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DC Minimates & everlasting optimism


buttheadsmate

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In today's Art Asylum Blog,Ask DST #162 Q & A Chuck said that "DC would seem to be a pretty closed door".

So I assume that when the guy that runs the company that makes Minimates says that "DC would seem to be a pretty closed door" he means that they are dead ,deceased ,no longer,expired !

However ,maybe he means they are 'resting ' sad.gif

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That's why I prefer marvel. Though I wasn't here in 2006 you say that it was a pretty awfull time for the line. Yet,marvel stayed. Dc on the other hand...

It seems that they do not really care about their characters. The only movies you'll find are the batman ones. And really,after northstar's gay marriage their new "iconic" gay hero proposes to his boyfriend in a train? Really? If dc was smart they would try again. When you release batman,superman,green lantern and joker in the first wave and then you release guys like ma hunkel and ambush bug before ras al ghul,scarecrow and zoom you really don't believe in the line. They should try to learn from their mistakes. Come on,mez-itz,squinkes and balls who boil in hot water and reveal the character's face are better than minimates?

Though the return of Lego dc is a nice move.

Edited by Kostisfire
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I don't think that we are ever going to see DC minimates again, sorry man. DC seems like the kind of company where they aren't going to go back on something even if it's a bad idea to everyone else around them. However, I wouldn't be surprised if DC Collectibles decided to make their own block figure rival. With spherical parts instead of squared.

Just think of DC mates as refugees, toys without a nation. Now it's our duty to go out and save them all, give them a home, make them important. Who knows, maybe one day they'll realize "Hey, remember minimates? Maybe we shouldn't have got rid of them! We also shouldn't have rebooted the series!"Then DC will make a time machine and all will be well.

Edited by ImABarRoomHero
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In today's Art Asylum Blog,Ask DST #162 Q & A Chuck said that "DC would seem to be a pretty closed door".

So I assume that when the guy that runs the company that makes Minimates says that "DC would seem to be a pretty closed door" he means that they are dead ,deceased ,no longer,expired !

However ,maybe he means they are 'resting ' :(

Man, you always make the best posts. Although, I do object. I was expecting Frontal Nudity.

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I don't think that we are ever going to see DC minimates again, sorry man. DC seems like the kind of company where they aren't going to go back on something even if it's a bad idea to everyone else around them. However, I wouldn't be surprised if DC Collectibles decided to make their own block figure rival. With spherical parts instead of squared.

Just think of DC mates as refugees, toys without a nation. Now it's our duty to go out and save them all, give them a home, make them important. Who knows, maybe one day they'll realize "Hey, remember minimates? Maybe we shouldn't have got rid of them! We also shouldn't have rebooted the series!"Then DC will make a time machine and all will be well.

Maybe in the next millennium.

Though I am kinda relieved. My wallet would start screaming if we got dc mates

Edited by Kostisfire
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This parrot is no more! We cornered Brewer at one of the SDCC panels a few years back and asked about returning to minimates. He kinda rolled his eyes at us. He said they were not out of the question, but I got the impression that he was just trying to get rid of us.

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I'd love to know exactly WHY "DC would seem to be a pretty closed door." I'm not saying that DST owes any of its end consumers an explanation but as someone who works in the licensing business, it's... curious. My gut is telling me that there's an unwillingness on DST's part to pursue the property. The fact that Mezco got their hands on it frustrates me as a fan but proved that, for some reason, DST wasn't that interested in the property despite the obvious demand for it.

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We still occasionally ask, but the DC license is pretty tied up with other companies. Not a lot of room for us.

And don't compare it to Marvel -- different companies, different business strategies.

And Brewer is no longer with DC Direct, sadly.

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So,what is the problem? I mean do they turn it down because they do not think it is profitable or have they given the licence to many companies and don't want to give it to more? Because the first reason would mean that they are dead though the second reason means that there might be a slight chance for them to come back in some years. Not soon though.

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I'd love to know exactly WHY "DC would seem to be a pretty closed door." I'm not saying that DST owes any of its end consumers an explanation but as someone who works in the licensing business, it's... curious. My gut is telling me that there's an unwillingness on DST's part to pursue the property. The fact that Mezco got their hands on it frustrates me as a fan but proved that, for some reason, DST wasn't that interested in the property despite the obvious demand for it.

