1
00:00:12,616 --> 00:00:14,577
[man 1] The childhood me,
2
00:00:14,660 --> 00:00:17,830
if you were to tell him
that I would do what I am doing now,
3
00:00:17,913 --> 00:00:19,707
I don't think he would believe it at all.
4
00:00:19,790 --> 00:00:22,293
To be honest with you,
some days I don't even believe it.
5
00:00:23,627 --> 00:00:27,131
[woman]
The toy industry is populated with people
6
00:00:27,214 --> 00:00:31,886
who never completely let go
of their intellectual child.
7
00:00:32,470 --> 00:00:37,433
A lot of people leave that sense
of wonder behind,
8
00:00:38,017 --> 00:00:39,769
and toy people don't.
9
00:00:40,478 --> 00:00:42,229
[man 2] I remember the stories I created.
10
00:00:42,313 --> 00:00:47,777
I remember the hours spent building
my own version of the Marvel Universe.
11
00:00:48,944 --> 00:00:52,531
[man 3] Marvel Comics has created
an entire universe,
12
00:00:52,615 --> 00:00:55,951
and they really humanize,
quite well, all of their characters.
13
00:00:56,035 --> 00:00:57,787
And I think that's what the appeal is.
14
00:00:57,870 --> 00:01:02,875
The storytelling in the comics 100%
influenced our approach to making toys.
15
00:01:03,376 --> 00:01:05,878
[man 4] Now you can actually,
in three-dimensional form,
16
00:01:05,961 --> 00:01:09,715
have this figure pulled straight
from the comic book pages in your hand,
17
00:01:09,799 --> 00:01:12,635
and now you can move it around,
and you can articulate it.
18
00:01:12,718 --> 00:01:15,763
You can have it hanging around,
swinging, doing all kinds of stuff
19
00:01:15,846 --> 00:01:19,725
that played out in your mind
in between the pages.
20
00:01:19,809 --> 00:01:22,603
[man 5] You can't underestimate
the power of an action figure
21
00:01:22,686 --> 00:01:24,814
and what that means to the user.
22
00:01:24,897 --> 00:01:27,983
To a kid, it can be a gateway
to alternate universes
23
00:01:28,067 --> 00:01:29,860
and imaginary worlds in their minds.
24
00:01:30,528 --> 00:01:32,697
That's the coolest thing
about these characters.
25
00:01:32,780 --> 00:01:34,949
Once you put the toy into a kid's hands,
26
00:01:35,032 --> 00:01:39,537
they can create their own stories,
and more power to 'em. That's awesome.
27
00:02:40,931 --> 00:02:44,310
I shoot toys. I tell stories
through photography of toys.
28
00:02:44,393 --> 00:02:46,562
It's a hobby, and it's a passion.
29
00:02:47,563 --> 00:02:50,399
A lot of the reason
that I shoot Marvel toys today
30
00:02:50,483 --> 00:02:53,069
is because of comics
that I read growing up.
31
00:02:53,903 --> 00:02:57,948
I liked Iron Man, and I read
those comic books as a kid,
32
00:02:58,032 --> 00:03:00,993
and somehow,
by creating stories with these toys,
33
00:03:01,077 --> 00:03:03,287
it just brings me back to that childhood.
34
00:03:04,705 --> 00:03:06,832
When I was growing up
and reading these comic books,
35
00:03:06,916 --> 00:03:10,252
I didn't even know
toy photography existed.
36
00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:14,799
I ended up as a wedding photographer.
I shot hundreds of weddings.
37
00:03:15,549 --> 00:03:19,387
But it wasn't coming
from a place of deep creativity.
38
00:03:20,679 --> 00:03:24,308
My nephew, Johnny, says, "Uncle Mitch,
next time you come up to San Francisco,
39
00:03:24,392 --> 00:03:26,894
bring your camera.
I'll take you out and shoot some toys."
40
00:03:26,977 --> 00:03:29,730
I went up there, and I just thought,
"Sure. Why not? I'll try it."
41
00:03:29,814 --> 00:03:32,233
And from the very first
click of the shutter,
42
00:03:32,316 --> 00:03:35,403
I realized that there was potential
to make it into a career.
43
00:03:36,195 --> 00:03:39,782
I went from shooting "bridezilla"
to shooting Godzilla,
44
00:03:39,865 --> 00:03:40,908
and I couldn't be happier.
45
00:03:42,660 --> 00:03:45,746
I like to show characters in ways
that people aren't used to seeing them.
46
00:03:46,622 --> 00:03:50,084
Squirrel Girl's superpower
is being able to control squirrels.
47
00:03:50,167 --> 00:03:52,336
And the fact
that she has a big bushy tail,
48
00:03:52,420 --> 00:03:55,256
I knew that
that character has a lot of possibilities.
49
00:03:55,339 --> 00:03:59,343
I know there's a precedent
for her having fought Thanos.
50
00:03:59,427 --> 00:04:03,973
So I thought if I could create this image
where she's battling this villain
51
00:04:04,056 --> 00:04:07,393
who is so much larger than her,
especially to see her come out on top,
52
00:04:07,476 --> 00:04:09,270
that might surprise somebody a little.
53
00:04:09,353 --> 00:04:11,397
Okay, I'm gonna create two splashes.
54
00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,818
And to do it in a
dynamic water-splashing environment,
55
00:04:15,901 --> 00:04:18,320
it's gonna make
a much more engaging image.
56
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,119
I do feel like I'm using
my imagination the same way
57
00:04:25,202 --> 00:04:27,038
that a kid uses his imagination.
58
00:04:27,538 --> 00:04:30,541
You're creating stories and you get
so wrapped up in these stories,
59
00:04:30,624 --> 00:04:32,835
that you live in that world
for a little while.
60
00:04:33,419 --> 00:04:36,255
I'm living in that world
and capturing it through my camera.
61
00:04:44,972 --> 00:04:47,558
[male announcer]
The Incredible Hulk meets Spider-Man.
62
00:04:47,641 --> 00:04:51,062
[Wu] Through the years,
Marvel's been creating so many toys.
63
00:04:51,145 --> 00:04:54,982
[male announcer] Captain America,
fighting injustice the world over.
64
00:04:55,858 --> 00:04:59,737
Thor, using his Viking power against evil.
65
00:04:59,820 --> 00:05:02,698
They're creating the characters.
They're giving you the story.
66
00:05:02,782 --> 00:05:07,036
And then different toy companies
bring their own unique style.
67
00:05:07,453 --> 00:05:10,956
♪ Webs, webs, web-spinning Spider-Man ♪
68
00:05:12,124 --> 00:05:14,668
In the '80s, Mattel had the idea
69
00:05:14,752 --> 00:05:17,046
to partner with Marvel
to make action figures.
70
00:05:17,129 --> 00:05:18,130
They challenged them.
