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The 90s Are Alive With Brandon, Creator of 9 to 5 Warriors
736 Plays2 years ago
Our guest this week takes us back to the days of saturday morning cartoons, toy commercials, and wacky/original character design. Brandon has been ideating 9 to 5 Warriors for the better part of 10 years, and he's hoping to add his original office object warfare toys to your collection in 2023.
Follow 9 to 5 Warriors on Instagram @9to5warriors and preorder your 9 to 5 Warriors at https://9to5warriors.com
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Intro and other voices by Joe Azzari
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Theme Music is "Game Boy Horror" by the Zombie Dandies
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Transcript
Introduction to Zencastr and Podcast Promo
00:00:00
Speaker
Dave, you know why I love using Zencaster? Is it because the recording quality is better than other methods of recording a podcast virtually? Nope. Is it because they offer a free version for hobbyists just getting started? No, not that. Is it because it's super easy to use for everyone and none of our guests have ever had an issue using it? That's not it. Is it because they offer automatic post-production and transcription services? Negative.
00:00:29
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Stop burying the lead. Why do you love Zencaster? It's because Zencaster is all of the things you just said, Dave. Well, and they sponsor this pod. That's right.
00:00:41
Speaker
Adventures in Collecting is powered by Zencaster. How about your pod? Get started now with Zencaster and use our code to start podcasting today. Visit zencaster.com slash pricing and use promo code AICpod to get 30% off your first three months of their professional plan or try it for free.
00:01:03
Speaker
That's Z-E-N-C-A-S-T-R dot com slash pricing and use promo code AICPOD. Toyobobs and dads. Adventures in collecting is about toys, but it might not be for your children, especially if you don't like words like f*** or s***.
00:01:39
Speaker
Are you ready, kids? Get your parents' permission, check your mailbox, and grab your shopping cart. It's
Significance of the 99th Episode
00:01:46
Speaker
time for the Adventures in Collecting podcast. I'm Eric. And I'm Dave. Welcome to Adventures in Collecting, where we talk toy news, culture, and halls, along with our journeys as collectors. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Adventures in Collecting.
00:02:09
Speaker
Hi. Dave. Eric. We are back. We are. You, you paused like I did for the, we are back. Like you're going to confuse people. I had to, I had to, I mean, we are brothers after all. There's, there's, you know, genetics at play here. Yeah. If we've not confused you all by now, then. And you just haven't been paying attention.
00:02:37
Speaker
Then you wouldn't realize this is episode ninety nine. Ninety nine. Dave, episode one. So it's it's the Bradley Wright Phillips or Gretzky episode. And it is it is our ninety nine, ninety ninth numbered episode. So we have had more than one hundred episodes for those of you that are going to like come at us. This is be like those news things are episodes.
00:03:04
Speaker
It's real to me. But this is our 99th episode. And as you mentioned, our Bradley Wright Phillips, our Wayne Gretzky episode. I don't know what you call the 100th episode, but what we call the 100th episode. It also means we have to tag them now on Instagram. Did we? I mean, Bradley probably pays attention. I doubt Gretzky does. He's got way too much going on.
00:03:33
Speaker
But our next episode, our 100th episode, actually happens to also fall on our annual Christmas spectacular. And we have some things planned. I'm going to leave it at that. Because I am not going to do something else. Yeah, you can't bury two leads in one episode. Yeah, no, no, no. Can't do that.
00:03:59
Speaker
So, I mean, I feel like I've probably started out an episode with this before, but it, it, uh, it applies to today's episode, uh, very well. So I'm going to say it again. Um, if we've said it once or potentially twice, we've said it a million times and, uh, that's what's old is new again. On today's guest is the creator of something that truly embodies that nine to five warriors is a nostalgic fueled nineties inspired toy line that harkens back to the days before the internet.
00:04:28
Speaker
where the story unfolded on TV, in commercials, on paper and comics, and on toy cardbacks, and played out on living room floors. We'd
Introducing Brandon and 'Nine to Five Warriors'
00:04:38
Speaker
like to welcome Brandon, creator of Nine to Five Warriors, to the show. Brandon, welcome to Adventures in Collecting. Hello. Hello. Thank you for having me on. And congrats to the 99, man. That's a huge achievement in podcasts. I don't think people realize how much work goes into making episodes.
00:04:54
Speaker
Well, thank you. And you're, you're part of, you're now officially part of our history. So greatly appreciate it. Thank you for having me on. What's up, Dave? Hi, what's going on? So, uh, as this is a show about collecting before we get into, uh, you know, get into the toy line, uh, tell us, uh, what are you currently collecting?
00:05:15
Speaker
Oh man, so my collection is honestly super eclectic. It's truly like whatever like triggers some sort of nostalgic feeling or something for design inspiration. But honestly, I have everything from like Star Wars, WWF, like Tamagotchi's freaking XO squad.
00:05:33
Speaker
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Ninja Turtles of course, I'm looking around the room. Batman, Robocop, like anything that was just like definitely from the 90s and part of my childhood I somehow have managed to order drunkenly usually on eBay and it shows up in my room and I'm like what is this? It's a Christmas surprise each time I open it.
00:05:55
Speaker
Yeah, don't, I like, I try to stay away from eBay, but I like to say don't drink in Mercari. Don't cause that, or Dave, you've been doing a lot of the whatnotting. So yeah, don't, don't, don't whatnot and Mercari and eBay while you have a broken bone. Yeah. Yeah. That too. There's that's a loaded, a loaded sentence.
