Q&A: Wandering Planet Toys’ Chris “Doc” Wyatt and Gavin Hignight Team Up with Monstrous for KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER Figures

Immortalizing a legendary horror character like never before, Wandering Planet Toys co-founders Chris “Doc” Wyatt and Gavin Hignight have teamed up with James Aquilone's Monstrous Books to create the first-ever officially licensed Kolchak: The Night Stalker action figures of the supernatural sleuth Carl Kolchak and his bloodthirsty nemesis Janos Skorzeny. Based on their appearances in Jeff Rice's The Night Stalker novel (which eventually spawned the Kolchak television films and series and was recently released as an audiobook narrated by William Katt), the Kolchak action figures are now available to support on Kickstarter, and we caught up with Doc and Gavin in a new Q&A feature to discuss the creative process and incredible attention to detail behind these new collectibles!

Below, you can read our full Q&A with Doc and Gavin, and we also have images of the new Kolchak figures (including a blood-splattered version) and a Kolchak lunchbox that is an exclusive tier reward for backers of the Kickstarter campaign! To learn more, be sure to visit the official Kickstarter page for the new action figures!

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Doc and Gavin, and congratulations on creating the first-ever 1/12 scale officially licensed action figures of paranormal investigative reporter Carl Kolchak and vampire Janos Skorzeny! How did this opportunity come about to team up with publisher Monstrous and pay tribute to one of the most beloved characters in horror fiction?

Gavin Hignight: Thanks! And thank you for having us! Kolchak is a figure that Doc and I have wanted to do from the very beginning. He’s exactly the type of character and has the cult status that we like to explore in action figure form… and it was fortuitous luck actually that Superfan Promotions, who we work with on press, also happened to work with Monstrous on their books. They put together a meeting with us and James Aquilone… and the rest is monster history!

Doc Wyatt: Monstrous has been doing some amazing stuff about honoring the legacy of Kolchak. They’ve been amazing partners, and we’re making figures we think Jeff Rice, Kolchak’s creator, would be proud of.

The six-inch Carl Kolchak single figure features “22 points of articulation, two heads (with hat and without), and interchangeable hands” and comes with Kolchak’s trusty typewriter, camera, tape recorder, and a crucifix (you just never know when you’ll need it in his line of work). How important was it for you to make sure this Carl Kolchak figure comes equipped with everything he needs to get a supernatural scoop for the newspaper… and survive to write about it?

Gavin Hignight: It’s all in the details, especially with the 1/12 scale. It was super important to us to create the right accessories and the right details into those accessories… and honestly it was part of the fun for us. Kolchak is a cool hero, as one of his main weapons in his fight against evil is the written word and his investigative skills. These are the tools of his trade and we wanted the figure to include items that are accurate to the era of the book. As we have done with other figures we’ve created, we really want a figure that you can play with and enjoy. The various accessories mean every so often a fan can change up Kolchak’s look and what he’s holding, display him in a new pose, and enjoy the figure all over again.

Doc Wyatt: What’s great about Kolchak is his accessories. He’s a reporter. He’s fighting vampires with a notebook and a typewriter (OK, and also sometimes wood stakes) but he’s not coming in with Rambo knives and machine guns. He’s closer to a film noir gumshoe. He’s the fourth estate!

The character of Carl Kolchak first appeared in Jeff Rice’s novel (which was recently published as a new deluxe edition from Monstrous) and was played brilliantly by Darren McGavin onscreen. Although this action figure is based on the character’s appearance in Rice’s novel, were you still influenced or inspired by Darren McGavin’s portrayal while designing the figure?

Gavin Hignight: Because the figure is based on the book we leaned heavily on how Kolchak appears in publishing.

Doc Wyatt: But McGavin’s swagger is an element picked up straight out of the books.

In addition to the Carl Kolchak single figure, you’ll also be releasing a “Blood-Splattered Kolchak Versus The Night Stalker” two-figure pack that depicts Kolchak and Janos the vampire in their final showdown. How crucial was it for you to include the terrifying Janos and the blood-splattered version of Kolchak in this initial release, and what goes into the creative process of designing these figures and ensuring that all of those little details come together in the final version?

