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  1. #1
    Ultimate Member Robotman's Avatar
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    Default What happened to DC action figures?!?

    When I was a kid I had a lot of action figures. Some of my favorites were my DC superhero action figures. I was recently at Target looking for a present for my nephew and there are next to no DC figures. I saw Batman figures for small children and a Superman spinning launcher thing. A really pathetic selection. And a quarter of the isle was full of Marvel action figures.
    Action figures are a great way for kids get into superheroes and maybe start a life long love of comics. DC really needs to get their sh!t together. Aren't they partnered with Mattel? If Mattel is the reason for their limited action figure presence I really hope they part ways with the company.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robotman View Post
    When I was a kid I had a lot of action figures. Some of my favorites were my DC superhero action figures. I was recently at Target looking for a present for my nephew and there are next to no DC figures. I saw Batman figures for small children and a Superman spinning launcher thing. A really pathetic selection. And a quarter of the isle was full of Marvel action figures.
    Action figures are a great way for kids get into superheroes and maybe start a life long love of comics. DC really needs to get their sh!t together. Aren't they partnered with Mattel? If Mattel is the reason for their limited action figure presence I really hope they part ways with the company.
    I have felt the same for awhile now.everytime I walk through walmart,kmart,target,etc I see rows full of marvel toys and only a very small section for DC toys.

    I feel the same way about all the kid books sitting around also ugh

  3. #3
    Ultimate Member Lee Stone's Avatar
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    I think the thing is... as comics became more of an adult medium, action figures also became more geared towards adults, namely "geeks" who would know characters that the average person would not.

    To get kids interested in action figures, they would first need some sort of stimulation. Before the watchdog groups brought the death of Saturday Morning Cartoons and comics were moved out of the public eye, kids had plenty of exposure to DC and Marvel heroes.

    And I think a lot of fans today of heroes such as Batman, Superman and Spider-Man dont want to see kids playing with action figures of them because subconsciously they're afraid the characters will be reclaimed for kids.
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  4. #4
    Extraordinary Member Lightning Rider's Avatar
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    To be in a store like Target, I think they'd have to be tied to a movie release. Which explains why you'd see lots of Marvel ones. As a kid I remember Target was a reliable source for Dragon Ball Z action figures, and other stores like Toys R Us had plenty of wrestling figures. Those were steady and popular programs children liked. There are plenty of DC figures in my local comic book shop, but, well, duh. There were plenty of Batman ones around during the Nolan films, I remember. There will be more when the movies start coming out. The Justice League cartoon also saw an increased presence in figurines, I think, specifically those Oscar award-like statues.

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    Ultimate Member Robotman's Avatar
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    I'm sure Batman v. Superman will bring about a lot of new action figures. Hopefully DC can stick with it and make some quality figures for kids. I recall hearing the Young Justice action figures were terrible.

  6. #6
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robotman View Post
    When I was a kid I had a lot of action figures. Some of my favorites were my DC superhero action figures. I was recently at Target looking for a present for my nephew and there are next to no DC figures. I saw Batman figures for small children and a Superman spinning launcher thing. A really pathetic selection. And a quarter of the isle was full of Marvel action figures.
    Action figures are a great way for kids get into superheroes and maybe start a life long love of comics. DC really needs to get their sh!t together. Aren't they partnered with Mattel? If Mattel is the reason for their limited action figure presence I really hope they part ways with the company.
    The answer?
    Quote Originally Posted by Bogotazo View Post
    To be in a store like Target, I think they'd have to be tied to a movie release. Which explains why you'd see lots of Marvel ones.
    Bingo! To be a kiddy toy, they really need to be tied in to movies or animated TV shows these days. And Cartoon Network doesn't seem to want anything to do with DC superheroes, so that's part of why the Young Justice action figures from a couple of years back didn't hang around too long. There are some awful Batman-related toys tied in to the Animal Instincts (or whatever it's called) video, but until DC gets more kid-friendly superhero movies or TV shows out there, places like Target and Walmart don't really have the space for that stuff on the shelves. (They probably figure the Lego section is sufficient.)

  7. #7
    Ultimate Member Lee Stone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robotman View Post
    I'm sure Batman v. Superman will bring about a lot of new action figures. Hopefully DC can stick with it and make some quality figures for kids. I recall hearing the Young Justice action figures were terrible.
    Is Batman v. Superman going to be rated PG-13? Or R?
    That'll be the deciding factor.
    PG-13 means possible action figures/toy for kids.
    R means higher priced action figures/collectibles for adults.

    (Still waiting for the "Oh, Stop it!" action figure box set of Identity Crisis with Sue Dibney and Dr. Light.)
    "There's magic in the sound of analog audio." - CNET.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Stone View Post
    Is Batman v. Superman going to be rated PG-13? Or R?
    That'll be the deciding factor.
    PG-13 means possible action figures/toy for kids.
    R means higher priced action figures/collectibles for adults.

    (Still waiting for the "Oh, Stop it!" action figure box set of Identity Crisis with Sue Dibney and Dr. Light.)
    No way in Hell is Batman/Superman going to be R. I'm sure they want to market it towards kids. If they would make that R, the DC cinematic universe might as well put a gun to its head and pull the trigger.

  9. #9
    The Winged Wonder Hawkman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Stone View Post
    Is Batman v. Superman going to be rated PG-13? Or R?
    That'll be the deciding factor.
    I'm sure it'll be PG-13. You rarely see big-budget R-rated films these days, and for a concept as anticipated as Batman fighting Superman, there's no way Warner Bros. would want to risk limiting its audience.

    As to the topic at hand, there is the Total Heroes line of DC action figures, which are supposed to be available in the toy sections of most department stores. To be honest, I haven't stepped in the kids section of a department store in years, so I can't tell you if they're actually there or not, but they are listed on their (Walmart, Kmart, and Toys R Us) websites, at least.
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  10. #10
    Incredible Member SwampyCA's Avatar
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  11. #11
    Ultimate Member Robotman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SwampyCA View Post
    Well that's good to hear. If Wonder Woman does indeed have a great showing in this movie I hope it helps to get young girl more interested in superheroes. Show them why Wonder Woman is the icon. The Barbie tie in is a good idea. Hopefully they have some good Wonder Woman action figures as well.

  12. #12
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkman View Post
    . . . To be honest, I haven't stepped in the kids section of a department store in years, so I can't tell you if they're actually there or not, but they are listed on their (Walmart, Kmart, and Toys R Us) websites, at least.
    There's a lot more stuff that's available on their websites than are carried in actual stores. Websites don't have the limits of shelf space that physical stores do, so they can offer things on the internet that they never stock in the stores.

  13. #13
    Put a smile on that face Immortal Weapon's Avatar
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    I work at a Toys R Us. The store has an entire alse for Marvel toys and the Marvel toys cannibalized the space that was meant for DC toys. All the DC stuff we get now are Batman toys. Neither from the Batman Unlimited line or toys based on the Arkham games. If we're lucky we might get Teen Titans Go toys but that's it.

  14. #14
    Reader of Stuff Hilden B. Lade's Avatar
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    I think I saw an Aquaman figure hanging very lonely all by himself in a Grocery Outlet store in Marina.

  15. #15
    Mighty Member upgrayedd's Avatar
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    It's probably the New 52 costumes that frighten the children in marketing tests for action figures
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