CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCAST IPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPRSS
Pro Wrestling Torch
Pro Wrestling Torch Reaches The Most Wrestling Fans Every Week: #1 in iTunes • #1 on iPhone and iPad • #1 on Android • #1 on Kindle
GOT THE PWTORCH APP YET?
iPhone & iPad
Android
Amazon Kindle
Windows Phone
PWTorch Phone App
THE SPECIALISTS
COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: PWTorch Exclusive Interview - Toy Designer Talks New ROH Action Figure Line

Oct 31, 2014 - 1:10:06 PM
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO BOOKMARK US & VISIT US DAILY


ROH_Ring_Wide_32.png



By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

Some of Ring of Honor’s top stars of yesterday and today may never step foot inside a WWE ring. But that doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to own an action figure of your favorite ROH wrestler.

Earlier this week, Tampa-based Figures Toy Company announced plans to produce the first line of ROH action figures. Figures Toy Company specializes in figures aimed at adult collectors, many of which pay homage to older toy lines. Figures Toy Company has produced toy lines of DC Comics, KISS, Conan the Barbarian, Dallas, Gilligan’s Island and Dukes of Hazzard, among others.

Christopher DePetrillo, chief marketing officer for Figures Toy Company, provided some exclusive details on the new ROH line during an interview with PWTorch Collectibles specialist Michael Moore...

- Moore: What can people expect from the new ROH figures from Figures Trading Company?

DePetrillo: These are going to blow people away. The attention to detail by our team has been fantastic. These figures are definitely going to stand out when compared to other wrestling figures on the market. I’m very proud of the work we’re doing.

- Moore: How will these compare to other wrestling figures?

DePetrillo: Size-wise, they’ll match up well with other collections. We’ll also be incorporating things like accessories and realistic clothing. The best comparison I can make is that they’ll be very similar to the WWE Elite figures produced by Mattel.

- Moore: What size will these figures be, and how does that compare to figures from companies like Mattel and Jakks?

DePetrillo: These will be your standard six-inch figures, allowing them to fit right in with any Mattel or Jakks collection.

- Moore: What can collectors expect to pay for these figures?

DePetrillo: We will be announcing the pricing once we make the official Series 1 reveals.

- Moore: Where will collectors be able to buy these? Will they be available at places like Toys R Us?

DePetrillo: The figures will be available directly through us at WrestlingSuperstore.com, FiguresToyCompany.com, and Ring of Honor at ROHWrestling.com.

- Moore: How many series will be produced?

DePetrillo: We currently have Series 1 and 2 in production, and we plan on continuing the line past that.

- Moore: Who will be in the first series?

DePetrillo: Those stars will be revealed shortly on ROHWrestling.com.

- Moore: Will this line include any past ROH wrestlers?

DePetrillo: Yes it will. ROH has a great history, and some amazing talent has competed in the company. We want to be able to reflect that in this toy line.

- Moore: Are there any plans to do a ring or a cage for the ROH line?

DePetrillo: We do plan on releasing some accessories as part of the toy line.

- Moore: A lot of Figures Toy Company lines have a definite Mego feel to them. Where does this influence come from?

DePetrillo: We’re a nostalgic bunch here at FTC. The owner, Anthony Balasco, has always collected Mego toys, dating back to his childhood. With so much interest in the retro -- or throwback – toy market in recent years, it was only fitting that we release toys that would appeal to those collectors, but also lets us relive the fond memories of our youth.

- Moore: Will the ROH design give a nod toward Mego or any other toy line from the past?

DePetrillo: Body and size-wise, these will be very similar to the JAKKS wrestling figures of the past.

- Moore: One of the coolest things about Figures Trading Company toys is that you can look at one and tell that the people creating the figure had a passion for and a real understanding of what they were doing. You never look at a face and go, “Who is that?” Are the people working on the ROH line wrestling fans?

DePetrillo: We’re definitely wrestling fans. I personally have loved wrestling since I was 3 years old, ever since my cousin stumbled across an episode of World Class Championship Wrestling on TV. With Ring of Honor, I’ve been following them since their inception. I’ve been to many shows in the Northeast, and I keep up on the television and events. ROH has always captivated and entertained me. They have some of the best talent in the world. That’s why I’m especially proud to be working on this project.

The passion and devotion we have here is a key element to our success. If you take a look at all of our products, and the brands we represent, each one is something that we enjoy personally. We’re wrestling fans. We read comic books. We listen to KISS. We grew up watching shows like Dallas every week. It’s a great feeling to be able to have a hand in the creative process of something you love. I think that the love we have for these brands is reflected in the products we put out. I think that’s why we have such loyal customers. They can tell that we’re fans and collectors just like they are.

- Moore: You mentioned that you are a long-time collector and wrestling fan. What was the first wrestling toy you ever bought?

DePetrillo: The LJN Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd. I loved those old LJN figures. I still have some in fairly decent shape, which is amazing considering how much use they saw.