71
00:05:18,214 --> 00:05:22,593
They said, "Let's develop a comic book
where all of the core characters,
72
00:05:22,676 --> 00:05:26,555
the most famous characters, are thrown
into one giant adventure together,
73
00:05:26,639 --> 00:05:28,641
and they have to fight one villain."
74
00:05:28,974 --> 00:05:32,061
And Marvel said, "We're gonna make
a thing called Secret Wars."
75
00:05:32,144 --> 00:05:37,024
So all of the books, Spider-Man, X-Men,
Fantastic Four, Avengers,
76
00:05:37,108 --> 00:05:40,611
they all crossed over
in this giant overarching story.
77
00:05:40,695 --> 00:05:44,407
It was very successful, and kids loved it.
78
00:05:44,490 --> 00:05:46,826
[male announcer]
Marvel's supervillains are coming.
79
00:05:46,909 --> 00:05:48,828
[man] Secret Wars.
80
00:05:48,911 --> 00:05:51,205
[announcer]
Can the Marvel superheroes stop them?
81
00:05:51,789 --> 00:05:54,500
Marvel's supervillains and
superheroes figures each sold separately.
82
00:05:55,543 --> 00:05:58,254
[Falcon] I think it was exciting
because it was really the first time
83
00:05:58,337 --> 00:06:02,049
that kids really saw this comingling
of all of these characters.
84
00:06:02,133 --> 00:06:04,260
How do we stop them, Captain America?
85
00:06:04,343 --> 00:06:05,928
That's our secret, Spider-Man.
86
00:06:06,011 --> 00:06:09,724
The other thing that they had done, from
a toy perspective that was really smart,
87
00:06:09,807 --> 00:06:12,518
they gave their number one character
a brand-new costume.
88
00:06:13,310 --> 00:06:15,396
So on the cover of Secret Wars,
89
00:06:15,479 --> 00:06:18,399
we see Spider-Man
in his black-and-white costume,
90
00:06:18,482 --> 00:06:22,570
and that costume would end up
becoming a major part of his history.
91
00:06:23,112 --> 00:06:26,991
Eventually, that black costume ended up
becoming the character Venom,
92
00:06:27,074 --> 00:06:29,910
who spun off into his own franchise
93
00:06:29,994 --> 00:06:32,830
and has become super popular
in and of himself.
94
00:06:33,664 --> 00:06:37,918
It was at the beginning
of what was to come for Marvel and toys.
95
00:06:40,254 --> 00:06:43,924
[Vonner] But in the '90s,
the comic book industry just bottomed out.
96
00:06:44,967 --> 00:06:48,262
And Marvel, at the time,
was the big player.
97
00:06:48,763 --> 00:06:53,267
So, you know, long story short,
they wind up going through bankruptcy.
98
00:06:54,101 --> 00:06:56,937
[Falcon]
A company called Toy Biz purchased Marvel,
99
00:06:57,021 --> 00:07:01,025
and then Toy Biz started making
all of the toys for Marvel.
100
00:07:01,567 --> 00:07:04,612
And Toy Biz had
this really awesome responsibility
101
00:07:04,695 --> 00:07:06,530
to bring these characters to life,
102
00:07:06,614 --> 00:07:11,619
and I felt that they had never really been
made in toy form the way they could be.
103
00:07:11,702 --> 00:07:13,662
The way that they're depicted
in the comics.
104
00:07:15,873 --> 00:07:19,210
[whistling]
105
00:07:21,796 --> 00:07:25,216
[Jasperson]
In the '80s and '90s, I worked for Toy Biz
106
00:07:25,299 --> 00:07:29,303
doing art for hundreds
of Marvel action figures.
107
00:07:30,388 --> 00:07:34,517
I think I drew at least 200,
300 characters,
108
00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,062
but then with all the iterations,
it seems like hundreds more.
109
00:07:39,855 --> 00:07:43,234
I never knew the Marvel Universe
was that big.
110
00:07:43,317 --> 00:07:47,154
I mean,
just biblical proportions of characters.
111
00:07:47,780 --> 00:07:53,035
As a kid,
I just dreamed of being an artist.
112
00:07:53,828 --> 00:07:57,415
My mom used to joke
that I was born with a pencil in my hand
113
00:07:57,498 --> 00:08:01,794
'cause, as soon as I found a piece
of paper as a kid, that's all I'd do.
114
00:08:02,545 --> 00:08:05,423
But I never, in my wildest dreams,
115
00:08:05,506 --> 00:08:09,760
thought I could make a living drawing
and working for Toy Biz.
116
00:08:09,844 --> 00:08:12,263
We used to joke
we're professional children.
117
00:08:13,055 --> 00:08:18,561
We were a lot of artistic rebels,
you know? And comic book geeks.
118
00:08:19,353 --> 00:08:23,065
My mom didn't read me bedtime stories.
I always had comic books around.
119
00:08:23,149 --> 00:08:27,570
She was into Norse mythology.
So she would tell me stories about Thor.
120
00:08:28,070 --> 00:08:32,575
So, Toy Biz to me,
that was like a university.
121
00:08:32,658 --> 00:08:36,454
It was like going through
this whole new growth process,
122
00:08:36,537 --> 00:08:39,123
and we were kinda
on the ground floor of that.
123
00:08:39,790 --> 00:08:42,209
[Falcon]
I started making toys when I was a kid.
124
00:08:42,293 --> 00:08:45,421
I would see versions of the characters
in different comic books I had,
125
00:08:45,504 --> 00:08:46,714
and I would cut them out.
126
00:08:46,797 --> 00:08:49,884
And I would play
with the flat paper cutout.
127
00:08:49,967 --> 00:08:52,553
Cut to years later,
I'm in my college dorm room,
128
00:08:52,636 --> 00:08:55,347
feverishly whittling away at Milliput,
129
00:08:55,431 --> 00:08:57,933
a bonding agent that you use to fix leaks,
130
00:08:58,017 --> 00:09:00,978
to create heads and hands
of different characters
131
00:09:01,062 --> 00:09:03,230
that had not been made into toys yet.
132
00:09:03,773 --> 00:09:06,233
I brought a lot of those things
to my very first interview
133
00:09:06,317 --> 00:09:07,860
at a company called Toy Biz.
134
00:09:07,943 --> 00:09:11,864
The gentleman I was interviewing with
looked at what I'd brought in that day.
135
00:09:11,947 --> 00:09:14,325
He said, "Did you make these?"
I said, "Yes." He said, "You're hired."
136
00:09:16,118 --> 00:09:18,788
Marvel was just at the beginning
of rolling out
137
00:09:18,871 --> 00:09:24,377
all of this insanely popular content
that they've made over the past 25 years.
138
00:09:25,419 --> 00:09:30,716
[woman] At that point, action figures were
all pretty much the same size and scale.
139
00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:32,718
That's really not what the world is about.
140
00:09:32,802 --> 00:09:36,889
When you look at a comic book, characters
are taller and a lot bigger than others.
