What this might mean for the current DC Comics properties
On January 21, toy manufacturer Spin Master, announced they are entering a 3-year contract with DC Comics/Warner Consumer Products. What this means is that Mattel, the current manufacturer, is losing the license.
Now before you panic completely, not all the DC products made by Mattel are going away. According to the press release, Mattel is only losing the boy’s toys. This will include the action category, remote control and robotic vehicles, water toys and games and puzzles. Mattel will be keeping the girl’s toys, which is the current DC Super-Hero Girls line, and pre-school, which should include Imaginext, as they are considered a pre-school toy. Plus this move of the boy’s toys will not take place until 2020.
Why Mattel is losing the DC license is unknown. What is known, Mattel has reported a 15% decline from last year. Mattel also claimed this was due to lower sales of DC properties in both the boy and girl categories.
What is also unknown is what will be the fate of the 6″ DC Multiverse figures. Mattel has been extremely lax in releasing new waves. Many that were shown at Toy Fair in February. While their main competitor Hasbro has been pumping out wave after wave of Marvel Legends action figures. This is what concerns me the most.
The partnership between DC and Mattel has not been without its problems when it comes to which characters get released. For example, most of us wanted a Red Hood figure that was based his motorcycle look. What we got from Mattel was the God-awful Red Hood that looks like a marital aid. Rumor has it that it was DC that dictated which version the collectors got. Not many of us were happy, but there is no real proof that is what when down. That’s just one example.
It’s not all despair when it comes to the 6″ collectible. When Hasbro took over from Toy Biz on the Marvel Legends, they had to re-invent the wheel. It took a couple of waves, but what we are getting now, is just plain amazing. Hopefully, this will be the case with Spin Master too.
To be honest, Mattel’s bread and butter is Barbie and Fisher-Price. That’s where most of the money comes from.
Then there is the other factor of Spin Master themselves. Spin Master really doesn’t have a presence in the boy’s toy aisle that this time. The only real boy toy they have is Flush Force. Spin Master has a strong standing in the pre-school section with having the license to Paw Patrol. Having DC in their portfolio could turn out to be a good thing.
It has been years since Spin Master did action figures. Needless to say, it will be interesting what they will come up with.
Since the entire deal isn’t happening until 2020, I highly doubt we will see any DC stuff at the Spin Master booth at Toy Fair in February. We might see something at San Diego Comic-Con, but most likely we won’t see anything until towards the end of 2019.
Any way you look at it, it is going to be interesting to see what is coming down the pike. Right now, all we have is more questions.
Newsdesk