- Moore: Are there any wrestlers who have come through ROH, current or past, who you personally would like to see included in this line?

DePetrillo: I think a Delirious figure would be a great throwback figure to have in the line. Jimmy Jacobs is another one. I think his style and look would make for an awesome action figure.

- Moore: When can collectors hope to see the first images of these figures?

DePetrillo: We plan to reveal Series 1 in the coming weeks on ROHWrestling.com. Fans can also look for updates on our sites and social media as well.

[ FYI: Looking for Figures Toy Company on Facebook at Wrestling Superstore and Figures Toy Company. Follow them on Twitter @FiguresToyCo and @wres_superstore. ]

PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MMooreWriter .


We suggest these recent related articles...
10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods
COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling
9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt
prowrestling.net
CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE PW.NET HEADLINES


CLICK TO EMAIL THIS ARTICLE
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING

NEW! SIGN UP FOR FREE PWTORCH BREAKING NEWS EMAIL ALERTS
BECOME A PWTORCH VIP MEMBER
-FORMER MEMBERS LOGIN HERE TO RENEW
-NEW MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
SELECT BY ARTICLES CATEGORY
SEARCH PWTORCH.COM



CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF UPCOMING PRO WRESTLING EVENTS
MORE HEADLINES AT AFFILIATE SITES
MMATorch
LATEST HEADLINES - CLICK TO READ CLICK HERE FOR MORE MMATORCH HEADLINES



LATEST HEADLINES - CLICK TO READ CLICK HERE FOR EVEN MORE INC HEADLINES

_
LATEST FREE AUDIO SHOWS - CLICK TO LISTEN VIEW MORE PWTORCH LIVECAST EPISODES
DOWNLOAD PWTORCH LIVECAST APP
SUBSCRIBE TO PWTORCH LIVECAST IN ITUNES


ABOUT US

THE TORCH REACHES MORE COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT FANS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

PWTorch editor Wade Keller has covered pro wrestling full time since 1987 starting with the Pro Wrestling Torch print newsletter. PWTorch.com launched in 1999 and the PWTorch Apps launched in 2008.

He has conducted "Torch Talk" insider interviews with Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Eric Bischoff, Jesse Ventura, Lou Thesz, Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Bruno Sammartino, Goldberg, more.

He has interviewed big-name players in person incluiding Vince McMahon (at WWE Headquarters), Dana White (in Las Vegas), Eric Bischoff (at the first Nitro at Mall of America), Brock Lesnar (after his first UFC win).

He hosted the weekly Pro Wrestling Focus radio show on KFAN in the early 1990s and hosted the Ultimate Insiders DVD series distributed in retail stories internationally in the mid-2000s including interviews filmed in Los Angeles with Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara and Matt & Jeff Hardy. He currently hosts the most listened to pro wrestling audio show in the world, (the PWTorch Livecast, top ranked in iTunes)


REACHING 1 MILLION+ UNIQUE USERS PER MONTH
500 MILLION CLICKS & LISTENS PER YEAR
MILLIONS OF PWTORCH NEWSLETTERS SOLD
PWTORCH STAFF

EDITORS:
Wade Keller, editor
(kellerwade@gmail.com)

James Caldwell, assistant editor
(pwtorch@gmail.com)

STAFF COLUMNISTS:
Bruce Mitchell (since 1990)
Pat McNeill (since 2001)
Greg Parks (since 2007)
Sean Radican (since 2003)

We also have a great team of
TV Reporters
and Specialists and Artists.

PWTORCH VIP MEMBERSHIP

PWTorch offers a VIP membership for $10 a month (or less with an annual sub). It includes nearly 25 years worth of archives from our coverage of pro wrestling dating back to PWTorch Newsletters from the late-'80s filled with insider secrets from every era that are available to VIPers in digital PDF format and Keller's radio show from the early 1990s.

Also, new exclusive top-shelf content every day including a new VIP-exclusive weekly 16 page digital magazine-style (PC and iPad compatible) PDF newsletter packed with exclusive articles and news.

The following features come with a VIP membership which tens of thousands of fans worldwide have enjoyed for many years...

-New Digital PWTorch Newsletter every week
-3 New Digital PDF Back Issues from 5, 10, 20 years ago
-Over 60 new VIP Audio Shows each week
-Ad-free access to all PWTorch.com free articles
-VIP Forum access with daily interaction with PWTorch staff and well-informed fellow wrestling fans
-Tons of archived audio and text articles
-Decades of Torch Talk insider interviews in transcript and audio formats with big name stars.


**SIGN UP FOR VIP ACCESS HERE**

CONTACTABOUTFACEBOOKTWITTERPODCASTIPHONE APPANDROID APPAMAZON APPRSS
VIP SIGN-UP
VIP LOGIN
THE TORCH: #1 IN COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE | © 1999-2013 TDH Communications Inc. • All rights reserved -- PRIVACY POLICY