Every now and then, it's nice to get some answers from the top. Georg Brewer, Vice President of Design & Retail Product Development for DC Comics, agreed, and thus became the Reverend's first official interview for his column. Read on for a glimpse into the future of DC Direct products. Expect plenty of surprises come convention season.
The Rev: Georg, as always, thank you for your time. First thing I wanted to ask is that you're rumored to be the big Green Lantern fan. Do GLC fans have anything to look forward to in that respect for 2005?
Georg Brewer: GL is one of my all-time favorite characters, and the Power Battery Props just make me smile. That said, the process to decide what gets made into the DC Direct line involves many people, and we make a great effort to respond to what is happening in the comics. Given that GL is one of our key characters, and he has such a diverse and interesting supporting cast, his universe is always ripe for consideration.
The Rev: Has DC Direct ever considered a release that encourages fan participation in the character selection process, like in an online poll? And what's the feasibility of something like a "Most Wanted" assortment that is purely determined by fan voting?
Georg Brewer: We have discussed this several times, and did do a poll with ToyFare this past year. Our website is going to be redesigned soon and with the new capabilities this will actually be easier to do. The ironic thing is that when I see the posts on the boards and then look at our plans we tend to hit many of the same notes. In fact there is a series coming that has been discussed recently and I did use the posts to inform our selections.
The Rev: Probably one of the bigger successes has to be the Silver Age treatment the Batman Family has received (Batman/Robin, Batgirl/Joker, Catwoman/Penguin, Batwoman/Bat-Girl). Will the Superman Family get more Silver Age treatment like Batman did this last year? Superman/Lois Lane & Superboy/Supergirl were sure a great start.
Georg Brewer: We have already sculpted several SA Superman family figures for a wave of four or five characters. We have not yet decided where we will put the release, but we are keeping the development moving so we are ready.
The Rev: Some people view DC Direct as the place to get characters done that wouldn't be handled by Mattel or other mainstream companies. A "First Appearance" Dick Grayson as Nightwing would be an example. What is your take?
Georg Brewer: Our goal is to bring out figures that best represent the comic stories fans know and love. Doing a Nightwing figure in his original costume is a good suggestion, and if it is a FA or part of a Teen Titans wave it is something that I would like to do sometime.
The Rev: The heroes of the Golden Age seemed to be some of your most popular figures from 2000 to 2001, and that's the last time we heard from that era. Anything on that front to look forward to in 2005?
Georg Brewer: It's very possible. With the popularity of the new JSA comic and our past success with classic JSA figures this is always top of our list. We actually have a really good problem in that we have some much cool stuff we "could" do and only so much we can do in a year.
The Rev: Are waves like "Classic Heroes" (Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, the Question, and Blue Beetle) still marketable? Are more concepts like that being explored?
Georg Brewer: The further you get away from the core DC characters the less they sell. I do think there is a market for these other types of characters, but it really is a matter of finding the "hook" to get them out there.
The Rev: Are there anymore storylines like HUSH and KINGDOM COME that DC Direct intends to adapt to action figures?> CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS was on your radar, I recall.
Georg Brewer: Yes, there are several new lines starting in 05 that come directly from the pages of some very popular contemporary and classic series.
The Rev: Will DC Direct be active in some way that ties into the 2005 release of Batman Begins?
Georg Brewer: Not ready to discuss yet.
The Rev: SUPERFRIENDS: Dead or alive?
Georg Brewer: Resting.
You can contact the Reverend at The Reverend
