Wandering Planet Toys has made quite the name for itself in recent years, producing action figures for properties ranging from everything from Nancy Drew to Laurel and Hardy. Now the company is back with their sights on the cult classic 1960s TV series, The Prisoner! Just yesterday, Wandering Planet launched a Kickstarter to make the first officially licensed 1:12 scale, fully-articulated The Prisoner action figures a reality. With one day in, the company is already near its initial funding goal!
I spoke with Wandering Planet Toys’ Gavin Hignight and Doc Wyatt recently about their newest Kickstarter, how this action figure line for The Prisoner differs from their past endeavors, their considerations in designing this new batch of toys, and their love of The Prisoner.
Every time I get the chance to speak with Gavin and Doc, it’s abundantly apparent how much they have an overwhelming love for whatever project they throw themselves into, and this looks to be no different. In other words, their hype is real.
Also, make sure to check out Doc Wyatt’s tribute to The Prisoner’s Patrick Goohan he wrote a few months back on Goohan’s birthday.
FreakSugar: So, why The Prisoner? What about making action figures from the show was attractive to you?
Gavin Hignight: For me, and I think Doc and I are aligned on this, it was a figure line we wanted and thought others might want as much as we did. I love that we were able to celebrate the show, all these years after it aired for the first time, with action figures. There’s something really special about making collectible figures for a beloved show that has never had collectibles of that type.
Chris “Doc” Wyatt: I would have KILLED for these figures when I was a kid. I grew up in Atlanta in the 80s and spent time skulking through the dealer’s rooms of conventions like Dixie Trek and Dragon Con looking for Dapol Doctor Who figures and other merch for the British Shows I loved– there was so little merchandise available. To be able to make officially licensed Prisoner action figures is the payoff of a dream I didn’t have enough inspiration to dream as a kid.
FS: What is your history with The Prisoner?
CDW: I was a big Doctor Who fan, watching as a kid on Georgia’s PBS station in Atlanta. Our local PBS station was doing well with Doctor Who and Monty Python, so they wound up bringing in other British programming like Red Dwarf, Blake’s 7, and The Prisoner. From the first episode this show captured my imagination and made me a lifelong fan. I finally got to visit Portmeirion a few years back.
FS: What can you tell us about the figures themselves?
GH: These new deluxe, ultimate edition figures are unlike the other Prisoner figures we’ve made. The first two waves of figures are retro inspired, four-inch, with five points of articulation. We felt like we were making the Prisoner toys we would have wanted as kids, or when we first saw the series. Heavily inspired by Kenner toys of the early 80s.
This new line is much more modern in approach, they are similar to toylines like Star Wars Black Series, Marvel Legends, or Project Monster Force by BigBadToystore. They are collector focused, standing around six inches tall, they include many optional pieces, different hand positions, “portraits” aka heads with different expressions. The Leo McKern No2 even includes his looks from different episodes. The idea was to make these figures very deluxe. If you were only going to own one or two Prisoner collectibles, these two figures could scratch that itch. And at the same time, we wanted them to compliment the other toys and collectibles that exist for The Prisoner and not repeat what’s already been done.
CDW: You can pose these figures, and stage them for display or photography in dynamic ways. I love retro figures, but the thing about them is that they are always standing straight up. With the modern figures you can recreate scenes from the show.
FS: What kind of details did you have to take into consideration when tackling bringing the figures to life?
GH: For me likeness is super important. Faithfulness to detail. To the characters proportions, size/scale. Also, figures that don’t feel too fragile. I like collecting toys, not statues, so I still want to play around with toys without worrying I’ll break them. One of my biggest things when making any toys, is making sure it can stand. I have a pet peeve for action figures that fall over all the time. We include really cool figure stands based on their character number badge in the series… but, I like a toy that can stand on its own. Also, the deco and paint finish are really important. You’ll notice on our smaller toys, we use a lot of matte finish, as we want the figures to feel like the character, not a piece of plastic. With the 1/12 deluxe, we can go even further into that. Thanks to the details our factory gets. So, yeah, matte for the suit jacket, gloss for the badge and eyes, reflecting what materials would give off in real life.
FS: What has been the reception to your other Kickstarters for action figures? Did those reactions inform how you approached this project?
GH: I’m pleased to say we’ve had a super positive response to our Retro Prisoner figures, Laurel and Hardy and Nancy Drew lines. We truly would not be here now, making the deluxe Prisoner figures, if we didn’t have such a strong response from the Prisoner fan community and toy collectors. It’s been amazing meeting, and celebrating The Prisoner with so many other fans through these toys.
CDW: We’ve learned that people love Leo McKern (though we always knew that) so now you can get him in 1/12.
FS: If you had a final pitch for the Kickstarter, what would it be?
GH: These will be some of the best toys we’ve made… but we can’t do it without backers and Prisoner fans supporting us in this early phase. Pledging on the Kickstarter campaign is the best way to make sure you don’t miss out, and the best way to make sure these figures become reality. THANKS!
The Kickstarter for The Prisoner Ultimate Edition 1/12 scale figures is live and has almost hit its initial funding goal in less than a day, with nearly a month to go in the campaign! For fans of The Prisoners, action figures, or both, this is definitely an opportunity you don’t want to sleep on!
From the official press release about the Kickstarter:
In 1967 the cult classic TV series, The Prisoner burst onto the screen. The series, about an unnamed British intelligence agent who awakes to find himself trapped in an idyllic seaside village, was an instant hit with viewers at the time and went on to be watched and re-watched obsessively by fans, quickly gaining cult status. And while there have been several collectables released over the decades, The Prisoner didn’t receive a line of Officially Licensed action figures until Wandering Planet Toys crowdfunded the first-ever waves of action figures, including multiple versions of Patrick McGoohan’s Number 6; Leo McKern, Mary Morris, and Darren Nesbit as Number 2; and even Barbara Yu Ling as The Taxi Driver. The incredible success of the first two Prisoner crowdfunding campaigns speaks to the passion longtime and new fans have for the classic series. Now, Wandering Planet Toys is breaking new ground yet again to celebrate the series and it’s cult following with the first Officially Licensed 1:12 Scale, Fully Articulated, Deluxe The Prisoner Action Figures.
The 6-inch fully articulated collectible figures based on Patrick McGoohan and Leo McKern’s unforgettable performances as Number 6 and Number 2 are the most detailed, posable Prisoner figures to date and will be available individually or as a pair. In addition to saving money, fans who order the bundle will receive a metal retro-style The Prisoner lunchbox. The lunchbox features brand new original art created exclusively for this campaign.
“Ever since we released our first wave of retro-style 4-inch action figures, PRISONER fans have been messaging us, asking us to make modern, 6-inch, highly-articulated figures in the 1:12 scale as well,” Says Wandering Planet Toys co-founder Chris “Doc” Wyatt. “Getting that many requests, we couldn’t help but respond. PRISONER fans ask for them, and here they are!”
“We’ve been working on and carefully designing these deluxe The Prisoner figures for some time,” adds Wandering Planet Toys’ Gavin Hignight “I’m thrilled that we finally get to bring 1/12 scale, TV accurate, highly articulated figures to Prisoner fans everywhere… I can’t wait to put No6 and No12 on my shelf!”
To support the campaign, visit Kickstarter and be sure to follow Wantering Planet Toys on X, Instagram, and Facebook for more updates.