That is all.
*The events depicted do not reflect the views of this blog or it's author. While TNG is amazing, it's a hollow shell when it comes to the magnificence of Star Wars. Even if Jean Luc Picard is pretty fucking rad... for a Frenchmen.
Showing posts with label Minimates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minimates. Show all posts
Friday, February 18, 2011
And Now, Captain Picard Riding An AT-AT
That is all.
*The events depicted do not reflect the views of this blog or it's author. While TNG is amazing, it's a hollow shell when it comes to the magnificence of Star Wars. Even if Jean Luc Picard is pretty fucking rad... for a Frenchmen.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Three Best Things At Toy Fair 2011
As any geek worth their salt knows, this past weekend was the annual event that makes all our bank accounts shudder in anticipation: The US Toy Fair. And really, what kind of geek blog would I be running here if I didn't at least mention my favorite reveals this year. So, without further ado, my top three...
3- A Zero Minimate.
As part of their upcoming, and newly announced, Marvel v. Capcom line, Art Asylum kind of sorta accidentally let this cat out of the bag a little early. You know how it goes. You get excited about something and write the blog post to get it out of you, but then end up accidentally posting it now as opposed to after the official announcement. Sucks for them, fantastic for us.
More to the point, of all the Capcom figures coming this one is the one that I can't wait for. As a huge Mega Man X fan, I never thought I'd own this iconic character in the toyline that I like. I mean, sure, it would have been nice to have a Mega Man as well, but I'll take a sweet looking Zero any day of the week.
Maybe next they can do a Proto Man...
2- Knight Rider Minimates!
Yes, more on the minimate front. What? I love'em.
Following up movie licenses like Back to the Future and Ghostbusters, it seems that Art Asylum got a hold of the classic Knight Rider license. Now, I know that this unpainted prototype doesn't look like much - and more than a bit deformed - but it's a means to an end that will get us quite possibly the most exciting minimate figure ever: David Hasslehoff.
Move over Michael J. Fox, I got a new celebrity to lord over like a god. Here's hoping the retailers bite on this, otherwise they'll have one sad Panda on their hands.
1- FUCKING DARKHAWK!!!
Out of nowhere, from a line that I have no real interest to collect, comes my newest obsession: DARKHAWK! I don't know how it happened, or why, but I don't care. THIS IS AWESOME! Do you realize that this is the first time this classic 90s character has ever been immortalized in plastic? That right there is a crime against culture that I'm so elated to see rectified.
Between this, a Scarlet Spider that looks like the one we should have gotten years ago, and an OG Power Man/Iron Fist pack, I might have to start getting these figures. Well, some of them at least. All bets are off if they end up making an 8-Ball or a Sleepwalker though...
__________________________________________________________________
Finally, I'd like to end things with a spot of disappointment I had at the reveals. Namely, the character selection of the newest Marvel Minimate wave:
I really don't want to be 'that guy', but... ugh. Really? To date there have been two versions of the Silver Iron Man armor (and two more gold repaints!), two goblins that look exactly the same (but without a glider, so there is that), and don't even get me started on the Spider-Man.
I get the idea the need to have a heavy rotation of the big name characters (and honestly, the character selection for minimates has been pretty solid overall), but why these non-variants. How cool would it be to have a modern Ramos-inspired Goblin? Or even a hooded Clone Saga one? Or an Iron Man 2020, a Thorbuster (to go with the big Thor push), or any of a number of interesting Iron Man suits that aren't the boring ass original costume? Or... well, I'm sure you get the point, I'm just a little upset with this collection.
Here's hoping though, that after it's all said and done with the movie waves, that DST and Art Asylum get back to making great, unique characters again. Maybe a comic Captain America wave with Baron Zemo, Crossbones, Rikki Barnes, and Nomad. Or a Thor wave with Thunderstrike, Bloodaxe, and... uh... someone else involved with Thor.
Regardless of the minor disappointments I had, this wasn't such a bad Toy Fair. I can't wait to see more at San Diego this year.
3- A Zero Minimate.
As part of their upcoming, and newly announced, Marvel v. Capcom line, Art Asylum kind of sorta accidentally let this cat out of the bag a little early. You know how it goes. You get excited about something and write the blog post to get it out of you, but then end up accidentally posting it now as opposed to after the official announcement. Sucks for them, fantastic for us.
More to the point, of all the Capcom figures coming this one is the one that I can't wait for. As a huge Mega Man X fan, I never thought I'd own this iconic character in the toyline that I like. I mean, sure, it would have been nice to have a Mega Man as well, but I'll take a sweet looking Zero any day of the week.
