EL SEGUNDO, CA — Playmates Toys announced today a partnership with the New York Times bestselling author Matt Dinniman, to design and manufacture a line of character collectibles based on the writer’s wildly popular book series “Dungeon Crawler Carl.” The collaboration was facilitated by Lenny Herbert of Maximum Orbit on behalf of Dinniman.

“Dungeon Crawler Carl” is a science-fiction/fantasy LitRPG series about a post-apocalyptic Earth turned into an intergalactic game show, where participants are forced to crawl through deadly dungeons for the entertainment of alien viewers. Since its debut, “Dungeon Crawler Carl” has captivated readers with its unique blend of humor, imaginative world-building, and unforgettable characters.

“We couldn’t be more excited to take a deep dive into the fantastically dystopian and wildly weird Dungeon Crawler Carl universe,” said Pat Linden, vice president of marketing, Playmates Toys. “The range of characters and the care which Matt has taken to bring them to life is a collectible company’s dream. Carl and Princess Donut’s journey through progressively more perilous levels of the dungeon world makes for compelling reading/listening and will inspire collectibles that capture the adventure, horror, humor and wackiness of this unique story. As the master toy licensee for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, we know offbeat, weird and wonderful and Dungeon Crawler Carl ticks all these boxes.”

Originally self-published, the “Dungeon Crawler Carl” series has sold over four million copies, recently securing separate major publishing deals with Audible and Penguin Random House.  The property is reaching new audiences through a multi-pronged entertainment and merchandise licensing strategy.

“Playmates’ reputation and experience in the action and collectible figure space is bar none,” said Dinniman. “Our team is excited to work with Playmates to bring Carl, Princess Donut, Mordecai, Mongo and all the other Dungeon Crawler Carl characters to life.”

Dungeon Crawler Carl collectibles will debut in 2026.

About Matt Dinniman
Matt Dinniman is an artist, musician, and the New York Times bestselling author of the Dungeon Crawler Carl book series. He doesn’t really hate cocker spaniels.

About Playmates Toys
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026, Playmates Toys is among the most well-respected and creative marketing and distribution companies in the global toy industry with a proven track record of creating innovative, affordably priced products and developing and managing long-term brand franchises. Playmates past and current partners are among the world’s leading entertainment companies including Paramount, Legendary Entertainment, Toho, NBC Universal, Rainbow Studios, Warner Bros., WWE and Disney. A licensed entertainment specialist, Playmates’ success stories include broad, multi-segment product lines inspired by a wide variety of beloved movies and animated series including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Monsterverse, Godzilla x Kong, Voltron, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Disney Princess, The Simpsons and many others. From its offices in Hong Kong, California and London, Playmates designs, develops, markets, and distributes its products in over 80 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit playmatestoys.com.