Four Horsemen Studios is a collectible figure design studio and manufacturer, specializing in creating sculptures of toys and action figures. The company was founded in the late 1990s as a contractor to Mattel, and have since grown to an independent studio creating their own line of figures as well as manufacturing third party designs under license.
History[]
The Four Horsemen of Four Horsemen studios are Jim Preziosi, Eric Treadway, H. Eric Mayse and Christopher Dahlberg. The four partners met while employed as figure sculptors at McFarlane Toys. In September 1999, the four left McFarlane to found Four Horsemen Studios, where, in a partnership with Mattel, they created hundreds of figures for Mattel's Masters of the Universe, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter, DC Universe Classics and Man of Steel toy lines, among others.
In 2005, Four Horsemen Studios began creating their own properties and designing and manufacturing the toys to support them. The studio has developed several in house properties including: Seventh Kingdom, Gothitropolis, Magma Corps, and Symbiotech.
In early 2010, the Horsemen made the leap into licensed action figures. The studio signed a deal to produce figures based on the 1960s sci-fi toy line The Outer Space Men. A second license, 1980′s brand The Power Lords, has been purchased in 2013.
Work For Mattel[]
DC Comics Lines[]
Mattel has commissioned Four Horsemen Studios for most if not all the figures in they DC Comics lines including Man of Steel, Dark Knight Rises. DC Universe Classics, Young Justice
Masters of the Universe[]
Four Horsemen Studios were responsible for the figure sculpts of the 200x re-imaging of Mattel's Masters of the Universe toy line and helped bring about the Masters of the Universe Classics, an Adult Collectors figure line
Max Steel (Overseas Figures)[]
Many of the Gigantor figures that were part of the Max Steel line in Europe and Latin America are sculpts by members of Four Horsemen Studios
Work For NECA[]
NECA Four Horsemen Studios were contracted to sculpt the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line in 2008.
Members[]
- Jim Preziosi - Original Horsemen
- Eric Treadaway - Original Horsemen
- H. Eric (Cornboy) Mayse - Original Horsemen
- Shane Dittsworth
- Sherri Lynn Cook
- Owen "O-Dawg" Oertling
- Christopher Dahlberg - The fourth Horsemen and a founding member of Four Horsemen Studios Chris chose to leave in 2012 and is now working solo.
Awards and Honors[]
Poppies Toy Industry Awards:
- 2010 Best Overall Line - Low End - Judges pick - Masters of the Universe Classics
- 2010 Best Overall Line - Low End - Fan pick - Masters of the Universe Classics
- 2010 Best Male Figure 5 - 11" - Judges pick - Trapjaw
- 2010 Best Female Figure Under 11" - Judges pick - Evil-Lyn
- 2010 Best Female Figure Under 11" - Fan pick - She-ra
- 2010 Best Overall Line - Low End - Judges pick - Masters of the Universe Classics
- 2011 Best Overall Line - Low End - Fan pick - Masters of the Universe Classics
- 2012 Best Female Figure 5" - 11" - Judges pick - Sorceress
- 2012 Best Female Figure 5" - 11" - Fan pick - Sorceress
- Toyfare Hall of Fame 2008 (inaugural class)