The ToyPit

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Figures on the Way

2009-04-29T23:54:00.004-04:00

AmokTime is offering pre-orders on two new Elvira figures. As I'm sure many of you know there isn't nearly as much Elvira products as thee should be, and when it comes to action figures the selection is pretty poor. So far, these look pretty good but I'll let you judge for yourselves.

To view or order the regular version click here.

To view or order the winking version click here.

New Spawn Resin Statue offered from McFarlane Toys

2008-11-27T13:06:00.003-05:00

McFarlane Toys foray into high-end collectibles continues with their second 8"-scale resin statue, Spawn: The Beginning, based on one of the original pieces of promo artwork for Spawn. It will be limited to 1,500 pieces total. Currently, you can preorder either the signature edition, limited to 500 pieces, or the regular edition, at 1,000 pieces.

More information here.

Black Friday Game Deals

2008-11-24T17:58:00.003-05:00

Well it seems almost too soon but Black Friday is upon us again.
cheapassgamer.com has a fairly comprehensive list of the specials that are out and like most years there's some pretty decent deals and some mehs as well

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/?f=547

Review: Halo 3 Legendary Collection - Brute Chieftain

2008-11-17T23:16:00.006-05:00

McFarlane has launched its newest Halo 3 line: Legendary Collection. Previous Halo 3 figures from Mcfarlane were well articulated, about 5 inches and ranged from $10 -$15. The previous lines were too small for me, so I waited for the Legendary line. The Legendary figures are bigger, limited articulation, and of course, the dynamic posse. Pretty much what you expect from a McFarlane line. But this time around, the figures costs around $20. Is it worth the price?

Packaging:
While older McFarlane packages were about saving shelf space, The Legendary Collection will take up space. Comes in a square box, with the front clearly displaying the Brute Chieftain while the back shows information about the character and the other two figures in the line: Master Chief and Arbiter.
Grade: A

Sculpt:
The Brute Chieftain stands 7.5 inches and looks like he's about to crush a poor soul with his gravity hammer. It's a cool looking dynamic pose and really captures the Brute's intensity. The Chieftain comes with his traditional red and orange armor. The armor is very detailed and plenty of layers. The different layers really make the armor look heavy.
Grade: A

Paint:
Paint job is decent but it could have used more blackwash. The prototype had deep blacks while this figure's blacks and grays blend. The orange and red colors on the armor are perfectly balanced. Colors are spot on and there's no bleeding. I just wish there were more different shades of black, it would have added more depth to the figure
Grade: B-

Accessories:
The Brute Chieftain comes with a base, a removable helmet and his deadly gravity hammer. The removable helmet is a nice touch. The gravity hammer is as detailed as the rest of the figure. Be careful when you assemble the hammer. Mine broke when I connected the two halves together and moved the right hand. Super glue will fix the problem but it's very fragile.
Grade: B

Articulation:
The figure has articulation on his wrists, forearms and neck. This is pretty much a statue and he will only be displayed in one pose.
Grade: D

Value:
Just like Master Chief, I bought the Brute for $20. Even though this figure is bigger than Master Chief, I still find it overpriced. Quality could have been better, especially the paint. Because I've been a McFarlane collector since day one, I don't expect anything but the best, especially for $20.
Grade: C

Variations:
None.

Conclusion:
I can't recommend this figure to anyone but hardcore Halo fans. I expected the figure to be a bit bigger. But to McFarlane's defense, it is proportioned to other 6 inch figures. It's just that other lines from McFarlane such as Twisted X-Mas and Oz were bigger in scale and had better paint jobs and cheaper. If this figure was $15, I'd give it a solid B+ but since it's $5 more, I'll give it an average score.

Overall Grade (not an average): B-

I want to thank Avi for making me a guest blogger on the site. If you're interested, Master Chief is reviewed on my site, nerdsociety.com.

DC Universe Wave 8

2008-11-16T15:27:00.006-05:00

Yeah, I haven't really covered a lot of DC Universe stuff, or DC in general but something recently piqued my interest about the lineup.

Dr. Fate

I can't really tell you how long I've been waiting for a solid update on a new Dr. Fate figure but it's been quite a while. Here's the word from Mattel.

DC Universe Wave 8

Look for these to hit stores in mid-Spring 2009. Truly some of the best figures we have done to date!

Wave 8 will include:

Hawkgirl™

Gentleman Ghost™

Dr Fate™ (with a chase classic version)

Parademon™ (both Red and Yellow versions split 50/50!)

Mr. Terrific™

Vigilante

Commander Steel™

And drum roll…the Collect and Connect™ bonus figure, and our biggest yet at a whopping 10 inches is… GIGANTA™

A great new wave with some army builders and characters who have never made it to toy shelves before! We couldn't be more thrilled with the fan support and the quality of these figures.

WizKids Closes Its Doors

2008-11-10T18:34:00.002-05:00

WizKids, the company behind a slew of table-top miniature games is being wound down. This is sad news for any fans of Halo ActionClix, HeroClix and HorroClix. The news isn't completely bad, though. Here's the announcement by Topps on the WizKids site:

The Topps Company is announcing today that it is closing down WizKids, its core hobby gaming business, and will be discontinuing the WizKids product lines for the immediate future. Topps CEO Scott Silverstein commented, “This was an extremely difficult decision. But in light of the current economic conditions, we feel it is necessary to align our gaming initiatives more closely with Topps current sports and entertainment offerings which are already being developed within our New York office.” WizKids is based in Seattle, Washington.

In its statement announcing the closing of WizKids, Topps also indicated that it was pursuing “strategic alternatives so that viable brands and properties, including HeroClix, can continue without any noticeable disruption.”

(CLICK HERE to go to the article)

Mezco's Wolfman Figures Available For Pre-Order

2008-11-08T12:03:00.009-05:00

Over at Mezco Direct they're offering 2 pre-orders on their Wolfman from the upcoming 2009 film.

To pre-order the 7" figure (CLICK HERE)

To pre-order the 12" figure (CLICK HERE)

The Wolfman figure is priced at $18.00 for the 7" figure and $40.00 for the 12" figure. Both are scheduled for an April 2009 release. So far, so good.

Universal's classic monster returns with a new big budget film staring Acadamy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro.

The film tells the tale of Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman, lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father, Talbot sets out to find his brother... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.

Mezco's 7inch scale figure features intense film accurate detail, 12 points of articulation, and sculpted clothing. Each figure also includes a scale wolf head cane as featured in the film.

This item is expected to ship in mid to late April 2009

This item may have variants (painting/ sculpting/ or other) randomly inserted throughout the production run. Mezco in unable to accept requests for specific variants.

Halo 2009: Wave 2 pictures revealed

2008-10-31T23:59:00.002-04:00

McFarlane Toys' second wave of Halo-based figures has been shown off at Spawn.com. The wave includes:

MASTER CHIEF
MARINE
BRUTE STALKER (ACTIVE CAMO)
ELITE ASSAULT (SILVER)
SPARTAN SOLDIER SCOUT (YELLOW)
SPARTAN SOLDIER EOD (RED)
SPARTAN SOLDIER HAYABUSA (WHITE)
SPARTAN SOLDIER EVA (BLUE)
ELITE COMBAT (BROWN)
SPARTAN SOLDIER ODST (VIOLET)
SPARTAN SOLDIER EVA (PALE)
SPARTAN SOLDIER CQB (GOLD)

Microsoft to offer discounted Hard drive to 360 owners

2008-10-15T23:54:00.005-04:00

Hot on the heels of the recent price drop on the Xbox 360; MS is now offering either a refurbished 20 GB hard drive or a 512 mb memory card to customers who originally purchased the old core system. This has since been upgraded to the package that includes a memory card but you can still get a hard drive on the cheap for the newer release as well.

From what I saw on avsforum.com, the breakdown appears to be:

Core system owners have two choices
1. 512 MB memory card for free or;
2. 20 GB hard drive for 20.00

Arcade system owners can only get the hard drive but it comes with a 3 month gold LIVE membership for $29.00
The reason for this is that MS is upgrading the console interface which is a mandatory update (at least if you sign onto LIVE) and this update requires 128 MB of space.

so basically for 230.00 you can have a fully functional 360 with some decent storage to boot.
not a bad deal for those who are either looking for a backup or just want to join the party.

link to the avs thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1075257
link to MS website about the program: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/hardware/memoryupdate/default.htm

Halo Checklist Update... Again

2008-10-08T20:16:00.003-04:00

The Halo Checklist has been updated again.

CLICK HERE

In the meantime, check this thread on Spawn.com in order to catch up on a recent development regarding the 2009 lineup.

We're waiting and trying to get some answers.

UPDATE:
Joe F. from Spawn.com confirmed that the missing items have been pushed back later in the year and not cancelled.

we can has goose

New Halo product pictures and a website

2008-10-03T22:52:00.002-04:00

McFarlane Toys recently showed off their new 12" scale Halo Helmets for 2009. They are designed to either be displayed or mounted on the 12" Spartan soldier bodies.

http://www.spawn.com/news/news2.aspx?id=13463

McFarlane Toys has also unveiled their new Halo website, http://www.mcfarlane.com/halo/.

More Coupon News

2008-09-23T01:42:00.000-04:00

KB Toys Online has two ways to save $5 off when you spend $40 (sadly, that's not as difficult as it used to be) by entering the following coupon codes during checkout.

$5 off of $40 order
Code: ETNLTR

$5 off of $40 order
Code: KBNLTR

GameStop is still offering Free Value Shipping if you enter the following code during checkout.

Free Value Shipping
Code: SAVER

As of today they're all still active so check them out

Entertainment Earth's $15 off on orders $99 or more is still going on until Oct 31st. Check out our post about it from last week for all the details.

A Quick Halo Update

2008-09-17T14:34:00.004-04:00

Gamestop has changed the release date for the McFarlane Halo series 3 steel E.O.D. exclusive figure to September 23rd. So in case you were wondering why your order hadn't shipped yet, now you know.

Link

Slashing Up Your Guitar Hero Figures

2008-09-17T14:34:00.001-04:00

PK over at www.pulsefigures.com has turned up a photo of what looks to be some upcoming Guitar Hero figures from McFarlane. If you scan the photo you'll notice quite a few guitars, what look like super-deformed mini figures that may be the smaller figures mentioned in last week's product announcement and the most interesting item, Slash.

Since one of the figures in the lineups was listed as TBA speculation could mean that this Slash figure may slot into that lineup, however this may not be the case and it could also be an individual release. This does open the door to a whole new realm of possibilities, though. Even though it's not Guitar Hero III as everything else shown thus far has been, could Guitar Hero Aerosmith figures be far off?

http://pulsefigures.com/2008/09/16/mcfarlane-quickies/

Entertainment Earth $15 Coupon

2008-09-13T16:45:00.005-04:00

From now until October 31st you can save a bit of money if you order at Entertainment Earth. They're running a $15 off promotion. Please make sure to read the instructions otherwise you will not be able to redeem the coupon. Remember, you need to have $99 or more in your cart and use the code to save.

$15 off your order of $99 or more!
Just place a new order online for at least $99 worth of merchandise (excluding shipping and tax) and enter the Offer Code listed below at the "Payment" page during checkout, and we'll take $15 off the total amount of your order.

Offer Code: 4503080

Click the banner, find what you're looking for, put in your order, enter code 4503080 during checkout and save!

Easy as pie...

1/6th Scale News: Triad Toys TEKKEN Poll

2008-09-11T20:43:00.003-04:00

Triad Toys has a poll asking us which characters we want to see first. The choices thus far are between Paul Phoenix, Marshal Law, Bryan Fury and Lei Wulong. Here's the scoop.

What male TEKKEN figures do you want to see first?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For male figures, who do you want to see produced first from the Namco-Bandai Tekken series?
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McFarlane Guitar Hero Plans for 2009

2008-09-11T20:41:00.003-04:00

Here's the partial listing of what McFarlane Toys plans on doing next year with the Guitar Hero license. Check it out.

'GUITAR HERO' 2009 ACTION FIGURE RELEASE SCHEDULE
Exclusive Merchandise Coming to Stores Through June 2009
September 11, 2008
Copyright 2008 TMP International, Inc.

We've got a lot of Guitar Hero merchandise heading your way. Here's a look at what you can expect to see in 2009.*

IN STORES JANUARY 2009
Guitar Hero 2009 Mix & Match Guitars, Wave 1
Build your own guitar with interchangeable guitar heads, necks and bodies. 2-packs include stands and stickers for customization!

2-packs
- Feedback guitar (Effervescence pattern) & Voracious guitar (Cedar Ripple pattern)
- Feedback guitar (Machine pattern) & Frydaze guitar (Tiger Stripes pattern)
- Frydaze guitar (The Forge pattern) & Widowmaker guitar (Dragon pattern)
- Widowmaker guitar (Paisley Dream pattern) & Voracious guitar (Camo pattern)
- Voracious guitar (Cubert pattern) & Frydaze guitar (Boltz pattern)

Single Packs
- Frydaze guitar (Boltz pattern)
- Feedback guitar (Splatter Fest pattern)
- Widowmaker guitar (Flame Rod pattern)
- Voracious guitar (Cubert pattern)
- Feedback guitar (Machine pattern)
- Frydaze guitar (Tiger Stripes pattern)

IN STORES FEBRUARY 2009
Guitar Hero 2009, Wave 1
Five fan-favorite characters in 6-inch scale; 12-15 moving parts per figure, each includes a unique guitar!

- Izzy Sparks
- Judy Nails
- Lou
- Metalhead
- Additional figure to be announced

Guitar Hero 2009 Mini Figure 2-Packs, Wave 1
Small in stature but HUGE in attitude! Stylized 2-inch scale Guitar Hero characters include figure-specific accessories.

- Johnny Napalm and Axel Steel
- Lars Ümlaut and Eddie Knox
- Axel Steel and Lars Ümlaut
- Eddie Knox and Johnny Napalm

10" Guitar Hero 2009, Wave 1
Four of Guitar Hero's most popular characters in 10-inch scale; each figure has more than 18 moving parts and includes guitar!

- Johnny Napalm - British Flag
- Johnny Napalm - Skeleton
- Additional figure TBA

IN STORES APRIL 2009
Guitar Hero 2009 Mix & Match Guitars, Wave 2
Build your own guitar with interchangeable heads, necks and bodies; 2-packs include stands and stickers for customization.

