Friday, March 2, 2012

INTERVIEW: Todd McFarlane Discusses 'Walking Dead' Season 2 Blu-ray Set

Blu-ray Zombie Special Edition at the 2012 NYC Toy Fair
McFarlane Toys was founded in 1994 with a line of edgy highly detailed Spawn collectibles aimed at an older target audience. Since then the company, led by Todd McFarlane, has created successful lines of action figures for Spawn, Halo, MLB, NFL, and the NBA.

One of McFarlane's newer properties is based on Robert Kirkman's successful The Walking Dead franchise.

In part two of my interview with the legendary comic book and toy creator at the 2012 NYC Toy Fair, McFarlane talked to me about teaming up with Anchor Bay Home Entertainment for the collector's case that will house the thirteen episode season two collection of AMC's The Walking Dead

For this three disc Special Edition Blu-ray package, McFarlane Toys worked with an original Zombie head prop from the show's Emmy Award Winning Special Effects Make-Up Supervisor & Co-Executive Producer, Greg Nicotero and KNB EFX to create a bust from a memorable scene from the show.

"The one we came up with was the moment, the scene in Season Two where Lori takes a screwdriver and puts it right in the eye of a zombie socket, and kills it because it goes right up into its brain," he revealed about the case.

Having the opportunity to get a sneak peek at the prototype at the Toy Fair, it is visibly a highly realistic piece. Be warned, this zombie head isn't for the faint of heart, and is ideally suited for fans who are accustomed to the graphic scenes of zombie violence and gore on the show.

"It’s a decapitated head on a base. You have to lift the head up with the screwdriver, and inside then is the Season Two DVD box set, McFarlane told me. "So think of it as a morbid Pez dispenser, is basically what it is. But they came back and said “love it!” McFarlane revealed of the product's design board reaction.

"The boyish fun about being in the business is sometimes you come up with crazy ideas just for the heck of it. But you never  know if anyone is gonna give you approval. But every now and again they actually say 'yes,'" he laughed.

"You get to be eight years old and get to do it. Just that it’s gonna exist out on the market place puts a smile on my face," McFarlane concluded.

Yesterday a pre-order ad for the box set appeared on AMC's website, and revealed a major spoiler in the special features description. A spolier however, to only those who have not read the comic books that the TV series derives its story lines from. AMC has since removed the ad and issued a quick statement on the matter, "The post on the AMC store was completely unauthorized. The matter is currently under investigation."

The Hollywood Reporter has the full rundown of the story, including the potential spoilers that lie ahead in this season's remaining unaired episodes.



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