The Penguin must come with removable shades, wearing a bow tie (that spins), and have a pocket to keep a (removable) fish. It must also have a suprised look on it's face, whatever Ken does to obtain this suprised look is completely his own private business ...
You know, a penguin pack-in would be very cool...but who would you give him to? What fig would make sense? Or should the penguins be one of those types of things you make for a club, like a "bag 'o muppets" type of thing?
1.since we're getting muppet newsman wouldn't it only make sense for a muppet news room?with an attack sheep?wrecking ball?kermit, with a spring put in his hospital bed to fling him?
It would make sense from a logical perspective, but do you think the Newsman is a strong enough figure to carry a playset all by himself? I don't know. I have read an awful lot of posts lately of people who are glad we are doing Animal as an exclusive so they do NOT have to buy the playset. Think Newsguy can carry the day?
2.could swinetrek have a "tilt feature" like when piggy tips it because she's so "fluffy"?(that is a really dumb one.)3.can any other figs fit in the stage's balcony?
Probably not. Most of the budget is pretty much gone now. Good idea though. Be cool to do a feature that could be like the fake "lean" on Star Trek.
I know eveyone asks what is coming down the pipe line for the figures. But my question is how did this all get started? How did your company get the rights to do this line? Was it Henson's idea? And what did you think when you first heard about it?
We have these licensing meetings, where we each give ideas at a round table about what kind of stuff we should go after. A year or two ago we had one of those meetings. Everyone contributes ideas. At the company I used to work Muppets had come up but never really got off the ground, and since I really wanted to do it that was the first one on my list of contributing ideas. The list overall from everyone had great stuff on it. Most of which was taken in the time between then and now. So we picked a few on the top of the list that day and unleashed Mike Renegar on it.
Mike Renegar, our VP, who handles sales and licensing, made first contact with Henson. He showed our wares, made a pitch, and got a deal. It was really that simple. They were impressed with us...they liked our passion, our commitment, our toys and the fact that we are like they are...very passionate about what we do.
When I first heard we got it I was stoked and also a little worried. It took a while for me to get into the process and to understand the needs and wants of the fan base...stuff like that. I was worried because my first thought was that these would not be challenging to me because I was at that time really grooving on Resident Evil and I wanted more adult stuff to design and manage. That was the wrong way to look at it...these figures could be challenging, I would just have to make them challenging in concept. You don;t have to have extreme detail to be challenged by the details. The characters had things about them that were VERY challenging, I just only remembered it as a kid's show. I mean I loved it...but I had not watched an episode in 10 years at least. And it was also worrisome to know that I had the power to royally screw these iconic characters up and that everyone had a different take on what makes each character each character.
But now I am pretty immersed in it. I had forgotten how good that show really is. I usually laugh pretty loud at stuff, much to the embarrassment of my co-workers, and I recently watched Milton Berle get heckled by Statler and Waldorf and was laughing just as loud as I do watching "Whose Line..", so the show still holds up and really makes me laugh.
Now it is just a matter of trying to manage the ins ands outs of the most difficult product line I have ever managed. Although it has been a lot of work it has been fun work, and although I feel like Series 1 is the weakest series it's great to see reaction being so good. My feeling, hopefully, is that the best is yet to come. Now if only we could get our schedules more streamlined and some of the processes more streamlined...but the product itself for me is going in the direction it needs to go. I'm proud of it so far. Packaging is tight, sales got the product placed well, bills for production got paid when they needed to be, the sculptors outdid themselves, the paints are great, the people at Henson had solid ideas and direction...everybody involved seems to have risen above and beyond the call of duty. To say this was the biggest team effort of the company would be the understatement of the year.
It may be a bit early to ask this but here it goes. Will Pigs in Space and Nurse Piggy have a body truer to the Muppet Show version or the new Henson "Slim Fast" Piggy?
Piggy will still be more petite. That is the way Henson sees her now. Unfortunately that is a battle I won't be able to win.
I like the fact that the hair and ears are a seperate piece on the exclusive Piggy. I think this could also help the looks of the new Piggy because it adds more detail. Of course, you guys think of everything so perhaps you had to pass on that. I also like that you did not use a neon greenish paint on kermit. Are series two figures already being manufactured?
We will always do that from now on. I like it too. I think it gives us hair options. And of course...I am still gonna solve the problem and do a rooted hair version...SOME day. Man...we really missed it on the hair up version...the EB Piggy is so much better.
I'm not sure if this was asked or not, and if so I apoligize. When is it possible to see the pic's of Zoot? And, What is the projected date that He WILL be on the stores shelves???
Um...I have to figure that out. Zoot will be coming out in Series 3. Exactly when Series 3 comes out is currently in discussion.
Thanks,
Ken
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