Geoff Beckett CEO of Shocker Toys and creator of the Indie Spotlight toy line, has taken the time to sit down with us in order to talk to the fans about the newly released wave 1 of Indie Spotlight action figures.

Hi Geoff. First off, all the fans over here at ISN would like to congratulate you and Shocker Toys on the launch of your much anticipated toy line Indie Spotlight wave 1. As you know, all of us fans over at Indie Spotlight News are really excited about these figures.

GB: Thank you we were just as excited to see our toyline become a reality through all the hardships and hurtles.

 

Fans all over the place are starting to receive their orders of IS1. Pictures of fans enjoying their figures are starting to pop up on the net. Can you tell us how it feels as a toy maker, to have the first wave of Indie Spotlight figures out there in the hands of the fans?

GB: We felt great about the warm welcome the toys received. I would have voiced my excitement more but I have stepped down as PR and full time Forum admin so that I can concentrate solely on design and production.

 

IS1 has had quite a bit of hype on various websites. A lot of fans have been eagerly awaiting the release date for a while now. It’s apparent that some people just can’t handle the wait any longer. But now the wait is over. Everyone knows that there were some delays on this line for reasons completely out of your control. But some delays were initiated by Shocker Toys, in order to get the finished figures just right. Now that the figures are in fact released, can you tell us a little bit about why it was so important to push back their release in order to get the figures just the way that you wanted them?

GB: Well sifting through the feedback we originally received we found there needed to be changes to make the figures right plus we had to change our line up a few times and some other bumps which we won’t rehash as this is a new start for Indie Spotlight. We feel that a push back to get something correct is better then rushing a project and having it get messed up much like we did with our first attempt at Dethklok figures in 07.

 

Most of us fans know that the wait was well worth it. Judging by the finished product these are not only great looking Toys, but they’re also amazing representations of their comic book counterparts. They look like they’ve leapt right off the pages of the comic book and right into their packages.

Lets speak about “The Trolls” for a quick moment. There’s a handful of people out there who doubted Shocker Toys and the Indie Spotlight toy line. Some of them have even gone out of their way numerous times to try and slow down this line from getting released. They’ve said a lot of negative things in the past, a lot of which are flat out lies. But in the end it is Shocker Toys and Indie Spotlight who have prevailed. Even through all the garbage that they threw your way, you guys still got the figures made. You never let it slow you down, and you released Indie Spotlight as planned.

You’ve always said that you’re a fan of toys, who is just trying to make good toys for others to enjoy. Through all of their negative comments you have simply stated, “We’ll let the toys speak for themselves.” Well now the toys are speaking for themselves. Now that the toys are completed and they’re being shipped out to all of the fans who admire them so much, is there anything that you’d like to say to the non-believers out there?

GB: We learned from our mistakes and we let the toys be all they can be. Spreading lies and telling comic shops and customers we are scamming them will only hurt the fans who want the toys. We never dismissed the facts that we were not perfect or mistakes were made but we have moved towards a new future and making toys in a timely manner that are great for the fans.

 

 Not only are the toys speaking for themselves, but the sales seem to be speaking highly for the success of this line as well. At the Shocker Toys store front, the pre-orders for the complete set of all 7 figures have already Sold Out. As well as the individual purchases for Scud, Maxx, and Kabuki. Did the pre-orders for IS1 live up to your expectations?

GB: They slowed when people started saying things like they would never come out but people who believed in us still ordered and you know what they have the toys they wanted in their hands now. So far most of what we got in is selling out and stores have been beating our doors down to get cases to fill their customer’s orders. Diamond decided to give less then stellar support for Indie Spotlight but we did what we had to do to get these out and we have new distributors and are willing to help the LCS with 1st time order discounts.

 

Scud the Disposable Assassin appears to be quite a hit with the fans. The same could be said for Maxx and Kabuki as well. For all those people who have missed out on round 1 for these figures, is there still hope to obtain a Scud, Maxx or Kabuki action figure in the near future?

GB: Yes there is a huge 2nd order which was just increased again due to demand on the way and will be here before SDCC.

 

Indie Spotlight wave 1 appears to be doing well. And we are already looking forward to wave 2… and wave 3 to be honest. After walking the bumpy road of IS1 I’m sure that you guys have learned some things along the way. Fans are hoping that IS2 and IS3 will be a smoother ride for you guys. Now you’ve worked out the kinks in the process of creating these highly articulated figures, and you’ve resolved all of the distribution issues. What can you tell the fans about the production of IS2 and IS3 that will ensure a quick and speedy release for these upcoming waves?

GB: Series2 is already in pre-production and we are working a schedule of August for that which is what we suggested at Toy Fair 2009. Series3 will begin tooling directly after SDCC as we have a contest we will be working into the series. We sacrificed our company, brought in investors, gave volume discounts to stores all so we could get Indie Spotlight finished and in the fan’s hands and Series2 and well beyond that is now taken care of for a much smoother schedule.

 

In order to give fans a rough idea about where you’re at with the creation process of IS2, could you give us a run down about what’s currently going on behind the scenes for Indie Spotlight wave 2?

GB: It is in pre-production final paints being worked out along side our SDCC exclusive Dick Tracy 2 versions. More details of that will be hitting the site soon as well as pre-orders so fans don’t miss out on the 1st shipment like what happened for Series1.

 

Summer is quickly approaching. And for comic/toy fans everywhere, we know what that means… San Diego Comic Con! You mentioned a moment ago that there will be a Dick Tracy SDCC Exclusive figure for 2009. And if memory serves, I believe that you guys were also talking about doing a Black & White version of your upcoming Dick Tracy figure as which won’t be limited to SDCC. Is all of this true? Will there be an Indie Spotlight SDCC Exclusive as well as another Dick Tracy exclusive?

GB: Yes There will be a few exclusives planned and news will be announced when it is all solid.

 

Will Shocker Toys be making the SDCC Exclusive available on their website for those fans who are unable to attend the show?

GB: One version of Dick Tracy will be show attendees only the rest will be available online and at the show.

 

Real quick Geoff, is there anything else that you’d like to mention about the future of the Indie Spotlight toy line that hasn’t already been mentioned for waves 1, 2, or 3? Any new licenses that have been acquired? Any new characters that you’re excited about getting to make? Or perhaps some multi-packs that may be in store for Indie Spotlight?

GB: We have acquired new licenses which you will see in Series announcements and we have a few new lines planned under the Spotlight umbrella.

 

Well folks, there you have it. Indie Sptolight wave 1 has launched, and they came out with guns blazing. Counting pre-orders and the first few weeks of sales there has been 3 figures that have already Sold Out. Orders for the 2nd shipment of wave 1 have been increased to meet the demand of this popular toy line. There’s some new exclusives to look forward to at the end of the summer. Wave 2 is just a short while away. And there’s plenty of more Indie Spotlight to come. By the sounds of that last response we may be looking at even more than just “Indie” figures in the future of Shocker Toys.

Indie Spotlight News would like to thank Geoff Beckett and Shocker Toys for taking the time out of their busy schedule to answer a few questions for the fans. Good Luck with Indie Spotlight. And we’ll see you soon at San Diego Comic Con 2009.

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24 Apr

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