Pic of the Day > Predator1 by Gerard O’Raw
Odds ‘n Ends > 8/12/2011
- I got an email last night that said Mattel had extended all the subscriptions another week to August 22. It’s hard to know whether this is primarily to give the DC subscription a better chance or because all the subs aren’t getting the numbers they want. I still think the DC sub is screwed–the minimum number just seems to be too high–but this week I was considering subscribing until I found out that, because I already subscribed to Club Eternia and didn’t subscribe to both at the same time, I’d have to pay double shipping by adding a second subscription (“Remember, you can buy as many subscriptions as you like in any combination and they’ll all ship together when purchased in the same transaction!”). I’m sorry, but I am not paying double shipping. If Mattel wants to encourage fans to buy Club Infinite Earths, they should kick Digital River’s sorry ass and make them combine the shipping for the damned subs even if they’re ordered separately. Anything less is dumbfoundingly stupid. Period.
- Mattel also posted more information on the future of the 6″ DC figures aside from Club Infinite Earths. The money quote, in my opinion: Yes DC 6″ will continue at retail in 2012 but their will be a lot of changes. Collect and Connect and the Wave strategy will be gone. The focus will be on much more mainstream and kid/mom friendly mixes/characters. This is WHY we created the club, to give a home to those team builders, C and D list characters and fan demanded variants who may no longer be showing up at retail in 2012. It seems fan speculation is correct–the 6″ DC line will look like the Millennium MOTU line of the early 2000s, with tons of Superman and Batman guises. Before you start collecting kindling for Mattel’s auto-da-fé, keep in mind this is very likely being pushed by Warner Bros./DC, who are overtly trying to court a younger audience with their “Brand New DC” relaunch next month. Get the kids hooked early and all that. When will the two big comic companies stop pining for the days when Captain Marvel sold a million copies a month? That was in the 1940s, people. There were few televisions and no videogames or heck, even action figures then. Those days aren’t coming back.
- Blogger, Poester and sometime PGPoA contributor Novelty wants to know: “What if MOTUC cherry pickers switched to the subscriptions instead?”
- Figureoftheday.com is having an Alien/Predator event all day today. Might be worth checking out.
- Angels preserve us, could the second G.I. Joe movie actually not suck?
- You may remember MasterEnglish, whom I commissioned to make my 339/1 custom. I’ve just commissioned a second custom, which will be (if all goes according to plan) revealed not here, but at Power-Con first.
Pic of the Day > Predators – Falconer by ArmoredFoe
Guest Review > Sci-Fi Revoltech Predator
I first saw Predator at the age of 13 in 1987. I was mildly indifferent to it at first–sure, it had Schwarzenegger in it, but even as a kid I knew a B-Movie when I saw one. Yeah, they’ll go into the jungle and eventually some cheesy half-assed man in a suit alien would jump out on them and that would be it.
Man was I wrong, even though I was right. The alien was anything but cheesy. I still can’t figure out how they managed the cloaking effect without CGI to this day. Even from the earliest glimpse of the Predator, when it performs surgery on itself in a tree, I knew I was going to love this creature. Of course, it went on to become a design classic, just like its stable mate the Alien. And similar to the xenomorph, the Predator started off as a tale for adults but ended up in the hands of kids. The 1990s saw Kenner’s line of Predator action figures (very, very few of which got as far as the UK), then McFarlane brought us a more grown-up toy before Takara shrunk him again for their AVP Microman line. Hot Toys gave us incredibly intricate 1/6th versions, and just lately NECA have released a wide range of Predators capitalising on all five of the creature’s film outings.
But now a new player is at the table: Japanese company Kaiydo have released a Classic Predator through their Sc-Fi Revoltech line. How does this figure fare up against his American cousin? Let’s take a look… (more…)
NECA news > 7″ Robocop, SDCC exclusives
(Via NECA_Toys on Twitter)
Looks like the long-rumored 7″ Robocop from NECA will soon be a reality. I own the McFarlane version already, and I’m not sure exactly how different this one can be, but hopefully–unlike McFarlane–NECA has a whole line planned. I’d maim a clown for boxed sets of 7″-scale ED-209 and Cain/Robocop 2, but after NECA’s experience with the Balrog, I’m not sure they’re interested in doing another giant boxed figure (though the upcoming Spider Gremlin is a hopeful sign). (more…)
Poe Plays Favorites 2010 (The Awards Post)
Wow, am I late with this thing. Frankly the only reason I’m even doing it is to placate my obsessive-compulsiveness–there must be a PPF for every year, even if it takes me three months into the following year to do it.
Toy Fair 2011 > NECA
Pic of the Day
![NECA Alien/Predator - Classic Alien/Predator Set [TRU Exclusive]](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5356102630_b1e27d74a1.jpg)
NECA Alien/Predator – Classic Alien/Predator Set [TRU Exclusive] by Ed Speir IV
Pic of the Day
Falconer Predator Figure by NECA by thedot_ru