00:06:21
Speaker
Boy was it so, you know you have an eclectic an eclectic collection. What's something recent that you picked up? It's embarrassing actually a tickle me Elmo super in Like one from like the original run of them
00:06:40
Speaker
Exactly. So the reason I picked that up is I saw like a viral video going around and I'm like, shit, that was like to my recollection, I might be wrong, but like to my memory, that was like the true original
Brandon's Nostalgic Toy Collection
00:06:50
Speaker
viral sensation toy that I'm not talking about like Star Wars. Yes, people are excited lined up, but like where people trampled one another or did some messed up things to get their hands on it kind of thing.
00:07:03
Speaker
And I felt like that spurred, you know, other fads, like whether it's Beanie Babies. I could be completely wrong on timing, but to my regulation, as a kid, I remember Tickle Me Elmo being the hottest item of like 90s, you know? And I didn't even have it. It was. I mean, yeah, I was going to say the ultimate 90s toy, to be honest. I think timing wise, it was definitely one of the first. I think the original Bandai Red Power Ranger.
00:07:33
Speaker
might have been before it, because I think that's what Jingle All The Way ended up being based on, like, was like the hype behind that figure. It was close. They're all like, really close. At the same time, even Beanie Babies, like they're all. That was what's cool, is like I remember that happening and then like every hot toy just kind of became like that sensation, like everyone chasing it. So yeah, I randomly picked that one up definitely after seeing some random video and like
00:08:03
Speaker
kind of was probably tipsy. I was like, why not? I get it now. I'm like, this is so stupid. It's such an eyesore. I will never forget. So my weird tickle me Elmo memory. I will never forget going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. And for some reason, the priest at our church that we grew up going to and
00:08:31
Speaker
He gave his sermon about tickle me Elmo and it was about how Christmas like isn't about material things. It's about family and all that but like he kept going back to the like wild popularity of tickle me Elmo and for whatever reason I like and like full disclosure like, you know, not not like a religious adult but like
00:08:57
Speaker
for whatever reason, anytime I hear Tickle Me Elmo, I think of that weird sermon from that year. And it just immediately brings me back to that weird moment, sitting there exhausted at our local church, hearing about Tickle Me Elmo and just wanting to go home. See, that was like high school. So I just think of that to me was like,
00:09:26
Speaker
And I didn't have a car or anything, so I had no way of doing this. But my friends that did, that was like the first flipping opportunity. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's what I remember. That's why I was like, that was a unique part of history. And yeah, like I said, my collection is like all about that, just random things that like trigger something. I'm like, I want that. But that was like pre eBay. So like kids listening, there was no internet to sell this on.
00:09:55
Speaker
It was like ads in the paper. Shady guy in the parking lot. Yeah, I'm filled with tickle me Elmos. And like, I don't know how they did it, but they did it like you think now it's like we were talking like, you know, Mercari and stuff. And now then it was just like, yeah, here's like sign on a telephone pole. We got the Elmo. Yeah, I have to I have to go meet this guy. He's in he's in a 92 Camry.
00:10:25
Speaker
in the back of Wolfbrook Mall. And he's going to be there at 6 a.m. Got to go get my tickle meal. Like it's like jingle all the way. Like that's kind of accurate in a way. There's just like people meeting up places and. You know, basically flipping tickle me Elmos and Furbies and junk. Yes, the Furbies are another part of my collection. So.
00:10:53
Speaker
We've we've now talked about the journey to to tickle me Elmo coming back into the collection. But how about your journey into launching your own toy line? All right. So launch my own toy line coincided with like starting to collect my toys and.
Inspiration from 90s Toy Design
00:11:11
Speaker
At the time, it was a legitimate reason I gave myself to buy said toys for inspiration and design aesthetics and just understanding what made a great toy.
00:11:25
Speaker
For me, when I started collecting and I started just having these flashes of freaking nostalgia hitting my body, I was just like, this was so amazing. These toys really sparked something in me. And my background is in film and digital productions. So it's my job to know how to convey emotions through video. And for me, it was the first time to experience that through a physical product. And I was like, what is this? And I want to make a toy.
00:11:55
Speaker
There was, I'm not gonna lie, as a kid, there was always something kind of like in me that I kind of wanted to watch, make a toy. I'd watch commercials and be like, that's weird. Like I would sell it like this. Like, I don't know, my brain was wired differently as a kid, but there's definitely an itch that I wanted to make a toy. And once flash forward to like 25, 26, once I started collecting, that just took over and I was like, I gotta make this. And I gotta like, I gotta create that feeling for the next generation growing up, you know?
00:12:26
Speaker
So you mentioned the 90s several times as being part of the era that you cut your teeth on when it came to toys and design. So outside of just being a familiar space for you, what drew you to the 90s aesthetic when you decided to make 9-5 Warriors?
00:12:47
Speaker
Honestly, yeah. When I look back at my collection, it's just bright colors. I'll say this, honestly, and I know a lot of people say this about their generation and all that, but really it feels true that back then, whether it was the companies, the toy companies, they experimented and they had such a huge sense of creativity. And I felt like they weren't scared to make those... I'm losing my mind.
00:13:17
Speaker
They weren't scared to take those chances and like throw shit on the wall and see what stuck, you know? And today I feel like it's so quick to like, look at the data and make sure you're writing on a trend and like look at tech and like see how it's coinciding with behavior. Oh, people are leaning towards blue. Let's make this like, it's such a science now rather than like, I made this because I fucking wanted to and it's a cool thing. It's a cool idea. And then that brings attention, you know?
00:13:42
Speaker
And to me, now I see all these toy companies, no shade, I get it. You want to remake things, you want to re-release them because there's already a built-in audience that's taken in what that generation did, which was build that story around those characters, really connect you deeply to that.
