Your ReAction Questions Answered Here!

[Otter]

Thank you Reis for all of your enthusiastic and detailed anwers...

... which just beget more questions:

Given the potential of the ReAction line for greater character selection (as exemplified by Biff in BTTF and Jimmy Dimmick in Pulp Fiction), when a property does get its time, what determines the likelihood of including secondary characters?

I'd love to see, when/if it gets its time, a Carter Burke figure from Aliens (although he's less of a secondary character than main protagonsist (but he's not a marine so he tends to get no action figure love)). I can't be the only Aliens fan alone in that.

[Vivek]

Since the ReAction figures are really not meant to have spot on actor likeness, does the figure lines require licensing rights ONLY from the studios and particular franchise license holders?

I understand the packaging card art will require actor likeness approval, but the figures themselves don't need it, is that correct?

So does it mean comparatively it becomes a much easier process to acquire the license for a ReAction line as suppose to a Legacy line?

[Tennyson]

I was amazed at the vast selection of Reaction figures at my local Barnes and Nobles. They must have had 80+ figures on that cool Reaction standee. I bought nine figures (mostly extra universal monsters) including the glow in the dark mummy (does it even glow?!).

Locally, I have seen a couple figures at my Toys R us and Wal-mart. They don't seem to have a dedicated self space for the figures at these retailers. They are hard to locate and when you do it's only a few random figures. Do you guys plan on carving out a better shelf presence at these retailers?

[1000thghost]

Linda Hamilton is holding up her ReAction figure in this story!!

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/27/showbiz/g ... ?hpt=hp_c4

[ReisOBrien]

Thank you Reis for all of your enthusiastic and detailed anwers...

... which just beget more questions:

Given the potential of the ReAction line for greater character selection (as exemplified by Biff in BTTF and Jimmy Dimmick in Pulp Fiction), when a property does get its time, what determines the likelihood of including secondary characters?

I'd love to see, when/if it gets its time, a Carter Burke figure from Aliens (although he's less of a secondary character than main protagonsist (but he's not a marine so he tends to get no action figure love)). I can't be the only Aliens fan alone in that.

As far as secondary characters go, we try to think "what would they have done back then?" Back in the day, some lines got some great oddball background characters made into figure form (I'm looking at you, Star Wars) and this is part of the charm. Of course, not every secondary character has that special something, but we do try to look out for ones that illicit a "Wow! They made that dude?!" response. Also, Biff for example, is pretty much the closest we could come to a villain in that series.

[ReisOBrien]

Since the ReAction figures are really not meant to have spot on actor likeness, does the figure lines require licensing rights ONLY from the studios and particular franchise license holders?

I understand the packaging card art will require actor likeness approval, but the figures themselves don't need it, is that correct?

So does it mean comparatively it becomes a much easier process to acquire the license for a ReAction line as suppose to a Legacy line?

Not necessarily. It all depends on the nature of the actors' contracts. Some have approval rights for their character, whether or not it represents their likeness. So there have been a few figures that needed to be run past the actors for their blessing. On the other end of the spectrum, there have been some licenses that we didn't have to even run the packaging by the actors, because the studio had pre-approved images we could use. I wish they were all that easy!

[ReisOBrien]

I was amazed at the vast selection of Reaction figures at my local Barnes and Nobles. They must have had 80+ figures on that cool Reaction standee. I bought nine figures (mostly extra universal monsters) including the glow in the dark mummy (does it even glow?!).

Locally, I have seen a couple figures at my Toys R us and Wal-mart. They don't seem to have a dedicated self space for the figures at these retailers. They are hard to locate and when you do it's only a few random figures. Do you guys plan on carving out a better shelf presence at these retailers?

We are currently working on getting better, more cohesive in-store displays. So keep checking the stores! They should start to become easier and easier to locate. If you can't find them, ask someone. If enough people ask where they can find ReAction figures, word will go up the chain that people are interested in these.

[ReisOBrien]

Linda Hamilton is holding up her ReAction figure in this story!!

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/27/showbiz/g ... ?hpt=hp_c4

I saw that yesterday! How rad is that?!

[Vivek]

Since the ReAction figures are really not meant to have spot on actor likeness, does the figure lines require licensing rights ONLY from the studios and particular franchise license holders?

I understand the packaging card art will require actor likeness approval, but the figures themselves don't need it, is that correct?

