It’s amazing what you can find out there in the Intertubes.
Through a series of links starting initially on Paul Nomad’s (formerly of Action-Figure.com) Facebook page I discovered a new small toy company called ZICA Toys.
Upon visiting their site I saw they were hard at work on a couple of very interesting projects.
The one that, of course, really caught my eye was 3-3/4" action figures based upon an independent comic called Midnightmen. They showed two prototypes on the site and the figures both looked really neat. I was pretty excited. Midnightmen appears to be a pulp-style adventure, and the figures of heroic Dax Northender and the evil Thule Kommando looked really fun.
Unfortunately, I learned from ZICA that project had to be scrapped. I was really sad to hear about that. It’s always exciting to find someone new entering the 3-3/4" arena, especially with a non-military line.
I hope that someday ZICA is able to revisit these figures. I know I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed!
However, they still have plans for the Midnightmen property. ZICA is planning on producing the characters in the MEGO style, and hopes to have prototypes ready to show by years end.
Another project they are working on, also in the MEGO-esque 1/9 scale is a line based upon the 1980s Buck Rogers in the 25th Century television series. Even though I don’t collect that scale, I’m actually really excited about this line! Despite it’s being painfully cheesy, I loved the Buck Rogers show. Heck, I even saw the pilot that was shown in theaters prior to the launch of the series. I had the soundtrack album (vinyl, baby!) and, of course, I had all the MEGO 3-3/4" figures which all got thrown away when their O-rings snapped. Sadly, I didn’t know at the time you could easily repair that style of action figure.
Buck Rogers and Tigerman will be the first two figures released, hopefully around August. Kane and a Draconian Guard are also in the works as well as a character that I am really excited about: Hawk! The alien birdman (ok, so he just had feathers for hair) from the second season was a favorite of mine back in the day. I always wanted a Hawk figure. Hawk will be released as an exclusive on ZICA’s website. The headsculpts they’ve done look fantastic. ZICA has developed their own body for their figures with a bit of a more modern aesthetic than the classic MEGO body.
Customizers take note! ZICA has big plans for folks who like to develop custom figures in this scale. Eventually ZICA toys will be offering an extensive line of body types, rotocast heads, hands, feet, clothing and accessories to try and fill a growing demand for custom parts within the customizing community.
ZICA is planning on attending the New York Comic Con in October and will have all their prototypes on display. If you’re attending the con, be sure to stop by and check them out!
Be sure to stop by ZICAToys.com and see more pictures, including a larger shot of the Buck Rogers line headsculpts, the new body they’ve developed and more.
I think ZICA Toys is a company to keep an eye on!
You can discuss ZICA Toys and their products in our General Toys Forum right here at AFi!
I loved the 70′s Buck Rogers series, too. Those head sculpts are spot on! I’m looking forward to seeing this property revisited after so many years.
Nice! I wonder if they will eventually get to Wilma Deering and Princess Ardala? They could base a whole line on those ladies wardrobes.
Hey Jeff, Glad you liked The Midnightmen stuff. If you thing the designs are cool you should check out our online comic here: http://www.themidnightmen.com
I was pretty sad when ZICA had to pull the pug on the 3 3/4 figures. But my hope is that we’ll get a Mego line up a running by next year. Craig over at Zica is a really nice guy and has made this really cool 8″ Mego like body.
Also Jeremy and I at Spy Monkey Creations is working with Zica now on a project that is in very very early development. If things move forward we’ll be announcing something in a 3-4 months.
Wow… Those protos look great, but if they keep going with the Buck Rogers line Twiki and Wilma are musts!
Bill – I did check out the comic and it looks fantastic! Really sharp.
The Mego stuff is cool, but I’m just not a collector of that (I’ll likely break down for Buck, ‘though) and, as most know, mostly focus on 3-3/4″. I hope the opportunity arises to revisit the scale down the road. I put a bug in Craig’s ear for 3-3/4″ Buck Rogers
The first season especially is campy as hell, and all the more fun for it. I got the DVD set and rememebred liking the second season more as a kid because it was more “serious” than the jokey first season. As a grownup, my opinion completely flipped. I still think Hawk is really cool, both in his look and as he was portrayed by the actor, but otherwise the second season of the show is kind of dour and takes itself too seriously. The first season, though, is a complete hoot – the disco, the ’70s open collars with Burt Reynolds chest hair everywhere, and Gary Coleman, not once, but twice! What’s not to love? I have no room for these at all, but along with the upcoming Mego-esque movie Flash Gordon and Ming the Merciless, I will happily pick up every Buck figure produced.
I’ve been following ZICA for a while. It’s been a LONG wait, but it looks like it’s going to be well worth it. They’re going really force the other Mego-style properties to up their game, I think. I also sympathize with you about O-rings being the end of figures. I lost many a good man to that battle and never knew how to properly repair them until I was a grown man. Sorry to all my old Joes who got tossed in the trash.
WHAT?! No Wilma Derring? No Princess Ardala? No Twiki?
if the first line sells well no doubt Wilma and Ardala and of course Twiki will show up . though twiki no doubt will come with the annoying computer he wore. plus would love to see them also include instine the big robot. hawk can not wait to see the finished figure for liked the character. even though never cared for Mego.
“annoying computer he wore”?!?! Are you trashing the good name of Dr. Theopolis? I can’t believe that in a contest of most annoying between Twiki and and the good Doctor that Theo would win!
“plus would love to see them also include instine the big robot”
Do you mean Crichton? He was the large robot in the second season aboard the Searcher.
My favorite thing about Crichton was, of course, his arms, which were designed only to move in one way: to allow him to create that hands-on-hips-I’m-superior-to-you pose. What *was* Dr. Goodfellow thinking?
I always thought Dr. Goodfellow was thinking “damn that Buck Rogers is a strapping young man”.
could not remember Crichton’s name but he would be interesting in figure form. as for doctor Theopolis. he acted like such a know it all and was always condesending to Twiki . but will wind up when Zica gets around to Twiki be part of the figure and not removable.