen again). Sure, it was a crap toy. I had no idea "who it was supposed to be," but I'll tell you I tried to come up with semi plausible reasons to take the VW wagon to the corner to pick up a loaf of bread for the better part of a year, on the off chance I might have an opportunity to search the thing again and find out where he got "lost" to since that was the last place I'd seen it (before it was ushered off to the garbage when I wasn't looking). Not only did I not know who it was, I couldn't even read yet.

I had a few Godzilla Gang hard vinyl figures too. I loved them. I can promise that if I ever had seen the ultraman characters on UHF on a Saturday afternoon (I didn't... I think I saw 1/2 an episode when I was a kid) I certainly didn't put together they were the same guys.

I suspect the kid today doesn't have to know who the Black Terror is as much as we claim they do. Equally I don't know who Sea Ghost is but I want one.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Gee I sure hope you have a Yog now Tothiro...how could they not buy you another at the time???

I have been hoping someone would make a series of costumes, have even been thinking about it myself actually.

[EMCE Hammer]

The fan base for Golden Age, public domain heroes is minute. Other than a handful of knowledgeable comic collectors, no one has a clue about the backstory of some obscure hero who was in a handful of issues in the '40s. What will make or break sales in my opinion is how neat the figures look. The figure could be named Captain Craptastic, and could have a completely fake origin and backstory, but as long as he's got a brightly-colored gaudy costume he'll sell just as many as a legit take on the Mustard Super Cosmic Llama from Really Seriously Fun Comics in '46-'47.

If a figure looks like it was put together from Doc Mego's parts box, I don't want it. You can only go so far on a solid color jumpsuit, gloves, and boots. I want to see factory suits like Leitner pumps out, multiple colors, attached briefs, etc. There are thousands of possibilities, but nobody makes them. I'll buy the Red Goat if he looks cool; I could give a ____ whether Will Eisner or some zit-faced skater dude came up with the idea. I'm with Tothiro - bring on Sea Ghost, because he looks cool.

[SUP-Ronin]

Perhaps a variety of suits and or accessories based on the golden age heros would allow customizers to come up with new characters on their own or make some of the figures shown without poking any bears. I don't know if that would be a cheaper alternative to actual figures and certainly not as fun, but since money is always an issue...
I'm always on the look out for cool accessories to use so anything in scale opens the possibilities.

[Tothiro]

Gee I sure hope you have a Yog now Tothiro...how could they not buy you another at the time???

Taken care of ... In modern times he's been swapped to a red T2 to make him more awesome.

[AAAAA]

remember the playingmantis failed because the heros used were from the past,and have not been inthe media for years, except the phantom only being known by current flop of a movie, the heros were unknown to the child public.thats why i believe you should have a comic book in with figure.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I think when it comes to stuff like this it's best to release a whole nw figure, rather than just an outfit. When I was a kid I preferred that, unless the outfit was an accessory pack for another figure.... like winter gear or a diving suit. Then it was okay.

Making less well known characters is fine, but I think you've got to market them as NEW characters. You can't rely on nostalgia, but that doesn't mean they won't work. Especially the characters listed here, since they're all pretty generic superhero guys.

And when I was a kid I LOVED the no-name figures. Gave me a chance to make up my own stories for them. The 8" Tomlands are still a fave!

Don C.

[hobub]

I'd still suggest Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, not the movie/tv versions but the classic comic strip versions.

[jasonmego1277]

I have been looking at some public Domain characters myself, but No Superheroes. I found a nice list of characters that have had copyright expirations , and I think will Make great figures. I'd to see castway capitalize on whatever they can because they are great at what they are doing !

[jackson5677]

CAST A WAY TOYS....THE BLACK TERROR

[jackson5677]

CAST A WAY TOYS...FIGHTING YANK

[jackson5677]

Thanks DAVE and JASON........Can't wait to see what's next.