ZEELAND, Mich. — A Zeeland man has turned a decades-old dream into reality with the release of an action figure line based on his original comic series, Defenders of Eden.
Matthew Rodriguez, who works at a local car dealership, said his passion for creating characters began in childhood.
“Ever since I was little, just drawing and always sketching, always having paper, always having a pencil,” Rodriguez said. "One of my uncles was around a lot when I was younger, and he's a very, very good artist, and he taught me how to do, like graffiti letters and draw different characters."
Inspired by the 1980s television show Masters of the Universe, Rodriguez began making characters in that world before deciding to build his own with two friends, CJ Edwards and Andrew Kramer.
"It just got too big to be pretending in another world or another sandbox. It was like, let’s make our own sandbox," explained Rodriguez.
The comic series begins with “an evil character named Lady MaryWeather, and she kind of wants to take over the kingdom,” Rodriguez said.
The storyline follows a group of heroes banding together to defend the realm of Eden.
Three issues of Defenders of Eden have been published, along with three mini-comics, as well as an issue connected to the series called Armies of Ashmore. His work blends new ideas with nostalgic influences.
“A lot of my passion comes from stories that came out in the 80s,” he said. “That’s what I hope, to kind of marry that freshness of a new concept and new idea, but then marry it with the nostalgia of like, this feels good. It’s family friendly, kids like it, adults think it’s fun.”
A Kickstarter campaign raised “just shy of $150,000” for the first wave of five figures, produced by Four Horsemen Studios in New Jersey.
The characters include Rydoor, Vasapo, General Cerros, Cuzzo, and Milwick.
Rodriguez said, “Each of the characters in this first wave, their names kind of resemble different people in my life… something about their personality kind of stuck out to me.”
The figures arrived in March, and Rodriguez has shipped more than 4,000 units across Michigan, the U.S., and internationally.
His action figures can be found at Big Bad Toy Store online, which has sold out of its initial run but is reordering, and at local comic shops Tardy's in Grand Rapids and Tardy's Underground in Allegan. Limited quantities are also available directly through Rodriguez for local buyers.
He's currently working on “wave 1.5,” which will introduce a snapping turtle and a crocodile character, along with “wave 2,” a different-sized series featuring five new characters.
Rodriguez said his journey shows that creativity can be pursued at any age.
“I think that we’re all born creative. When I see kids and I see adults are like ‘Oh, I have this idea,’ it’s like, go for it. You have this idea, just go for it," he said. "The world, from a creative standpoint and from a financial standpoint, is in a place now where you can think of the craziest thing, and if there's enough people that believe in it, they're like, 'Hey, go for it.'"
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