Rise of Nexus Retro 3.75" Action Figures + Tactical Tabletop
Par Solid Raven Toys
Statut actuel
Fonds récoltés : 57 332 €
PREMIUM 3.75"" ACTION FIGURES + TACTICAL TABLETOP GAME
If you want an additional TE SEIKO, he is available as an add-on during check out.
PRE-ORDER STORE IS LIVE!
Spend $200 or more on Backerkit by 8/15 and you receive Seiko in Horai for FREE!
Late pledges are still open.
Final numbers: 277 backers · $61,898 pledged · 225% funded
Rise of Nexus Arena is FUNDED — Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who backed, shared, and believed in this campaign. Rise of Nexus Arena is officially funded, and we couldn't be more excited to move into tooling and production.
Right now we're waiting on Kickstarter to collect and release funds, but we're not sitting still in the meantime. We're using this window to update digital files, organize everything, assign part numbers, and make sure every detail lines up before it heads to the factory. This groundwork now means a smoother, faster production process once funds land.
Late pledges are now active, so if you missed the campaign or want to bump up your pledge, you can still jump in.
And we're not done unlocking yet, there's still room to grow, meaning more figures for All-In backers and everyone else. Every share and pledge between now and close pushes us closer to the next goal.
Keep pushing. More updates soon.
ALL-IN TIER CHECKLIST
UNLOCKED - SEIKO, DELTA, PHANTOM, EVILFACE, KING COBRA, NIGHT OWL, SEIKLONE, SLEEPWALKER, DARKWALKER, TACTICAL ESPIONAGE SEIKO
LOCKED - WOLF FANG, M'WITUU, MAMBA, CADAVER, CARRION, WOLF PACK, ECHO, MONARCH, BLACKOUT
Download the checklist at riseofnexus.com
We funded in the first 5 hours!
WELCOME TO THE ARENA
Wolf Pack & Seiko. Picture by @killcutterphoto
Rise of Nexus™ is a 3.75" O-ring action figure line designed and crafted by Carlos A. Espinoza at Solid Raven LLC, sculpted by Stéphane Roy at EBerry Studio, with bold, full-color artwork by Eddie Beis.
Whether you're an opener, customizer, or mint-on-card enthusiast, these figures were made for all of you, built to hit hard and display even harder. Every figure ships sealed on a custom 9" x 6" blister card straight out of the 1980s, bold artwork up front, a story-driven dossier on the back. Characters with real depth behind the eye(s);p
This isn't just a figure line. Rise of Nexus™ is a universe, an original tabletop game, a comic book series, and so much more. Every character is connected. Every piece matters.
Cadaver in a tight spot.
THE STORY
ORIGINS
I was born in 1978 in Venezuela and raised on a steady diet of sci-fi, paperbacks, flea-market comics, and a father who treated model kits and Batman collecting with military precision. Imagination wasn’t a pastime in our house it was infrastructure.
With my Cousin Jordi on his first visit to Lionel Playworld.
In April of 1985, we immigrated to the United States. Before we even settled in, we made a stop that changed everything: Burger King, then Lionel PlayWorld. And in the back of that store, I saw my first G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero end cap.
I didn’t know what I was looking at, but I understood it immediately: small teams, specialized roles, high-stakes missions, and 3.75" figures that felt like they came with entire classified backstories baked in. That moment stuck.
From then on, I was all in. Toy aisles became routine operations. Toy shows and conventions became weekend deployments. I learned the language of collectors, mint on card, troop building, and customizers, and I never really left that world. Through high school and into adulthood, I kept collecting, sketching, and building characters and vehicles like I was assembling a universe one figure at a time.
A small section of my Dad's garage. 1994 - 2025. Miami, Florida.
About twenty-five years ago, I created a sci-fi world called *The Wreck-Age*. My wife helped write the first draft. It was part graphic novel, part living system of factions and stories, and it stayed with me even when life forced it into the background, career, family, responsibilities, all of it.
