Unreleased DCD Minimates Designs

[hellpop]

So, using Iron Cow's Green Lantern design sheet, I whipped up a decal for all of you that have longed for a GL, but at a reasonable price. You can find it here in our snazzy decal thread (yeah, I'm pimping the decal thread, what about it?). Right now, it's just the head, but I should do the chest in a little bit (it's a little more involved then you might think).

[The Vox]

There is not a font size big enough to satisfy my <SIGH>

DC Minimates, you, like TLC's Lefteye Lopez, died too young!

[TM2 Dinobot]

I always liked the C3 designs over DCD, myself.

[TENIME_art]

I mostly agree, as they were very JLU-influenced, and I loved that about them, Joker probably more than anyone.

[Tigertail]

Wow, those would have been a great addition to the DC's.

[MisterMiracle]

Ugh! Plastic Man is the one DC Mate that I wish they would have released. Two Face and Penguin look great but that Plastic Man is amazing! If only they would have replaced that Superman/Wonder Woman set and guys like Ambush bug.

[Tigertail]

Ya, I could have done without Ambush Bug.

[MisterPL]

Wow. I always wondered what might have been. Obviously the line was canned long before its prime. I really wish DST would keep pestering WBCP for any DC property-- Watchmen, Young Justice, The Endless... anything!

[Jatta Pake]

In some senses, DC Direct's selection of obscure characters left a lot on the table for another run with more "household names"

Martian Manhunter

Two Face

Black Canary

Kyle Green Lantern

Oodles of Black, Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Indigo Lanterns

Alfred

Lois Lane

Beast Boy

Ras Al Ghul

Black Manta

There are hundreds of Batman and Superman variants - first appearance, artist specific, wacky uniforms etc.

[jcastick]

If the line went long enough, we could have had an entire Green Lantern wave....possibly 2, one for Blackest Night and one for Brightest Day.

[groundhog7s]

I don't know about all the speculation. I mean, it's not like there's any comic based Minimates lines that have been successful. Especially ones that are coming up on their ten year anniversary.

Just like just about every other toy line they've made, DC continues to fail and flounder while Marvel has succeeded. It just a shame that someone at DC can't just say 'If it's working for Marvel, why don't we try doing the exact same thing'.

[Fujis]

It just a shame that someone at DC can't just say 'If it's working for Marvel, why don't we try doing the exact same thing'.

Exactly. I know it's kicking a dead horse but you'd think by now with Marvel at wave 45 and counting they would have rethought their decision to end the line.

Bottom line though the DC Minimates line must not have made money; if it did they'd still be making them.

[Mirymate]

Oh no, they've go Mattel in their corner now. And they have such a dynamite track record for boys toys in the last two decades.

In fact, they're most successful DC toy line to date was DCU Classics which was an almost 100% copy of Marvel Legends. But no, what we need are more malformed "urban" collectibles.

You think they'd learn.

[groundhog7s]

I'll give DC this, they were the first product in Funko's Pop! vinyl line and that has easily become the sleeper line of the past year or two. They're still ahead of Marvel product wise with that line. But, as they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Or, closer to the truth, a stopped digital clock is right only once.

[buttheadsmate]

"But, as they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Or, closer to the truth, a stopped digital clock is right only once."

-profoundhog7s

Your just winding us up .

[undeadpool]

if we got DC mates, people would just be complaining about all the Supermen and Batmen variations instead of new characters and there would be a "where is Rip Hunter!" campaign until DC mates tenth anniversary

[jcastick]

I would rather take more Superman and Batman variations, Elseworlds!!!

[JamesJesse]

Well, here's something to consider.

Recently, DC revamped a chunk of their management team.

Georg Brewer is no longer with DC Direct.

They also have a renewed thrust at licensing their brands.

In fact, they've even renamed DC Direct (Now DC Collectables)

Perhaps now is the time to restart our clamor for the return of DC Minimates?

With the new 52, they might be willing to release new DC Minimate versions of their newest characters!

And you know what, DC Minimates sold well enough on their own but took a while to get a following.

Less than a year after they stopped the line, you couldn't find most of their mini mates save for the same few ones still around today.

That Plastic Man and Two Face woulda been awesome!

And we could see movie versions of Batman, Bane, Joker, Scarecrow, and maybe even minimates from the upcoming Superman movies.

Speaking if which one thing to take from marvel's formula is to routinely re-release classic looks of their big names so anyone can catch up!