2-packs
- Fire Fighter guitar (Slither pattern) & Manta guitar (The Forge pattern)
- Manta guitar (Tiger Stripes pattern) & Twango guitar (Matchbook Maple pattern)
- Skull guitar (Zebrawood pattern) & Fire Fighter guitar (Black)
- Twango guitar (Cherry Blossom pattern) & Skull guitar (White)
- Skull guitar (Camo pattern) & Manta guitar (Red)

Single-packs
- Manta guitar (Red)
- Twango guitar (Firestarter pattern)
- Skull guitar (Camo pattern)
- Fire Fighter guitar (Cherry Burlwood pattern)
- Twango guitar (Cherry Blossom pattern)
- Skull guitar (White)

Guitar Hero 2009, Wave 2
Four more fan-favorite characters in 6-inch scale; 12-15 moving parts per figure, each includes a unique guitar.

- Eddie Knox
- Casey Lynch
- Axel Steel (black metal version)
- Metalhead (TV head version)

IN STORES MAY 2009
Guitar Hero 2009 Mini Figure 2-Packs, Wave 2
Small in stature but HUGE in attitude! Stylized 2-inch scale Guitar Hero characters include figure-specific accessories.

God of Rock and Izzy Sparks
Lou and Metalhead
Metalhead and Izzy Sparks
God of Rock and Lou

IN STORES JUNE 2009
Guitar Hero 2009 Mix & Match Guitars, Wave 3
Build your own guitar with interchangeable heads, necks and bodies. Includes stands and stickers for customization!

2-packs
- Iron Cross guitar (Orange) & Treblemaker guitar (Paisley Dream pattern)
- Twango guitar (Dragon pattern) & Spider guitar (Cubric pattern)
- Hammer On guitar (Tiger Eye Maple pattern) & Iron Cross guitar (Engine pattern)
- Widowmaker guitar (Teal pinstripe detail) & Hammer On guitar (Boltz pattern)
- Hammer On guitar (Effervescence pattern) & Iron Cross guitar (Slither pattern)

Single Packs
- Hammer On guitar (Effervescence pattern)
- Spider guitar (Spalted Koa pattern)
- Treblemaker guitar (Hero Guitar)
- Iron Cross guitar (Slither pattern)
- Twango guitar (Dragon pattern)
- Spider guitar (Cubric pattern)

Guitar Hero 2009, Wave 3
6-inch scale; 12-15 moving parts per figure, each includes a unique guitar.

- Clive Winston
- Riki Lee
- Skeleton
- Midori

To see McFarlane Toys' 2008 Guitar Hero releases, go here.

*Figures, lineups and release dates are subject to change without notice.

http://www.spawn.com/news/news6.aspx?id=13451

McFarlane Halo Figure Plans Through May 2009

2008-09-11T20:36:00.002-04:00

Well Halo fans, there's been much debate and so far it looks like we're all right. tons of Halo. armor packs, equipment extras, medal extras...

Hunter set, Mongoose set, Johnson, Marines, Rocket Launchers, Flood Pure Form Stalker and some Infection Forms

God, I'm so broke!!!

'HALO' 2009 PRODUCT RELEASES
Everything You Need to Know Through May 2009
September 11, 2008
Copyright 2008 TMP International, Inc.

When it comes to Halo action figures, we've got you covered. Here's an at-a-glance look at scheduled 2009 releases.*

IN STORES JANUARY 2009
'HALO' 2009, WAVE 1 - EQUIPMENT EDITION
5-inch scale figures with off-the-charts detail and articulation

- Master Chief (with rocket launcher and bubble shield)
- Arbiter - Active Camo (with plasma sword and bubble shield)
- Elite Combat - Tan (with carbine rifle and gravity lift)
- Spartan Soldier EOD - Red (with dual SMGs and trip mine)
- Spartan Soldier Security - Olive (with dual maulers and radar jammer)

'HALO' HEROIC COLLECTION 2009, WAVE 1
Halo 3 favorites in an all-new size. Three figures per package to collect and trade.

- Red Team
Mark VI (with assault rifle)
Mark VI (with battle rifle)
Mark VI (with dual magnums)

- Blue Team
Mark VI (with assault rifle)
Mark VI (with battle rifle)
Mark VI (with dual spike rifles)

- Lone Wolves Pack 1
EOD - Steel (with assault rifle)
Rogue - Olive (with carbine rifle)
Mark VI - Blue (with dual magnums)

- Lone Wolves Pack 2
Mark VI - White (with battle rifle)
EVA - Violet (with Spartan laser)
Hayabusa - Red (with dual SMGs)

IN STORES FEBRUARY 2009
'HALO' HUNTER DELUXE ACTION FIGURE
In scale with our 5-inch Halo 3 figures, the Hunter stands more than 8 inches tall and has more than 28 moving parts.

12" 'HALO' 2009, WAVE 1
All the detail and articulation of our 5-inch scale figures in a colossal 12-inch size.

- Spartan Soldier ODST - Red and white
- Spartan Soldier ODST - White and blue

'HALO' HELMET 3-PACKS 2009, WAVE 1
Custom designed to fit any 12-inch McFarlane Toys Spartan figure, each helmet includes a stand for flat surface or wall-mount display; stands interlock for dynamic display possibilities.

- Mark VI, EOD and CQB (all Red)
- Hayabusa (White), EVA (Olive) and Rogue (Tan)
- Master Chief, Rogue (Silver) and CQB (Orange)
- EOD (Blue), Hayabusa (Steel) and EVA (Tan)
- Mark VI (Silver), EOD (Sage) and CQB (Brown)

IN STORES MARCH 2009
'HALO' WARS HEROIC COLLECTION 2009, WAVE 1
Each 3-pack features 2½-inch figures with different poses and colors, and includes Halo weapons.

SET 1: UNSC TROOPS (Campaign)
- 3 Spartan soldiers (with assault rifles)

SET 2: UNSC TROOPS (Blue)
- 1 Spartan soldier (with assault rifle)
- 1 Marine Infantry (with assault rifle)
- 1 Spartan (with dual magnums)

SET 3: UNSC TROOPS (Red)
- 1 Spartan (with dual magnums)
- 1 Spartan (with assault rifle)
- 1 Marine Infantry (with assault rifle)

SET 4: COVENANT TROOPS (Purple)
- 2 Elites (with Plasma rifles)
- 1 Grunt (with Needler)

'HALO' 2009, WAVE 2 - EQUIPMENT EDITION
5-inch scale figures with off-the-charts articulation and detail

- Master Chief (with dual submachine guns and gravity lift)
- Marine (with assault rifle and regenerator)
- Brute Stalker - Clear (with assault rifle and regenerator)
- Elite Assault - Silver (with battle rifle and bubble shield)
- Spartan Soldier Scout - Yellow (with shotgun and flare)
- Spartan Soldier EOD - Red (with dual SMGs and trip mine)

IN STORES APRIL 2009
'HALO' HELMET 3-PACKS 2009, WAVE 2
Custom designed to fit any 12-inch McFarlane Toys Spartan figure, each helmet includes a stand for flat surface or wall-mount display; stands interlock for dynamic display possibilities.

- Scout (White), Mark VI (Blue) and EVA (Red)
- CQB, Rogue and EOD (all Olive)
- Scout (Steel), Master Chief and EVA (Orange)
- Hayabusa (Tan, Sage and Silver)
- Scout (Yellow), Mark VI (Brown) and EVA (Tan)

IN STORES MAY 2009
'HALO' 2009, WAVE 3 - MEDAL EDITION
5-inch scale figures with off-the-charts articulation and detail

- Master Chief (with dual magnums and Head Shot Medal)
- Elite Flight (with carbine rifle, needler and Super Detonation Medal)
- Sergeant Johnson (with Spartan laser and Laser Kill Medal)
- Flood Pure Form: Stalker (with Flood infection forms and Multi Kill Medal)
- Jump-pack Brute (with dual spike rifles and Multi Kill Medal)
- Spartan Soldier Security - Red (with battle rifle and Beat Down Medal)

'HALO' WARS HEROIC COLLECTION 2009, WAVE 2
2½-inch figures with different poses and colors; each set includes three figures with Halo weapons.

SET 1: UNSC TROOPS (Campaign)
- 1 - Marine Flame Unit
- 1 - Spartan Soldier (with dual magnums)
- 1 - Spartan Soldiers (with assault rifle)

SET 2: UNSC TROOPS (Blue)
- 1 - Marine Infantry (with assault rifle)
- 1 - Marine Infantry (with assault rifle)
- 1 - Medic - White (with BR55 battle rifle)

SET 3: Alpha Base Pack (Campaign)
- 2 - Snow Marines (with assault rifles)
- 1 - Forge (snow marine camo) with shotgun

SET 4: COVENANT TROOPS (Campaign)
- 1 - Arbiter (with plasma sword)
- 2 - Grunts (with plasma rifles)

'HALO' MONGOOSE VEHICLE BOXED SET
Built in scale with our standard Halo action figures.
Boxed set includes Mongoose vehicle and Spartan Soldier Mark VI.

12" 'HALO' 2009, WAVE 2
All the detail and articulation of our 5-inch scale figures in a colossal 12-inch size.

- Spartan Soldier EVA - Sage
- Spartan Soldier EOD - Steel

To see McFarlane Toys' 2008 Halo action figures, go here.

*Figures, lineups and release dates are subject to change without notice.

http://www.spawn.com/news/news6.aspx?id=13452

McFarlane Toys Gets Into The Halo Wars

2008-09-09T17:39:00.005-04:00

As expected, McFarlane Toys has announced that they also have the license for the upcoming real-time strategy prequel to the Halo Trilogy known as Halo Wars. Set for a Spring 2009 release, the game will find itself a bit of licensed merchandise set for a March 2009 with the first series of Halo Wars figure.

This batch of McFarlane figures will be aboue 2.5 inches tall and feature detailed sculpts and minimal articulation (waist only). The initial wave is focused on army building with 3 figures to a pack, similar to the game itself as you raise an army to crush your enemy.

To check out their news article in full, CLICK HERE.

McFarlane Toys Halo Wars Series 1 features four unique 3-packs:

SET 1: UNSC TROOPS
3 - Spartan soldiers (with Assault Rifles)

SET 2: UNSC TROOPS
1 - Spartan soldier (with an Assault Rifle)
1 - Spartan soldier (with two Magnums)
1 - Marine Infantry (with an Assault Rifle)

SET 3: UNSC TROOPS
2 - Spartan soldiers (one with two Plasma Pistols and one with an Assault Rifle)
1 - Marine Infantry (with an Assault rifle)

SET 4: COVENANT TROOPS
2 Elites (with Plasma Rifles)
1 Grunt (with Needler)

SpawnToys.com Slashes Prices On Cancelled Items

2008-08-21T14:01:00.004-04:00

Due to the recent cancellation of the Legend of the Bladehunters and Warriors of the Zodiac line by McFarlane Toys, Kim from the Spider's Web (aka SpawnToys.com) is offering reduced pricing on both lines in order to clear out his inventory.

Legend of the Bladehunters
http://www.spawntoys.com/index.php?cPath=3_413

Warriors of the Zodiac
http://www.spawntoys.com/index.php?cPath=3_383

Whether you're a customizer who is looking for some spare parts or a collector who likes interesting and rather eccentric designs this is a good opportunity to pick up some fairly good figures from a solid retailer.

Also, be sure to check out the rest of the store, to pre-order your Halo figures or pick up some other McFarlane items you may have missed out on in the past. They have a great selection.

Hunter Figure Teaser?

2008-08-19T15:22:00.003-04:00

If you checked out today's Daily Update over at the Spawn.com Messageboard, the newest shadow teaser appears to be the Plama Cannon arm to the much anticipated and highly requested Hunter figure from McFarlane Toys' Halo 3 figure line.

All I can say is that I'm extremely excited

McFarlane Halo 12" Toys R' Us Exclusive Brown Spartan Announced

2008-08-08T21:58:00.004-04:00

As indicated by the title, a new piece in McFarlane's ever-growing line of HALO toys has been announced, with pictures. Expected to show up around November.

12" Brown Spartan.

Partial Halo 3 Series 4 Lineup

2008-08-05T16:03:00.007-04:00

UPDATE (08/06/08):
Hi - McFarlane Toys sent out an incorrect solicitation to us yesterday. The Spartan Soldier Security - Steel figure is actually not going to be a part of the series 4 case assortment. We will remove this figure from your set of 6 preorder and update your preorder to a set of 5. Your preorder price will be adjusted from $64.99 for the set of 6, ($10.83 per figure) to $54.15 for the set of 5 ($10.83 per figure). Our sales rep from McFarlane apologizes for the inconvenience.

Thanks
Joel
www.bigbadtoystore.com

Many thanks to RaoulOD from our ToyPit Message Board for this tip...

Bigbadtoystore just put up preorders for Series 4:

They will be shipping in cases of 8 this time, and the set will include the following 6 figures:
Aribter - Active Camo (not yet pictured)
Elite Combat - Tan
Master Chief
Spartan Soldier EOD - Red
Spartan Soldier Security - Steel
Spartan Soldier Security - Olive

I definately have to say that I'm more than a bit disappointed thus far with the lineup if this is accurate. The dwindling importance of campaign figures, especially some more Marines, Sgt. Johnson and even more Flood is a bit concerning.

Hopefully we'll get those Marines, Johnson, the Prophet of Truth, Hunters, Grunts, and Brutes (Minors/Captains) and more later on in '09.

Keep in mind that the initial pre-orders and the final lineups have differed significantly thus far for each of the Halo 3 series, so until we get a fully confirmed lineup don't get into too much of an uproar.

The Thing Remake... Kind Of

2008-07-29T23:30:00.003-04:00

I was recently alerted to this very awesome mini-film which is a strong homage to John Carpenter's classic remake of The Thing using GI-Joes and some old-school, badass effects. Give it a look.

Here's the info from the video's YouTube page:

Electrifying French duo of Etienne Jaumet and Cosmic Neman. Directed by Simon Gesrel and Xavier Ehretsmann thanks to their favourite toys... the GI Joes ! The video is an hommage to the director AND soundtrack composer John Carpenter, especially one of his masterpieces : THE THING.

