Posted on Friday 29 February 2008
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Here’s a Leap Day tidbit to tide you over while I scramble to get my footing back. JP1000 will be back soon, I might even hit you all with a double installment this week!
Posted on Wednesday 27 February 2008
Iron Man and Black Panther, from the Previews exclusive set.
By Dragon
Zombie Iron Man
Iron Man sports a great deal of heavy shadowing, which suits the source material perfectly. As well, the armor suffers a great deal of scuffs and marks. The detail work is also well implemented, with the area around the wrists, the boots, and the upper leg area standing out. The face plate of the helmet is a nice touch, being movable. Lifting the face reveals a highly detailed face twisted by the zombie virus. The only area hurting on this figure is the face mask. Designed to be lifted up, it does not plug on snuggly in an upward position and looks a bit awkward sitting on top of the head. In addition, the ear part of the mask is also applied via paint detail underneath. This seems unnecessary and does not line up well with the ear piece on the face plate. Overall, Iron Man makes for a good addition to the Marvel Zombie family, with a great deal of gritty detail. Though the face plate could use some work, it does not detract heavily from the overall look.
Black Panther
Black Panther is an interesting addition to the Marvel Zombie Minimate line, being the only non zombie in the line-up. Designed after one of his most memorable moments in the comic, Black Panther mirrors the source material well, with missing arm and lower leg. These unique sculpts work well for the figure and were really necessary to capture the look. The mask is also new, being of the new full-face quality. In this case, it does not look odd, as the tattered mask would be hard to implement as a jagged sculpt. The mask is removable, revealing the face of T’Challa underneath. Something seems off about the face, other than the gaping hole in the top of the head. The eyes are higher to better fit the mask, which would be fine if the mask actually showed the face underneath. Since it does not, it just feels awkward. The rest of the detail looks nice, with the boot and glove looking particularly well. The chest detail seems a bit on the minimalist side, leaving a great deal of empty space which looks odd compared to more heavily detailed chests in the Minimate universe. Finally, the bandages are well detailed, capping off the figure. One area that this figure is lacking is the advertised replacement limbs. The final release of the character yielded no arm or leg replacements, which was a disappointment for many collectors. Overall, Black Panther is another great addition to the line, with only some minor detail problems taking away from the overall look. The lack of the aforementioned cybernetic parts hurts the complete look of the character but does not take away from the iconic image.
Posted on Tuesday 26 February 2008
By Dragon
Continuing our Toy Fair 2008 coverage, we’ll take a look at the other lines that have fallen through the cracks.
Old Lines
Though attracting much less attention than the absence of new DC Minimates, the line based on the hit show 24 offered nothing new either in the Minimate department. Whether this is indicative of the line’s future or just a lack of anything to show at press time has yet to be determined. The upcoming box set for season 3 was displayed along with the End of Day 3 exclusive set. Both are expected to see an April release.
New Licenses
In probably the biggest surprise of Toy Fair, a new partnership was established between Diamond Select’s Art Asylum and Underground Toys, bringing a new line of Minimates to the table based off the British hit show Doctor Who. Though assortment break down and release information is unknown at this time, control art for several characters from the show was displayed. Fans can expect to see the 9th Doctor, Martha, and Captain Jack Harkness, as well as two versions of the 10th Doctor, with Cybermen being rumored to be amongst the assortment as well.
Finally, Diamond Select Toys floored its supporters with announcements for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones licenses. Details are not known at this time, but at present, the licenses do not seem to include Minimates within their parameters.
Final Thoughts
Wrapping things up, Toy Fair was overall a success for fans of Minimates. With the news of Marvel continuing well into the future, as well as unveiling new pieces across the board, the only spot on this bright record was the doubt for DC’s future. Hopefully the fan response will yield positive results as the year progresses.
So, that’s it for our Toy Fair coverage. We’ll be resuming our usual schedule with JP1000 & Friends picking things up tomorrow and other points of interest filling out the rest of the week.
