Three years.

I realize three years isn’t the longest stretch of time, but it’s still hard to believe this place called Action Figure Insider has already been on the Interwebs for three years.

It’s been a blast being a part of the crew here, and in many ways a dream come true.

I first met Jason Geyer, our illustrious Toy Otter back in the mid-90s after he and Eric G. Myers relauched Raving Toy Maniac. Eventually I started writing for that site shining a much deserved spotlight on the small, independent toy companies that were springing up every other week back then in my Independent Toy Newswire section.

Around that same time (’though I confess I don’t remember the year) I first met Daniel “Julius Marx” Pickett at the San Diego Comic Con. He was a regular poster on RTM’s Toy Buzz message board.

Eventually EGM and Jason left RTM for other projects and jobs, leaving it in the care of myself and Mike Fichera. We kept the lights on and the news coming (albeit a bit slower than before) until running RTM became a full-time paying gig for me at the end of 1999. I moved from California to Columbus, Ohio and sat in the center seat for a tad bit over a year before stepping down in December 2000.

I was a bit burned out and, to be honest, pretty darn tired of action figures taking center stage in my life.

However, I soon found I couldn’t walk away completely. I was too much of a newshound. I liked having the inside track and getting a peek behind the scenes. So, I continued to write the occassional article here and there for various websites. But it was still missing something.

Then it happened. Dan was leaving Action Figure Times where he had be writing his Amazing Justice League of Julius Marx column for a few years and teaming up with Jason to launch a brand-new site, AFI.

Two of my favorite people in the toy collecting community teaming up? Well, darn it…I wanted in on that action. So, I emailed the guys and begged and pleaded with them to let me in.

Being full of pity, they did.

And, it’s been a lot of fun. I haven’t been as involved as I would like to be. I haven’t been able to join them on the front lines of Toy Fair or the San Diego Comic Con due to time and/or family commitments. But I keep busy on the forums, my blog and the occasional feature article (keep your eyes peeled this week for one!).

Three years. What a ride. Keep readin’ ’cause we are just getting started!

I remember Toy Fair 2007. It was a pretty lackluster showing. For me, at least. I’d wager it was the same for many collectors going by comments I read here at AFI and elsewhere during and after the event. 

To use an overused Interwebs parlance, it was pretty "meh".

Toy Fair 2008, however, was a different story altogether. For me, it may well be that 2008 is the greatest toy year. Ever. 

At this point do I really need to explain my love for the 3-3/4" scale again? In my mind it is the perfect action figure scale. The sheer amount of 3-3/4" product coming this year is nigh overwhelming…and wonderful.

Mattel opened the floodgate with their DC Infinite Heroes line. Seriously, Toy Fair could’ve ended right there and I would’ve been in a state of bliss.

In my last blog, posted just prior to Toy Fair I even mentioned how a 3-3/4" DC line was a dream line for me. I didn’t know one was coming. There were some rumors online. Nothing concrete. In a recent interview Georg Brewer of DC Direct mentioned that DC Direct had developed a 4" figure, but there were no current plans to move forward with it.

Then the first Infinite Heroes pics came in from Toy Fair. God bless the Internet! I was blown away. First just by the fact the line exists at all, and then by the sheer number and diversity of characters shown. Yeah, the prototypes are a bit on the rough side, but I’m confident this line’s gonna kick all kinds of toy butt when it’s released this August.

Thank you, Mattel. Thank you.

Mattel is also taking the 3-3/4" approach with their Speed Racer movie product (’though word from folks just finding these on the pegs, the figures are closer to 3-1/4" or 3" in size), which is awesome. Plus, there’s apparently some 3-3/4" Batman: The Dark Knight stuff coming, too.

I expected a lot of 3-3/4" goodness from good ol’ Hasbro. GI Joe. Star Wars. Indiana Jones. We all knew these were coming, so no big surprises there. My biggest disappointment from Toy Fair, however, was that nothing was shown or even mentioned from the rumored 3-3/4" Marvel Universe line. My fingers are crossed that we’ll hear something from the NYCC next month.

The unexpected, ‘though, came from Mezco with announced 3-3/4" assortments for both Hellboy II and NBC’s Heroes (in additional to their regular 7" lines). Didn’t see those coming. But in retrospect, knowing who’s working at Mezco these days, it makes total sense. Thanks, man. (You know who you are). Keep rockin’ the 3-3/4" cause.

So life is good in my 3-3/4" Universe. Very, very good.

Of course, my wallet doesn’t think so!  

