The Longbox Heroes Collection | Source: Fresh Monkey Fiction/ToyOtter Toys

A pair of toy industry veterans have embarked on a unique crowdfunding campaign to launch a new line of action figures that takes inspiration from the past.

Fresh Monkey Fiction has teamed up with designer and toy historian Jason Geyer aka ToyOtter Toys for the Longbox Heroes Collection. The new range of retro-inspired, 4.5-inch action figures introduces a host of characters from creator-owned comic books into the form factor made famous by the Mattel and Kenner superhero figures of the 1980s.

“We’ve known each other a long time and have collaborated here and there in the past, but we have been waiting for the perfect project to combine our talents,” says Fresh Monkey Fiction’s Bill Murphy.

The Longbox Heroes Collection features Madman created by Mike Allred; The Goon created by Eric Powell; The Tick created by Ben Edlund; Mr. Monster created by Michael T. Gilbert; Cassie Hack created by Tim Seeley; Grendel created by Matt Wagner; and The Rocketeer created by Dave Stevens. Additionally, the collection includes a pair of brand new characters: The Black Phantom and Onslaught Trooper inspired by The Rocketeer Jet-Pack Adventures stories. Each figure will have seven points of articulation and will come packed on a retro-inspired card.

A retro-inspired toy guide for the first wave from The Longbox Heroes Collection | Source: Fresh Monkey Fiction/ToyOtter Toys

“The love collectors have for the toys of their childhood — Kenner’s Super Powers and Mattel’s Secret Wars figures, among many more — made us think it was the perfect form factor to pay homage to with the fan-favorite indie comic characters that we all grew up with,” Geyer says.

Related: The Toy Book’s 2022 Specialty Toy Issue is Here!

The Longbox Heroes Collection is being funded by preorders in an eight-week campaign that includes a minimum order quantity (MOQ) for each character. If a character does not reach its MOQ through BigBadToyStore, that character will not be produced. As of this writing, the MOQ numbers have not been publicly revealed.

Pending successful crowdfunding, the action figures are expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2023.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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