Walking around the Javits Center this weekend, it’s hard not to feel like New York Comic Con (NYCC) is The Todd McFarlane Show. The legendary artist, creator, and entrepreneur is everywhere.
From ICv2 Insider Talks and collaborations with Walmart — including an appearance at the Walmart booth (No. 2821) promoting Walmart Collector Con (click here for a replay of the livestream) — to a packed panel on Friday night, McFarlane shared new and upcoming releases while pulling back the curtain on the state of the toy and comics industries and what the future may hold.
According to McFarlane, in a story recounted during both the panel and livestream, when he launched McFarlane Toys in the early 1990s, the Walmart buyer was his second call, right behind his No. 1 customer at the time, Toys “R” Us. That long-running support has been an important part of his business, and the mutual respect continues with a wide array of exclusive products to spark fans’ collections.
This season’s Walmart Collector Con includes action figures from Avatar: Fire & Ash, DC Multiverse, and Mortal Kombat. At NYCC, the Walmart booth played host to the exclusive Spawn ‘77 action figure, a unique style inspired by McFarlane’s original design for his signature character, created in 1977 when he was just 16 years old.
With the DC Multiverse line winding down as the license moves to Mattel next year, McFarlane is ramping up new offerings, including the new Elite Edition line of 7-inch action figures based on superheroes created by the original founders of Image Comics. The line launches in January with a fresh version of Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, followed by characters from Savage Dragon (Dragon), Shadowhawk (Shadowhawk), WildC.A.T.S (Spartan), Witchblade (Sara Pezzini), and Youngblood (Prophet) throughout the year.
Amazon Prime’s hit Fallout gets a new wave of figures, including Hank Maclean, Maximus, The Ghoul, Steph Harper, and Cooper Howard, all of which go up for preorder on October 23 alongside new posed statues.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Page Punchers series continues later this year with Raphael, Michelangelo, and Bebop.
McFarlane’s 1:10-scale Marvel Rivals posed statues expand next spring with Captain America, Doctor Strange, Magneto, The Mighty Thor, and Jeff the Landshark. But before that, Juggernaut, Gambit, The Lizard, Spider-Man, and Dr. Strange get the comic-inspired statue treatment in January.
And, while that DC license is moving, McFarlane isn’t quite done just yet. Following some new offerings that are hitting retail this fall, some 7-inch “ultra-articulated” figures with comic packs are set for next spring, including Jay Garrick and Barry Allen from The Flash No. 123, and Jessica Cruz and Hal Jordan from Green Lantern No. 48.
Finally, sports fans can look for a hockey wave of McFarlane SportsPicks that’s up for preorder now.
Beyond the toys in the pipeline, Todd McFarlane leaned into the power of creators during his ICv2 Talk, encouraging creatives to build a library of their own IP that they can always fall back on. As to his own longevity in toys, McFarlane says he’s “never tried to slay a giant” — calling out Hasbro and Mattel by name — while maintaining a small, fast team that offers “a great product at a fair price.” His parting advice for young creators: “Keep your integrity. It’s the only thing you take to your grave. The money doesn’t go with you.”
