Justin Sirois of Severed Toys on upcoming Mork Borg figures and zines

Live now, Severed Toys is Kickstarting its collaboration with Mörk Borg on a series of action figures for the Dread Risen, each paired with original zines from Johan Nohr and Pelle Nilsson, creators of Mörk Borg. Coming in four variants Standard edition, Blood Drenched, Glow-in-the-Dark, and Cursed (Fully Blacked Out edition), backers who pledge in the first 48 hours will also get a free exclusive Flanged Mace weapon for their figure. The Kickstarter campaign will have additional weapons packs as stretch goals as well as upgrades to the zine printing, and bonus items like large embroidered patches and tabletop game miniatures. Retail incentives for online shops and brick-and-mortar stores include one free Flanged Mace with each figure on the Kickstarter.

I spoke with Justin Sirois, the author and artist behind Severed Toys. Below we get into the details of the project, and what it means to be at this space in tabletop.

Severed Toys is a fresh take on action figures and toys. What got you started down this path?

JUSTIN: This is something I’ve always wanted to create and I have some experience with plastic manufacturing with the PVC minis and dice we’ve created with Severed Books. Making fully articulated action figures is really the next step and it’s been really fun. I love NECA and the Four Horsemen/Mythic Legion lines so we’re taking inspiration from those guys. I also just love Mörk Borg, as both a fan and a third-party creator. Working directly with Pelle and Johan has been thrilling.

What are the differences in producing figures for an adult audience?

JUSTIN: It’s probably content mostly. We’re going for a mature fantasy/horror here that honors the source material. Mörk Borg is rather dark and we want the figures to come off as serious adaptations of the characters from the game. The adult collectors market also expects a certain level of quality. We’ve chosen our factory well and know our rep understands the quality our customers expect.

How has Mörk Borg changed the landscape of tabletop from your perspective?

JUSTIN: Yes, it has. With their generous open license, creators can publish books under the Mörk Borg banner with a lot of freedom. This has fostered a vibrant and healthy creative community that aligns with my ethics and mission as a creative person and publisher. Mörk Borg is also rules-light meaning it usually takes less than an hour to learn so it’s really great for one-shot adventures or people like me who don’t have a lot of free time.

The artwork, design, and vibe of the game has also opened up a lot of possibilities in the field. That excites players to become game masters and game masters to become creators. I love this. It’s infectious. And if I can help in that then I’m not only satisfied creatively, but “spiritually”.

How did this coordination with Mork Borg’s creators for Dread Risen begin?

JUSTIN: I met Johan at a convention and hung out a little bit. Bought some art off him and gave him a few of the Mörk Borg books I wrote and illustrated. I’m not sure when I pitched the action figure to him, but after a few months he and Pelle said yeah! I’m honored that they trust me to handle such an important project. I also think that showing them our sculptor’s work helped. Dasha is really gifted at taking source material and making it 3D in a way that both pays tribute to the original art and elevates it. That’s a rare talent.

Do you think the OGL crisis of last year has had a noticeable impact on your business?

JUSTIN: It’s had some positive impact, for sure. I think it just reinforces that Dungeons and Dragons was created by a very small community in a basement. For me, it’s like an American folk art. I think that, if you stick to honoring the community–both players and game masters and creators–then you win. Corporations will always struggle with that because they are built to make large profits which could easily counter the original magic of in-person roleplaying. I also don’t need or want large profits to be happy.

Tabletop roleplaying, as a medium, is an odd one too. It’s not passive like a film or book. The market needs highly motivated and dedicated game masters to bring the content to life. Without them, the book is dead. And those game masters are also content creators. If you do them wrong then your entire business model fails. And that’s the opposite of what I do. It’s creator and community first here.

The Borg-like Beasts and Small Bastards are ingenious ways to approach minis: more affordable and easy to produce, while displaying some great artwork. How did you develop that idea and do you plan on expanding on it?

JUSTIN: I’m so glad you asked this because it’s my favorite product line. When I created my first card game Sickest Witch in 2018, I was looking at meeples and really wanted to do something different with them. After seeing how detailed heat transfer can be, I approached a few of my favorite artists to collaborate and create Small Party – small wood minis (we don’t call them meeples). We have seven sets now and are definitely expanding the line:

https://www.severedbooks.store/shop/47866620/toys-and-minis

Do you anticipate any other projects like this, collaborating with Mork Borg or other tabletop designers?

JUSTIN: Next up is a Mörk Borg module with Phil and Morgan, creators of the movie The Spine of Night. They already delivered the manuscript and I’m illustrating it now. It’s rad and it’ll have a cover by Mark Riddick. And then we’ll launch the action figure for Nick Pitarra’s Ax-Wielder Jon. This is one of my favorite new comic book series and Nick is an absolute beast when it comes to art and writing. We’re super excited and already have the prototype for that one.

To learn more, visit the Kickstarter page or Severed Toys directly.

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