Maybe next they can do a Proto Man...
2- Knight Rider Minimates!
Yes, more on the minimate front. What? I love'em.
Following up movie licenses like Back to the Future and Ghostbusters, it seems that Art Asylum got a hold of the classic Knight Rider license. Now, I know that this unpainted prototype doesn't look like much - and more than a bit deformed - but it's a means to an end that will get us quite possibly the most exciting minimate figure ever: David Hasslehoff.
Move over Michael J. Fox, I got a new celebrity to lord over like a god. Here's hoping the retailers bite on this, otherwise they'll have one sad Panda on their hands.
1- FUCKING DARKHAWK!!!
Out of nowhere, from a line that I have no real interest to collect, comes my newest obsession: DARKHAWK! I don't know how it happened, or why, but I don't care. THIS IS AWESOME! Do you realize that this is the first time this classic 90s character has ever been immortalized in plastic? That right there is a crime against culture that I'm so elated to see rectified.
Between this, a Scarlet Spider that looks like the one we should have gotten years ago, and an OG Power Man/Iron Fist pack, I might have to start getting these figures. Well, some of them at least. All bets are off if they end up making an 8-Ball or a Sleepwalker though...
__________________________________________________________________
Finally, I'd like to end things with a spot of disappointment I had at the reveals. Namely, the character selection of the newest Marvel Minimate wave:
I really don't want to be 'that guy', but... ugh. Really? To date there have been two versions of the Silver Iron Man armor (and two more gold repaints!), two goblins that look exactly the same (but without a glider, so there is that), and don't even get me started on the Spider-Man.
I get the idea the need to have a heavy rotation of the big name characters (and honestly, the character selection for minimates has been pretty solid overall), but why these non-variants. How cool would it be to have a modern Ramos-inspired Goblin? Or even a hooded Clone Saga one? Or an Iron Man 2020, a Thorbuster (to go with the big Thor push), or any of a number of interesting Iron Man suits that aren't the boring ass original costume? Or... well, I'm sure you get the point, I'm just a little upset with this collection.
Here's hoping though, that after it's all said and done with the movie waves, that DST and Art Asylum get back to making great, unique characters again. Maybe a comic Captain America wave with Baron Zemo, Crossbones, Rikki Barnes, and Nomad. Or a Thor wave with Thunderstrike, Bloodaxe, and... uh... someone else involved with Thor.
Regardless of the minor disappointments I had, this wasn't such a bad Toy Fair. I can't wait to see more at San Diego this year.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Making The Most of Your Minimates
I love minimates. Can't get enough of 'em.
Since 2003, Art Asylum has been pumping out these two inch hunks of plastic and don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. I've been there since the beginning, so you can imagine that I have a fairly sizable collection.
All I can say is: Thank God their only two inches tall. Can you imagine if I had 200 plus six inch figures? There wouldn't be room for empty space anywhere in the apartment. It'd look like a toy store threw up and/or a five year old's dream come true. I speak from experience, you should see my old place.
I'm getting off track.
My point is, when you've been collecting these for as long as I have, you're bound to have multiple versions of the same character. Sometimes, it's exactly what you want (as in"Finally, the good version I was waiting for") but most of the time it's just different variations on something you already have and like.
Such is the nature of the two or four packs the figures come in that you're more than likely going to have an overabundance of the latter. But here's where the awesomeness of minimates come in. With their modular bodies ti becomes very easy to alter a boring variation into a new figure that's both wanted and likely never to be made. Just check out what I've made:
90s Namor
Parts Used:
1- Invaders Namor
1- Atlantean Soldier Hair
2- Atlantean Soldier Wrist Guard OR Nova Wrist Guard
Say hello to the Savage King of the Seas. After a simple hair and accessory swap, the ordinarily classic Namor goes from 1930s to the 1990s, when, for whatever reason, he grew his hair out and became more violent. Because, you know, the 90s.
As an aside, I'm sure the 90s was a very awkward period for the Illuminati. Between the savage king of the seas, Teen Tony, the full face masked Dr. Strange, Evil Xavier, Teen Black Bolt, and hostage survivor Reed, it was a bad time all around. I'm sure every meeting ended with someone in tears, and it was probably either Teen Tony or Reed.