It’s almost that time of year again. Toy Fair 2008 is just over a week away. 

As an action figure collector Toy Fair is one of the two most exciting times of the year (Comic Con International in San Diego being the other). The sneak peek into what the year ahead holds for toys is generally a lot of fun.

As I sit here typing these words I began to remember what a let down Toy Fair 2007 was. I don’t know if it was a matter of unrealistic expectations that went unmet that resulted in the disappointment, but I’m trying to approach this year’s event more cautiously.

Mattel has already stated that DC Universe Classics Wave 4 won’t be revealed until the NY Comic Con in April, so don’t bother looking for that news out of Toy Fair.

Last year Hasbro had a pitiful showing for Marvel Legends, so expectations are low for this year. However, I’m more looking forward to seeing what their 3-3/4" Marvel Universe line looks like.

There is still an awful lot that I am looking forward to from this year’s show. I had virtually stopped collecting Star Wars by late 2006, but 2007 was a great year (imho) for the line. I’m looking forward to what 2008 offers.  

Just in the 3-3/4" category alone 2008 looks awesome. Indiana Jones. Marvel. Narnia. Speed Racer. Star Wars. GI Joe. Heck, even WWE.  Plus the various 3-3/4" military stuff from Unimax, bbi and 21st Century Toys, etc. Good stuff.

I can’t wait to see Mezco’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army line. Their figures from the first movie are still amongst my favorites.

I know better than to expect pictures of 2008 offerings for Doctor Who from Character Options. They will, as usual, be shrouded in BBC-induced secrecy and doled out as the year goes by. 

McFarlane Toys should be unveiling Halo 3 Wave 3 either at the show or on their website. I’ve probably spent less than $30 on McFarlane products in the last 5 years combined. This year? I’m buying every Halo item from them I can get my grubby mits on.

Corgi/Popco has really emerged as a contender in the action figure category with their fine offerings last year for Harry Potter and The Golden Compass. Looks like the big one for them this year is the long-overdue James Bond line. Between Bond and the rumours that the 3-3/4" Harry Potter line might see US distribution has me keeping a close eye on Corgi this year!

Will this be the year that Shocker Toys wows us with their showing? Could be interesting based upon the last batch of photos they released. Now just bring ‘em to market, guys! 

However much I’m looking to seeing the above and finding out line plans, the best part of Toy Fair, for me, is the surprises. The lines you didn’t see coming.  Here’s hoping the 2008 show delivers more in that category than the 2007 event did. 

My dream line? A 3-3/4" DC Comics line. I don’t really care if it’s from Mattel or DC Direct (though, honestly, I’d prefer Mattel at this point) I just want my favorite comics characters in my favorite scale. C’mon, is that really too much to ask?

Anyone who knows me and my collecting habits at all know that I love 1:18 (3-3/4") scaled figures. Love them. If I was Emperor of the Toy World all action figures would be done in this scale.

Over the past few months I’ve really been enjoying the new Bravo Team line by Unimax that’s been appearing at Target. The first batch featured a bunch of modern Army and Marine soldiers as well as Bradley and Abrams tanks. The figures were very well done, and well articulated. Unimax followed those up with a set of WWII-based figures that I love even more! They released six US Army and six German soldiers, plus a Sherman tank and a Tiger tank. Again, nice sculpting and nice articulation made for some great toys.

As much as I love the World War II period, Unimax recently announced a new figure line coming in late Summer 2008 that really has me excited: Ages of Action. This new line features six warriors from the annals of history: a Samurai, a Ninja, an Egyptian Infantryman,  a Knight Templar, a Norman Knight and a Roman Legionary. Each figure features the same articulation that’s been in the Bravo Team lines. I really hope this line is a success, as there is so much I want to see in the line…especial Greek and Spartans! There’s a lot of great toy lines coming in 2008 that I’m looking forward to, but I think Ages of Action is near the top of the list.

Another plus of this new line is that it’s being developed in conjunction with Osprey Publishing, the world’s leading publisher of illustrated history books since 1969. Each figure will come with a will be accompaniedby collectible, hardcover mini-books authored by Osprey, and a’Warrior’s Way’ code that gives collectors access to an informative andentertaining Ages of Action website where they can learn more abouttheir warriors, download exclusive premiums, and look back into thepast at colorful cultures of long ago.