141
00:09:36,972 --> 00:09:38,099
[Falcon] JoAnn said, "Listen,
142
00:09:38,182 --> 00:09:41,644
I think we should do something
for our Spider-Man collector."
143
00:09:42,353 --> 00:09:45,398
[McLaughlin] We decided that we were
gonna do figures to scale and form.
144
00:09:45,481 --> 00:09:48,818
So they were different heights,
different body shapes.
145
00:09:48,901 --> 00:09:50,820
They were more true to the character.
146
00:09:51,779 --> 00:09:54,615
[Jasperson] There was a lot
of interesting mechanism and movement
147
00:09:54,699 --> 00:09:57,076
that we designed into the figures,
148
00:09:57,159 --> 00:09:59,704
that really weren't
that big of a thing before.
149
00:10:00,329 --> 00:10:03,457
As the production process
became more sophisticated,
150
00:10:03,541 --> 00:10:05,668
now we can have
different points of movement.
151
00:10:05,751 --> 00:10:08,337
[Falcon]
He was so flexible, he could do yoga.
152
00:10:12,758 --> 00:10:15,928
[Vonner] We really pushed it with
the other extremities, like the fingers.
153
00:10:16,011 --> 00:10:18,013
So now you can have
Spider-Man come at you.
154
00:10:18,472 --> 00:10:19,890
[Falcon] It was a runaway success.
155
00:10:19,974 --> 00:10:21,517
And then JoAnn looked at me,
156
00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,228
and we both agreed that we should
open this up for all of Marvel.
157
00:10:24,311 --> 00:10:26,313
It was her idea to call it Marvel Legends.
158
00:10:27,940 --> 00:10:31,902
[Vonner] It was uncharted territory,
a whole line of characters
159
00:10:31,986 --> 00:10:34,447
that look like they've fallen
right out the comic book.
160
00:10:39,452 --> 00:10:43,998
Bringing the characters to life,
you just immersed yourself
161
00:10:44,081 --> 00:10:48,836
in what the action figure was supposed
to do and how the character would do it.
162
00:10:48,919 --> 00:10:51,172
These are some original control drawings.
163
00:10:52,173 --> 00:10:55,760
What this basically does
is give the sculptor an idea
164
00:10:55,843 --> 00:10:58,679
of what the action figure looks like.
165
00:10:59,138 --> 00:11:03,726
A control drawing starts with you go
to The Marvel Universe Handbook,
166
00:11:03,809 --> 00:11:06,228
and you look up a particular character
167
00:11:06,312 --> 00:11:09,648
that you've been asked to do
the technical drawing on.
168
00:11:10,358 --> 00:11:14,987
The Marvel Universe is, sort of,
the bible for every character.
169
00:11:15,488 --> 00:11:19,658
The amount of backstory and detail
is just awe-inspiring.
170
00:11:21,077 --> 00:11:22,912
This is Iron Man,
171
00:11:22,995 --> 00:11:28,250
and Iron Man's suits come
with really specific qualities
172
00:11:28,334 --> 00:11:30,252
depending on what he's doing with them.
173
00:11:30,711 --> 00:11:34,090
Each character has
this really significant look
174
00:11:34,173 --> 00:11:37,176
that you really have to honor
in the control drawings.
175
00:11:38,803 --> 00:11:42,807
You start to very roughly draw.
176
00:11:43,599 --> 00:11:48,354
And there's a really specific silhouette
within Marvel,
177
00:11:48,437 --> 00:11:54,068
a certain proportion across the shoulders
and a certain stance on the legs.
178
00:11:54,151 --> 00:11:59,031
And you always,
always exaggerate the muscles. Big time.
179
00:11:59,115 --> 00:12:01,826
That's, sort of, one of those huge things.
180
00:12:01,909 --> 00:12:05,329
I mean, you do not have small biceps
on a Marvel action figure.
181
00:12:05,913 --> 00:12:08,332
Once I get through doing all of this,
182
00:12:08,916 --> 00:12:14,171
then I go to my side view,
and I line everything up.
183
00:12:14,255 --> 00:12:16,590
I try and keep it straight.
184
00:12:16,674 --> 00:12:20,094
I'm gonna line up
the detail of the helmet.
185
00:12:20,594 --> 00:12:23,222
And after I do this really rough,
186
00:12:23,305 --> 00:12:28,102
then I would just go ahead
and do this final,
187
00:12:28,185 --> 00:12:31,939
very clean ink,
with permanent fine marker.
188
00:12:32,857 --> 00:12:34,108
As you can see,
189
00:12:34,191 --> 00:12:38,612
all of these particular details
have to match on the same plane.
190
00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:43,784
So, everything is exactly the same
all the way across.
191
00:12:43,868 --> 00:12:48,706
So that you end up with, basically,
a three-dimensional view that's done flat.
192
00:12:51,542 --> 00:12:53,085
[Vonner] We started to see certain comics,
193
00:12:53,169 --> 00:12:56,338
and I would say, "That looks exactly like
our action figure right there."
194
00:12:56,422 --> 00:12:59,717
The toys started to influence the comics,
and once that started to happen,
195
00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,803
it's like now
we kinda pumping on all cylinders.
196
00:13:06,057 --> 00:13:10,227
[McLaughlin] Toy Biz passed the torch
to Hasbro in 2007.
197
00:13:10,311 --> 00:13:13,439
Many of the things
that we invented at Toy Biz,
198
00:13:13,522 --> 00:13:17,526
they have taken those products
and really treated them with great respect
199
00:13:17,610 --> 00:13:19,528
and really have taken them to new heights.
200
00:13:23,908 --> 00:13:25,910
[Stall] I've been at Hasbro for 18 years.
201
00:13:26,744 --> 00:13:29,872
Started here straight out of college,
and I've been here ever since.
202
00:13:29,955 --> 00:13:31,415
-Morning.
-Morning, Dwight.
203
00:13:31,499 --> 00:13:35,086
Growing up, reading comics
definitely helped spark the interest
204
00:13:35,169 --> 00:13:37,671
that I am able to tap into today.
205
00:13:38,672 --> 00:13:41,801
I had some rough years
from my seventh and eighth grade.
206
00:13:41,884 --> 00:13:44,470
That's when I really started
to draw a lot,
207
00:13:44,553 --> 00:13:47,598
and I remember my best friend
and I went to the store,
208
00:13:47,681 --> 00:13:50,976
and we saw X-Men comics.
And it blew my mind.
209
00:13:51,727 --> 00:13:54,772
It was just about the X-Men
coming together to try to fight something
210
00:13:54,855 --> 00:13:57,441
that was way bigger and more powerful
than they were alone
211
00:13:57,525 --> 00:14:00,319
and the sacrifices they had to make
to overcome it.
212
00:14:01,070 --> 00:14:05,324
The poison shot through my veins,
and it's just-- I couldn't let it go.
213
00:14:06,242 --> 00:14:10,955
There's a lot of like-minded weirdos here
at Hasbro and that makes it fun.
