Poe’s Point Special > Toy Fair 2010

February 15, 2010 | Poe

It would be impossible and way too much work for me to cover all the awesome stuff coming out of this year’s Toy Fair. The awesomeness seems to be hearkening back to the good old days of the early 2000s…anyway, instead of trying to list everything, I’m just going to hit the highlights of the stuff I’m excited about. But feel free to use this as the catch-all Toy Fair discussion thread.

Masters of the Universe Classics

Of course we start here. We’ve had hints and suggestions of all the stuff that was revealed, but frankly, I was never really 100% sure we were going to see Tytus or, even more insane, Gy-Gor–who looks much better than I’d imagined he would as a Gorilla Grodd repaint. Anyway, the reveals were:

Wow. Where to start with all this? (more…)

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode)

June 8, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy Jeff Parker reviews the Hot Toys Predator Major Alan “Dutch” Schaeffer and Private Billy Sole 1/6-scale figures. Excerpt: “Well, once again we are in the territory of Dallas and Kane’ where one actor/agent/lawyer has given permission to use his likeness and the other hasn’t …”

Newton Gimmick reviews the Playmates TMNT Mini-Mutants Exoskeleton Shredder figure. Excerpt: “… while it’s obviously inspired by Exo-Squad it has tons of little traits that definitely make it TMNT.”

Dave Van Domelen reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Scout class Rollbar, Dead End, Knock Out, Dirt Boss, Depthcharge and Ransack figures. Excerpt: “… it seems like they used a much more brittle plastic in most of these than the designs would have worked best with.” (See also: 1, 2, 3, 4.) (more…)

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode), 1/27/09

January 28, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy Michael Crawford reviews the Hot Toys Predator 2 Lost Predator 1/6-scale figure. Excerpt: “… you won’t feel like you got some sort of steal, but you’ll know why you spent that much money.”

Jeff Parker reviews the Hot Toys Alien 3 Dog Alien 1/6-scale figure. Excerpt: “You couldn’t describe it as a bargain, but the work lavished on it certainly makes it fair …”

Poe Ghostal reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics Skeletor Mattycollector exclusive figure. Excerpt: “While I think this is a great sculpt, there’s no question it’s lacking in a lot of the traditional hallmarks of what is often considered great action figure sculpting …”

Dave Van Domelen reviews the Hasbro Transformers Universe Deluxe class Generation 1 series Smokescreen and Beast Wars series Dinobot figures. Excerpt: “(Re: Dinobot) I think this design team is just not Beast-compatible.” (more…)

News roundup, 12/27/2008

December 27, 2008 | Poe
  • newspoeI will be sorely, sorely tested in my resolve not to collect 12″ figures by the Hot Toys original Predator, Dutch and yes, even Billy. (Cool Toy Review)
  • Corner Store Comics having year-end sale–20% off in-stock items (CSC)
  • First official Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen pics may be released on my birthday (Seibertron)
  • JLU Amanda Waller figure coming in 2009 (MattyCollector)
  • If you haven’t entered Toy Bender’s “Joes for Tots” contest, there’s still time! (Toy Bender)
  • Weekly OAFE update (OAFE)
  • More NECA Street Fighter photos (Action-Figure) I’m really curious whether these will be in scale with SOTA’s figures.

News round-up, 12/23/08

December 23, 2008 | Poe

Merry Christmas Eve-Eve!

newspoeApologies for the lack of updates yesterday–had a busy day getting ready for our trip to Los Angeles and then actually getting to L.A. But we’re here now, I’ve got the wifi working on DMG’s laptop and it’s time for some toy news.