This line is something of a dream come true for me. There’s been static historical toys for as long as I can remember. bbi produced a Warriors of the World line, and even Unimax has a 1:32 scale Historical Legends line. But I wanted action figures. I remember having a discussion with a toy creator a few years back who had some success with 1:18 figures. He really wanted to produce a 1:18 Civil War line. I loved the idea, but it hasn’t happened, and I don’t even know if he’s still planning it at this point. I remember suggesting to him that he should do ancient warriors. I thought they’d prove more interesting. That was at least two years ago, if not longer.

I’m so thrilled that Unimax has stepped up and is producing Ages of Action. Cool toys, and learning a little history, too. Gotta love it.

One of my most anticipated lines of the year has been Cards Inc’s Harry Potter line, released by their newly formed Popco Entertainment division. 

Despite being one of the most popular entertainment franchises on the planet Harry Potter has had a rather spotty toy history. Mattel original held the Master Toy License and produced figures, dolls, games and various product from Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. But all along it never seemed as Mattel was really sure what exactly to do with Harry Potter, with the style and even scale of the figures changing almost arbitrarily. Ultimately, though they still held the license at the time, they chose not to produce action figures for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. So, there’s been something of a Harry Potter toy drought since Azkaban products faded from store shelves.

As most fans know now there are two companies holding licenses to produce Harry Potter action figures. NECA holds the rights in North America and Cards Inc/Popco Entertainment holds the European rights.

Unfortunately for Potter fans in North America, it’s Cards Inc that is producing what could turn into the ultimate Harry Potter action figure line. This isn’t to slight the wonderful work that NECA is doing with the license in North America, but NECA produces collectibles. Popco is making toys. There’s a big difference. Popco’s line is done in the 3-3/4" scale (based on Harry), and features in the neighbourhood of 14 pts of articulation (sometimes less, given the character). As you can see in the picture above there’s a nice sense of scale to the line. Adults are larger than the students, and Hagrid towers over them all.

So, Harry clocks in a 3-3/4", Dumbledore at 4.5" and Hagrid at 5-1/4", just to give you an idea. The figures are wonderfully sculpted. While some are not as outstanding as their prototypes appeared (it’s the rare figure that is), they are still great looking figures. I was able to obtain my figures from a friend in the UK, and out of the figures I received Dumbledore and Mad Eye Moody are the real standouts. They are just fantastic. I shudder to think how expensive this line will be to collect on this side of the pond, but for Harry Potter fans this is really the toyline this property has been waiting for. I just hope at some point in the near future Warner Bros Consumer Products is able to alter the terms of their license with NECA to allow Popco’s line to be sold at mass market in North America. Popco holds the license for films 1 - 6, so this line has the potential to be massive!

Bravo, Popco! Job well done!

Has it really been 30 years since Star Wars hit the big
screen? As much as I don’t want to believe it (simply because of how
old it makes me feel) it really has been thirty years since George
Lucas’ space fantasy epic changed popular culture forever. 

My first memory of Star Wars
is standing outside my brothers house in San Jose, CA washing his car
with the front door to the house open. The TV was on and a commercial
came on for this movie with spaceships, aliens and lasers called Star Wars. The commerical had me hooked from the get go. I was 11 years old. I couldn’t wait to get into the local theater and see it.

My
dad took me. While I don’t remember the date (it was within the first
two weeks of its release, so late May or early June of ‘77) I remember
the day vividly. We went to Century 22 theater and waited in line for 2 hours at least. As the theater dimmed, the curtains parted and the 20th Century Fox theme resonated from those great pre-Dolby surround speakers. To this day, I still asscociate the 20th Century Fox
fanfare with Star Wars. They are forever linked in my mind. Then came
the pause and those unforgettable words that immediately transported
you to another world, "Long, long ago…in a galaxy far, far away"
followed by the amazing music of John Williams. I lost my last baby
tooth on a Milk Dud at some point during the movie. I think it was
during the trash compactor scene…

I wanted the soundtrack before the title scroll ended (it
wouldn’t come out until December, so I got it for Christmas that year)
and, of course, I wanted action figures. I didn’t care that I was 11
going on 12 and about to enter Junior High School. Sure, I was supposed
to be too old for toys. Little did I know at the time that I would still be buying and collecting Star Wars action figures 30 years later!

The figures couldn’t come out fast enough. I learned through an article in the San Jose Mercury News that Kenner
would be the company making the toys, so I immediately wrote them a
letter to see what they had planned (I was an action figure newshound
even back then!) and amazingly they wrote back and sent me a catalog
(pictured here) that included pictures of the first twelve figures, Luke’s X-Wing, the TIE Fighter and Luke’s Lightsaber (with inflateable blade!). It also showed several retail merchandise displays.

