INTERVIEW: Tonner Doll Company's Robert Tonner

Company president talks "character figures" and more...

Making amazing works of art since 1997, Tonner Doll Company has only in the last two years captured the attention of comic and film fans and collectors with their 1/4 scale doll-like “Character Figures.”

Based on fan-favorite characters from popular comics and films like Harry Potter, Pirates of The Caribbean, Spider-man 3 (below), The Golden Compass, Batman, Aquaman and more, these beautifully crafted 18” tall figures feature super-detailed clothing, amazingly accurate sculpted facial features, and unique designs.

Figures.com reporter Bradlee Scott recently caught up with Robert Tonner and asked a few in-depth questions regarding not only what Tonner Doll Company has planned for the future (including new DC Stars and Pirates of the Caribbean collectibles!), but also how the figures are made, how they decide which figures to make and more...

Have you ever had a line you lobbied for but didn’t get to produce…sort of ‘the one that got away’?

Robert Tonner (RT): I don’t think so. I have pitched doll ideas to celebrities a couple of times where it didn’t work, but I just move on. As far as the big projects go, we’ve been fortunate enough to eventually get the projects we wanted. For instance, I had to wait a very long time to get the Harry Potter license; but I’m a very patient person.

I think the studios and licenses like what we do and hopefully they’re pleased to work with us.

With your licensed properties, how do you go about acquiring them?

RT: There are a few different ways. Most of the studios have licensing directors who we contact if we know about a project. If it’s a new project, they will sometimes come to us. Also, we always go to the Licensing Show in New York City. Usually though, it’s a licensing director’s mission to place the project where they think it’s appropriate, and fortunately, a lot of them know us already.

What would be your ideal license to acquire?

RT: I think I have a lot of them already, but I do have a laundry list of projects I would love to do - Star Wars, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, (the 1960’s) Avengers, Buffy, Firefly and Serenity. And I love Michael Turner’s work… That’s just a few of them…

With many companies gearing more towards the Japanese animation properties these days, do you see yourself adapting any of these (Japanese) properties into a line of your own?

RT: Of course I’m aware of the Japanese animation and I’m sure it will influence my work in the future – if it already hasn’t – but as of now, I’m not looking at anything specific…

Do you have a favorite line in your collection?

RT: Tough question. I usually like the one I’m currently working on; but if pressed, I have to say I love the Harry Potter line…

How does the design process work?

RT: I don’t think you have that much space in this article! I’ll try the short version...

First, I pick out the character I want to do. I usually do this very early on, so if it is a license or something that takes approval, we have the time to get it. Once the character is determined, I then decide who – and it may very well be me – will sculpt the head or figure. Once the sculpt is done, my pattern room starts to work on the clothing.

If it is a movie character, we give them reference; if it’s our own, then we – being Joe, the design director or myself – sketch the outfit or costume and give it to the pattern maker or sample maker. We work with the sample maker until we are happy with the costume. While the outfit is being made we work on any accessories we may have to make. By this time, we should have a head to work with; we send the head out to our painter. Once we get it back, we attach it to the appropriate body and dress and wig the figure.

That’s a very stripped down version of what we do. Of course, there are a million little things which happen all the way along during the process that slows it down…

How have the designs been going, are there any snags that have been a setback or an annoyance?

RT: Everything has been going pretty well. Any snags or holdups are usually accounted for. I’m not a big one on deadlines; in other words, if it means the product is less then I think it should be, I don’t pay attention to a date. (However,) the exception would be a movie opening.

When you get approval for a sculpt, who all approves it? Is it a company or do you have to go to the licenser?

RT: Sculpt approvals depend on what the project is. If it’s a company project and I’m happy with it, it’s done. If it’s a licensed project then the approval is up to the studio or agent. Sometimes, the studio can speak for the talent and sometimes, depending on who it is, the talent will have to approve the sculpt.

Do you have any words that you could share with aspiring designers who really love the niche - action figure meets doll – you fit into?

RT: Wow, I never thought another designer would want to do this… You have to know all you can about both worlds and I think you have to love both worlds. My advice is to just keep at it and learn all you can…and do your best not to burn bridges, it really is a small world…

Be sure to read the rest of this interview, which focuses on the new DC Stars (below) and Pirates of the Caribbean lines HERE!