Sideshow Exclusive Cobra Commander Pre-Order

2008-07-25T23:39:00.003-04:00

Sideshow's Exclusive Cobra Commander 12" Figure is up for pre-order. With how fast the Snake Eyes figure sold out, make sure to get your order in ASAP.

The exclusive features his Cobra Staff with a hidden blade. A pimp cane with a blade? Cobra Commander knows how to accessorize.

Mighty Muggs Go Customizer Friendly

2008-07-24T21:34:00.006-04:00

Hasbro's ultra-popular Mighty Muggs are now available in two blank versions for you to customize your very own heroes, villains and more. They currently sell for $9.99 plus tax and should start to ship toward the middle of next month.

Can’t get enough of the MIGHTY MUGGS characters? We’re crankin’ them out as fast as we can. If there’s a character you haven’t seen yet, but are dying to have, why not make your own? This blank MIGHTY MUGGS figure is exactly that – a blank slate for you to create the MIGHTY MUGGS character of your dreams. Paint on your favorite character, your favorite public official, or maybe even your significant other. When you’re done, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind collectible that’s MADE FROM 100% RECYCLED AWESOME goodness.

Black (Click Me)

White (Click Me)

Oh, the possibilities...

NerdSociety's Anime Expo Coverage: The Snake-off

2008-07-23T21:28:00.004-04:00

Ever get the urge to dress up as everyone's favorite Metal Gear mauling hero? You know who I mean. The one, the only... well I guess he's no the only, but you know who we're talking about.

Snake

Man. Myth. Legend.

And the character of choice for this little gem from the guys over at NerdSociety. Check out the Tentacle Brothers as they covered AnimeExpo like no one else before them and talk to some Metal Gear cosplayers.

To see the video, check HERE.

Hot Toys Iron Man

2008-07-23T03:55:00.004-04:00

ToyPit Message Board member Spliff threatened significant damage to my face if I didn't mention this to you all. The new Hot Toys Iron Man photos are up and it looks fantastic. To see the rest of the photos, click HERE.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on what might be the finest looking Iron Man collectible ever produced.

Product info and more to come later. I'm sure that we'll have a Sideshow listing soon when this badboy gets imported for our rabid consumption.

Halo Points

2008-07-18T14:33:00.002-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, what you will be able to redeem your Halo points for has finally been revealed.

Check out what you will be able to buy and when...

http://www.spawn.com/halopoints/

Pink Spartan Contest Winners

2008-07-16T10:52:00.003-04:00

The winners of our Pink Spartan Contest have been selected. I'd like to thank everyone who entered, we had a decent number of responses and while not all of them were correct we did have quite a few people eligible to win.

Our lucky winners are:

Pfazzelgraf from the Spawn.com Messageboard
S. S. from TX
Linda D. from CA

D&R Lineups will be sending each of them one exclusive Pink Mark VI Spartan Soldiers. I was very pleased with mine and I think that it goes without saying that Pvt. Donut can't be beat. Any man who walks into a base looking for headlight fluid and elbow grease and walks out with the flag is someone to admire.

Halo Updates

2008-07-13T15:42:00.003-04:00

Ok, so over the next week or two here's what will be on the agenda.

Tuesday will be Campaign Review Day

Thursday will be Multiplayer Review Day for the rest of the multiplayer Spartans that I have.

Missing will most likely be the Walmart Exclusive Cyan ODST and Blue EOD as well as the Transworld Exclusive Gold Mark VI. I'm still trying to track those down.

In the meantime, McFarlane has released the PDF files for most of the brick and mortar locations that will be carrying Series 2 as well as a notice that we'll soon know what Halo Points are for. Check out the following info from their lastest news article.

WHERE TO BUY HALO 3, SERIES 2 ACTION FIGURES
Let's make this easy. You've got enough on your minds with the release of our Halo 3 Series 2 action figures - the last thing you need is to be running all around town looking for them. Click the links of your favorite retailer below to see which stores have product in your area.

Fred Meyer
Gamestop
KB Toys
Newbury Comics
Spencers Gifts
Toys "R" Us
Transworld (FYE/Suncoast/Sam Goody)
Wal-Mart (Canada)
Wal-Mart (U.S.)

Please be advised that just because a retailer is listed above does not in any way guarantee product availability. It's probably a good idea to call before you go.

SOON TO BE ANNOUNCED: EXCLUSIVE HALO POINTS PROGRAM
Details on the long-awaited Halo Points program will be coming soon! Collect points on McFarlane Toys' Halo 3 toy packaging and redeem for exclusive Halo 3 merchandise! Details to come on SPAWN.com.

Pink Mark VI Review

2008-07-11T14:12:00.006-04:00

Well, today is yet another Halo figure day, the second in likely a series of Halo 3 reviews. Up today is the D&R Lineups Exclusive Pink Mark VI Spartan Soldier. I just got done bowing to the majesty of Private Donut himself and now onto the mini-review.

The Pink Spartan (Mark V or VI) is one of them most well known armors permutations in the Haloverse thanks to it being featured in the machinima Red vs. Blue and being the armor featured by one of the most beloved characters in the series, Private Donut. Now whether you agree on its color (is it pink or lightish red?) or not, this particular figure is sure to add some definite color to your Spartan brigade.

This figure sports the cleanest paint job I've seen yet. The pink is very smooth and the striping and VI stamp are the crispest application of the bunch, so far. Rather than go with a blackwash on this light colored scheme, they chose a mid-level graywash that I think compliments the detail without providing too stark of a contrast or making it looks dirty or sloppy.

The Pink VI also sports some very solid articulation. Yesterday I said that the Steel ODST had some very smooth joints, today that's the case as well except in two areas. The right hand that was so troublesome with Series 1 Spartans was a bit stuck on my figure and I was worried about breaking or ripping it. It looks like McFarlane heard about our troubles because neither happened thanks to a smidge of force, some nimble fingers but most importantly a plastic that is neither too brittle or to gummy. The other area I had a bit of difficulty with is the right hip. It tends to pop out a bit at the connection to the hip swivel because of high tight the quad swivel connection is. I've seen this problem before so I'll see what I can do to fix that.

When it comes to accessories this figure has the same frag grenade that all the rest have sported. It's too bad there was no plasma grenade. That leaves us with the new addition to my Spartan arsenal, the M-90 Shotgun. This time around I think that the paint is a bit bland and I've got a lot more nitpicks with it than with the BR-55 Battle Rifle. To me it seems a bit undersized, it's definitely missing the the side-mounted flashlight and this time the lack of a punched trigger hole hurts a lot more than with the Battle Rifle. The grip does not slide far enough down into the hand to be able to pull off some of the cooler poses without it sliding or popping out because of how high it sits and how thin the grip is.

Those problems aside, the figure is still pretty fantastic. I know pink's not for everyone and that there's a fairly large stereotype that girls wear the pink armor and there's honestly nothing more brutal and humiliating than being beat down by someone wearing this armor. But get over that, think about Donut and take a look at the exceptional paint job and loads of articulation.

This figure is a must have. And since you can only get it from D&R Lineups, I'd order it while you still can, otherwise you're sure to pay around $40 or more for it once it goes out of stock. We've got a banner here to the left that will lead the way. Now go out and get me some headlight fluid and elbow grease, soldier.

Spartan ODST Review and Photos

2008-07-10T19:58:00.005-04:00

Ok, so I got my Steel Spartan ODST's from Gamestop and here's the scoop.

Basically a Mark VI armor with a slightly modified ODST helmet, the Spartan ODST is one of the cooler looking figure in my opinion. There's just something about that helmet. My Spartan uses this helmet along with a Hayabusa chestplate and Security armor shoulderpads. All steel, all the time.

The figure sports all the same great articulation as the ones from the first wave. This time around, it's a little smoother. That means that it's not as tight, but so far it hasn't seemed like it will get much looser. The paint applications on this series are far superior to the prior ones. The steel color is smoother and has less blackwash and slop. That's nice, very nice.

The Spartan ODST also comes with the Halo 3's version of the BR55 Battle Rifle. And it's nice an accurate for this scale with some impressively clean paint applications that have me looking back at the Assault Rifle from Series 1 and shaking my head with how superior the paint is on this bad boy. It looks good, but I worry that it will be fragile give than it's made of a strudy, stiff plastic with very little give. There is no hole for a finger to place on the trigger and inside the trigger guard but it's a minor nitpick since the hand isn't designed for the finger to fit into it anyway. He also comes with grenade, which is good because I need more. I wish it was a Plasma Grenade, but it's the standard frag that we've already seen in the previous series. (Note: the pegs are already attached to the weapons, and are removeable. They may stick a bit, so be carefuly when removing them from the Battle Rifle but feel free to use a pair of pliers to get a grip)

The poseability is just as solid as before and I have to say, I'm loving this figure. I'm not going to rate it on a 1-5 scale since I don't think that does it justice, but I will say that if you're a Halo fan you're going to need at least 1 of these in your collection. And if you're not a Halo fan, this is probably a good figure to start with.

No Red, No White, But Blue Spartan Giveaway

2008-07-03T18:28:00.009-04:00

In addition to our Pink Spartan Contest courtesy of D&R Lineups, we'll be giving away a single Series 1 Wal-Mart Exclusive Blue Mark VI Spartan. Everyone who has already entered for the Pink Spartan is eligible, as well as anyone who signs up for the Pink Spartan contest by tonight (7/03) by 11:59PM EST. To enter for the Pink Spartan contest, click (HERE)

It was going to be a Red, White and Blue giveaway but I wasn't able to get the Red and White Spartan. But hey, free is good! And if you win the Blue Spartan, you're still eligible for one of the 3 Lightish Red guys we'll be giving away later this month.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

The lucky winner of the No Red, No White But Blue Giveaway is ToyPit.net boardie Xionspawn, also a member of the Spawn.com Messageboard. As soon as Creepy Chief let's me into the relic room and finds me a box to pack him in this Blue Mark VI will be on its way.

To all those that have entered the Pink Spartan Contest so far, thank you. For those of you who are thinking of entering, make sure to have your entries submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on July 13th.

McFarlane Toys Call of Duty Figure Photography Revealed

2008-07-03T15:19:00.011-04:00

Originally the WW2 line, now officially confirmed as Call of Duty series 1. You can see the lineup here. The series includes:

Marine Flamethrower
British Special Ops
Marine Infantry
Marine Thomson

The news was covered at IGN, MTV News, Kotaku, and GamePro.

Active Camo EVA Update

2008-07-02T16:21:00.008-04:00

The Halo news keeps on coming. Today the Spawn Store sent out a newsletter with an update on the Active Camo EVA pre-order that's been somewhat delayed.

Here's a look. (Click to expand)

In addition there's some news about the Spawn Store and some of the changes that will be going on over the next month. This affects the timing of the EVA pre-order as well as all other orders that you may want to do over the next month. However, this also means that we know exactly what day we should be able to order Halo 3 Series 2 directly from the manufacturer. So make sure to read up or bookmark the page with this info so that you remember what's what.

ONLINE SPAWN STORE WILL BE OFFLINE JULY 7 - AUGUST 1
Tempe Retail Store Consolidates With Westgate Store
June 20, 2008
Copyright 2008 TMP International, Inc.

As previously announced, we are consolidating stock from our Tempe warehouse and toy store to our shipping facility in Sacramento, Calif., and our flagship Westgate retail store in Glendale, Ariz.

As we prepare for the final move, it will be necessary for the online SPAWN store to suspend business for a brief period. You will be able to place online orders through Monday, July 7.

The online store will reopen on Friday, Aug. 1 and feature three great new lines at that time:

>> Halo Series 2 Multiplayer

>> Halo Series 2 Campaign

>> SPAWN Series 34: SPAWN Classics

>> MLB 2-pack: Mantle/Maris

The current McFarlane Warehouse moving sale will run through June 30. There are still plenty of action figures to be had at savings of up to 75 percent. These incredible bargains can also be found at our Westgate store.

Halo 3 Figure Checklist Update

2008-07-01T23:58:00.003-04:00

Halo 3 Figure Checklist Update

It just occured to me that I completely forgot to post the newest version of the Halo 3 checklist. It's in a slightly new format and it includes all of the regular versions from Series 1-3 through the Legendary Collection and includes all of the exclusives we know about right now.

Since there will apparently be a few new items because of the upcoming Halo Points announcement which is slated for sometimes later this month, I'll try to update it ASAP after we see what's what.

Here's the link. (CLICK ME)

Win Your Very Own Pink Spartan

2008-06-30T12:24:00.008-04:00

Take Home an Exclusive Pink Mark VI Spartan Soldier

CONTEST IS CLOSED

Want to win a D&R Lineups Exclusive Pink Spartan Soldier figure made by McFarlane Toys?

Of course you do. This figure is only one of the hottest exclusives of 2008. The contest starts today and ends at 11:59PM EST on July 13th. Answer these three questions simple questions about everyone's favorite lightish-red armored character from Red vs. Blue and you may be able to get your hands on 1 of 3 of these amazing figures we have up for grabs courtesy of D&R Lineups.

What color was the standard-issue armor worn by Private Donut in his Red vs. Blue series debut?

What are Private Donut’s first and middle names?

In episode 11, when he had a plasma grenade stuck to his head, what animal did Private Donut think it was?

To enter, send an email to contests.toypit@gmail.com with the following subject header: "Give Me A Donut With Pink Sprinkles" and include the your answers in the body of the email.

Remember to check out D&R Lineups online store to pre-order this figure and for your other action figure needs. Also remember that if you're in the area to stop by their booth at the Frank and Sons Collectibles Show every Wednesday and Saturday.

And before I forget, for those of you in the area, an Saturday July 5, 2008 D&R Lineups will be at Frank & Son Collectible Show to sell their Pink Spartan Mark VI Halo 3 Series 2 Exclusive. This will be the only day that it will be available at the show.

Rules:

You may only enter once. IP Addresses will be tracked. Multiple entries will be disqualified from winning.

Contest ends 07-13-2008 at 11:59PM EST.

Winners will be chosen randomly from all qualified entries and will be notified via the e-mail provided.

Legal Formalities:

By entering my email address, I understand that I am agreeing to the following terms.

No purchase is necessary to win this contest. By entering this contest, I acknowledge that I am not signing up for any newsletters or services. My address and information will not be sold or exchanged.