I
still have that now 30 year old catalog. It, along with my worn copy of
the theater program for the movie, are among my most treasured pieces
of Star Wars memoribilia.

My life has been full of Star Wars
for thirty years from the original movies, to comic books and novels,
action figures, video games, the prequel trilogy (which nearly killed
my love for the property but ended up just intesifying my love for the
original trilogy) and so much more. It really is a part of who I am,
and has been for three decades now. That just boggles my mind.

So, it’s with great joy that I now watch my 2-1/2 year old daughter, Allie, walk around in the Darth Vader voice changer mask (which I proudly nabbed at Target on clearance for $6) and saying, "Luke, I am your father!". She plays with the Galactic Heroes Vader figure. She’s never seen the movies, just snippets here and there that I’ve shown her. But she knows Vader, Yoda, R-Deetoo (as she calls him) and Princess Leia. It’s a lot of fun to watch her take little steps into that galaxy far, far away that Daddy loves so much.

With (at least) two television series coming in the next few years, Hasbro having the Star Wars license until something like 2018 and novels, games and comic books continuing to expand the Star Wars universe it looks like it’s going to be a part of my life for the next thirty years. And that’s just the way I want it.

This is a pretty good year toy-wise. There’s a lot of good stuff coming out that I’m really excited about and looking forward to. But, my single most anticipated toyline of the year has to be Hasbro’s GI JOE 25th Anniversary Collection.

I’m a huge GI JOE fan, and have been for as long as I can remember. Growing up I had the 12" Adventure Team-era Joes. Man, what great stuff. I had a bunch of ‘em, and what I didn’t have my buddies did. The Secret of the Mummies Tomb was probably my favorite set, along with the Headquarters playset. But in the late 1970’s the 12" Joes faded off into toy limbo.

Then one day around late ‘81 or early ‘82 I remember reading a column in a Marvel Comic (might have been Stan’s Soapbox) that announced the return of GI JOE and a new comic book series published by Marvel. This time around the figures would be 3-3/4" instead of 12". I was already hooked. I can still remember seeing them for the first time in Toys R Us (Almaden Expressway and Blossom Hill Road for any of you San Jose, CA residents reading this). Sure, it might have been my senior year of high school, but I didn’t care. Star Wars had already turned me into an action figure junkie and I was thrilled to see this new incarnation of GI JOE.

It’s hard to believe that was 25 years ago already. If I already didn’t feel old, I would now. So, here I am…getting ready to turn 42 this summer and I’m still excited about the latest incarnation of GI JOE, the 25th Anniversary Collection.

When Hasbro relaunched the 3-3/4" line in 2002 I was pretty stoked. All-new sculpts of classic characters and new characters, too. And, new vehicles. There were certainly some mis-steps along they way, but I thought that Hasbro did a nice job overall. Some truly great figures came out of the GI JOE vs Cobra, Spy Troops and Valor vs Venom lines. Then, sales grew sluggish and Hasbro sought to give the property a shot in the arm and brought us the 8" Sigma Six line. While my heart belonged to the 3-3/4" line, I found myself picking up the Sigma Six figures when I could. And while I thought Sigma Six was a really fun toyline (and, it is!) I missed the little guys.

Apparently, so did someone at Hasbro. So, beginning around June of 2007 we’ll be treated to all-new sculpts of Duke, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander and the gang in their classic look from the ’80s. THESE are the Joe figures I’ve been waiting for. Thank you, Hasbro. You done good. Real good.

I love the Shrek movies. Love them. I’m eagerly anticipating the arrival of Shrek the Third next month (man, what a good movie month! Shrek! Spidey! Pirates!) and I’ve been looking forward to seeing what new license holder, MGA Entertainment (makers of the Bratz dolls) would do with the license.

Three movies and three master toy licensees. McFarlane Toys held the Master license for the first Shrek movie back in 2001 and actually turned out some pretty nice product, some of my favorite McFarlane Toys to date. Hasbro held the license for 2004’s Shrek 2 and dropped the ball (in my opinion, of course). A few figures, generally poorly done and some other items. Sad really. I had high hopes for Hasbro and Shrek. Shrek’s universe is so vast, with all the fair tale references, background characters, etc that, if mangaged properly, Shrek really could become what’s referred to as an "evergreen" property in the biz. It can exist on its own without a film to support it.

