Shocker Toys
Shocker Toys was a company that manufactured limited-release toys and products based on comic book and cartoon characters, as well as original creations. Founded in 1998, the company was run by Geoff Beckett Jr., Lance Buttiglieri, and Bill Roshia and was based in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
In 2012 Beckett rebranded the company as GBJR Toys and began raising money for the company through fundraising sites. It has since come under fire for allegedly using licenses without permission and failing to deliver the product as promised. Beckett, however, has claimed that GBJR toys is in no way associated with Shocker Toys.
History
Shocker Toys was founded in 1998 in Buffalo, New York, by Geoff Beckett Jr. Beckett had previously worked in construction and claims he was inspired to venture into the toy industry while "playing games with his brother". The company operated primarily on the Internet, and by 2002 the company had two full-time employees: CEO Beckett and Marketing Director Dana Newsom.Shocker Toys relocated twice prior to 2002, moving to Glen Rock, New Jersey in 2000 before relocating to Ridgewood, New Jersey. During this early period, the company's primary focus was on card games featuring characters developed by Beckett. However, these card games were never brought to market. Instead, the company began to focus on developing action figures, and in 2004 they released their first product: the Shockini block figure. According to Shocker Toys, this was a significant year for the company, as it was also the year in which Shocker Toys was incorporated and Beckett was joined by Lance Buttiglieri as a new partner. Subsequent to Buttiglieri joining the company, Shocker Toys continued to develop the Shockinis line, and in 2006 displayed the figures at the American International Toy Fair.
While Shocker Toys became "best known for being plagued by delays and other problems", the company released the first series of Indie Spotlight figures and the "Mallow" line of marshmallow-themed figures in 2009. In January 2010, Dave Ryan was named Shocker Toys' first sales agent.
In May 2011, Shocker Toys was accused of nonpayment for work done for them by artist Tony Robles and then attempted to have the artist's website shut down by Robles' domain host using legal threats. During the Shocker Toys panel at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, court papers were served to Geoff Beckett by Jim MacQuarrie on behalf of Robles.
In late 2011, Shocker Toys announced that the company had new partners and that they had undergone a change in ownership. One of the new owners of Shocker Toys is Eric Nyenhuis, the current owner of GLOW. Packaging mock-ups of GLOW action figures bearing the Shocker Toys logo have been shown online.
During the first half of 2012, Geoff Beckett rebranded the company as GBJRToys, through which he now holds the licenses to make Indie Spotlight and Mallow figures.
According to Geoff Beckett, he quit GBJR Toys in December 2015 and sold it to new owners. The Shocker Toys/GBJR Toys website remains registered in his name.
Products
Shockinis
Debuting in 2004, Shockinis was the company's first product to be released. Shockinis were 3 inch action figures intended for customization, with multiple points of articulation. Geoff Beckett has stated that while there are many similar toy lines – including Kubricks, Pocket Heroes, and Minimates – Shockinis, and their predecessor, Stikfas, are the only two designed specifically for customization. Beckett has differentiated Shockinis from Stikfas on the basis that Shockinis was "conceived in the USA" and were available as preassembled figures rather than as model kits. Different versions of Shockinis, including a Toxic Avenger Shockini, Kade from Arcana comics and other comic book convention exclusives were sold online, at conventions, and through a few comic book shops in limited runs of 50 to 1000 pieces. No new Shockinis have been produced since 2006.Indie Spotlight
In 2006, Shocker Toys started work on Indie Spotlight, a line of six-inch action figures based on characters from various independent comic book series. The first series consisted of Katchoo from Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise, Scud and Sol from Rob Schrab's Scud: The Disposable Assassin, the Maxx from Sam Kieth's series of the same name, David Mack's Kabuki and two different versions of Jim Valentino's Shadowhawk. A small figurine of an Isz was included with each figure, as well as other, character-specific accessories. Plans to include a comic book or poster packed in with each figure, similar to the packaging of Toybiz's Marvel Legends figures, were announced but later abandoned. Shocker Toys also announced a "mail away" figure of Mr. Gone from The Maxx, available to customers who purchase all seven figures in the first series. This figure has yet to be made available, however, a sculpt did appear at the 2010 Toy Fair.Development of the Indie Spotlight series encountered several problems, among them Marvel Toys' 2007 release of their own line of action figures including independent comic book characters announced for the Shocker Toys line. Prototypes of Indie Spotlight Series 1 were displayed at the 2007 American International Toy Fair, and new versions of that series were shown at the following year's show and at San Diego Comic-Con – the latter also including Series 2 prototypes. Following numerous announced release dates, the first series of Indie Spotlight action figures was available for purchase online as of April 2009.
In February 2011, a limited-run, preview edition of The Tick from the planned second series of Indie Spotlight figures was released, along with a "Mucus Tick" variant produced as an exclusive for the Idle Hands website. As of 2014, GBJR Toys no longer has the right to produce any further Tick-related figures.
Limited convention exclusives
Shocker Toys has produced a number of convention exclusives over the years. These include a Gwar "Beefcake" statue, a 3" Maxx vinyl figurine for San Diego Comic-Con, and a Scud statue for the New York Comic Con. Shocker Toys also released a pair of statues and a box set of five vinyl figures based on the fictional band Dethklok from the Adult Swim series Metalocalypse as San Diego Comic-Con exclusives. The box sets of vinyl figures were limited to 500 pieces and sold at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, the subsequent 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, and the 2009 Wizard World Chicago Comic Con.At the 2009 New York Comic Con, Shocker Toys had planned to sell two translucent versions of their then-forthcoming Scud and Maxx figures from the Indie Spotlight line. The figures were unavailable for the event but were shipped out to customers roughly a month later, starting on March 3, 2009. A similar variant was offered at the Wizard World convention in Philadelphia that year, with a transparent Maxx incorporating painted highlights. At the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, Shocker Toys offered figures based on their forthcoming Indie Spotlight Series 2 – a "black and white" Dick Tracy figure and a trench-coated variant. At the same event, convention exclusive Mallows also debuted, including Dr. Rockso, the Phantom, and an SDCC Guy.
Convention exclusives have also been sold through their website, and unsold figures have subsequently been made available at later conventions.