Randy Falk , Senior Designer at NECA, is the latest inductee of the Pop Culture Hall of Fame for 2016.
While he was in college, Falk started a mail order company to sell action figures and started creating his own custom designs. “I’ve been a lifelong collector and fan of collectible toys,” he said. “I was dabbling in some custom figures that I would also sell via ads in toy magazines and at various toy shows. This was all pre-eBay and pre-internet so it was a lot different back then. A couple years later I had the opportunity to take a summer job with McFarlane Toys that quickly turned into a full time position and here we are, nearly 16 years later and still going strong in the toy business.”
NECA, The National Entertainment Collectibles Association, has a name that makes it sound like a trade association, but they are actually one of the biggest names in collectible action figures and art toys. The company is known for its focus on figures from more “grown-up” entertainment.
NECA’s Reel Toys division was formed to produce action figures and dolls that are intended for more mature audiences.. They’re intended for teens and adults as collectibles for many licenses that no other company would market as a toy.
NECA’s figures have exceptionally accurate detail, but are designed mostly by hand. “We use digital for things that were created that way, like for certain game licenses. We start with the digital but we output and refine everything the old fashioned way,” he said. “Otherwise, we are almost all traditional here, certainly when it comes to humans and organic subject matter.”
