The Planetoid Raiders
In its short history, Wandering Planet Toys has built a reputation for resurrecting the worlds fans wish they’d grown up with. Retro‑futuristic, character‑driven, and crafted with the kind of obsessive love only true toy people bring to the table. With The Planetoid Raiders, founders Chris “Doc” Wyatt and Gavin Hignight aren’t just launching a new action‑figure line; they’re unveiling an entire universe. It’s a pulp sci‑fi homage with grit, Saturday‑morning adventure with attitude, and worldbuilding delivered through sculpt, silhouette, and storytelling artifacts you can hold in your hand.
Back in July, we were excited to give an exclusive first look at one of their upcoming figures. Now, as the line heads to Kickstarter, The Planetoid Raiders feels like Wandering Planet at its most ambitious — original characters, deep lore, and a visual identity that could have lived on a forgotten toy aisle in 1979 or a streaming series in 2026. We recently sat down with Doc and Gavin to explore how this universe took shape, what drives their creative partnership, and why these Raiders are ready to blast off into collectors’ imaginations.
The Planetoid Raiders
GVN: Thanks once again for visiting with us, guys. Let’s waste no time and get right into this next exciting project: THE PLANETOID RAIDERS! This feels like it comes from that perfect intersection of retro sci‑fi, pulp adventure, and toy‑aisle imagination. What was the first spark that convinced you both this universe needed to exist as a fully realized action‑figure line?
GAVIN: Doc received two vintage Starroid Raiders last year and fell completely down the rabbit hole. I joined him. The figures that Planetoids pay homage to are so absolutely fun. This planet needs more fun. So we are doing what we can with all these colorful little amazing space weirdos.
DOC: Separate from that, I also had a dream in which a gang of UGLY SPACE WEIRDOS appeared to me, and claimed that Gavin was the new Space Pope, and that I was to be his Master of Arms. And I’m pretty sure it was only a dream, but maybe 10% that it was divine vision, and this crowdfund is the first step in a new era.
Design Rules
GVN: Wandering Planet Toys has a reputation for lines that feel both nostalgic and forward‑thinking. What were the core design rules — or the rules you intentionally broke — as you decided how to shape the look, scale, and articulation of the Raiders?
GAVIN: The Planetoid Raiders first and foremost really need to feel like something you’d stumble across on the toy aisle of a drugstore in 1981. It was really important for us to match the nostalgic vibe of the figures that inspire them, but not step on the toes of those awesome vintage figures that still exist. Wave One, are going to be very throwback, very targeted to the classic vibes. With the Arcade Raiders ADD ONs and future waves of Planetoids we’ll explore them more as art and blind box style figures.
DOC: By Wave Sixty-two, they will be real aliens, born on distant stars. But that can only happen if people back Wave One enough to help us get off the ground.
World Building
GVN: Unlike comics or films, toys, by nature, world-build through physicality. How did you approach storytelling through sculpt, accessories, and character silhouettes to make sure each figure communicates its place in this original PLANETOID RAIDERS universe?
GAVIN: To me, the magic of the originals is the lack of world building. They have just enough to set off your imagination, and then you fill in the blank spaces and world build for them. So with Planetoids we wanted to do similar. Giving just a few details to spark the imagination. Doc wrote the bios for the first 8 moments of the Planetoid Raiders. We were focused on intergalactic goofiness and fun.
DOC: To give them each a sense of uniqueness we intend to whisper bios and backstories into the ears of each individual figure, so that they truly know who they really are.
Personal Contributions
GVN: You’ve both spent years creating worlds together across different media. For Planetoid Raiders, what did each of you contribute that pushed things to the next level, and were there moments when one of you pitched something so outrageous it immediately became canon?
GAVIN: I feel like every crazy thing we joked about became reality and/or is on our huge list of what we want to do in the future of the line. Planetoid Raiders sparked so many fun conversations and ideas, we’ve really been set loose on these. So we’ve really been embracing the weird ideas when they come.
