Doctor Who Actors Meet Their Minis

As they draw closer to a release date, Big Chief Studios met with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan (the Doctor and Amy Pond, natch') to snap some shots of the duo with their 12 inch action figure counterparts.

For those new to the line, here's the skinny from Big Chief from their initial product announcement...

BIG Chief Studios Ltd. is proud to announce a licensing deal with BBC Worldwide to produce a range of high-end collector 1:6 scale figures and 1:4 scale mixed media statues, based on the flagship TV series Doctor Who. The agreement includes rights for both the current series starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and the classic series’, from the very first Doctor William Hartnell, through to David Tennant.

Initial product offerings will include highly detailed 1:6 scale versions of the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). Both figures will be fully articulated for maximum poseability and will feature authentic hand-painted character portraits, finely tailored costuming, signature accessories and themed display bases. To complete the first wave, other popular characters including Rory Williams and River Song will be released.

Key monsters and aliens from the hit TV series will also be released. Additionally themed 1:6 scale dioramas depicting the sets from the show will be introduced for collectors to create displays for their figures.

The Definitive Edition 1:4 scale mixed media statues utilize a blend of non-articulated, pre-posed figurines with authentic character portraits, fabric costuming and themed display bases. Select statues will also include light-up display features. These museum grade pieces will be the ultimate collectible for fans of the Time Lord.












Mark Andrews at Big Chief Studios commented on the meeting and photo shoot...

"Both Matt and Karen were amazing, we have had the pleasure of meeting them both separately before, but together their chemistry is electric. Matt is a whirlwind of enthusiasm and he positively gushed about the figure. Karen too was really complimentary and so happy to see her figure, as she had only previously seen the final head sculpt. They were blown away by the detail in the costumes and of course their portraits. Matt kept saying "I pull that face don't I, that's me isn't it." the crew members with them were equally complimentary. In fact they even asked whether the shot on the back of the pack was of Matt and could not believe it when I informed them it was of the figure. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Matt and Karen and the crew on set for their valuable time. Also huge thanks to Sarah and Edward for organizing the meeting. "

BIG Chief will begin offering the first two character releases in Q2 2012, both direct to consumer via their dedicated website and through select hobby and specialist retailers.

CLICK HERE for our super packed article on the line with interviews, images and expansion pack info!

Toy Fair 2012 : Big Chief's Doctor Who

In a land with magnificent 12 inch action figures by Hot Toys, it's hard to get a fan's attention if you're a young company trying to make a name for yourselves. You'd have to come out of the gate with a license already worshiped by a legion of fans AND kick out a product far superior than those of your average toy slingers just looking to make an acceptable product for the kiddies. You'd need a phenomenon like...

DOCTOR WHO ...and you'd need to be like Big Chief Studios, who are just kicking all sorts of ass with their upcoming Who-swag. We've got an update, picture wise, courtesy of our new best friend Halestorm, so we'll just roll those out along with some previously revealed info for those new to the topic. I may make the wrong assumption in saying these are the same figures the previous text is based on, but we'll run with it anyway. Annnnd go.

Big Chief Studios 12 inch Collector Figures

Doctor Who 1:6 Scale Limited Edition Collector Figure : featuring the authentic likeness of Matt Smith, a jacket, shirt, cool bow tie, pair of bracers, pair of trousers, pair of boots, pair of socks, 6 interchangeable hands, TARDIS floor base with stand, Sonic Screwdriver (closed), Sonic Screwdriver (open), wallet with psychic paper, nano recorder gun, lash-up device, time lord consciousness cube, the Doctor's invitation with envelope, TARDIS door sign fragment, the Doctor's handkerchief & wristwatch.
Shipping 1st quarter of 2012 - MSRP (UK) 149.99 (around $200 US)









































Amy Pond 1:6 Scale Limited Edition Collector Figure : featuring the authentic likeness of Karen Gillan, a jacket, shirt, skirt, pair of tights, pair of boots, 6 interchangeable hands, TARDIS Floor Base with stand, mobile phone, apple with smiley face, marker pen with lanyard, picture frame with photo, Raggedy Doctor & Amy dolls, pendant necklace, wrist watch and Amy's invitation with envelope!
Shipping the 2nd quarter of 2012 - MSRP (UK) 149.99





































(NOTE: Figures and packaging are prototypes, not final product. The Doctor's jacket will be a different color on final product.)

Matt from Automattic Comics interviews Mark Andrews, Director of Big Chief Studios exclusively for doctorwhotoys.net

Next in line for production..THE WEEPING ANGELS!!