The winners must allow product to arrive in stock and at least 2 - 4 weeks after announcement of winner/s to receive prize. Winner will be contacted by email and must provide exact street address or shipment of prize will be delayed. The window for providing that information will be 5 standard business days from the announcement of winning, otherwise the prize will be forfeit and a new winner will be selected.

Any prizes will be shipped free to any valid, non P.O. box address located within the U.S.A. International winners must pay exact shipping.

All taxes are the responsibility of the winner. All prizes are non-transferable, with no cash redemptions and no substitutions. All international winners will be responsible for the shipping, duties, tariffs, taxes or import fees assessed to their prize.

In the event that a prize has been stolen, lost or mishandled during shipment, I grant that ToyPit.net and D&R Lineups and their respective owners cannot be held accountable.

Sandman's Screaming Room: Funny Games/ The Descent

2008-06-29T17:01:00.003-04:00

OK, so a good double feature review is what I have for you today. I will try to do one of these every week or so, or more if I have the time. We start with the American remake of Michael Haneke's Funny Games.

Now, before you jump into your 'remakes suxxors' mode of thinking, which is true most of the time, understand that this is a shot-for-shot remake, done by the same director. It is the same film, but with english-speaking actors.

Tim Roth and Naomi Watts are a wealthy couple traveling to their summer home, a beautiful little place on the lake. Joining them is their young son, and they seem to be a happy couple who are generally loving life.

Things get violent pretty fast when Peter and Paul show up, asking to borrow eggs. And that's where the plot stops in this entry, cause anything else might be a spoiler. Suffice to say, if you saw the Austrian film, you've seen this one. The taunts, the sadistic dialogue, the mind-bending actions of the villains. It's all here. And it's lost none of its power.

Some have accused this film of being pretentious, and I don't dispute that. However, whatever criticism is leveled at the audience for watching this film, must also be equally leveled at Haneke himself for making this film. Twice. Therefore, that aspect of the film doesn't bother me too much.

Sit back, enjoy the psychopathic fun, and you will not be disappointed.

9.0/10

"Shall we begin?"

Next, we have Neil Marshall's The Descent. When this film first came out, it had alot of hype around it, and some horror fans said that it was the scariest film since ALIEN. Well, I knew right there that this was one of those movies that I would have to wait to enjoy, just to let the hype die down enough for me to give it some sort of objective chance. No film can live up to hype that high.

Anyways, when stripped of all expectations, what we have is an incredibly well-crafted suspense/horror film, that is smart, scary, and atmospheric as all hell. The film it most reminds me of is John Carpenter's classic THE THING. Partly because some music cues sound exactly like The Thing score, and partly because of the palpable sense of dread.

Marshall uses the cramped cave setting to wring out every drop of claustraphobia that he can, and it works beautifully. I was scared even before anything really happened, because of the cinematography and the music. I was on edge, just knowing that something was going to happen.

When the film's creatures show up, they take no prisoners, and while the gore starts to fly, it works to serve the plot, not the other way around. Marshall knows that the film is more than a gore film, and so doesnt have to rely on it. However, when the gore does happen, it's well-placed, and adds to the intensity of the experience. This film is messy, but never over the top or exploitive.

The heroines themselves are the main reason for our fear, because they are all mostly sympathetic, and they are played in a realistic way with chemistry to spare.

So while this film may not be the second coming of the horror messiah, it is better than it ought to be, and shows Marshall as a director and storyteller with talent and imagination to spare. The future is pretty bright for this director, and if he keeps putting out work like this, I will go to see it without hesitation.
8.5/10

"It's the dark. It plays tricks on you."

Next time: The Entity and Machine Girl

SDCC Exclusive Carmine in Package

2008-06-27T16:49:00.003-04:00

NECA has released packaged photos of the Gears of War SDCC Exclusive Anthony Carmine figure. Make sure to check it out. I have a feeling it will be one of the more popular exclusives at the show.

Carmine in a Clamshell
NECA Releases Images of Gears of War Carmine Action Figure SDCC Exclusive in Packaging
06/27/2008

A few weeks ago, NECAonline jump-started its coverage of the upcoming San Diego Comic Con Exclusives with the helmeted, doomed member of Gears of War's Delta Squad: Anthony Carmine. Today, we revisit the fan favorite as we unveil packaging images of this anxiously awaited new figure! Featuring the all-new Gnasher Shotgun and his Lancer Rifle, Carmine is certain to be a hit in San Diego! Take a look at the completed figure and make sure to check back at NECAonline for the latest San Diego Comic Con Exclusive updates and more!

McFarlane Grabs Guitar Hero

2008-06-26T01:40:00.003-04:00

The rumors from earlier this year have been proven true. According to USA Today, the newest license from McFarlane Toys is the very same game that's managed with some majorly wide appeal. Guitar Hero will be getting the McFarlane Treatment and are apparently set for a Fall 2008 release.

Here's a look at the article:

'Guitar' Gets In On Toy Action

Guitar Hero is entering rarified air for a video game. It's now deemed worthy of action figures, courtesy of master plastic caster Todd McFarlane.

Four new action figures (expected to cost $10 to $15 each) from the music game will hit stores this fall, timed to the release of the new Guitar Hero World Tour video game. The characters available will be the God of Rock, Johnny Napalm, Axel Steel and Lars Umlaut. With each 6-inch figure, "you will be able to sort of mix and match" guitars and body parts, says McFarlane, who is CEO of McFarlane Toys.

Previous McFarlane figures include The Beatles, Elvis Presley and characters from the video game Halo 3.

The $1 billion-plus Guitar Hero franchise gives him a kid-friendly option to Batman, Indiana Jones and Speed Racer toys this holiday season. "This game has struck a chord, literally, with ages 8 to 80," he says. "It's just a juggernaut, so we gotta be there."

Also of note, there is still no official word on whether the also rumored Call of Duty license will be part of the McFarlane lineup. Speculation continues in the wake of the lack of information on the announced but stalled McFarlane's Military WWII line that was set to release this summer.

Check Your Spencer's

2008-06-18T14:50:00.002-04:00

The past few weeks have seen Hot Topic clearing out their figure inventories while over at Spencer's Gifts they are getting new shipments of some of NECA's more popular figures from the past 12 months. Specifically, the original and Golden Fleece Kratos, Altair and the AvP:R Hybrid. That alone may be enough to make someone's day. If you've got one in the area and haven't been in for a visit in a few weeks give it a try or make a phone call. You may not have to go to eBay if you've been looking for these figures and frustrated by not seeing them at retail during their relatively short runs.

Good luck and good hunting.

A Week Of NECA In One Post

2008-06-16T18:19:00.003-04:00

From Monday to Monday, here's what's going on over at NECA. We'll beging with last week's news and move towards todays.

Gremlins Box Set

Check out the article for photos of the set in package.

Before you get extremely excited for new Gremlins figures like the Bat Gremlin or Spider-Mohawk don't get your hopes up. You're going to be disappointed to know that you're not getting them. Not in the foreseable future, anyway. You can however find the three of long out-of-production and decently popular figures from NECA's first stab at the license in a single box set.

Jareth the Goblin King and Hoggle 2-pack

Check out the article for photos of the set in package and the list of accessories.

More Bowie + Hoggle = Huge Win for Someone. This license continues to get a bit of attention and Labyrinth should be pleased to see they're getting another Jareth and the highly requested Hoggle.

TMNT Black and White Comic Con Exclusive Boxed Set

Check out the article for photos of the set in package along with more info on this summer Con exclusive.

The Turtles will be available once again as a boxed set similar to the colored version released earlier this year as yet another Con exclusive. This time you'll get a certificate signed by Peter Laird and a chance to get your set signed by Kevin Eastman at SDCC.

Finally we come to Gears of War

Gears of War Series 2

Check out the article for stock photos of the 4 upcoming figures.

Dominic Santiago and Damon Baird round out the line, fighting for humanity against the helmeted and unhelmeted Theron Guard. NECA also sends word that there will be an interactive feature coming later this summer as the Gears get ready to bring the fight to your local retail stores.

RIP Stan Winston (1946-2008)

2008-06-16T14:13:00.005-04:00

AICN has revealed reports that legendary creature creator and special effects wizard Stan Winston has passed. The man who had his hand in some of the most iconic films of the past 30 years, won Oscars and was a noted leader in his field was an inspiration for many and stoked the imagination of the masses.

We wish Stan's family and friends the best as they deal with the loss of their loved one. He was a visionary, an innovator and his name will live on forever through his work and his impact on entertainment. He will be missed.

RIP Stan Winston (1946-2008)

Sneak Peak of Morrigan Statue

2008-06-12T00:55:00.003-04:00

The guys over at Sideshow Collectibles posted up three photos on their blog of the upcoming Morrigan statue from Pop Culture Shock. So far it's looking good and it's about time we get some quality Darkstalkers merchandise after the tease that was SOTA and their failed Darkstalkers figures line.

Check out the post HERE to see the in-progress sculpt of everyone's favorite buxom succubus.

Major McFarlane Toys Lineup News

2008-06-11T23:38:00.003-04:00

As of yesterday, McFarlane Toys has cancelled their in-house Fantasy lines. These include Warriors of the Zodiac Series 2 and 3, Legend of the Bladehunters Series 2 and 3 and Dragons Series 9.

The cancellations, according to one Spawn.com Moderator, were the result of a lack of retailer support for their in-house lines. The news is creating a bit of a mixed reaction on the Spawn.com Message Board. This is a rather unusual move on the part of McFarlane Toys and we wish them the best this year with the rest of their releases.

They did express hope in possibly finding a home for some of the cancelled figures in future lines, where they could reasonably and successfully fit. Also, they are teasing a new licensed property which may be revealed by week's end.

Spawn series 35: ROBOT WARS

2008-06-06T19:33:00.003-04:00

Spawn.com has finally shown off pictures of Spawn series 35: ROBOT WARS.

From the site:

SPAWN enters the machine age with Series 35: Robot Wars. The historic 35th line of SPAWN action figures makes the leap to the year 3047, when a heroic team of robot warriors fights to defend Earth from the unstoppable force of the villainous Mechanoid Army.

You can check out the series here.

Remake Fever

2008-05-28T22:32:00.002-04:00

I wanted to take a bit of your time and talk about something I feel is a disturbing trend in movie land.; the remake. I suppose in a business sense, it seems safe enough, "this movie did well back when it was original so since we're out of good ideas, lets try and make it more modern or exreme or *gasp* better.

What this all actually means in my opinion is that we lose out. You cant honestly expect me to believe that there's nothing fresh that some aspiring screenwriter has created that could be the next big franchise. But no, Hollywood in its infinte wisdom would rather spew remakes and needless or bad sequels onto the unsuspecting public. Why is that you may ask and I would answer that unfortunately a movie is a fairly financially intensive endeavor, a large part of which goes to the actors overpaid as they may be. This breeds a sense of fear into the producers and executives that stifles creativity, you are less likely to take a chance spending your millions on a no name writer than you are on a production with big stars however mundane or rehashed the idea may be.

Most remakes are of fairly well recieved movies and I regret that. Why try to improve on something that was already good if not perfect? If you wanted to do something revolutionary why not remake a bad movie? Again not a sure fire bet and no doubt an idea that would still irritate fans of the original provided it has some form of cult following. In the long run remaking good movies will only hurt cinema as a whole chruning out drivel while ignoring new uncharted territory that will go to waste.

Conan Movie Figures Series 1

2008-05-16T14:15:00.004-04:00

NECA has released official photos of their upcoming Conan the Barbarian figures. War Paint Conan and Pit Fighter Conan round out the series, additionally a bronze painted version of the War Paint figure will be available at San Diego Comic Con as an exclusive. You can read up on that HERE.

Behold the Barbarian
NECA Releases Official Images of Conan the Barbarian Action Figures
05/15/2008

Conan the Barbarian, Robert E. Howard's brutal, take-no-prisoners Cimmerian hero, was unleashed onto screens in 1982, portrayed by a little-known Austrian actor. This summer, NECA presents the first official action figures of the definitive Conan the Barbarian: box-office superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger! Today we're finally releasing official images of Conan the Barbarian Action Figures Series 1. First is War Paint Conan, sporting an iconic pose, eyes blazing with barbaric fury! Next is Pit Fighter Conan, sporting vicious bladed gloves from his brutal days as a slave. Each figure comes with movie-accurate accessories and detailed display bases! We'll be releasing further details about these figures as their release date draws closer, but for now, take a look at our image gallery, and make sure to check back at NECAonline for the latest Conan the Barbarian updates and more!

12" Master Chief and Legendary Collection Revealed

2008-04-25T16:17:00.003-04:00

Today McFarlane Toys revealed photography of more upcoming Halo products. The first is the 12" Master Chief figure which boasts an extremely attractive blend of sculpt and articulation in a far larger size. There will apparently be a Wal-Mart Exclusive 12" Blue Spartan Soldier as well.

12" Master Chief

12" Wal-Mart Exclusive Spartan Soldier

Also revealed are the larger, more traditional scale Legendary Collection. Master Chief, The Arbiter and the Weapons Class Brute Chieftain are shown in all thier glory as a set of dynamically posed, hyper-realistic statues.

Master Chief

Arbiter

Brute Chieftain

Active Camo EVA Spartan Delay Is Legit

2008-04-24T00:36:00.002-04:00

According to both Matt T. and Joe F. the delay for the upcoming Collector's Club Exclusive Active Camo EVA Spartan is legitimate. Due to unforseen circumstances, it's being pushed back to a November 2008 release. The information provided in the email that went out today.

An official update IS in the works.

Active Camo EVA Spartan Delayed?

2008-04-23T15:15:00.006-04:00

For some slightly updated info, check HERE. The email is legit.

According to a recent email sent out by someone who claims to be the Spawn.com eCommerce team the upcoming Active Camo EVA Spartan exclusive has been delayed until November.

I'm a bit suspsicious of the validity at this time since the email has some significant typos and the links appear to be bogus. At this time I would advise people to NOT click on the links or to take the email at face value. Once Matt T. or one of the Spawn.com staffers confirm how legitimate the info is I'll make sure to pass it along.

In the meantime, here's the text from the email

**DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS.** This email account is not monitored and your email will be immediately deleted. **DO NOT REPLY**

Thank you for your registration for the Halo EVA Active Camouflage exclusive by McFarlane Toys.

