Our friend Vader interviewed our very own Julius Marx and ToyOtter on AFHub - go check it out!

http://www.afhub.com/julius-marx-and-to ... ew-part-1/

http://www.afhub.com/julius-marx-and-to ... ew-part-2/

Can't wait for part three! Awesome stuff!

Peace,

Chip

Be careful what you wish for. I hear part 3 is all Ryan.

So it's a completely blank page?

Peace,

Chip

Brutal.

Ouch - harsh. But the interviews were great.

Part 3:
http://www.afhub.com/julius-marx-and-to ... ew-part-3/

Peter - loved the interviews. Well done!

Yup, great job there. Very lengthy and in-depth.

Peace,

Chip

I think part 3, for mw, was the most interesting.

I agree with almost all of the points that Julius made (there is no better toy line out there than Palisades Muppets. I was so very ,very sad when that line and company came to end. Just as they were about to dive into Sesame Street and the rumored Fraggle Rock as well. )

I also agree that most everything is cyclical. The industry will come back around. It won't be the same, many companies will have moved on, died, been resurrected or re-formatted, but we will see many new offerings as well.

It should be interesting to see how things progress ... and I know that I will be able to come back to AFi for all the news, gossip, rants and raves that go with it.

Great ending to the interview series. This quote made me laugh because it's so very true:



LOL. And one small thing Vader. Isn't that digital ToyOtter / Daniel? Or am I getting things backwards?

Nope. That's digital me. There was a booth doing head scans at E3 this year.

A big thanks to Peter for making us look so good. It was a lot of fun to do.

D.

Nice to know that most of you guys are contemporaries. I'm 37 myself, so we've seen the industry grow along with pop culture and the collecting community stretch out more into the forefront. Granted, one of the best aspects of our hobby is how it brings folks from different cultures and generations together so nicely.

It was really fun reading these interviews, especially the third installment. I remember not being too thrilled when Hasbro brought out Kenner. It seemed like both companies did more good for the toy business as competitors. Each one had their own unique style to producing and marketing toys. And they were helping smaller companies grow along with them. Mego, the legendary toy pioneer, was on a steep decline. Mattel was a close third in popularity after Masters of the Universe debuted, and you had others such as LJN, Gabriel, Galoob, Remco, Coleco, Ideal, Knickerbocker, and Matchbox all trying to offer something of interest at one point. I believe the combination of mergers and kids' waning interest in action figures heavily affected the industry and ended its 70's/80's Golden Age for good, gearing it more toward the present adult collector market.

The 90's was a great period for the new breed of independents. Toy Biz grew so much from their Batman movie line into a mainstream giant and later, one-half of Marvel itself. Companies like Palisades are truly missed. Praying Mantis was a favorite of mine and I was sad to see it go.

Thanks for look behind the curtain. Looking forward to future developments both here and in the toy aisles.

- Joey

Thanks for the props, everyone - Dan, Chip, Benjamin, Darrel, Joe....

Bigger credits should go to both Julius and Otter - they are responsible for majority of what is there. I had a wonderful time putting it together.

Yes, huge kudos to Vader for a great and detailed interview of two of the best knuckleheads out there. Without them and AFi, do you guys know how productive I would have been at work all these years?? :: shudder ::