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(San Diego, February 6, 2009)  IDW Publishing is pleased to announce the forthcoming release of The Bloom County Library. Beginning in October 2009, each of the five volumes will collect nearly two years worth of daily and Sunday strips, in chronological order. This will be the very first time that many of these comic strips have been collected, and the first time in a beautifully designed, hardcover format. The books will be part of IDW’s Library of American Comics imprint, and designed by Eisner Award-winner Dean Mullaney.

 "Fans have pestered me for years,” said Berkeley Breathed, “for this ultimate Bloom County collection in that polite, respectful badgering way that only fans can manage. Thank God I can now tell them something better than just ‘please remove your tent from my lawn.’ I can say, ‘It’s coming!"

 Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed newspaper strips of modern times. Premiering on December 8th, 1980 — a month after the election of Ronald Reagan as President — the strip brought to the comics pages a unique amalgam of contemporary politics and fantasy, all told with hilarious humor and wit.

The beloved and quirky denizens of Bloom County include Opus, Steve Dallas, Bill the Cat, Milo Bloom, Michael Binkley, and Cutter John.  Breathed was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1987 for his work on Bloom County. The strip was published in an astounding 1200 newspapers.

 The phenomenon that was Bloom County spawned a merchandizing bonanza, as well as two spin-off strips, Outland and Opus. The first paperback collection of the strip, Loose Tails, sold over one million copies. Bloom County paperbacks cumulatively sold over six million copies. At the height of the strip’s popularity, Breathed walked away on August 6th, 1989.

 IDW Publishing Special Projects Editor Scott Dunbier conceived the series. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be editing the Bloom County Library,” said Dunbier. “This is a series that I can’t wait to hold in my hands.”

 The Bloom County Library will also contain a series of “Context Pages” sprinkled throughout the volumes. These pages will provide perspective for the reader, presenting a variety of real-life events and personalities that were contemporary at the time of original publication.

 

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Our friends over at Mezco Toyz have sent us on of the first Cinema of Fear Jason Voorhees figures based on the new "Friday the 13th" movie that opens this weekend at a theater near you, and we are going to give it away to some lucky AFI reader!

 

Here you can see the figure in all his gory glory.   To win him all you have to do is post your scariest true story that has either happened to you (or someone that you know) over on our "Screen Scene" message boards   Click here to be taken to the correct board.

If you are not a member of the boards yet you can click here to register. 

You must be 18 to enter.  You must be a registered member of the AFI message boards to enter.  Stories will be judged by the AFI staff.  One entry per person.  Entries will be taken until Midnight (PST) on this Friday the 13th!  

That’s not a lot of time so get posting your stories!!

 

 

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Favorite Ghosts and Ghostbusters Included to Celebrate Classic Film’s 25^th Anniversary

CULVER CITY, Calif., Feb 04, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Sony Pictures Consumer Products and Mattel, Inc. announced today the development of a new collectible line of toys based on the world’s favorite poltergeist fighting team, the Ghostbusters, including an extensive cast of ghosts and ghostbusters – celebrating the 25^th anniversary of the frightfully funny classic film "Ghostbusters."

Mattel’s "Ghostbusters" collectible line debuts with 12-inch figures in June 2009, and will be available exclusively at MattyCollector.com. Each figure will feature window box packaging and include authentic Ghostbuster equipment unique to each character. For the first time, Mattel’s line will include talent likeness of Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman and Winston Zeddemore. Select prototype figures will be on display February 6-8 at New York Comic Con and February 15 at Mattel’s New York Toy Fair Collector Preview Night (by invitation only).

"We have assembled a quality group of licensing partners to support and celebrate the anniversary for one of Columbia Pictures’ most cherished properties. Mattel’s line-up of collector toys is the perfect complement to what will be a great selection of 25^th anniversary product," said Juli Boylan, Senior Vice President, Sony Pictures Consumer Products Worldwide.

