Retro fix–93 years later, Nancy Drew becomes a line of action figures

Nancy Drew, the intrepid 16-year-old sleuth of 175 mystery novels since 1930, is getting her first line of action figures, thanks to a new Kickstarter campaign. Upstart toy company Wandering Planet Toys looks like it’s crossed the goal line, acquiring $70,000 of a $60,000 target pledge goal. These represent the real deal, not the 21st century updates, 1970s, 1990s, or 2010s TV series, the barely recognizable recent movies, or other modern adaptations.

Each of seven fully-licensed, retro-style, five points of articulation, four-inch scale action figures is based on Nancy’s look in one of six classic covers of the original 56 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories novels: The Secret of the Old Clock (Book 1), The Hidden Staircase (Book 2), The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Book 4), The Secret in the Old Attic (Book 21), The Clue of the Dancing Puppet (Book 39), and Nancy’s science fiction robot adventure, The Crooked Banister (Book 48). An eighth figure is based on Nancy’s silhouette from marketing/logos. Although the facial sculpt makes Nancy look much older than a teen (they have a 1950s femme fatale vibe more than looking like the girl on the covers), the proposed packaging options are nicely done, and a new five-chapter novella is part of the perks available, along with either “book box” design packaging or Kenner 1970s retro-style carded figures.

Check out images of all of them below:

Each comes with relevant, key accessories, like a clock and screwdriver for The Secret of the Old Clock, a flashlight for The Hidden Staircase, a candle for The Secret in the Old Attic, and a puppet, flashlight, and bracelet for The Clue of the Dancing Puppet. The Mystery at Lilac Inn and The Crooked Banister are actually two-figure boxed sets, including an additional Nancy with ghost dress figure for the former set, and a robot figure for the latter.

It looks like the five points of articulation are at the head, arms, and knees.

This is the Silhouette Nancy figure set, a Kickstarter exclusive, which implies the intent is for the series to become available outside of the campaign:

Now the only question is, at $27 per figure, or $360 for the entire set, how many sets Wandering Planet Toys will be able to sell. Surely there’s an audience for these figures, enough to drop the price later? The market will decide. Here is the entire package offered:

Find out more at the Kickstarter page here, which ends May 17, 2023. An update from the Kickstarter promises an additional accessory pack if $85,000 is met.