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DC Direct
American Toy Company

DC Direct is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery that produces collectibles based on popular DC Comics characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Established as DC Direct in 1998 and renamed DC Collectibles from 2012 to 2020, the brand reverted to DC Direct in early 2020. It specializes in statues, busts, action figures, prop replicas, and art prints primarily for the direct market, serving comic book specialty stores. After its 2020 closure announcement, McFarlane Toys took over in 2021, continuing production and releasing new collectibles starting in 2022.

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Statues and Busts

DC Direct has produced numerous statues, busts, and plastic (PVC) figures based on their characters. Previously, merchandise tended to be stand-alone releases, but over time, DC Collectibles has favored branded lines. Current statue lines include Batman: Black & White, Bombshells, Cover Girls, Battle Statues, the Designer Series, and Harley Quinn: Red, White, & Black.789101112 DC Collectibles also makes statues based on characters appearing in DC Comics TV productions.13

DC Direct usually makes statues using cold-cast porcelain or polyresin, though the company has some history with PVC figures, such as the Ame-Comi line.14 PVC statue lines include DC Artists Alley and DC Core figures.1516

Over the years, DC Direct has released several "mini" busts which were typically less than 6-inches tall. Between 2008 and 2011, the company released eight 1/2-scale busts. DC Collectibles released a life-size Joker bust designed by make-up artist Rick Baker in 2018.17

DC Direct releases props based on objects that characters use in comics. Some of these props are life-size, such as Batman's utility belt, Joker's cane, Two-Face's coin, and Wonder Woman's tiara, bracelets, & lasso.18192021 The DC Gallery line also includes high-end products that can be used practically, such as poker sets, chess sets, and bookends.22232425

Action figures

Beginning in 1998 with three figures from Mad Magazine, DC has released several hundred figures based on characters published by DC Comics, including those under the Vertigo and WildStorm imprints. Many of these action figures are in the 6- to 7-inch scale.

For the first several years, the most recognizable DC characters were not released. DC Direct focused on lesser-known characters and comic series designed for mature readers such as The Sandman, Preacher, and Transmetropolitan. Later, DC Direct increased its production of recognizable characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Supergirl, Batgirl, Starfire, Aquaman and Robin. Figures were first grouped randomly, then thematically and now in official "lines" that may be released over several years. The first three series in 1999 had variants for each figure, through the practice was quickly discontinued. DC Collectibles shares the licenses for many DC characters with other toy manufacturers, such as Mattel (which has the master toy license for all DC Comics properties),26 but Vertigo figures are released only by DC Collectibles.27

While most figures have been released on blister cards, some have been available in boxes and a very few in clamshell packaging. There have also been several boxed sets featuring multiple characters or a character with a particularly large accessory.

Watchmen figures

There was a proposed series of figures based on Alan Moore's Watchmen that never got past the prototype phase. Rumored to be scheduled for release in July, 2001, a few of the figures were displayed at summer conventions: the Comedian, the Silk Spectre and Dr. Manhattan.28 There were two different prototypes of Dr. Manhattan - one solid blue, one with a translucent chest. It is unclear if other characters such as Nite Owl, Ozymandias and Rorschach were to also receive figures. The proposed figures were to be part of a 15th anniversary celebration of the miniseries, as was a Watchmen hardcover. Moore and co-creator Dave Gibbons decided not to participate in any promotional activities, in part because of a long-standing dispute over merchandising for the series.29

In February 2018, DC Collectibles announced that they would finally release figures based on Watchmen characters in print, specifically the Doomsday Clock story arc.30

See also

Further reading

  • Zenker, Gary (2013). Ultimate DC Comics Action Figures and Collectibles Checklist. White Lightning Publishing. ISBN 978-0989334471.

References

  1. "DC DIRECT RE-LAUNCHES AS DC COLLECTIBLES, EXPANDS ONLINE OFFERINGS". DC. April 11, 2012. https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/04/11/dc-direct-re-launches-as-dc-collectibles-expands-online-offerings ↩

  2. "DC Publishing Laying Off 3 Percent of Its Workforce". The Hollywood Reporter. 23 January 2019. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dc-lays-3-percent-workforce-1178694 ↩

  3. "IS DC COLLECTIBLES REBRANDING BACK TO DC DIRECT?". DCCollectors. February 20, 2020. https://dccollectors.com/2020/02/19/is-dc-collectibles-rebranding-back-to-dc-direct/ ↩

  4. "DC DIRECT AT TOY FAIR 2020". DC. February 18, 2020. https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2020/02/18/dc-direct-at-toy-fair-2020 ↩

  5. "DC Comics, DC Universe Hit by Major Layoffs". 10 August 2020. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dc-comics-dc-universe-hit-by-major-layoffs-1306743 ↩