Five years ago, I was playing on the floor with my son when I watched him invent a game from scratch: turns, powers, movement, rules, pure imagination structured into play. It immediately reminded me of the old Milton Bradley G.I. Joe game I used to want as a kid but never had.
That was the moment everything connected.
Rise of Nexus is the result of a lifelong obsession with action figures, decades of worldbuilding, and a tabletop game born from watching a child turn imagination into systems.
It’s everything I’ve been building toward since I first stood in front of that G.I. Joe display and realized toys weren’t just toys, they were a universe waiting to be played.
Bottom Right: Dad and Mom on my eighth birthday.
Night Owl - On Prototype Backer Card.
Side-by-Side Comparison. Left to Right: G.I. Joe ARAH Baroness, Rise of Nexus Cadaver, & Delta 17 Kestril.
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THE WORLD
Something ancient ended the world. What it left behind, we call The Wreck-Age. What caused it, what did it, is known only as "The Wreck". Before the survivors could breathe, it closed its grip. No walls. No warden. No escape. Just the Nexus, an arena carved from the wreckage of everything that came before.
Soldiers. Ghosts. Ordinary people. All of them stripped of rank, purpose, and freedom. All of them are fighting for something they can't name. Survival isn't a right here. It's a commodity.
Friendships will shatter. Secrets will surface. And the most dangerous enemy might be the one fighting beside you.
Left to right: Wolf Pack, Seiko, Night Owl, & Sleepwalker.
Packaging mock-ups. Clockwise: Wolf Pack, Night Owl, Sleepwalker, Seiko
MEET SEIKO
SEIKO Iron Veil Operative - Kenjutsu & Gun-Kata Specialist
Sean Cruz didn't choose the name. Not exactly. Growing up in the jungle under M'Wituu's watch, the only glimpse of another world came through old action movies, worn VHS tapes, flickering screens, heroes who moved through impossible situations and walked out the other side. He and Wolf Pack gave themselves names inspired by those films, those larger-than-life figures who seemed to exist outside the rules of the world they were trapped in. Cruz. It sounded like someone who survives.
He was taken as an infant from a mining facility in Africa, the son of a nurse and an early Iron Veil operative, caught in a conflict that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the world his parents helped build. Raised under brutal conditions alongside Wolf Pack, trained for war before he understood what war was. When they finally escaped in their late teens, Sean Cruz went looking for who he was supposed to be. He found Iron Veil. He found purpose. He found that the skills M'Wituu had burned into him were exactly what the world's most dangerous organization needed most.
In the field, they call him Seiko. The word means precision. Excellence. The standard against which something is measured against. It fits. He is a master of Kenjutsu and Gun-Kata, a surgeon in situations that break everyone else. Haunted by a past he is still uncovering and bonded to the people who have become his family, he is Iron Veil's most elusive and most effective asset.
He woke up in the Nexus Arena with no memory of who he was. The blade was the first thing he recognized.
"Whoever I am, I know this. And I want to remember the rest." - Seiko
Pencils/Inks by Alfred Lauzon.
We need your help bringing Rise of Nexus to life.
MAIN GOAL!!!
UNLOCKED•• MAIN GOAL - $27,500 - (OOPS, ALL SEIKOS) "SEIKO, DELTA & PHANTOM" & 16-BIT-SHIRT
SEAN CRUZ · IRON VEIL FIELD COMMANDER
This campaign launches with Seiko and the Seiko clone variants, Delta & Phantom, all produced from the same base sculpt, each with unique paint, accessories, and a bonus head. These are premium 3.75" collector figures, individually carded on custom retro-style blister packaging with original character artwork by Eddie Beis. (Includes Bonus Removable Head.)
UNLOCKED •• PHANTOM (SEIKO CLONE) - Kickstarter/Backerkit Exclusive - $27,500
The Rise of Nexus 16-Bit Shirt features original pixel art of Seiko rendered in classic 16-bit style. Printed on a premium heathered navy tee.
This add-on unlocks when the main goal is reached and is available through BackerKit after the campaign ends.
PHANTOM Unpredictable. Ruthless. Invisible.
Nobody knows where Phantom came from. Nobody knows where he goes. He appears when least expected and disappears before anyone can ask questions. In the Nexus, that kind of silence is either a gift or a warning.
He looks like Seiko. He fights like something else entirely.
The rarest figure in Wave 1. Delta shares Seiko's base sculpt but is a permanent campaign exclusive, available only through this campaign. Never sold at retail.
★ PHANTOM will never be sold at retail, in a future campaign, or anywhere else. (Includes Bonus Removable Head.)
UNLOCKED •• DELTA - (SEIKO CLONE) - $27,500
DELTA Silent. Calculated. Inevitable.
Delta doesn't chase. He waits. Somewhere between soldier and shadow, he moves through the Nexus like a man who already knows how everything ends. He doesn't explain himself. He doesn't have to. The results speak for themselves, and they're never pretty.
He wears Seiko's face. Whether that means anything to him is anyone's guess. (Includes Bonus Removable Head.)
Left to Right: Seiklone, Phantom, Delta, & Seiko.
STRETCH GOALS!!!
This is where Rise of Nexus Arena grows. Every dollar raised beyond the main goal pushes the roster further, unlocks new characters, and adds exclusive bonus items that can't be found anywhere else. Each stretch goal is self-funding, meaning every new threshold covers the tooling and production costs for exactly what it unlocks. No guesswork. No overpromising.
Rise of Nexus
The more the Nexus grows, the more dangerous it gets. And we're just getting started.
UNLOCKED •• STRETCH GOAL #1 - $33,000 - EVILFACE, KING COBRA & POG SET
A LOVE LETTER TO THE CUSTOM COMMUNITY!
EVILFACE Iron Veil Operative - Infiltration & Espionage Specialist
There's something about him you can't quite name, not scarred, not monstrous, the kind of face you'd forget before you reached the corner. But look him in the eye for more than a second and something looks back that doesn't sit right. That's how he got the name Evilface. Not from what he's done, but from what you can tell he's capable of. He dismantles operations from the inside, assumes identities the way other people change clothes, and builds leverage where others build trust. (Includes Bonus Removable Head.)
A NOTE ON EVILFACE
It started the way the best things do, completely by accident. Not long after high school, at the turn of the century, I was on one of my regular toy hunts when a gentleman named Joe approached me in the action figure aisle. He handed me his business card and told me he owned everything G.I. Joe related, times three. I went home, visited the URL, and found myself deep in a world of action figure customizers doing things I had never seen before. Artists pushing the medium into places the big companies weren't going.
That's where I found evilface.com
The Rise of Nexus Evilface figure is a tribute to the customizer community that helped shape people like me, and to those early moments of being young and hungry and finding out there are others out there doing exactly what you always wanted to do. That feeling of recognition. That sense that you were never as alone in it as you thought.
We are proud to have him in this universe.
Arena Slammers.
Rise of Nexus™ Arena Slammers bring the classic 90s collectible craze back with a vengeance, each one featuring bold, original character art pulled straight from the universe. Collect them, trade them, slam them. Every set includes six pre-cut Slammers on a custom display card, ready to collect and ready to play.
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UNLOCKED •• STRETCH GOAL #2 - $44,500 - NIGHT OWL & SOFT ENAMEL PIN
NIGHT OWL Iron Veil Operative - Tracker, Sniper & Recon Specialist
At eight years old, Jacob Moneet watched his parents being murdered in a carjacking outside a concert in New Orleans. His uncle, a former Marine and Iron Veil contractor, raised him with two things: discipline and purpose. He enlisted straight out of high school, became one of the finest snipers and trackers the Marines ever produced, and found his way to Iron Veil, where the missions were harder, and the rules were fewer. In the field, he sees everything, says little, and is most dangerous when nobody is paying attention, disguising the sharpest read in any room behind humor so dry it takes people a moment to realize they've been outmaneuvered. Away from the missions, he rescues injured animals and would rather spend a weekend in the wilderness than any city on earth. (Includes Bonus Removable Head and Pet Owl)
Soft Enamel Pin
Small. Sharp. Unmistakable. The Rise of Nexus™ logo soft enamel pin is the kind of detail that says everything without saying a word. Wear it. Display it. Add it to the collection.