90s Kristoff Doom
Parts Used:
1- First Appearance Doom
2- Secret Wars Doom feet
2- Secret wars doom arms
1- Silver Iron Man hand
Otherwise known as, that kid who thought he was Dr. Doom, but totally wasn't. Introduced during John Byrne's run as the heir to Doom's throne, and seemingly dealt with at the end of Walt Simonson's run, Kristoff Vernard probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Up until he was co-opted by Tom Defalco, and made an unofficial member of the Fantastic Four (which at the time boasted something like 17 members... Lord I hate that run) and had him fall in love with Cassie Lang for a spell. He disappeared during the Onslaught fiasco and hasn't been seen since.
But hey, that history shouldn't stop you from trying to complete your own 90s version of the Four. This guy goes perfectly with the scarred, bucket-head Thing that came out a few years ago and, God willing, with the Peak-a-boo Sue that I'm sure they'll release at some point.
The recipe here is a bit more complicated, but not by much. Basically just use your new First Appearance Doom as a base, remove the hood, switch out the feet, arms, and hands, and boom. Brand new mate. For a fun added bonus, add an energy effect to one of his hands to make him look just that much more menacing... until you realize that under that armor, he's just a horny 12 year old.
Doppleganger
Parts Used:
1- Six Armed Spider-Man
1- Head of Spider Carnage
4- Arms of other Spider-Men
The good, and bad, thing about the minimate line is that there's always plenty of Spider-Men. Be it new costumes or retreads of the classic, they've probably made exactly what you want, except for maybe this guy.
The Doppleganger was somehow one of the only monstrous double characters that survived the Infinity War crossover (the other being the Daredevil double, because why not), who also had life as a villain for a while. Well, villain is too big of a word for this guy, more like bad guy pet. He was like to Carnage and Shriek what Panthor was to Skeletor or Salacious Crumb was to Jabba; Evil by the nature of who he hung around with.
Anyway, with a quick head and arm swap, suddenly that boring old six-Armed Spidey looks positively threatening. Best of all? If you swap the bare arms with the Smiling Spidey of wave 4, he kinda looks like Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Well I think so at least. Maybe if I gave him some fake tattoos...
Monstro
Parts Used:
1- MAX Fireman
1- Wonder Man head
1- X-Force Cable hair piece
Going from obscure 90s to obscure 00s, here's Robert Kirkman's reinvention of Monstro.
Yeah yeah, I know: "Wha..? Who?" Back a few years ago, Marvel had relaunched Amazing Fantasy as a character try out book. And when issue 15 was due to come out, they decided to cram it full of as many new characters as they could, some much better (like Amadeus Cho, Black Jack, and Monstro, of course) than others (everything else).
Later, Monstro popped up again as a member of Damage Control in the short lived (and written by Kirkman) Irresponsible Ant Man series. Since then he's cameoed here and there, but he's pretty obscure, don't feel too bad if you don't know about him.
I, on the other hand, had this custom in my head as soon as I saw they were coming out with firemen. I'm crazy like that. I simply swapped the heads, added some right enough hair, and was on my way.
I'm way more proud of this than I ought to be, I think.
8-Ball
Parts Used:
Scrounged Black body parts
Scrounged white feet and hands
Sculpy
1 MAX Fireman's hook
Yeah, that's right. I made an 8-Ball because he's the BEST CHARACTER EVER! Also, it was really easy to make. If you don't know who this guy is, you should be ashamed, because I wrote a big article on him a few weeks ago. Read it here, it's fun, I promise.
After falling in love, I just had to immortalize him in plastic and it was remarkably easy. I just rolled a ball of sculpy about the size of a minimate head, squished it on the body to get the hole right, and baked it. After baking, I printed out a bunch of 8's, found the font and size that fit, and modge podged it on.
I don't have to tell you, the result is TOTALLY RAD! Look at it again!
There you go, something to start you on your way to making your old minimates work for you. I'll let you know if I get any more bright ideas, but in the meantime if you got any awesome ones and wanna share it, I'm all about it.
Lord knows I'm always looking for some way to repurpose my old figures.
Since 2003, Art Asylum has been pumping out these two inch hunks of plastic and don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. I've been there since the beginning, so you can imagine that I have a fairly sizable collection.
All I can say is: Thank God their only two inches tall. Can you imagine if I had 200 plus six inch figures? There wouldn't be room for empty space anywhere in the apartment. It'd look like a toy store threw up and/or a five year old's dream come true. I speak from experience, you should see my old place.
I'm getting off track.
My point is, when you've been collecting these for as long as I have, you're bound to have multiple versions of the same character. Sometimes, it's exactly what you want (as in"Finally, the good version I was waiting for") but most of the time it's just different variations on something you already have and like.