It's the other way around. Chuck's said in past Q&As (believe it or not, this isn't the first time that the issue's come up :biggrin:) that the ball's in DC's court, and that DST has made it clear they'd like to do them again. Now, have they approached DC/WB since they reshuffled things a few years ago and Brewer left? I dunno. And, maybe Chuck's gotten so fed up with them that he's decided it's not worth the hassle. But Chuck's made it clear that the problem (at least the initial problem) is on their side.

I don't think that the WB/DC licensing arm quite understands that Minimates are in a much stronger position then they were a few years ago, and what failed then won't necessarily fail now. I also think they don't see yet that the business model last time around (hiring AA as a design studio, but soliciting and distributing them through DC Direct) may have been as much at fault as anything. Anyway, there's really no point in continuing to rehash all this. DC may not be dead, but it's sure as hell hibernating until it chooses to wake up.

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This isn't really news though, is it? Maybe just that DST is now saying more of how they really perceive things to be as opposed to the purposely ambiguous stock "never say never" kind of response?

Edited by karamazov80
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Random thoughts:

- It's time to get creative again. I'm sure the rectal thermometer category is wide open. These could sport caps that just happen to be DC Minimates. Kids would love to have their temperatures taken by the Man of Steel or the Amazing Amazon!

- Georg Brewer is no longer with DC Direct... DC Direct is no longer with DC Direct!

- I can't help wondering how much staffing up DST would have to do if they had both DC and Marvel licenses. Seems like the workload would double.

- Regarding the "DC license." In my experience some properties still fall under the DC banner even though they don't fall under the DCU character group. That's why I'm suggesting the 1966 Batman property as a possibility.

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This parrot is no more! We cornered Brewer at one of the SDCC panels a few years back and asked about returning to minimates. He kinda rolled his eyes at us. He said they were not out of the question, but I got the impression that he was just trying to get rid of us.

Can you recall who was with you Shanester 'cause I can :biggrin:

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It just feels like it was yesterday that someone with far more knowledge than.....well...er...just about everybody was saying this .....

Do you actually believe everything a company tells you? Do you need to see everything in writing before you can believe anything for yourself? Have you never been to Comic-Con and actually spoken to any of the DST staff?

Edited by buttheadsmate
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ok heres the way i see it, first of all never say never, its just a rule every toy company has to keep constant or they would never get new licenses. Second of all, DC isnt in the place to make any long lasting successful toylines right now seeing as they are spreading themselves so thin that just about everything they come out with is crap. So i feel once DC stops gets its act together and really focuses on a few of those lines to make them actually good, then i think minimates will have a chance. Now im not saying we should continue campaigning them, because yes, right now DST has made it clear its not happening, i just think its never ENTIRELY off the table. But until its back on the table we can just appreciate ALL the AMAZING stuff DST still makes for us :D

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ok heres the way i see it, first of all never say never, its just a rule every toy company has to keep constant or they would never get new licenses. Second of all, DC isnt in the place to make any long lasting successful toylines right now seeing as they are spreading themselves so thin that just about everything they come out with is crap. So i feel once DC stops gets its act together and really focuses on a few of those lines to make them actually good, then i think minimates will have a chance. Now im not saying we should continue campaigning them, because yes, right now DST has made it clear its not happening, i just think its never ENTIRELY off the table. But until its back on the table we can just appreciate ALL the AMAZING stuff DST still makes for us :D

+1

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Does the DC license apply to comics only or does it also apply to other media such as animation?

I can only speak from my experience as a WB licensee but they do allow you to cherry pick. For example, if you're only interested in the Batman or Superman brands, you can license them individually rather than pay for the whole DCU. The nice part is that, for example as a Batman licensee, that includes rights to films, video games, and cartoons. The 1966 series might end up falling under that umbrella but currently it does not, possibly because of an agreement with Fox on reporting royalties.

Long story short: A DC license can include whatever the licensee is willing to pay for assuming the rights are available.

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