Final Stages + Transit Timeline
16 days ago
– Thu, Mar 19, 2026 at 11:09:33 AM
Hey everyone,
Quick update on Milo (the figure).
Production is back up and running after the Chinese New Year shutdown at the factory last month. The factory is now in the final stages of packaging.
Based on what they’ve told us, the goal is to have everything finished and on a boat to the U.S. by the end of this month, which is about 10 days away. We’re staying on top of the factory to make sure they stay on schedule, and we’ll confirm as soon as the shipment is officially booked.
Once the figures are on the boat, ocean transit takes about 3 weeks. After that, they’ll need to clear customs in the U.S. and make their way to our distribution center in Minneapolis. That will take roughly another two weeks. Once they arrive in Minneapolis, we’ll begin shipping figures out immediately.
In the meantime, we’re planning to start shipping sticker packs, posters, and t-shirts in the next couple of weeks, but only to backers who ordered those items on their own, without a Milo figure. If your order includes a Milo figure, everything will ship together once the figures arrive.
We’ll post another update when those shipments begin and as soon as the figures are confirmed on the water.
Thanks again for your patience. We really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Your pals at Encore
Timeline Shift Due to Factory Holiday Closure
about 2 months ago
– Tue, Feb 03, 2026 at 07:04:06 PM
Hey everyone,
Quick production and shipping update on the Milo figure.
Back in December, we shared photos showing Milo parts fresh out of the molds, with the next steps being trimming, cleanup, painting, and assembly. Since then, the project has continued moving forward, but the finishing stages are taking longer than expected.
We were hoping to have the figures completed and on a boat this week, before the factory closes for Chinese New Year. But based on the most recent production photos we just received (see below) and our correspondence with the factory, it doesn’t look like the figures are far enough along to realistically hit that cutoff we were hoping for.
According to the factory, they still need to finish paint and assembly, complete QC (and fix any issues found during that process), and then move into packaging. That means the timeline will likely be pushed back by at least three weeks, if not more, since the factory will be closed and there will be no production during their holiday closure (Feb 6–26).
In the meantime, this is the current status of ALL things Milo:
• Pouring & Pulls: complete!
• Cleanup & Prep: complete!
• Painting, Assembly, and QC: underway.
• Packaging: next, once paint, assembly, and QC are finished.
• Ocean freight: pending completion and booking.
We know it sucks, but we hope you know we’re focused on getting Milo finished correctly and into your hands as soon as possible.
Thanks again for your patience and support.
Sincerely,
Your pals at Encore!
Good Good Things: Production Photos, Mini-Prints, and a Signed Surprise
4 months ago
– Tue, Dec 09, 2025 at 10:57:29 AM
Hey everyone,
A lot has been happening behind the scenes at Encore HQ since our last update, and we’ve got some good stuff to share with you.
We just received photos from our factory showing Milo figure parts fresh out of the molds. From here, those pieces will be trimmed, cleaned, painted, and assembled. So exciting. More photos and videos are on the way.
We also picked up ALL the mini-prints that will be included with every Milo figure order. One mini-print features art by Chris Shary, and the other two feature some great behind-the-scenes photos from Jeff Neumann.
Last but not least, Chris Shary also made time to sign a massive stack of Milo header cards. Those autographed cards will be inserted with select Milo figure orders. Not every order will include a header card signed by Chris, but a handful of orders will be chosen at random to receive one. Good luck!
That’s ALL for now. Thanks again for your patience and support. If we don’t post another update this month, we hope you have a great holiday and a happy New Year. Stay safe out there.
Sincerely,
Your pals at Encore!
P.S. We still have 37 backers who haven’t completed their survey. Those 37 people have paid for their order, but we don’t have their mailing address. If you’re one of those people and you haven’t finished your survey, we can’t ship your order! Stop lagging. Complete your survey today. Thank you.
Milo test-pull figure approved and we are heading into production
5 months ago
– Mon, Nov 10, 2025 at 04:05:18 PM
Hi everyone,
Just wanted to pop in real quick and let you know that a new Milo from DESCENDENTS test-pull vinyl figure arrived on Friday. The shoulders and grip are fixed, and all of the accessories fit perfectly! Now that it's approved, we're moving into production mode.
We're not sure how fast production will go, but at least the hard part is out of the way. There might be a few more bumps down the road, but I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t fix quickly since it’s all paint and printing from here on out. Regardless, we’ll keep you posted.
Thanks again for your patience. Have a great rest of your week.
Your pals at Encore!
October Update: Progress (Sort Of) + Tariff Trouble
6 months ago
– Sat, Oct 18, 2025 at 10:06:25 AM
Hi everyone,
Just a quick check-in. There’s not much news to report at the moment. We’re still in the process of getting production back up and running. Regretfully, it’s moving more slowly than we’d like, but we’re doing our best to get things back on track as soon as possible.
On the (sort of?) bright side, if there had to be another delay, we picked a decent time for it. The current U.S. administration has announced that starting November 1, tariffs on imported goods from China will be raised again. Import taxes are already a steep 57%, but they’re expected to climb another 100%, bringing the total to 157%. Yikes.
The good news? We’re hopeful the tariff hike will be temporary and that things will cool down before the Milo figures are ready to ship. When will that be, you ask? We wish we had a firm date, but we don’t. Not yet. As soon as we know more, you’ll be the first to hear about it.
Thanks again for your patience and support. And remember: Even though it’s a little quiet on the front end, we are working hard behind the scenes and will keep you posted as soon as there are more meaningful updates to share.
Sincerely,
Your pals at Encore
