This year, I only got a precious few minutes with Joe Ninnivaggi, but I did manage to get some questions in.
Please keep in mind that due to Disney gag orders, Joe could not talk, at all, about anything that had not been shown already.
Q) Boba Fett, Bossk, IG-88.......whose the next 6" bounty hunter on tap for 2015/16?
A) None of the remaining bounty hunters are on the short list for the 6" line. - When tweeting this response, I inadvertently omitted 4-LOM's name, listing only Dengar and Zuckuss.
Q) There is confusion about Hasbro's plans for the 3-3/4 inch line and differences in articulation between the Black Series and Rebels etc. Will all figures across this scale eventually assume the newer five points of articulation model?
A) The Black Series will continue. The Black Series has another wave releasing in the spring that was showcased at our Pre-NYCC event. After that, it will take a rest until after "The Force Awakens" is released. The Black Series will continue after that.
Q) With the new star wars marvel comics that are coming out, are there going to be new figures of the characters of these new comic series?
A) While there is nothing planned for this segment at this time, all of those characters are available to us as long as Disney considers them canon. - I inquired about Jaxxon as he appeared on 2 of the variant covers for the most recent "Star Wars" #1 and we all had a good laugh.
Q) Is a redemption figure to eat up some slow moving stock possible this year?
A) Nothing is planned at this point but it is an excellent idea.
Q) Why haven't we seen a B.A.D. mold for original trilogy C-3PO yet? According to forum posts and chat boards, collectors would much rather see that C-3PO coming out instead of any other version. Is one coming?
A) Not anytime soon. BAD is more of a Disney park thing right now. - I brought up R5-G19, who is a recent Black Series release made up of BAD parts, and Joe said that it can be done on a case by case basis depending on what molds are available at any given time but there are no active plans for more BAD figures right now.
Q) It has been said that the 3 3/4" Black Series is considered a line for collectors while the 5 poa are more for kids/parents. Why, then, have there been so few collector-focused character choices in the line?
A) The Black Series is for both collectors and casual fans, not one or the other exclusively. Collectors can get their Mossep Bineed and Toryn Farr, but the casual fans can still get their Darth Vader and Yoda.
Q) Looking at your new REBELS AT-DP and the other walkers I have in my collection, why do you leave the openings in the inner side of the legs? Any chance you might cover up the walker legs or create a snap type insert to cover them for any future reissues?
A) That is something we can talk to our design team about for the future.
Q) What is up with the missing paint on the 6" scale Wampa's horns?
A) The first prototype we showed off last year was missing these paint apps, but as you can see from our current prototype on display, the paint apps are present and will be present when the product reaches retail later this year. - I can confirm that, yes, the current prototype in the showroom had the horns painted and the proof is in the photos I posted on our Facebook page.
Q) Can we look forward to any new OT or PT vehicles in the near future?
A) There are no more OT or PT vehicles planned beyond the currently announced wave 2 of Rebels branded vehicles.
Q) Do you think we will ever see a new, super articulated Jawa with a full cloth robe like the Vintage Kenner figure?
A) There is nothing planned anytime soon. As you know there are 2 excellent Jawas coming this spring, but if we ever go back to the well on that character again, that would be a fun Kenner-homage to do.
BONUS!
I had the opportunity on Sunday to speak to a couple of other companies while at the Javits Center.
The Bridge Direct
Q) Is there any chance that we will ever see the remaining figures from "The Hobbit" that were shown the last 2 consecutive Toy Fairs but were never released?
A) We would love for them to be released so that collectors could complete the cast of characters, but there just wasn't enough support at the retail level for us to have gone ahead with producing the last waves of figures. Most of the figures we showed at the last 2 Toy Fairs were tooled up so they could still be produced someday. We have been looking for an Exclusive partner to work with us so that we can at least get the remaining Dwarves from Thorin's party into collectors' hands, but we have not come to any agreements yet.
Q) What was the reasoning on making Smaug so tiny in relation to the 3 3/4" line?
A) We would have loved to make him as large and majestic as he deserved to be, but the manufacturing cost would have been insane, let alone the retail cost. With the lack of retail support, we had to go to Warner Brothers Direct Sales just to get it released at all. We barely broke even on the production costs but we really wanted the fans to have a Smaug in their collections, even if he ended up being on the small side.
Underground Toys
Q) Walgreens is clearancing out your "Doctor Who" 3 3/4" line, was this a move to sell out older stock making way for the next wave or are they dropping the line?
A) We had no idea that they were clearance pricing our figures. We will touch base with them and find out. Watch out Facebook page for any updates.
Q) Do you have any plans to try and get your "Doctor Who" line into any other major American retailers besides Walgreens and Toys R Us?
A) We would love to get a stronger retail presence for "Doctor Who" but it is up to the buyers. That's why we are here at Toy Fair today.