00:14:01
Speaker
So of course, yeah, you have X amount of millions to spend or whatever X amount of budget to spend on a toy. It makes sense to not spend that as much on marketing. You want to just jump into either reusing some molds that you have or, you know, diving deep into already set fan base. So truly like nineties to me is just like the last error, I guess, because honestly, before that, like with 70s, 60s, whatever, like it was just so much creativity flowing through all the industries, you know?
00:14:30
Speaker
And I think too, like, you know, like you said, like there, there was the nineties was a time of experimentation, even with, you know, some of those. You know, familiar properties. Like I think of like, you know, when I think of the nineties, one of the first toy lines that comes to my mind is, is always the Kenner Batman. And I mean, the most interesting Batman figures were the ones that.
00:14:51
Speaker
weren't in a comic book, weren't in the movie, you know, they had like, you know, the weird gold and black suit, you know, and like the Arctic Batman and like all, all of like the, you know, incredible gadgets that they came with. Now everyone is very, you know, especially in those types of properties, right? Like the, the Batmans, the MCUs, the, even, even the comic Marvel legends, they're so concerned with accuracy.
00:15:17
Speaker
and like it having to represent this thing that exists and like this details not right because you know this artist drew it one way or you know in order to get the figure out in time they only had storyboard art and it ended up not being screen accurate and people get so hung up on that whereas you know we all grew up in a time where we wanted like sure we wanted the like all black Batman with the yellow and black logo to have the one that was in the movie but like
00:15:43
Speaker
When he, when it snowed outside here in New Jersey, we wanted Arctic Batman to go play in the backyard with, you know, like green Batman or like the gold one. Like they were Batman of every color. Yeah. So good. Funny. You mentioned the Arctic. So I got the Arctic Batman right here. There it is. And this was like probably the third figure I bought in my collection because it just sparked so much memories of like, I remember taking this guy in the bathtub and like the way the,
00:16:10
Speaker
you know, the top piece goes over. It just made me think of it like an aquanaut or something. Yeah. Scuba gear. Yeah. And I just like that's what was cool about that era. It's just it's it allowed kids to and adults, whoever, like just spark imagination. Like there is something about all that creativity that like transferred from who was making it to who was playing with it. And when I say like
00:16:36
Speaker
Nine to five warriors is a nineties inspired action figure aiming to recapture the Saturday morning cartoon era. That's what I'm talking about is like re-sparking imagination. And I'm trying to put that energy into the toys. There's thought and reason behind all the design aesthetics, limiting it to the five point articulation at the moment. You know, I'm totally open to making more articulations down the line, but like out the gate, I just wanted to stay true to what I knew as a kid I played with. And.
00:17:04
Speaker
I look back at some of those toys, like Ninja Turtles, for instance, I made a joke. I hadn't played with a Ninja Turtles until, again, I started collecting. And it blew my mind that they didn't bend at the elbows or knees. And I was like, what? I was doing blackflips of these dudes. I remember so much. I can remember them sitting in cars and everything else. And I look now and I was like, just twist at the wrist, if anything. Yep.
00:17:31
Speaker
Yeah. And, you know, you talk about design. The design of these figures are unique, but somehow also very familiar. So it was the thought process and divine in defining their overall looks. So, yeah, I mean, I'm collecting all these toys now. I'm spitballing my ideas and I have got like.
00:17:50
Speaker
Things I take from people that I like, I love Slimer's grin and Slimer's, you know, aesthetic. And, you know, you might not look at Brigadier Bouncy and be like, oh, that's Slimer. But there's elements that I loved about Slimer that was super expressive with big mouth, big white eyes.
00:18:05
Speaker
that I'm like, I think he would make a cool toy. And I just was inspired by different things. And when I worked with one artist to bring the illustrations to life, I just remember mentioning things like very expressive through the eyes, certain facial features that, again, pull from things I like, whether it be movies or actors. I just started pulling from things that I really resonated with. But then the real magic, I think,
00:18:31
Speaker
Like what's cool is that they look really toyetic, I guess, is that cheesy way of saying it. But that comes down to Scott, Scott Henssey, which is one of the designers on the team for sculpting these guys and the familiar.
00:18:46
Speaker
arity of that all comes from this guy literally sculpted half of my collection. And I, every single time I speak to him, I'm like, son of a bitch, you sculpted that too. Excellent squad. How's that possible? How did you do that? Like he ends up doing everything that I loved. And it was just by
Scott Henssey's Contribution to Design
00:19:02
Speaker
destiny. Like I literally found him randomly and we hit it off and he's brought those characters from the sketches to what you see them now.
00:19:10
Speaker
I w we had no idea that Scott was involved in this project. This is now this, the second time his name has popped up on this show. Did you work and did he work with, uh, dollar slice, bootlegs, uh, with the slice city rebels. Yeah. So yes. Second, second time Scott, Scott has popped up and as a, uh, as a creative on this show, but, uh, I mean, that explains it, you know, with a pedigree like Scott's, you know, bringing those illustrations to life the way that, you know, he's been doing for man.
00:19:41
Speaker
for a long time. It's incredible. And another sculptor I work with was Seba from Planetary Dog Toys. And you guys might know him from Plunderling's line. Working with Scott leaves you with some limitations as far as just to make a toy is really freaking complicated. And the factories, they need certain files, things sent to them.
00:20:08
Speaker
With Scott, I literally just have that one hand sculpted prototype. So it's kind of like my baby. I got to make sure it's safe. Like it's my paint masters, everything. But it also comes of some flaws of like, it didn't, you know, the, what he can do by hand needed to be cleaned up, you know, digitally to some degree. So I worked with like a local company that literally digitally scanned everything he did, retained the details, like,
00:20:34
Speaker
so spot on. Then I had to hire Saba to clean them up. And then once I started working with Saba, I found that like such an awesome balance of like, holy shit, way more expensive and unnecessary, by the way. But this is all self-funded. So I'm like, fuck, I hate this. But I'm like, this is awesome. And it's worth it. I know playoff in the end. So I'm like, I'm working with Scott. He's doing his thing. Freaking years of experience, knocking out these characters.
