WorkingClassVillains has listed their latest project, Backyard Legends, on the funding site Kickstarter.Com in an effort to get financial backing for the line’s first figure, the Prince of Crystal. Backyard Legends is inspired by the great “2nd tier” properties of the 80s and it needs your help to become a reality.
Here’s how the folks at WCV describe the project:
Remember when you asked for He-Man for your birthday and you got Blackstar? Or you wanted GI Joe and got Crystar instead? Or when your friends got all the Thundercats for Christmas and you got all the Power Lords? At first you resented those second stringers for not being what you had built in your mind as the end-all-be-all action heroes. But then, as time passed, those characters ended up being a badge of honor in your toy box and slowly these forgotten heroes rose through the ranks of your toy battles, forever immortalized in imaginary valor. Now, those heroes return in true form, taking their place once again as the saviors of your action figure collection. These are the Backyard Legends!
A revolution in collector action figure design/prototyping, production, and marketing! Introducing The Prince of Crystal; the first in a classic styled action figure collection called Backyard Legends. Celebrating the “action figures of yor”, each classic character in Backyard Legends is rendered with an updated design, sculpt, & scale while retaining the original feel and charm of a beloved character first introduced to children decades ago.
The figures in the Backyard Legends collection will feature highly detailed sculpts, 19 to 21 points of articulation and all accessories to make the character true to their original predecessor & ready for action. The scale of the entire Backyard Legends collection will follow the 5 to 6 inch scale of action figures that is so popular with todays adult figure collector. Read the rest on Backyard Legends Kickstarter page.
I read the writeup at Kickstarter. This sounds like a really cool idea.
Thanks! We were hoping others might find it as cool an idea as we did!
Thanks for showing this! I hope to pledge sone money soon.
Thanks a lot! Every little bit helps!
When will we see pics? This sounds like a great idea, but I’d like to see what I’m donating for before I commit. Will anything be shown before the deadline?
Yes! Pics are a must. If this is something that could be compatible with MOTU or DC Classcs, I’ll pony up.
My thoughts exactly. If this were compatible with He-Man… I might die.
No really…
Pics are coming mid to late November and this line is designed to fit right into any 5 to 6 inch figure collection. But we definatly wanted to compliment MotUC!
Can’t wait! 😀
Hm.
Not really feeling it. Too much hype, a surprising amount of mis-spelling and not one word about licensing. Yes, I know, he’s not making ‘Crystar’ but rather a 4H-ish ‘Prince’ but, um, I suspect Marvel and Disney would still send a C&D.
More so since buzz is Marvel has some thought to revive the brand.
Sorry.
I though the hype was right considering this has to be sold out of left field. I don’t know if there is a lot of demand for some of the lines I’m thinking this would be perfect for.
And I’m sure if this guy has gotten this far along, then he’s surely considered the legal ramifications before now. And I didn’t catch any misspellings other than “Yor” which I assumed was on purpose since it’s in the title.
Yes, we’ve taken into account any legal ramifications. Have you seen what FansProject has been doing for Transformers fans? =)
Not to mention iGear…
the website says theyll be pulled straight from the mold, color-correct, assembled and sent without the need for pins and such. Are these things balljoints from head to toe I wonder? I’d like to help back it, but it’s sort of a catch 22. They need the help getting going, but their designs likely can’t be shown to the public to avoid them getting infringed upon.
You’ll see more detail on the articulation when the proto pics are released. We’re not patenting anything, we were just happy to have a eureka moment to help make making action figures on your own a reality!
If it’s okay to post, here is a link to a 2008 interview they had with Jess Horsley:
http://www.figures.com/databases/action.cgi?setup_file=fignews2.setup&category=actionfigures&topic=106&show_article=110&nl=1
HA! Meemoriiies!!! =)
Dispite what the names say, that’s me (Tony) on the right. Oh how I miss that studio space!
No…if I didn’t get what I want, and had a cheap imitation instead, I totally did resent it.
Only in certain scenarios would some figures be used as replacement for others; like when they somehow had direct connection to the main character from what I could tell. Otherwise…no.
i’m sure your parents looked forward to every birthday…
for those of who like pleasant surprises, methinks backyard legends will prove to be a great thing.
Yeah, it’s those unique figures or action features that you never expected that hold special places in my heart. I will of course always remember the joes, and transformers, and my brother’s he-man toys, but I get giddy as a schoolgirl wehn I see shit like Starcom or Captain Power or even Silverhawks. I saw their cartoons too, but their toys for the most part outshined them
to be honest, good sir…occasions like these were held up on a far higher pedestal than you could possibly imagine, for many reasons that I prefer not to disclose.
I will tell you this though: I really wasn’t a spoiled kid like you may think.
I’m most interested in the joints. When can we see or hear about how these joints work?
In all honesty they look very similar to what you’re used to seeing on just about any action figure. We just simplified the construction part of it. There will be a write up about the joint system around the time the proto photos (say that 10 times fast) are released.
Interesting – I’m looking forward to hearing more. Off to “like” this on FBook.