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UNLOCKED •• STRETCH GOAL #3 - $56,000 - SLEEPWALKER, DARKWALKER & TRADING CARD SET
SLEEPWALKER Iron Veil Operative - Tactical Commander & Infiltration Specialist
John Barron didn't come from tragedy. He came from choice. Born into a decorated military family, he turned down every comfortable option, top military academies, a distinguished Navy SEAL career, early retirement with honor, not out of recklessness, but because he was built for something harder and he knew it. He joined Iron Veil in his late thirties and found out he was better than all of them. He earned the name Sleepwalker for the way he moves through enemy positions, unhurried, silent, inevitable, like a man who already knows how the room ends before he enters it.
NOTE: To maintain consistency across the Rise of Nexus line, articulation at Sleepwalker's ankles has been removed from the final production version. This change helps standardize articulation across all figures in the wave while improving overall durability and production consistency.
Arena Trading Cards.
Ten cards. One universe. Nine of them are hiding a secret.
The Rise of Nexus™ Arena Trading Card Set features ten collector cards illustrated by Eddie Beis, nine of which lock together to form a stunning battle scene pulled straight from the Nexus. Display them individually or assemble the full puzzle and see the bigger picture come to life.
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LOCKED •• STRETCH GOAL #4 - $67,500 - CADAVER, CARRION & VINYL CLINGFORMS
CADAVER Iron Veil Operative — Delta Team, Silent Executioner
Nobody knows where she came from. That's not an accident. Born into a life of secrecy and shadow, Nina Seguera erased her own past so thoroughly that even Iron Veil's most sophisticated intelligence apparatus couldn't reconstruct it completely. What they found was enough. A confirmed body count that made the room go quiet. An operational record that read less like a career and more like a force of nature moving through the world's most dangerous theaters without leaving anything behind but results. They brought her in. She came on her own terms. (Includes 2 Bonus Removable Heads.)
Wreckscape Clingforms - Battle Arena Set.
Rise of Nexus™ Clingforms is a premium cling sticker set featuring your favorite characters and iconic Nexus imagery, complete with a backdrop scene to bring it all together. Stick them. Build your own battles. Whether you're six or sixty, the Nexus just got a lot more fun.
WIP. Above: Beached, Below: The Galleria by Eddie Beis
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LOCKED •• STRETCH GOAL #5 - $79,000 - WOLF FANG, MAMBA, M'WITUU & 18x24 POSTER
WOLF FANG The Man Who Made Them
M'Wituu watched the mining companies come and take everything, his land, his culture, his family. The people who built those facilities never looked at what they were destroying. M'Wituu looked at nothing else.
His answer was precise. He didn't go after the companies. He went after their children. He took the sons of the operatives who ran those facilities and raised them in the jungle, turning them into the most dangerous people either of them would ever become. Ryan Cruz. Sean Cruz.
MAMBA Iron Veil Operative - Sniper & Recon Specialist
Moses Jackson never had a normal childhood; his mother disappeared without explanation, his father was believed to be incarcerated overseas, raised by his grandfather, a battle-hardened military lifer who believed discipline was the highest form of love. He grew up on bases across the world, shaped by structure and silence, and became exceptional at everything his grandfather taught him. Also an extraordinary athlete, drafted in the second round of the NBA while playing semi-pro basketball in Italy. He had already made a different choice. After September 11th, he walked away from the spotlight without a second look, joined the Air Force, and became one of its most effective snipers in the U.S. Military. (Includes Bonus Removable Head.)