So does it mean comparatively it becomes a much easier process to acquire the license for a ReAction line as suppose to a Legacy line?

Not necessarily. It all depends on the nature of the actors' contracts. Some have approval rights for their character, whether or not it represents their likeness. So there have been a few figures that needed to be run past the actors for their blessing. On the other end of the spectrum, there have been some licenses that we didn't have to even run the packaging by the actors, because the studio had pre-approved images we could use. I wish they were all that easy!

Interesting. Thanks for confirming all that Reis.

[Reaction fan 101]

Can you please tell me the Date that your announceing all the new lines that are coming
Out so I can put it on my calendar I work a lot so I can't keep track of there release dates I really would appreciate that
Also if you can't tell me excact date then just tell me around when thanks reis

[Otter]

Also, Biff for example, is pretty much the closest we could come to a villain in that series.

I guess those very toy-translateable creatures in Aliens dash any hopes for a Carter Burke figure then.
Thanks for your response Reis. I love this dialogue. I can't help but think if this was possible back in the day we might have seen Grand Moff Tarkin and Slave Leias from Kenner.

[ReisOBrien]

Can you please tell me the Date that your announceing all the new lines that are coming
Out so I can put it on my calendar I work a lot so I can't keep track of there release dates I really would appreciate that
Also if you can't tell me excact date then just tell me around when thanks reis

Most likely Toy Fair.

[Poncho Pete]

Thus far I have stuck to the Disney properties: Tomorrowland, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Rocketeer. I saw that more Tomorrowland will be coming. Any other Disney properties on their way to this line?

Nothing that I can talk about at this moment.

[Jeff Cope]

Most likely Toy Fair.

...which is Feb 14-17, 2015, btw.

[Reaction fan 101]

Most likely Toy Fair.

...which is Feb 14-17, 2015, btw.

Thanks man why does that feel so long

[bgiles73]

Any thoughts on how larger characters, like say maybe the Alien Queen would be done in the Reaction line? I know it was said a little while back that Oogie Boogie for Nightmare Before Christmas would be under scaled to fit a standard bubble card, but I think the Queen should warrant a larger card. Maybe deluxe Reaction figures could be a possibility? Vintage Kenner had Dewbacks, Taun Tauns, Wampas and Jabba. I would certainly welcome a Funko Reaction Deluxe Queen, Jaws, etc!

[1000thghost]

How about a Freddy vs Jason two pack for a convention exclusive? I don't know how you could change the figures but a new card back would be cool.

[ReisOBrien]

Any thoughts on how larger characters, like say maybe the Alien Queen would be done in the Reaction line? I know it was said a little while back that Oogie Boogie for Nightmare Before Christmas would be under scaled to fit a standard bubble card, but I think the Queen should warrant a larger card. Maybe deluxe Reaction figures could be a possibility? Vintage Kenner had Dewbacks, Taun Tauns, Wampas and Jabba. I would certainly welcome a Funko Reaction Deluxe Queen, Jaws, etc!

We have talked about doing larger creatures, and are still hashing out the logistics at this point.

[ReisOBrien]

How about a Freddy vs Jason two pack for a convention exclusive? I don't know how you could change the figures but a new card back would be cool.

That would be cool, but no plans for any 2-packs at this point. And yeah, we'd have to make the figures different somehow to add value.

[Jeff Cope]

Reis, Funko has done quite a few corporate mascots/icons in the past as bobbleheads or Pop figures. Has there been any talk of doing some of these characters in ReActiion? I'd love to see the McDonaldland characters, the Monster Cereal characters, and other cereal or restaurant mascots.

[TheLastDude]

Reis, Funko has done quite a few corporate mascots/icons in the past as bobbleheads or Pop figures. Has there been any talk of doing some of these characters in ReActiion? I'd love to see the McDonaldland characters, the Monster Cereal characters, and other cereal or restaurant mascots.

The McDonaldland characters would be most awesome. I would love to see Ronald, Grimace, Hamburglar, Birdie, and Mac Tonight.

There you go Reis, that's two people that want it. We're starting a trend!

[ReisOBrien]

Reis, Funko has done quite a few corporate mascots/icons in the past as bobbleheads or Pop figures. Has there been any talk of doing some of these characters in ReActiion? I'd love to see the McDonaldland characters, the Monster Cereal characters, and other cereal or restaurant mascots.