This email confirms we receive your original registration back in December 2007 for the Halo Active Camouflage Spartan Exclusive at the Spawn Store (http://store.spawn.com). Unfortunately, the figure has been delayed and will be released November 2008.

We are in the process of creating a brand new pre-order site to make things even easier for our customers. Previously when you registered, you entered your name and email address but there was no guarantee of how many you could buy or that the figure would be available when you return. We have now updated the system to let you pick the exact number you wish to buy and eliminates any concerns of any customer loosing out on the exclusive as you would be guaranteed the amount you enter for your order!*

This is the true benefit of a pre order!

This change to our pre order site will require you to register again for the Halo exclusive but this time choosing the quantity you would like to buy. We will have additional information on www.spawn.com regarding the release of the new pre-order site and the exact dates to place an order.

We appreciate your patience and understanding to the delay and we hope you enjoy the new pre-order site for our upcoming releases. Be on the lookout for more preorder opportunities in 2008 and thank you for choosing McFarlane Toys.

Sincerely,

Exclusive Preorders
McFarlane Toys Online Spawn Store
www.spawn.com / http://store.spawn.

* Ordering limits still apply for some exclusives.

Sandman's Screaming Room: Has Horror gone too far?

2008-04-19T16:34:00.003-04:00

As many of you board lurkers go, I recently sat down with a nasty genre film called 'Inside'. It truly is one of the sickest films I have ever seen. This experience has prompted me to reflect on the state of modern horror, and my enjoyment of it.

About 2 years ago, people started paying attention to a film trend called 'Gorno' films. The term itself is a buzz word, which is used to dismiss films which have nothing to offer except blood and guts. Most people outside horror fandom see a certain amount of blood, and dismiss the film anyhow no matter if the gore is justified, or no matter what else the film has to offer. Gorno implies that people who enjoy these films just go for cheap thrills, hence the combination of 'gore' and 'porno'.

I don't really like that term. Some films, while incredibly gory and brutal, DO have a story to tell, and sometimes a very important one. On the other hand, I understand where the detractors are coming from.

About the time that this term became popular, I saw a report from a popular Fox News host. Now, Bill O'Reilly is a great guy, and I agree with him on almost everything. But this report bothered me.

He mentioned that modern horror films were going too far, and were too brutal and sadistic. This was after the opening weekend of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, IIRC. Anyways, he listed off the worst offenders (SAW, Hostel, High Tension, The Devil's Rejects, TCM, etc), and spoke about the 'Splat Pack', a group of directors who constantly try to 'one-up' each other in terms of nastier and nastier films. The group he listed was Rob Zombie, Alex Aja, Darren Lynn Bousman, etc. Now, I agree that horror films are brutal nowadays, but I don't neccessarily think that they have gotten worse over the years.

There were nasty movies in the 1970s and 1980s (Maniac, Cannibal Holocaust, The Beyond), but since then, two things have changed. First, realism. Savini and Salvaletti aside, alot of the special effects back then looked only partially accurate. Looking at them, you could sometimes see how the effect was done.

Nowadays, however, with companies like KNB effects stepping up the game with every film they make, kills onscreen are more realistic than ever. There was a scene in the beginning of SAW IV that was frightening in how well it portrayed an autopsy.

Now, the second thing that has changed is availability. Remember that movie INSIDE that I mentioned up at the top? I bought it, unrated, at WalMart. Horror fans today can go to the local store and pick up any horrific gore film they please. It's all at their fingertips. The other day, I saw a copy of ERASERHEAD at Best Buy.

Way back when our parents were fighting the good fight against Disco, you had to go to a greasy, nasty grindhouse theater to see gory films. And that was if you were lucky. Nowadays, it's way more easy.

So while I may not agree that these films are abhorrent, I understand the position that they should not be so easy to view.

So has horror gone too far with Inside? I can tell you that the film would have been extremely controversial had it been released in theaters. While it would have been cool to see it on the big screen, it will make alot more money going straight to dvd. And this way, it's not rubbed in anyone's faces, and ppl like me can go and get it just as easily. Besides, if it was in theaters, it would have been SEVERELY edited.

This is the kind of film that you feel bad for watching, and even worse because it's so good, and at the same time, so grotesque. I don't know if horror has gone too far, but I do know that there isn't too much farther they can go. Soon we will be back to going to the Grand Guignol theaters, just to see people get killed.

On the other hand, horror goes in cycles. The gorno craze is winding down pretty fast, and soon hollywood will have another horror trend to beat to death.

What do you all think?

McFarlane Goes Spartan Crazy In San Diego

2008-04-18T15:59:00.004-04:00

Over at McFarlane Toys website, they announced two new Spartan exclusives for the 2008 San Diego Comic Con. One is a rather unusual take on the cybernetic warrior while the other is much more familiar.

'HALO 3' COMIC-CON EXCLUSIVE FIGURE ANNOUNCEMENT & PHOTOS
Two New Figures Will Be Available Only at San Diego Comic-Con
April 18, 2008
Copyright 2008 TMP International, Inc.

This just in: McFarlane Toys will have two exclusive Halo 3 figures at this year's Comic-Con International, July 24-27 at the San Diego Convention Center.

A special edition Spartan Soldier EVA "HellSpartan" will be sold together with an exclusive clear CQB Spartan. Although not packaged together, the two figures will be sold as a set, and cannot be purchased separately.

Details on where/when/how to purchase these exclusive figures will post here on SPAWN.com as soon as it is available.

SPARTAN SOLDIER EVA "HELLSPARTAN"

ACTIVE CAMOUFLAGE C.Q.B. SPARTAN

Great Interview With Jean St. John

2008-04-18T14:48:00.003-04:00

The guys over at Pop Culture Zoo have a really good interview with Jean St. John, the name behind John St. Jean studios who's probably sculpted some if not all of some of the more realistic looking figures in your collection. I highly suggest that if you're a fan of his work, or of some upcoming Mezco and AmokTime figures that you give it a read.

NECA TMNT Series 1: Single Carded

2008-04-16T00:47:00.003-04:00

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a die hard TMNT fanboy. From WAY back in the day. So this has been an excruciating wait for these to come out. So let's get to it!!!!

Sculpt: 4.5/5. Pretty cool, bodies are exaggerated just like in the artwork, except for one jarring thing: the necks. They are too long. Other than that, amazing stuff. Especially the way they pulled off the torso joint, but i'll get to that in a minute. I wanna point out how even tho the turtles look the same, their unique facial features bring out their own personalities. From Raph and Leo looking angry, to Mikey's goofy grin, and Donatello's quiet reserved expression, these are all VERY good use of simple and subtle things to create differences.

Paint: 4/5. pretty damned good. I love how the black hatch marks are exaggerated to give the illusion of comic art rendered in 3 dimensions. I found some fairly minor paint slops. well, minor for NECA. In other words, they managed to not mix up the bandana colors. Moving on...

Articulation:5/5. when a property goes from having mass market toys made to having collectibles, there are usually two things that get sacrificed. Durability, and articulation. These are clearly meant for display, rather than play, however, while the durability has gone down, the articulation has gone up. One of the most interesting things they have done is to hide a joint in the mid torso, by having the chest and shell 'sandwich' the torso, creating a near-invisible mid torso joint. Pretty damned cool.

Accessories: 5/5. OK, so WHY would you spring for these single carded figures when you can get the box set cheaper? Well, I'll tell you why. Each turtle comes with their signature weapon, an alternate pair of hands with climbing claws, a baby turtle, a piece of a base which connects to the others, and something extra: Mikey gets throwing stars, Raph gets throwing knives and a 3-part lamp post, Leo gets a fire hydrant, and Don has the TCRI Ooze canister.

Overall: 4.5/5. These are great figures, and I encourage all current and past fans to pick these up. TURTLE POWER!!!

NECA NYCC Plans

2008-04-14T16:15:00.004-04:00

NECA updated their page today with information about their plans for this years New York Comic Con. They'll have some older exclusives on hand for sale in addition to the special Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle four pack that's chock full of accessories and will net you a chance at getting your set signed by Peter Laird. They also promise to reveal some of thier new figures for 2008, so check out the article and if you're lucky enough to go make sure to stop by thier booth to see what's cooking.

It's Almost Here!
NECA Releases Details for New York Comic Con
04/14/2008

New York Comic Con is mere days away, and excitement at the NECA office has reached a fever pitch. Today, NECAonline highlights all the goings-on at Booth #1112, from exclusives to signings to behind the scenes Q&A sessions. We will be debuting new figures from Conan the Barbarian, Gears of War, Cult Classics, Player Select, and more!

Saturday, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Peter Laird will be signing our New York Comic Con Exclusive Edition Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Box Set. Each set, priced at $50, payable in cash only, will be sold with a color-coded voucher assigning a specific time to return to the booth to have your set signed by Mr. Laird. The exclusive goes on sale Saturday morning and is limited to 500 sets!

This year we also have a special look into the process of making an action figure. Our sculptors will be on hand for a Meet the Makers session on Sunday, from 1 PM - 3 PM, to answer questions and explain the process of what goes on behind the scenes and how an action figure goes from concept to final packaged product on the shelves. Whether an artist, NECA fan, or action figure collector, this session is the ultimate "behind the scenes" NECA feature!

Finally, along with the hugely anticipated Ninja Turtles Exclusive, a few rare Convention Exclusives of past years will be available. The following "warehouse find" items are in extremely limited quantities - less than 100 of each!

300 Battle-Damaged Leonidas
NBX Vampire Jack
NBX Pirate Jack
Harry Potter w/ Hedwig
Resident Evil RPD Leon
Cannibal Jack Sparrow
MOTU Microbust Assortment

Remember, once these are gone, they will not be reproduced! We hope to see you all at this year's NY Comic Con, so make sure to stop by Booth #1112 for the hottest new collectibles and exclusives from NECA!

Wii Succeed?

2008-04-12T18:46:00.004-04:00

About a year and a half ago a little company named Nintendo churned out their latest video game console; the Wii. Now, I grew up with Nintendo, I lived through the first great console war and I saw the NES and the SNES make a company that started out as a playing card company into the predominant force of an industry that most had written off after the crash of the early 80’s. I then proceeded to see said company fall to second and then to third place in the great saga that is the video game console wars.

So how is it that a console that is technologically inferior to the other two major players in the industry has become such a phenomenon? Now I’ll be the first to say that I feel the Wii has an innovative method of control that if more third party developers could implement properly might become industry standard. But if you really want to know what I feel makes the wii a success I’ll tell you in two words…. Casual Gamers. Now, I’m not knocking the Wii (settle down Nintendo fanboys) I own one myself I just feel more limited on what appeals to me that is released for the wii. I personally think that the big N saw a market segment that the other two big players weren’t even thinking about, non traditional gamers. These folks don’t care about leveling up their character or what Master Chief or Dante are doing. They just want to play a game and have some fun possibly with friends they don’t meet over the online gaming service, without having to do too much for that experience. I’m not saying the wii doesn’t have games for us old school gamers, just when compared to the PS3 and the 360; the Wii has a disproportionately large amount of content that attracts people who aren’t really gamers to it.

Case in point, most of my wife’s family thinks I am odd because at 27 I still play video games at the very least 3-4 days a week and own 4 systems. Weirdo that I am, I took the wii on a family trip with all of them a few weeks ago. Now yes my wife and her brother played games as kids but they grew out of it, but, on that trip they all had so much fun playing this thing that I wouldn’t be surprised if we go to visit her brother or her parents and see that they got a wii if they could find one that is. And they were playing Wii sports which is pretty close to about as shallow as a game can get but they loved the hell out of it. It says a lot about a console when a free game that really amounts to a tech demo can make a potential sale of a system. So in short a cadre of simple but typically fun games sell this system to people that think gamers are either angsty teens or people living in their moms’ basement. But isn’t that really how video games started out before they became 60.00 interactive movies? Everything comes full circle.

Cinema of Fear Series 3

2008-04-11T04:36:00.004-04:00

Mezco released photography of their third series from the popular Cinema of Fear line. Here's the lineup again just incase you forgot.

- Freddy Krueger (Nightmare On Elm Street 5)
- Hitchhiker (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
- Jason Voorhees (Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday)
- Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake)

and here's the photos

Totally Tubular

2008-04-07T12:31:00.004-04:00

We've seen the Turtles in two box sets with varying accessories and in clamshells loaded down with extras. Now NECA's Turtles are coming out in these special collector's tubes featuring some bare bones version of the guys which should cost less than their accessory-laden counterparts.

NECA Releases Images of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Tube Packaging
04/07/2008

With first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figures on shelves now and our New York Comic Con Exclusive Boxed Set coming next weekend, NECAonline is buzzing with Turtles excitement. Today, we unveil the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tube Assortment, featuring the first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figures in tube packaging. These lower-priced versions include only the core weapons for each Turtle and are perfect for display purposes. The Tube Assortment hits shelves at the end of May, but for now take a look at our first official image and keep checking back at NECAonline for the latest Turtles updates and more!

Plastic Possessed: Regan Unleashed

2008-04-04T15:51:00.003-04:00

NECA has updated thier pages with the following information about thier upcoming figure from The Exorcist that will be released later this year in Cult Classics Series 7.

In 1973, one film redefined the horror genre and created an instant pop sensation. From one of the most terrifying films of all time, comes the latest Cult Classics release: The Exorcist Spider Walk Regan Action Figure. Regan balances on her head and hair to recreate the notorious Spider Walk scene. Regan comes with a detailed staircase display base and multiple points of articulation, including a ball-jointed neck, swivel forearms, and swivel legs. Regan hits shelves with the rest of Cult Classics Series 7 this June and a Possessed Regan in Bed Boxed Set is in development now for release later in 2008.

Dr. Tongue Figure Revealed!

2008-03-29T09:54:00.005-04:00

In November, from the third installment of George A Romero's Zombie Epic "Day of the Dead" comes the second in a series of action figures! Figure includes: Display base, 7 points of articulation, rubbery tongue and real hair! PRE-ORDER NOW!

D&R Lineups Is Live And Pink Spartan Info Released

2008-03-25T15:55:00.009-04:00

{Avi's note: I've been holding onto this info for awhile now and have been seeking confirmation, but it seems like it's time to let the cat out of the bag. People have been asking about this for a couple months now and most of their questions should now be answered. I've contacted McFarlane Toys in the meantime for additional confirmation on whether this is 100% legitimate and I will update you once I get an answer. Check out the release and the storefront, as well as the distribution rules. Hopefully we'll have all our questions answered very shortly.}

Avi's Update: Joe F. from Spawn.com confirmed the info, so bookmark thier site and keep your eyes open around this time next month through the first week of May for the figure to go live. Private Donut, FTW!