00:21:00
Speaker
Scanning them working with seba and then seba certain characters i'm like I need you to just take full control of because scotchy's got a like working mechanism of as a scotch tape You know dispenser that's got to be precise scott's not going to be able to do that And you know, he he ended up doing four characters completely digital but with like the specifications of like
00:21:24
Speaker
turn off anything auto turn off all symmetry don't give it the perfectionist like of a digital sculpt mess up as you know because that's the beauty of a hand sculpted piece there's just slight imperfections there's it's the thing that makes it feel like a life so so speaking of bringing these these characters to life uh you know one of the things that's so important to this is the story you know is the story behind them and you know it's a it's a very unique take on that kind of like
00:21:54
Speaker
Like a kind of toes out line of sort of like a gross out toy, kind of like the California raisins. Like somewhere in that mad balls food fighters. Yeah. You know, it exists somewhere in that world. So, so tell us, how did you, how did you come up with the story for nine to five orders? So yeah, when I started this, this project, by the way, for those, like it's not near, it's not coming out like this year. It's been 10 years in the making.
00:22:21
Speaker
So literally 10 years ago, when I decided I want to make this toy, I want to create that feeling. I literally did my due diligence. Why am I feeling that way when I'm purchasing these things? Is it memories? Is it nostalgia? What was it? And it just came down to story. And I really resonated with the characters, whether it's GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men. The core of my real heart of my childhood collection was those three right there.
00:22:51
Speaker
And they, of course, had Saturday morning cartoons to follow, basically 30-minute commercials. But when I decided to make a toy, I had no idea where to start. I'd be naive and DM someone like, hey, how can I make a toy? What factory can I use? I had no idea of anything. And of course, they left me on the red or gave me bad advice or whatever.
00:23:17
Speaker
So I started with what I knew and again being my film background I kind of just know story writing and script writing and I just start slowly surely but slowly like just started working on all the characters all the backstories and I know like stories usually good with tension and whatnot so I'm like I just started creating the drama within that.
00:23:37
Speaker
And through whatever means I can actually create, which was basically trading pack cards and a comics book. Because at the end of the day, like toys were just so far down the pipeline, I just didn't know where to start. So how, but how'd you end up in a, in an office setting? That's like a fun, I mean, sure. It gives you a bunch of these, uh, you know, inanimate objects to, you know, an anthropomorph, anthropomorphize, you know, or whatever, whatever make them anthropomorphic. Yeah. Um, so how did you end up there?
00:24:07
Speaker
So being in that creative field, I'm rarely in office, but one summer I had to work an office job and I wanted to like blow my head off. Like it just was so boring. And I literally was like, kind of actually started playing with things around me that kind of reminded me as a kid, when I was in school, I used to create my own action figures from the school supplies.
00:24:28
Speaker
So Major Eraser, for instance, is a genuine character that I used to create. I'd stick a thumbtack in a pink eraser, draw in a crappy face, and use paper clips as the arms and legs. So when I came up thinking of I want to create a toy, I looked at a lot of the classics I love, like Ninja Turtles, Food Fighters, and I remember those battles I used to have, even with the toys I would create. And especially Food Fighters, I was pissed as a kid. I discovered them when I was in
00:24:58
Speaker
in nineteen ninety three so they were discontinued they're ready technically vintage and i discovered them randomly and they quickly became one of my favorites and they tied in wet really well with like the monsters i would create with the school supplies so when i thought of like i'll create a toy those ideas came straight to like the front of my mind and it kinda really
00:25:22
Speaker
all came really gushing out of me. I was asked this question the other day, and I was like, honestly, this is the easiest part for me because of my history, I guess. And it was also the most fun to just really just like, this squad needs an explosion specialist. He needs to be goofy. This guy needs to be a mechanic. This guy needs to do this, this, and that. So everything just started connecting really quickly.
00:25:47
Speaker
So you're telling an original story, which is awesome. What are some of the challenges when trying to break into a market with a new story that people aren't already familiar with? Damn. So
Marketing Challenges for New Toy Lines
00:25:59
Speaker
it does suck. Like at the end of the day, like any new brand is trying to break into Instagram is like.
00:26:06
Speaker
Just trying to break someone's attention. I'm sure you guys experienced this, just selling the podcast. Who are these guys? You just have to stay consistent. And what I found is these toys in the bottom of my heart, I want them to be for kids growing up today.
00:26:22
Speaker
To market to a kid now is extra hard, especially since there's no freaking Saturday morning cartoon. There's no programming to inject these commercials. So my thought process is I'll attract the adults who are now having kids themselves and grew up in the 90s, and I'll make these toys exactly the way I would want it. The tagline back in the day was like, this is a toy line that you never got it as a kid but deserve as an adult. That stays true in my heart is that
00:26:52
Speaker
I'm just showcasing things that I really enjoy. I'm making things for myself, honestly. If I start sitting back and thinking, oh, will people like this? People are mad that I'm using purple, for instance. And it's like, who cares? It works in that dynamic. Think of it as a cartoon. Nothing makes sense. But the bright colorful contrast is what makes a character pop. And Major Eraser's freaking pink. I mean, this is Major Eraser's purple. So I don't know.