Such is the nature of the two or four packs the figures come in that you're more than likely going to have an overabundance of the latter. But here's where the awesomeness of minimates come in. With their modular bodies ti becomes very easy to alter a boring variation into a new figure that's both wanted and likely never to be made. Just check out what I've made:
90s Namor
Parts Used:
1- Invaders Namor
1- Atlantean Soldier Hair
2- Atlantean Soldier Wrist Guard OR Nova Wrist Guard
Say hello to the Savage King of the Seas. After a simple hair and accessory swap, the ordinarily classic Namor goes from 1930s to the 1990s, when, for whatever reason, he grew his hair out and became more violent. Because, you know, the 90s.
As an aside, I'm sure the 90s was a very awkward period for the Illuminati. Between the savage king of the seas, Teen Tony, the full face masked Dr. Strange, Evil Xavier, Teen Black Bolt, and hostage survivor Reed, it was a bad time all around. I'm sure every meeting ended with someone in tears, and it was probably either Teen Tony or Reed.
90s Kristoff Doom
Parts Used:
1- First Appearance Doom
2- Secret Wars Doom feet
2- Secret wars doom arms
1- Silver Iron Man hand
Otherwise known as, that kid who thought he was Dr. Doom, but totally wasn't. Introduced during John Byrne's run as the heir to Doom's throne, and seemingly dealt with at the end of Walt Simonson's run, Kristoff Vernard probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Up until he was co-opted by Tom Defalco, and made an unofficial member of the Fantastic Four (which at the time boasted something like 17 members... Lord I hate that run) and had him fall in love with Cassie Lang for a spell. He disappeared during the Onslaught fiasco and hasn't been seen since.
But hey, that history shouldn't stop you from trying to complete your own 90s version of the Four. This guy goes perfectly with the scarred, bucket-head Thing that came out a few years ago and, God willing, with the Peak-a-boo Sue that I'm sure they'll release at some point.
The recipe here is a bit more complicated, but not by much. Basically just use your new First Appearance Doom as a base, remove the hood, switch out the feet, arms, and hands, and boom. Brand new mate. For a fun added bonus, add an energy effect to one of his hands to make him look just that much more menacing... until you realize that under that armor, he's just a horny 12 year old.
Doppleganger
Parts Used:
1- Six Armed Spider-Man
1- Head of Spider Carnage
4- Arms of other Spider-Men
The good, and bad, thing about the minimate line is that there's always plenty of Spider-Men. Be it new costumes or retreads of the classic, they've probably made exactly what you want, except for maybe this guy.
The Doppleganger was somehow one of the only monstrous double characters that survived the Infinity War crossover (the other being the Daredevil double, because why not), who also had life as a villain for a while. Well, villain is too big of a word for this guy, more like bad guy pet. He was like to Carnage and Shriek what Panthor was to Skeletor or Salacious Crumb was to Jabba; Evil by the nature of who he hung around with.
Anyway, with a quick head and arm swap, suddenly that boring old six-Armed Spidey looks positively threatening. Best of all? If you swap the bare arms with the Smiling Spidey of wave 4, he kinda looks like Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Well I think so at least. Maybe if I gave him some fake tattoos...
Monstro
Parts Used:
1- MAX Fireman
1- Wonder Man head
1- X-Force Cable hair piece
Going from obscure 90s to obscure 00s, here's Robert Kirkman's reinvention of Monstro.
Yeah yeah, I know: "Wha..? Who?" Back a few years ago, Marvel had relaunched Amazing Fantasy as a character try out book. And when issue 15 was due to come out, they decided to cram it full of as many new characters as they could, some much better (like Amadeus Cho, Black Jack, and Monstro, of course) than others (everything else).
Later, Monstro popped up again as a member of Damage Control in the short lived (and written by Kirkman) Irresponsible Ant Man series. Since then he's cameoed here and there, but he's pretty obscure, don't feel too bad if you don't know about him.
I, on the other hand, had this custom in my head as soon as I saw they were coming out with firemen. I'm crazy like that. I simply swapped the heads, added some right enough hair, and was on my way.
I'm way more proud of this than I ought to be, I think.
8-Ball
Parts Used:
Scrounged Black body parts
Scrounged white feet and hands
Sculpy
1 MAX Fireman's hook
Yeah, that's right. I made an 8-Ball because he's the BEST CHARACTER EVER! Also, it was really easy to make. If you don't know who this guy is, you should be ashamed, because I wrote a big article on him a few weeks ago. Read it here, it's fun, I promise.
