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Toy Fair 2008 Coverage
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CHECK OUT OUR FULL 2008 TOY FAIR GALLERY
Our coverage kicks off on Sunday, February 17th and continues through Wednesday, February 20th. Here's a capsule summary of the companies we've visited, and be sure to click the thumbnails to visit a full gallery of each!
21st CENTURY TOYS
21st Century Toys may not be a name that you see in the action figure spotlight often, but they have made an impression with collectors with their 3 3/4" scale vehicles and action figures to go with them. 2008 will see a few new items for the 3 3/4" scale line plus some highly detailed accessories to put with your current 12" military figures. Click the image for a gallery.
AMOK TIME
You may remember Amok Time as a long-running action figure retailer, but 2008 marks the company's debut as an action figure manufacturer. They revealed some fantastic items, not the least of which was the continuation of Majestic Studio's 12" Battlestar Galactica line. We can expect some great new figures including Athena, Ty, Boomer, Lucifer and Lloyd Bridges as Cain. Day of the Dead is another exciting property, and we'll see both 7" and 12" figures. Universal Monsters will also receive the Amok Time treatment with all size ranges, including 20"-plus vinyl figures. Also shown were figures Lost in Space, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Elvira, Seka (yep...the pornstar), Groovy Ghoulies and more.
CORGI/MASTER REPLICAS/POPCO ENTERTAINMENT
Corgi has several divisions in their midst with Master Replicas and Popco Entertainment and their own goods to boot, and each division was impressive this Toy Fair. Corgi continues their traditional die-cast with new stuff from James Bond, The Beatles and Harry Potter. Master Replicas will offer some great new high-end pieces as always including new goods from The Muppets, Halo 3, The Legend of Zelda, Star Trek and Disney. The Muppets line of photo puppets will see Fozzie Bear and Animal for 2008, joining Gonzo and Kermit. Halo 3 will be a huge addition to MR's portfolio with small prop replicas, large prop replicas and an AMAZING 18", fully articulated Master Chief. Star Trek will see new prop replicas in the form of a phaser and comunicator, plus a line of items for the coming Star Trek XI. Unfortunately, due to licensing issues, nothing could be shown or said about ST XI. The Disney license will continue in full swing. The Kingdom Hearts video games will have some prop replicas produced, not only small Kingdom Keys and eventually a full-size version. Disney fans will also be pleased to see 3-D poster statues of their favorite flicks. Starting with the classics, MR will produce "dioramas" that accurately represent the classic movies' posters. In addition, MR will enter the action figure realm with Nintendo properties (starting with Super Mario) and an animated movie due in 2008 called Igor. Igor, starring the likes of John Cusack, Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon, will see action figures (including a build-a-figure promotion), plush figures, small PVCs and more. The Super Mario license will receive several treatments by MR, including action figures, small size PVC figures, plush and more. And Popco Entertainment's amazing 3 3/4" Harry Potter figures are sure to please fans in Europe. Lots of good stuff on the way, so make sure you click the image above to see the gallery.
DARK HORSE
Dark Horse showed off some exciting new stuff in their booth at Toy Fair. In addition to their own items such as Hellboy, Domo, Conan and more, they're distribution some great items from Mindstyle, First 4 Figures and WETA.
DC DIRECT
You can always count on DC Direct to release a number of high quality 6-7" figures from the DC universe, and from what we saw in their Toy Fair showroom 2008 will continue with the great items we've come to expect. In addition to several new 6-7" lines they are also adding some figures to their 13" line - Harley Quinn, Green Lantern (w/ 4 different heads), Joker and Bizarro. They'll also add some more busts and statues to the mix, including more Women of the DC Universe, a Batman Vs Joker statue, a Joker 1/2 scale bust, and a super nice 1/4 scale Wonder Woman statue. And of course the DC Minimates line will continue with several popular and obscure characters to appease fans. Plenty of great stuff to see, so click the image for a slew of pics.
DIAMOND SELECT TOYS
What you'll see in this year's gallery from DST's Toy Fair showing won't quite be indicative of everything they have in store for 2008! While there are some great new for fans of the following licenses, some of the best is yet to come. Star Trek will see more in the vein of 7" figures, including an emphasis on Deep Space Nine with some Original Series and Next Generation thrown in to boot, including a very cool 3-figure Borg series. The Mego rerelease program will see a couple of new figures as well - Cheron, Chekov and Khan, the latter two being brand new sculpts. And don't forget about the Star Trek Minimates - we'll see a couple of new sets in 2008. Battlestar Galactica lives on triumphantly with DST in the form of new minibusts and figures, some from the standard series and some from Battlestar Galactica: Razor. The original BSG series even sees some love in the form of Minimates. Two 5-packs will be released, one with the bad guys and one with the good guys. The popular Stargate series will continue as well, each series with a build-a-thing feature. Atlantis Series 2 will allow collectors to build the Stargate, while SG-1 Series 4 will give fans the opportunity to build a small rover vehicle. Stargate will also see its first three 12" figures. A couple of DST standbys will see some great new items as well, with Transformers seeing many new minibusts and Marvel seeing three new "Select" figures - Iron Man, Thor and Hulk. Minimates will be in abundance, with new series from Platoon, Desparately Seeking Susan, Rocky, Back to the Future, and A Few Dollars More. And finally, Planet of the Apes will see shelf life again with a set of Mego cloth-style rereleases.