00:27:22
Speaker
Yeah I mean it's tough and you brought up Plunderlings before and we've had Ricky on the show but at New York Comic Con I stopped by their booth and was just kind of sitting and watching as people walked by and it was
00:27:42
Speaker
It was crazy to think, like, cause sure, like a couple of times parents walked by with their kids and their kids were like, whoa, what are these? Like, you know, cause they, they have that like true rubic little mischievous look to them. And, you know, if you've ever spoken to Ricky before he, once he starts talking about the plunderlings, he doesn't stop. And, uh, you know, he had these kids, like their full attention, but then like a couple of times the kids would be like,
00:28:08
Speaker
You know, where can I watch Blunderling? Yeah. And he's, and he's like, well, because the kids, I think these days are kids these days. Um, they're, they're so connected to kind of everything. Like I have a seven year old and the number one thing on her Christmas list this year is like a smartwatch.
00:28:31
Speaker
And it's like, well, like timeout, like you said, like, like, don't you want like a cool like toy or something? Like, I'm not getting a smartwatch. Um, and I think they're just so used to being connected that like, that's why some of these familiar, these things that are familiar, wrestling figures, Batman, Spider-Man, you know, they're everywhere. Like the properties are everywhere and it's so saturated. They almost like can't miss. So, you know, I think you're in a position.
00:29:01
Speaker
where you have this background in video production and you're telling this unique story and the design of the figures are, like we said, on a toe that gross attention grabbing design. I think you're in a unique position to potentially get that story out there and attract people to the toys.
00:29:24
Speaker
100% and so my also the approach has been doing these commercials that are very much in line with the 90s nostalgia style of like cheesy narrator and I'm experimenting going further and further like
00:29:39
Speaker
I'm making longer form videos, the last long form of course being like two minutes. But the last two I did was I really just went into, I got to introduce the entire lineup. So I go through introducing the water cooler commandos who are the good guys. And I went through each one, Major Racer, a one-liner, Lieutenant Led, a one-liner, Brigadier Bouncy, a one-liner.
00:29:58
Speaker
And so now i am gonna keep like developing that exactly like just do what i know best of making these videos these commercials in that style because again it. It's what's true that tomorrow like what i enjoy making and looks cool like if it's the theme because modern day.
00:30:16
Speaker
The toy commercials, they're kind of weird. They try to tow the line of trying to have excited kids and kind of reflect back to the 90s, like, oh, yay, come on, I can do this. And it's like, what the hell? This is kind of weird. But you instantly add that VHS filter, or you play with these. I think it's also the fact that these characters look like they're in a straight the 90s. And I have the animation that looks like it's in the 90s.
00:30:44
Speaker
that it just all flows. And I'm getting just really good responses and the people are getting the story and like really sending me the ends like, Oh my God, I love corporal can this this and that. And like, holy shit, like, I was scared about corporal can is literally a can of nuts. I was really worried worried about like, first off, how am I gonna make a toy out of that? That's like a whole different story. And
00:31:05
Speaker
It worked out really well because the inspiration behind the corporal can is like the, the old army men buckets, you know, you pop open the bucket and there's like the army men things that you plant around your room. You're like espionage and you're like, you have your own tactical things. And that was the thought process put into corporal can. And I'm like super happy that it's actually resonating with people and they're getting it and they're like, it's the top seller. And I was like, what the fuck? That's crazy. Awesome.
00:31:34
Speaker
Now, speaking of top seller, this line is available exclusively on Big Bad Toy Store. How did you form that partnership? So it's not exclusively. I left it open so that they also warned like they don't know if their reach can help me get it across the line because it's technically it's a Kickstarter without the Kickstarter. I am still needing to raise the X amount of funds to
00:32:00
Speaker
get these figures across the line and produce. The good thing is if you're kind of on the fence, by the way, if you're thinking of pre-ordering, Big Bad Toy Story doesn't charge you until they're shipped. So that's probably not until summer of 2023. So if you're interested, putting the trigger and making a pre-order helps it show the demand and helps me get that finish line.
00:32:20
Speaker
But the partnership started like last year.
Journey to Production and Distribution
00:32:24
Speaker
I failed my first Kickstarter. I didn't know what I was doing. Going back to like how do you break into a new market? I started Kickstarter at like it gives you like a 30 day timer that I just naivety like, oh yeah, 30 days sounds right. And on that day I started marketing. Like usually for Kickstarter you have to do like six months to a year prior. So I started marketing it. People didn't freaking reach out to me or hear about it until like day 28.
00:32:50
Speaker
ultimately failed but a lot of the feedback I got was can you make more characters and Joel I reached out to him back then to you know help get the the pre-orders of the the kickstarter through and he just he and I just started talking he was
00:33:07
Speaker
I asked him for advice basically, what he thinks would sell. He agreed with more characters. And from there, like I just started developing, taking this time this whole year to really just get the prototypes in the right state, create enough assets. And now they're on Big Bad Toy Store. And now a word from our sponsors.
00:33:32
Speaker
This segment is brought to you by our friends at Chubsy Wubsy Toys. A traditional mom and pop toy store in Little Falls, New Jersey, Chubsy Wubsy Toys brings you the best new toys from the brands you love without the hassle of pounding the pavement, searching for them at larger retail stores.
00:33:49
Speaker
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00:34:08
Speaker
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00:34:38
Speaker
So Eric, I ran to the store today and I was doing that power walking thing to the toy aisle. The guy next to me was too, and guess what happened? You were both headed for the same figure, weren't you? Yup, but I got there first. Now that's a close shave. You know what else is? A nice trim thanks to this show's sponsor, Manscaped.
00:35:02
Speaker
Dang right Dave, and that's the kind of close shave I can get behind, and you all should too. I just used the mower 4.0 with its cutting edge ceramic blade to reduce grooming accidents thanks to their advanced skin-safe technology. The lawnmower 4.0 is waterproof and also has a 4000K LED spotlight if you need a more precise shave.