With countless monsters and aliens populating the universe, we wanted to choose a worthy adversary for our Eleventh Doctor figure. A Dalek perhaps? Maybe a Cyberman? After numerous discussions and brainstorming sessions, we kept coming back to arguably one of the show’s most scary creations – the Weeping Angels. The figure is currently at the earliest stage of development, but we have exciting plans for these terrifying characters.

We'll soon be getting the 10th Doctor as well, so start saving your cash! But there's bigger news..

EXPANSION PACKS!

Available exclusively at www.bigchiefstudios.co.uk, both Accessory and Costume Expansion Packs will be sold separately. In addition we will also release our articulated bodies for collectors to purchase, so that they may create an entirely new version of a character.

Starting with Expansion Packs for the Eleventh Doctor we have exciting plans for the range. The first Expansion Packs due for release later this year include:

“The Almost People” Costume Expansion Pack
1 x Tweed Jacket
1 x Blue Shirt
1 x Blue Bow Tie
1 x Pair of Boots (St. John’s Mining Facility)

“The Almost People” Accessory Expansion Pack
1 x Eleventh Doctor “Ganger” Portrait Head
1 x Sonic Screwdriver (Open)
1 x Torch
1 x Flesh Puddle with Face

“Closing Time” Costume Expansion Pack
1 x Green Three Quarter Length Overcoat
1 x Pair of Trousers with Blue Braces
1 x Pair of Boots

“Closing Time” Accessory Expansion Pack
1 x Eleventh Doctor Portrait with Stetson Hat
2 x Cybermats: 1 x Search Mode & 1 x Attack Mode
1 x Sonic Screwdriver (Closed)
1 x Toy Store Name Badge

Stay tuned for more details to follow soon. Oh and before you ask, the fez will make it into the range too. Fezes are cool!

We'll also take a look at Big Chief's Tenth Doctor 9" Dynamix Ultra-Stylized Vinyl Figurine, taking inspiration from the Doctor Who IDW comic series and made in a limited edition of 3 thousand.












CLICK HERE for a look at more Doctor Who merch!

Are you ready for Toy Fair?
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Toy Fair 2012 : The Doctor is IN

Doctor Who, you ask? EXACTLY!! (500 dork points to me) UK Toy Fair is done and gone and US Toy Fair looms before us like a great, leaning tower of LEGO, but we've still got a giant stack of coverage to unload so check in daily. Today, we begin with the TV series that owns the hearts and minds of the Brits and ain't doing too shabby in the states, either. The UK toy show had Who merch hidden on the show floor like buried treasure, so lets take a look at the cream of the crop.

Big Chief Studios 12 inch Collector Figures

Doctor Who 1:6 Scale Limited Edition Collector Figure : featuring the authentic likeness of Matt Smith, a jacket, shirt, cool bow tie, pair of bracers, pair of trousers, pair of boots, pair of socks, 6 interchangeable hands, TARDIS floor base with stand, Sonic Screwdriver (closed), Sonic Screwdriver (open), wallet with psychic paper, nano recorder gun, lash-up device, time lord consciousness cube, the Doctor's invitation with envelope, TARDIS door sign fragment, the Doctor's handkerchief and wristwatch.
Shipping 1st quarter of 2012 - MSRP (UK) 149.99 (around $200 US)

Big Chief Studios' Doctor Who Figures

As Who mania just begins to really explode in the states, Big Chief Studios announce a new line of 12" Doctor Who action figures and environments as well as a line of 18 inch mixed media statues. Here's the press bits...

BIG Chief Studios Ltd. is proud to announce a licensing deal with BBC Worldwide to produce a range of high-end collector 1:6 scale figures and 1:4 scale mixed media statues, based on the flagship TV series Doctor Who. The agreement includes rights for both the current series starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and the classic series’, from the very first Doctor William Hartnell, through to David Tennant.

Initial product offerings will include highly detailed 1:6 scale versions of the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). Both figures will be fully articulated for maximum poseability and will feature authentic hand-painted character portraits, finely tailored costuming, signature accessories and themed display bases. To complete the first wave, other popular characters including Rory Williams and River Song will be released.

Key monsters and aliens from the hit TV series will also be released. Additionally themed 1:6 scale dioramas depicting the sets from the show will be introduced for collectors to create displays for their figures.

The Definitive Edition 1:4 scale mixed media statues utilize a blend of non-articulated, pre-posed figurines with authentic character portraits, fabric costuming and themed display bases. Select statues will also include light-up display features. These museum grade pieces will be the ultimate collectable for fans of the Time Lord.

