In the Beginning
After a groundbreaking run designing and sculpting over 100 figures for McFarlane Toys between 1993 and 1999, the team known as the "The Four Horsemen" left to form their own toy design firm. Established in September 1999, Four Horsemen Studios was founded by current co-owners H. Eric "Cornboy" Mayse, Eric Treadaway, and Jim Preziosi.
Some of the first projects the new studio worked on were for Mattel, and it is a partership that the studio proudly maintains to this day. Through this unprecedented partnership with one of the world’s largest toy companies, Four Horsemen Studios has created hundreds of award winning figures for lines including various incarnations of Masters of the Universe, DC Universe Classics, Thundercats, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter, and Man of Steel, to name a few.
In addition to the many lines the studio has worked on for Mattel, they have also worked for, and continue to work for, many other toy companies. These companies include Super 7, ToyBiz, NECA, Hasbro, Sideshow, Blizzard Entertainment, Warner Brothers Studio Stores, Icon Heroes, Lanard, LootCrate, Dark Horse, Playmates, Tri-Force, Toy Island, Fun Publications, Tweeterhead and others - even including a fun project for the band Twiztid! Four Horsemen Studios has successfully worked with some of the largest and most reputable toy companies in the industry, and on many of the most popular fan-favorite properties.
In-House and Licensed Properties
Starting in 2005, Four Horsemen Studios began creating their own in-house properties, designing and manufacturing multiple toys from their MagmaCorps, Gothitropolis, and Seventh Kingdom lines. These properties have yielded a variety of figures that have amassed a fan base across the globe.
In early 2010, the Horsemen brought their business to the next level by making the leap into licensed action figures, signing a deal to produce figures based on the 60’s sci-fi toy line, The Outer Space Men. After successfully launching this line back to tremendous acclaim, the company was excited to next bring the 80’s brand, The Power Lords, back to toy shelves in 2013.
A Move to Kickstarter and The Rise of Mythoss
The year 2013 also marked the start of a new era for the studio as the company launched their first Kickstarter project, which included the second wave of characters to be released for their Gothitropolis line. The Gothitropolis "Ravens" avian warriors figures were a massive success for the company, introducing Four Horsemen Studios to a wider audience than ever before and setting the stage for the launch of what would become the company's signature line.
Returning to Kickstarter in early 2015, Four Horsemen Studios unleashed Mythic Legions on the toy collecting world. This collector and customizer friendly fantasy line of knights, dwarves, orcs, skeletons, and more quickly became a huge hit with toy fans worldwide. Each subsequent "wave" of Mythic Legions figures brought in more fans, leading to the company's second Mythic Legions' Kickstarter in 2017. Dubbed "Advent of Decay", this wave of Mythic Legions action figures became Kickstarter's most funded action figure line ever, bringing in over $1 million from both new and old fans!
The Future of Four Horsemen Studios
With Mythic Legions running stronger than ever, the studio has begun to look to new "Legions" lines, preparing to bring the same kind of magic they introduced with the Realm of Mythoss to new worlds and properties. Four Horsemen Studios is also proudly celebrating 20 years in business as of September 2019, with a number of exciting and fun things planned for the company's 20th anniversary year!