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Speaker
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Speaker
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00:36:13
Speaker
That's 20% off with free shipping at manscaped.com with code AIC. Unlock your confidence and always use the right tools for the job with Manscaped. And now back to the show.
00:36:34
Speaker
Like you mentioned, there is a crowdfunding element to this. How are the pre-orders going so far in terms of getting towards your production goal? Is there an end date? Is there a cutoff? For some figures, I'm right at the 50% line right now, which is awesome. There is a cutoff date of January.
00:36:59
Speaker
That's a cutoff day for Big Bad Toy Store. I made it limited time for Big Bad Toy Store. I really was hoping that I could probably reach all my demand through Big Bad Toy Store. And that's just really out of ease. The reason I didn't do Kickstarter is I don't want to pallet ship to me from China and then figure out distribution.
00:37:17
Speaker
That's just a headache I really didn't want and Big Bad Toyster handles that really well. They got the fulfillment locked down and just made sense to me like if I can just ship once to one place and they distribute to everyone then makes my life easy. But come January I'll open up if I don't reach my goal.
00:37:36
Speaker
I really do hope I reach my goal by then, just again, out of the ease. But yeah, from, from that point on, I need 500 of each character to be pre-ordered. And like I said, I'm close to the 50% mark. And essentially once that happens, then I move into production for China through China. So now is it, is it kind of like an all or nothing thing? Like if, if a couple of the characters hit that goal, well, those characters get produced and the others won't, or is it.
00:38:03
Speaker
I got the mind, so I'm going to find a way to make this happen at this point. I've gotten really good reception. I'm falling in love with them more and more. Now that they're all made and out of my mind and into my hands, I'm like, shit, this is awesome. I really want this for myself at the end of the day. I really hope I can get these manufactured to be done properly the way they're intended.
00:38:24
Speaker
Um, so I'm, I'm going out all the stops, you know, as an entrepreneur, like I'm hustling, seeing what I can barter. Everyone needs video. I'm like, I'm just, I'm busting my ass to even self fund this. Like I made it happen and it's expensive endeavor. And I'm like, I'm just, once I have my eye on the prize, like I'm just trying to make it happen. So outside of the 10 featured characters, are there more in the works for a wave to, um, should wave one go into production?
00:38:53
Speaker
Yeah, 100%.
Future Expansions of the Toy Line
00:38:54
Speaker
So the beauty of, we didn't even talk about the story, but the main character, the main bad guy is Colonel Custard and essentially his.
00:39:02
Speaker
demeanor is he's out for total office domination. So his mindset is as a delicious donut that he was before he was created, you know, some office worker took a bite out of him, said, yuck, spit it out and tossed him in the trash because he goes stale. So once he was sparked to life, he held a resentment against his humanity, like stupid, wasteful humans. So he's all set out on searching for gente, which is the energy drink that created them all to create new minions along the way. And essentially,
00:39:30
Speaker
take over the office and if not the world, you know?
00:39:33
Speaker
So there will be lots more characters, endless characters as 90s cartoons eluded us. Like the bad guys always somehow get away. So as far as series two, I definitely want to get into army builders. Uh, I got a lot of requests there. So I have some ideas on the works, like these egg style characters that could be sold in three packs. Um, and then the stapler remover supply seekers, which basically are like chompers. Nice.
00:40:01
Speaker
That was always the best toy. Everyone always wanted the stapler remover. It was just basically like a built-in monster to begin with.
00:40:08
Speaker
There you go. So those are the first base ideas. Of course, there's going to be new characters, but my focus right now is like these 10 people already asking for freaking playsets and vehicles. I'm like, you know how expensive this is, man. Let me get these through the line. I promise. Let these happen. Oh, my God. It's game over. Then it's like then it becomes fucking fun and throwing shit on the wall to see what sticks like.
00:40:35
Speaker
My version of that, you know, this is my version of this is my version of that. I mean, it's, it's one thing, you know, it doesn't matter how big or small, you know, your, your toy production is people that are just casual collectors, you know, they don't realize what goes into making a toy. And, you know, if there's one thing we've learned in this, you know, three years of doing the show is there's a lot.
00:41:02
Speaker
So, you know, it's great that everyone is excited and wants, you know, a playset and a car. And, you know, I, I, my, my gears are already spinning of what that would even look like for, you know, for nine to five warriors. But like, let's, let's get wave one out the door first. And it's, I want to educate people on the process because I think that's a huge thing that like.
00:41:24
Speaker
Like going back to Ricky, like Ricky and I are brothers at this point. I love that guy. Like we met a year ago too. It turned out he ended like kind of moving to Miami where I'm at now. And so it's great to like work alongside of, we have two completely different lines, but we still have like, I'm glad you brought that up. It's like,
00:41:41
Speaker
They have such charisma and that to me is just the imagination pouring through it. And he's got like passion for days. And it sucks to hear, you know, fans, the first thing is like, oh, my figures, by the way, I made them $25. Don't ask me how I'm losing money on every single one, but I wanted them to be as low as possible so they are accessible.
