The Four Horsemen got a fantastic write-up in the New York Times this week by NYT staff editor and toy fan Gregory Schmidt (who’s written about toys before). While I’m willing to bet most of the information in the article is known to Poesters, there were a few tidbits in there I was unaware of – like the attempt at creating a cartoon with 4Kids Entertainment.
Here’s one of the more interesting quotes:
Despite their struggles, the men would still like to pursue an animated series. But they are taking a more cautious approach to the entertainment industry. They are looking for smaller ways to build their concepts, like through comic books and graphic novels. For now, they are talking to a brand developer in New York about representation. They are also building a style guide for their characters, with the hope of handing it off to a writer who can develop a story concept. And they have broadened their partnerships to include two online retailers in Japan, a lucrative market for toymakers.
The article ends by quoting some business types with suggestions as to how the Horsemen could achieve their goals at becoming toy producers as well as designers. I have to admit that all three suggestions seem pretty obvious, and I’m sure they’ve all been considered by the Horsemen.
I’m curious as to what property the style guide is for – Magma Corps? 7th Kingdom? I suppose I could just ask them, but where’s the fun in that? Oh, I’ll just ask them.
LetMeBeFrank
I can't believe this isn't full of comments!
I love reading stories that show us what's going on behind the scenes of the toy industry. Let's all hope that the 4 Horsemen can make some more toys without the burden of Mattel's greedy ways.
Ridureyu
These guys have always been awesome, and it's great to see them finally getting some mainstream recognition!
The_Fun_has_been_Doubled
It's a really cool story about the Horsemen… If I was the big red Buzzsaw I'd be worried about letting these guys go… (Unless they've found a way to secretly clone the 4 Horsemen)