Planetoid Raiders Invade Kickstarter with a Universe of Retro Toy Weirdness
By Nolan P Smith
Editor | Pastrami Nation
Planetoid Raiders Invade Kickstarter with a Universe of Retro Toy Weirdness
Some of the greatest action figures ever made weren’t necessarily attached to blockbuster movies, hit cartoons, or massive franchises. Sometimes they were just wonderfully weird toys sitting on the shelf, ready to send your imagination somewhere completely unexpected.
Wandering Planet Toys is tapping into that wonderfully strange corner of toy history with Planetoid Raiders, an all-new line of retro-inspired action figures that looks like it could have crash-landed straight out of a late-’70s or early-’80s toy aisle.
With Planetoid Raiders live now on Kickstarter, we caught up with co-founders Gavin Hignight and Chris “Doc” Wyat to talk about the obscure toys that inspired the project, creating characters without the restrictions of an established IP, the origins of the Arcade Raiders, and why they hope these strange little space travelers connect with vintage toy fans and a whole new generation of collectors.
PASTRAMI NATION: Planetoid Raiders clearly draws inspiration from the wonderfully weird world of late-’70s toy lines like Starroid Raiders. What was it about those quirky, often overlooked figures that made you want to celebrate them with an entirely new toy line?
GAVIN: For me, I think it’s the pure nostalgia and stoking of the imagination these toys conjure. They feel like they are from another, simpler time… yet they also feel very relevant and fresh, like mini art toys. I think they occupy both spaces, nostalgia toy and art toy all at the same time!
DOC: I’m obsessed with Starroid Raiders now. I just sit and stare at them. The weirdness. The imagination. I just wanted to make a companion line to that. Something to keep them company on the shelf.
PASTRAMI NATION: You’ve both built careers writing for major franchises, from LEGO Ninjago and Stranger Things to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Gundam. How did your storytelling backgrounds influence the way you designed the personalities and backstories for the Planetoid Raiders?
GAVIN: I think one aspect of doing something like Planetoid Raiders, is that the filter is off. There are no rules we need to follow, unlike every IP we work on as writers for others. Also, for me, part of the magic of the toys these are inspired by, is that they were light on lore… allowing the imagination of the person buying the toy, to daydream and come up with their own stories and adventures for these little space weirdos!
DOC: Yeah, big toy companies have a lot of rules about how their toys can be presented. We have no rules.
PASTRAMI NATION: Wandering Planet Toys has built a reputation for creating collectible figures based on beloved licensed properties like Laurel and Hardy, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Nancy Drew. What inspired the decision to branch out into an entirely original toy line with Planetoid Raiders, and what creative opportunities did that open up for your team?
GAVIN: We’ve been able to make a lot of cool toys for fans of IP, that didn’t necessarily have cool toys. With Planetoids, it feels like we are making collectibles for toy collectors specifically. Like, we’ve made toys for Prisoner fans, for Nancy Drew Fans, for Laurel and Hardy fans… not we’re making toys for Toy Fans. It’s been fun, and we’ve unleashed that fun in our approach. These are dorky, and goofy, and light hearted, and they are made to evoke fun and good times, as well as epic space adventures.
DOC: We love other people’s IP, the stories and character we grew up loving, but owning something of your own is special too.
PASTRAMI NATION: The Arcade Raiders are a fun surprise, especially with the retro arcade cabinet blind-box packaging and community unlocks during the Kickstarter campaign. What inspired that concept, and can fans expect even more unexpected additions as the campaign progresses?
GAVIN: Thanks! Ha ha ha, honestly we made these because we could not stop designing figures. We could not stop! And we had to find an outlet for all these awesome aliens and robo warriors! Just hitting the creative ball back and forth, Doc and I evolved into releasing them this way… once again, just focusing on fun, and all the good times of the era these figures evoke. We hope both the Planetoid Raiders and the Arcade Raiders transport folks into good times they had in the past, but also fire up the inspiration for those younger collectors who only get to visit places like arcades, or intergalactic laundromats, or space pubs in their imaginations. The Planetoid Raiders and the Arcade Raiders have the lamest space adventures. And that’s why they are so fun. They are like the sitcom space heroes.
DOC: AND YES! We have weird surprises and fun unlock figures all along the way of this campaign, and hope the response is strong enough to unleash some of this space madness.
PASTRAMI NATION: Toy collecting has become increasingly focused on nostalgia, but Planetoid Raiderst feels like an evolution of an era. What do you hope longtime collectors appreciate about the line, and what do you hope younger fans discover through these retro-inspired characters?
GAVIN: Great question… We really felt like Planetoid Raiders should be Starroids The Next Generation. They should evoke the things we love about the rare, obscure 80s toys, but also not just try to copy it. We worked hard NOT to step on the toes of vintage toys, we didn’t want to flood the collectible market with repros. Instead, you get new figures you can add to your collection WITH your vintage… or if you don’t have vintage, in place of it. We also, are starting with very vintage feeling colors and style, but as the line continues, will veer more into art toy territory, while remaining true to the space madness. We are so excited, and hope toy collectors and Kickstarter Backers can help us bring these into reality… as it’s going to be a really fun ride, and amazing toys to display and play around with.
DOC: A lot of the toys we’ve done– the Prisoner, Nancy Drew, Laurel & Hardy– they appeal to people who already know and love those properties. I do think that Planetoids has the chance to appeal to younger collectors too. They pop off the shelf in terms of design and color, and you don’t need to do any homework to know who they are– they’re brand new.
Ready to Join the Raiders?
Planetoid Raiders is live on Kickstarter now. Back the campaign today, help unlock even more space madness, and give these wonderfully weird Raiders a place on your toy shelf.