If you were to believe what you heard on the Internet, Shocker Toys president Geoff Beckett would be the most unpredictable, unprofessional loose cannon in the toy industry today. His unpredictability is certainly evident in his track record. Beckett has kept Shocker Toys afloat in an industry populated by big names and bigger companies, and has probably had the rights to one of your favorite cartoon or comic characters at one point, too. Shocker Toys’ licenses have included The Venture Bros., Metalocalypse, Judge Dredd, Dick Tracy, The Tick, The Maxx, Shadowhawk, Scud the Disposable Assassin, and even the rock band GWAR, just to name a few. It’s this varied approach that has made Shocker Toys cutting edge—and now possibly ready to go mainstream in a toy store near you.

Geoff sits down with us as he prepares for the San Diego Comic Con, and talks toys, comics and all that fuss on the internet too.

Murdershow: Give us a little back-story into how Shocker Toys came to be?

Geoff Beckett: Shocker Toys was started when I decided as a toy collector I would get into making trading cards and small toys. I was originally doing construction when I started Shocker Toys, I came up with the name and the small robot comic and card game that was the start of the Shockini toys. The company was started in Buffalo, NY in 2000, and run off the internet which was less busy than it is now.

MS: And where is the company at now in terms of size and employees etc?

GB: Now there are 3 partners, 1 factory, design team, GFX team and interns.

MS: Why start a toy company?

GB: (laughs) Why not? I was a toy fan, collector and a comic artist, and have always been into everything geeky even before it was fashionable.

MS: Was that felt a risky move by your friends and family, or were they always supportive?

GB: My family and friends have always supported me, and one of my partners is my longtime friend.

MS: What were some of your favorite toys as a child, and is there any parallel now to the kinds of toys you do make, or want to make in the future?

GB: GI Joe, Transformers, Micronauts, Hot Wheels, He-Man, Boglins and on and on. Yes, playing with all those toys kept my imagination going and as a concept for design, as I regularly took apart my toys and made new things, or put them back together.

MS: Describe what the process is like from a pencil and ink drawing of a character on paper, to a completed toy. What all goes into making that final product happen?

GB: We first get a 2-D turnaround or images, then create a 3-D image. We then print the 3-D image out on a 3-D printer and clean and assemble it. That working proto goes to the factory who in turn makes a tooling sample and paint sample. The tooling begins and when ready is injected with plastic to produce the parts for an action figure. All parts are removed, assembled and then painted to match the paint sample, and then out into a package. Then it ships to the store or a show like SDCC, and you get a great little piece of plastic that makes you smile!

MS: There was a bit of a backlash towards Shocker Toys last summer on the internet over the Metalocalypse SDCC figurines. Many fans and online toy sites claiming that not only were they not great looking sculpts or didn’t have good paint apps, but were also overpriced. You yourself admitted they did not turn out how you had hoped, and there were lots of problems behind the scenes as well–would you like to go into that some?

GB: Actually most of the Dethklok fans I spoke with or heard from said they liked them. The hardcore toy people had the problem with them, which we have now learned we need to please both groups. As far as overpriced, they were rushed and we had to pay a lot more to rush the process, but hey people got early figures of Dethklok even if we lost our shirts. There were a lot of good ones but also a good number of not so good ones in the batches. But again it was 1,000 pieces in 20 days, but we have learned not to rush things now and have a new responsible factory as you saw from the job on the SCUD figures from NYCC. As Dethklok fans ourselves, I was happy to have some token of the boys but now I am even happier having seen what the figures have evolved into, and this year at SDCC these figures are amazing and approved all the way.

MS: Shocker Toys has certainly embraced using the internet recently in regards to your Indie Spotlight line of figures, asking fans on comic message boards and via your Myspace page which characters they’d like to see. How much input does that sort of voice have on which figures you decide to do, and can you name any specific case where fan opinion lead to you guys choosing a specific figure to produce?

GB: We listen to all feedback, be it good or bad, and weed through it to find what works best for everyone. We changed the Maxx due to fan input as well as all of the first series of Indie Spotlight. We want all our lines to be what fans want. We know we can’t please everyone, including our worst enemies, but we will try to please the majority that stay patient and supportive of us.

MS: Where do you see the current action figure market today, vs. where it was 5 years ago?

GB: We see it as a big change, unlike other companies who just continue to concentrate selling to kids. Most collectors now are the parents so you need to please them both. We sell ‘kinis to kids and their parents buy our bigger stuff, we see it all the time at the shows. Everyone is a customer and some companies need to learn that.

MS: And where do you think the market will be in another 5 years?

GB: I think in 5 years we will have holographic toys (laughs). I kid, but seriously I think as I said the customer base will be all ages and companies better learn to please them all.

MS: Who do you look to for inspiration in toys when you’re having a rough day?

GB: If you mean go-to guys (laughs) it would be Jerry (Macaluso, formerly of SOTA), or my boys at First4Figures. I enjoy talking to other companies and wouldn’t even mind working with them on projects. The rest of them need to learn to relax and try and get along, we can all survive and make the marketplace a better place by working together.

MS: What lines or companies do you personally like right now or who do you think is leading the way, and, further, what was the last toy you bought for yourself?

GB: I liked LCBH (Legendary Comic Book Heroes) even though it was my idea. I liked Marevel Legends, but not so much anymore. Street Fighter when Jerry was at the reigns and a lot of goodies from NECA. I glance at some McFarlane stuff once in awhile but only own a few of his toys. Last toy I got for myself was Judge Death, I am a huge 2000ad fan and that’s why I fought to keep them for Shockinis as a license.

MS: At one point, Shocker held the Venture Bros. license and were set to produce figures based on the series. If you could, talk about what happened with that.

GB: Nothing is what happened. We had a proposal in for both (Venture and Metalocalypse) , it went through and then we were told there was a problem inside Adult Swim, nothing to do with us. So they shrunk the license down to just Metalocalypse and asked if we still wanted it without VB and we said “Hell Yes” as we are fans. But as we say, you never ever know.

MS: What are we going to be seeing from Shocker in the next 12 months?

GB: More Indie Spotlight and more versions of Indie Spotlight such as villains, Mega figures, Mega 2 packs, mini vinyl designer versions and much more. Anime toys, more Adult Swim and new Shockinis.

MS: Anything else you want to add Geoff?

GB: Look for us at the San Diego Comic Con, booths 3849 and 3948, and Friday room number 4, 6-7pm for panel and giveaways. We will have at our booth the Mini Maxx exclusive, Dethklok set, MC Chris figurine and more. Also for more info or pre-order or if not attending grab up the exclusives anyways before they are cut off at ShockerToys.com!