N.S. man creates first Canadian military action figures
Although the figures may not become as popular as G.I. Joe, the first-ever Canadian military action figures are starting to sell quickly in Nova Scotia.
The look and feel of the three soldiers came from the home office of John Alan Sperry in Valley, about eight km from Truro.
"We created the first Canadian action figures, three of them — air force, army and navy personnel — it depicts them. They're really taking off; people are really interested in them and it's been great," Sperry, a graphic artist, said Wednesday.
While Sperry did the artwork, it was his friend, Canadian soldier Shannon Thibodeau, a native of Meteghan now stationed in Borden, Ont., who really got the project rolling. Thibodeau became the template for the new figures.
With a third partner, a distributor in Ontario, the idea of mass-producing the tiny military action figures became a reality.
Bakery owner Joanne Leavitt has been receiving a lot of feedback.
"They think the toys are great that they depict the Canadian forces and it brings up stories of maybe a son or a family member who has been killed in the war," she said. "It's very heart wrenching for me to listen to them, and I was not expecting that at all."
A dollar from each action figure sold is going to the Soldier on Fund. The fund supports serving Canadian Forces personnel and families of injured members.
Sperry would love to see his three Canadian soldiers fight their way into the shelves of a big retail company.
"Once they're all sold and $6,000 goes to the soldiers' fund, then we'd love to expand into different areas, maybe [add] more to the line, a female character. We have some ideas," Sperry said.
The action figures are only available in four locations in Nova Scotia — two in the Truro area, one in Dartmouth and another in Bridgewater. They're also availabe in select locations in Ontario.