After falling in love, I just had to immortalize him in plastic and it was remarkably easy. I just rolled a ball of sculpy about the size of a minimate head, squished it on the body to get the hole right, and baked it. After baking, I printed out a bunch of 8's, found the font and size that fit, and modge podged it on.
I don't have to tell you, the result is TOTALLY RAD! Look at it again!
There you go, something to start you on your way to making your old minimates work for you. I'll let you know if I get any more bright ideas, but in the meantime if you got any awesome ones and wanna share it, I'm all about it.
Lord knows I'm always looking for some way to repurpose my old figures.
Monday, July 26, 2010
There And Back Again: A SDCC Journey
Five days, a huge stack of comics, and a hundred fifty bucks later, I'm back to tell the tale of the San Diego Comic Con. They say that pictures are worth a thousand words, so just check out my haul:
Like most years it was overly big, overly crowded, and overly exhausting, but man was it good time. From the random celebrity sightings (Nathan Fillion! Joel Mchale! Graboski from LOST! Sean Patrick Flannery!) to the offsite shenanigans (Tron, Machete, Jackass 3d, Scott Pilgrim, take your pick), this year's Con was chock full of goodness for everyone. If you have any geek inclination, there's something there for you.
That said, I'm no stranger to the event, so I could tell that things felt a bit different this year. I don't want to go off on a rant about how Hollywood is ruining the con, but it's certainly changing things and not necessarily for the better. It's not just the influx of new fans or LA douches that just want to be seen; no, it's more how separated the Hollywood celebs are and the growing seperation of fan and celeb at this traditionally level event.
This notion really took hold when I was gathered around the Warner's booth to get a glimpse of the guys from Supernatural (shut up, it's an awesome show. Plus the GirlFriend wanted pics). Warner, along with a few other booths like CBS, built in a VIP section on their booth so the celebs could walk around unfettered by the teeming mob below who were just aching for a glance from these elites. It felt... I dunno, very Hollywood to be treated like a lesser person because I wasn't on a list or something.
I had similar occurrences at the Jackass 3D and the SyFy party. At Jackass 3D, the only reason I got in is because I knew someone with a clipboard. Meanwhile the SyFy party had a red carpet facsimile leading to it so the fans could cheer on their favorites, while their favorites got their drink on away from all them nerds.
That's not to say that there hasn't been parties like that in the past at Comic Con; But I hazard to guess that ten years ago those comic parties didn't have legions of security guards keeping out the fans.
It's become a weird event, The San Diego Comic Con. I've decided there are two ways to experience it. You either A- Stand in line for panels and get into maybe half of the ones you want to see, but make connections with your fellow geeks in line (I know I did in the one line I stood in) and get to see all the cool stuff; or B- Traverse the floor, experiencing the lifeblood of the con, spending lots of cash, and experiencing the insanity that is 140,000 people. While each way is ultimately satisfying, it's a choice that you didn't used to have to make while going to the Con. Personally I like a little bit of both, but I'm not about to sacrifice half my day at the place just to stand in line.
In the end, I really did have a great time and I can't wait to go next year. Even though next year will probably be even more stratified than this one. The only thing I hope is that the San Diego Comic Con stays in San Diego where it belongs.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Mini Invasion!
It was a banner week for Minimates this week.
Minimates, for the uninitiated, are two inch block figures from Art Asylum that cover a whole slew of different licenses. My favorite, and they're longest running, line is the Marvel stuff (shocker!).
This week saw the duel release of both Series 36 (The comic Iron Man wave) AND the new Toys R Us wave (basically the same stuff, but with a couple of new figures) leaving me light in the wallet, but heavy with chunks of plastic. It's one of the best waves they've had in a while, full of great new sculpted pieces, obscure characters, and genuine surprises. Here are my personal faves:
1 - LOCKJAW!
You may have remember I was stoked for this figure when it was announced, so it's no surprise that I'm excited to finally get my mitts on him. I'm so utterly shocked that they made him and so impressed by the results. The expression, the sculpting, the everything about him is wonderfully done. Art Asylum has done a great job of working with these standard block figures to pull out surprises like this one. If you can find him t TRU, you should totally pick him up.
2- Stilt-Man?
Talk about an obscure character that I was sure they'd never make. Stilt-Man was, hands down, the best part of this week's releases. I don't know what it is about him: his goofy appearance, the shiny silver, or the fact that he just TOWERS over the other minimates, he's just down right awesome.
