Friday, April 21, 2017

FREE FLASHBACKS! Episode 1: The Tick's Tumultuous Transformation

Bandai The Tick action figure concept art
GREETINGS, FRAGILE CITIZEN! I am...The Tick, ever vigilant protector of a city probably far from yours, to your obvious dismay. BUT FEAR NOT! It was once the dream of toy company "Bandai" to put a little me in every town to remind the average joe that justice comes in all shapes and sizes. Today, we will walk the halls of that nearly forgotten golden era and perhaps trigger your "gimme hands" of wanting by showing you what was, and what could have been! Let us dive into the warm, comforting waters of toy addiction. Keen!

Our buddy Steve Savino of Toy Hunter (on the History Channel) gave us a look at concept designs for The Tick cartoon inspired action figures. The art comes from a company called Kiscom and is said to be drawn by Ben Edlund (the Tick's creator) himself. Some of these ideas made it to production! Others, sadly, did not. Let's take a look at the concept art...

Bandai The Tick action figure concept artBandai The Tick action figure concept artBandai The Tick action figure concept art

Bandai The Tick action figure concept artBandai The Tick action figure concept artBandai The Tick action figure concept art

Bandai The Tick action figure concept artBandai The Tick action figure concept artBandai The Tick action figure concept art

Bandai The Tick action figure concept art

Bandai The Tick action figure concept art


 And here's some unproduced Tick plush! Check out the amazing Tick Sneakers!!


Bandai The Tick unproduced plush toyBandai The Tick unproduced plush toy

Bandai The Tick unproduced plush toyBandai The Tick unproduced plush toy


 So..what did get made? We got some plush, a statue or two, Taco Bell Kid's Meal toys and a line of action figures from Bandai which included Bounding Tick, Hurling Tick (he throws things..he does not throw up), Arthur, American Maid, Die Fledermaus, Dean (a Chairface Chippendale henchman, but oddly, no Chairface!), Dinosaur Neil, El Seed, Exploding Dyna-Mole, Crusading Chameleon, Sewer Urchin, Skippy the Robot Dog, Thrakkorzog, Mucus Tick, Human Bullet and Man Eating Cow. There were also 4 Tick Talkers including "I Dig Dinosaur Neil", "I Love Wheat", "Tourist" and "Natural" Ticks, as well as a large talking Tick figure. Bandai also made some 2 inch figures while Gordy Toy made a bendy figure line which included The Terror, which most people slip into their action figure lineup (as you may with the Charles the Brainchild Taco Bell toy!)

Bandai The Tick action figure series

Bandai The Tick action figure seriesBandai The Tick action figure series

Bandai The Tick action figure series

Bandai The Tick 2 inch figure series

The Tick Taco Bell Kid's Meal Toys

Gordy Toys The Tick Bendy figures


In later years (2010 to be exact), a company called Shocker Toys produced a nearly 7 inch Tick action figure, with Idle Hands taking on a Mucus Tick action figure exclusive and Astro-Zombies with a translucent blue exclusive Tick action figure. Shocker would later go through a name change, becoming GBJR Toys (for the initials of the company's creator) and between the two, they made a handful of Tick variants including a rusty sign 1st run edition, a signed edition (merely a sticker added that Ben Edlund would sign at San Diego Comic-Con), a Tick with Viewmaster and an SDCC (unofficial) exclusive pack with a spoon, viewmaster and spoon T shirt. A Build-A-Arthur figure, alternate heads pack and bonus Tick accessories were due to ship with the Indie Spotlight wave 2 figures, but production never rolled forward past the initial Tick and Dick Tracy figures. Sadly, Shocker and GBJR Toys were embroiled in controversy from day 1 of their Tick figure production, with accusations including not paying comic character creators, artists, sculptors, exclusive partners or the factory producing their figures, taking money for exclusives (like the Barry Hubris action figure) they would never produce and simply not shipping action figures ordered through their website. The head of the company has avoided any prosecution and is currently self-producing a magazine called Poisonous Pinups, which doubles as a modeling agency.

The Tick action figuresThe Tick action figuresThe Tick action figures


The Tick action figuresThe Tick action figures

Idle Hands Exclusive Mucus Tick action figureIdle Hands Exclusive Mucus Tick action figure

Idle Hands Exclusive Mucus Tick action figure

Idle Hands Exclusive Mucus Tick action figureIdle Hands Exclusive Mucus Tick action figure

The Tick unproduced action figuresThe Tick unproduced action figures


The Tick unproduced action figures
Alternate Heads Pack  

It's also worth noting that N2 Toys did a 4 figure line based on The Tick TV series which included The Tick, Arthur, Captain Liberty and Batmanuel.

N2 Toys The Tick Live Action TV series action figuresN2 Toys The Tick Live Action TV series action figures

N2 Toys The Tick Live Action TV series action figuresN2 Toys The Tick Live Action TV series action figures


A new Tick live action TV series is currently in production at Amazon with a full season on order. Striker Entertainment is licensing, so cross your fingers for new action figures from the show and comic books as a new generation clears their lungs and shouts SPOON!!

Amazon The Tick 2017 live action TV series


Images via Freak Studios, VSNdesigns and Idle Hands. Special thanks to Steve Savino!

Note to websites looking for news: Please credit us. If you are grabbing pictures and info, please only grab half at the most of what we are showing and link back for the rest. We appreciate your interest and thank you for your cooperation!

1 comment :

  1. There were some prototypes shown for more toys of the live-action series, apparently. See the first three pictures on this page; http://www.411games.com/2002toyfair/n2toys/main.shtml

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