214
00:14:13,165 --> 00:14:15,626
[Ting] I joke that I had given
thousands of dollars
215
00:14:15,710 --> 00:14:18,921
to Hasbro of my own money
before I started working here,
216
00:14:19,004 --> 00:14:22,800
because I've always really had a passion
for the collector's side of the business.
217
00:14:23,968 --> 00:14:26,637
Got my start with Marvel trading cards.
218
00:14:26,721 --> 00:14:29,432
This was my bread and butter,
and it still is to this day.
219
00:14:29,515 --> 00:14:35,563
I have a collection of sealed boxes
at home, in case of a rainy day.
220
00:14:35,646 --> 00:14:36,647
I may need some more.
221
00:14:37,273 --> 00:14:41,110
My wife deals with a lot of boxes,
and she would say,
222
00:14:41,193 --> 00:14:43,821
"Do you realize,
every night when you brush your teeth,
223
00:14:43,904 --> 00:14:47,616
you wander into that room
and you just look around for a few minutes
224
00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:48,868
and then you come out?"
225
00:14:48,951 --> 00:14:51,996
I said, "Yeah, I never thought about it,
but yeah, I guess I do."
226
00:14:52,788 --> 00:14:55,708
These pictures
were from my third grade expo.
227
00:14:55,791 --> 00:14:57,918
"The X-po's X-Men X-hibit,"
228
00:14:58,502 --> 00:15:01,130
with each word starting with the letter X.
229
00:15:01,630 --> 00:15:03,424
Being around it just makes me happy.
230
00:15:05,009 --> 00:15:07,428
Now I am working on the Marvel Legends.
231
00:15:07,511 --> 00:15:10,222
I work on photography for the packaging.
232
00:15:10,306 --> 00:15:12,975
I'm designing stuff
that I want in my collection too.
233
00:15:14,393 --> 00:15:16,437
[director]
234
00:15:16,771 --> 00:15:18,230
[clicks tongue, inhales]
235
00:15:18,314 --> 00:15:21,734
Why don't we lower his right arm
a little bit and have his left arm higher?
236
00:15:21,817 --> 00:15:25,321
Do you think we could tilt his head
slightly so he's looking at his hand?
237
00:15:25,404 --> 00:15:28,032
On Thing, could we raise his right hand?
238
00:15:28,115 --> 00:15:29,283
Is this piece flexible?
239
00:15:29,784 --> 00:15:33,412
It's never just good enough. It's like,
"Well what if I-- What if we did this?"
240
00:15:33,496 --> 00:15:37,666
I wanna keep pushing myself
to try to incrementally make things
241
00:15:37,750 --> 00:15:40,795
better and better until finally,
you have to call it.
242
00:15:41,921 --> 00:15:46,092
One of Toy Biz's biggest legacy points
is the creating of Marvel Legends.
243
00:15:46,884 --> 00:15:49,303
When Hasbro started making Marvel Legends,
244
00:15:49,387 --> 00:15:51,472
initially we stumbled a little bit
out of the blocks.
245
00:15:52,306 --> 00:15:56,143
Well, we hadn't done a six inch,
super realistic line.
246
00:15:56,227 --> 00:15:59,897
We tried to just do what Toy Biz did
but with some differences,
247
00:15:59,980 --> 00:16:01,565
and that wasn't working.
248
00:16:01,649 --> 00:16:05,653
In 2012, we decided we wanted
to relaunch in a big way.
249
00:16:06,696 --> 00:16:08,656
We built a whole bunch
of new bodies, new sculpts,
250
00:16:08,739 --> 00:16:12,118
to start from scratch
and give a new era to it.
251
00:16:12,743 --> 00:16:15,621
[Ting] Improved and more lifelike deco
on the faces.
252
00:16:15,705 --> 00:16:19,333
The greater "posability,"
the greater play you can have.
253
00:16:19,417 --> 00:16:22,837
Launching new things like vehicles
for the first time in the six inch scale.
254
00:16:23,379 --> 00:16:27,883
Ghost Rider and his motorcycle
or Professor X and his hover chair.
255
00:16:27,967 --> 00:16:30,177
We know that the fans
love that kind of stuff.
256
00:16:47,069 --> 00:16:49,447
[Wu] Sometimes a good idea
will just come out of thin air.
257
00:16:49,530 --> 00:16:52,742
When that happens, you have
to drop everything that you're doing,
258
00:16:52,825 --> 00:16:56,287
get your toy, get your gear out,
and just make that happen.
259
00:16:56,996 --> 00:16:58,080
This is a hover chair.
260
00:16:58,164 --> 00:17:01,459
It definitely needs to be up on wires
to give it the effect of floating.
261
00:17:02,418 --> 00:17:05,838
These figures,
they are mutants from the X-Men.
262
00:17:07,173 --> 00:17:09,633
Professor X, he's got telepathy.
263
00:17:09,717 --> 00:17:14,680
He can affect people's thoughts and how
they act by getting into their heads.
264
00:17:15,264 --> 00:17:17,725
Dazzler can convert sound waves.
265
00:17:17,808 --> 00:17:20,394
I was really drawn to her
because of the roller skates.
266
00:17:20,478 --> 00:17:24,315
Storm is a really rad character.
She can control the weather.
267
00:17:24,774 --> 00:17:28,194
And Psylocke,
one of her powers is telekinesis,
268
00:17:28,277 --> 00:17:30,613
so she can create weapons
from psychic energy.
269
00:17:30,696 --> 00:17:34,909
I will use a remote shutter release
so that I can take the pictures
270
00:17:34,992 --> 00:17:36,911
and also do some effects at the same time.
271
00:17:38,537 --> 00:17:41,999
I want it to be a little misty,
so I'm gonna use this spray.
272
00:17:42,083 --> 00:17:44,919
It's Atmosphere Aerosol.
It's basically fog in a can.
273
00:17:46,962 --> 00:17:49,340
[rapid clicking]
274
00:17:49,423 --> 00:17:51,592
I'm actually gonna have
two effects going on here.
275
00:17:51,675 --> 00:17:53,928
One is gonna be the dirt
that's gonna be kicked up
276
00:17:54,011 --> 00:17:55,846
in his turbulence from the hover chair.
277
00:17:59,350 --> 00:18:03,437
If we can have the story
plus some kind of practical effects,
278
00:18:03,521 --> 00:18:06,649
the dirt and debris being kicked up
by his hover chair,
279
00:18:06,732 --> 00:18:10,736
the fog that we created with
the Atmosphere Aerosol in the background,
280
00:18:10,820 --> 00:18:13,906
it's just really gonna make the person
become engaged with the image.
281
00:18:20,371 --> 00:18:23,749
Right now I'm erasing
the compressed air can,
282
00:18:23,833 --> 00:18:27,169
as well as a bit of my hand,
and that red straw.
283
00:18:27,753 --> 00:18:30,089
A good toy photograph, in my opinion,
284
00:18:30,172 --> 00:18:33,759
means the technical aspect
of the photography has to be spot on,
285
00:18:33,843 --> 00:18:36,595
which means, exposure, color,
all of those things.
286
00:18:36,679 --> 00:18:39,181
The composition has to be amazing,
287
00:18:39,265 --> 00:18:42,935
and some type of effects,
whether that's digital or practical.
288
00:18:43,561 --> 00:18:45,646
I try to get all of those things together
289
00:18:45,730 --> 00:18:49,483
because I think it's gonna make
a much more dynamic and engaging image.
290
00:18:50,276 --> 00:18:53,821
[Falcon] There are several different
communities where people build sets,
291
00:18:53,904 --> 00:18:56,532
pose the action figures out,
put special effects into them.
292
00:18:56,615 --> 00:19:00,995
It's so exciting to see people
engaging with a product
293
00:19:01,078 --> 00:19:02,705
that you've worked on to that level
294
00:19:02,788 --> 00:19:06,417
and challenging and expanding
who those characters can be.
295
00:19:08,461 --> 00:19:11,464
Companies like Funko have leaned
into that in a big way,
296
00:19:11,547 --> 00:19:13,049
and it's worked incredibly well.
297
00:19:13,632 --> 00:19:16,719
Funko's approach to making toys
has a lot more to do with pop culture
298
00:19:16,802 --> 00:19:19,847
than actual mechanics
in the way that Hasbro does.
299
00:19:19,930 --> 00:19:23,350
They like to play in the more whimsical
nature of who our characters are.
300
00:19:25,853 --> 00:19:28,939
They really love to pivot
inside of a character.
301
00:19:29,023 --> 00:19:31,942
You know, if there's a way
to bring the character to life
302
00:19:32,026 --> 00:19:34,862
in a new and unexpected way,
that's their forte.
303
00:19:35,988 --> 00:19:37,656
[Wilkinson]
I've been here since the beginning,
304
00:19:37,740 --> 00:19:40,576
since the original owner
had started it up in his garage.
305
00:19:40,659 --> 00:19:44,413
He made a quick handshake deal
with the owner of Big Boy Restaurants
306
00:19:44,497 --> 00:19:46,665
and made a Big Boy bobblehead.
307
00:19:47,166 --> 00:19:49,585
And that's sort of what launched it all.
308
00:19:50,878 --> 00:19:54,882
Working with Marvel started very simply,
and it was a dream for me because,
309
00:19:54,965 --> 00:19:58,427
from the moment I could turn a page,
I was reading Marvel comics.
310
00:19:59,178 --> 00:20:01,347
Hulk and Spider-Man were my favorite,
311
00:20:01,430 --> 00:20:05,393
and because I was an artist,
it was all about my favorite illustrators,
312
00:20:05,476 --> 00:20:08,062
whether it was Jack Kirby
or Stephen Ditko.
313
00:20:08,145 --> 00:20:11,023
So it kept me just poring
through these pages
314
00:20:11,107 --> 00:20:13,693
and looking for the details
and skill level.
315
00:20:14,110 --> 00:20:19,990
I suppose facing these icons of my youth
could be a little intimidating.
316
00:20:20,074 --> 00:20:23,661
You know? A little bit of,
"Oh, boy. I gotta do these justice."
317
00:20:23,744 --> 00:20:25,746
But it was a blast.
318
00:20:25,830 --> 00:20:28,374
I've created all the first series
of bobbleheads.
319
00:20:28,457 --> 00:20:31,293
Some of those, sort of,
retro, classic characters.
320
00:20:31,794 --> 00:20:33,087
Not too big of poses.
321
00:20:33,170 --> 00:20:37,800
They were just very old-school bobbleheads
hugged together with, you know, big head.
322
00:20:38,342 --> 00:20:40,720
And it was a huge hit,
and we haven't looked back.
323
00:20:42,763 --> 00:20:46,600
We've been creating hundreds
of Marvel characters a year ever since.
324
00:20:48,018 --> 00:20:53,357
Once you get past creating every Thor
and Spider-Man five or six times,
325
00:20:53,441 --> 00:20:57,111
you know, you kind of want to reimagine
what we do with Marvel.
326
00:20:57,695 --> 00:21:00,114
We had the success with our plush line.
327
00:21:00,197 --> 00:21:03,534
They were just, sort of,
cute little button eyes and tiny nose,
328
00:21:03,617 --> 00:21:08,289
and my challenge was to take that
plush line and put it into a vinyl line.
329
00:21:09,290 --> 00:21:13,002
[man 6] The 50-50 body to head ratio,
the big eyes,
330
00:21:13,085 --> 00:21:17,548
the cartoony quality,
that appealing, simplified form.
331
00:21:17,631 --> 00:21:21,135
[Wilkinson] No mouth, eyes low, far apart.
332
00:21:21,218 --> 00:21:22,845
I always call it the science of cute.
333
00:21:23,429 --> 00:21:25,389
-I got some stuff to show you...
-All right!
334
00:21:25,473 --> 00:21:26,640
...if you don't mind.
335
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:29,226
[Wilkinson] Man, we got classic Thor!
336
00:21:29,310 --> 00:21:32,980
I might just barely go a little bigger
with the feet.
337
00:21:33,064 --> 00:21:34,315
-[Luu] Okay. Yeah.
-And--
338
00:21:34,398 --> 00:21:35,816
[Luu] Kinda small right now actually.
339
00:21:35,900 --> 00:21:37,860
[Wilkinson]
Yeah, and then zoom in on the torso.
340
00:21:38,152 --> 00:21:39,320
Perfect.
341
00:21:39,403 --> 00:21:44,784
And maybe I'd just pull back a little bit
on the muscular of the rib cage.
342
00:21:44,867 --> 00:21:46,869
Just pull that back a little bit.
343
00:21:46,952 --> 00:21:52,083
Yeah, just soften it up so we stay in
the Pop world and not quite as detailed.
344
00:21:52,958 --> 00:21:56,253
And I'd probably punch up
both the hands, size-wise.
345
00:21:56,337 --> 00:22:00,257
Get that fist a little bigger
just to kind of get that Pop feel to it.
346
00:22:00,341 --> 00:22:01,550
-That feels right.
-Yeah.
347
00:22:01,634 --> 00:22:03,677
-Around that size, and this one as well.
-Yeah.
348
00:22:04,345 --> 00:22:05,971
Yeah, nice work on that hair.
349
00:22:08,599 --> 00:22:10,017
The Venomized series--
350
00:22:10,101 --> 00:22:13,896
There's multiple comic story lines
in the Marvel Universe
351
00:22:13,979 --> 00:22:16,649
that everybody seems
to have been venomized at some point.
352
00:22:17,650 --> 00:22:20,111
[Butcher]
We talk about not just making it look like
353
00:22:20,194 --> 00:22:22,613
you just threw Venom
on top of a character.
