Alasdair Dewar - Part 2

Exclusive Interview with Alasdair Dewar, Product Development Director of Character Group Plc, Maker of
Doctor Who Action Figures

This interview is Strictly Copyright © doctorwhotoys.net, All Rights Reserved; may not be reproduced in full or part.
All images are copyright © doctorwhotoys.net

• The very first figures were the 'static' Rose and the Ninth Doctor that came with the RC Dalek Battle Packs back in 2005. How did the whole concept of the 'action' figure range evolve from there?
  Answer: Alasdair Dewar The first 5 1/2 figures were created as posed statuettes designed to complement the 5 inch Scale R/C Daleks and not intended to articulate... Thus when we decided to go into action figures we chose a scale no one else had really used which corresponded to the scale of these statues ... Unfortunately for speed we had to use the existing sculpts and thus the Doc and Rose got interestingly articulated!



• At what point did you realise that you had a 'toy phenomenon' on your hands with the Doctor Who Action Figures?
  Al Never really a phenomenon it just basically was an increasing scale of production coupled with high demand from retailers and consumers... It just grew and grew from there.

• What kind of toys did you most treasure as a kid?
  Al Well I suppose my Star Wars figures ...I had a fair few and so used to scratch build spacecraft and Millennium Falcons etc for those from card .. Then blow them up, burn, break or crash them and rebuild them again ...



• Is it a difficult balance to improve the articulation of the figures and yet retain their durability for play?
  Al No ... Its a question of how far you go ...I hate toys that are too fiddly to the point where you cant pick 'em up without something dropping off .. It really bugs me ..... So I look at it from the point of a kid ..is it playable with and will the guns stay in the holsters etc ....



• We've seen a number of variations for example to the Doctor's shoes etc. - whats the idea behind this?
  Al Im a big fan of running changes .. We get info and then we find its wrong or out of date so .... You change it ..Its just been my policy really in terms of details and authenticity but it probably drives the collectors crazy!



• Some of the variations are more subtle, like the two shades of blue on the Moxx or Martha's Series 3 matt and shiny jackets, how does this come about?
  Al As above or in the case of the Moxx a change of factory from the one that originally ran it ..so they matched the production sample as best they could but .... It was not quite right first time round anyway so again a bit of screen accurate re-jigging if you like ..... Marthas jacket in matt???? ... What the hell are you on about! lol



• Theres been several rumours about new playsets for the figures - any truth here?
  Al Honestly no ... We did the TARDIS console room and it sold well but not in the volumes we expected so it dictated the fact that on Classic and New series there are no new playsets ... I was upset about the classic TARDIS console going though ... Sniff! I get teary eyed thinking of Tom going ...come on old girl ... Shes wheezing like a Grampus! .... Ah those were the days ...sniff!



• What happened to Bessie and the Classic Tardis?
  Al Vanished ..... They were in fact a product of Character Industries Inc from a parallel world ... Unfortunately when the rift between those closed up the TARDIS and Bessie prototypes were sucked back into the Void!



• Should we expect all the Classic Doctors?
  Al Im working on it ...but it depends on sales of the Classic series .. I can tell you that currently we have approved sculpts of: McGann, McCoy, Pertwee, Troughton ..... And no you cant have photos so dont ask! Id like it to happen but it gets harder to sell the older Docs beyond Pertwee .. In my heart of hearts I think well get those three out but time will tell on the others ... The black and white serials dont do that well even on UK Gold



• Presumably the Classic Series figures are aimed more towards collectors? Have sales of these surprised on the upside?
  Al- Actually no not at all..mass market again ..you have to remember kids are now back watching classic Who again .. Its on UK Gold etc several times a week and although its a bit slower paced it still goes down well. .. You also have the parents that remember those episodes or the one with!!! and will buy it as a nostalgia trip on the premise that little Dave Ross might end up watching the creature from the pit! ... Without doubt there is a nostalgia element but as mentioned its monsters and villains NOT companions because kids dont know who the hell they are but they are getting familiar with Sea devils and Zygons and Voc robots and Krynoids though .... Mind you Im holding out for classic sales to skyrocket so I can get a Peri sculpt done! ... God Bless Attack of the Cybermen.



• What do you think of the vintage Who toys like Dapol, Corgi, Product Enterprise, Denys Fisher Mego, Marx etc?
  Al I try not to ... My brother has a couple of those Dapol figures and they are pretty awful .. I mean there is no excuse ... None ... Seriously none! ... Not even if you were a freelancing village idiot ...for producing a FIVE sided TARDIS console and getting ALL the way through development before going Duh ... Now then something's not quite right here! .. One two three .... lol ... I mean NONE!!!
  
  BUT they are of their time and expectations are far higher now ... They dont compare and to be fair its wrong to even try and do that because licensing and licensed products were a relatively new phenomenon up until the late 70s when Star Wars came along ... And changed the world.
  
  I do love the PE stuff though; I have Eagles and UFO stuff of theirs and its awesome.... but again they moved latterly from toys more into the high end collector replica market and their accuracy is superb .. Plus I owe them a nod for the 12 inch Dalek ...



• What would you say about doctorwhotoys.net?
  Al Marvellous chaps! .. All of them!

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Thanks Al
Alasdair Dewar
Product Development Director
Character Group Plc

Return to The Alasdair Dewar Interview: Part 1

This interview took place in England on the 10th September 2008 and is Strictly Copyright © doctorwhotoys.net, All Rights Reserved; may not be reproduced in full or part. All images are copyright © Character Options, doctorwhotoys.net, Hoosier Whovian, Cameron & Ian

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