FIRST 4 FIGURES
First 4 Figures have made a name for themselves with high-quality statues from their Nintendo license, among others. While no new Nintendo statues were revealed by F4F at Toy Fair, we have some great pics of a few we already knew about, plus new their new Sonic the Hedgehog license and a couple of Judge Dredd pieces. Click the image above for their Toy Fair gallery.
GENTLE GIANT
I wish I could show you the single most incredible piece that Gentle Giant had to offer at Toy Fair 2008 - no, that ALL companies had to offer - but unfortunately I cannot do so yet due to licensing reasons. You'll just have to wait to see this amazing piece from Hellboy 2, but for the time being get a look at what Gentle Giant will offer fans for 2008. Lots of new Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Hellboy and Halo, plus some new licenses in Indiana Jones, The Wizard of Oz and Disney/Pixar.
HASBRO
Year in and year out, Hasbro's Toy Fair showings are a collector's dream. This year is no exception. Star Wars is taking a new turn for 2008 with the Clone Wars animated series/movie, and Hasbro will support the series with all new figures in sleek new packaging. The movies will see new figures as well in the form of the "Legacy" series, and a handful of new Comic Packs are also on the way. The Clone Wars features some of the finest vehicles made in the Star Wars universe, and we'll see a couple of them made including the gargantuan AT-TE. New Galactic Heroes, Mighty Muggs and Evolution sets will also hit the market for 2008. In addition to the ever-popular Star Wars, Hasbro has a grip on what are sure to be three of the hottest movies of 2008 - Indiana Jones, Iron Man and Hulk. We'll see figures ranging from the cutesy "Heroes" for each all the way up to intricate 12" figures. Indiana Jone's 4" line is already seeing great strides with a good 14 basic figures on display and more packed in with playsets and vehicles. Hasbro's taking the "build-a-??" approach with many Indy series, including the 12" figures and vehicles. The four 12" figures each include a piece of a 12" scale Ark...amazing! And of course the Marvel Universe, Transformers and G.I.Joe all see great additions as well. Marvel will see new Legends, new Superhero Squad, the first Mighty Muggs and Marvel Transformers, and possibly the coolest Build-A-Figure of all time in Fing Fang Foom. G.I.Joe will see wave after wave of Joe Vs Cobra single packs, plus some new vehicles, comic packs and a new concept - DVD multipacks. Transformers continues on with new vehicles, Robot Heroes and various other odds and ends.
JAZWARES
While Jazwares action figure profile isn't expansive, they had two nice lines on display at Toy Fair. The Real Heroes of the U.S. Army line is a recent development by Jazwares and is sure to be popular among military figure fans. And the Mega Man Retro-Roto line will be reissued with a new twist - each figure will include a piece of a Mega Man "build-a-figure".
JUN PLANNING
You want to see the coolest display ever made for action figures? Then you have to see Jun Planning's Toy Fair booth! Their Nightmare Before Christmas license continues strong with 6" figures, 9" figures, mini-figures and more, but the highlight is a HUGE "Halloween Town" diorama that will be offered soon. We got a few pics of it along with their many other amazing NBX items. In addition, Jun is offering a quartet of Gremlins statues - two Gizmos, Stripe and a Bat Gremlin. Jun is also offering a wide array of amazing Death Note items, including some statues, mini figures and more.
KNUCKLEBONZ
For four years now, Knucklebonz has been creating top-quality statues of some of the best rock musicians of all time. Their display included some classics, including Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Brian May, Angus Young and a slew of others. 2008 proves to provide some pleasant suprises as well, so you'll want to stay tuned for future releases.
MATTEL
Mattel came out in full force with the DC license this year. On display were figures ranging from small, unarticulated pieces up to a pair of amazing 18" figures (Wonder Woman and Cyborg). The Classics line was displayed in full form with two new series, including the likes of Robin, Sinestro, Harley Quinn, Firestorm and more. The smaller, 4" Infinite Heroes line was well received, with over 20 figures on display and ranging from the most popular to the most obscure of characters. In addition to the standard DC fare, Mattel showed off the first figures from the upcoming Batman: The Dark Knight flick. We'll see both 5" and a more collector-driven 6" line from this movie - the 5" line has more play value but the 6" line is blessed with dead-on sculpts and some great characters. Two more 2008 movies will see the Mattel treatment as well - Kung Fu Panda and Speed Racer. Kung Fu Panda, starring Jack Black, will have a small action figure line that received high regards by the attendees of the showroom tour. Also along to support the movie were various plush and role play toys. Speed Racer, as can be expected, was more focused on cars and racing toys rather than action figures, but we will see a handful of figures as vehicles to go with them. You know what to do...click the image to see more.
