This week we were contacted by Christopher Ibbitt, who has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to produce a printed collectors guide for Hasbro’s 1987 Visionaries Knights of the Magical Light toy line and are looking to spread the word about the project. They have comic veteran Bob Hall working on some snazzy cover art and Hasbro has, after some coaxing, provided them with permission of use in regards to producing a publication based upon the license, so it is semiofficial!
Christopher is out of the UK and the Kickstarter is in pounds sterling, so the shipping to the states of one guide would be a little over $19. See below for more details on the campaign:
“It is a time when magic is more powerful than science, and only those who control the magic, control destiny. They are the Visionaries.”
Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light was a toy line produced by Hasbro in 1987. The figures, vehicles and accessories prominently featured holographic or foil stickers to represent the characters ability to invoke magical powers or adopt animal forms.
As was typical with many children’s properties of its time the toylines launch was accompanied by a comic and cartoon series of the same name, produced by Star Comics (an imprint of Marvel Comics) and Sunbow Productions respectively. Both of which were ultimately cancelled with the discontinuation of the toy line as a result of rising production costs.
This Kickstarter projects aims to produce a printed collector’s guide, a reference book for the toy line depicting the figures, vehicles and accessories that saw release and their incorporated play/action features.
Update (5th Nov.): We are thrilled to announce that the scope of the publication has been expanded to include details and images of the unreleased 1988 line as a result of contributions from community members.
We have already received a permission of use from Hasbro to produce the publication based upon the license and Bob Hall, whose previous work you may be familiar with from both Marvel and D.C comics as well as Valiant/Acclaim has been commissioned to produce a snazzy front and back cover, which we intend to print in blinding fluorescence!
If funded, the printed publication will be absolutely free (with the exception of a postage and packaging charge, which will depend on your geographical location) and available worldwide to anyone, not only those who initially backed the project.
One hundred percent of all funds raised will be going towards the physical production of the publication, printing and material costs. None of the funds will be used to feed coffee addictions or fix a slightly leaky conservatory roof.
Their hope is that this will be the first of many vintage toy line guides they are able to produce through crowd funding, from Bravestarr and M.A.S.K to Action Force and Mighty Max!
You can check out the Kickstarter campaign and all the details right here!
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