Posted on Monday 25 February 2008
By Dragon
The 2008 Toy Fair proved to be a big event for the Minimate lines based on movies. The show offered a first look at four of the lines hinted at way back at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, while expanding on two firmly founded lines.
Back to the Future
The time traveling exploits of Marty McFly are set to come to an end when the box set based on the third movie is released is released in May. The set will include Marty and Doc in their western attire, Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, and a second Marty figure. Also, a set featuring future Biff and yet another Marty is scheduled for release at the same time.
Rocky
The Rocky line fought its way off the ropes, unveiling a new box set based off the third movie in the franchise. The set is scheduled to contain Rocky, Apollo, Clubber Lang, and Thunderlips and will be shipping some time in 2008. An exclusive set is also in the works, featuring Rocky and Paulie, and should see release in line with the box set. In addition to the two announced sets, two more figures were displayed, another Rocky and Apollo in patriotic gear. Whether or not this is an upcoming exclusive has yet to be seen.
The Dollars Trilogy (”Man with No Name” Trilogy)
With the earlier announced For a Few Dollars More Minimates release imminent, the rest of the franchise was unveiled. A Fistful of Dollars will contain Ramón Rojo, John Baxter, Marisol, and “Joe”, while The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly will contain Angel Eyes, Tuco, and two versions of “Blondie”. Fistful is expected to arrive in July with Good, Bad, Ugly likely coming in October.
Silence of the Lambs
The much anticipated Silence of the Lambs box set was showcased as well. Set for release in June, the box set will feature Clarice, Buffalo Bill, and two versions of Doctor Hannibal Lector.
Platoon
The box set based on the cult classic Platoon was unveiled. The set will include Sgt. Elias Grodin, Pvt. “Gator” Lerner, Pvt. Chris Taylor, and Sgt. Bob Barnes. The release date is expected to be in August.
Desperately Seeking Susan
And finally, one of the most talked about lines announced last year, Desperately Seeking Susan Minimates saw the light of day in the form of a two-pack featuring Roberta and Susan. Expect this set to fly off the shelves in September.
Posted on Friday 22 February 2008
By Dragon
While nothing new for the modern line was showcased this year, Toy Fair did bring us a closer look at some expected releases while at the same time unveiling the planned Cylon assortment that ties in with the Razor movie.
The aforementioned Cylon assortment was shown for the first time, showing off no fewer than three Cylons from the movie, as well as two more Six variations, including a dead one. In other Razor news, the box set based off of the movie was also shown, which features two more Cylons, as well as William “Husker” Adama, Gina Inviere, and Major Kendra Shaw. The Cylon assortment is expected in June, with the box set following in August.
Finally, the classic Battlestar Galactica series will see Minimate form in two announced box sets. The sets will be divided into two assortments: the Cylon Empire, featuring Imperious Leader, Baltar, Lucifer, a Cylon Commander, and a Cylon Centurion; and the Colonial Warriors, featuring Commander Adama, Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer and Muffit. Both sets are scheduled for release in March.
Posted on Friday 22 February 2008
By Dragon
Toy Fair brought lots of news for the Star Trek line. Stemming from a post on their MySpace page, Diamond Select Toys announced the next two waves in the Star Trek series, rounding out the original crew and expanding into the realm of the early Star Trek movies as well as the later shows Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space 9. Wave 4 is expected to contain Captain Pickard, a Borg, Doctor McCoy, Nurse Chapel, Admiral Kirk, Engineering Scotty, and Dress Uniform Scotty. Wave 5 will contain “Trouble with Tribbles” Captain Kirk, Yeoman Rand, Captain Decker, Ilia, Gul Dukat, Captain Sisko, and Commander Sisko. Wave 4 is expected to hit stores in August, with Wave 5 seeing release in September.
In other news, a special box set was announced on the eve of Toy Fair, featuring some of the main players from the epic Star Trek storyline “Mirror, Mirror…”. The evil counterparts of Uhura, Spock, Kirk, Sulu, and Marlena Moreau are expected to hit in July.
