"Wandering Planet Toys has turned heads with their line of collectible action figures that celebrate the pop culture icons of yesteryear, with can’t-miss collectibles for fans of Kolchak the Night Stalker, Nancy Drew, The Prisoner, Laurel and Hardy, and even cartoonist Fletcher Hank’s cult classic character The Headless Ones. And now Wandering Planets Toys co-founders Gavin Hignight and Chris “Doc” Wyatt are teaming up once again for an all-new and entirely unexpected line of retro-style action figures, featuring the coolest, quirkiest space travelers ever known to the universe: The Planetoid Raiders! Who are these intergalactic creatures? And who (or what) are The Arcade Raiders?"
Wandering Planet Toys' Planetoid Raiders is definitely making me feel nostalgic for the days when I was endlessly playing with my Star Wars, M.A.S.K., Ninja Turtles, and Transformers figures, and yes... I did have lunchboxes for most of these as well. Planetoid Raiders is launching on Kickstarter soon, and we've been given an exclusive look at the lunchbox that features painted artwork from horror artist Bill Rude!
From the Press Release:
Inspired by Kenner Toys’ 1978 Star Wars action figures, and their off-the-wall competitor Tomland Toys’ Starroid Raiders – each PLANETOID RAIDER is a lovingly designed tribute to classic scifi toys and a striking piece of contemporary art. Fans can collect each limited edition, 5-point articulated, 1:18 Scale figure on Kickstarter, including brave Captain Oton, heroic Helmsman Ryot, WarLor the Mysterious Space Traveler, the trusty rusty robot Yogun, and the rest of the team! Wandering Planet’s motley crew is ready for whatever cosmic adventures collectors can dream up.
In 1977, the year before Kenner officially licensed their classic Star Wars figures, Hong Kong-based indie toy manufacturer Tomland Toys released a wave of action figures loosely inspired by Star Wars. The Starroid Raiders were cheaper and leaner than their Kenner counterparts and could be bought in drug stores and gas stations at low cost. These figures were ugly space weirdos that definitely resembled aliens from a galaxy far far away… just maybe not the exact galaxy fans were thinking of. While many viewed these otherworldly characters as “knock-offs,” their attention-grabbing head sculpts and bright color schemes made them lovable. These misfits and underdogs of the toy box have become highly sought after by collectors around the world. Now, Wandering Planet Toys’ PLANETOID RAIDERS action figures honor Tomland Toys’ wacky tradition of retro cosmic madness. The odd space characters sport designs that look to the past, while also playing with modern design concepts that breathe new life into their retro-futuristic aesthetic.
“Starroid Raiders are great because they’re gloriously ugly space weirdos. A combination of wild imagination and nonsensical random strangeness, they were intended as cheap knock offs but managed to be so awesomely unique.” says Chris “Doc” Wyatt. “Our PLANETOID RAIDERS figures honor the imaginative history of knock off space figures, but push a modern approach, marrying outrageous design with bold colors and a retro space age aesthetic.”
By day, Chris “Doc” Wyatt and Gavin Hignight are professional writers. Fans might recognize Wyatt from he and Luke Arnold’s graphic novel series The Essentials or his work writing for LEGO Ninjago and Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85, while Hignight has penned acclaimed episodes of RoboForce: The Animated Series, Gundam: Requiem For Vengeance and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But their love of pop culture doesn’t stop there!
“Doc and I go way back,” says Gavin Hignight. “It's kind of crazy. Iron Man: Armored Adventures was the beginning and PLANETOID RAIDERS is the current chapter! He grew up in Atlanta, I grew up in Denver, but wow did we grow up the same. We spoke the same nerd language from the beginning. Same toys, same TV shows, same joys. We can talk 4th Doctor Who episodes, well, really any Doctor episodes, and we can talk toys. That's how it began, in writing rooms on shows, when we had downtime it was toy talk. That evolved into ‘Let's make toys’ talk, and that has evolved into ‘Everyone in the known galaxy needs PLANETOID RAIDERS in their life, how do we make this happen?’ talk. SO yes, there is a synergy! In toys, on screens or as fans. Also, he has the uncanny ability to tolerate my madness which is no short order and much appreciated.”
BUT WAIT… WHO ARE THE PLANETOID RAIDERS?
NAME: OTON
NAME: RYOT
NAME: BUZZ
NAME: SLOOG
The PLANETOID RAIDERS don’t ride alone! Wandering Planet is also introducing fans to the all-new ARCADE RAIDERS, which will come packaged in a retro arcade cabinet blind box packaging. The PLANETOID RAIDERS Kickstarter campaign will launch with a single Arcade Raider available as an add on, and for each funding milestone raised above the funding goal, backers will unlock additional Arcade Raiders that will be made available as a new add-on option to everyone!
“Starroid Raiders are everything that is magic about toy collecting to me.” adds Hignight “The vibe, the memories and visions they evoke. These are toys for toys’ sake. They possess an element of time travel for me. They take me back to being a kid, when the universe we lived in was so large and grand and beautiful, when ideas, daydreams and hope were limitless. Just being that small kid, in the toy aisle, looking at the bright colors and rayguns, laser swords, the different shaped alien heads and space themed card art. These were and are toys that fire up the imagination. It's no wonder, decades later, toy collectors like us seek them out, searching for their magic, They are artifacts of a different time for so many of us, and we respectively hope to spark up those good feelings, good times, and bring wacky characters like these to new generations and to those who never had a chance to experience the fun of the originals.”
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After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
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