354
00:22:22,697 --> 00:22:27,368
Like, how do we keep the true essence
of the character and still be venomized?
355
00:22:27,451 --> 00:22:31,997
You know, what makes Groot,
when he's taken over by Venom, different?
356
00:22:32,623 --> 00:22:36,794
I wanted Groot to have a feeling of--
It's, like, engulfing him.
357
00:22:36,877 --> 00:22:42,383
So, what I'll do is I'll make it feel--
Along these edges.
358
00:22:43,426 --> 00:22:46,429
Give it, like, a little raised feel to it.
359
00:22:51,225 --> 00:22:53,436
Making a little plant parasite on him.
360
00:22:54,186 --> 00:22:55,187
[chuckles]
361
00:22:57,648 --> 00:23:00,026
We work on characters
that each character is different.
362
00:23:00,109 --> 00:23:03,404
Each one has a different personality,
and I can do this for hours
363
00:23:03,487 --> 00:23:05,740
without even noticing
that the time flies by.
364
00:23:07,491 --> 00:23:10,327
We are very driven by what the fans want,
365
00:23:10,411 --> 00:23:12,747
what they're into,
what they're passionate about.
366
00:23:16,333 --> 00:23:21,088
There's fan boards and our
Funko Fan Fests, and that's never changed.
367
00:23:23,924 --> 00:23:26,052
I've worked on thousands of Pops,
368
00:23:26,135 --> 00:23:30,890
and I still get those toy tingles
when I see a new Pop come in.
369
00:23:31,766 --> 00:23:37,772
To watch an idea turn into a toy in
a matter of months is amazingly rewarding.
370
00:23:39,482 --> 00:23:44,320
Each toy company, Funko, Hasbro,
they all have different ways in, um,
371
00:23:44,403 --> 00:23:46,113
with every brand that they work on.
372
00:23:46,197 --> 00:23:49,450
Funko is, without a doubt,
one of the greatest novelty companies
373
00:23:49,533 --> 00:23:51,494
that's ever come along
in the toy industry.
374
00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:55,081
Hasbro, they take the Marvel brand
incredibly seriously.
375
00:23:55,164 --> 00:23:58,292
And, when you're around the product
and around the development cycle,
376
00:23:58,376 --> 00:23:59,752
it makes me feel young.
377
00:23:59,835 --> 00:24:02,338
It makes me feel like I am that same kid
378
00:24:02,421 --> 00:24:05,174
that wanted X-Men toys
when there were none.
379
00:24:05,257 --> 00:24:08,761
And how do we take what we're doing today
and make it the best possible thing?
380
00:24:10,346 --> 00:24:13,349
[Stall] What you see all around you
is our working archive.
381
00:24:14,141 --> 00:24:16,685
We try to look at this wall
and see what we've made in the past,
382
00:24:16,769 --> 00:24:19,480
and what can we use
that we can turn into a whole new figure
383
00:24:19,563 --> 00:24:22,108
by just adding a few new pieces.
So it's really fun.
384
00:24:22,191 --> 00:24:24,819
We pull things down,
see if they fit, if they would work,
385
00:24:24,902 --> 00:24:27,530
and we mix and match,
playing a three-dimensional puzzle game
386
00:24:27,613 --> 00:24:29,907
with all these action figures
to build new ones.
387
00:24:30,741 --> 00:24:33,577
Today we're working on Cyborg Spider-Man.
388
00:24:33,661 --> 00:24:35,371
He's about as '90s as they get.
389
00:24:36,580 --> 00:24:39,166
Marvel Publishing has done a lot
of crazy stuff over the years,
390
00:24:39,250 --> 00:24:42,128
and some of the '90s stuff
is some of the most awesome.
391
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,257
In the comics, he gets beat up,
and they get him all patched up,
392
00:24:46,340 --> 00:24:50,761
and he's superfied with
a cybernetic cast to help his arm heal
393
00:24:50,845 --> 00:24:53,264
and a cybernetic eye for the final fight.
394
00:24:54,265 --> 00:24:57,852
We find all these awesome images
of different versions of him
395
00:24:57,935 --> 00:24:59,979
from the comics that he appeared in.
396
00:25:00,062 --> 00:25:02,189
Once we have the art,
once we've selected a style,
397
00:25:02,273 --> 00:25:04,358
then the design team takes over,
398
00:25:04,442 --> 00:25:07,486
and that's when we draw out
what the figure looks like,
399
00:25:07,570 --> 00:25:09,321
and we turn that over to sculpting.
400
00:25:09,405 --> 00:25:13,659
Our sculptors take our 2D illustrations,
and they turn them into 3D,
401
00:25:13,743 --> 00:25:15,661
and then we can start
adjusting this thing.
402
00:25:15,745 --> 00:25:19,540
If you look at it, compared to the
reference, his eyes are a little bit high.
403
00:25:19,623 --> 00:25:21,167
Spider-Man's got really big eyes,
404
00:25:21,250 --> 00:25:23,794
and these are sitting a little bit
too high up in his head,
405
00:25:23,878 --> 00:25:25,129
so we have to fix that.
406
00:25:25,629 --> 00:25:29,300
We can start fixing the shape,
the overall size.
407
00:25:29,383 --> 00:25:31,510
We can start pulling it down
to where you want it.
408
00:25:31,594 --> 00:25:33,804
It's all subtle things,
but you have to remember,
409
00:25:33,888 --> 00:25:36,223
at the end of the day,
these heads are only the size
410
00:25:36,307 --> 00:25:39,518
of about a US penny.
So it's the little things that matter.
411
00:25:40,394 --> 00:25:44,148
And then I usually just
wanna get the colors roughed out.
412
00:25:44,231 --> 00:25:46,817
That shows where I want the colors to go.
413
00:25:48,319 --> 00:25:51,822
So you can just bulk in the forms.
414
00:25:51,906 --> 00:25:54,867
This is kinda fun. It's like Bob Ross
with your happy little paintbrush.
415
00:25:55,409 --> 00:25:57,536
Spider-Man, looking
at the reference over there,
416
00:25:57,620 --> 00:26:00,664
he's still primarily red and blue
with some cool techy stuff.
417
00:26:05,169 --> 00:26:10,049
Once we get these complete,
we'll work with our model department,
418
00:26:10,132 --> 00:26:12,301
and that's where you meet Laura.
419
00:26:25,815 --> 00:26:28,401
[DeLorenzo-Jones]
When Dwight passes the baton to me,
420
00:26:28,484 --> 00:26:31,487
now it's my turn to come up
with an awesome paint scheme.
421
00:26:31,946 --> 00:26:35,366
Finding ways to use paint to accentuate
what's already there in the sculpt
422
00:26:35,449 --> 00:26:36,617
is what I aim to do.
423
00:26:47,128 --> 00:26:52,675
I like the idea that my job is bringing
these characters into the reader's worlds,
424
00:26:52,758 --> 00:26:54,593
so they can have a little piece of them.