Posted on Thursday 21 February 2008
By Dragon
Many fans of the DC Direct helmed line of Minimates were surprised to see no new selections unveiled at the 2008 Toy Fair, leaving many to wonder if the line would continue. Word got out about a Newsarama interview with DC Direct’s Georg Brewer that had him stating:
NRAMA: 2007 also seems to have been a good year for the Minimates program; what have you learned there? Does it curtail any thoughts of a more realistic line of small figures?
Brewer: Creatively Minimates has been a fun line to work on, and the mix of character choices has had some nice surprises. It would have been good had they performed at bit better, but their holding their own. To me these have little to do with a realistic line of small-scale figures, as I’m not convinced they would hit all of the same collectors. We have in fact developed prototypes of a 4” figure line, so you never know.
When this news hit, many speculated that the future of the line may be in doubt. The speculation was confirmed when ASM gave a rundown of talks with DC Direct at Toy Fair, which included the following:
And if you’re a fan of Minimates, the ones shown are the last in the line — unless you want to see more (and we certainly do). Let DC Unlimited know that you want more Minimates!
Newsarama would offer its own rundown, again adding question to the future of the line.
DC VP-Creative Georg Brewer said that these sell steadily enough to justify another series, but they are weighing their options.
With an uproar in the Minimate community, many fans sought answers, with this response coming in via Raving Toy Maniac’s forum.
But it’s not looking good. They don’t have plans at this time o solicit wave 9 and 10. So NOW is the time to rally people!!!!
So, does DC end at Wave 8? At the moment, it appears so. While the line has been praised by the people at DC, it may be that it is being sacrificed to make room for a new line. There has been several calls to arms to help show support for the line, but at present it is unknown what effect this will have on the overall marketing decision of DC.
If you’d like to voice your own support for DC Minimates, you can do so at one of the links below or join in the discussion over at Minimate Multiverse.
Link
Link
Posted on Thursday 21 February 2008
By Dragon
For the better part of two months, the future of the Marvel Minimate line has been in doubt, with Diamond Select Toys being silent on the issue. Had DST renewed the license or had Hasbro swooped in and snatched it? Conspiracy theories grew, suggesting underhanded tactics on Hasbro’s part, to DST securing a bigger, better brand. Well, those questions, fears, worries, and doubts were put to rest at the 2008 Toy Fair when Diamond Select Toys announced not one, not two, but three new waves for the Marvel brand. Wave 21 is slated to be based on the upcoming Iron Man movie and will feature Tony Stark, Pepper Pots, James Rhodes, the Iron Monger, and three Iron Man armors. According to Wizard, wave 22 is scheduled to be based on the upcoming Incredible Hulk film. The line-up is not currently known. Wave 23 brings the line back to its comic roots with a host of classic and modern characters in the forms of Cloak, Dagger, Nova, Gamora, Spymaster, and two different War Machines, based off of the Stark design and the Rhodey design. All sets are expected to be released in 2008, with specific dates yet to be determined.
But that’s not all. A new boxed set was also announced, tying in with Marvel Comic’s 2006-2007 blockbuster event, Civil War. This set is scheduled to carry Iron Man in modern attire, a battle-damaged Captain America, Spider-Man in his Stark designed “Iron Spidey” duds, and Nitro. The set is expected to be available at the New York Comic Con in April, becoming available on Action Figure Express after that. Following past trends, it will likely be available in comic shops worldwide on a later date. Also, only 2000 sets are expected to be produced, making this a much sought after assortment.
Based on these huge revelations, I’d say the future of the Marvel Minimate line is looking brighter than ever.
Posted on Wednesday 20 February 2008
These streets used to bustle, Gwen Stacy thought sadly, now even Finance Street is desolate. The heavy throb of an engine idled up behind Gwen, never a good sound these days: the insane cost of gasoline meant only the Overlord’s thugs could afford to drive.
“Check it out, there’s the original party girl!” Yelled Hydro-Man.
Just keep walking, Gwen told herself, keep your head down and they’ll move on. But the SUV bumped to a stop and the villains spilled out.
“Hey, Gwenny, show us what you got!” Hydro-Man hooted.
“Or what you don’t got,” laughed Biff.
