Odds ‘n Ends > New 3.75″ DC Figures, Possible New DC 6″ Mattel Lines, TMNT, Arkham City

July 6, 2012 | Poe

• It’s been a light week around here, primarily because DMG and I have been preoccupied with moving into our new house. Don’t worry, the toys were well taken care of during the move. Now maybe I can finally start opening and reviewing some of the MOC/MIB toys I’ve got laying around.
• DC Collectibles is doing a 3 ¾” DC superheroes action figure line!…that will only be sold at conventions. No doubt this is due in some way to DC’s licensing deal with Mattel. This despite the fact Mattel obviously has no interest in doing this scale right (or at all). I am thankful I do not collect 3 ¾”, because if I did, “apeshit” would only begin to describe my reaction. The best analogue for me would be Hasbro announcing a Marvel Legends-style 6″ Star Wars line that was only available at conventions.
• Speaking of DC action figures, IAT has a report on some EntertainmentEarth solicitations for “Batman Unlimited” and “DC Unlimited” 6″-scale toy lines. Could this be the future of DCUC? Maybe…? I’ll believe it when it’s announced at SDCC.
• While I’ll be getting the retro TMNT figures, I haven’t had much interest in the ones based on the new cartoon. That said, this SDCC exclusive Leonardo is beautiful and I want it.
• You knew it was coming – Square Enix is making Play Arts Kai Arkham City figures, starting with Batman and Catwoman. I really need to review the Arkham Asylum Batman one of these days…
• The already-somewhat-controversial documentary Toy Masters – about the development of the vintage Masters of the Universe line – will have a panel at SDCC, including some exclusive footage. The documentary attempts to answer the question of “Who created He-Man?” The panel will include former Mattel artist Mark Taylor but not, notably, former Mattel designer Roger Sweet, who in his tell-all Mastering the Universe (my review here) claimed sole responsibility for creating He-Man. Word is Sweet is already unhappy with the whole thing, or at least is “declining to participate further.” For the record, I’m on Team We-May-Never-Know-The-Truth.
• Shadowland Magazine has a special Masters of the Universe-themed issue, available right now from their website. Articles include an interview with minicomic writer Donald F. Glut, a retrospective on the controversial 1987 Masters of the Universe film starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella, and an in-depth overview of MOTUC.

Odds ‘n Ends > New Review Archive, Reviewing Samples Update

June 19, 2012 | Poe

• I should be able to announce the winner of the Diamond Select Spider-Man contest very soon…just waiting on FOTD to pick the winner. I will say these Mad Libs contests take forever to cut-and-paste…gotta figure out a mail merge or something.
• I’ve finally updated the Review Archive into the searchable, versatile format I’ve always wanted. It’s completely comprehensive, covering ten years’ worth of my reviews across numerous websites (the current total is 327 reviews, incidentally, with an additional nineteen guest reviews here on PGPoA). Give it a test drive, try out the search function, let me know what you think! And of course, let me know if you find any problems or omissions. Thanks to NoisyDvL5 of IAT for the recommendation of the WP-Table Reloaded plugin.
• The “Reviewing Samples” series has proven to be more popular than I expected. There are a few more posts coming, including one where I round up reader responses (although we’ve already received a lot of those in the comments on the actual posts).
• Pixel Dan has been posting video reviews of all of Mattel’s SDCC exclusives. You can find them all at his website, but for the lazy, here’s Dana as Zuul, DKR MM Bruce Wayne to Batman, and good ol’ Vykron.

Odds ‘n Ends > Beast Saga Vid, NECA does Half-Life & Prometheus, Nerf Intimidation, Figma Link

