Mondo Toys And Collectibles will release 1/6 scale figures of Batman and Mr. Freeze modeled after their appearance in the award-winning Batman: The Animated Series episode “Heart of Ice”. Andrew Asberry of Batman-news.com recently interviewed Brock Otterbaecher, Creative Director of Mondo. Here’s what he had to say:
You’re the creative director for toys and collectibles. What does all of that entail?
The easiest answer is that I oversee the creative direction (hence the title, ha!) of this department. What it entails is quite a bit more than that. Basically it’s figuring out what products we’re going to make, how we’re going to make them, who we’re making them with, how many we’re making, etc. We work with so many creative artists with great ideas, so it’s also being a bit of a funnel getting all that creativity into one product.
What was the moment you realized that your passion for toys could translate into a career?
I’ve always had an interest in toys, and was an active collector, but never really thought I’d be working in the industry. Then in September of 2003, while being on a tour of Sideshow Collectibles (a company I hadn’t heard of until the day before the tour) I asked if there were any opportunities in customer service, an entry level position. I was told, no, BUT there was opportunity in production, and the rest is history!
How did your initial idea of working in the toy and collectibles trade, back before you ever started, differ from the reality of it? What’s something you wish you knew before you got into the business?
I think a lot of people, including myself at the time, think working with toys is all fun, all day. And it certainly can be fun, a lot, but it’s also a ton of hard work. And business! So much business talk! The majority of my day is spent talking about factory quotes and purchase orders and budgets, and much less about Gremlin butts or Predator dreads.
So you oversee the designing, sculpting, painting, photography, and all other fun stuff involved in the creation and marketing of these collectibles—do you have a bit of a rivalry with the poster/vinyl team at Mondo? Is there a drive to make it so when the public hears “Mondo” they think “statues and figures”?
No rivalry, as we’re all super supportive, and fans, of each others’ work. That sounds like such a safe answer, but it’s true! And we often work with each other, planning releases that go with other releases, and the like.
As for public perception- if someone is a fan of posters, I want them to think Mondo. If they’re a fan of vinyl record- Mondo. Pins? Mondo. Sensing a pattern? Haha. There are A LOT of companies out there doing toys and collectibles, so if we ever become a place thought of first by someone as “statue and figures”, that would be a fantastic honor. In the meantime, I’d rather that if someone is a fan of our collectibles, they know we’re going to deliver something unique and awesome.
What separates a Mondo collectible from everything else that’s out there? Particularly with Batman. There’s no shortage of options out there for a fan who wants a Batman collectible so what do you look for when crafting merchandise that’ll stand out from the crowd?
I would like to think it’s our approach to a particular character or property. Whether it’s something like our Harley Quinn statue, which is not like any other Harley statue out there in my opinion, or our Batman: The Animated Series one-sixth scale figures with our take on articulation and paint. Our hope is always that someone will go “That’s neat. That’s new. I want that!”
Where is the love for the Schumacher era? Mondo, Hot Toys, NECA, Kotobukiya, all of you guys keep cranking out merch from every era of Batman except Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Yes, I know they’re not shining examples of what Batman should be but a lot of Batman fans, myself included, wouldn’t mind having that period of Batman history represented on their shelf in some way.
I’m going to say something that might seem sacrilegious to your readers, but if you’ll bear with me on this, and the reasoning, you may understand– Batman & Robin is my most watched Batman film to date. NOW- this is not because I think it’s the best (Mask of the Phantasm), nor is it even my favorite (Mask of the Phantasm), nor do I even think it’s good, but if I want some absurdity, insanity, Arnold, AND puns? You know what I’m playing in the background to feed my fever dreams.
That said, I truly don’t believe that kind of viewing, ironic or not, leads to a desire to purchase product. Now if you get ten-thousand people to commit to spending two-hundred dollars on a one-sixth-scale Mr. Freeze from Batman & Robin, you’d probably move my dial a bit.
How often is it that the owners of an IP contact you first as opposed to you having the idea and then approaching them for licensing?
I don’t know what the percentage is, but we do a lot of pitching, and people do a lot of pitching to us. We’ve got great relationships with most of the majors out there, so it’s more about the ebb and flow of conversation as new properties and opportunities come about.
Is it more common for an artist you frequently collaborate with to pitch a merchandise concept or for you to first get the license and then shop around for talent that would be best for that property?
Though some artists do pitch ideas, it’s more common for us to seek out a particular artist for a particular project, simply because we know what we can and can’t do, license-wise.
How did the idea for the Batman: The Animated Series Mr. Freeze and Batman figures originate and who designed them?
This was something I had always wanted to do, which was doing larger scale figures, with paint schemes imitating the animation, and keeping the articulation as streamlined as possible, again, preserving that animated look.
For the look we were going for, the designing had to happen at several stages. We worked with Joe Allard on the initial designs for the figures, then Ramirez Studios and Bigshot Toyworks for sculpting/articulation, and then Jason Wires Productions on the paint design.
Each stage offered a lot of fun challenges, but each one of these artists brought their best to the table, and I feel the results show it.
How often is it that the owners of an IP contact you first as opposed to you having the idea and then approaching them for licensing?
I don’t know what the percentage is, but we do a lot of pitching, and people do a lot of pitching to us. We’ve got great relationships with most of the majors out there, so it’s more about the ebb and flow of conversation as new properties and opportunities come about.
Is it more common for an artist you frequently collaborate with to pitch a merchandise concept or for you to first get the license and then shop around for talent that would be best for that property?
Though some artists do pitch ideas, it’s more common for us to seek out a particular artist for a particular project, simply because we know what we can and can’t do, license-wise.
How did the idea for the Batman: The Animated Series Mr. Freeze and Batman figures originate and who designed them?
This was something I had always wanted to do, which was doing larger scale figures, with paint schemes imitating the animation, and keeping the articulation as streamlined as possible, again, preserving that animated look.
For the look we were going for, the designing had to happen at several stages. We worked with Joe Allard on the initial designs for the figures, then Ramirez Studios and Bigshot Toyworks for sculpting/articulation, and then Jason Wires Productions on the paint design.
Each stage offered a lot of fun challenges, but each one of these artists brought their best to the table, and I feel the results show it.
The figures will be up for pre-order Q4 of 2017 and check out the pics below:
