Fri 18 Apr 2008

NYCC Coverage: Watchmen Silk Spectre and Ozymandias Figures

 

Matt "Iron Cow" Cauley, our man on the inside just sent us this image of the of the Watchmen movie figures: Silk Spectre and  Ozymandias (with a little bit of Rorschach).  

  


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Fri 18 Apr 2008

AFI Scoop Week: First look at NECA’s Ryu from Ninja Gaiden

 

Scoop # 5

Ryu from Ninja Gaiden by NECA

Not final product and pending approval – sculpt in progress

Randy and the gang over at NECA have given us another awesome action figure debut to premiere during SCOOP WEEK. 

The great video game character from games spanning from 1988 up to today has the same level of incredible detail that NECA is famous for, but it really steps their articulation up for this release! This figure looks like he just stepped out of your screen while you were playing Ninja Gaiden. 

I can’t want to see what the finished product looks like! 

 

 

Not final product and pending approval – sculpt in progress 


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Thu 17 Apr 2008

CAPTAIN ACTION – BECOMES AN ACTION FIGURE AGAIN

 April 18, 2008 (Shawnee KS) – Cast-a-Way Toys is bringing the ACTION back! CAPTAIN ACTION that is. To launch their new line of Retro-style action-figures Cast-a-Way Toys is partnering with Captain Action Enterprises to produce new 8-inch scaled action figures based on the iconic Captain Action. This groundbreaking action-figure of the 60’s, actually the first “action figure”, is back along with his arch-nemesis Dr. Eville in an all-new format. These all new figures, featuring 18 points of articulation, are 8 inch versions of the classic characters featuring the same unmistakable head sculpts, removable costumes, and authentic accessories of the classic originals. These limited edition 1/9th scale versions are available exclusively through www.castawaytoys.com.

Figures will be available for purchase in June; however, special Early Bird sets are now on sale until May 30th. The Early Bird, pre-sale figures will include an official Early Bird Certificate, a limited edition trading card and special bonus variant heads and accessories. Early Bird Specials will begin shipping in June prior to being available to the general public.
For all the latest on Captain Action, visit www.CaptainActionNow.com 


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Thu 17 Apr 2008

FOUR HORSEMEN ANNOUNCE NEW YORK COMIC CON PLANS

The Four Horsemen are kicking off their first New York Comic Con appearance (April 18th – 20th) by revealing their fully painted 2-up prototype of their fan-chosen “Gothitropolis” character, SCARABUS!

 
 Scarabus has been chosen by action figure collectors to be the next limited production action figure associated with the Four Horsemen’s “FANtastic Exclusive 3” (http://www.FANtasticExclusive .com) project.
 
 Be sure to stop by booth #1544 to hang with the Horsemen and get a glimpse at evil personified!
 
 Another revelation at the Four Horsemens’ booth is an exclusive, never before seen, limited edition FANtastic Exclusive 2/Seventh Kingdom action figure!
 
 It’s still being kept a secret as to when and where this special, top secret item will be available, but if you remember the Mynothecean Royal Guardsman figure from the first FANtastic Exclusive, and how fast those disappeared, then you know that you’ll want to get in on the ground floor for this one!
 
 As mentioned in a previous press release, Ramathorr and his eight Anitherian buddies are making every effort to make an appearance at the big show. The Four Horsemens’ fan-favorite figures from FANtastic Exclusive 2 are currently docked and hanging out with U.S. customs officials, but there’s a slim chance that they could still make it in time to be sold at booth #1544. If not, the Four Horsemen plan to sell damaged Ramathorr figures (i.e. damaged packaging & loose joints) at a discounted price.
 
 The Four Horsemen will have production samples of the figures on display at their NYCC booth, and they will be taking orders for the finished production figures, which should be arriving at their warehouse sometime next week.
 
 The Four Horsemen will also be attending a few events for Mattel that might be of interest. On Saturday, April 19th, Mattel and the Four Horsemen will be hosting a DC Universe panel from 11:00am to 12:00pm where they’ll reveal… well, that would be telling wouldn’t it? Just take our word for it… You won’t want to miss it!
 
 Immediately following Mattels’ DC Universe panel, the Four Horsemen will make an appearance at  Mattels’ New York Comic Con booth (#949) from 12:15pm to 1:45pm for an action figure fans meet & greet / signing. Be sure to come by to chat to, complain at, take pictures with, and get your action figures signed by the Four Horsemen!
 
 Finally, before returning to their own area of the New York Comic Con, the Four Horsemen will be attending another panel with Mattel from 2:00pm to 3:00pm which will reveal future plans for all things Masters of the Universe related! If you thought He-Man and the gang were dead and gone, think again! It’s a new direction for Masters of the Universe, and you’ve got to be there to get the first insiders’ look!
 
 It’s going to be an exciting weekend at the New York Comic Con and the Four Horsemen are looking forward to seeing you there!

 


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Thu 17 Apr 2008

AFI Scoop Week: Another DCUC Revealed!

 

Scoop #4

Another New DCUC Figure Revealed! 

New York Comic Con is still one more day away… and the new Mattel announcements will be on Saturday, but Mattel has given us permission to show you one more sneak peek at one more upcoming Amazing DCUC figure.

Once again, we cannot tell you where he fits in the line yet (that news will be on Saturday!) just that you are getting another great classic villain in the line.

But before we reveal… just remember that we will have reporters running around gathering coverage for us at NYCC so be sure to check back here for our coverage!

ok… I’ll stop typing now.   Prepare to be AMAZed!