June 11, 2012 | Poe

• Damn, I am way overdue for one of these. Right now my own toy collection is somewhat in chaos, as we’re packing for a move to our very first house. Still got some reviews coming, though.
• What’s going on with ThunderCats? Pixel Dan asks the question, and TNI (sort of) answers it. Bottom line: Bandai still holds the master license, their product line is not canceled, and they are currently rolling out ThunderCats product globally in conjunction with the TV show being airing internationally. So those dreams of a Four Horsemen-sculpted, MOTUC-compatible ThunderCats line must remain in dreamland for now.
• Here’s NECA’s Gordon Freeman from Half-Life 2. Evidently they’re also bringing us a Robocop with an opening thigh holster (possibly spring-loaded).
• TakaraTomy has released a short promotional CGI video (narrated in English) highlighting their upcoming Beast Saga figures. The anthropomorphic warriors blast each other with fire and water from symbols on their chests. Kind of reminds me of the Care Bear Cousins, actually.
• I missed this sketchy-seeming incident in which Hasbro and its lawyers tricked and then threatened an Australian toy blogger over his review of a pre-release Nerf gun that he bought online. If Hasbro offers you free toys for a giveaway and you’ve recently reviewed pre-release items, think twice about providing them with your personal information.
• I seem to have been one of maybe five geeks who actually enjoyed Prometheus. Sure, the story was messy, but the visuals and atmosphere were amazing…anyway, NECA’s making figures, including what’s basically (mild spoiler alert) the “Space Jockey” pilot from the original ALIEN. I’ll be getting that solely because I’ve loved the look of that character since the original film.
• There’s going to be a Figma Link (from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword). I did not know this. Awesome. Now that we’ve got Link and Samus, when do we get a Figma Mario?
• Packaged shots of S.H.MonsterArts Little Godzilla.
• LuchaSharks are a thing. A thing in the process of being developed by Galaxxor creator Ben Spencer.

Odds ‘n Ends > Mystic Hammer, Build-a-Droid Factory, Warlords & Warriors, Robertcop

May 21, 2012 | Poe

• Poe’s Power Pal and toymaker extraordinaire Joe Amaro will soon be taking orders for his Tytus-scale Mystic Hammer (they’ll cost around $15 apiece). Follow him on his blog and Twitter for more info.
• Cartoonist and Poester Bill White has a blog post up about his experience with the Build-a-Droid Factory at the Star Tours gift shop at Disney World. Seems pretty fun, so fingers crossed that it’s still around in 5-7 years when I take my as-yet-hypothetical kid there.
• I came across an interesting new toy line called Warlords and Warriors. It’s very similar to vintage Masters of the Universe, or rather, the Remco knockoff lines of MOTU, with one twist – the legs and arms will be completely interchangeable. For the record, while I generally have reservations regarding lines that are similar to copyrighted toy lines, in this case I have no concerns because Mattel lost that court case decades ago. You can follow the Warlords and Warriors project on Facebook.
• Here’s a funny list of knockoff toys. Robertcop is my favorite.

Odds ‘n Ends > Outer Space Men, New MOTUC Bios

May 8, 2012 | Poe

• PGPoA sponsor Urban Collectibles has single figures of DC Direct’s Batman Arkham City Series 2 in stock now.
• The Four Horsemen are now taking pre-orders for their psychedelic Cosmic Creators: Four Horsemen edition of their Outer Space Men figures, along with reissues of the OSM Infinity Edition Waves 1 & 2 with some tweaked paint apps.
• Mattel posted packaging pics & bios for the Griffin, Snake Man-At-Arms, and Horde Prime. Still can’t say I’m excited for that Griffin. On a side note, if you want to see the secret of Horde Prime’s face, it’s right here.
• You can also see pics of some of Mattel’s SDCC exclusives, as well as Vykron’s bio, at Action Figure Insider.
• I was asked to plug Pocket Power Toys, a website devoted to this little-known toy line from Japan that was sold by Tyco here in the U.S. in the 1990s. The creator of the site adds, “Strictly speaking there’s only one action figure in the line (Glo-Bones).”
• NECA has a Collector’s Club. Did we know this already?
• I swear to God, if Bluefin Tamashii Nations doesn’t reveal what their S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla SDCC figure is soon instead of teasing us with bits of artwork, I’m going to – just wait longer. Though it might be a wholly-translucent orange “Meltdown” Godzilla, like this one, which would be a profound disappointment that I wouldn’t buy (and yes, I realize there’s some hypocrisy there, since I’ve always said the best con exclusives are repaints – but preferably a somewhat interesting repaint). I’m hoping there’s a poster of whatever the final artwork is, too.

