The Intrepid Kilroy

     I’ve always been a huge fan of toys. A lot of people grow out of it. I don’t know how that works. It hasn’t happened to me yet. 

     Back in 2021, I was going through a whole thing, like I do from time-to-time, where I feel burnt out on fan art and long to sink my teeth into something more original. I was watching a lot of The Toys That Made Us (incredible show by the way) and had the thought… I should create my own line of action figures! 

Not literally, of course. Ha! I wish! CAN YOU IMAGINE?!? 

     I’ve played around with… what do you even call this… toy fan art(?) before with this and these, but, like I said, I really wanted to go all in on something original and basically conceptualize a line of action figures that I would have LOVED as a kid. So after working hard on it the last couple of years, I’m finally proud to introduce what I’m calling ZAGLORDS! 

     So the idea here is that Kilroy, who is of course the main character in the whole line (my He-Man, my Optimus, my Rainbow Brite) has this sort of power called the Cosmic Flame that he uses to create different constructs. His go to weapon of choice is this staff, that you'll see in his accessories, which he nicknames, "The Big Bang." He can also use his power to create rockets, basketballs, you name it... and to give everything his own sense of flair, Kilroy also conjures a multitude of stickers covering everything he creates. I even thought it'd be fun to have every Zaglords action figure come with their own unique collectible sticker so kids can do the same, but I wasn't able to find room in the budget. What?

     Of course, Kilroy here actually dates back way further than 2021. Cozy up, kiddies! It’s time for some backstory... WITH old artwork to make it, you know... a humbling backstory!

     When I was in the sixth grade, which was a while ago, I wrote a story titled, “Space Chase: The Search for Barney.” I talk about it here, but it was basically a short “book” comprised of mostly illustrations (done in erasable pen) that told the story of a trio of space cops on a mission to rescue Barney the dinosaur from an evil Big Bird and Mister Rogers. 

     It was the hottest of nonsense but believe me when I tell you it… was… EVERYTHING to preteen Nathan! I spent the next few years developing this idea further. I even illustrated “posters” for several Space Chase sequels. Again… with an erasable pen. 

     In high school, the idea evolved in a different direction. I, of course, got rid of all the PBS references and changed each of the characters in various ways. The main change being that, instead of space police, they were now a ragtag group of thieves. After watching Kelly’s Heroes and listening to the song “Mr. Roboto,” I decided to name the main character Kilroy. 

     The years went by and I would often revisit the idea. In college, I even finished my first draft of a Space Chase screenplay. It told the story of a group of thieves who use a cosmic crystal to save the galaxy. And again… not a purple dinosaur in sight. This was going to be my ticket, I thought, but life played out differently (and for the better) and the whole thing eventually fell by the wayside. 

     Then, in 2014, James Gunn gave us the Guardians of the Galaxy… about a group of thieves who use a cosmic crystal to save the galaxy. I absolutely love that movie! Those characters are probably my favorite part of the MCU! I mean, of course they are! I had unknowingly been developing Starlord since I was in high school! I became very discouraged (from a creative standpoint) and never gave Kilroy and his friends another thought. 

     Cut to 2021 when, like I said, I started developing this toy line. I wanted a concept that was open enough for me to be able to plug in any kind of wacky character I could come up with, and it still make sense. Alien ninjas, robot ghosts… purple dinosaurs. You name it! This is how I settled on the “hyperverse” for the setting – a place where basically anything is possible. I’m a fan of the 80’s retro future style and thought it’d be fun to have my main character be loosely based on Disney’s Captain EO. You see where I’m going here.

 I named the guy Kilroy.

     Kilroy is determined and resilient. He’s a risk taker, an optimist, an innovator, and at times… a little reckless. Like I said, the kind of toy/character that I would have LOVED as a kid. He may be a little derivative, but I try to remind myself that everything has been done before, but not by you. Do your best to make it your own. Don’t get discouraged. Have fun… and settle down. 

 This is just a post on some blog, dude!