I can't keep my eyes off of him, I constantly want to pose and repose him. He's totally my favorite thing right now, and I'm kinda worried about what that means...
3- Crimson Dynamo
To look at this figure from the outside, it's pretty rad. He's big, menacing, and has that amazing Vacu-sealed shiny red armor that just makes him pop off the shelf. It's about time Iron Man had some quality villains to be posed against.
So what makes this figure so special? Why did I pull him out as an example of how great this wave was? Let me pop that helmet off and show you.
IT'S JOSEPH STALIN!
Like it wouldn't have been hard enough covering up that fantastic 'stache, they had to go make him look like one of the defining leaders of the modern world. It's like getting two villains in one!
This is, far and away, my favorite toy easter egg of all time.
Minimates, for the uninitiated, are two inch block figures from Art Asylum that cover a whole slew of different licenses. My favorite, and they're longest running, line is the Marvel stuff (shocker!).
This week saw the duel release of both Series 36 (The comic Iron Man wave) AND the new Toys R Us wave (basically the same stuff, but with a couple of new figures) leaving me light in the wallet, but heavy with chunks of plastic. It's one of the best waves they've had in a while, full of great new sculpted pieces, obscure characters, and genuine surprises. Here are my personal faves:
1 - LOCKJAW!
You may have remember I was stoked for this figure when it was announced, so it's no surprise that I'm excited to finally get my mitts on him. I'm so utterly shocked that they made him and so impressed by the results. The expression, the sculpting, the everything about him is wonderfully done. Art Asylum has done a great job of working with these standard block figures to pull out surprises like this one. If you can find him t TRU, you should totally pick him up.
2- Stilt-Man?
Talk about an obscure character that I was sure they'd never make. Stilt-Man was, hands down, the best part of this week's releases. I don't know what it is about him: his goofy appearance, the shiny silver, or the fact that he just TOWERS over the other minimates, he's just down right awesome.
I can't keep my eyes off of him, I constantly want to pose and repose him. He's totally my favorite thing right now, and I'm kinda worried about what that means...
3- Crimson Dynamo
To look at this figure from the outside, it's pretty rad. He's big, menacing, and has that amazing Vacu-sealed shiny red armor that just makes him pop off the shelf. It's about time Iron Man had some quality villains to be posed against.
So what makes this figure so special? Why did I pull him out as an example of how great this wave was? Let me pop that helmet off and show you.
IT'S JOSEPH STALIN!
Like it wouldn't have been hard enough covering up that fantastic 'stache, they had to go make him look like one of the defining leaders of the modern world. It's like getting two villains in one!
This is, far and away, my favorite toy easter egg of all time.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Everything's coming up LockJaw
I've been an unabashed fan of LockJaw and the Pet Avengers since the beginning, and while I sing the praises of Throg whenever I can, the title character still has a special place in my heart. So you can imagine my delight when I was checking my toy blogs and saw this beautiful masterpiece:
Why he's with a non-asian Psylocke I'll never know. Regardless, it's the totally awesome crown jewel of the seventh wave of TRU minimates hitting sometime in the future.
I guess it's time to start a letter writing campaign for a Throg minimate.
Who's with me?
Why he's with a non-asian Psylocke I'll never know. Regardless, it's the totally awesome crown jewel of the seventh wave of TRU minimates hitting sometime in the future.
I guess it's time to start a letter writing campaign for a Throg minimate.
Who's with me?
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Minimate Overload
I've kinda gone nuts in the past few days buying minimates.
What are minimates, you ask? Why, they're just Diamond Select's biggest mini moneymaker. With two inches and fourteen points of articulation, they're systematically creating the most comprehensive multi-license toyline since Mego in the 70s. Finally I can play out my fantasies of Hannibal Lector fighting a Terminator, or pair up drinking buddies like Saul Tigh and Tony Stark. Needlessly to say, I'm all about them.
Lately, as in this past week, I've been buying a ton of these guys to add to my already burgeoning collection. From Cowboys to Ghostbusters, here's what I got and what I think of'em:
A Fistful of Dollars
I honestly never expected to buy these, but seeing them at 50% off I just couldn't resist. Besides, how could you not like a mini Clint Eastwood?
The figures are pretty snazzy with, especially John Baxter with his fancy lookin' vest and commanding mustache. Also they come with great little accessories, like a specialty molded gun with a snake on the handle and the makeshift bulletproof vest.
