All through the 1980s action figures were small, shiny, fun but oftentimes crudely sculpted toys. In 1994 Todd McFarlane took a huge risk to his new empire and started his own toy company (Todd Toys) to make figures based on the characters in Image Comics and in so doing turned the action figure market on its ear. A taller format, better sculpting, and a radical change in paint ops reset the industry standard and raised the bar for everyone. The ripple effect lead to changes at Toy Biz and the appearance of new players in the market such as Art Asylum, The Four Horsemen, and Mezco. The alumni from McFarlane went out into the world and changed smaller companies that were just starting in the action figure world such as NECA and Diamond Select Toys. This tectonic shift is still being felt in the industry as companies focus more on art and realism in their lines. Industry leaders, sculptors, and people who were there discuss the changes and what it meant for collectors then and now. Moderator Daniel "Julius Marx" Pickett from ActionFigureInsider.com will be joined by Joe Ferstl (McFarlane Toys), Jesse Falcon (Marvel), Jean St. Jean (Jean St. Jean Studios), Eric "Cornboy" Mayse (The Four Horsemen Design), Digger T. Mesch (Dig Deep Entertainment, Agent 88, Founder of Art Asylum), and maybe a surprise or two.