"Ghostbusters" collectors can also look forward to 6-inch figures, with one debuting at San Diego Comic Con in July 2009. Sculpted by Four Horsemen Studios, the team currently working on Mattel’s popular DC Universe(TM) Classics and Masters of the Universe(R) Classics collectible lines, the 6-inch line will come complete with authentic "Ghostbusters" equipment and ghost.

"There haven’t been many comedic blockbusters over the past quarter century as memorable and loved as ‘Ghostbusters,’" said Tim Kilpin, GM for Boys, Girls & Games, Mattel, Inc. "We are honored to participate in the celebration of the film’s 25^th anniversary by creating the most extensive line of ‘Ghostbusters’ collectibles ever."

Mattel will also create characters and ghosts from the classic animated series, "The Real Ghostbusters," to go along with the classic "Ghostbusters" film.

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BBC AMERICA today announced three highly anticipated sci-fi dramas: BBC AMERICA co-production Being Human and the acquisitions of Survivors and a new season of Primeval. All three shows will premiere later in 2009.

 

·        Being Human (6 x 60), a Touchpaper Television and BBC AMERICA co-production for the BBC, distributed by RDF Rights, part of the RDF Media Group.

·        Survivors (1 x 90, 5 x 60), a BBC production distributed by BBC Worldwide.

·        Primeval (10 x 60), an Impossible Pictures production for ITV, distributed by BBC Worldwide.

 

BEING HUMAN – U.S. PREMIERE

Mixing the mythic with the commonplace, the farcical with the horrific and the domestic with the epic, this BBC AMERICA co-production is a witty and extraordinary look into the lives of three twenty-somethings and their secret double-lives – as a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost. The trio do their best to live their lives as normally as possible, despite their strange and dark secrets.  But with unwelcome intruders into their world, a threatened revolution from the vampire underworld and constant threats of exposure – on top of the day-to-day issues faced by young people – the only thing they may be able to rely on in their heightened world, is each other.

 

SURVIVORS – U.S. PREMIERE

The chilling new apocalyptic drama, Survivors, focuses on the world in the aftermath of a virus that has wiped out 99% of the human race. The lonely few who remain struggle to start over in a devastated world where everything that was once safe and familiar is now strange and dangerous. At the center of the story is a bewildered but resilient group of survivors led by Abby Grant (Julie Graham), a woman whose strength comes from a burning need to find out if her young son is still alive. This brave new world brings an opportunity for new beginnings, but also terrible dangers – not just the daily struggle for food and water, but a deadly threat from other survivors.

 

PRIMEVAL – U.S. PREMIERE

Sci-fi thriller Primeval roars back onto BBC AMERICA. When evolutionary zoologist Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) discovers prehistoric creatures alive and well in the present day, the natural world is turned on its head and humanity faces a threat to its very existence. Unexplained anomalies are ripping holes in the fabric of time, allowing creatures to roam the modern world.  In the new season Cutter struggles with the death of his assistant and his wife’s betrayal, while the cloak of secrecy behind which they’ve been working is beginning to slip.  

For up-to-the-minute information on BBC AMERICA, forthcoming U.S. premieres, art work and news from the channel, log on to www.press.bbcamerica.com.

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Our friends over at Bif Bang Pow! updated their blog with a message for readers and achievers of all shapes and size:

Jason Lenzi here again, with some very exciting news that you (and I) have been waiting a long time to read: Wave 3 of our Big Lebowski Urban Achievers action figures are up for pre-order right now! With new and improved images!

That’s right, after nearly a year and a half of calls, paperwork, designs, hold ups, let downs, drinks, and heartburn, unveiled for the first time, are Donny, the Stranger and Jesus Quintana, in full regalia, over at the Entertainment Earth site, right now! They’re crafted with the same loving care that went into our previous waves, and we think they’ll look beeeutiful standing proudly next to Jeffrey and Walter (which you already have, right? Right??). From Donny’s burger, to the Strangers bottle o’ Sasparilla, to Jesus’ handy ball cleaner, all of the details and accessories you know and love from the film are in place and ready to move into your office or home.

Stay tuned for some more cool Lebowski products from BigBangPow! that we’ll be featuring on the site in the next few weeks.