On the downside, some of those neat little details really hinder the figures. Marisols dress and headscarf make her a figure that can only really watch the action, but never join it, while poor Clint almost suffers the same fate with his neat looking poncho that restricts the movement of one of his arms. Not to mention poor Ramon and his rifle that will never fit in his hands... Poor Ramon, now he'll never take a man's life...
On a scale of five, I'd give them a two and a half on the barking seal scale. They're sweet little figures, but mostly just for posing on the shelf, not for getting into epic cowboy dustups.
Back to the Future 2
I don't know what took me so long to get these awesome representations of one of the greatest series ever made. Sure, they lack a bit of the likeness factor, but they make up for it by being the only game in town.
While lighter in accessories than the previous boxset, they far succeed it in posability. The clunker of the bunch is probably Doc Brown, as his trenchcoat/shirt number does leave him in the pose options, but again, he's way better than what we had before (read:nothing). My personal favorite is Marty Jr and his super girlie, yet uber-awesome, hoverboard. It makes me yearn for the day when we have shoes with power laces and Jackets that dry themselves... just six more years...
As a bonus with these guys, because of their size it's easier to find size appropriate vehicles for them, like this 1:24 scale Delorean I had lying around the house:
With all of this greatness, it pains me to only give this set a 4 barking seals out of 5, as I'm really bothered by that Doc that can't use his legs.
Ghostbusters
So there's actually two series' of these floating around out there. The first is a boxset with Peter, Egon, Dana, and Louis (as a Terror Dog), which I have yet to find and it's driving me nuts! Ahem. The second is a group of five two packs available at Toys R Us, of which I bought two: Winston from Ghostbusters 2 with a Terror Dog (no Louis or Dana inside though...) and Peter from the courtroom scene in Ghostbusters 2 with a random yellow ghost.
Now let me tell you something, those proton packs are amazing, with fantastic sculpting and a great attention to detail. I'm gonna save showing you a picture of that until I get the box set (and learn how to take a non blurry pciture, dammit!), but until then, take a look at the weirdly veiny proton beam:
...Gross...
Anyway, that's neither here nor there, these figures are pretty cool too. Winston might look a little generic, but the detail work on his costume from the name on the chest to the Ghostbusters 2 logo on the arm are pretty awesome, while Peter, for being a guy in a suit with a crazy ray gun on his back, looks pretty snazzy if not a bit dull.
The saving grace of both sets are the ghosts. The giant yellow ghost looks pretty scary (for a two inch toy) and has great posability for those rumbles with the guys, while the Terror Dog looks like it stepped off the screen, if he was stylized and blocky. They're totally great, and I really hope the series continues long enough for me to get a crazy Janosz/Vigo two pack...
When it comes down to it, I'm giving these guys a 4 outta 5 seals too, because as great as they are the guys are just a bit dull which knocks it down just a peg.
Marvel
Ah yes, my bread and butter. Surprising no one, the Marvel Minimates were what got me in the habit in the first place. This is series 25 of the long running Marvel line, with a stellar lineup of: The New Captain America, The Red Skull, the Red Hulk, Skaar: Son of Hulk, Iron Man, and an AIM Goon. And I gotta say, they're all pretty sweet.
Tight designs, lots of accessories, and a great character selection (although I'll admit that Skaar is more than a headscratcher) make this one of the best series in a while, throw in the first foray into army building and I'm happy as a clam.
Army building, you ask? Yeah, see with these Marvel waves, they always tend to have a variant figure in the mix, which normally if you want to get results in having two of the exact same figure. It finally occured to the powers that be to make that 'exact same figure' a faceless goon, so you won't mind having more than one of them. So, I purchased my first variant set and got myself another AIM goon, and then promptly found a third set (at Toys R Us for cheaper!!) and got it too. Allowing me to do things like this:
I'm so all about these figures it's stupid, they get my newly patented Seal of Awesomeness on the barking seal scale.
And there it is, my dirty little obsession. I hope you weren't too bored because I'm planning to do the same kind of round up later this month with all the fantastic looking exclusives getting released at the San Diego Comic Con this year....
What are minimates, you ask? Why, they're just Diamond Select's biggest mini moneymaker. With two inches and fourteen points of articulation, they're systematically creating the most comprehensive multi-license toyline since Mego in the 70s. Finally I can play out my fantasies of Hannibal Lector fighting a Terminator, or pair up drinking buddies like Saul Tigh and Tony Stark. Needlessly to say, I'm all about them.