Now, for Shrek the Third, MGA Entertainment has picked up the license. The first series of action figures, consisting of Shrek, Sir Shrek the Brave, Donkey/Puss in Boots 2 pack and Prince Charming) have just begun hitting the shelves (they seem to be showing up at TRU first). I’ve been sick all this past week, and reading reports of these showing up at TRU. So, today - feeling better - I was anxious to hit up my local TRU. Sure enough they had the whole set.

Money’s still tight for us, so I was only able to pick up the regular Shrek for now, but based on this figure I plan on going back when I can and getting the rest of the set. MGA has done a terrific job with these figures. The sculpts and scale are very well done. The sculpting on Shrek is great. Near McFarlane-level detail. He also has more articulation than the old McFarlane   figures (which should come as little surprise).Shrek has a cut neck, ball shoulders, hinge elbows, cut wrists and hinge knees. Not a lot of articulation, but certainly decent. I don’t know how he compares to his Hasbro counterpart since I never picked those up.

He stands right at 6", making Shrek slightly smaller than the McFarlane line (as you can see in the image to the right). The McFarlane Shrek clocked in at 7".

The character selection is curious as it doesn’t really represent the new movie much. I don’t know if Shrek will don armor again, but Sir Shrek the Brave looks to be from the first movie. Donkey and Puss in Boots look the same in movies two and three as does Prince Charming. So, there’s nothing uniquely "Shrek the Third" about this line.

I don’t know what plans MGA has for Shrek, but based on the quality of this assortment I sure hope there is more to come. Like I said, if managed right, this property can go on for years. I really hope that MGA is the company to finally bring us a Fiona Ogre figure, and there’s undoubtably many characters to mine from the movies to continue this series on for a good while.

It’s been way too long since I wrote one of these things.

Frankly, I’ve felt a bit uninspired as of late. Since Toy Fair, really. I had every grand intention of following up AFI’s Toy Fair coverage with my thoughts on the Big Dance…but when Toy Fair failed to deliver…well…

It’s already been discussed ad naseum that Toy Fair, at least as far as our little corner of the toy world goes, pretty lackluster. With lines such as Marvel Legends at Hasbro and DC SuperHeroes at Mattel being virtual no-shows many collectors felt a bit let down. Usually after Toy Fair there’s enough fodder for discussion to last for months. Although Marvel Toys knocked it out of the park with their Legendary Comic Book Heroes line. Great stuff.

So, we wait for SDCC and our next, best hope for news for some of these lines.

On top of that we’ve had to endure the January /February lull. Not much new was showing up on shelves.

Plus, I’m broke. Really broke. And I look at the stuff coming out and wonder how I can possibly afford it.

Still all is not lost. There is great stuff a’ comin’…

2007 really is shaping up to be the year of the Minimates. It seems just about every property under the sun is getting the Minimate treatment from the long-running Marvel stuff to DC to Star Trek to Back to the Future, Rocky, 24, BattleStar Galactica and many many more properties.

Hasbro has me excited about Star Wars like I haven’t been in, literally, years. The prequel trilogy left such a sour taste in my mouth, but the 30th Anniversary celebration has rekindled my love for the original trilogy.

Another anniversary, the GI Joe 25th, also has me pretty darn excited. Those figures cannot get here soon enough, and I’m dying to hear what figures are coming in the line beyond those already announced.

And Zizzle continues to do great stuff with the Pirates of the Caribbean license. 

Plus, it’s finally a great toy year for Harry Potter on both sides of the Atlantic!

Maybe it’s not such a lull after all? 

I’ve been buying toys from overseas for years. Until recently those purchases have consisted entirely of Japanese toys. I went through a Gundam kick around 2000 after seeing Bandai’s Gundam range on display at Toy Fair 2000. Of course, I’ve grown up with Godzilla and have picked up numerous Godzilla toys from importers over the years. Then there was Tomy’s Disney’s Magical Collection, Microman, Kubricks, etc. Japan was and is just a hotbed for cool toys.

But, lookout world! Here comes….Great Britain?

Yup. It seems the United Kingdom is stepping up and right now some of my favorite (or soon-to-be favorite) action figure lines are originating from across the pond.

Character Options is doing a bang-up job with their Doctor Who line based on the new Doctor Who series which is about to enter its third season (series) in England (and airing in the US on the Sci Fi channel). CO just unveiled a bunch of new figures at the recent British Toy Fair, but since many of the characters shown are from the third season yet to air they are hush-hush for now. But word from those who’ve seen them is that they’ll have Doctor Who fans drooling!