425
00:26:56,721 --> 00:27:00,433
I do always like diving in
and doing super detailed stuff.
426
00:27:00,516 --> 00:27:01,976
Then I just get in the zone,
427
00:27:02,059 --> 00:27:04,812
and that's when I feel
my best as a person, honestly.
428
00:27:05,813 --> 00:27:10,151
When I first started,
I couldn't even drink coffee,
429
00:27:10,234 --> 00:27:11,819
or at least I didn't think I could,
430
00:27:11,902 --> 00:27:15,489
because I was so nervous
that my hand would shake too much.
431
00:27:16,032 --> 00:27:20,619
But, over the years, I am back to,
you know, two cups a day. [chuckles]
432
00:27:23,748 --> 00:27:26,584
It's always awesome, when I finish,
to go back to Dwight.
433
00:27:26,667 --> 00:27:28,753
-Hey, how's it going?
-Good. What we got today?
434
00:27:28,836 --> 00:27:30,087
Cyborg Spider-Man.
435
00:27:30,171 --> 00:27:32,173
♪ Cyborg Spider-Man ♪
436
00:27:32,673 --> 00:27:33,883
This looks fantastic.
437
00:27:35,551 --> 00:27:38,220
Did we stay with classic colors,
or did we update the blue?
438
00:27:38,596 --> 00:27:40,431
-Um, I stayed pretty classic.
-Cool.
439
00:27:40,514 --> 00:27:41,724
-Yeah.
-I think it works.
440
00:27:41,807 --> 00:27:44,143
-Awesome.
-How long till you have it all wrapped up?
441
00:27:44,226 --> 00:27:45,394
End of day, I'll be done.
442
00:27:45,478 --> 00:27:47,021
-Excellent. Cool.
-Cool.
443
00:27:52,777 --> 00:27:55,196
These little plastic figures,
they've transcended toy.
444
00:27:55,279 --> 00:27:56,322
They're more than that.
445
00:28:00,326 --> 00:28:04,622
And working on something that
reaches across and touches so many people
446
00:28:04,705 --> 00:28:07,500
in so many different ways
and at so many different levels,
447
00:28:07,583 --> 00:28:08,918
that's powerful stuff, man.
448
00:28:14,965 --> 00:28:17,385
[Wu]
Today, I'm going to the New York Toy Fair.
449
00:28:18,219 --> 00:28:23,140
The New York Toy Fair is the largest
toy trade show in North America.
450
00:28:23,557 --> 00:28:27,269
So you have many, many toy companies
that are exhibiting there.
451
00:28:27,353 --> 00:28:31,816
You also have many, many store buyers
that go there to buy the latest toys.
452
00:28:32,858 --> 00:28:36,070
And going to Toy Fair
is a big deal for me.
453
00:28:36,153 --> 00:28:40,825
To be brought in and to be the inaugural
photographer, that means a lot to me.
454
00:28:41,534 --> 00:28:46,205
They'd never had any kind of installation
or exhibition at any of their shows.
455
00:28:47,415 --> 00:28:49,750
That's gonna be fun. I'm excited.
456
00:28:50,918 --> 00:28:52,503
It's a big spread.
457
00:28:52,586 --> 00:28:55,089
[director]
458
00:28:55,172 --> 00:28:59,343
No. I just thought he was just playing
with a toy [laughs] in our backyard.
459
00:29:04,890 --> 00:29:07,768
[Wu] I always had wanted to come
to New York Toy Fair.
460
00:29:07,852 --> 00:29:10,521
It's just kind of mind-blowing
that I'm gonna be cutting the ribbon
461
00:29:10,604 --> 00:29:14,108
because the ribbon cutting
is the official beginning of Toy Fair.
462
00:29:14,191 --> 00:29:18,612
So to be able to kick it off,
it means something pretty important to me.
463
00:29:27,538 --> 00:29:30,332
[McLaughlin] Toy Fair happens every year,
464
00:29:30,416 --> 00:29:36,172
and it's where all of the toy-makers
show off their new products.
465
00:29:39,842 --> 00:29:42,428
It's the time of year where
we're so excited to go see
466
00:29:42,511 --> 00:29:44,764
all the great new toys coming out.
467
00:29:45,639 --> 00:29:48,350
You can feel the electricity.
You can feel the excitement.
468
00:29:49,185 --> 00:29:50,186
[Vonner] That's what you want.
469
00:29:50,269 --> 00:29:52,980
You wanted that, "What's next?"
"What's coming next?" That magic trick.
470
00:29:53,064 --> 00:29:56,025
You know, "How did they do that?"
And, "Who are they coming with?"
471
00:29:56,108 --> 00:29:58,778
And, "I can't believe they did that guy."
472
00:30:00,863 --> 00:30:01,947
[Stall] Toy Fair is awesome.
473
00:30:02,031 --> 00:30:04,658
We get to go to New York once a year,
474
00:30:04,742 --> 00:30:09,246
and all of the big fan media
comes into the Hasbro showroom,
475
00:30:09,330 --> 00:30:11,332
and we get to put on a big presentation
476
00:30:11,415 --> 00:30:14,835
and show them everything
that we're doing for the upcoming year.
477
00:30:19,757 --> 00:30:22,927
[Falcon] Every year you've gotta turn
what you're developing over
478
00:30:23,010 --> 00:30:28,015
and make an entirely new line, find
another reason for people to get excited,
479
00:30:28,099 --> 00:30:30,643
and it is one of the
most satisfying things in the world.
480
00:30:35,147 --> 00:30:39,318
Anytime there is a new reveal,
everyone wants to be the first to see it,
481
00:30:39,402 --> 00:30:41,862
and sharing that excitement
and sharing that fandom,
482
00:30:41,946 --> 00:30:44,365
it's never a dull moment.
483
00:30:48,494 --> 00:30:51,706
And it's so fulfilling to bring
these characters to life
484
00:30:51,789 --> 00:30:53,457
and actually see it on a shelf.
485
00:30:57,378 --> 00:30:58,963
[Rachel] Give me a little smile.
486
00:30:59,380 --> 00:31:01,132
Awesome. Okay.
487
00:31:01,882 --> 00:31:04,969
[Wu]
My exhibition includes about 70 images.
488
00:31:05,761 --> 00:31:08,264
-Showing the Hulk in a lighter moment.
-[laughs]
489
00:31:08,764 --> 00:31:10,141
[Rachel] Oh, the image is nice.
490
00:31:10,224 --> 00:31:13,519
I mean, he's still grimacing but,
you know, he's feeling peaceful inside.
491
00:31:14,061 --> 00:31:16,522
-Here we have Thor.
-[Rachel] Yeah. This is fun.
492
00:31:16,605 --> 00:31:19,483
[Wu] Before Thor's hammer,
there was his awkward handsaw period.
493
00:31:19,567 --> 00:31:20,943
[both laughing]
494
00:31:21,527 --> 00:31:25,072
I found toy photography so late in life.