Odds ‘n Ends

April 30, 2012 | Poe

• Happy birthday to The Fwoosh, who are celebrating their 10th birthday this month. Early on the Fwoosh established itself as the place to discuss Marvel Legends, and later Marvel Universe and DC Universe Classics. I’ve met some of the folks behind the Fwoosh at conventions and Toy Fair and they’ve always been great. They’ve got all sorts of events going on, including a giveaway, so if you’re a superhero toy fan be sure to stop by.
• Pixel Dan has a review of Diamond Select’s exclusive Battle Beast figure from C2E2.
• The first Fall of Cybertron toys are available for preorder at BBTS. They look cool, and it’s possible these may be the first Transformers toys I buy since Masterpiece Grimlock, but can someone please, PLEASE explain to me why Hasbro prefers to give us yet another Optimus BEFORE giving us FoC Grimlock?!? I just don’t understand the thinking here. I really, really don’t. And yeah, I’m just impatient for a FoC Grimlock toy. I admit it. I hope it’s Voyager class…the Classics Grimlock disappointed me only in that it was so small. We need a big, updated-for-current-science Grimlock.

Odds ‘n Ends > PD revs CIEDCUCGAF, SyFy’s Toy Realities, 4H’s OSM, FOTD has AC2

April 25, 2012 | Poe

SuperMom Accessories by happyworker

• Pixel Dan has posted his review of the Club Infinite Earths DC Universe Classics Golden Age Flash.
• For those who might be wondering, yes, I did subscribe to CIE, but I don’t plan to review them and intend to sell all my figures (with the exception of the Bat-characters, probably). I’m either going to sell them on eBay or maybe just my own store.
• The SyFy Channel is developing a couple of toy-related reality shows: “Collection Intervention” will assist desperate significant others in forcing their loved ones to sell off some or all of their beloved collections, while the more interesting and less personally invasive “Toy Traveler” features Shane Turgeon, “the Indiana Jones of toy collectors,” as he jets around the world seeking rare and unusual toys. Do we got anything on this Shane Turgeon guy?
• The Four Horsemen posted some new info on their upcoming Outer Space Men release dates.
• Don’t forget, Figure of the Day has the entire set of DC’s Arkham City Series 2 on its site for $89.99 w/ free shipping.
• Phil Reed at Battlegrip has reviewed a pair of Play Arts Kai figures – Arkham Asylum Batman and Halo Reach Jorge. I’ve had the PAKAS Bats on my shelf waiting for a review for weeks now. I’m evidently lazy. Oh, and I’ve had the PAK Halo Master Chief even longer than that.
• I should be able to announce the winner of the Bat-Libs contest either late today or tomorrow.

Odds ‘n Ends > AICN, Collector Gene, MOTU Fan Films, SHM Rodan

April 17, 2012 | Poe

• PGPoA was mentioned on Ain’t It Cool News’ AICN Toys section yesterday in regard to my recent post about DCUC. Unfortunately, the quote they attribute to me is actually something I quoted from NoisyDvL5’s editorial on ItsAllTrue. I posted a comment to try and set the record straight.
• It’s been a banner week for Power Pals. PPP Ben Leach, who comes from a whole family of collectors (toy and otherwise), have opened their own website, the Collector Gene. Here’s how he describes it:  “What separates us from a lot of collecting websites is a.) we own everything that we write about (and if we don’t, we clarify that), and b.) all four of us collect and are going to contribute to the website. Obviously, I’m going to write about the kind of stuff that appeals to your readers, but if your readers like shows like Antiques Roadshow or Pawn Stars, then I think they’ll appreciate everything on there. “
• I’m not sure how many have heard of this, but there’s a group doing MOTU fan films. I haven’t watched them yet, but here’s their website. I suppose I owe it to you all to look into this further, so I will once I can get through some of my existing backlog.
• At long last, Diamond Select is giving me the Mego-style Creature of the Black Lagoon I’ve been asking for since they created the line. It will be on my desk at work. Oh yes.
• I’ve started using the PGPoA Facebook page more – primarily for stuff like recent purchases, random toy-related links, and news bits and other stuff on weekends. If you’re not on Facebook or don’t follow the site you won’t miss anything important, but for those of you jonesing for a more frequent PGPoA fix should keep an eye on it.
• English page for S.H.MonsterArts Rodan. I’m such a mark for this line.
• So, what sold out in yesterday’s Mattycollector sale? Thunder Punch He-Man, Tri-Klops, & the Voltron Yellow Lion. As of this posting, Draego-Man, Orko, and other figs are still there. I’m tempted to buy another Orko to see if I can get a Prince Adam without incredibly loose ankles, but does such a thing even exist?
• This humor in this Saturday morning cartoon parody Starbarians is a bit tasteless, but the animation is well done – and the name and concept kick ass. How did every 1980s toy-and-cartoon producer miss “Starbarians”? This is the decade that created Dinosaucers!
• Diamond Select had a prototype sculpt of a new Battle Beast grey retailer summit version of Vorin on display at C2E2.
• Here are some new pics of the Play Arts Kai Mass Effect 3 figures. Now you can create your own ambiguous ending to Shepard’s saga!