They've done Captain America, Wolverine, Spiderman, Iron Man and Hulk a lot of times. Thor, Daredevil and the FF, and most of the big name X-men have made repeat appearances.

DC Direct already likes doing new versions of their big names. Just think of the many superman and batman variants they can make to anchor these.

I wouldn't mind a whole bunch of Superman, Batman, Flash and Green Lantern variant figure once in a while just to keep the line going.

Especially if it can get us characters like Blue Devil, Animal Man, The LSH, and Adam Strange...

[Kostisfire]

I was thinking the same thing yesterday!!! Since DST wants dc mates,dc collectibles has changed their management team,the reboot is here, Zach could you ask them again for dx mates? Bring marvel as an example. Make them envy of its success and tell them all the stuff they want to hear. It's the perfect plan!!! (now excuse me while I go and laugh like a mad scientist in a disney movie)

[Mirymate]

It's dead, Jim.

It was nice while we had it. And it will always be nice to wonder what wooda-cooda been.

But it ain't comin back. Not like we'd want it to.

[Jatta Pake]

DC Minimates Manifesto

I've been collecting Minimates since 2005, and I've watched a lot of lines die. It was really hard to see C3 pass-away, but it was replaced by the DC Direct waves that hands down beat Marvel Minimates in a number of areas at the time of their release (Marvel Minimates later adopted all and more of the DC Minimates improvements). But like zombies, dead lines can rise back from the dead. As Chuck likes to say, "Never say Never".

I think we could revive DC Minimates with the right fan campaign. It would require certain elements including a very sustained campaign over the course of a long time (maybe a year or two). While most Internet denizens are familiar with past approaches, for example having fans mail lots of X to target Y, this campaign would need to break the mold. The goal would be to get key DC decision makers to say, "Hey, what's up with this Minimates thing? I personally think they are kinda dumb but they are getting a lot of buzz out on the street." It needs to be more than a single Internet campaign, it needs to be a force multiplying tidal wave of demand.

Concept:

The movement begins by utilizing Social Media to unite fans to the cause. But let's face it, fanboys are highly skeptical and doubting. People like to join causes that have a purpose and a reasonable chance of success. The purpose is easily defined and quantifiable (DC Minimates return to Specialty Shops) but the "reasonable chance of success" requires a strong leader to make that happen (not me!). Hopefully this Manifesto spurs someone to step forward and lead this movement. I'll be the first foot soldier.

Step One: Define the Mission and Plan the Campaign (Return DC Minimates to Specialty).

Step Two: Unite the masses. Leverage the Internet to spark the movement:

• Facebook
  
• Twitter
  
• Toy Collector Websites
  
• DC Comic Fan Sites
  
• Reddit, Digg
  
• Youtube
  
• Flickr
  
• Coverage in new media fan websites: Topless Robot, io9.com, blastr, etc.
  

Step Three: Make the Mission Fun! This will define the success of the campaign. Fun = Minimal work by fans, creative, results in a measurable event (like on the record recognition on the bad assness of the campaign by someone at DC)

Step Four: Recruitment. Campaign supporters must evangelize the pure awesomeness of the campaign to other awesome people. Get more people to join the fun.

Step Five: The Event or events. The movement must build to something. In fiction writing, it's called "Rising Action". Small easy victories build up to the climax. This is also a psychological technique to get supporters to invest more and more work into the movement.

Step Six: Success?

The Kang Campaign was as smaller version of this type of movement, and it appears to have been successful. I think the Kangsters need to take a stab at upping the ante and making DC Minimates happen (again).

Edited April 22, 2012 by Jatta Pake

[Kostisfire]

I'm gonna include it in my yt channel. I'm starting this summer with two series:reviews and stopmotions. I'll start an new thread later with more details.

[MisterPL]

According to this report, the first question asked at the DCC panel at 2012 SDCC was about DC Minimates. Looks like the campaign is working.

[Jatta Pake]

Nice! Seems like this new DC Collectibles is open to new business models (like making money).

Will we ever see DC Minimates. No plans right now but you never know. They have ones made that were never released. They may show some pictures of those at some point online to see how much interest in them there might be.

[Dreadnok Rocksteady]

Oh man, I want Plastic Man so much! The Kyle Baker comics really put into perspective how insanely awesome he is! If anyone hasn't read them, I HIGHLY recommend them! I would have loved Jonah Hex. Still, I can't complain, I got Lobo which is pretty awesome to me... The C3 Batmobile is also top notch! So good to have a Batmobile which actually DOES STUFF!