Animated Batman Props to NECA, NY Toy Fair 2020

It’s common for Bat fans to feel like Batman. At one point in the life of every die hard, he/she truly considers wearing a cape and cowl and finding local crime to fight.

Batman: The Animated Series 1:1 scale prop replica prototypes from NECA, NY Toy Fair 2020

As usual, I covered DC for C506 at NY Toy Fair this year, along with my DC Collecticast and Above and Batman Beyond podcasts/YouTube channels.

When I approached NECA‘s 1:1 scale DC Prop Replicas at the Fair, I cannot emphasize this enough: It really gave you the feeling of being Batman walking up to all of those human sized Bat gadgets in the Batcave: from Batman ’89 live action grapnel guns to animated grapnel guns! NECA’s DC display was surreal, in the best way. Even more surreal, for an animated Bat fan like myself, NECA also displayed prototypes for Batman: The Animated Series full scale props.

From my NY Toy Fair interview with NECA’s Peter DeLeon:

PD: We’re currently looking at our DC license. It’s a brand new license for 1:1 scale replicas. We’re starting off with the Batman: The Animated Series, ’89 Batman movie, some Superman, Batman: Arkham City Nightwing Escrima sticks, and Batman Beyond.

That last one especially got my attention, again, with my Above and Batman Beyond podcast coverage of Toy Fair, in addition to all my other DC coverage. Beyond and BTAS props in one announcement, all before me in a glass case of empowering 1:1 prototypes.

PD (continued): It’s an all encompassing license. It’ll include the video games, the movies, and the cartoon series.

Today, we’ll focus on the animated Bat props from NECA’s Toy Fair display, so stay tuned here at C506 for coverage of the ’89 Batman and Arkham props!

BD: So, do you you want to start with the animated stuff we got?

BTAS Harley Quinn Cork Launcher 1:1 prop replica, NECA

Harley’s Cork Launcher

PD: Yea, so from left to right, we have Harley’s Cork Launcher, in scale, painted sort of cel shaded so it looks like it’s from the animated series. It’s the giant revolver with the cork stuck inside.

BTAS Mr Freeze Ray Gun and Goggles 1:1 prop replica, NECA

Mr. Freeze’s Ray Gun with Goggles

We also have Mr. Freeze’s Ray Gun. It comes with the goggles with the red transparent glass on them.

BTAS Grapnel Launcher 1:1 prop replica, NECA

Batman’s Grapnel Launcher

We also have Batman’s Grapnel Launcher to round out this series.

BD: I mean, these things are gorgeous! It really does look like–it’s almost a surreal experience, especially seeing it in person vs. a photograph. Like, standing in a 3D space and then seeing something that’s supposed to be animated, your brain short circuits because they’re so well done.

PD: ‘Cause they’re flat right, right? Animation. So, we have to bring them to real life, actually make them a 3D model.

Batman Beyond Batarang

BD: So, yea let’s skip down to Batman Beyond.

PD: For Batman Beyond, we’re just showing off Terry McGinnis’ Batarang. It’s a great design, especially in my opinion.

BD: What’s the material on that?

PD: The final materials are not set in stone. But, we’re working in like a resin for the prototypes.

BD: I think the resin really picks up the paint work, with the animated stuff in particular. And, I was just saying, the cel shading, the paint work, having this surreal experience of 2D vs 3 (laughs). I would definitely agree with resin as a material on this.

BD (continued): What propels you, since Beyond is niche…was it because you were already doing animated stuff or was it just a thing on its own: Hey, let’s do some Batman Beyond?

PD: Oh, because we want to do Batman Beyond. NECA, we’re not scared of doing the niche stuff. Like, our other licenses, we’ll do horror figures, from movies a lot of people have not seen. But, we’ll still do them, because there’s a fan base out there for them and people want to see stuff from their favorite thing, even if it’s not popular among others.

DC 1:1 scale prop replicas from NECA, NY Toy Fair 2020

Pricing/Availability

BD: You said you’re still working on pricing and availability, right?

PD: Yea. Well, pricing, we can say that we want to aim between $30 to $150. Obviously, depending on the size or the intricacy of the replica, that will determine the pricing and how it goes. But, max we want to try for maybe $150.

According to Peter, NECA’s animated series of Bat props is aiming for release end of year 2020/early ’21.

Stay tuned for live NECA coverage here at C506 as well as my DC Collecticast and Above and Batman Beyond podcast/YouTube shows.