Odds ‘n Ends > Battle Beasts, Disney/WB, & a new Outer Space (Wo)man?

April 11, 2012 | Poe

• As of this posting it’s just under a day and a half to go until we find out what Diamond Select’s plans are for Battle Beasts (probably at C2E2, if I had to guess). Keep an eye on this site.
• As a favor to Poe Power Pal and resident homicidal maniac Doc Thomas, please “Like” the Australian store Popcultcha on Facebook. If they get 10,000 likes, they’ll have a 20%-off-everything sale, and Doc Thomas has promised to review every single thing he buys here on PGPoA. (Actually I just made that last part up, but I’m going to hold him to it anyway.)
• Bored at work? Poester Sped linked me to this list of “30 Cool Toy Commercials From the ’90s.”
• Topless Robot picked up on my “DC Universe Tragic” post, and Rob agrees that the problem is as much DC as it is Mattel. I noticed in the comments the growing idea that the superhero comics of the big two are a dying medium that will soon move almost entirely to movies/TV/videogames. I think that’s just as well, if only because at least that would force Disney/WB to employ some goddamned consistency (for a TV season, or at least two hours in a theater). Side note: how soon before Marvel/DC becomes Disney/WB?
• I somehow missed this, but Outer Space Men creator Mel Birnkrant has created a new OSM member, “Terra Firma – the Woman From Space,” who will evidently be sculpted by the Horsemen and added to the OSM line. Since Major Matt Mason – the original, if unofficial, Earth OSM member – is owned by Mattel, I think the curvy Terra is a perfect fit. Or rather a “snug” fit, judging from that costume – ring-a-ding-ding!

Odds ‘n Ends > New Sponsor, Facebook Question, Turtles Classics Pics

April 9, 2012 | Poe

• New Sponsor: Please join me in welcoming our newest sponsor, Xenon Project. Xenon Project sells remote control and replica vehicles such as the Hawkspy Helicopter w/ Spy Camera, the Destroyer RC Boat, and the 1:18 Dark Knight Tumbler. I don’t collect RC stuff myself, but every year my family sponsors a family in need for Christmas, and this past year all the kids wanted RC helicopters, so if you’re into RC or know any kids who are, check out Xenon Project. And remember, my sponsors keep this site going, so the more you check out (and if the mood strikes you, order) their wares, the more you support PGPoA.
• I’m trying to think of a way to add value to PGPoA’s Facebook page (without moving the site exclusively to Facebook which, fear not, I will never do). It’s the place I share any interested toy-related news I come across from my Facebook connections, but I’d like to make it more worth a visit. Anyone have any ideas? I was considering moving one of the regular features over there – maybe Toy Aisle Trolls – but I’d rather come up with something new. Something that would be worth checking the page out for if you’re on Facebook, but not so good that the people who don’t want to use Facebook feel like they’re missing out.
• This came up in my post on the new DC MOTU comic, but I wanted to reiterate here that the new miniseries is a brand-new canon, and writer James Robinson is free to use any character from any of the various canons. So we could see the likes of Draego-Man or Vikor. It almost makes me wish they’d gotten Paul Dini to write it, as you just know he would have brought back Plundor and made him all badass.
• If you haven’t seen them already, head over to Infinite Hollywood and check out the new close-up pics of the Turtles Classics Raphael. These come from Dave Cortes’s studio, so there’s no guarantee at all that the production figures will look this good, but there are some nice turnarounds that show off the articulation.