Lately, as in this past week, I've been buying a ton of these guys to add to my already burgeoning collection. From Cowboys to Ghostbusters, here's what I got and what I think of'em:
A Fistful of Dollars
I honestly never expected to buy these, but seeing them at 50% off I just couldn't resist. Besides, how could you not like a mini Clint Eastwood?
The figures are pretty snazzy with, especially John Baxter with his fancy lookin' vest and commanding mustache. Also they come with great little accessories, like a specialty molded gun with a snake on the handle and the makeshift bulletproof vest.
On the downside, some of those neat little details really hinder the figures. Marisols dress and headscarf make her a figure that can only really watch the action, but never join it, while poor Clint almost suffers the same fate with his neat looking poncho that restricts the movement of one of his arms. Not to mention poor Ramon and his rifle that will never fit in his hands... Poor Ramon, now he'll never take a man's life...
On a scale of five, I'd give them a two and a half on the barking seal scale. They're sweet little figures, but mostly just for posing on the shelf, not for getting into epic cowboy dustups.
Back to the Future 2
I don't know what took me so long to get these awesome representations of one of the greatest series ever made. Sure, they lack a bit of the likeness factor, but they make up for it by being the only game in town.
While lighter in accessories than the previous boxset, they far succeed it in posability. The clunker of the bunch is probably Doc Brown, as his trenchcoat/shirt number does leave him in the pose options, but again, he's way better than what we had before (read:nothing). My personal favorite is Marty Jr and his super girlie, yet uber-awesome, hoverboard. It makes me yearn for the day when we have shoes with power laces and Jackets that dry themselves... just six more years...
As a bonus with these guys, because of their size it's easier to find size appropriate vehicles for them, like this 1:24 scale Delorean I had lying around the house:
With all of this greatness, it pains me to only give this set a 4 barking seals out of 5, as I'm really bothered by that Doc that can't use his legs.
Ghostbusters
So there's actually two series' of these floating around out there. The first is a boxset with Peter, Egon, Dana, and Louis (as a Terror Dog), which I have yet to find and it's driving me nuts! Ahem. The second is a group of five two packs available at Toys R Us, of which I bought two: Winston from Ghostbusters 2 with a Terror Dog (no Louis or Dana inside though...) and Peter from the courtroom scene in Ghostbusters 2 with a random yellow ghost.
Now let me tell you something, those proton packs are amazing, with fantastic sculpting and a great attention to detail. I'm gonna save showing you a picture of that until I get the box set (and learn how to take a non blurry pciture, dammit!), but until then, take a look at the weirdly veiny proton beam:
...Gross...
Anyway, that's neither here nor there, these figures are pretty cool too. Winston might look a little generic, but the detail work on his costume from the name on the chest to the Ghostbusters 2 logo on the arm are pretty awesome, while Peter, for being a guy in a suit with a crazy ray gun on his back, looks pretty snazzy if not a bit dull.
The saving grace of both sets are the ghosts. The giant yellow ghost looks pretty scary (for a two inch toy) and has great posability for those rumbles with the guys, while the Terror Dog looks like it stepped off the screen, if he was stylized and blocky. They're totally great, and I really hope the series continues long enough for me to get a crazy Janosz/Vigo two pack...
When it comes down to it, I'm giving these guys a 4 outta 5 seals too, because as great as they are the guys are just a bit dull which knocks it down just a peg.
Marvel
Ah yes, my bread and butter. Surprising no one, the Marvel Minimates were what got me in the habit in the first place. This is series 25 of the long running Marvel line, with a stellar lineup of: The New Captain America, The Red Skull, the Red Hulk, Skaar: Son of Hulk, Iron Man, and an AIM Goon. And I gotta say, they're all pretty sweet.
Tight designs, lots of accessories, and a great character selection (although I'll admit that Skaar is more than a headscratcher) make this one of the best series in a while, throw in the first foray into army building and I'm happy as a clam.
Army building, you ask? Yeah, see with these Marvel waves, they always tend to have a variant figure in the mix, which normally if you want to get results in having two of the exact same figure. It finally occured to the powers that be to make that 'exact same figure' a faceless goon, so you won't mind having more than one of them. So, I purchased my first variant set and got myself another AIM goon, and then promptly found a third set (at Toys R Us for cheaper!!) and got it too. Allowing me to do things like this:
I'm so all about these figures it's stupid, they get my newly patented Seal of Awesomeness on the barking seal scale.
And there it is, my dirty little obsession. I hope you weren't too bored because I'm planning to do the same kind of round up later this month with all the fantastic looking exclusives getting released at the San Diego Comic Con this year....
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