00:42:02
Speaker
and people, the first comment I saw on Twitter is like, $25, it's crazy. This is, do I get my Marvel Legends? I'm like, bro, do you realize that Marvel Legends and Hasbro, talk to Mattel. They're the ones that are charging still $30, $45 a figure that are getting away with it. Like me charging $25 when it should be 40, unfortunately, it's like,
00:42:23
Speaker
realistically, the amount of money that goes into the tooling, all this other stuff, like that's what sucks, is that I'm just trying to get these out the gate. And then unfortunately, there's such a high cost through that. But I think people once they educate themselves, like on the process and start, you know, supporting these indie makers, because that's what's exciting, seeing what other people are making and bringing to the table. And I felt like where the larger companies are lacking right now and kind of just recycling ideas and seeing what's like,
00:42:53
Speaker
they can redo right now. These guys, you know, the Rickies, freaking Fox Force toys, futuristic combat soldiers, there's Dimension X, like there's such a cool underground, like, like, say like,
00:43:10
Speaker
underground, like storms brewing of like creativity and people just putting out fucking cool toys. But of course they're limited, you know, they could only do maybe a 40 run or a hundred run. And then of course the price of the figure becomes like an artwork, you know, it's like $125 still worth it. But it sucks that like you want those figures to reach the numbers that like that justify or make it that Marvel legend, you know, status. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's.
00:43:39
Speaker
There's two different ways to cash in on nostalgia is, you know, telling, uh, you know, telling the story that's been told already. And, you know, like there are many lines out there that are successfully doing that. GI Joe, you know, we've mentioned it before, but like wrestling is like constantly putting out like a new, a new wrestler, like alongside of, you know, a legend or, you know, somebody from 20, 30 years ago. So that's, that's one way to cash in on nostalgia. And then the other way is to.
00:44:10
Speaker
take the part of like what you guys are doing where you're taking kind of like those feelings and you're kind of morphing them into and molding them into a new story that kind of brings you back to that time period. And like
Indie Toy Makers vs. Larger Companies
00:44:25
Speaker
you said, it's for indie toy makers, it's definitely an uphill battle. And I think the more we kind of get these stories out there and the more that we kind of
00:44:40
Speaker
you know, pull back the curtain, right? And show what it takes to actually make a toy from start to finish. I think that's important for people to know. No, that's what's cool. Like, that's why I started listening to you guys. Like, I appreciate like getting that insight.
00:44:56
Speaker
seeing new discovering new trends like discovering new players on the field too and just other standing also you know there's the middle ground you know the the cells that are not quite there and even the super sevens that i feel like surpassed that middle ground now they're a larger player but they're still producing small runs you know
00:45:14
Speaker
But it's just cool to also see the next progression. I would love to get to that status. Nine of Five Warriors is just a start. Nothing I do will always be in the 90s realm. But this was special to my heart of just a passion project that the show is, or if the show ever does exist, the show will be set in the 90s. It will be a period piece. It's because it's just true to my heart. That was something I loved. I could talk about that for days.
00:45:43
Speaker
But the next thing, like I would love to get into different action figures all together and just making cool toys again, like just whatever creativity you have in here and just put it out there and give it a shot. You know, the thing that I like that strikes me too with these is like, you know, you think of the creativity that you see and it kind of matches in a way like.
00:46:06
Speaker
Everybody's creativity. Like how many times did you use like a coffee lid as something or paper clips or you know, rubber bands or anything along those lines? Like a stapler is a very articulated thing like, you know, or cassette tape covers, you know, like stuff like door cases. That stuff was accessories when there was no other accessories. So to see it turn into this toy line that's built out of
00:46:36
Speaker
this stuff that you think of in one way and it's now this other thing. That in itself is just something that's just so you know remarkably brilliant for like it's that thing where you look at it you go you know how has nobody thought of this it's just so it's so remarkably brilliant
00:47:00
Speaker
Thank you, thank you. Honestly, that's like, that means a lot. Like, honestly, I'm just trying to, as I said, like, re-spark imagination. That, to me, I know fidget spinners and fidget toys are on the rise of, like, as we just try, you know, whether it's easing anxiety or just trying to, like, get away from the
00:47:21
Speaker
the craziness of our world, like the idea of putting these in your cubicle or home office or in your kitchen, whatever the hell, like that's what's cool with the scale. They work anywhere. And if you can take that moment to like play with your toys or just feel like just get lost in that the story and take that. I've heard people, you know, sending me the M's already of like creating their own characters. And that's what's freaking cool is like.
00:47:46
Speaker
It's already happening. And I got to remember that too, as a creator, because the first thing I'm going to reach is imposter syndrome. And I'll start questioning, is this fucking good? Is this good? Should it be purple? Damn it. So I don't know. It means a lot to hear that because that's the ultimate aim at this end of the day. Let's reignite that imagination and creativity of what toys originally did for all of us. Imposter
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
00:48:14
Speaker
syndrome. It eventually comes for us all.
00:48:16
Speaker
Also, I'm going to tell you just everything. Never like deny something being purple. I'm just. Yeah. The best things in life are purple. Donatello prints. Thank you. Grape soda. Best things in life are purple. Listen, Brandon, before we let you go, Dave, would you like to fulfill your role as this podcast's James Lipton and ask our final question? Absolutely.
00:48:47
Speaker
The final question that we ask to all of our guests. What is your favorite and or strangest piece in your collection? It can be one of each, or it can be both.
00:48:59
Speaker
I love it. Okay, so this changes. I have this ready because I have no idea what the hell this is. And it's just called Butt Ugly Martians. And this was a thing I purchased specifically because of the packaging. And for those that are listening, it's basically a VHS across the top horizontally. Underneath is four miniature characters, well, six in total.
00:49:22
Speaker
And then a deck of cards spread out and like that's me is like the ultimate packaging like if i can do something like this for nine to five years later on like this is cool.
00:49:32
Speaker
So I never heard of the show. I think this was like in that phase of when 90s started getting ugly. Are you talking about my figures? Like there's like that big, bad beetle board or whatever that was. Big, bad, big, bad beetle boards. Yeah. There was some weird CGI mishaps that like kind of just sort of like, whatever, let's try it. But I think this was in that rain. If people know about it, please let me know about it. But big, but ugly Martians was one of that.