The Poster.
Eighteen by twenty-four inches of pure Nexus. This premium collector's poster features original artwork by Eddie Beis. Bold. Cinematic. Built to hang.
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LOCKED •• STRETCH GOAL #6 - $90,500- WOLF PACK, ECHO & KESHI FIGURE
WOLF PACK Iron Veil Operative — Solo Operations & Close Quarters Specialist
Ryan Cruz was taken as a child, the son of a mining engineer whose work at one of the facilities that destroyed M'Wituu's world made him a target. Raised in the jungles of Africa, M'Wituu trained him for one purpose: to carry out sabotage missions against the companies that had taken everything from him, and, when the opportunity arose, to take their children. Wolf Pack became extraordinarily good at both. During one such mission, he was sent to take an infant, Sean Cruz. He took him. And somewhere between the taking and the raising, something neither of them has ever been able to explain happened. He stepped in front of that child and never stepped back. Whatever they are to each other, it was never supposed to exist. (Includes Bonus Removable Head.)
Wonder Keshi.
One bag. One mystery. One mini legend.
Rise of Nexus™ Wonder Keshi are blind bag rubber mini figures featuring four characters from the Nexus universe. You don't get to choose, the Nexus decides.
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LOCKED •• STRETCH GOAL #7 - $102,000 - SCOPE & COMIC BOOK ISSUE #1
SCOPE Iron Veil Operative - Intelligence, Drone Warfare & Surveillance Specialist
Scope doesn't miss anything. He doesn't sleep much either. A former military intelligence analyst turned drone specialist, the FBI's cyber division recruited him before quietly resigning and disappearing off the grid entirely. Within a year, he was working for Iron Veil, running a custom drone network that could map enemy movement, intercept communications, and mark targets before the first shot was fired. Nobody asked too many questions about where he came from. The results spoke loudly enough.
Rise of Nexus™: The Wreck-Age - Issue #1.
Issue #1 of Rise of Nexus™: The Wreck-Age is the official comic book debut of the universe, featuring art by Alfred Lauzon and Eddie Beis. The world before the Nexus. The event that changed everything. The operatives who survived it. Full color. 22 Pages.
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LOCKED •• STRETCH GOAL #8 - $113,500 - MONARCH, BLACKOUT & NEXUS UNDERGROUND 'ZINE
MONARCH Iron Veil Operative - Unknown Specialization
Nobody in Iron Veil has a complete picture of Monarch. She appears when the mission requires her and disappears before anyone thinks to ask questions. She doesn't brief with the team. She doesn't debrief with the team. Whatever she does, and she does something, because the results are undeniable, she does it alone and on her own terms. (Includes Bonus Removable Head.)
Nexus: Underground 'Zine
The Nexus: Underground is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Rise of Nexus™, concept art, early sketches, character development, production photography, design decisions, and the story behind the story.
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BONUS STRETCH GOALS
•• BONUS STRETCH GOAL #1 - LOCKED $118,000 - LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN FORCE X RISE OF NEXUS - SEIKO IN HORAI & 3 PIECE PATCH SET
SEIKO IN HORAI LIMITED EDITION - In collaboration with Whiskey Jack Toys & ChadMatted
SEIKO IN HORAI
A Rise of Nexus / Legends of the Hidden Force Collaboration
He was looking for his past when they found him. Wandering monks. Three of them, moving through terrain that had no name on any map Sean Cruz had ever seen. They barely looked human. Robed, ageless, faces that seemed to shift slightly depending on the angle of the light.
They offered him rest. Food. Water. He was exhausted and alone and far from anything familiar. He didn't realize until it was too late that the drink they gave him was something else entirely. A flower he had never seen, ground into something that looked like tea and tasted like nothing he could describe afterward. By the time he understood what was happening, the jungle around him had already begun to change.
