1.) Where did the bio art for Gygor come from?
It came from the vintage Big Jim’s Gorilla box. We scanned it and then re-colored it. (more…)
Pic of the Day
Bat Shark Repellent by graznador2
Jon Stewart evidently not too short for a stormtrooper
This is kind of neat. One of the special events during today’s Star Wars Celebration V was one-hour interview between Daily Show host Jon Stewart and George Lucas. To honor the event, Hasbro created a one-of-a-kind Jon Stewart action figure, complete with alternate goatee head. Pretty awesome.
Mattel MOTUC updates (No 200X Grizzlor head)
First off, it appears we won’t be getting Grizzlor’s extra Millennium face. Scott Neitlich:
He-Fans,
Many of you may have picked up the latest Toy Fare magazine (check out the cool Legion cover!) and have seen an image of Grizzlor with a second head as an accessory.
To clarify, the Grizzlor shown at SDCC was final. It was there in package. He only has one head as officially announced at SDCC.
Magazines often need images well in advance and many times the only images we have available are the first pics of the Horsemen sculpts.
Because the Horsemen sculpt more then we ask for ( a good problem to have), sometimes these PR images wind up having extra parts pictured that do not get tooled. This happened with Batman Beyond’s wings and Lex Luthor’s skirt pieces as well.
Our tooling budget is finite and we can’t always afford to tool everything the Horsemen sculpt (especially when they throw in unrequested parts not accounted for in the budget – not that we want them to stop! A lot of things the sculpt wind up getting used later. The Kandor they sculpted for Superman in DCSH wound up getting used in JLU in 2010!)
Back to the point: Because we did announce Grizzlor in full at SDCC, hopefully this image was not too misleading. But to be clear, Grizzlor has one face only. The figure is tool’d and in production so no changes are being made at this point.
Sorry for any confusion gang!
Scott
I–hmm. Well…hrm. Forget it. I’m not even going to bother.
Neitlich also posted a lengthy update on the MOTUC figures seen at SDCC. There’s some good news and some not-so-good-news. (more…)
Poe’s First Podcast
My first-ever appearance on a podcast is now live. I want to thank the great folks at OrccaCast for what was a very fun and easy introduction to the world of podcasting. Topics of discussion include MOTUC/DCUC/Mattel, my background in collecting (including some childhood anecdotes), H.P. Lovecraft movies and more.
The whole episode is great, but if you just want to hear me, I come in at the 15-minute mark.
Doc Thomas Probes > Winning with Bargains
For Doc Thomas, it’s all about winning. Not winning in the traditional sense, like coming first in a race or plowing through the Tour De France in a monster truck, but winning in the sense that you’re doing what you love, and freakin’ loving doing it. Toy collectors know that when you’re finally buying that most beloved, most waited for, most coveted toy, you are winning. When you’re opening that action figure up and changing accessories, posing it, switching interchangable parts, you’re absolutely winning. And when you’re putting your toys on display, or preposing them in battle, you just can’t stop winning. (more…)
Eddie Wires, 1972-2010
I never met Eddie Wires, but like many of us, I certainly knew his work. His passing earlier this week was a shock to the action figure industry. To say he will be missed is an indequate understatement. Chances are some of your favorite toys were painted by Mr. Wires, as his portfolio shows.
My sincere condolences to Eddie’s family. (more…)
Pic of the Day
![Ashley Wood's World War Robot - 1/12 Bertie [Dirty Deeds Unforgiving Variant]](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4802220047_58934b61da.jpg)
Ashley Wood’s World War Robot – 1/12 Bertie [Dirty Deeds Unforgiving Variant] by Ed Speir IV
Any questions for Mattel?
Shoot. This will be for the September 1 round.
Poe-dcast
Oddly enough, the good people at Orccacast, a podcast specializing in movies, comics, games, toys, gadgets and other geek-related phenomena, deemed me worthy of an interview. This marks the first appearance of my horrible man-voice over the series of tubes (rest in peace, Sen. Stevens).
Still, the interview went well and I had a lot of fun with the OC folks. Topics included MOTU, Mattycollector, Ghostbusters, H.P. Lovecraft and the little-known movie The Resurrected. My interview will be in episode 25, which will be posted tomorrow (Friday) on their website.