Gavin Hignight: Our Kolchak figure had to have a monster to fight! And Skorzeny is such an awesome antagonist. For those who haven’t read Jeff Rice’s original book, I highly recommend it. It’s such a great read, it comes from such a fresh angle, and Skorzeny is really creepy in it. It just felt right, really focussing on the supernatural nemesis that pulls Carl Kolchak into the world of the unknown. When the idea of doing a variant of Kolchak, is light color suit splattered in blood was pitched, everyone was like YES. And then out amazing designer Jenny was like… and we blood splatter the package too, right? And here we are. I’m excited, I haven’t figured out a way to make glow-in-the-dark Kolchak make sense yet LOL, but blood splattered is right out of the book and felt… just right.

Doc Wyatt: Bring on the blood.

Do you each have fond memories of watching the Kolchak movies and TV series? Do you have a favorite episode or film scene in particular that comes to mind when you think of the character’s enduring legacy?

Gavin Hignight: I am a huge fan of classic TV. I get absolutely lost in older series and have too many fond memories of so many shows and characters that I love. I will say, the character Carl Kolchak really appeals to me, because he’s not a winner. He always does the right thing, he fights the good fight, defeats the evil and tries to protect everyone, but he doesn’t get a lot of credit. I love James Rockford for the same reason… Maybe I find them relatable. They try to do the right thing, but they seldom get credit for saving the day… yet when the moment comes again, they do the right thing again. They get knocked down, they get back up again, that’s their strength… And Kolchak in the novel, wow, he's flawed, in a charming hard drinking way the world and most characters don't get to be any more. He’s a damaged hero and I like that.

Doc Wyatt: My favorite episode is Mr. R.I.N.G. Killer robots are my jam.

Wandering Planet Toys has teamed up with Monstrous to launch a Kickstarter campaign for the Carl Kolchak and Janos Skorzeny action figures. What types of ghoulish goodies can supporters of the Kickstarter look forward to?

Gavin Hignight: Because of all the challenges with the tariffs, the general state of the economy and cost of living being so challenging right now, I really just hyper focused on a very basic and obtainable line. A great Kolchak that we’ve all always wanted, a great sinister and unusual take on the vampire Skorzeny, and beautiful packaging for both the single figure and the two-pack. Kolchak, as you mentioned, comes with tons of cool accessories that are very unique. And the two-pack feels like the toy set you never knew you always wanted. BUT… we could not work with Monstrous and all their incredible art and not do something extra for fans, so we created a tin retro style Kolchak: The Night Stalker lunchbox. It’s really cool and a great way to store your figures or take your spooky lunch to work in. We are excited to offer that as an add on to the figure campaign. We made a similar one for The Prisoner and it really pushes that nostalgia button in just the right way. Many of us were those kids that would have preferred to go to school with our Kolchak lunchbox.

What has it been like to team up with Monstrous and James Aquilone to immortalize Carl Kolchak like never before as an official action figure, and can we expect to see more collaborations with Monstrous (and perhaps more Kolchak action figures) from Wandering Planet Toys in the future?

Gavin Hignight: It’s been great! Super easy which has been nice. James/Monstrous totally understands what we are trying to make and have been effortlessly supportive, James is celebrating this fictional world, just as we are, which is great and appreciated! I think horror fans just click in a natural way. No matter what town you’re from, or what coast you might be living on, you connect. As fans, and as professionals. It’s nice to have a project like Kolchak come together with all the right folks behind the scenes. So yes, absolutely looking for ways to collab with Monstrous in the future…

Doc Wyatt: Gavin and I are both writers, and we love comics, monsters and toys so it seems there is more to explore with James and Monstrous for sure!

Gavin Hignight: And we’re not quite finished with The Prisoner, we have a third wave in development! And wow is it going to be epic. And speaking of horror… we are digging deeper! Doc and I are fans of all kinds of stuff, but there are some horror IPs and forgotten gems that deserve the toy treatment. We're already sculpting something… and Kolchak is kicking down the horror door for us. Expect some really cool and scary releases coming up! THANK YOU!

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Press Release: Fan-favorite indie toy company Wandering Planet Toys is partnering with publisher Monstrous to create the FIRST EVER officially licensed action figures of Kolchak and his notorious nemesis the vampire Janos Skorzeny. Since his 1972 debut, reporter CARL KOLCHAK has become one of the most enduring characters in weird fiction, starring in TV movies THE NIGHT STALKER and THE NIGHT STRANGLER as well as a beloved cult hit TV series. Now, from the novel that started it all, the famed paranormal investigator is making his figure debut as a deluxe, collectible 6-inch figure. Fans can support the figures on Kickstarter now!