495
00:31:25,156 --> 00:31:29,285
I have so much creative energy right now
that I wanna really just, kind of,
496
00:31:29,368 --> 00:31:32,371
ride this and see where it goes.
497
00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:34,790
[male executive] Who's ready for Toy Fair?
498
00:31:34,874 --> 00:31:35,958
Come on!
499
00:31:36,667 --> 00:31:41,756
This is the 117th annual
New York Toy Fair.
500
00:31:41,839 --> 00:31:43,591
And we are really blessed today.
501
00:31:43,674 --> 00:31:46,969
If you look up behind you
and you see Mitchel Wu Gallery,
502
00:31:47,053 --> 00:31:51,640
that is some of the most amazing toy
photography that you're ever gonna see.
503
00:31:51,724 --> 00:31:53,267
This is Mitchel Wu,
504
00:31:53,350 --> 00:31:56,437
and you need to check out
that amazing gallery of photography.
505
00:31:56,937 --> 00:31:59,815
-Three. Two. One.
-[spectators] Three. Two. One.
506
00:31:59,899 --> 00:32:01,442
Happy Toy Fair, everyone!
507
00:32:01,525 --> 00:32:03,736
[whooping, cheering]
508
00:32:11,327 --> 00:32:13,412
[Wilkinson]
Toy Fair is very important to Funko.
509
00:32:13,913 --> 00:32:17,375
Many of our lines, including Pops,
were launched at Toy Fairs.
510
00:32:18,125 --> 00:32:22,963
It's hard to explain that, sort of,
joy of having something you like so much,
511
00:32:23,047 --> 00:32:25,591
like venomized Marvel characters,
512
00:32:26,342 --> 00:32:29,512
getting to own it
and guide it and steer it
513
00:32:30,137 --> 00:32:34,558
and create a new vision
of amazing characters.
514
00:32:39,647 --> 00:32:40,815
[Stall] The stakes are very high.
515
00:32:41,565 --> 00:32:44,568
Our team is always chomping at the bit
to elevate our game
516
00:32:44,652 --> 00:32:47,655
and do something bigger and better
than we did the year before.
517
00:32:48,322 --> 00:32:51,992
Getting the chance to be here,
creating these for that next generation,
518
00:32:52,076 --> 00:32:54,745
we're giving them the fuel
to create those stories
519
00:32:54,829 --> 00:32:57,873
and create their own nostalgic memories
at some point in time,
520
00:32:57,957 --> 00:33:00,793
and to be part of that loop
is really powerful.
521
00:33:01,585 --> 00:33:05,548
[Vonner] Back in the day, we just had
no clue where things would end up now.
522
00:33:05,631 --> 00:33:07,007
And that's what's so exciting.
523
00:33:07,091 --> 00:33:11,095
Like, to see so many fans
that actually bought into your vision,
524
00:33:11,178 --> 00:33:13,681
that actually dug
what was lurking in your mind.
525
00:33:14,348 --> 00:33:19,979
To be a spoke in that huge, huge wheel,
that's a honor in and of itself.
526
00:33:20,062 --> 00:33:21,355
Jesse, that one looks great.
527
00:33:21,439 --> 00:33:23,024
Yeah, both of these came out great.
528
00:33:23,107 --> 00:33:29,196
[McLaughlin] To be in charge of making
toys of any kind is a huge responsibility
529
00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:31,657
but also so incredibly rewarding.
530
00:33:31,741 --> 00:33:35,411
You don't realize the effect
you've had on, you know, people's lives.
531
00:33:37,329 --> 00:33:41,333
If all the jobs, the toy fairs,
were to go away tomorrow,
532
00:33:41,417 --> 00:33:43,919
and if there was no place to share them,
533
00:33:44,003 --> 00:33:45,504
I'd still be taking photos of toys.
534
00:33:47,089 --> 00:33:50,217
Really, it comes down to just doing
what makes you happy,
535
00:33:50,301 --> 00:33:53,971
and, right now, creating images
with toys makes me happy.
536
00:33:56,557 --> 00:33:58,768
[Falcon] I think all toy collectors
are kids at heart,
537
00:33:58,851 --> 00:34:03,522
and some of the appeal is recapturing
components of their childhood.
538
00:34:04,106 --> 00:34:08,569
I think that play is one of the most
important things that we can do as beings.
539
00:34:08,652 --> 00:34:11,030
You know, play structures lessons,
540
00:34:11,113 --> 00:34:14,700
from a standpoint of when we were a kid
to when we're adults.
541
00:34:14,784 --> 00:34:16,285
We're goofing around or joking.
542
00:34:16,369 --> 00:34:18,662
We're building scenarios
that can help and teach us to grow.
543
00:34:19,288 --> 00:34:21,123
The comics are inspiring,
544
00:34:21,207 --> 00:34:23,834
and they tell them who the characters are
and what they do,
545
00:34:23,918 --> 00:34:27,129
and from that point on, when the kids
are playing with the physical toys,
546
00:34:27,213 --> 00:34:29,006
they're really making
their own stories up.
547
00:34:30,007 --> 00:34:31,884
[Jasperson]
I think that when you play with toys,
548
00:34:31,967 --> 00:34:34,178
you imagine yourself as the character.
549
00:34:34,261 --> 00:34:39,183
And I think that play fosters imagination.
550
00:34:39,266 --> 00:34:41,727
It changes the way
that you look at things.
551
00:34:42,395 --> 00:34:46,440
When you look at some superhero
doing something that you,
552
00:34:46,524 --> 00:34:48,526
in your real life, could never do,
553
00:34:48,609 --> 00:34:51,487
it makes your brain
go in different places.
554
00:34:52,405 --> 00:34:56,200
[Stall] I think my childhood self seeing
me doing this now would be blown away
555
00:34:56,283 --> 00:34:59,995
that this is actually an option
for a grown-up person.
556
00:35:00,079 --> 00:35:02,289
I think he'd be incredibly jealous
of my children,
557
00:35:02,373 --> 00:35:05,751
because they get to play
with so many of these action figures.
558
00:35:05,835 --> 00:35:08,045
I bring them home,
and I leave them on the table,
559
00:35:08,129 --> 00:35:09,505
and they'd make their own stories,
560
00:35:09,588 --> 00:35:11,841
and you could just sit back
and watch them a little bit
561
00:35:11,924 --> 00:35:13,884
playing with action figures
that you created
562
00:35:13,968 --> 00:35:17,012
and see exactly that kind of storytelling
going on in their minds.
563
00:35:17,096 --> 00:35:19,348
They weren't following any script.
564
00:35:19,432 --> 00:35:21,976
They were mixing and matching
and combining things
565
00:35:22,059 --> 00:35:26,564
and just having fun and being creative
and using their imagination.
566
00:35:27,231 --> 00:35:30,568
These little plastic figures,
they got a lot of power behind 'em.