D&R Lineups Halo Exclusive Press Release (click here to go to their page)

McFarlane Toys and Microsoft have teamed up to produce action figures based on the popular videogame trilogy Halo. McFarlane Toys and D&R Lineups have teamed up and are proud to present the ~~Lightish Red~~ Pink* Mark VI Spartan Soldier. Available exclusively from D&R Lineups!

* - Color is up for debate. It is most likely BOTH but may vary depending on the medium.

PINK MARK VI HALO EXCLUSIVE

Product Description

It is the 26th century humanity, led by the United Nations Space Command, is at war with a collection of alien races known as the Covenant. Spartans are the cybernetically enhanced supersoldiers that lead the defence of humanity and are our final hope. Conscripted at the age of fourteen the spartans underwent a series of dramatic augmentations making their bones almost unbreakable, boosting thier vision, reaction time, and strength well beyond that of a normal human.

Spartans utilize numerous weapons and equipment, but their most distinctive feature is their armor. The MJOLNIR Mark VI is the latest in the Powered Assault Armor of the United Nations Space Command. It is built out of dense but light materials, coated with energy absorbing materials, and has an energy shielding system. Thanks to an onboard supply of biofoam it can even heal moderate wounds. The MJOLNIR is an adaptable suit of armor, with many variations and modifications possible to it, optimizing it for certain functions.

Distribution Guidelines

1. Starting sometime towards the end of April no later than the first week of May, a set number of Pink Spartans will be pre-sold at http://www.dnrlineups.com/

2. The debut of the Pink Spartan will be at Frank and Sons Warehouse Collectible show (http://www.fs-collectibles.com/). This will coincide with the national release of Halo Series 2, and will be scheduled the first Saturday after figures are shipped from McFarlane in June (exact date will be posted on http://www.dnrlineups.com/ when known.) The Pink Spartan will be sold at Frank and Sons at one show and one show only, and any remaining stock will be relisted at http://www.dnrlineups.com/

3. Limits will be set at a later date, and there will be absolutely no wholesale cases available to anyone. Updated information will be posted at http://www.dnrlineups.com/

First Photos Of McFarlane's Halo Series 3, Update On Statues

2008-03-24T16:20:00.010-04:00

I must say that the Hayabusa looks awesome and that the Flood Combat form is wickedly creepy. The Brute Chieftan (Armor Class) has been confirmed through these photos as I've been saying for awhile now. The Brute Captain Major that many were hoping and was originally solicited will be coming later.

Probably the biggest disappointment there is the lack of a Teal Recon figure in that photo. I wish it could be confirmed that it will be available as a regular figure for Series 3 but that's not in the cards right now. It looks like we might have to wait for the river on this one.

Additionally, in regards to the Halo 3 statues/figures that we've been looking into since February there's new news. These have been confirmed to be called the Legendary Collection.

Halo 3 Legendary Collection Statues:
Master Chief
Arbiter
Brute Chieftain (Weapons Class)

They will be unarticulated statues, 7"-9" tall and in a hyper-realistic style. Price points appear to be, for the most part, between $17-$22 and they will be available sometime around November. In other words, just in time for the Holidays. They will feature a new packaging design, however I'm not sure if that means boxset style the way they did the 24 figures last year or a new type of clamshell.

As always, as I get new info I'll pass it along. It's a fantastic time to be a Halo fan.

UPDATE: According to Joe F. at Spawn.com these images came straight from their sales sheets and that the weapons pictured may not be what actually ends up packaged and available at retail. He also said that one figure is missing from the photos, the Elite Combat figure which will be revealed on Spawn.com this Friday.

Legends Of The Bladehunters Series 2

2008-03-22T02:18:00.003-04:00

McFarlane Toys has revealed their second series of Fantasy figures from Legends of the Bladehunters. Coming off the sweeping success of thier articulated Halo 3 figure line, some of these figures sport what appears to be a decent amount of articulation.

Check them out. My personal favorites are the Cronus the Necromancer and the Captain Bayle, the Knight. Click below to see the full galleries

Goblins (Scout Class)

Captain Bayle (Knight)

Cursed Dragon

Cronus (Necromancer)

Griffin Boxed Set

BigBadToyStore Exclusive Spartan

2008-03-21T12:35:00.005-04:00

Yesterday people recieved this in the newest BBTS Newsletter...

Hi - The owner of this exclusive has recently warned us that they may not be able to fill our order in full. It appears they have decided to allocate inventory on wholesale orders, most likely to go to their retail orders. We have closed our preorder down, about 60% of our initial order quantity has been pre-sold. I just wanted to let you know that there is a possibility of a shortage on this item, but we'll do all we can to get enough to fill our preorders. No new preorders are being accepted, and each cancellation means there is less and less competition for the inventory we will receive. On a bright note, BBTS has just negotiated our own series 3 Halo Exclusive with McFarlane, limited to 3,000 pieces, and it will be announced tomorrow {Friday}! There will be no shortages on our own exclusive

Thanks!
Joel

Today, BBTS posted up the following listing for their own exclusive...

We are proud to announce our first ever exclusive with McFarlane – the Halo 3 Violet CQB Spartan Soldier! This exciting 6” action figure is limited to only 3,000 pieces and is only available from BigBadToyStore! With millions and millions of Halo fans, you'll want to reserve your exclusive now. This figure is available singly for $13.99, or you can get it for less if you buy it as part of the Halo Series 3 Set of 9 for $93.99 (which includes the 8 regular figures and 1 BBTS Exclusive Violet CQB figure) This works out to only $10.44 per figure on average, and the Set of 9 figures is available here:

Halo 3 - Series 3 - Set of 9 with BBTS Exclusive - Click Here

That being said, if you still have not ordered the Yellow Spartan ODST from Entertainment Earth that we talked about HERE, you may want to do that since the alternative is to order it for $19.99 from Wizard Universe or from other online retailers like BBTS who may not be able to get their full order.

Possbile Halo Tidbits For the Future

2008-03-20T12:22:00.005-04:00

In Wednesday's Daily Update over on Spawn.com there were several questions asked answered by moderator Joe F. regarding a variety of topics, however there were a few in reards to their Halo products.

Here's what I keyed in on...

Joe, Ben "Neck Beard" Vance stated you have to wait 90 days to sell exclusive items at the spawn store, so does that mean we could see the elusive WM exclusive Blue Mark VI and CQB spartans in the store down the road? Same with the silver and the highly anticipated Pink Spartan?

We will carry some of the exclusive in our stores. I cannot announce at this time which exclusives they will be. Also, some will only be available at our retail stores and not our online store, due to the some of our contracts with retailers. The exclusives we carry will be very limited quantities and will be announced in our NEWS section and on our message boards!

Any plans on giving us an in-scale warthog or other small to medium sized vehicles for the 5" figures?

Part of the reasoning behind the scale size was so the series would be compatible with a variety of ancillary products including vehicles.

Are plans in place to continue Halo 3 beyond this year?

If all goes well, you’ll be seeing a variety of HALO figs in the future! So keep buying them and we’ll keep making them!

Joe, Will we see multi-packs or "versus" sets for the Halo line? In other words, could we see a Spartan vs Elite 2-pack exclusive to WM or will the line continue with the single figures? Are there any chances for in scale vehicles of any size (warthog, mongoose, ghost, banshee, etc..)

Absolutely! We plan on offering a wide variety of HALO products. The 2-packs and 3-packs are just a small piece of that pie.

Now, what I take out of this is that yes, in-scale vehicles are very much still on the table. Additionally the comments about the multipacks are pretty surprising and make me wonder how far from production they are and what the price point will be. The variety of of ancillary products makes me wonder what else might be possible in addition to in-scale vehicles. Might that mean some weapon pods or diorama fodder?

I don't know, but I'm already looking forward to 2009

Turtles and Clams

2008-03-17T13:13:00.002-04:00

Alright Turtles fans, these figures are only a few weeks away and NECA's provided these photos of those smug little bastards in thier packaging. Remember, if you want all of the accessories you have to either buy the NYCC exclusive that I previously covered or all 4 of these single carded figures. The retail four pack will not come with all the extras.

Today, NECAonline reveals the first official photos of all four single-carded Ninja Turtles in their completed packaging. If you aren't one of the lucky 500 guests at this year's New York Comic Con who snags our Exclusive Box Set, the only way to get all the Turtles accessories is by getting all four single-carded figures.

Exclusive accessories include:
Detailed Bases
Mini-turtles
Alternate Climbing Claw Hands
T.C.R.I. Ooze Cannister with Donatello
Throwing Stars with Michelangelo
Throwing Knives with Raphael

Bub Gets New Duds

2008-03-15T01:47:00.003-04:00

AmokTime has an update on thier Bub figures, and offer a tasty and fairly obvious hint at what the next figure in the line will be. I'll let you read it rather than spoil it.

DAY OF THE DEAD: BUB UPDATE

Our intial pics of Bub were the start of our 7in action figure line. Here we have all new shots of the final paint master in it’s new improved form.

Bub is the first in the Day of the Dead 7in action figure line. Here are some close ups of the face.

Bub is a "Deluxe" figure, What makes him deluxe?
For starters Bub, same scale as Movie Maniacs and Cult Classics, features a large diorama laboratory environment (4.5X3.4X8), Neck Chain, Chum Bucket full of bloody body bits, Tape Player, Head Phones, Razor, Gun and Two interchangeable right arms (one for the saluting pose and one straight arm) and will be packaged in a collectors friendly clamshell. All this good news and we know the next question, "WHEN WILL HE BE AVAILABLE!"

Bub staggers his way to Amok Time in September.
Call your Aunt Alicia and tell her to get a pre-order in for Bub now!
Click Here to Pre-Order Bub Now!

What’s next in the line you might ask?
Well it’s hard to say because he doesnt have a lower jaw.
If you haven’t guessed it pics will be coming soon!

Thanks for your support,
Paul James Lazo
Amoktime.com

The Ghost With The Most Revealed

2008-03-12T20:03:00.003-04:00

NECA revealed thier first promotional photo of Beetlejuice today, who is the second figure in the upcoming Cult Classics 7 Series. The figure was first seen at Toy Fair, but NECA's decided to make an ongoing event of it and reveal this line in bits and pieces of the line over the course of the next few weeks. We will have to wait to see the packaging and accessories until later. Until then, enjoy the photo.

It's Showtime!
NECA Releases First Official Image of Cult Classics Beetlejuice Action Figure
03/12/2008

NECAonline continues coverage of the latest figures from this year's International Toy Fair as we debut the second figure from the upcoming newest series of Cult Classics Action Figures. Joining Stuntman Mike in Series 7 is the star of Tim Burton's 1988 horror-comedy classic: Beetlejuice! Wearing his classic striped suit, Michael Keaton's iconic exorcist of the living hits shelves this summer. In the coming weeks, we will reveal accessories, packaging, and more, but for now take a look at the first official Beetlejuice photo! Make sure to check back at NECAonline for the latest Cult Classics updates!

Bungie Interviews Todd McFarlane About Halo 3 Figures

2008-03-10T17:06:00.006-04:00

This past weekend the guys at Bungie posted an interview with Todd McFarlane that confirms much of what I've been sifting through for the past few months and posted here.

Acknowledging a longstanding inside joke among Halo fans Todd also dropped a bombshell when he said we, "can has Recon," but according to him it might not be that easy to get.

One major thing of note that got me particularly excited was this:

One of the things I would really like to do, and we have plans for this in the works right now, is a line of HALO figures that brings the HALO world out of your television and out of the imaginary world of action figures, and grounds it in as much reality as we can muster. Basically, a more traditional “McFarlane” take – larger scale, dynamically posed — to expand our offerings outside the 5-inch scale action figures we have started out with.

The article itself shows some of the stages of walking through the action figure design and creation process. There's some interesting stuff in there and I highly suggest you check it out.

On a side note, there was no Halo Points update for today as was rumored by some of the members of Spawn.com

PredatorStuff's Amazing Wolf Predator and Hybrid Alien Kits

2008-03-10T13:12:00.005-04:00

The Hybrid 1/5th scale kit you may remember from late last year. As of this posting there appear to be 6 left in stock with a price tag of $119.99 and all things considered, that's a solid price.

If you like that, you will love this...

The Wolf Predator retails around $169.99 and is exclusive to PredatorStuff. This 1/5th scale kit is currently up for pre-order and I'm not sure whether this pre-sold out or not, thought it wouldn't be surprising given the quality of that sculpt.

Regarding some of the finer details of the kit such as the accesories, Dan over at PredatorStuff had this to say in his review.

Going back to the kit, the detailing on the weapons are awesome and are really impressive once combined and added to the kit. You get the dual cannons, 6 claymores (you can attach as many or as little as you like because the Bandolier has all the sculpted details underneath so you see the clips where the claymore was attached), the whip, the spear, 3 collapsed shurikens and even the vial of dissolving liquid nestled in a pouch on his belt. What I really like is how sturdy the spear is… it’s not flimsy at all and stays straight once assembled. I can’t stand kits and figures with shitty spears that are all bent and warped once attached to the kit. The spear is actually 3 parts… you have the hand and handle as one piece, then the two halves. Once assembled, the spear measures just over 15″ in length!

Now remember, this is a kit. That means it requires assembly and painting. But don't fear. They offer both over at PredatorStuff. Make sure to inquirer about pricing if you're interested.

Photos And Details About NYCC Turtles Set

2008-03-10T12:57:00.007-04:00

Here's some more details and the photos of NECA's NYCC Exclusive TMNT set I mentioned last week.

NECA’s 2008 convention season kicks off with the 3rd annual New York Comic Con April 18 – 20th 2008! This year, NECA has a very special exclusive, and a very special guest. Peter Laird, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will be appearing at the NECA booth on Saturday, April 19th, from 1PM-3PM, signing a New York Comic Con Exclusive Edition Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Box Set. This set contains all four Ninja Turtle action figures, plus additional accessories and diorama bases. This exclusive, limited to just 500 pieces, will be the only version of the box set to contain all the additional accessories from the single-carded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series 1 - in stores this May. The Exclusive Edition box set will cost $50 and is limited to one per guest. Purchase details will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Hasbro's Guidelines for GI-Joe Customs

2008-03-09T15:22:00.003-04:00

If you're a GI-Joe customizer who sells your work, you're going to want to see this. So far, this is the only license that Hasbro has specifically singled out and provided guidelines for but I expect others to pop up for other properties eventually.

