The “Eight Questions” column appears regularly at Minimate Headquarters. In it I interview minimate customizers and other fans of minimates. This interview is with Nervous Rex, maker of the custom Storm Shadow pictured here.
 
1. Of all the Minimates released in 2005, which one is your favorite?
 “Flame On” Johnny Storm
 
2. What is your best trick or secret for customizing Minimates?
 For me, its just trial and error, keep doing it, and reworking it until i feel it is right, even if it’s just a little detail. Experimenting with photoshop tools always helps me too; I’m still learning things. There are only a handful of my customs that I’m totally happy with, I guess being my own worst critic helps out.  I’d be embarrassed to show some of my early attempts at customs. 
 
3. Which two Minimates from the Custom Gallery would be the most fun to watch fight each other?
 I had fun with this one, I even did my own little sweet sixteen to get to the final two. So, my battle is Stiltman vs. Dinosaur Neil
 
4. If you could add anything to Minimate Headquarters, what would it be?
 I don’t think it needs anything, I really like the setup, and your unique take on things. However, if there was one thing it would be more 401k man, and fake gold spidey team-ups…they are two too much, double trouble, a gruesome twosome
the flynamic duo…
 
5. If a toy company in a Third World country started manufacturing bootleg Star Wars Minimates and selling them online, would you buy any?
 I think I would, mainly (like the knock-off lego stuff) for the accessories. I am hoping though, for the new lines coming out (BSG,SF,Speed Racer)to be a stepping stone to other, bigger lines like Star Wars, Thundercats, He-Man and the Masters, and of course my dream line, G.I. Joe!
 
6. Which custom or custom design would be the most challenging for anyone to do?
 Tough one… not sure if anyone is familiar with Mandarin Spawn, but that is one that would be very challenging, but if done right, maybe the best custom minimate ever.
 
7. Do you own a C3 Batcopter?
 Yes indeed
 
8. Ryu or Apollo?
 Apollo

The “Review of the Missing” column appears regularly at Minimate Headquarters.  In it I review Minimates that have never been made, but have been officially prototyped, designed, or planned.  In this Review, I examine the Art Asylum design for the Lt. Worf Minimate.
 
Worf.  The name alone rolls out guttural and primitive.  Worf.  Few characters have defined the rebirth of Gene Roddenberry’s vision so well.  Worf.  Rhymes with the Tim Conway character Dorf.  (I’m unaware of any relationship between Dorf and Worf, but I’m sure Tim Conway dressed up like a short Klingon would be really funny.)
 
If you are unfamiliar with Lt. Worf, you most certainly have never witnessed the television event of the early 1990s called Star Trek: The Next Generation.  The television show launched the UPN network and participated in the declining reign of the Big Three broadcasters within the United States.  It is also undoubtedly responsible for the rapid growth of the Trekkie sub-culture around the world.  You win some you lose some I guess.
 
I am a Trek fan.  Unlike my limited exposure to the DC Universe, I grew up watching the original series of Star Trek.  When Star Trek: The Next Generation (or TNG for short) appeared on the popular radar, I joined the revolution and watched the show avidly.  I remember fearing its imminent cancellation.  After all, this wasn’t just a cheesy sit-com or a mindless murder drama.  This was geeky Sci-Fi.  On prime time!  On channel 62! Thankfully, my fears never materialized.  TNG became one of the longest running sci-fi series in television history.  It spawned new shows, language, and ideas within popular Western culture.
 
Art Asylum pays homage to the series with its designs of Star Trek Minimate figures.  Lt. Worf was a Klingon character that served aboard the starship Enterprise.  If my memory serves me correctly, he replaced another character as the head of Security.  I remember Worf being a very popular character among my friends.  Aboard the utopian Enterprise, Worf represented the harsh reality of violence.  He reminded the other characters that there was a time to talk, explore, and study.  And then there was a time to kick alien butt.
 
The Art Asylum design of Lt. Worf captures the character perfectly.  It appears an added headpiece was designed to be in place to show the ridged forehead of the Klingon.  The ceremonial sash is placed perfectly over the shoulder, representing Worf’s special diplomatic status upon the Enterprise.
 
My favorite design of this piece, however, appears to be the addition of Worf’s sword-like Batleth in his left hand.  What a wonderfully, well thought-out idea!  It shows the planning Art Asylum puts into place while designing figures.  The Batleth swords are ceremonial weapons for Klingons, and adding one to the Worf figure gives people a reason to buy two Worfs.  (Two?  Of course, you need two.  You have to give one to Riker and make them fight!)
 
I hope these Star Trek figures eventually reach us this year.  Diamond Select Toys announced plans to make 2” Star Trek Minimates last year.  Let’s all hope we see these little guys by the end of this year!  I also hope we see Worf in Wave 1.  But Star Trek seems to be on pause for the moment with no TV series being aired.  Undoubtedly we will see some new type of Star Trek manifest after the WB and UPN merger settles down.  Until then, Worf remains a Sadly Missing Minimate.

A bit of old news to many of the Buffy fans, but I don’t know if many Minimate fans saw this back in February.  DST picked up the Buffy license and was asked if they would continue making Buffy PALZ.  Their answer is below.
 
From Btvsfigs.proboards48.com - By Webmaster - 2006-02-19
BTVSFigs’ Ask Diamond #37 - Questions & Answers Buffy
 
If Palisades Toys truly decides to discontinue their Buffy PALZ and long awaited Angel PALZ lines, would DST pursue the license to manufacture “mini-figures” of the BTVS universe? If so, would DST make an effort to continue the Palisades PALZ line (starting with Series 3 and continue the same design) or would the company start over with a Mini-Mates style line?
 
Palisades is no longer in business and DST has no interest in doing any mini-figure that are not Minimates, so if we were to consider ANY license, it would be to release it as Minimates.
 
http://www.whedon.info/article.php3?id_article=13997

Please give a warm welcome to Slipperyduckie and Fujis, who have joined the Minimate Headquarters team!  Slipperyduckie and Fujis have graciously volunteered to help me keep the Gallery in order.  They will be adding and updating the gallery as well as fixing things I break.

I *think* I may have fixed a settings issue with the gallery.  Anyone who visits the Gallery should now be able to post comments on individual photos.  Unless you have already been posting comments, which means I’ve probably broken the comment feature.

In either case, please feel free to report issues on the page to the Gallery Problems? page to the left. I can’t promise the problems will be fixed but I’ll take a stab at them.