Andy Capp figurines

[Diane CBPFC]

Did you know about these Roger?

Too bad they don't have Beau Peep ones too.

http://www.robertharrop.com/brands.php?id=1&subid=12

[Roger Kettle]

No, I didn't know about them, Diane, but Andy Capp merchandising doesn't have much to do with me as I'm not the creator (unless something I've actually written is used).
I'd buy a MInce figurine.

[Mince]

They are only £420.

[The Peepmaster]

I'm still figurine Mince out, personally. 

[Malc]

I can't believe this Robert Harrop guy has the permission or the rights from all those companies to exploit the images he has on his site.
There's no way everyone from DC Thomson to Gerry Anderson has given him carte blanche to create sculptures and merchandise from their programmes and sell them on the internet.
I doubt, even if Harrop offered a cut of proceeds, that Gerry Anderson, who employed a whole studio of sculptors, would agree to lease out the rights to his intellectual property.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Can't speak for Gerry Anderson, Malc, but certainly Harrop was licensed by DC Thomson to produce all of their figurines, and indeed several of the small collection I acquired came to me via the Beano and Dandy offices themselves. And mostly splendid items they are too!

[Malc]

Then DCT obviously have entered into a deal with the Harrop studio, but I still can't believe the others have, giving one studio the rights to exploit the rights to all those characters.

However, if this is the case, then I'm wondering if the Harrop studio has the exclusive rights or whether all the studios would entertain the idea of a number of sculpture/merchandise companies all producing character images. I certainly know of sculptors who would jump at the chance.
The Harrop stuff does look good, but the little images of Andy Capp look a bit off, at least on my monitor

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

I'm not sure how open DCT is today to such things, Malc, but back in the 80s, after jealously and zealously protecting their copyrights throughout their history (I seem to recall some poor confectioner being besieged with DCT lawyers' letters seconds after opting to call his latest chewy bar a Nibbler, and daring to use cartoon mice on the wrapper), they opened up the floodgates to the merchandising of their characters, and suddenly I found myself drawing fewer weekly pages in favour of masses of one-off illustrations of every well-known Beano and Dandy character for packaging and products, ranging from yoghurt cartons to boxer shorts (I still have a few pairs of self-drawn drawers in my bedroom drawers). They were open to all-comers, and suddenly making a renewed fortune from their stock.

Initially, DCT insisted that all artwork was created by their 'own' artists (i.e. - mostly me), but gradually, the better drawn stuff by the approaching companies was allowable, as the demand grew and grew (and I buggered off to work elsewhere). The Harrop stuff was always beautifully detailed and crafted with meticulous care. They have an excellent reputation for quality, and I can't believe for one moment that they would take on anyone's characters without it being completely above board.

Whether these sculptor friends of yours would be entertained by DCT or not, Malc, would largely depend on the quality of their products I guess, but there would certainly be no harm in asking. It's been a long time since I had any dealings with the DCT merchandising chaps, but I'm sure they'd give any decent approach fair consideration. That said, I'm not so sure they would be the best bet for your friends - I think they opened the floodgates at just the right time back in the 80's. Tides have subsided fairly dramatically since then.

[The Peepmaster]

That Andy Capp figure in Malc's avatar looks a bit off to me.