Another company, Cards Inc., looks to be hitting it right out of the park with two big upcoming lines. The first is their 3-3/4" Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix line based upon the fifth film in the Harry Potter franchise hitting theaters this July. Cards has released images of Harry, Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody thus far and they are amazing. The sculpting on these is stunning. For more on this line check out Adrian Faulkner’s report here. Cards holds the license to films 1 through 6 of the Harry Potter series. If the line performs well at retail it looks to be quite expansive. The only downside? It’s exclusive to Europe due to NECA holding the North American Master Toy License for Harry Potter.

Towards the end of the year Cards will be releasing another 3-3/4" line. This one is based upon the film The Golden Compass (based upon the Phillip Pullman novel of the same name - though it’s titled Northern Lights in the UK). This line is also being kept under wraps for now, but word is they are just as well done as the Harry Potter figures. I had a couple of people tell me that the head-sculpt on the Lord Asriel (played by recent Casino Royale’s Daniel Craig) is uncanny. As Cards Inc. holds the Worldwide Master Toy License for The Golden Compass look for this line to be available in the US around the time of the film’s release (December 2007).

Of course there’s Famosa’s Disney Heroes line, but seeing as Famosa is from Spain and not the UK they are a topic for another time.

So, cheers to these enterprising UK toymakers! I’ve got a feeling that these lines are just the tip of the iceberg.

Discuss these lines and more in AFI’s All About the Toys forum! 

I love playing with little plastic people.

That should come as no surprise given that I’m a lifelong toy collector and have spent the better part of a decade actually writing about toys. And while I do love collecting action figures I don’t really play with them anymore. But, I do play with little plastic people on a pretty regular basis.

Yup, I’m a gamer.

I started gaming back in High School. I was part of my High School Dungeons and Dragons club back in the early ’80s. Even back then my favorite aspect of the game was the miniatures. I loved those little lead (back then, pewter now) representations of characters, beasts and monsters. I even enjoyed painting them even though I was never very good at it.

Eventually, for a variety of reasons I found myself not gaming any more. It wasn’t really a conscious decision. I just sort of fell out of it.

A couple years back I decided I missed it and got back into it. I’m not really an RPG guy anymore. They’re too time consuming. But I enjoyed the miniatures-based skirmish games. I especially enjoyed Wizkids‘ Heroclix.

One thing that’s held me back in most games is having the time (or not having the time) to paint the miniatures. So, I’d get all interested in a game, read the rules, buy some miniatures and….never play the game.

But there were games like Heroclix or D&D Miniatures and Star Wars Miniatures (the latter two from Wizards of the Coast) that already came pre-painted. They’re a lot of fun, don’t take a lot of time and I enjoy playing them. The downside (for me) of each of those gaming systems is that they are collectible. They minis are sold blind-boxed, with some pieces being more rare than others. That part I really don’t like. I don’t have the cash to burn on that. So, I usually buy a booster when a set is released and then pick up what else I want on the aftermarket.

However, I still wanted more from my gaming experiencing. I wanted the complexity of games such as Privateer Press’ Warmachine, Games Workshop’s Warhammer or Battlefront’s excellent Flames of War. But, I still didn’t, and don’t, have time to pait. I get precious little gaming time these days and I’d much rather spend said time gaming instead of prepping to game!

Enter Rackham. Rackham is a French gaming company that’s gained quite a following with their very cool and very stylish Confrontation miniatures game (and related systems). In December Rackham released AT-43, a new sci-fi miniatures game. This is a full-fledged tabletop miniatures wargame…but the miniatures come pre-painted! No prepping, no painting…just playing! The two pictures on this page show two of the factions in AT-43: the human White Stars and the alien Therians. The first product released was a boxed set called Operation: Damoclese with comes with the basic rules, miniatures from each of those two factions, some terrain pieces (a nice touch, that), dice and a tape measure (for measuring distances for movement and combat), plus a double-sided battlemap. Everything you need to get started and playing right out of the box. The rulebook contains a series of missions that teach you the rules as you work your way through them. It’s great stuff, and Rackham’s got a slew of releases coming throughout the year, including a beautiful hardcover Advanced Rulebook coming in March.

So, if you’re interested in playing with some plastic, but don’t have the time nor inclination for the painting side of the gaming hobby…do yourself a favor and check out AT-43. Just contact your local gaming store and see if they’ve got any demonstrations scheduled in your area. Game on!

Here’s some links for more AT-43 Information.