Make sure to take note:

Hasbro Provides Customizing Guidelines to Collectors

Dear Fans and Customizers, The G.I. JOE team would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the customizing community and the incredible creativity and passion that goes into each one of your projects. We are continually impressed by your work.

The customizing community ranges from those who work with product to those who customize packages and artwork. There has recently been some confusion as to what constitutes the legal resale of customized product and what constitutes trademark infringement. The following guidelines for using Hasbro trademarks should provide some clarity.

Hasbro encourages the customizing of individual figures for personal usage, and can be resold as one-of-a-kind, out-of-package figures.
All Hasbro artwork, such as card art, cannot be reprinted without permission from Hasbro. These assets contain Hasbro-owned trademarks and logos, and cannot be sold or reproduced without Hasbro’s permission
Hasbro owned trademarks such as character names and the GI Joe brand name cannot be used without written permission from Hasbro.

As we look to the future of the G.I. JOE franchise, we want to ensure that the customizing community can thrive while Hasbro continues to protect the brand that it has spent the last 45 years creating. Hasbro will become more aggressive in the legal pursuit of counterfeit product that is being sold in all channels. We appreciate your cooperation with this matter.

Thank you.

NECA's NYCC TMNT Exclusive Set

2008-03-08T02:00:00.005-05:00

NECA has announced that they will have an exclusive Turtles set for the 2008 NYCC on this MySpace Blog. I'll be sure to get you the photos when they go up on Monday, but in the meantime, here's the dish:

NECA Unveils a New York Comic Con Exclusive
03/07/2008

NECA's 2008 convention season kicks off with the 3rd annual New York Comic Con April 18 – 20th 2008! This year, NECA has a very special exclusive, and a very special guest. Peter Laird, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will be appearing at the NECA booth on Saturday, April 19th, from 1PM-3PM, signing a New York Comic Con Exclusive Edition Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Box Set. This set contains all four Ninja Turtle action figures, plus additional accessories and diorama bases. This exclusive, limited to just 500 pieces, will be the only version of the box set to contain all the additional accessories from the single-carded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series 1 - in stores this May. The Exclusive Edition box set will cost $50 and is limited to one per guest. Purchase details will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Check NECAonline for the images on Monday

Welcome to ToyPit.net

2008-03-06T01:45:00.004-05:00

Some viewers may recognize something a bit different about the site, others may not. While we're still the same site and still deliver the same content, ToyPit now has it's own domain. That said, welcome to the new ToyPit.net and feel free to look around.

What's new? Well here goes...

New Features:

New Navigation Bar - new links added, some not implemented but more planned
2 New Widgets - Custom Action Figures, Sports Scores courtesy of Fox Sports Net
A Halo Section that lists all of the various Halo related articles we've covered
A Gallery Section which will feature photos we add as well as the direct galleries from out reviews

We'll continue to change things up in a constant effort to make things better. Thanks for stopping by. Look for more news and reviews.

Looking For A Wal-Mart That Carries Halo 3 Figures?

2008-03-06T01:42:00.002-05:00

If you're looking for Halo 3 figures at Wal-Mart, then you're going to want this list. Check out the link for a full PDF listing straight from McFarlane Toys showing which locations in your area should be stocking Series 1

For the full list, click HERE

Entertainment Earth Halo 3 Exclusive Figure

2008-03-01T22:36:00.006-05:00

Edit: March 20th, 2008
The figure is Entertainment Earth Exclusive and all other online retailers selling it are reselling stock they're receiving from them. Other retailers are already sold out or are sending notice that they may have overestimated the number they would be recieving since it really does have a strict 3000 piece limit.

Edit: March 05, 2008

It looks like this figure may be an online exclusive rather than just an Entertainment Earth Exclusive. BigBadToyStore and WizardUniverse are also listing a Yellow ODST with 3,000 piece limits. There are more than a few people trying to dig around and get to the bottom of this. As always, as I get more info I'll pass it along.

Entertainment Earth has announced what appears to be an exclusive Spartan Soldier figure that appears to be part of McFarlane Toys 3rd Series of Halo 3 figures. The Yellow ODST (which looks tan to me) is limited to only 3000 units according to EE and will be available sometime in October. From the prototype photo it's definately a Spartan Soldier variant, however from the description is sounds more like the ODST from Series 2. It's more likely that the listing is for the Spartan than an ODST that doesn't appear in the game, but we all know what they say about making assumptions.

As I get more info, as always I will pass it along.

To pre-order the figure, click HERE.

Bif Bang Pow Catches Dexter Red Handed

2008-03-01T16:58:00.003-05:00

Dexter, one of the more interesting original shows in recent years will apparently be getting the action figure treatment courtest of Big Bang Pow, the guy who brought us those Flash Gordon figurs that made a lot of people's dreams come true. Here's the info:

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 29, 2008) – Showtime Networks Inc. has announced that it has awarded a licensing contract for their critically acclaimed original drama, Dexter, to manufacturer Bif Bang Pow! The series follows Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), an incredibly likeable forensics expert for the Miami Metro Police Department, who moonlights as a serial killer with a penchant for inflicting his own unusual brand of justice—he kills people who truly deserve it.

The network, working with its licensing agency, 360ep, has signed with Bif Bang Pow! to manufacture and distribute bobble heads and other figures for Dexter. "I’m an ardent SHOWTIME enthusiast and a huge fan of Dexter since its beginning in Season 1. Dexter falls right in line with what Bif Bang Pow! is trying to achieve," said Jason Lenzi, CEO of Bif Bang Pow! "Dexter is a smart, hip series that always keeps you glued to the edge of your seat. It’s an exciting show and we plan to create equally exciting collectibles to compliment it." Bif Bang Pow! will produce a variety of Dexter collectibles, starting with bobble heads and action figures. The first items to come available should reach market this fall. Watch for future announcements regarding these winning new releases.
In addition to this news, Bif Bang Pow also announced that they had inked a deal with highly inked Heavy Metal icon Scott Ian from the band, Anthrax. First up will be a bobblehead followed by a figure later on.

The Kratos Figures We'll Never Get

2008-02-29T17:56:00.006-05:00

NECA revealed a few photos of God of War figures that could have been, but we'll never get.

First up is a familiar face if you were looking forward to this in '07

Poseidon's Rage Kratos, originally a Comic-Con '07 exclusive

Next we come to a figure that most of us didn't know about until now and many of us probably would have liked considering how awesome it was.

Dark Odyssey Kratos, this figure was never approved.

Hasbro's Cloverfield Site

2008-02-29T17:37:00.003-05:00

To promote thier upcoming Cloverfield collector's edition figure, Hasbro launched a splash page today that appears to be a mini-site. You can see it HERE.

Halo 3 Lineups For Series 3 And More?

2008-02-26T03:38:00.019-05:00

I've heard about the following lineup for Halo 3 Series 3 and if true, I expect that we'll be seeing quite a few more exclusive variants announced for the Spartan Soldiers, though hopefully a few of the Elite Permutations as well. Getting Hayabusa, Rogue and Recon will add a lot of depth to your Spartans.

Series 3
September 2008

Master Chief
Jackal Major
Elite Combat
Brute Chieftain (Weapon Class)
Flood Combat Form (Human)
Spartan Soldier Hayabusa (Red)
Spartan Soldier Rogue (Olive)
Spartan Soldier Recon (Teal)

If this list is legitimate, and it very well may be given the teaser shadows we've already seen, then we will be getting a more diverse line-up this time around with the addition of the Elites and the first Flood figure along with a new Jackal. The Brute Chieftain, though not unexpected leaves me wondering how long it will be before we get a standard Brute Soldier. And sadly, if this line never makes it to a Series 4 I fear we'll be stuck without them.

If the orders are there and the interest is there at McFarlane Toys to keep things going I think I'll be up for buying them as long as they keep making them. All I can say is, the listing for that Recon Armor better not be false and they better make it in as many colors as they can because I'll be all over it.

Additionally, I've got more info on what may be the "stylized" figures that are supposedly coming later this year. There are listings for a set of 3 hyper-detailed 7"-8" statues for an October release with the set comprised of Brute Chieftain, Master Chief and the Arbiter. The MSRP listings range from $25.99-$44.99 per statue which makes me wonder how accurate this is, but as I get new information I'll pass it on. There are some listings which are offering the full set for $77.99 and others which say that these "statues" are going to be articulated. I've got no idea what's going on with this one. It's a bit of a headache.

There's a 12" Master Chief listed for McFarlane as well with an August release date and a $29.99 MSRP.

As for the 3rd Series of vehicles, I'm hearing that it will be the Banshee, Hornet and the Scorpion Tank however at Toy Fair they listed a Scarab for Series 3.

That's all I have for now. Check back later for more news and updates.

New Photos of the NECA's Stealth Predator

2008-02-25T23:42:00.007-05:00

NECA revealed the first promotional photos on thier MySpace account for the upcoming Stealth Predator from AvP:R Series 3. The other figure in this assortment will be the open-mouth Predator that were previously got a look at last year before the final lineups were announced.

Take a look at the sparking effects painted on to make the Predator appear as if it is finishing its cloak.

Halo 3 Wal-Mart Exclusives Review

2008-02-25T01:17:00.005-05:00

Well, I was lucky enough to find the Wal-Mart exclusive Halo 3 figures yesterday and I thought I'd share some photos. Trust me, you will be able to get these figures into a lot more poses than I have. And when we get some more weapons, there are going to be some monster diorama scenes you can make.

Let's get this started.

Mark VI (Blue)

CQB (Blue)

Both of these Spartan Soldiers have the same base body. The differences are the swappable armor pieces that come on both and the colored striping. They're both ridiculously poseable. I'm still coming up with poses to try. The package says that they're 18 POA. I think that underplays the poseability. Some joints have multiple ranges, such as the double jointed toes that get vertical and horizontal movement. That allows these figures to stand when most figures would be toppling all over the place. Ladies and gentlemen, McFarlane Toys did articulation and did it well.

The sculpts are really good. They're solid, and even this scale there's detail more to them than the vastly larger Joyride figures. The amount of detail blows GI-Joe and Star Wars out of the water and brings McFarlane's well-known hyper-realism to a smaller size. The size is stuck between the 3 3/4" and 6" scale. It's not quite 5" scale since the Chief is pegged at 5" so it's actually on the smaller end of 1:17th scale. Either way, the Mark VI retains that stealthy, solid look that we know and love while the CQB offers a larger, more brutal and intimidating looking heavy soldier. I dig both looks and thank Bungie for coming up with the permutations and McFarlane for making them customizable.

The paint isn't bad. It isn't fantastic either. The metallic schemes work well but there's slop here and there and this isn't your typical McFarlane paint scheme. For $10-12 you expect better. Speaking of that, the accessories are a bit light as well. A couple pegs for the weapons, a single grenade and an assault rifle. Like I said earlier, the weapons will allow for vastly more looks to your Spartans once they expand the pool.

These figures have a solid play factor, sick poseability and are an amazing buy. If you can get them at Wal-Mart, which is the only place you will find them in this blue paint scheme, they'll run you about $9.63 before tax.

If you're a size queen, you will have problem with these figures. If you love a solid, well done toy or Halo, these will rock your face off. I've been messing arounde with them for hours and now I'm freaking out waiting for my set to come in from Spawntoys.com and that should be on Wednesday at which point I'll show you the rest of the figures.

But Avi, you have a Master Chief with a Plasma Pistol in one of your photos. Well, that's true. But he's not mine and neither is the Grunt. A buddy of mine stopped over and was showing them to me so I snapped a quick photo while I had a chance. Wednesday is way, way too far away.

Keep this in mind when you go out to look for them. There are two case packs at Wal-Mart. All of them come with the same number of Master Chiefs, Cortanas (1), Jackal Snipers and Brute Chieftans. The differences in the cases are the single packed Grunt and the Spartan Soldiers.

Case 1:
Green Grunt
Red Mark VI
Blue Mark VI

Case 2:
Orange Grunt
Red EVA
Blue CQB

Oh, that's right. The swappable armor. The chest armors are secured by 4 pegs, the shoulder armors are secured by a single peg and the head is a double ball-joint which can easily be removed and all of it can be switched. Right now, that's not very appealing unless you want to mix a piece here or there or swap a head. Well, I guess you could do a full repaint and swap, too. As we get more Spartans with more armor varaiations in these colors it will make creating your own Spartan just as fun as in the game. Kudos to McFarlane for making this possible.

Good luck picking them up, and have fun guys. They're great toys.

Halo 3 Series 1 Has Arrived At Spawntoys.com

2008-02-21T02:11:00.010-05:00

Over at the Spawn.com message board Kim from Spawntoys.com (aka The Spider's Web, one of the best McF Retailers out there and one of the very few McF-only retailers in the game) announced that he has Series 1 of both the figures and vehicles in stock. The sets are going for a pretty good price and I suggest you get your orders in ASAP because from the general vibe I'm getting from the boards these figures are hot.

Halo 3 Series 1 and the vehicles arrived in stock late Wednesday, Feb 20th.

All boardmember orders were billed Wednesday evening and will ship out Thursday, Feb 21st!

Here is a link so you can see the product....it looks GREAT!!!!

Kim
Spiders Web, Inc
www.spawntoys.com

We are only offering cases and sets at this time (no single figures, no exceptions)... We have a truckload of preorders to ship out over the next few days and we need to make sure we can fill our set commitments before we offer singles.

It's Halo-mania Baby!

Avi's Picks From Toy Fair (Part II)

2008-02-18T21:54:00.011-05:00

Jason 12" Figure from Friday the 13th Part VII, by Mezco
For a look at the figure and more Mezco stuff at ToyTraderz.com, click HERE

Now I'm not a 1/6th scale collector, but this is the kind of figure that could suck me into this scale. I like the look a lot more than previous attempts in this scale. I've got my nitpicks of course, however the overall look has more than made up fo it so far.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this figure turns out and what the face under the mask looks like. Between this and the 6" Jason from Part VI in the Cinema of Fear line I think I'm going to get a pretty good Jason fix for 2008. The sculpt looks good so if the price is right I think this can be a hit. Hopefully that means $50 or so.

