Outer Space Men: Galactic Holiday Edition on sale TONIGHT

December 14, 2010 | Poe

I haven’t been covering all the awesome stuff coming out from the Four Horsemen recently, for two reasons: 1.) there’s only so much time in the day, and 2.) they’ve been doing a damned good job covering it themselves. If you follow their new blog at FourHorsemen.biz, you’ll get all the 4H-related info you need.

That said, I thought it prudent to mention the limited edition Galactic Holiday Outer Space Men will go on sale tonight at 9pm ET at StoreHorsemen.com. Featuring vac-metallized ABS accessories, these figures are expected to go fast, to grab ’em if you want ’em!

More info after the jump. (more…)

Review > Outer Space Men Alpha Waves 1 & 2 (SDCC Exclusive)

August 19, 2010 | Poe

I had intended to write up a basic introduction to Glyos before writing this review, but life gets busy and for one reason or another, I was never able to get around to it. Mea culpa. You’ll recall I did a two-part interview (part 1, part 2) with Onell Design founder and Glyos creator Matt Doughty a few months back, after the announcement of the Four Horsemen‘s acquiring of the Outer Space Men license and the news that the figures would incorporate Onell Design’s “Fit Function” joint system, making them entirely compatible with all Glyos figures.

So I didn’t get around to that introduction to Glyos, but as often seems to happen these days, NoisyDVL5 over at ItsAllTrue.net took the initiative. Check out his article to find out what Glyos is all about, then come on back for my review. (more…)

Outer Space Men Invade SDCC, Enact Strict Hygiene Laws

July 10, 2010 | Poe

(OK, I added that last part.)

From the Horsemen Four:

OUTER SPACE MEN INVADE SAN DIEGO!!

The Four Horsemen are excited to announce their Outer Space Men Comic Con 2010 exclusives!

Dubbed the “Alpha Phase Waves”, each exclusive OSM character will be done in a color that represents them as they utilize their “phase” mode to secretly invade Comic Con. These color versions are completely different from their upcoming regular edition versions!

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Interview > Matt Doughty, Part II (The Outer Space Men)

June 18, 2010 | Poe

You can read Part I of this interview, about the history of Onell Design, here.

PG: So tell me how Outer Space Men came about.

MD: I love toys that go all the way back into the 1920s. Anything that was a toy, I was fascinated. The Outer Space Men came out after Major Matt Mason…

And they were supposed to be kind of like those old Remco He-Man knock-offs–“plays with” Major Matt Mason.

Exactly. But what happens when someone “knocks off” someone else but they are superior to it? That’s sort of unprecedented now. Outer Space Men was so damned cool, it would replace playing with Major Matt Mason. (more…)

Interview > Matt Doughty of Onell Design (Part I: Onell)

June 17, 2010 | Poe

Real Name: Matt Doughty
Specialty: Toymaker
Base of Operations: Onell Design
History: Onell Design is a small, family run toy company that strives to create an environment filled with creative potential. Building out just a little bit every year, each person involved in the day to day operations does their work with a passion matched by a desire to connect with those that enjoy what Onell has to offer, however tiny it may be! Matt Doughty, Michelle Doughty and Marc Beaudette love running Onell, and it continues to grow only because of the incredible people out there who support all the crazy projects they get into! So get ready for more interchangeable figures, 8-bit games, special collaborations and sporadic blog posts as 2010 rolls on…and remember to stay creative!

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Odds ‘n Ends > Arthropod Edition

June 9, 2010 | Poe

  • So, Voltron is back and Mattel has the toy rights. Thoughts, opinions, bitterly sarcastic comments regarding the availability and quality control of new toys?
  • Once again, ItsAllTrue.net has taken an idea I had and beat me to the punch. Check out their interview with Mel Birnkrant, inventor of the Outer Space Men. A must-read.
  • And while you’re there, check out their review of the awesome Revoltech Jack Skellington. I’m tempted, despite the price…my NECA Jacks are pretty fragile.
  • Any thoughts on the Lion-O staction by Icon Heroes?
  • Masters of the Universe will be inducted into the ToyFare Hall of Fame at WizardWorld Philadelphia this weekend.  So that’s cool. Also, Scott Neitlich is going to reveal a new MOTUC figure on Friday at the “Big Toy Industry” panel. It’s the September sub figure, and the odds-on favorites on the He-Man.org forums are Roboto and Chief Carnivus. Anyone want to make their guess?
  • On a side note, I had to reset the poll because I realized it was only allowing one choice per person, instead of three.

Interview > The Four Horsemen (Outer Space Men edition)

May 25, 2010 | Poe

At the beginning of this month, the famous toy design team the Four Horsemen announced their newest venture: a resurrection of the 1960s alien toy property “The Outer Space Men.” (For a detailed history of the Outer Space Men, check out the list of links at the bottom of the article.)

I got in touch with the Horsemen–Eric Treadaway, Jim Preziosi, Chris Dahlberg and Eric “Cornboy” Mayse–to get the official scoop on their first-ever licensed property. (more…)

Odds ‘n Ends > News Roundup

May 5, 2010 | Poe

  • So as everyone probably knows by now, the Four Horsemen have teamed up with toy legend Mel Birnkrant and Matt Doughty of Onell Design (makers of the Glyos figures) to bring back the 1960s sci-fi toy line The Outer Space Men. I was going to do a write-up about it, but NoisyDvL5 already wrote the definitive post about the whole thing. Damn whippersnappers totally stealing my thunder and taking advantage of my laziness. Anyway: my opinion. Like many, I have no nostalgic attachment to the property, but retro-looking 1960s aliens are something most self-respecting geeks should appreciate. 3 3/4″ isn’t my favorite scale but was probably inevitable given current production costs. The decision to work with Onell Design was a savvy move on everyone’s part. So will I be buying these? Definitely–they look great and represent a great step for everyone involved. Also, if it’s successful, perhaps the Four Horsemen will be able to license Power Lords from Revell…
  • Speaking of the Outer Space Men, look for some cool features about it here on the site soon.
  • He-Man.org has a revealing interview with Mattel brand manager (and recent new dad) Scott Neitlich, a.k.a. Toyguru. I didn’t realize Adora’s laser pistol was based on Teela’s gun from the 1987 movie.
  • Super He-Fan James Eatock, a.k.a. Busta Toons, is publishing an unofficial guide to the Filmation He-Man cartoon. Eatock’s blog is necessary reading for any He-Fan, and the book will no doubt be great, too.
  • I added a new plugin called WPTouch that optimizes PGPoA for Iphones/Ipod Touches. I think it’s pretty cool, but it does prevent you from seeing the site as it looks on the Web. Has anyone else tried it out yet? Thoughts?
  • Pre-review roundup: Fwoosh has Optikk, Walter Peck and Tytus; AFI has Tytus; CoolToyReview has Optikk; Pixel Dan has Optikk and Tytus. Disappointing discovery: Tytus has swivels at the shoulders and neck, not ball joints.