Official AT-43 Website

Official AT-43 Forums

Review of AT-43 from Tabletop Gaming News

Today, as I was out Christmas shopping amongst the throngs of people, I picked up the just-released Kano and Reptile from the third series of Mortal Kombat figures by Jazwares.

 I love ‘em.

 Jazwares, on the whole, doesn’t seem to get a lot of love from the collector community. Sure, they’ve had a bit of a rocky go as far as action figures are concerned. I’ll be the first to admit that the first series of Mortal Kombat figures came out a bit less than stellar. But from the the second series on I really think they are doing some fine work with this line.

Series Two was a huge improvement over Series One in every way, and Series Three (consisting of Kano, Reptile, Noob and Johnny Kage) continues the trend. These really are some sharp figures…especially for a mass-market line that’s only $5.99 at TRU.

Both Reptile and Kano have solid, detailed sculpts, decent paint jobs and sport generous articulation. They each come with several accesories. Kano has a sword and two daggers (that fit into holders on his boots), and Reptile has a big ol’ sword and an alternate head with his long snake-like tongue. Plus, each figure comes with a base.

Another big plus for Jazwares is they somehow got Mortal Kombat into mass retail, and at a fantastic price point. Did I mention these are only $5.99 at TRU? $5.99 folks!

I’ve been playing Mortal Kombat ever since the first game hit arcades back around 1992. I have some of the old Hasbro figures from back in the day (I still love that wee Goro), I’ve seen the movies, watched the TV show, read some of the comics…and have been waiting for some cool figures based on this expansive mythology. Jazwares is poised to deliver. I like where the line is going.

I’m hoping for some nice surprises come Toy Fair in February. I like the figures I have, but I’m not gonna be satisfied until Jazwares makes Goro!

Diamond Select Toys has breathed new life into an old love of mine.

Star Trek has been a part of my life since I can remember. My family watched the series on it’s original NBC run when I was a toddler (the original series debuted in 1966…I debuted in 1965). I don’t remember those as much as I recall discovering the show in its orginal syndication run. I was hooked instantly on the adventures of the intrepid Captain James Tiberius Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise. As far as I was concerned it was the best thing on TV besides Speed Racer!

In December of 1979, even though I was sick, my parents allowed me to wait in line outside the Century 22 theater in San Jose, California on the opening day of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. It had seemed like forever since being able to watch a new Star Trek tale unfold before me, though it had merely been ten years since the last new episode aired.

It was following the movie that Pocket Books began its series of Star Trek novels. I kept up for awhile, until the sheer volume became overwhelming and impossible to follow. 

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan arrived a few years later giving a welcome shot of adrenaline to the film franchise, followed by several sequels of varying quality (though on some level I still love them all…even Star Trek V)

In 1987, beating all the odds, lighting struck twice when Star Trek: The Next Generation hit the air. Who were these new characters and how dare they have a ship named Enterprise? My friends and I were excited but doubtful this new incarnation would be able to hold a candle to the beloved original. But, it wasn’t much longer before the debates began. Who was the better Captain…Kirk or Picard?

Well, The Next Generation was followed by Deep Space Nine (which I enjoyed quite a bit, especially in its later seasons), then Voyage and Enterprise (both of which I never warmed up to). Through all the television series, movies, novels, comic books, video games and action figures at some point it just became too much. My love for the house that Rodenberry built began to wane.

My dislike of Voyage and Enterprise were the final nails in the coffin. I didn’t watch either series much past the second seasons and my interests moved on to other things.

Art Asylum picked up the Star Trek license after Playmates Toys finally let it drop and produced some nice stuff, but by that point the public interest in the franchise had also waned and they struggled in the marketplace.

Then Diamond Select Toys came to the rescue. DST teamed up with Art Asylum and planned to carry on producing Star Trek action figures.

I found my interest piqued.

Then DST announced their Star Trek: The Next Generation line and that was it. I was hooked again. I’m focusing on the seventh season core crew members and not really worrying about variants. But, dang, I love these figures. They’re solid, well done figures with very good likenesses. My only complaint about the line (thus far) is that I’d really love to see more aliens, especially Classic and Next Gen Romulans. Maybe someday.

The Trek market is still pretty weak…but it’s showing signs of life. 2006 is the 40th anniversary of the original series and nostalgia can be a powerful force. But even with the sluggish market Diamond is committed to their Trek products.

