The Muppets have once again seen another toy company to the end of the line, as Diamond Select Toys has shut down. Recently, DST’s parent company, Diamond Comic Distributors, went into bankruptcy, and most of its divisions, including Diamond Select, were purchased by Ad Populum, a firm that specializes in toys.
Since 2016, Diamond Select held a license for the Muppets, and produced action figures, Minimates, a bust, and glassware featuring the iconic characters. One of their more intriguing offerings was an Up Late with Miss Piggy mug, one of the very few pieces of merchandise themed to the 2015 TV series The Muppets.
As of the writing of this article, it’s unclear what will happen to the Muppet license. It’s possible that Ad Populum may retain it. Ad Populum is the parent of NECA, who currently produce Sesame Street action figures. Still, hope is slim that we’ll finally get the Pepe and Uncle Deadly, Sweetums and Robin, or Lew Zealand and Lips sets that were announced anytime soon.
It’s hard not to draw parallels to Palisades Toys, who also spent their final years producing a line of Muppet figures. Much like Palisades, Diamond Select really showed their love of Muppets in the collectibles they made, and they were always friendly to fellow fans at events like New York Comic Con and Toy Fair. We will miss their care and passion.
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by Matthew Soberman – [email protected]
