View source for Play With This Too

'''Play With This Too''' is a toy company founded in 2013 by [[Rik Alvarez]], specializing in high-end collectible action figures.

==Foundation==
Play With This Too was founded in 2013 by former Hasbro employee Rik Alvarez after his termination from that company. He named the company after a toy store he worked at called Play With This. He has cited the market opening for collectible action figures and need for freedom of designers to design without restraints from corporate executives as reasons for forming his own company.

==Goals==
Play With This Too’s goals include being a top brand developer, designer, manufacturer and wholesale distributor of high-end collectible action figures and toys. Their aim is to target the rapidly growing collector oriented toy market and produce products for both wholesale distribution and exclusives for conventions, retailers and websites.

Play with this too launched their first Kickstarter on February 26, 2015. This served as the debut of the line. It will consist of 6” highly articulated action figures with interchangeable parts and weapons. The figures will include intergalactic heroes and ferocious monsters. The first Kickstarter, named Play With This Too- Lost Protectors, ended on March 29, 2015. It failed to reach its funding goal of $80,000, having come in at $71, 625.[2]

Play With This Too indicated it will continue to engage with potential licensors to bring official products based on existing brands to market. Play With This Too will begin to offer full service design and manufacturing, as well as intellectual property development for delivery over Transmedia networks.[3]

The company's second Kickstarter, titled Boneyard & Jetstrike Action Figures- Play With This Too, launched on September 18, 2015 and ended on October 18, 2015. It too failed to fund, raising $34, 963 of its $90,000 goal.[4]

==Endorsements==
In November 2014 online toy retailer Big Bad Toy Store endorsed the crowd funding project for Play With This Too and encouraged it's customers to back them.[5]

==Interviews==
Rik Alvarez was interviewed by The Pow Wow Show podcast on October 1st, 2014 about his history and founding of Play With This Too.[6]

Rik was interviewed by the Shattered Cast Uncut podcast on October 9th, 2014. Rik talked about Head Shots Vol. 1 and an about the upcoming announcment of hiring a fan artist.[7]

Rik was interviewed on the TFYLP podcast on October 10th, 2014. They talked about Astroblast, Desolataur and Head Shots Vol. 1 and 2. The hosts thought Skull-FCKR looked like Predator and that Xando looked like a hammer head shark.[8]

The Retro Robot Radio show for October 25th, 2014 interviewed Rik Alvarez. The show discussed Play With This Too team members Mark Wong, Steve Redinger, Trent Troop, Ken Christiansen, Aaron Archer and Simon Furman. It also talked about the toys for Ancient Astronaut, Astroblast, Bloodbath, Boneyard, Desolataur, Jetwash and Steel Cock as well as the first three volumes of Head Shots.[9]

The TFYLP podcast for October 25th, 2014 interviewed Rik Alvarez and Aaron Archer. They talked about the main villain Ancient Astronaut, the vampire villain Bloodbath, the gladiator hero Boneyard and the flying hero Jetwash.[10]

The WTF@TFW podcast for October 27th, 2014 interviewed Rik Alvarez. He talked about Ancient Astronaut, Astroblast, Desolataur and the Play With Yourself box set.[11]

The Cybercast podcast for November 22nd, 2014 interviewed Rik Alvarez. He spoke about Play With This Toosday reveals, Astroblast, Bloodbath, Desolataur, Ironstrike, Jetwash, The Mighty Muscules - Son of Testosteros, Tri-Gorr and the Play With Yourself Box Set. He announced the villains of his series would be called Heretics and that the first Play With This Toosday reveal would be of interest to Masters of the Universe fans.[12]

Rik Alvarez was interviewed by Charles and Candice in the November 25th, 2014 episode of the Super Epic Podcast Theater. In it they talk about Candice joining the Play With This Too team, her Head Shots and the art of Jetstrike she is doing. They mention the toys for Bitemark, Catastropheles, Flarestrike, and the Mighty Muscules.[13]

The Star To Star Toys News for December 12th, 2014 interviewed Rik Alvarez about Play With This Too. Rik talked about getting Aaron Archer to join the company, how the crowd funding would start with 4 figures and have stretch goals to 33 figures the Play With Yourself box set and the naming of Talix from Head Shots Vol. 3. Rik played with a prototype of the sword for Desolataur/Sir Pythanore during the show.[14]

The TFYLP podcast for December 12th, 2014 had Rik Alvarez on briefly as a guest. They talked about Desolataur and premiered Head Shots Vol. 5.[15]

The Repacked Podcast podcast for December 29th, 2014 interviewed Rik Alvarez of Play With This Too. They talked about Simon Furman and Christopher Dahlberg joining the team and about the figures for Desolataur, Mighty Muscules and Thunderous as well as Head Shots Vol. 5.[16]

The Radio Free Cybertron podcast for February 26th, 2015 interviewed Rik Alvarez. They talked about the Head Shots and Head stands and the Bloodbath and Desolataur figures.[17]

The Cybercast podcast for March 7th, 2015 interviewed Rik Alvarez. He spoke about the Lost Protectors Kickstarter. They discussed the Head Shots, Head Stands, Bloodbath, Boneyard, Desolataur and Wrecktifier. They revealed the character of Wastelander on the show.[18]

==Staff==
Rik Alvarez – Chief executive manager[19]
Peer Brauner - 3D modeler
Christopher Dahlberg - Sculpter
Albie (Chian) Lim - Design
Jason Patrick Brehn - Paints
Trent Troop Freelance designer and intellectual property developer

==Toys==
According to Trent Troop "The line will homage multiple sci-fi and fantasy lines. The first major push takes inspiration from the Pretenders, but that's not all that's coming." [20]

While all original molds, figures from Play With This Too have been compared to characters from Diablo III, G.I. Joe, GoBots, The Last Starfighter, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe, Ren & Stimpy, Transformers and other series.

Play With This Too first premiered drawings of their Astroblast figure online in September 2014. This was followed by their attending Retrocon 2014 where they displayed art of Deep Earth Explorer, Desolataur and Head Shots Vol. 1.

Starting on November 25th, 2014, Play With This Too started a promotional campaign called "Play With This Toosday" where they revealed new product images each Tuesday on their web site. Their first reveal was the Serpents of the Coiled Table set.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Companies established in 2013]]
[[Category:Kickstarter projects]]
[[Category:Play With This Too]]
[[Category:Toy companies]]