So, I’ve been reading Constellations, the 40th Anniversary short story collection recently published by Pocket Books, watching some of the re-mastered original series episodes that are currently being syndicated and even picked up the Star Trek Manga collection from Tokyo Pop.

I’m a Trekkie again (lets face it, I’m not obsessed enough to go with the "Trekker" moniker!) and loving every second of it, and I owe it all to Diamond Select Toys. So, my thanks to the crew over at DST. Keep those figures coming. I’m clearing more space on my shelves!

Action Figures based on sports are nothing new. Back in the late 1980s Kenner Products introduced Starting Lineups. They were pretty cool for the time. They made heavy reuse of body molds, had limited articulation and were very pre-posed. All these factored into why I never got into collecting them. I’ve got one..and it’s one of the few toys in my collection still in the package: a 1989 Detroit Tigers Alan Trammel.

I remember thinking, even back then, that sports figures should be more poseable (I didn’t think in fancy terms like articulation back then). I mean, these were atheletes, right? They’re running, diving, swinging, tackling…etc, etc. In other words, they’re moving!

McFarlane Toys began producing sports figures several years back to compete with Starting Lineups. McFarlane only had a license through the Players Asscociations so there were no team logos allowed…just approximations of team colors. When Kenner/Hasbro’s license expired, McFarlane got right in there and got the actual MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL licenses and their SportsPicks line soared to new heights of popularity.

 But, as great as the sculpting was…and it was great…even SportsPicks left me wanting more. I still wanted to be able to pose my sports figures.

It wasn’t until this year that my dream became reality thanks to a new company, Gracelyn Toys.

Earlier in 2006 Gracelyn released their first series of NFL Re-Plays. They’re 5" scale, fully-poseable (16 points of articulation) action figures of players from the National Football League and I can’t say enough good things about ‘em!

The problem is they’re not easy to come by.

Wal-Mart, so far, is the only brick and mortar store to carry them. There were some reports, when the first series was release, of regional single player cases showing up at Target stores in select markets. Clinton Portis was sighted in some Washington state Targets.

 Wal-Mart seems to get in one or two cases per series and that’s it. Several Wal-Marts in my area don’t even hang them in the action figure aisle, but lost amongst the die-cast cars an aisle or two away. So, unless you know to look for them you may never see them, and that’s a shame.

When Gracelyn announced these figures a few Toy Fairs back they also had plans to produce MLB and NBA figures. Last I heard they were trying to iron out some issues with those licenses, so time will tell if they see the light of day. I hope they do, as I was really looking forward to the baseball figures even more than the football ones. If and when I find out more, I’ll be sure to pass that information along.

So, if sports action figures are your bag and you can’t find Gracelyn Toys’ Re-Plays at your local Wal-Mart try All-Star Figures. Figures are available individually, by the set or by the case. I’d encourage fans and colletors of sports figures to support the line. I want to see Re-Plays go on for years to come, and grow to encompass the other major sports.

These are the sports figures I’ve been waiting nearly 20 years for!

Well, hello there.

It’s been a week and a half since AFI relaunched and opened the doors on these shiny new blogs…and this is my first entry. I hope it’s blogworthy.

Life’s been a little nuts around the Cope household since the launch, hence my delay. Many of you know that I have been unemployed for some time now (about a year and a half) since leaving a position as youth pastor at a church here in Columbus, Ohio. It’s made for some rough times and it’s made toy collecting pretty tough.

I’ve been able to keep up with some stuff by selling off some of my unwanted items, plus have been doing some work here and there in exchange for product…plus the outright generosity of some fellow collectors. There’s still a lot of holes, especially in Toy Biz Marvel stuff since it’s been coming out so fast and furiously this year…but, such is life.

 As it stands we’ve got a roof over our heads (benefits of living in a home that’s completely paid off), food on the table and the most beautiful two-year old little girl you could ever hope to meet.

Things are looking up. I’ve been doing some graphic design work for our not-so-new church and that’s helped to bring in some money. Not much. But, it helps. Actually, that’s mostly responsible for me not bloggin’ before today. I had been working on the annual report for our church and that turned into a very time consuming project. But that’s been completed and distributed, so here I am.

Don’t worry. This blog…column…whatever you wish to call it…won’t be about my woes. Yeah, it’s been a tough year. A real tough year. Still is. But, I believe we’re better for it. But, no. The title is Eye on Toys and that’s what the focus is gonna be. Toys, toys and more toys. What’s new…what’s coming…stuff like that.

I may not have much money to my name right now, but I do have my eye on toys.

 Jeff