  6. "McFarlane Toys Reveals New Deal with DC Direct". https://comicbook.com/dc/news/mcfarlane-toys-developing-dc-direct-statues-busts-figures/ ↩

  7. "BATMAN BLACK & WHITE: THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS". DC. April 16, 2018. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/batman-black-white-the-batman-who-laughs ↩

  8. "DC BOMBSHELLS: BATMAN & CATWOMAN DELUXE STATUE". DC. February 15, 2018. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/dc-bombshells-batman-catwoman-deluxe-statue ↩

  9. "C2E2: SUPERSTAR ARTIST JOËLLE JONES REVEALS NEW DC COVER GIRLS STATUE ON DC UNIVERSE PANEL". DC. April 6, 2018. https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2018/04/06/c2e2-superstar-artist-jo%C3%ABlle-jones-reveals-new-dc-cover-girls-statue-on-dc-universe ↩

  10. "BATMAN VS. THE JOKER LAFF-CO BATTLE STATUE". DC. November 20, 2017. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/batman-vs-the-joker-laff-co-battle-statue ↩

  11. "DC DESIGNER SERIES: SUPERMAN BY JIM LEE STATUE". DC. April 16, 2018. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/dc-designer-series-superman-by-jim-lee-statue ↩

  12. "HARLEY QUINN RED, WHITE & BLACK: HARLEY QUINN BY MICHAEL TURNER STATUE". DC. February 15, 2018. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/harley-quinn-red-white-black-harley-quinn-by-michael-turner-statue ↩

  13. "DCTV: BLACK LIGHTNING STATUE". DC. November 20, 2017. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/dctv-black-lightning-statue ↩

  14. Brown, Luke. "DC Teases Rainbow Batmen, DCU Online Figures from the Vault". ComicsAlliance. https://comicsalliance.com/dc-collectibles-vault-from-the-vault-poll/ ↩

  15. "DC Collectibles Artists Alley". DC. May 19, 2017. https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2018/12/05/dc-collectibles-artists-alley ↩

  16. "DC CORE: WONDER WOMAN PVC STATUE". DC. January 22, 2018. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/dc-core-wonder-woman-pvc-statue ↩

  17. "DC GALLERY: THE JOKER 1:1 BUST BY RICK BAKER ULTIMATE EDITION". DC. February 15, 2018. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/dc-gallery-the-joker-11-bust-by-rick-baker-ultimate-edition ↩

  18. "BATMAN UTILITY BELT PROP REPLICA (FEB140311)". www.previewsworld.com. https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/FEB140311 ↩

  19. "DC GALLERY: THE JOKER CANE PROP". DC. November 17, 2017. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/dc-gallery-the-joker-cane-prop ↩

  20. "DC GALLERY: TWO-FACE COIN PROP". DC. November 20, 2017. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/dc-gallery-two-face-coin-prop ↩

  21. "DC GALLERY WONDER WOMAN BRACELETS WITH LASSO AND TIARA PROP". DC. May 18, 2017. https://www.dccomics.com/collectibles/dc-gallery-wonder-woman-bracelets-with-lasso-and-tiara-prop ↩

  22. "DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS POKER SET (MAR140313)". www.previewsworld.com. https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAR140313 ↩

  23. "JUSTICE LEAGUE CHESS SET (MAR140301)". www.previewsworld.com. https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAR140301 ↩

  24. "SANDMAN CHESS SET (DEC140429)". www.previewsworld.com. https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC140429 ↩

  25. "DC GALLERY JOKER & HARLEY QUINN BOOKENDS (APR170469)". www.previewsworld.com. https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/APR170469 ↩

  26. "Mattel Wins Master Toy License For DC Comics". Action Figure Insider. June 28, 2007. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2008. https://archive.today/20110707081206/http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/main/?p=262 ↩

  27. TJ Dietsch (April 19, 2008). "Mattel, two of the Four Horsemen and DC talks DC Universe Super Heroes, Infinite Heroes and much, much more". Toys. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080421101659/http://www.wizarduniverse.com/041908nyccmattel.html ↩

  28. "DC Direct". 411 Games. July 28, 2000. Archived from the original on August 12, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080812020934/http://www.411games.com/comicon2k/dcdirect/main.shtml ↩

  29. "No Watchmen Edition, Figures". Comic Continuum News. August 25, 2000. Retrieved April 20, 2008. http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0008/25/ ↩

  30. "Toy Fair 2018: Doomsday Clock Action Figures from DC Collectibles". www.previewsworld.com. http://www.previewsworld.com/Article/207621-Toy-Fair-2018-Doomsday-Clock-Action-Figures-from-DC-Collectibles ↩