MARK IT ZERO!!!!!!!

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Matty from MattyCollector.com and ToyGuru Jr. sent us the answers to our latest round of questions.that AFI readers have posted in our forums.  There are some very interesting hints and reveals in this installment, so read it carefully and let the speculating begin!

Q1) Of the new pictures of Infinite Heroes shown on the new Matty/Mattel Facebook page it is mentioned that Alex Luthor is the first figure with the new articulation, but there is no obvious new articulation in the photo. Can you tell us what the new articulation will be going forward for this line?

A1)Luthor actually just missed the new articulation cut off, but it will follow very shortly after him. The new articulation will include ball joints at the elbows and knees as well as wrist, neck and ankle articulation

Q2)  Will we see Infinite Heroes exclusives on MattyCollector.com (apart from the upcoming stands)?  When will we hear about those announcements?

A2) We are working on a very special 4 pack of IH figures for MattyCollector which we hope to announce before SDCC.   IH stands are on sale now!

Q3) Specifically for the JLU line…
A.Any chance yet of the smaller characters like Krypto, Batmite, etc.? Now that we’ve gotten Wonder Pig, it would be great to see some of these offered as accessories in the single packs, and I think it’d help sell more duplicates…
B.Any chance for and accessories packs on Mattycollector.com? There have been a lot of fun accessories in the JLU line, but a lot of us bought our figures in 3 packs… Would be great to get a pack out of these…

A3)  Yes, we actually do have more mini character accessories in store to help give a good reason to re-buy core characters in the single line.

Q4) How does Matty’s presence on Facebook change the way you plan on communicating with the online community (communities)? Do you plan on continuing these Q&As? How do you think you will the dissemination of info going forward?

A4)  Matty’s Facebook page is just an additional way he can communicate with fans. We will still continue to do Q & As and Toy Guru will post on websites. We found we were getting many of the same questions every month submitted by different websites, so Facebook will hopefully act as a central place (along with MattyCollector.com’s news section) to get information straight from Mattel.

Q5) As a BIG Batman fan, and an even bigger JLU fan, I have to ask if we will see more and more Batman related figures in JLU style? Figures like Robin (current and classic),Two-Face, Nightwing, Batgirl, Batwoman, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Commish Gordon, and the other great Batman characters would all be great!

A5)  Yes. We do have plans for more Bat characters in JLU!

Q6) Why was"Guy Gardner" used as a choice for DCIH as a single, as a 2-pack inclusion, AND as a 6-pack inclusion (the Oa pack) all at the same time?

A6)  There is a very simple reason. All of the figures in the first releases of all the IH skus were chosen because they were the first figures available to ship after sculpting, licensor approvals and tooling was completed. This is why there were a few repeats in the early released!

Q7) The Brave and the Bold figures are starting to hit and they look great. When can we expect a Batmobile to go with them?

A7)  We have a great transforming Batmobile in the works which will be out in the fall.

Q8) What is the status of the DCIH Gotham 6 pack? I understand that it may not be around my area.  I cannot find it on e-bay(only 1 partial pack sold as individuals), it is no longer listed on TRU.com. Has it been cancelled or delayed in distribution, ect?

A8) The Gotham pack was produced and shipped to TRU per there orders. Hopefully your local store will get more in stock soon!

Q9) Were a sufficient amount of the 2008 Fall/Winter Target JLU six packs(Legends of the League and Secret Society) produced? By sufficient, I mean in numbers equal to or greater than the previous Target six packs?  Why is it so difficult for JLU to maintain a firm retail presence? One would assume that Target is indeed behind the line, or else they wouldn’t have it in the first place.  
 Is it within Mattel’s power to produce more of the latter JLU six packs AND/OR have them sent back through distribution channels to MattyCollector and have them sell them there? Because AFI’s very own polls show that a full FIFTY percent of respondents never saw either six pack in any Target whatsoever. And the Northeast quarter of the United States received little to none of these. That’s a fact.

