By Mark Seavy

There was a sharp focus on nostalgia at New York Comic Con last week, but many of these classic properties featured a fresh new spin.

The emphasis on proven IPs could be seen in the Artist Alley section of the show, where many graphic artists aligned their designs with Marvel and DC Comics and independent works found a home with Dark Horse Comics. It was a trend that left little room for self-published artists and underscored showgoers’ and exhibitors’ heavy interest in the tried-and-true.

That emphasis could also be seen in streaming series and other content offerings, where trailers were released highlighting new seasons of—or new takes on—proven franchises.

Hasbro, for example, updated its Star Wars-inspired The Vintage Collection with HasLab with plans to launch the Rebels’ ship in December, followed by a range of new figures (including a Sabine Wren deluxe set that’s based on The Mandalorian warrior character that first appeared on Disney Channel series Star Wars Rebels in 2014). The ship, which measures 28 inches x 34 inches, has capacity for 15 figures and features packaging that pays tribute to the original design by Kenner Products, which was acquired by Hasbro from Tonka in mid-1991.

Funko’s Mondo division, meanwhile, is readying an exclusive four-piece Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collectibles set ($320) scheduled for delivery in January. The set features the Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo charters clad in the same coloring as Playmates Toys’ original product release in 1988. Pre-orders for the collection were available at Comic Con.

That nostalgia also carried over to Cartoon Networks’ plans at the event, which included a screening of the trailer for the 400th episode of Go Teen Go! (set to air November 30th). The animated series, which was based on DC Comics’ Teen Titans, was first released in 2013.

Amid all of these new products and services inspired by evergreen properties, however, several collectible companies expanded their businesses in completely new directions.

Funko, best known for its licensed vinyl figures, is venturing into videogames. 1010 Games’ Funko Fusion videogame was released in September featuring downloadable content for all major consoles. The game features Funko Pop! figures, as well as the Freddy Funko and Eddy Funko characters. The game was updated at New York Comic Con with versions that included late artist Bob Ross, Jurassic World, Sun Wukong (a character from the 16th Century Chinese novel Journey to the West) and Back to the Future. A multi-player mode for the game is being released this week.

And collectibles company DeAgostini’s FanHome division, which took over model production for Star Trek in 2022 following the collapse of Eaglemoss, introduced a 20-ship line-up that will be delivered over the next two years. FanHome sells subscription-based buildable models, typically delivering six kits to customers over a 14- to-16-month period. In addition to models, FanHome is now testing a subscription-based comics service starting with a Batman title.

Not to be outdone, recently launched collectibles company Thrilljoy is focusing on bringing a “luxury” feel to collectibles. Its ranges will include characters with smaller but incredibly loyal fan bases, including Netflix’s Warrior Nun and Blue Eye Samurai as well as Cartoon Networks’ Samurai Jack, said Thrilljoy founder Brian Mariotti (formerly CEO of Funko).

“We are able to make multi-piece figures of more obscure characters,” Mariotti said. “Everything is designed to work together to create a certain experience, and we are focused on telling a story through the figures.”