A hidden valley. The Jiangshi came first, the guardians that ensure nobody enters or leaves. Sean Cruz should not have survived that encounter. He still cannot fully account for how he did. The Seichi Clan found him at their border. Battered. Breathing. Remarkable. They recognized what they were looking at. They brought him in.
He trained with them. He found temporary shelter. He learned things about precision and discipline that M'Wituu's brutal schooling had pointed toward but never reached. The clan gave him a name, Seiko. It means precision, excellence.
But Horai was not the answer to his question. His past was not here. After a long training session, during a deep meditative state, days in, silent, searching, something appeared. A hovering ethereal figure. It did not speak. It only gestured. He followed it through the dark of the valley and through the border that should have been impossible to cross.
He woke up outside. The valley is gone. The jungle around him. The monks were nowhere to be found. He has never been certain any of it was real. Whether the monks were guardians of something ancient, whether they chose him for a reason, whether Horai exists in one place long enough to be found and then simply becomes somewhere else is unknown. He stopped looking for answers to that particular question a long time ago.
3 Piece Patch Set.
Three embroidered patches. One way to show your colors. The Rise of Nexus™ Patch Set features Seiko's mask, the Solid Raven logo, and the Rise of Nexus™ logo, all high-quality embroidered patches ready for jackets, bags, vests, or wherever you fly your flag.
Unlocks as a bonus add-on at $118,000
•• BONUS STRETCH GOAL #2 - LOCKED $128,500 - DARKWALKERS 3-PACK & COMIC BOOK ISSUE #2
•• BONUS STRETCH GOAL #3 - LOCKED $140,000 - TABLETOP GAME & COMIC BOOK ISSUE 3
•• BONUS STRETCH GOAL #4 - LOCKED $159,500 - 1/12 SCALE SEIKO ACTION FIGURE
BONUS STRETCH GOALS CHART
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TIER REWARDS
ALL-IN REWARDS----------------------------
THE TIERS THAT MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE
Rise of Nexus Arena is built on a simple promise: every figure funded, every figure delivered. We've structured this campaign so that every tier matters and every backer gets exactly what they came for.
For the collector who wants the full Rise of Nexus experience, figures, bonus items, and everything the campaign unlocks, the All-In Reward is your home. For those who want to take it one step further and own the complete universe, the Nexus Collection adds the Rise of Nexus Arena tabletop game to everything in the All-In tier, one package, one world, nothing missing. For those who want the core roster without the extras, Main 10 delivers the first ten figures as they unlock, clean and simple.
Choose your tier. Enter the Arena.
ALL-IN TIER - (Biggest Savings)
All 18 figures included:
Seiko · Phantom · Delta · Wolf Fang · Wolf Pack · Echo · Cadaver · Carrion · Monarch · Blackout · Evilface · King Cobra · M'Wituu Fang · Scope · Sleepwalker · Darkwalker · Night Owl · Mamba
Bonus items unlock as stretch goals are reached:
16-BIT-Shirt · POG Set · Enamel Pin · Trading Cards · Vinyl Clings · Poster · Keshi Blind Box · Comic Book · Zine · Secret Bonus Figure No add-ons needed. Every figure and bonus item that unlocks is automatically included in your pledge. Want extras? Add-ons are available once unlocked, but are optional.
All 18 figures included: NO ADD-ONS
Seiko · Phantom · Delta · Wolf Fang · Wolf Pack · Echo · Cadaver · Carrion · Monarch · Blackout · Evilface · King Cobra · M'Wituu Fang · Scope · Sleepwalker · Darkwalker · Night Owl · Mamba
MAIN 10 TIER
Included as stretch goals unlock:
Seiko · Evilface · Night Owl · Sleepwalker · Mamba · Wolf Fang · Cadaver · Wolf Pack · Scope · Monarch 3 bonus items also included: POG Set · Soft Enamel Pin · Trading Card Set
THE NEXUS COLLECTION
Includes:
• All 18 figures as stretch goals unlock
• All 9 bonus items as goals unlock
• Rise of Nexus Fast Paced Tabletop Strategy Game ★ (Unlocks and BS3)
• Phantom — KS + BackerKit exclusive
• Seiklone free if funded within 24hrs
• Ships all at once when complete
DEVELOPMENT
A DREAM BUILT IN THE MARGINS.
