Codename: Dylan Brucie
Specialty: Photographer
Base of Operations: ToyFare Magazine
History: Dylan Brucie was born in the early 1980s, like many great toylines. He wasted a lot of time growing up in upstate New York playing with toys and reading comics. After going to college for journalism, he got an internship at Wizard Entertainment writing short articles and sidebars, which eventually led to a full time position with the company. The rest is TBD.

PG: Please describe what you do at ToyFare. Is this the culmination of a lifelong desire to work with toys or the inevitable result of a misspent youth?

Officially, I photograph everything for ToyFare magazine we need shot in-house, including Twisted ToyFare Theater, all the visual price guides and pretty much any other toy, statue or knick-knack we care to show. Unofficially, I play with toys all day long and occasionally photograph what I’m doing.

I used to spend HOURS setting up battle scenes with toys, from G.I. Joes to Dino Riders, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and DC Superheroes. I had no idea at the time it was essentially job training for the future, but fortunately it more than prepared me for my current profession.

PG: Please list the toys in your work area.

I have a small army of black-costumed (or should I say “best-costumed”?) Spider-Man figures patrolling my desk, interspersed with a few Venoms and a couple Wolverines. I also have a black and white Kevin figure from the Sin City movie figure line (who I dressed up as for Halloween a couple years ago), an Onslaught figure from the ’90s ToyBiz line (because I’m one of the comic readers who actually really dug that story) and lastly a Guts figure, from my personal favorite anime/manga of all time, Berserk.

PG: What’s the most interesting thing going on in the toy industry today?

I think the diversity of toys we have now is the best thing going on. We have old school Mego figures making a comeback while super-detailed figures like Hasbro’s Marvel Legends continue to blow our minds. And we have Anniversary G.I. Joes for the classic fans while the Sigma Six figures are fostering a whole new generation of fans. Every toy fan, new or old, is a winner right now.

PG: What’s the best thing about working at ToyFare?

Oh man, there are a ton of great advantages to working at a place like ToyFare. I can dress in jeans and a t-shirt every day (sometimes the same ones for weeks at a time); I work with some of the funniest people in the industry; I get to see each new Twisted ToyFare Theater before almost anyone else; and I have to say it- working with toys is a blast. It’s hard to think of a better job in the world. And I’ve been a cart-pusher.

PG: What’s your fondest toy-related holiday memory?

The word “obsessed” isn’t quite strong enough when describing how I felt about the 1989 Batman movie. Let me also stress that the word “rich” falls a little short of where my family’s economic status fell. Not that we were poor by any means, but toys were a privilege, not a right. So it was probably one of the best holidays ever when I not only got both the movie Batmobile and Batwing vehicles, but also a bunch of figures, including Batman (sans Keaton-face), Joker and even Bob the Goon! I still feel bad for guy who only ever had one shot at having an action figure made of himself and it was called Bob the Goon, but I hope he can take heart in the fact that he made my Christmas one of the best ever that year.