  • Beware knock-off Encore Metroplex Transformers (Loopy Details)
  • More Masterpiece Grimlock news and pics (TFormers)
  • G.I. Joe and Cobra 2009 5-pack images (Hisstank)
  • Hot Toys’ “Dutch” Schaefer figure from Predator confirmed (TNI) (Note to self: do NOT start collecting 12″ figures…do NOT start collecting 12″ figures…)
  • Maybe Billy too (Toy Haven)
  • Hellboy II Adventure Combat Galactic Robot Heroes BPRD Buddies (TNI)

Odds ‘n Ends

December 16, 2008 | Poe

odds_n_xmas

  • OK, I’ve got like three entries into my Odds ‘n Ends contest. Again, I’ve changed the rules so it’s just the person who correctly identifies the mosts items from the photo above–you don’t have to name them all to win, just the most. I’ll pick a random winner in the event of a tie. Now email me that list!
  • Incidentally, don’t forget to donate to your local Toys for Tots and take a photo of yourself doing it, so you can enter Toy Bender‘s Joes for Tots contest for way-awesome prizes. Why not hit one of those KB Toys going-out-of-business sales? Their loss is less fortunate children’s gain!
  • I watched A Miser Brothers’ Christmas over the weekend, and you know what? It was good! For one thing, it was so refreshing to see actual stop-motion animation, rather than the CGI they’ve tried to use for these Rankin-Bass sequels over the last few years. The characterization of the Misers was dead-on, and I enjoyed their constant fraternal squabbling. The songs weren’t as catchy as those from The Year Without a Santa Claus, but it was great to have Mickey Rooney back in the sleigh as the voice of Santa. Also, the North Wind looked like the result of some bizarre genetic cross-breeding between Jay Leno and the Purple Pieman.
  • On a related topic, I’ve got a contest running over on my Snow Miser fansite. You can win one of three Miser prize packs, courtesy of ABC Family. Enter now–or y’know, after you enter my Odds ‘n Ends contest.
  • Looks like Hot Toys has finally obtained the rights to make 12″ figures of the original 1987 Predator and–could it be?–Dutch Schaefer!
  • Do any of you watch The Big Bang Theory? I thought last night’s episode was great–Sheldon’s reaction to Penny’s gift was priceless.
  • The MOTUC He-Man and Beast Man figures my wife ordered for me for Christmas still haven’t arrived at her parents’ house in Los Angeles. And they were shipped two weeks ago from Ontario, California–which is about seventy miles away. Wha-huh?
  • As implied above, Dr. Mrs. Ghostal and I will be spending the holidays at her parents’ house in LA, on the other side of the continent. However, thanks to her brand-new laptop and her parents’ wi-fi connection, I should be able to handle all my updating myself this year, so there shouldn’t be any noticeable break in your daily doses of PGPoA (except for Christmas Day, of course).

Review > Predator (AvP: Requiem, NECA)

October 15, 2008 | Poe

OK, I’m late to this party, but it fits the horror/Halloween theme I’m pushing this month.

Due to the fact that Predators don’t speak English and really don’t have any sort of defined culture or individual character, I can’t do the whole “interview” gag, so this will be a straight review.

There are some action figures I see and must buy. Usually they’re some sort of incredible combination of sculpting and articulation. For instance, I didn’t think twice about buying NECA’s Alien Warrior from the Alien vs. Predator colon Requiem line, because it was well sculpted and had great articulation and actually managed to surpass, in my estimation, the Aoshima Alien. The NECA Ninja Turtles are another good example.

Other times, though, I’ll see a figure and decide to pass on it for some reason. I forget about it and it sells out at retail. Then, a few months or a year or two later, I start looking at it again online. I start doing searches for it on eBay. And finally, at some point, I break down and buy the damned thing. (more…)

Paxton and Henriksen: The Terminator, Alien, and Predator Death Trifecta

October 9, 2008 | Poe

If you were a kid in the 1980s with a love of science fiction and action films, you had it made. The combined awesomeness of the Alien, Predator, Terminator and, to a lesser extent, Robocop franchises constituted the best run of bad-ass sf action to date, and all four are still bringing in money in some way or another.

With the exception of Robocop, director John Cameron had at least a minor contribution to each franchise (he suggested Stan Winston add mandibles to the Predator creature design), and directed the first two Terminator films and Aliens. Since Cameron pretty much made the careers of Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen, it’s no surprise they had roles in several of these movies. But both actors also share a very special distinction–they’ve both been killed by a Terminator, an Alien, and a Predator. (more…)