Rumors and leaks had it happening for a while, but now it’s official: Hasbro, which has outsourced many of its in-house characters to other companies in the past — think Mezco’s One; 12 Collection, or Threezero’s Transformers — now adds McFarlane Toys to the list. The companies will combine for McFarlane’s Page Punchers line of figure and comic packs.
Punching the Cards
Page Punchers began with 3-inch basic DC action figures sporting five points of articulation, packed in with a comic book for a $10 price point. They expanded into comics with sets of two figures, in both DC and Spawn themes. For the DC figures only, they added a 7-inch line of figures with comics, and the 3-inch line recently added its first outside license with Pacific Rim monsters and city parts.
The official press release doesn’t specify what scale or how much articulation the deal with Hasbro allows. Based on leaked listings, the assumption is that the first round, featuring G.I. Joe and Transformers characters, will be in the 3-inch, 5-points style, slightly smaller than Real American Hero and Super7 Reaction figures. Other licenses confirmed for the deal include Dungeons & Dragons and Power Rangers; could they also appear in McFarlane’s default 7-inch scale? That’s unknown at this time, but it would allow them to play alongside NECA’s LJN tribute Dungeons & Dragons figures if so.
“Page Punchers is an exciting program for us because it gets comic books into people’s hands, along with a fun toy product, who might not otherwise shop at comic stores. Parents enjoy them because they encourage reading and collectors like them because they provide unique and interesting character stories. With articulated figures, plus a full comic book in each Page Punchers item, we offer incredible value with this brand,” said Todd McFarlane in the announcement. McFarlane has also said over the years that he’d love it if action figure licenses allowed him to do “just one” of every major character other companies have rights to. This deal gets him closer.
Expect G.I. Joe and Transformers Page Punchers to arrive early next year.