Presented as a 1/12 scale modern deluxe figure based on his character in the book, the CARL KOLCHAK Single Figure features 22 points of articulation, two heads (with hat and without), and interchangeable hands. With accessories like Kolchak’s typewriter, camera, tape recorder, and a crucifix - fans can recreate all of their favorite scenes from Jeff Rice’s classic book. Collectors searching for the intrepid reporter’s gruesome side can pick up the BLOOD-SPLATTERED KOLCHAK VERSUS THE NIGHT STALKER – Two-figure Pack, which features the BLOOD-SPATTERED VARIANT of Kolchak and the terrifying 1/12 scale vampire, JANOS SKORZENY, capturing the moment the two faced off in their final duel. Wandering Planet will also be releasing an exclusive KOLCHAK COLLECTABLE METAL LUNCHBOX, Kolchak’s first ever retro style tin lunchbox, featuring art from Monstrous’ Kolchak comic book series by Colton Worley.

“From the very beginning of Wandering Planet we've always had Kolchak on our 'wish list' of official licensed figures we'd love to make,” says Wandering Planet Co-Founder Chris “Doc” Wyatt. “We've wanted the irascible Carl investigating supernatural cases on our toy shelves for years! We're so thankful for our partners at Monstrous, who are working with us to make our collector's dream a reality... not just for us, but for all toy fans!”

In 1972, legendary novelist and screenwriter Richard Matheson’s (I Am Legend) adaptation of Jeff Rice’s novel in the record-breaking smash hit TV movie THE NIGHT STALKER starring Darren McGavin, and a phenomenon was born. In KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, the courageous reporter’s first encounter with the supernatural, Carl faces off against the murderous vampire, Janos Skorzeny, known as THE NIGHT STALKER in the streets of Las Vegas. This stunning showdown and Kolchak’s subsequent TV adventures captured fans and creators' imaginations for generations, inspiring new stories across multiple mediums. In recent years, Kolchak has leapt into action on the comics page thanks to Monstrous’ 2022 Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel from Peter David (Incredible Hulk), Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger), Marco Finnegan (Calvera PI), Warwick Cadwell-Johnson (The Crown: A Tale of Hell), and more as well as the upcoming KOLCHAK MEETS THE CLASSIC MONSTERS series featuring work from Actor and Writer David Dastmalchian (Count Crowley), Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia), George Quadros (Avatar: The High Ground), and many others. This year’s Kolchak Eras – a new collection of short stories by a who’s who of fearless writers including James Aquilone (Omega Eleven), David Avallone (Red Sonja Noir), and Jim Beard (Star Wars) – is bringing Kolchak back to the bookshelf, now, Kolchak can take his rightful place on collector’s toy shelves, too!

“I absolutely love a hero who is down on his luck… that does the right thing, because it’s the right thing, who despite everything stacked against them, pushes forward, saves the day and defeats evil,” explains Wandering Planet Co-Founder Gavin Hignight. “Carl Kolchak is that type of hero. I’m thrilled to team up with Monstrous, to bring our favorite underdog hero from the page to your toy collections.”

Wandering Planet has previously crowdfunded collectible action figures for comedy legends Laurel & Hardy, the cult classic television show The Prisoner, and the first ever officially sanctioned Nancy Drew action figures. To support the campaign, visit Kickstarter, and be sure to follow Wandering Planet Toys on X, Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook for more updates.

ABOUT WANDERING PLANET TOYS

Wandering Planet Toys is an indie toy company run out of a garage located less than a mile from the staircase location where Laurel & Hardy’s classic, Oscar-winning short “The Music Box” was filmed.

Wandering Planet was launched by two friends and toy fans who spend their days as professional TV animation writers and producers, and their nights putting together toy lines for their collections and yours. Wandering Planet has created officially licensed toy lines based on the 1960’s classic British TV series, THE PRISONER, and the original girl detective, NANCY DREW.

ABOUT MONSTROUS

Monstrous is an independent publisher focused on dark fiction and action-packed stories. Owned and operated by Bram Stoker Award-winning editor and writer James Aquilone, Monstrous is dedicated to creating high-quality print and digital comics, graphic novels, and prose books that aim to entertain with its stories and delight with its aesthetics. Monstrous is the new home of Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Its other titles include Creepshow: 13 Tales of Terror, Dead Detectives Society, The Omega Eleven, and the upcoming Weird Tales graphic novel.

For updates, follow Monstrous on X/Twitter, Facebook and https://www.monstrousverse.com/