DOC: Gavin brought intelligence, knowledge, creativity, and drive. I brought a case of Diet Coke and some snacks that I got at Costco.
Kickstarter Lessons Gathered
GVN: Wandering Planet has run several successful campaigns, and you have had to deal with the opportunities that present-day commerce presents. What lessons from your past Kickstarter campaigns shaped how you’re launching THE PLANETOID RAIDERS? Whether in terms of tiers, stretch goals, community engagement, or production planning, how did the fact that this line is original and not an iconic brand focus those plans?
GAVIN: Right now we want to make fun figures that are fun and affordable. We know hobby money is tight for so many of our fellow collectors (and us) right now. So we structured tiers accordingly and worked hard to make figures that are affordable and accessible. And as always, we are making some figure options that are ONLY available for Kickstarter backers as a thank you to all those who come on board and help us make this line happen. The figures these are inspired by are impossible to find in good shape, or complete, so we wanted to make a line that allows new fans and a new generation of collectors to this amazing wacky world.
DOC: We also want to expand human consciousness into the cosmos, and help humanity become a multi-planetary species. But one step at a time.
Modern Collectors
GVN: Modern collectors expect more than a cool sculpt, as you are both aware, and you have answered that challenge. In this case, what must‑have elements — packaging, lore cards, modular parts, display options — were essential to making this line feel premium and collectible? And the most important thing…is there a lunchbox in the offing?
GAVIN: THANKS! Yeah, we wanted to really go back to basics with these. Usually we do ball jointed necks, but that was not a thing in the early 80s, so we want back to a very traditional five point articulation… but like other figures we’ve made, we’re sneaking in rotating wrists. Also, we’ve crammed some really fun easter eggs into the line if you happen to be a classic toy collector or sci fi nerd… you’ll be pointing at the figures saying, “I know what they did there!” It’s been a great outlet for the scifi nerds we happen to be. We wanted to recapture that classic knockoff collectors case vibe so we have actually made the full 8 figure set available IN THE LUNCHBOX as a Boxed Set and Collectible Case! Complete with hand painted space adventures on both sides of the case/lunchbox. Real art, painted by friend and artist Bill Rude.
DOC: We will offer a lunchbox. We will NOT offer lunch. You must provide your own lunch.
Coming Next for Planetoid Raiders
GVN: No LUNCH??!! Well, forget the whole thing! (Laughing). Thanks as always, Doc and Gavin, for taking the time today. To wrap up, if this Kickstarter soars like your past campaigns, which parts of the PLANETOID RAIDERS universe are you most eager to dive into next? Vehicles, playsets, villains, expanded factions — what’s waiting in orbit?
GAVIN: We have Waves Two, Three and Four mapped out. And they are super fun and full of surprises, so hopefully we have a successful response and Kickstarter Backers help us bring these figures into reality. ALSO!! The Arcade Raiders, which are the blind box style ADD ON figures, more planned for that sublime as well! How cool is it, to buy an action figure, and the box he comes in, is a scale video game arcade cabinet. The more Arcade Raiders you get, the bigger the arcade they hang out in can become.
DOC: ALSO– Next up for Wandering Planet is a line of soft Vinyl MONSTER figures called CRYPTID COMBAT. You can check those out at www.backerkit.com if you search “Cryptid Combat” or if you follow this link: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/wandering-planet-toys/cryptid-combat/pre-launch?ref=bk-discover-search
What Chris “Doc” Wyatt and Gavin Hignight have built with The Planetoid Raiders is more than a toy line. It’s a fully realized slice of retro‑sci‑fi mythology. Crafted with the kind of passion that turns collectors into worldbuilders and action figures into prized collectibles. Each sculpt, every character moment, and every fragment of lore feels plucked from a long-lost era of adventure stories. However, they’re polished with the modern flair that defines Wandering Planet’s signature style. You can check out their campaign.
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.