Every great story starts somewhere small.
This one started in a car. forty-five miles in each direction and one hour each way, crossing state lines five days a week. Windows up, mind running. Characters taking shape in the quiet. Problems solved before anyone else was awake.
The figures took nearly three years to bring to life. The game took five. Not in a studio with a team, but in the stolen moments that every parent, dreamer, and builder knows by heart. Late nights after the kids were asleep. Weekends are carved out between recitals and Taekwondo classes. A newborn in one arm and a sketchbook nearby. A new home, a growing family, and a universe being quietly assembled in the background of all of it.
The tabletop game grew up on living room floors, tested by kids who had no idea they were shaping something real. My wife joined in. Friends played through prototype after prototype, revision after revision, laughing and arguing and helping make it better. It isn't finished yet, but it's close. And every dollar that helps bring it to life will go toward making it something families gather around for years to come. Something that maybe, one day, fills a tournament hall.
The figures were designed the same way, with love and with intention. Each character was engineered so that a new head, a new arm, a new torso could unlock an entirely new character without starting from scratch. A universe designed to keep growing, one piece at a time.
We didn't arrive at Kickstarter with sketches and big talk. We arrived with factory paint samples, 3D prototypes, hand-painted showcase figures, production-ready packaging, and a complete rulebook. Matt LeCroy, a beloved veteran of the toy community, brought several figures to life through his craft, figures that have been held, admired, and photographed at conventions across the country.
THE TEAM - Who's Behind This
Carlos Espinoza – Creator, Designer & Founder of Solid Raven Toys
With over 25 years of experience as a graphic artist, Carlos Espinoza blends technical expertise with a deep passion for world-building and collectible culture. His creative journey spans pre-press, journalism, marketing, product design, R&D, and engineering, including a specialty in laser engraving and precision manufacturing.
Carlos has worked behind the scenes in everything from toy design and prototyping to game mechanics and narrative development. His hands-on experience and cross-industry background give him a rare ability to merge aesthetics with functionality, ensuring every aspect of Rise of Nexus feels as good as it looks.
He has collaborated with legendary artists such as Frank Kozik, Popaganda, Killer Bootlegs, and Super7, contributing to projects that blur the line between art toy and collectible figure. As the founder of Solid Raven Toys, Carlos brings both vision and discipline to the table, leading a team of sculptors, illustrators, and storytellers to deliver a campaign rooted in love for classic toys and a desire to push the medium forward.
Rise of Nexus Arena would not have been possible without the support, talent, and dedication of the following contributors.
Stéphane Roy
3D SCULPTOR · EBERRY STUDIO
Specializes in 3D Design Consultant focused on bringing new life to nostalgic collectible lines. Through EBerrystudio, he partners with IP holders and boutique toy brands to deliver production-ready 3D sculpting and engineering files. His unique expertise lies in authentically recreating complex retro aesthetics, including O-Ring articulation, WWF Hasbro style, and various 3.75-inch and 6-inch scale models.
Eddie Beis
GRAPHIC ARTIST
Eddie Beis is a naturally gifted illustrator and graphic artist with a lifelong passion for visual storytelling. Working full-time in the art world, Eddie has spent years developing a sharp eye for design, color, and composition, skills that shine through in every piece he creates.
His work has appeared in group art gallery shows, where his unique style and attention to detail have earned him recognition among peers. As the packaging illustrator for Rise of Nexus, Eddie brings a retro-inspired yet fresh look to the line, blending nostalgia with clean, modern execution.
