Dark Horse announces Comic-Con International 2009 exclusive!

DARK HORSE UNVEILS 2009 COMIC-CON EXCLUSIVE, AS PART OF UPCOMING DOMO BLIND BOX PROGRAM

Dark Horse will offer attendees of this year’s Comic-Con International the chance to grab a special exclusive variant of their upcoming series of Domo “Qee” toys, a translucent variant produced in conjunction with Hong Kong based Toy2R. This special version will only be available at this year’s event, held in San Diego, from July 23-26, 2009.

The special 2” version of the lovable mascot turned iconic viral superstar from Japan’s NHK television network is growing in popularity in the United States. Dark Horse has been an early licensee of Domo, under the auspices of licensing agency Big Tent Entertainment, and has already produced sold-out limited editions of Domo as flocked vinyl figures, stationery, journals and sculpted magnet products.

The Domo Qee program, to be launched nationwide in August, is Dark Horse’s first try at the popular “blind box” or “mystery box” format. Individual figures are packed in small boxes; the only way to know which particular figure is inside a particular box is to purchase and open the box. In the Domo blind box assortment, figures are sold in counter displays of 15, and each display box of 15 figures is further packed into a master carton of four cases.

In addition, the boxes each contain one component of a “Build-A-Domo” clear transparent figure. When the correct six components are accumulated, the buyer can put together the complete bonus Domo. There will not be a “Build-A-Domo” component in the Comic-Con Exclusive figure.

“We presented a Comic-Con exclusive 5.5” Domo vinyl figure last year,” recalls Dark Horse VP of Product Development, David Scroggy, “and were blown away as all of the limited-edition sold out. This year, with an entirely new toy, we expect an even faster depletion of our Comic-Con stock. Since last year’s was a yellow variant, we chose the same color for the Qee toy.”

Starting from a very unusual place as an advertising icon, Domo’s unique look and personality has catapulted the character from 400 television spots in Japan into one of the Internet’s biggest sensations, sparking worldwide recognition. As the poster child for personalized, user-generated content, Domo has been able to transition from popularity within Japan to a worldwide following, spawning countless fan-made images, websites and videos, along with a first-ever licensed product line including plush, toys, fashion and collectibles selling at major trend retailers nationwide. Most recently, Domo has taken America by storm, being featured prominently at major retailers all over the U.S. and even starring in his first worldwide manga.