Crissi and Ed were concerned about the hero toys available to their sons, which were not heroic at all. They decided to make their own. Here is what they developed.
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Mom Crissi and Dad Ed were not satisfied with the toys available for their sons Charlie and Jaimie. They observed that for years now the boy’s toy market has been dominated by decades old characters, repackaged by billion-dollar corporations for a cash grab that coincides with whatever movie or TV show they are recycling.
They decided that their boys deserve better.
They wanted their sons to have meaningful toys that celebrate what it is to be a boy and promote values and thoughtful development. So Crissi created the HeroBoys, with Ed’s help. Crissi is an experienced businesswoman. Beginning with Crissi’s initial idea for the HeroBoys, Ed has worked with his wife to develop the characters and content. Incorporating the values he learned from his father and the issues he sees his own sons struggle with, Ed developed meaningful ideas that aim to help young boys become good men.
HeroBoys is a line of 18-inch plush/plastic action figures and accompanying comic books. The comic book tells the story of a seemingly ordinary group of boys brought together to do good and provide an example to a city being overrun by selfish behavior. Each comic emphasizes lessons and values for young boys and provides teachable moments for parents.
The couple states, “HeroBoys is a line of toys and comic books meant to celebrate the adventure, imagination, and limitless potential inherent in boys, while reinforcing positive values. As a parents of young boys, we see first-hand on a daily basis the struggles they face: it’s hard to sit still, be quiet, share, pay attention. We want our boys to know it’s OK to be themselves. Just like our HeroBoys- they don’t have to be perfect. We also wanted a toy that helps teach values that we learned from our fathers: honesty, loyalty, humility, compassion, and diligence. That might seem a little old-fashioned, but against toy offerings that celebrates violence, narcissism, and a win-at-all-cost approach, we think all our boys could use meaningful, thoughtful alternatives.”
HeroBoys are now available through Kickstarter for presell orders which should then lead to more mass manufacturing.
Top Photo: Flickr/Jeffrey Bass
Awesome! Thanks!!