Toy Fair 2012 Updates, Part II

February 12, 2012 | Poe

There’s already a ton of news and the damned show hasn’t even started yet (though it will have by the time I get this post up). On a side note, the Mattel collector show–and subsequent MOTUC reveals–will be at 3pm ET today.

JediCreeper is going to do a write-up tonight, including the Mattel event. In the meantime, he’ll continue to tweet all day.

I’ve also uploaded a ton of Hasbro press pics of yesterday’s reveals, which you can check out on my Flickr account. If you want to see pics of the Horsemen event, including pics of the upcoming Raven and Vampire Queen figures from FANtastic Exclusive, I recommend this gallery from PCN.

Odds ‘n Ends > Mattycollector News, G.I. Joe Photo Covers, FOC Dinobot Pics

December 21, 2011 | Poe

  • Mattel has announced the January Mattycollector sale, which includes the Sorceress and Fearless Photog, as well as the “Ready to Believe You” Peter Venkman. More interesting is the news that they will now have He-Man, Skeletor, Battle Cat, Panthor, and 6″ Peter Venkman and Ray Stanz on permanent sale throughout 2012. It only took them four years.
  • I have to pick a winner for the Arkham City contest–I’ll do that tonight. Apologies for the delay.
  • I’m intrigued by IDW’s photo covers of G.I. Joe toys for their comics (here’s one, and here’s another one). On the one hand, it’s awesome that they’re paying tribute to the comics’ toy origins. On other hand, the covers are pretty uninspired. A brief Flickr search will come up with better pics (check out Geek Creek and Ed Speir IV, for example).
  • Power Pal Joe Amaro sent along this touching video of James Sawyer of motucfigures.com reviewing the Wind Raider with his son. As a toymaker himself, Joe says “this is the sort of thing that makes it all worthwhile.”
  • Joe also sent along these awesome pics of the Dinobots (via Tformers.com, though they could have originated elsewhere for all I know) from the upcoming Fall of Cybertron videogame: Grimlock, “Slug” (Slag’s new name, apparently? Yuck. Damned trademarks), and Swoop. They all look awesome, and we had better get toys of them. (Preferably not assembled by sweatshop laborers–more on that later.)

Toy Aisle Trolls > Laserweak

September 6, 2011 | Poe

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Submitted by: JF

What It’s Supposed to Look Like: This

JF writes: “Here’s a Transformers 3 Laserbeak with a junker G1 Shockwave instead. Oh Target!”

Toy Aisle Trolls > Skids Mark

September 5, 2011 | Poe

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Submitted by: JW

JW writes:

So I’ve recently started collecting Transformers, including the Human Alliance stuff from the movies (quality of the films aside, the HA figures are wonderful toys). I’ve managed to track down every figure released so far except the original screen-accurate releases of the twins–until this morning. At my local Walmart (where else?) I found Skids just sitting on a shelf. Box is a little damaged but he’s clearanced down to $25 from $30 AND he’s two years old AND I want him real bad…so who cares about a crushed box? I’m excited.

I get to work, pull him out of the package to size up my new prize–aaaaaaaaaaand it’s not a crushed box. It’s a STABBED box. And the Megan Fox driver figure has been ripped out.

God. Damn. It.

(Yes the human figures are ass, but I did at least want the two main characters.)

If I may? Since he obviously has such an (understandable) aversion to the twins, may the blighter be tied to a chair and forced to rewatch all of the Skids / Mudflap scenes from Revenge of the Fallen. On a loop. For a month.

Or be crushed when his Decepticon car spontaneously transformers with him it.

Either / Or.

Guest Post > Interview with Spy Monkey Creations

July 11, 2011 | VENENOR

I recently had the pleasure of talking first hand with the three-headed weapon-making machine known as Spy Monkey Creations, Inc.

Team members Jeremy Sung, Brian Stevenson and Bill Murphy are the minds behind some of the coolest custom-produced weapons and accessory packs for action figure collectors today. And as a fellow collector it’s always a bonus when you can find top-notch items that compliment your figures perfectly. From energy-based accessories to swords and shields, Team SMC has amped up many of our action figure arsenals and have made playing, er, posing that much cooler.

Be sure to check out their store if you haven’t already to pick up some of their current available stock.

Now enough of my rambling, let’s get to the interview! (more…)