Toy Fair 2016: McFarlane Toys

Welcome back, Spawn!

McFarlane Toys is certainly no stranger when it comes to shaking things up, and their 2016 showcase proved they’re doing it again.  This year sees an impressive new stable of properties, ranging from modern anime hits like Naruto, Tokyo Ghoul, and Attack on Titan, movie and TV properties such as Assassin’s Creed and Fear The Walking Dead, and video games like Gears of War.

But rather than release all new toy lines for each of these properties, McFarlane is trying something different.  The Color Tops collection will feature an assortment of 6″ scale figures from all these properties and more, all within a single wave of toys.  So a series might spotlight two characters from The Walking Dead, packed next to Michael Fassbender’s cinematic Assassin’s Creed character and the mysterious JD from Gears of War 4.

Each figure will feature highly detailed, pre-posed sculpts, accessories, and limited articulation.  Yes, it’s the return of the “McStatues”… but McFarlane Toys’ sculpting skills are in top form, making these figures incredible pieces even without articulation.  And to usher in this dynamic new figure release format, who better to lead the way than Spawn himself, making his return to the toy world for the first time in years!

If you’re lamenting the great articulation featured on McFarlane’s Walking Dead, Halo and Assassin’s Creed action figures, don’t worry– the 5″ figures are still getting some attention, too.  The latest waves of Assassin’s Creed and Halo 5 were on display, along with production samples of The Walking Dead Series 8, including an amazing Beth Greene figure.  The AMC show’s beloved anti-hero Daryl Dixon is also coming back to the toy line, with a new box set of Daryl sporting his leather jacket, alongside his second motorcycle.  This current look also serves as the inspiration for the first Walking Dead TV-inspired resin statue, a brutal piece spotlighting Daryl tearing through a pack of Walkers, armed with his trusty crossbow and a slick pair of sunglasses.

Also on display in Mcfarlane’s booth were the prototypes for the next set of comic book Walking Dead figures, slated to include Shane Walsh (with and alternate head and scarf to display his after he’s turned into a zombie), Glenn (in his classic ball cap look), Negan (with his scraggily prison beard), and Lydia.  While no photography was allowed on these figures, they looked fantastic, and are sure to please any Walking Dead readers.

The other new concept from McFarlane this year are the Big Heads, a series of highly detailed super-deform figures that stand about 2.5” tall.  The cartoony proportions of these minifigures are offset by their realistic sculpts, and they will be released in assortments featuring many of the same brands as the Color Tops. As an added bonus, the Walking Dead Big Heads will all include an alternate, proportionally small head, allowing them to double as minifigures compatible with the building sets.  It’s a very smart bit of design on Mcfarlane’s part!

Speaking of building sets, both the Walking Dead and Game of Thrones lines will expand– three connectable sets based on the streets of Atlanta from Season One for the former, and a gorgeous Mother of Dragons themed diorama for the latter– and we will see a lineup of exclusive building sets based on the video game Five Nights At Freddy’s, as well.  If you’re a Loot Crate subscriber, this month’s “Dead” themed Crate will feature an exclusive release from Mcfarlane’s Walking Dead collection, their first time teaming up!

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised when McFarlane Toys switches gears and goes in several entirely new directions with their products.  I respect that kind of ambition, for sure… it’s what has helped them become and remain one of the big players in the action figure world.  With a diverse roster of properties, McFarlane is sure to connect with every collector, whether their passion lies in anime, video games, comics, movies or TV.  Check out photos from McFarlane Toys’ booth at Toy Fair, as well as a sneak peek at some of their newest products!