As much as I'd love to see those made, sadly, ad characters just don't sell anymore. But I agree they would be awesome!

[bgiles73]

How far into a line like Star Trek, would Funko be willing to go? Provided first of course, that Star Trek Reaction figures meet sale expectation? I have dreamed of a Star Trek line of 3 3/4" figures similar to the old Kenner line. Star Trek certainly has a rich history and many characters to draw from. Being that Reaction isn't a line that is solely Star Trek, I think that the fact that with all the other licenses Funko has characters from a property like Star Trek that might not be noticed in a wave would maybe stand a better chance of selling on the merits of it just being a cool looking alien being sold next to other cool looking aliens as opposed to just being sold next to a bunch of identically dressed human looking characters! I really hope to see all the different crews from the different Star Trek shows and I think that the cross license marketing approach will be the best way to get us many of those obscure Star Trek aliens!

[1000thghost]

I know it is hard to sell playsets and vehicles but what if someone came up with a couple ideas you would be willing to do and then start a Kickstarter page and lets us all pre-buy it. It could have a Kickstarter only sticker on the box and then sell left overs at SDCC and at Entertainment Earth.

[ReisOBrien]

How far into a line like Star Trek, would Funko be willing to go? Provided first of course, that Star Trek Reaction figures meet sale expectation? I have dreamed of a Star Trek line of 3 3/4" figures similar to the old Kenner line. Star Trek certainly has a rich history and many characters to draw from. Being that Reaction isn't a line that is solely Star Trek, I think that the fact that with all the other licenses Funko has characters from a property like Star Trek that might not be noticed in a wave would maybe stand a better chance of selling on the merits of it just being a cool looking alien being sold next to other cool looking aliens as opposed to just being sold next to a bunch of identically dressed human looking characters! I really hope to see all the different crews from the different Star Trek shows and I think that the cross license marketing approach will be the best way to get us many of those obscure Star Trek aliens!

On any license, we're willing to go as deep as the collectors are as long as sales are good. As long as we see that there's a demand for it, then we're here to supply the goods!

[ReisOBrien]

I know it is hard to sell playsets and vehicles but what if someone came up with a couple ideas you would be willing to do and then start a Kickstarter page and lets us all pre-buy it. It could have a Kickstarter only sticker on the box and then sell left overs at SDCC and at Entertainment Earth.

Yeah, I don't really think that's our style. If we ever did a pre-buy sort of thing, we'd just do it on our own website through the usual sales channels. Also keep in mind that playsets and vehicles may not fall under our contract with certain licenses. If that's the case, then no amount of "pre buying" would help.

We're still exploring the idea of playsets and vehicles (and large creatures), so don't worry. We're not forgetting about that!

[Darkbill]

More questions coming at you!

1. If you can say, which of the current licenses was the hardest to secure? I don't necessarily mean the people behind it were difficult, just that the rights were complex?

2. When you pitched doing these figures were there licence holders that were really enthusiastic and up for it?

3. Is it fair to look at the larger Pop Vinyl figures and get some indication of where the Reaction line might go, in terms of properties? Or are they really two separate entities, negotiated separately?

4. Is there a potential movie line that you personally would flat out not want to do? For instance, Highlander, yeah... Highlander 2, er, not so much?

5. What's your personal retro 3.75" figure of all time? You can't choose a whole line (i.e. Star Wars) that's cheating!

[Sam83]

Have you guys thought about doing a mail away for a free figure like a sneak preview figure of one of the new 2015 lines?

That would be so neat and another nod to classic Kenner.

Or how about a mail away like something similar to the classic action stand or the display arena with backdrops themed to the current Reaction lines?

[captgarlik]

Hi Reis, I've seen a couple Back to the Future Marty/Doc Brown errors with switched cards. Was wondering if you could shed any light on this. Thanks so much.

[bgiles73]

Not really a question about anything behind the scenes, but more about the Alien Egg Chamber playset. I ordered one of these and got an order confirmation that was mailed to an address I no longer reside at. Who should I contact to be sure this is shipped to my proper mailing address? I definitely want this to arrive with no complications. Been waiting for this thing since 1979!

[Bossk76]

I recall reading on here somewhere that vehicles are pretty much out of the question - would it make sense to go to a 'kickstarter" type approach for more ambitious projects, so that it would be less of a financial gamble?