Zombie Giant Man reached out a rotted hand. “You got smarts, blondie? Because I like a girl with brains.”
Speed Racer leapt around the corner and gasped. “You creeps leave her alone!” He shouted.
From the shadows above, Classic Robin dropped down and flipped out a batarang. “Speed offers good advice, you should listen to him,” the junior crusader said.
Biff just snorted and tried to flip Gwen’s skirt. Zombie Giant Man pressed in, chanting, “White meat, dark meat, blondie’s brains.”
Speed Racer snapped. “Aahhhhh!” He screamed, racing at the villains.
Hydro-Man stepped in and pushed Biff away. “Leave it, fellas. She’s not worth the bother,” he said. The irate heroes paused, tensed for the next move.
“Aw,” Biff groused, then yelled, “We know who you are, Boy Wonder Bread!”
Then the Overlord’s thugs climbed into their SUV and rumbled into the gathering gloom as Zombie Giant Man sang a ditty about brains.
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“Wormtongue!” Barked the Supreme Overlord. “I hear rumors that villain gangs on the street have been terrorizing the populace under my banner.”
Wormtongue, chief counsel to Jean-Pierre, Ruler of the World, nodded. “Yes, your Eminence, that would be correct.”
“Excellent!” Jean-Pierre laughed, “The plan proceeds apace.” The Overlord glanced at a platter of refreshments held by Kabuki. After selecting a few peeled grapes, he examined the sweet vision of an enslaved Kabuki. Much better than those dull Victor-bots, mused Jean-Pierre.
“Wormtongue!” Barked the Supreme Overlord, again. “Enact a new registration policy: beginning today, all heroes must register, not just super humans.”
“As you demand, your Majesty,” Wormtongue agreed.
“Yes, I demand! Because JP1000 lives, Wormtongue. As long as he remains free, he sets an example for noble-hearted fools. Such would-be heroes will continually attack my undefeatable authority.” Jean-Pierre scanned his throne room, to be sure all were listening. “They must all be crushed and JP1000 brought here, to Castle Doom.
“Besides,” he added, “he is my brother. Sometimes I miss having family around the homestead.”
“Please, your Excellency,” Wormtongue murmured, “you know how sentimentality confuses the entourage.”
“Of course,” the Overload replied, then cracked his scepter against the throne. “Wormtongue, status report!”
Wormtongue consulted his clipboard. “We have achieved 100% tithing from the world’s political leaders. Discovery of Resistance cells accelerates, we crushed a record number this week. Shocktrooper Peck is to be commended for busting the most unregistered supers. Surveillance reveals discord within the Resistance.”
The Supreme Overlord leapt to his feet and began pacing in his big boots. “Soon it will come,” he stated. “Their defenses are crumbling while they rot from within, and they are feeling utterly exposed. Soon, like a desperate, rabid dog they will attack our stronghold, leaving JP1000 unprotected. Then I will pluck him from their grasp. Then, Wormtongue,” the Overlord’s malevolent glare cowed the entire entourage, “then SMIRK will pay for Cindy Lou.”
As darkness settled over Latveria and chased across the globe, a deep, maniacal laughter erupted from Castle Doom.
Posted on Tuesday 19 February 2008
By Dragon
Tuesday at the New York Toy Fair yielded a mixture of good and bad news for the Minimate masses. Kicking things off, ASMzine revealed in its Toy Fair coverage a new box set for the Marvel line based on the recent Civil War story. The set will host a modern Iron Man, a battle-damaged Captain America, the “Iron Spidey”, and Nitro, the man who started it all. The Civil War box set is expected to be an Action Figure Express exclusive, available around the end of April.
In other news, an update was provided on the status of the DC line. Unfortunately, the status was not as positive as some would have hoped. ASMzine reports:
And if you’re a fan of Minimates, the ones shown are the last in the line — unless you want to see more (and we certainly do). Let DC Unlimited know that you want more Minimates!
So, there is some serious doubt on the future of the DC line. As consumers, the best way you can tell DC what you think is with your dollars. Of course, you can always try to appeal directly to the company.
