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Interview with Geoff Beckett

Geoff Beckett of Shocker Toys Few toy companies manage to grab our attention like Shocker Toys has. Shockinis, The Tick, Dethklok and GWAR figures all from the same company? That's awesome, they're making the figures we want and thought we'd never see made at all. They set the bar for indie-figures, and once they are released to the public, we'll see just how high that plastic bar has been set. Luckily, ToymakerB got us in-touch with Geoff Beckett, founder of Shocker Toys, so I could pester him a while with what are hopefully some questions he hasn't been asked too often before. This is my first time interviewing someone of Mr. Beckett's caliber, so all y'alls will excuse me if I sound like a giddy fanboy sometimes.

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Interview with Geoff Beckett of Shocker Toys

By Dr Nightmare
Sat 6/14/08 8:11 PM

First of all, I need to say how open and friendly Shocker Toys seems to be, on every message board I've seen you folks visit, you always take the time to reply to every post and answer as thoroughly as possible. Is that all you darting around everywhere or do you have a team of posters helping you answer fans' questions? Have they told you about my constant begging for Red Sonja?

GB: We try and stay as close with the fans as we can. Usually it’s at a high cost of getting hit by the trolls but we do it for the fans no matter the barrage we take. The guys here at Shocker Toys take turns answering questions and adding their 2 cents. I want Red Sonja too but if you see their PR online about them winning back the rights it says contact them and there is no such contact for the company listed lol.

I have to admit, I've never had a Shockini in my hand, so I probably can't completely understand the magic within them, but they embody a concept customizers have always wanted to see come to life, a fully customizable blank figure at a spectacularly-low price. With the insanely popular 6-inch figures out now, are you considering a line of "blanks" for this larger scale anytime soon? I'm sure you've gotten this request more than a few times by now.

GB: We have considered a bigger scale for Shockinis but they are blocky so seem to fit well into a small size. I think a more human type figure in 6” will be great but we shall see where the road ahead takes us.

Tick has got to be one of the most anticipated characters of all time, there isn't a single person I've talked to who doesn't love, or has at least heard of, The Tick, and he looks as confident and powerful and damn goofy as he did in the cartoons and comics. Major applause to whoever is posing the figures for those pictures by the way, the figures look alive as opposed to the lack-luster drooping I've seen figures have at major shows like the San Diego ComicCon. How did you pick the line-up for Series 2 of the Indie Spotlight and can you give us any hints for upcoming waves?

GB: Our design team does do a great job with the pics they send very lifelike. Series2 was a given we picked it at same time as Series1, well the new Series1 but that is another story lol. I had to see the Tick in as a Mega figure since Maxx was our Mega in Series1. Dick Tracy has always been a favorite of mine. The rest of Shocker Staff did some polling and poking around the net to pick the rest. We do listen and look at what fans are talking about. As far as future waves I can see Phantom in Series3 and Lone Ranger in a Mega 2 pack.

And along those lines, what do you suggest your fans do to get their favorite indie character made by you folks? Yell really loud? Write their congressmen? Is there a list somewhere showing what licenses Shocker Toys holds or hopes to hold someday?

GB: There is a list on our forums. I suggest fans make threads at all their visited forums suggesting what they want to see in the line. We will find and keep an eye on the threads and use polling and voting on our forums/site as well. We will also have a vote set up for rest of Series3 and Mini Indie Spotlight Series1 at our SDCC booth# 3849, 3948

Shocker Toys will be at the San Diego Comic Con, will you be attending personally as well? Signing autographs, shooting Shocker shirts out of a cannon maybe? I know I'd love to see that! What Shocker Toys exclusives are available at this year's convention? Shocker, Shocker, Shocker Toys, I love saying that name!

GB: The two main ST owners will be at SDCC along with worker bees and some other good peeps. There will be giveaways and chats with fans, We will have a panel on Friday 6-7 Room#4 and we will be doing giveaways there and discussing indie comics turning into toys. For exclusives we will have Dethklok the 5 action figure set in a nice window box....Brutal! We will also have the new starter for our mini vinyl Indie Spotlight line MTV’s The Maxx. Both are available now on the site for pre-order and non-attendees http://www.shockertoys.com/store.php

Your sculptors deserve a giant basket of brownie-points for making the female characters' faces actually look feminine. Series 2 Ignacia's head-sculpt and hair are fantastic, and that's from looking only at the WIP pictures. The female faces of your figures are beautiful compared to other popular lines like Toy Biz's Marvel Legends Elektra and any 5-inch female figure ever produced. Well, that was more praise than it was a question! Who are the sculptors and where can we send them our fanmail?

GB: Yes with the new joints we get an actual butt and more. He basically used Moore as a template for doing females to make sure they look like females. It is all done using real female bodies and moding them. If you send us mail for the design team it will go right to them =)

I've read on some forums where people are complaining "Shocker Toys doesn't know what a BAF [build-a-figure] is!". I've heard the figure will come disassembled on the card so the buyer can assemble it (which is just fine and dandy I think, it's even the very definition of a "build-a-figure" isn't it?), could you shed some light on these rumors?

GB: Yes so we changed it to a Mega figure. It seems people want to find things with us to have a problem with so by changing the name it cut that off. We want the card sizes to be the same so some figures that our bigger will have to be assembled.

Being a major seller of customizable figures, do you yourself have a collection of your own customized figures? Maybe an online gallery where we can see them? I see there is a "Fan Club" and "Gallery" tab at the top of your website, were those designed to allow others to display their own Shockinis?

GB: I have done alot of custom shockinis as well has many others which can be seen on the Shocker Toys forums. I also am a fan of alot of customizers out there but no names will be mentioned to keep their identities hidden lol.

Do you feel the Indie Spotlight toys have generated as much interest in the toy-community as your world-famous Shockinis? What do you and your partners feel is your company's greatest accomplishment since you started in this business and what do you hope to accomplish with it in the future?

GB: I think Indie Spotlight was another door opened and even though we had a tough time with the line including two faced deals and theft of the idea itself the payoff was worth the wait. Shockinis will always be our flagship product and every license we sign gets signed for shockinis as well. The Shockinis are going through a new redesign getting smaller and getting a new look and new parts. I think as toy fans getting this far is a big accomplishment that everyone seems to take for granted. We worked hard and endured a lot of criticism but have made a company that will keep trying new things for fans like us.

Contact Shocker Toys!
Geoff and the gang are always happy to hear your ideas and suggestions about their lines of figures. They are friendly and courteous and welcome fan input. For the latest news about their products and appearances, visit their website: Shocker Toys