Matthew Lecroy
PAINT MASTERS & R&D CONSULTANT
Specializing in the 3.75" scale, the same scale made iconic by G.I. Joe, Matt's craftsmanship is defined by an exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to preserving full articulation in every custom piece he produces. His work never sacrifices playability for aesthetics, a standard that has earned him respect among serious collectors and casual fans alike.
Beyond individual commissions, Matt has expanded into original toy line development, co-creating Strike Force Alpha, a love letter to the 3.75" O-ring toys of the classic era, demonstrating his vision not just as a craftsman but as a creator with a deep understanding of the collector market.
Alfred Lauzon
PENCILLER & ILLUSTRATOR
Alfred John Lauzon is a Filipino visual artist, illustrator, and self-described hardcore Superman and G.I. Joe fan who brings a lifetime of genuine collector passion to every page he draws. Known online as Alfred the Geek, he approaches sequential art the way only a true fan can, with deep respect for the medium and an instinctive understanding of what makes a great action scene land.
RISKS & CHALLENGES
What We've Planned For
Our figures are produced with a factory partner that has a proven track record with collector-focused O-ring action figure lines, a supplier with real, shipped product already in the hands of customers.
The tabletop game is manufactured in the United States, eliminating import tariff exposure on that component entirely and giving us tighter quality control throughout production.
We've invested in tooling research, factory test shots, 3D prototypes, and packaging art before launching this campaign. The hard work is already done. This campaign funds tooling and production.
Shipping will be handled through BackerKit post-campaign, ensuring accurate rates by region. Any VAT or customs fees for international orders will be collected during fulfillment.
WAVE SHIPPING
FUNDING BREAKDOWN
WE WANT TO THANK YOU:
Our VIPs, especially those on the Private Facebook Group...
Craig Owen, Shawn Ellis, William McLaughlin, Zica Toys, Giant Leap Toys, Level 7 Toys, Marvin Wynn, Whiskeyjack Toys, Matt Smelcer, Dave West, ChadMatted, Bob Bone, ToyCollectr.com, Chaka Desilva, Jason Kirby, Chuck Eiler, Joshua Thomas, Matthew Hernandez, Surveillance Port, Dave Grey, Sean Nolan, Bonita Nolan, Rodney Windrim, Tim Ellis, Comicsburg Family, Tere Albornoz, Fifi Espinoza, Benjamin Espinoza, Sonya Cherres, Mom, Dad. All the independent O-ring companies that took the time to share their experiences and let me ask questions. Family, Friends, Co-workers, and supporters across the toy and custom communities, whose feedback and enthusiasm helped shape this project.
SHIPPING
Wave 1 is estimated to ship in December 2027 and includes Seiko, Delta, Evilface, and Night Owl. Subsequent waves follow as production on each group is completed. Please plan for approximately 2 years for full fulfillment. This is standard for a production run of this scale, and we want to be fully transparent about the timeline upfront. We will send regular updates through Kickstarter and BackerKit throughout the entire production and fulfillment process.
Shipping is not collected during the Kickstarter campaign. All backers will be invoiced for shipping through BackerKit after the campaign ends. Shipping costs vary by location and tier.
VIP tier backers receive free wave shipping, with no shipping charge at any point.
All other US backers will be charged shipping per wave as each shipment goes out, or once for the full order if you select the all-at-once option.
International backers will be charged shipping once for their complete order. International backers are responsible for any customs duties, taxes, or import fees upon delivery. Wave shipping is currently US only; international backers who want wave shipping can request it in their BackerKit survey, and we will open it if there is sufficient demand.
DISCLAIMERS
Rise of Nexus figures are intended for adult collectors ages 14+.
Final colors, accessories, and design elements are subject to change during the production process.
This Kickstarter will be fulfilled directly by Solid Raven LLC, the creators of Rise of Nexus. Solid Raven is not affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro, G.I. Joe, The Corps!, or any other compatible O-ring brands. Any figures shown from outside brands are displayed solely to demonstrate scale and compatibility.
©2025 Solid Raven LLC. All rights reserved.Risks and challenges
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