McFARLANE TOYS
McFarlane Toys generally impresses at Toy Fair and this year was no exception. They have a ton of great stuff lined up in 2008, ranging from Sportspicks to Halo 3 to their own properties. The Halo 3 line is in full swing, with one series on the way and a second in the works. The most impressive line on the way is the Zodiac Warriors, including 12 original sculpts based on the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Spawn returns with Egyptian-themed Age of the Pharaohs and series 34's Spawn Classics. A series the folks at McFarlane are particularly excited about are a continuation of their Military line based on World War II. Two figures were featured and we can expect to see more in the future. And we have shots of new Sportspicks including Kevin Garnett in his new Celtics uniform, Brett Farve and Derek Jeter.
MEZCO TOYZ
Mezco's offerings included imagery of the first 3 waves of their highly anticipated Heroes series plus plans for a 3 3/4" Heroes line, starting with a 4-figure pack. In addition they offered a preview of wave 4 in the form of conceptual cardboard cutous. Hellboy 2 will be in full swing this summer, and we have pics of the first two waves plus a planned 3 3/4" line, an 18" Hellboy, Rotobusts and more. Living Dead Dolls series 15 is revealed as well as a couple of licensed LDD favorites including Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Captain Spaulding. Another new license is The Spirit, and we can expect to see items from both the comic and the upcoming movie. And some old favorites will return in the form of House of Horror, Cinema of Fear, South Park and Family Guy. Except to see some new, unexpected characters in the horror lines, and some "Best Of" box sets from the two popular animated shows in Mezco's resume.
NECA
NECA brings another exciting display to Toy Fair! The Harry Potter series will see new figures including Harry and Dumbledore from the first movie, the Weasley twins, Mad Eye Moody, as well as new "diorama" sets of the popular kids. A couple of licenses make their return including Nightmare Before Christmas with a ton of plush and other items. In addition, A Christmas Story is coming back - count on seeing Scut Farkus and maybe more figures down the road! The classic Alien will be released in both 7" and a HUGE 18" format. New licenses abound as well, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and we have pics of Series 1 plus April O'Neill from Series 2. Gears of War will be another hot line for 2008, and we have pics of Series 1 and 2. You have to see the exploding head! Princess Bride, Beetlejuice, The Exorcist, Conan and more also make their debuts with NECA in 2008.
ORGANIC HOBBY
Organic Hobby offered up another fine display at Toy Fair this year. The displays offered a peek at Afro Samurai, Buso Renkin, Revoltech, Ghost in the Shell and much more. Click the thumbnail above for images.
PLAYMATES
The big expectations from Playmates this year was the first look at their rumored Star Trek XI line. Unfortunately due to licensing issues they were unable to offer any pics or detailed information, but you can see a full press release issued today here. In the meantime, you can expect to see more Mini-Mutants from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line, plus a new series from the 6" scale called Shell Shifters. Each turtle comes with a set of armor that can transform into a fully-functional vehicle. Eon Kid, a new show on The Kids WB Network, is also seeing success and will see some new deliveries in 2008. And finally we'll see a new Land Before Time action figure line.
SHOCKER TOYS
Shocker Toys has an exciting year of releases in store for us. Most anticipated is Indie Spotlight, a collection of 6" figures featuring some favorites from the lesser-known but popular independent comics including The Maxx, Scud, Katchoo, Kabuki and Shadowhawk. The "Who Wants to be a Superhero" will see a new figure as well in Feedback. More Shockinis are due in 2008 as well. Click the thumbnail for a full gallery.
SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES
Sideshow did not attend Toy Fair this year, but they've offered daily updates on new items in store. He's what they've sent along.
SQUARE ENIX
Square-Enix had a load of Final Fantasy on display, ranging in size from mini-figures to gigantic 18"+ masterpieces. Kingdom Hearts was also on display, as well as statues from the Disney favorite Alice in Wonderland. Disney/Pixar had great representation with several mini-statues from movies such as Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Toy Story and The Incredbles.
TONNER DOLL COMPANY
Tonner Dolls is famous for making some of the most intricate and impressive dolls out there, and some of the licenses they've acquired and added to of late are sure to please fans. Harry Potter, already featuring favorites like Harry, Voldemort, Dobby and Malfoy, will see some new additions in Hermione, Ron (with sorting hat), Snape, Fawkes the Phoenix, Cho Chang and the Tri Wizard Cup. The Golden Compass series includes key figures with striking licenses of the likes of Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, and each figure even includes their own little daemon creature. Tonner is adding to even more great licenses, so be sure to click the image above to see pics from Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Pirates of the Caribbean, Alice in Wonderland, Batman, Wonder Woman, Dick Tracy and Spider-Man 3.
TOYNAMI
Toynami has a big year lined up in 2008, with new items from Bleach, Futurama, Macross and of course their own Skelanimals property. Their large scale Cinemaquette statues will see four additions this year as well - Indiana Jones, Predator, Vito Corleone and Bruce Lee.
UNDERGROUND TOYS
Underground Toys is ringing in 2008 with more Doctor Who. In addition to a couple of new figures in the standard action figure line there will be a new mini-figure game series.
Be sure to join the Toy Fair 2008 discussion in our Forums!
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