Still holding out hope for Last Starfighter, Airwolf, etc...

[ReisOBrien]

More questions coming at you!

1. If you can say, which of the current licenses was the hardest to secure? I don't necessarily mean the people behind it were difficult, just that the rights were complex?

2. When you pitched doing these figures were there licence holders that were really enthusiastic and up for it?

3. Is it fair to look at the larger Pop Vinyl figures and get some indication of where the Reaction line might go, in terms of properties? Or are they really two separate entities, negotiated separately?

4. Is there a potential movie line that you personally would flat out not want to do? For instance, Highlander, yeah... Highlander 2, er, not so much?

5. What's your personal retro 3.75" figure of all time? You can't choose a whole line (i.e. Star Wars) that's cheating!

1. We didn't have any major problems, really. We have pretty great relationships with licensors, but sometimes you do have to jump through some surprise hoops. That's just the nature of licensing and we've gotten pretty good at handling anything that pops up.

2. Some were, others needed a little more explanation. The concept for deliberately making figures that look old-school didn't make sense to some, so we put together a little sheet that clearly showed how and why we wanted to make these, and that seemed to smooth things over.

3. Yeah, just because we have the license for Pops, doesn't necessarily mean that we have it for ReAction. They're separate entities, contractually speaking.

4. Oh, there's plenty of movies we don't want to do, but nothing that the rest of the collecting world wouldn't agree with.

5. Yikes! That's a toughie! I've often considered that the ESB Luke Skywalker to be a perfect example of a classic Kenner 3 3/4" figure.

[ReisOBrien]

Have you guys thought about doing a mail away for a free figure like a sneak preview figure of one of the new 2015 lines?

That would be so neat and another nod to classic Kenner.

Or how about a mail away like something similar to the classic action stand or the display arena with backdrops themed to the current Reaction lines?

We have talked about doing some sort of mail away figure, but we don't really have a system set up for it at the moment. But it's definitely something in the forefront of our thoughts.

[ReisOBrien]

Hi Reis, I've seen a couple Back to the Future Marty/Doc Brown errors with switched cards. Was wondering if you could shed any light on this. Thanks so much.

Just good old-fashioned factory error. We do our best to minimize things like that, but it happens. Oddly enough, a small contingent of collectors has been rising that love these factory errors and are starting to collect them!

[ReisOBrien]

Not really a question about anything behind the scenes, but more about the Alien Egg Chamber playset. I ordered one of these and got an order confirmation that was mailed to an address I no longer reside at. Who should I contact to be sure this is shipped to my proper mailing address? I definitely want this to arrive with no complications. Been waiting for this thing since 1979!

That's a Super7 issue and I'd contact them about that. Sorry.

[ReisOBrien]

I recall reading on here somewhere that vehicles are pretty much out of the question - would it make sense to go to a 'kickstarter" type approach for more ambitious projects, so that it would be less of a financial gamble?

Still holding out hope for Last Starfighter, Airwolf, etc...

This was asked earlier, and it still stands that a Kickstarter campaign isn't really our style. The biggest issue with vehicles isn't so much the financial gamble, but wether or not our contract allows it. We're also watching the sales and staying power of ReAction very closely, and that will determine when it feels right to introduce vehicles. And for the record, I would LOVE to make a Gunstar from Last Starfighter!

[the_Archivist]

Are the Blue and Red space suits still planned on being released? I have not really heard much info about these.



Thanks,

[ReisOBrien]

Are the Blue and Red space suits still planned on being released? I have not really heard much info about these.



Thanks,

I can neither confirm nor deny this.

[funkystark]

What are the chances now that you have the Astro Boy license that we get to see Astro come to life in Reaction?

[Bossk76]

I recall reading on here somewhere that vehicles are pretty much out of the question - would it make sense to go to a 'kickstarter" type approach for more ambitious projects, so that it would be less of a financial gamble?

Still holding out hope for Last Starfighter, Airwolf, etc...

This was asked earlier, and it still stands that a Kickstarter campaign isn't really our style. The biggest issue with vehicles isn't so much the financial gamble, but wether or not our contract allows it. We're also watching the sales and staying power of ReAction very closely, and that will determine when it feels right to introduce vehicles. And for the record, I would LOVE to make a Gunstar from Last Starfighter!

sorry for repeating a question, thanks for the answer - that's great to hear you're a Starfighter fan also!