For independent creators, bringing together premium figures, cryptid mythology, and imaginative worldbuilding is no small feat. With the upcoming Cryptid Combat BackerKit campaign, artist and sculptor Velikan and Wandering Planet Toys co-founder Chris “Doc” Wyatt are inviting collectors and monster fans into a world where legendary creatures don’t hide in the shadows… they step into the arena.
Blending striking creature design, detailed sculpting, and a passion for storytelling, Cryptid Combat transforms folklore’s most mysterious beings into dynamic action figures ready for display and combat. As anticipation builds for the campaign launch, we sat down with Velikan and Chris “Doc” Wyatt to discuss the project’s origins, the creative process behind bringing these cryptids to life, and what backers can expect when the battle begins.
We All Love Monsters
GVN: Thanks for visiting with us, guys. Let’s jump right into Cryptid Combat!
DOC: Jumping into combat can be dangerous, but let’s do it!
GVN: (Laughing) I could almost hear the sting of the drum after that line (“ba-dum-dum-tss.”) CRYPTID COMBAT takes creatures from folklore and urban legends, tosses them into a pro wrestling blender, and turns them into highly detailed collectible figures. What was the original spark behind the line, and how did the two of you find common ground between world-building, toy design, and creature mythology?
DOC: Common ground was easy to find. Velikan loves monsters. We at Wandering Planet love monsters. Seeing those monsters put on a singlet or trunks and beat each other up in the ring. That’s entertainment. They call the genre that H.P. Lovecraft wrote in “weird fiction.” This is a chance for it to get really weird.
Bringing a Fresh Take on Cryptids
GVN: VELIKAN, your sculptural work has a distinct sense of scale, texture, and personality. When designing cryptids that many fans already have a mental image of, how do you balance staying true to the legends while bringing something fresh and uniquely your own to the table? (From what I’ve seen… mission accomplished).
VELIKAN: THANKS! I’ve got a lot of experience with illustration and kid’s books. Those avenues demand new ideas. You can’t survive in the arenas with the tried and true. I tried to give them some fun. Wrestling in the 80’s was crazy, it was so colorful and outrageously weird. I tried to bring some of that to the sculpt, some of the detailed costuming and wild character building. I was thrilled when Doc said he wanted to make AND PAINT them. I am not a painter, so my concept for these was only half realized when I made them.
“It’s Cool. So We Did It!”
GVN: Doc, you’ve worked across animation, comics, and storytelling-driven projects throughout your career. How much narrative went into the development of CRYPTID COMBAT, and are these figures part of a larger universe that fans will uncover as the line grows?
DOC: Honestly? Like zero narrative development. Why are the monsters wrestling? Why is a massive Lovecraftian cosmic Elder God the same size as a human-scale cryptid from West Virginia? Yeah, that makes no sense. But you know what? It’s cool. So we did it.
Artistic Challenges
GVN: Cryptids often walk the line between mystery and monster. Were there any creatures in the lineup that proved especially challenging to translate into the action figures you imagined while still preserving what makes them iconic?
VELIKAN: Not yet! I mean, It was challenging to figure out a way to get a mask on the octohead of Cthulhu, but I think I did well. Going forward though, I can see some cryptids I may not want to tackle. Bigfoot for example. He’s been done to death, but who knows, I may hit on something. I could see him as the wrestler Hillbilly Jim.
DOC: The challenge in translating the mothman into action figure form was summoning him and getting him to stay still long enough for Velikan to be able to sculpt him. We tried just saying his name into the mirror three times at midnight, but that doesn’t do anything– that’s an entirely different urban myth. To summon the mothman a disaster, like a bridge collapse, has to be imminent. And arranging a disaster can be challenging.
The Process…
GVN: One of the things collectors appreciate most today is seeing the creative process behind a toy line. Can you walk us through how a VELIKAN designed CRYPTID COMBAT figure evolved from an idea or sketch into a finished collectible ready for production?
VELIKAN: CthuLuchador came about from me playing with words and ideas for a new toy. HulaCthluhu, Cthulabubu, CthuLuchador just stuck. Honestly, there was never even a sketch. My son has a few of those 80’s wrestlers that were rubber. I sculpted Cthuluchador’s body to that scale. I started making a body, keeping in mind how it would cast from a mold. By the time I got to the head, I had a solid idea and pose for him. Mothman was tougher, but again, I came up with the concept and looked online for a signature pose for the ultimate warrior and went from there.
After the initial sculpt is done, I make a silicone mold and cast the figure in resin. That figure is 3D scanned and files sent to China. They print the file and make the sofubi mold, cast them and paint them.
DOC: Once we had the 3D scan of Velikan’s sculpt, we worked with a digital artist named Adam Hastings who worked with us to develop the three colorway varieties, and an engineer in China, who helped us break the figure down for purposes of factory production. After that it was about test shots for approval.
Crowdfunding
GVN: As you know, Doc, Kickstarter and BackerKit have become powerful platforms for creator-driven collectibles. What opportunities has crowdfunding given you that might not have been possible through more traditional toy industry channels, and how has fan feedback influenced the project along the way?
DOC: This particular project, Cryptid Combat, hasn’t had any fan feedback yet. This is its debut to the world, but we are looking to expand this line, so you can absolutely bet that we’ll be listening to fans about what figure they’d want to see most as we continue forward.
GVN readers may also recognize Wyatt from our recent conversation about Wandering Planet Toys’ The Planetoid Raiders, another creator-driven toy line that demonstrates the company’s approach to bringing original concepts directly to collectors.
Future Cryptid Combat Entries
GVN: Looking ahead, if the CRYPTID COMBAT campaign is a success, what can collectors expect from the future of the line? Are there dream cryptids, unexpected deep cuts from folklore, or even crossover ideas you’d love to tackle next?
VELIKAN: We are coming up with new ideas all the time! I’d like to do a few more Lovecraft and cryptid matchups so there are mix and match ups to be had. But then branch out
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
