KR Q&A round 1

Some time ago The PoliganMan from PoliganToys^TM agreed to answer a few questions about how the Key Raiders^TM line has been developing so far.

After all, this is the whole point of this blog: PoliganToys provide me with the prototypes, I examine them, I post my comments, we discuss about any criticism and they will use the outcomes of such discussions to improve the figures before going on the market.

So, check out this 1^st round of questions and answers below.

Let's start with Masq-Lor^TM. My biggest disappointment about this figure was the lack of some accessories that, in my opinion, are quite essential to display the personality of the character. I'm talking about the bow seen at the beginning of The hidden halberd, the formal outfit that he wears when training as a politician and, most of all, a head with the inactive helmet, i.e., with no tiger-visor. Will we ever see these items?

We are planning to release variants of many characters in the line and Apprentice Minister Masq-Lor, wearing his formal clothing, will be one of those. I can also tell you that there will be several Masq-Lor's variants, so we have plenty of occasions to include the head with helmet/without mask as an extra accessory. On the other hand, we have no plan of including the bow at the moment; as you pointed out in your review, Masq-Lor loses his bow during a fight at the beginning of the story, so its inclusion with any of his figures is not considered a priority. Perhaps, we will expand on Masq-Lor's archery skills in the future.

I'm pleased to know that there will be variants, that's something I was hoping for. Does this also apply to Demo-Rha^TM and Sei-Lha^TM, who in the comics have many different looks?

Yes, Demo-Rha and Sei-Lha will definitely have their own variants, but I can't say more at the moment.

I guess there will also be one or more variants of Deptilion^TM. The permanently attached snakes were the only detail I didn't really like in the standard Deptilion, will his variants include fully removable snakes on his arm and leg?

We are working on Deptilion's variants and planning to include fully removable snakes. However, I don't think there will be any changes in this sense on the basic figure, so he will be released with partially glued snakes.

So far Elykta^TM has been the only figure equipped with a real fabric accessory, which is her spreading-out cape. Are there any plans to replace the fabric piece with a rigid plastic component?

We are evaluating different options and trying to move towards a solution that will look both nice and consistent with the other figures. But I can't exclude that the fabric solution will be kept in the final product, if this proves to be the best option.

Let's talk about Ah-Rak^TM. I personally think that his clip-on spider-web is an OK but not optimal solution. Is there any chance that he will eventually get a retractable mechanism?

Unfortunately that's very unlikely. The inclusion of such mechanism would make the price increase considerably and we don't want that. I honestly think that the plug-in solution is good enough and, unlike a mechanism of any kinds, doesn't affect the amazing aesthetics of the figure.

Talking about aesthetics, Ah-Rak gives me the chance to point out the colours issue. There is definitely too much red when Deptilion and Ah-Rak are displayed next to each other. Also, Sei-Lha's blue vest clashes with the camouflage design on her sleeves and trousers. Will these issues be amended?

We never meant the colours to be definitive at this stage. On one hand we are keen to design the characters as they were first drawn by the original artist, on the other hand we feel free to improve some details, such as colours, where is needed. So, yes, there might be some changes in the colours of the action figures, which means that in some cases the colours of the final products may not match the ones of the prototypes. Such changes will probably only apply to armours and helmets and shouldn't affect any other parts of the figures. Any updates will be communicated within the new year and, if necessary, you will have to amend the reviews that are affected by such changes.

No problem about that. Another element that might be inconsistent within the line is the presence of spring-loaded mechanisms. We have seen spring-loaded action features in Tir-Hing^TM (waist) and Sei-Lha (missile launchers) figures, but the same principle has not been applied to the Theriom^TM Troopers' weapons. Which direction is PoliganToys taking in this context?

It is true that the Theriom Troopers' weapons had initially been intended to have spring-loaded mechanisms, but we eventually decided to abandon this idea, because too expensive and too difficult to engineer due to the peculiar design of those devices. Our plan is to include spring-loaded action features only where this inclusion doesn't cause a final price rise, blends in with the figure in a smooth way and doesn't look too childish... after all, this is a toy collection oriented to adults.

Time to talk about Nemhisto^TM... I feel I might have been a little bit too harsh in my review about this figure. My disappointment was due to the fact that, not being a primary character, he should be accompanied by either a cool action feature or some accessories, to balance his lack of indispensability. What do you think?

Yes, you have been harsh indeed :-D It isn't true that he is not indispensable, he has a prominent role in The hidden halberd and the spotlight will be on him again in future issues. We haven't added any weapons because he is never shown to actively fight in the comics, but we filled that void with the inclusion of the chest/shoulder armour, which is a totally original accessory. We think Nemhisto is good enough and there won't be any changes in the final release.

Thank you very much for your time and for clearing up some of my doubts. Looking forward to reviewing the next prototypes of this amazing toy line!