A9) The exact same number of packs were produced for Wave 2 as were Wave 1. One reason Wave 2 was a bit harder to find was that it shipped during the holidays when more customers were visiting retail and store shelves were stocked more often during the day. So they were snatched up pretty quick!

At the end of the day it is up to Target to order and place JLU product in their stores. If you are not seeing JLU in your local Target, we suggest you talk to the toy aisle manager and ask for it by name!

Q10) Now that you know about many of the production issues people have encountered with 2008 product; what will Mattel be actively doing going forward in 2009 to improve the quality and distribution of their collector oriented lines?

A10) Quality will absolutely continue to improve. Here is a little bit of insight that might help. Once we receive feedback we immediately make plans to correct any errors, fix paint ops or change plastic quality. Unfortunately, unlike a newspaper which can print a retraction in one day, it can take 2 -9 months before new product is produced, shipped and then available for purchase.

We are absolutely committed to improving our product as quick as possible. In the toy world for logistic reasons this just takes some time.

So there you have it!   Thanks to ToyGuru and Matty for all the answers.

You can find our past Q&A’s here. And you can discuss the answers at our Mattel board.

 

 

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GATHIERSBURG, MD. (February 2, 2009)… MillionairePlayboy.com, an online magazine devoted to toy collecting, comic books, movies and assorted pop culture artifacts, launches its new Web site design and blog format on February 1.

The new Web site is cleaner and better organized by using categories and tags for easier navigation.  It features reviews and news on toys and entertainment, as well as lifestyle articles and video
podcasts. The staff plans to update the site often with a strong focus on toy reviews and image galleries.

Popular MillionairePlayboy.com events and coverage include:

•    KA-Pow-Bq event
•    12 Days of Christmas promotion
•    International Toy Fair coverage
•    Comicon coverage
•    Toy convention coverage

MillionairePlayboy.com originally was launched in late 2002 by college friends, Andrew Jones (a.k.a. Mr. Stinkhead), Joe Fulton (a.k.a. Lando Da Pimp) and Kristian Yeager (a.k.a. Jager) as a way to
help congregate like-minded collectors of all genres and provide them with news and a community. The site focuses on advice and features for things that collectors really care about, and gets the
collecting community to reach out and share ideas and experiences.

The Web site has been featured on G4′s Attack of the Show, ToyFare Magazine, and in the Washington Post. West Virginia Tourism Commission honored staffer, Joe Fulton, with an award for an article on their Toy and Train Museum. Andrew Jones and staff writer Casey Jones both contribute to ToyFare Magazine.

MillionairePlayboy.com is intended for audiences 17 and older. Although you find no nudity on the site, the site contains a lot of immature humor and inappropriate use of italics. Kind of ironic, eh?

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Our man Dan makes the scene and spills the beans on Arizona’s biggest Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con!
Check it out and be prepared to have your mind blown!

 

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Diamond Select Toys is excited to announce the latest new exclusive available only at this year’s fourth annual New York Comic Con!  Celebrating the return of the hotly-anticipated final season of Battlestar Galactica, fans will be able to stop by booth #1133 and recruit their own Battlestar Galactica Stealth Cylon Centurion! 

Long a part of the Battlestar Galactica universe, the mysterious Stealth Cylon Centurions hide in the shadows, rarely making their existence known to anyone outside a select few.  Fans may recall the brief appearances of Stealth Cylon Centurions and Stealth Cylon Raiders in previous toy lines, however this marks the first time the rarely-seen robots have appeared in years.  This highly collectible Stealth Cylon Centurion will be limited to just 800 pieces.  A limited quantity will also be available for purchase on the Diamond Select Toys online store, beginning on Friday, February 6th. 

While enjoying New York Comic Con, also be sure to attend our special 2009: The Year of the Minimate Panel and Q&A!  This special panel will be held on Friday in Room 1A17 from 1:00-2:00 PM.  DSTChuck, Project Manager Robert Yee and special Minimate artists will be on hand to answer your questions, listen to your requests and showcase future Minimate licenses and designs!

 

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