BIG Chief will begin offering the first two character releases in Q4 2011, both direct to consumer via their dedicated website and through select hobby and specialist retailers.

BIG Chief directors Mark Andrews and Tony Leetham said, “We are extremely proud and excited that BBC Worldwide has granted us these rights on such a key and prestigious brand. Everyone in the BIG Chief team are dedicated fans of Doctor Who, committed to delivering great collectable products, which not only celebrates the incredible new series, but also the long heritage of the franchise.”

Richard Hollis, Head of UK Licensing at BBC Worldwide comments: ”Providing unique products for the dedicated fans of Doctor Who is a priority for us, and we are delighted that Big Chief are on board to offer these high-quality and very special sculptures. They are a company who really understand this market and will complement our existing fan ranges perfectly.”

Quick Note: This IS a UK press release, but I suspect that won't stop a company like Sideshow from carrying both formats. They already carry Medicom and Hot Toys and they know a hot property when they see it!

*Updated!: Character Options Character Building Doctor Who & H.M. Armed Forces Sets

More news from the UK Toy Fair front as Character Options announce their new range of construction figures and playsets!




Character Options (UK) has announced a new construction line called Character Building, kicking things off with the licenses Doctor Who and H.M. Armed Forces. These are set to launch Spring 2011 with a full line available by Fall/Winter. Currently the plan includes figures sold as singles, so you aren't forced to buy a whole playset to get your favorite denizens of Whoville. Unfortunately, Character has caught the dreaded blind bag virus. Figures will come blind packaged with a stand, an accessory and a little sheet showing the rest of the line for 1.99 (gb). The line starts with 10 figures including 2 Daleks, A Weeping Angel, Angel Bob, 2 11th Doctors, Amy Pond, a Smiler Robot, a Cyberman and a Silurian Warrior (most likely Alaya). The HM Armed Forces figures start with an 8 figure set including troops from all branches of the military that I'm too lazy to identify.

If you do go in for the sets, you may want to note the addition of sculpted bricks like rock formations comprising of 5 to 6 custom pieces that join to create the shape with a textured effect to complete the look. Six playsets will start the line ranging from 9.99 to 19.99 (UK fun bucks, natch'.) A deluxe Tardis playset will also be offered for 99.99 with the Fall/Winter 2011 waves as well as a Time of Angels and Dalek Spaceship set. HMAF won't be left out, as we'll see the release of a deluxe Field Adventure set around the same time as well as a RAF Regiment Quad Bike set, a Navy Assault RIB set and a Merlin Helicopter set. PLEAAASE if you repost this news, give us credit and a link as this article was a bitch to write up. Thanks much.






















Jon Diver, Character Group’s Joint Managing Director, commented: “This new project represents a major investment for us and we are delighted to be increasing our Doctor Who Portfolio. In doing so we will also be supplying a new option to the child constructor who will now have the choice of a construction toy that has all the excitement and appeal that Doctor Who brings with it.” Now if all of this is compatible with modern LEGO figures, the news is sure to send those collectors into fits of hysteria (from happiness of course), as they'll now have a wider range of playsets for their collections and new bodies to kit bash for their customs. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Doctorwhotoys.net shot a stack of awesome pictures at UK Toy Fair revealing a bunch of new product. We've spotted all 10 previous Doctors in little figure form, an army of Daleks in yellow, blue, red and white, a Tardis Console Room playset, figures of a Roman Auton, River Song, Rory Williams, a "Vampire" Girl and Amy Pond in her kissing cop outfit and 5 packs of Cybermen and Weeping Angels.

Doctor Who 2010: Wave 1 Action Figures

Sadly, I am without BBC America and have to rely on the kindness of the DVD gods to catch me up on all the geeky goodness going on across the pond, but from that sound of fluttering skirts, I can tell the ladies like the new doctor! Underground Toys also loves the good Doctor and as far as I can tell, will be cranking out new 5 inch action figures until you start throwing rocks to stop them. BAD WOLF!! The 2010 line has just been revealed and wave 1 features some dynamic figures sure to send you into dorkspasms. You've been warned. Here's the lineup...

11th Doctor with Sonic Screwdriver
Amy Pond
Peter the Winder with hidden Smiler Face from the episode The Beast Below
Hawthorne from the episode The Beast Below
Regenerating Weeping Angel from the episode Flesh and Stone
Professor Bracewell with revealed robotic chest and swappable arm from the episode Victory of The Daleks
Ironside Dalek
Dalek Drone




These should be landing July of 2010, so get those pre-orders in ASAP.