00:49:59
Speaker
and just got it for the packaging. My favorite things.
00:50:06
Speaker
I think it's ExoSquad, I'm going to have to say, because I love the miniature scale of this, like the flat box opening, the cool mech thing. When Avatar came out, I was like, oh my God, that's ExoSquad, that machine is freaking cool. And it instantly reminded me of that. And this was a cool toy. This is before, you know,
00:50:31
Speaker
companies started getting sued for poking kids eyes out because missiles actually fired, like this shit would fire across the room like really well. And I don't know, these are some of my favorites growing up, the XO squad. If I can ever get into licensing, I will go ahead and do what I said, which sucks. It's like, I will remake the XO squad. I will gladly remake that. Not because no one knows about it, because like, that could be such a sick movie right now. I'm honestly, it's
00:51:00
Speaker
There are a couple of toy lines that come up every now and then where people are like, Oh man, I can't believe that, you know, that somebody hasn't, you know, like, I don't, I don't know who has the extra squad license at this point, whether it's, you know, whether it's Mattel or Hasbro or somebody or nobody, maybe it's nobody. Um, but, uh, that's one of the ones that like, I can't believe with like.
00:51:23
Speaker
how much people love Gundam and Pacific Rim and Avatar. It's unbelievable that Exo Squad has just, nobody has touched it. The two that blow my mind, it's Exo Squad, and I still cannot believe nobody has remade Battle Beasts, especially with all of the blind box experiences that people have. Blind bagged Battle Beasts would be, I can't imagine they wouldn't sell.
00:51:52
Speaker
The thing that blows my mind with that butt-ugly Martians thing is like, it's like, oh, you don't like figures? Well, cool. Here's a videotape. Oh, you don't like cartoons? Well, here's a card game. It really is a shotgun approach. It's like hedging its bets. It was like, here's everything. Like one of these. The only thing it was missing was a POG. Oh, yeah. Who knows? It could be stuck in there for all I know. That's what's cool.
00:52:18
Speaker
I meant one other toy line that should be remade to top this off. I mean, this is BOTS Masters. You guys remember the show? No, it's Masters and like their call tag at the end was like, it's laser time, boys. And you put on 3D glasses and it'd be fucking like a 3D spectacular battle fight. But that show as a movie today would be sick. It's basically like, oh, no, I do remember this.
00:52:43
Speaker
It's sick. That storyline, the whole futuristic cyberpunk style, that would be such a good movie right now. This was a Saban joint here in the US. Yeah, I remember The Bots Master. Yeah, that actually would fly right now. Those characters are sick. They're funny. There's just like, oh, man. Everything about that, it would be a really good show. Dave, you would have loved the show.
00:53:14
Speaker
There was like a, I forget what his name was, but there was a robot that was like obsessed with baseball. Yeah. Sports. This has made it simple. Like that's sports. Yeah. I, I, I think, I think his name might've been sports, but he had like a robotic baseball bat, like a baseball glove. Yeah, man. I haven't thought of it.
00:53:38
Speaker
You can't beat simplicity. Like people are like, what's the major? What's the eraser guy's name? Like a deraser. It's simple. You hopefully won't forget it. You know, the end. Oh, this was made by. Co-created by Avi Arad and the. Guy who created Inspector Gadget. Totally has that vibe. Yeah, it was it was a good card. I'm going to have to.
00:54:06
Speaker
Go on YouTube and go down the rabbit hole on this because I want to like forever. Yeah, I want to try to see this. I'm honestly surprised that that Dan Larson hasn't done. Hasn't done an episode on bots master yet. What I have to I have to tweet him. And I'll be down to be part of that. That's awesome. Like they used to have it on. If I'm not mistaken, I'm kind of getting mixed with Exo's God. But before Hulu got crazy, crazy popular, like
00:54:36
Speaker
a few years back, like they had either XO squad or bots master streaming on that. And now they took it off. I'm like, damn. Yeah. I was probably sitting on like Pluto or a to be one of those, one of those, uh, those free to watch ones. Well, Brandon, before we let you go, man, where can we, um, to tell our teller listeners, uh, where can they learn more about nine to five warriors and more importantly, where can they, uh, pre-order?
00:55:02
Speaker
9to5warriors
Pre-Order Information for Listeners
00:55:03
Speaker
.com is probably easiest. Everything's there. You can learn the story of each character. There's tons of videos. All the links go to Big Bad Toy Store where you'll have to pre-order if you're interested. And again, if you're on the fence or you're kind of short on cash, don't stress it yet. Because I know it's during the holiday season. Thankfully, nothing gets charged until it ships. And it'd mean the world to me if you guys support it. So thank you, guys.
00:55:31
Speaker
All right, Brandon, we'll make sure we include links to those, uh, you know, links to the website. And of course, you know, on, on social media, uh, in, in our episode description, thank you so much for stopping by and, uh, and telling us about a nine to five warriors, man. Thank you for having me. Thank you guys. Dave, send us home. Hi everyone. We'll see you for episode 100.
00:55:56
Speaker
Thank you, dear listener, for hanging out with us today. Subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you listen, and then tell your friends to do it. Thanks also to Joe Azari, the golden voice behind our intro. Our music is Game Boy Horror by the Zombie Dandies. Find more about them both on our show notes.
00:56:12
Speaker
Follow us on social media at AIC underscore podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Stop by and say hi. Show us your toy hauls and share your toy stories. Maybe we'll talk about it in a future episode.
00:56:36
Speaker
This has been a non-productive media presentation. Executive producer Frank Kablaui. This program and many others like it on the non-productive network is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives license. Please share it, but ask before trying to change it or sell it. For more information, visit non-productive.com.