Lord Zedd, by Bandai
To see the full photo go to Figures.com, click HERE.

This is where nostalgia kicks in. I think that reintroducing some of the classic Power Rangers is a good way to get some of the collector's who have dropped this line over the years back into the game. For me, Lord Zedd could be that figure.

The downside is that he's going to be a chase.

The upside is that he look good and that headsculpt really does capture the sinister look from the show. Bandai's relatively consistent with thier product so I have faith that the figures are going to turn out pretty close to the prototypes. If that's the case, Zedd's going to be a badass and since he should clock in at 5" tall I've got ideas brewing about a Master Chief / Lord Zedd buddy cop stop motion film.

Or not.

Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII PlayArts
To see this and the rest of the Final Fantasy merchandise check out the Action-Figure.com gallery HERE.

One of my favorite villains for a bit over a decade has been Sephiroth. While I loved Advent Children and I think they did an excellent job on the Advent Children PlayArts figures I've always had a soft spot for the game. The recently released Tifa, Cloud and Aerith wave was only the beginning and at Toy Fair I got what I was looking for, a new version of Sephiroth that's accurate to the game art and the in-game model.

Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against that semi-effeminate look that Cloud and Seph have going in Advent Children. If they want to dance around and hold hands, there's nothing wrong with that. This figure however has a vastly more intimidating look to it and it come down to that head sculpt. The new sculpt has a menacing, confident look to it rather than the quirky arrogance on the Advent Children version. I couldn't be happier with this prototype and I can't wait to see the final product.

Sandman's Top 5 Toy Fair surprises

2008-02-18T13:30:00.005-05:00

5. Shocker Toys is still in business. WTF? Have these guys ever put any figures out? Will Indy Spotlight ever make it to retailers? How do these guys survive without putting out any product?

4. Stuntman Mike/Machete. As the biggest Grindhouse fanboy in the tri-state area, seeing these protos and knowing that they will be released in 7" scale made me excited. Conan looks ok too. I would have preferred his basic, non-camo look, but I'm sure they'll get to it.

3. GI Joe. WOOT!!!! More 25th goodness on the way!!! Most of it is repaints and slight kitbashes of earlier figures, but I'm ok with that. And the vehicles ROCK!!!!

2. Indiana Jones. We finally get a look at the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull wave. Seeing the hand painted protos wasnt too encouraging, but the figures they displayed at the show looked SO much better. I can't wait for this line.

1. Mezco. OK, there were 2 things from Mezco that made me happy. First, Hellboy 2 Wave 2 announcement. Angel of Death specifically. YES!!!!!!! AWESOME. Second, Cinema of Fear Wave 3. I hope their Thomas Hewitt Leatherface can compete with the McF version. I would have liked to have seen pictures of these figures, but oh well. So far ToyFair has been pretty cool.

Avi's Picks For Toy Fair 2008 (Part 1)

2008-02-16T22:35:00.016-05:00

Cloverfield
For the the gallery from Figures.com click HERE

This prototype looks significantly better than the photos on HasbroToyShop.com and that has me worried. If the final product doesn't look at least as good as we see in that gallery at Figures.com then what's the point? For $100 we want some bang for our buck.

The thing looks massive, and the diorama scene, that I'm sure we're not getting, which he's posed on makes him look mighty impressive. The press photos didn't really scream that he'll be bigger than most Build a Figures.

I was disappointed so far with the parasites. We're getting 10 of them and to be honest, I'm dying to see better shot. Those were some very creepy, awesome little buggers. Given the scale of this figure I think that the parasites will be too small to really be all that cool. I'm on the fence, but I'm very interested to see what Hasbro can do with this.

Venom ArtFX Statue from Spiderman 3
For the gallery, check out Action-Figure.com's coverage HERE.

The movie irritated me to no end, but I've had a soft spot in my heart for the Venom design anyway. That's not entirely true. The Sideshow take on the design was possibly one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. It was like the perfect mix of comic and movie designs and had a more realistically proportioned, menacing look that's been missing from Venom for a long time.

While Koto's statue isn't the most original, it's solid looking. Diamond Select tried to go for a very similar look and it's my humble opinion that this blows thier try out of the water. It's almost like it's another version of the Sideshow piece and that's a good thing. The way the symbiote's tendrils are crawling up the arm is fantastic and I think it's going to be very difficult for me to avoid picking this up. Way to go Koto!

SOTA Cthulhu Statue Variant Info

2008-02-16T15:24:00.004-05:00

In the Southeast Pacific, lies the sunken city of R'Leyh. There lies C'thulhu waits to return to our world with the other Great Old Ones. A hideous creature of enormous size and alien power, it waits for it's time to return patiently. For it has all the time in the world while it waits for the stars. The Nightmares of H.P. Lovecraft: Ultra Cthulhu Statue features exquisite detail as the Great Old One is ready to strike. Painted and ready to display.

SOTA is happy to continue its Nightmares of Lovecraft line with the Ultra Cthulhu Statue. This incredibly detailed statue stands approximately 14-inches tall with a 22-inch wingspan. (The wings are detachable, for safe shipping and a more logically sized box.) This piece consists of mixed materials, with soft tentacles and a hard resin body for ultimate poseability and durability.

The Black Cthulhu variant will be limited to 100 pieces and for sale exclusively at BigBadToyStore for $249.99 and you can pre-order your HERE.

The Red Cthulhu variant will be for sale exclusively through Sideshow Collectibles. Cthulhu Statue - Sideshow Exclusive Edition

Cloverfield Monster Revealed

2008-02-15T09:32:00.013-05:00

To arrive in early October

Pre-order today at Hasbrotoyshop.com

Cloverfield Monster Features:

* 70 points of articulation and incredible life-like detail
* Authentic sound
* 14” tall
* 10 parasites
* Two interchangeable heads
* Statue of Liberty head accessory
* Special Cloverfield collector’s edition packaging

Halo Points

2008-02-14T22:47:00.005-05:00

McFarlane Toys has begun a new rewards program for thier Halo 3 action figures. Halo Points appears to be a point redemption system similar to the ones that you know and love from the past. Think about programs like Hasbro's George Lucas as Stormtrooper figure, think Save Doc from the GI-Joe 25th Anniversary line. Buy toys, get points towards stuff.

What stuff? That I don't know yet. I figure it's either a few Spartan Soldier variants that we've been shown like the Tan EOD or the Blue Scout. Then again, it could be something completely different like SWAG from Bungie. We'll know that soon since their site says to check back by the end of the month for details.

Here's what we know so far:

Every McFarlane Toys Halo 3 action figure and vehicle comes with a special bonus: a number of Halo Points. Simply collect these points, then redeem them for free rewards.

Halo 3 Series 1: Campaign Figures
• Master Chief 10 points
• Cortana 35 points
• Brute Chieftain 20 points
• Jackal Sniper 20 points
• Grunt 35 points

Halo 3 Series 1: Multiplayer Figures
• Spartan Mark VI 10 points
• Spartan CQB 10 points
• Spartan EVA 10 points

Halo 3 Series 1: Vehicles
• Warthog 25 points
• Ghost 25 points
• Chopper 25 points

Cloverfield figure To Be Revealed on 02-15-08

2008-02-14T20:51:00.007-05:00

Be sure to check out HasbroToyShop.com tomorrow for the big reveal of the Cloverfield monster.

Halo 3 Series 1 Photo Checklist (w/ Variants)

2008-02-13T18:49:00.009-05:00

To download the Halo 3 Series 1 Photo Checklist in PDF format, click HERE. You will need Adobe Reader to view the file.

Here's a snapshot of what it looks like.

Expect a Series 2 Checklist to be up soon after release. The high number of minor variants for Series 1, plus the rotating paint schemes for Series 2 has me hesistant to jump the gun again.

EDIT 03/10/08: I've taken down the Series 2 checklist and posted a direct link to the updated Halo 3 Series 1 Checklist for the full line-up, variants and vehicles.

NECA Reveals Locust Sniper Photo

2008-02-13T13:18:00.004-05:00

NECA updated thier site today with a photo of the Locust Sniper variant that finishes up Gears of War Series 1. Check it out.

A deadly asset for the Locust Horde, the Locust Sniper is equipped to destroy humans with its high-powered sniper rifle, and is especially intent on blowing away the members of Delta Squad in Epic Games' smash hit Gears of War. Sporting goggles and a game-accurate Longshot Rifle with scope, the Locust Sniper Action Figure hits shelves this spring with the rest of Gears of War Series 1!

Visit Our Friends At Media Zealot

2008-02-12T23:43:00.005-05:00

Feel free to visit our good friends at Media Zealot for a mix of news, reviews and opinions on the latest, greatest Toys, Games, Movies and more.

Here's some of their latest posts:
FILM: First Indy Teaser on Thursday

FIGURES: Mighty Muggs are Sweet

VIDEO GAMES: First Mass Effect DLC Announced

Ultra Cthulhu Statue Variant Info

2008-02-12T15:51:00.002-05:00

The Sideshow exclusive variant of SOTA's upcoming Ultra Cthulhu Statue that I previously covered last week should be the red version. Sideshow will be releasing more info about thier version soon. As for the black version, I have not yet seen or heard anything about who will be selling it and how limited it will be.

Hellboy 2 Figures Revealed

2008-02-09T23:33:00.002-05:00

I've found some photos of Mezco's upcoming 7" scale figures from Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. Take a look, they appear to be very close to the figures Mezco made for the first Hellboy movie. Additionally they will produce another 18" figure among other items from the film as well.

Anyway, enjoy the photos of Hellboy, Johann, Abe, Liz, The Prince and Wink

Spartan Soldier Exclusive Checklist For Halo 3 Figures Coming Soon

2008-02-09T01:29:00.002-05:00

Over at Spawn.com they've finally revealed what Spartan Soldiers will be at which store for Series 2. Notice that the Blue Scout armor isn't listed for Series 2. I've heard that it's being pushed to Series 3as the Wal-Mart exclusive but that's unconfirmed as of right now.

Here's the article. I will be making a checklist with photo references and some information about the individual figures shortly. Look for it by Monday.

All You Need to Know About Who's Got Which Exclusive
February 08, 2008
Copyright 2008 TMP International, Inc.
What's your favorite color?

Spartans, we've got Spartans.

McFarlane Toys' Halo 3 Series 2 figures will be reaching stores in July. Here's a look at the Spartan figures and colors available, and where you'll be able to find them.

AVAILABLE AT MASS RETAILERS
C.Q.B. - Team red - Weapon: Shotgun
Scout - Tan - Weapon: Battle rifle
E.O.D. - Olive - Weapon: Shotgun
E.V.A. - White - Weapon: Beam rifle

STORE EXCLUSIVES
E.O.D. - Team blue - Weapon: Shotgun - Available only at Wal-Mart
ODST - Cyan - Weapon: Battle rifle - Available only at: Wal-Mart
ODST - Steel - Weapon: Battle rifle - Available only at GameStop
E.V.A. - Brown - Weapon: Beam rifle - Available only at Toys 'R' Us
Mark VI - Gold - Weapon: Shotgun - Available only at Transworld
Mark VI - Pink - Weapon: Shotgun - Available only at D&R Lineups

Note: Color availability and weaponry subject to change. All photos are of action figure prototypes.

Subject 1025: The Babysitter

2008-02-07T23:05:00.003-05:00

Sideshow Collectibles released a trailer for the upcoming addition to thier fan favorite line, The Dead. Subject 1025: The Babysitter. From this trailer it appears that we will be getting the first female figure in the lineup, a pig-tailed, red-headed zombie in a Catholic school girl outfit. All I can say is that this is brilliant and it should prove to be a welcome addition to any zombie collector's displays.

I'll post more info as soon as I come across it. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer which can be found HERE.

Update: Here's a photo that was sent to me by an anonymous reader. I think it looks fantastic so far.

Amok Time Not Just A Retailer, Now Also A Manufacturer

2008-02-05T21:38:00.002-05:00

I though this was interesting and that I'd pass it along. Photos of some of the items can be found HERE.

2008 marks Amok Time’s 16th Anniversary and it’s first as a full time toy manufacturer. After making sporadic toy and collectible releases in the past years 2008 will feature a full years worth of Amok Time designed licensed collectibles.

What does that mean? What that means is we are designing and distributing our own selection of quality collectible merchandise. To kick things off, Amok Time will be at the NY Toy Fair located at the Jacob K. Javitz Center NYC February 17th -20th Booth #5752. We will be showcasing our first releases and taking wholesale orders. Please note: Toy Fair is only open to the trade and we cannot get anyone, who is not previously registered, into the show. Please send us an email at wholesale@amoktime.com to set up a toy fair appointment or you can just stop by. Please note all wholesale clients must have a valid Tax ID# and proper business credentials to set up a wholesale account.

So what do we have up our sleeve? Our company, since inception, has focused on Sci-Fi, Horror and Super-Powered memorabilia, Look for us to keep that tradition going with some truly original products!

Some products for 2008 include:
1) Day of the Dead Action Figure's 12in and More.
2) Classic Battlestar Galactica 12in Collectors Figures.
3) Gort The Unstoppable Robot from The 50’s Sci-Fi Classic.
4) Universal Monsters 23in Figures.
5) Night of the Living Dead 12in Collectors Figure Series.
6) Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Icon 12in Collectors Figure.

So how do you get on board for 2008? It’s easy! We have designed a new Wholesale section with all the info you need right here on line. Go there, fill out the simple dealers form and get emails regarding pricing, images and release dates. Our products are all slated for 2nd-4th quarter 2008. Since all items are extremely limited in production (some 12in figures will only be 500 pcs) we strongly recommend all potential dealers to get your pre-orders in ASAP to avoid sellout. All items will be advertised in genre specific magazines and websites as well as displayed at prominent collectible shows across the US.

A common question we're hearing is if we will still be carrying all the brands we used to sell before this announcement, like Sideshow, Mezco, NECA, McFarlane, Mattel, DC Direct, Hasbro Etc. The answer is YES, You will still be able to get all of those great products along with our own in one convenient location.

Let's go to work,
Paul James Lazo
President
Amok Time Inc