Here’s another fine crowd-funding project you’ve gotten us into! Wandering Planet Toys is launching a Kickstarter for Laurel and Hardy action figures, paying tribute to the iconic comedy duo. And while co-founders of the company Gavin Hignight and Doc Wyatt have tackled multiple throwback figures before, this is one they felt a little extra pressure for.
“For likeness, we knew we had to get it right. Period,” Hignight told Comic Book Club over email. “They are legends, they are iconic, and all these years later, even with the 100th anniversary coming up, we all know how they are supposed to look and feel.”
To find out much more about the figures, the behind-the-scenes of their creation, and a look at the action figures themselves, read on.
Comic Book Club: Why Laurel and Hardy? What was important about this comedy duo in particular, to you?
Gavin Hignight: I’m a lifelong fan of Laurel & Hardy. I absolutely love their films. Their comedy and MASSIVE amount of talent really ignited my love for film and for classic film when I was young and impressionable… all these years later I find their humor and raw talent really holds up. They are masters of what they do… which is to entertain people and make people laugh. What a gift, right? I have some various Laurel & Hardy collectibles from over the years, but it felt to me that it has been some time since I saw a collectible of Stan and Ollie hit the market, and I’d never seen them explored in this manner, scale, and style before… so Doc and I started working on it. As for why I love them and their films… besides the humor and films being timeless, I think it’s that their humor never took a cheap shot at anyone, even themselves, there was never a sense of them being mean spirited, mischievous yes, but on and off screen they beamed positivity and friendship, and I love that.
Doc Wyatt: They’re the original film comedy duo. They both started on stage, then moved to Hollywood during the silent era. Stan was Charlie Chaplin’s roommate during a stage engagement in New York. Stan from England, Oliver a country boy from rural Georgia. They were an unlikely comedy duo that wound up taking Hollywood by storm, and becoming Oscar-winners for The Music Box. Everyone else just followed their path.
Obviously they were playing characters on stage and in film, but there’s a difference between them, versus say fictional characters on The Prisoner or in Nancy Drew. Does that impact how you approach the figures at all? Or is the likeness, the likeness?
Gavin: For likeness, we knew we had to get it right. Period. They are legends, they are iconic, and all these years later, even with the 100th anniversary coming up, we all know how they are supposed to look and feel. They are characters aren’t they? We just focused on the short films and early features era of their careers that felt like the timeless evergreen Laurel & Hardy for the ages.
Doc: I mean, on the one hand, yes, they were actors playing characters, but on the other hand the characters they were playing were Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. They were playing versions of themselves that were just as fictional as Number 6 in The Prisoner, or Nancy Drew. Stan the character was deeply stupid, Stan the real person was whip smart. Oliver the character was a blustering bully, Oliver “Baby” Hardy in real life was courteous and kind. When the bowler hat was on, they were fictional.
Beyond the black and white figures, you’re doing color figures, too. What did you use as reference for the latter? Given most of the material involving them is in black and white.
Doc: There are more color references than you might expect. By the end of their career there were plenty of full color still photos of them. Color still photography became common before color motion pictures, so you’ll find behind-the-scenes photos in color for films that were shot in black & white.
Gavin: We took great care to look at clothing of the era. We also researched much of their marketing materials for the films, for instance there’s a great book called “Promotional Pandemonium!” By Richard Greene that recently came out that has amazing color images of posters, lobby cards and other marketing images. We also looked at other collectibles and consulted with our licensor Larry Harmon Pictures who have been great to collab with.
Stan has a bag full of hard-boiled eggs and nuts… Did you create little hard-boiled eggs and nuts for the accessory? Or is it more of a “use your imagination” type deal?
Gavin: Well, technically it’s a tiny little accessory of a brown paper bag… but those who know Stan, know what he’s carrying around in there and brought to Ollie to cheer him up in the hospital.
If these are successful, who’s next? Abbott and Costello? Hope and Crosby?
Doc: After The Prisoner, people expected more British TV Sci Fi figures from us, but we did Nancy Drew. After Nancy, people guessed we’d do more literary-based figures, but we’re doing Laurel & Hardy. We hope our next release defies expectations and surprises people just as much. We don’t like going in a straight line.
Gavin: What Doc said! LOL, I love classic film and classic comedians, so who knows?! But honestly, our approach so far is just making figures of film, tv and books we love and want in our own collections. Doc and I are both writers in our other life… and I think some lessons we’ve learned to make things fun for an audience, or (community of collectors) is make a right turn when everyone is expecting a left turn… and don’t reveal all your secrets! 😉
Wandering Planet Toys’ Laurel & Hardy Action Figures are now live on Kickstarter.
Comic Book Club Live Info:
Discover more from Comic Book Club
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.