Memory Alpha
Register
Advertisement
Memory Alpha
Real world article
(written from a Production point of view)
Bif Bang Pow! logo

Bif Bang Pow! is an American toy company that was founded in 2005 by Jason Labowitz and Jason Lenzi and is based in North Hollywood, California.

The company has released a large number of licensed products from entertainment franchises including Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who, and The Twilight Zone, among many others.

Star Trek releases[]

In 2013, the company began to release a number of licensed products based on the Star Trek franchise, including bobbleheads, "bobble ships", "Pin Mate Figures", shot glasses, and decorative tins.

Star Trek franchise crossover releases[]

Aside from conventional Star Trek-branded products produced under license from CBS Consumer Products, the company has also released products resulting from crossovers between the Star Trek franchise and other popular media properties.

Based upon the 2012 comic book series, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Doctor Who: Assimilation², the Star Trek: TNG/Doctor Who Monitor Mate Bobble Ship set combined licensing from Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Doctor Who franchise, becoming the first known Star Trek product to share co-branding in this way. The tin case from the set displayed the covers of issues 1 and 5 from the comic book series. This release was limited to 2,400 pieces and debuted as a 2013 San Diego Comic-Con exclusive. [1]

The second and more extensive known instance of combined licensing concerned the CBS co-owned sitcom, The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019). Immensely popular, the show utilized Star Trek references frequently, as the four male protagonists were avowed "Trekkies". The first crossover line featured a line of 8" action figures showing the Big Bang primary cast clad in Original Series Starfleet uniforms, and was also intended as a homage to toy company Mego, the first manufacturer of such Star Trek action figures in the mid-1970s. A wide (non-limited) release, six figures were released simultaneously, although one ("Penny") was delayed for almost a year. [2] The product line was nominated as finalist for Space.com's "Space Age Award". [3]

Two more lines were released in 2016 to commemorate Star Trek's 50th anniversary, including a line of more articulated 3.75" action figures and a hand-painted seven-piece set of 2" wooden "Pin Mate Figures". Once again, both of these lines featured the primary cast clad in the TOS Starfleet uniforms and, in contrast to the 2014 release, were 2016 San Diego Comic-Con exclusives with the action figures limited to 2,280-2,464 apiece and the Pin Mate set limited to 1,504 pieces. [4] [5] Interestingly, only the Sheldon and Amy primary characters were ever seen on the show wearing TOS uniforms (both seen before the 2014 figure release), whereas the references to the Leonard character's ownership of two Captain Kirk uniforms and the Raj character's ownership of an Uhura dress was only spoken of in dialogue, though Leonard's two uniforms were actually seen hanging in his wardrobe closet in two episodes.

The fourth and last known The Big Bang Theory crossover release was even more show-specific, as it tied in directly with the show's sixth season episode, "The Bakersfield Expedition", one of the most heavily Star Trek-referencing episodes of the comedy series. Throughout the episode, the four male leads were clad in their Next Generation cosplay outfits, which served as the basis for Big Bang Pow!'s four-piece 3.75" action figure set. Released in 2017 for TNG's 30th anniversary, the set was only available as a June 2017 San Diego Comic-Con exclusive and was limited to 2,288 pieces. It sold out quickly, a testament to the enduring popularity of the sitcom episode. [6]

See also[]

External link[]

Advertisement