(more…)


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Wed 16 Apr 2008

The Future Is Now!

A message from the founders of AFI:

So over the course of the past few years that we’ve been working on AFI, Julius Marx and I have had many discussions of what we want the site to be. Foremost in those discussions has been the ideal that AFI would not only be haven for like-minded collectors to gather and talk about toys, but also a place where anyone could come talk about anything they wanted, without being ridiculed or having the discussion devolve into flame wars or ad hominem arguments.

Although it has sometimes been tough to reach that balance, we couldn’t be more proud of the community and our Mods for making AFI exactly everything we hoped it could be. The only thing that we thought might be missing was a steady stream of news and commentary. Oh sure, we’ve tried to keep the news page and blogs full of content, but in practice it has been a hard juggling act. And the site has suffered somewhat from the delays between updates.

With any luck, that’s all a thing of the past now. We’re retiring most of the old blogs in favor of a bold new concept: Men of Action, the AFI Mega Blog! We’ve invited some old friends, and some new ones, who we feel best exemplify the AFI standard. And we’re turning them loose to talk about anything they want! We find them most interesting and highly entertaining and we’re betting that you will too. And this blog will finally give our faithful readers plenty of reasons to check in every day. 

We couldn’t be happier with our roster of superstar bloggers, either: Matt "Iron-Cow" Cauley, Pierre "Airmax" Kalenzaga, Jim Abell, Glenn "Glenn2000" Moss, Chip Cataldo, Bill "Fresh Monkey" Murphy, Jeremy "SpyMagician" Sung, Dan "CantinaDan" Neumann, Scott "Boneyard" Rogers, Erik "Superfriend" Skov, and our old AFI stalwarts Jason "JJJason" Chirevas, Jeff Cope, and Ryan "The Superfly" Prast!

Go check ‘em out; they’re already posting like crazy, and leave them a comment or two. Enjoy!

- Daniel "Julius Marx" Pickett & Jason "ToyOtter" Geyer


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Wed 16 Apr 2008

EW.com has the first look at DCD’s Watchmen Figures

Today, over at Entertainment Weekly’s website they debut the first two of DC Direct’s new Watchmen figures based on the Warner Brothers’ WATCHMEN movie hitting theaters next year.  Shown are Night Owl and Rorschach sculpted by Jack Matthews and Tim Bruckner.  These and possibly more will be on display at DC Direct’s booth at NYCC starting on Friday.

Head over to EW.com for more.


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Wed 16 Apr 2008

New Realeases from Yamato

TANDEM TWIN Animal Girls: Dog Bonnie 

Torrance, CA, April 15, 2008 – From the weird and wonderful world of TANDEM TWIN, Yamato presents master sculptor Kouichi Yamazaki (TANDEM TWIN)’s latest incarnation: DOG BONNIE.  Inspired by the Golden Retriever, the submissive Bonnie is the perfect companion to TANDEM TWIN’s dominant Dog Alma (previously released) or twin Dog Annerose.  Kneeling at approximately 7.00", Bonnie includes chain to create themed display with Alma/Annerose, display base and a host of accessories:  two interchangeable heads, two interchangeable chest parts, eyeglasses, and mask.

 

Shipping August / September 2008, Yamato USA and its distribution partners AAA Anime, Diamond Comics, BBCW, Grosnor Distribution, and Yes Anime are now accepting preorders for TANDEM TWIN Animal Girls: Dog Bonnie.  For more information, please visit Yamato USA’s website at www.YamatoToysUSA.com.

 Note:  For mature collectors only.  Dog Alma sold out.  Check with your local retailer for availability.  Dog Annerose is available through Yamato USA’s online shop at www.YamatoToysUSA.com for the special price of $60 (regularly $72) through April 2008.  Quantities are limited to 300 pieces and ship May 2008.

STORY! IMAGE! FIGURE! EX

Yamato Announces the Next Two Chapters in Its Popular Series: Eggplant-sama & RingoNoyamano

 

Torrance, CA, April 15, 2008 – Yamato is pleased to announce the next two chapters in its Story! Image! Figure! EX PVC statue collection:  Eggplant-sama from okama’s Food Girls and RingoNoyamano, the Masked HENTAI from Oh! Great’s Air Gear. 

 

SIF EX: Food Girls – Eggplant-sama

Somehow, we don’t think this is what mom had in mind when she told us to eat our vegetables…  Meet Eggplant-sama from manga-ka okama’s slightly naughty illustrated book Food Girls.  The latest in Yamato’s Story! Image! Figure! EX PVC statue collection, this little morsel is a faithful reproduction of a wonderful piece by famed sculptor Shuji Hagii (Studio Saru Bunshitsu Kasetsujo).  Standing approximately 10.25", this 1/6 scale statue captures every lush detail of Eggplant-sama right down to her firm, yet supple… er, eh… eggplants… all ready to be pealed with removable top and bottom.  Vegetables never looked so tasty!

 

SIF EX: Air Gear – Ringo Noyamano, the Masked HENTAI

Dignified, but shameless.  Air Gear’s Ringo Noyamano as the Masked HENTAI remembers to cover her face, but forgets her backside!  And what’s up with that bag??? This quirky piece of the leader of the Sleeping Forest and current Thorn King (Queen) from Oh! Great’s manga Air Gear is the latest piece in Yamato’s Story! Image! Figure! collection.  Based on a piece by Yasuhiro Uchijima (essence.), this 9.00" PVC statue of Ringo Noyamano the Masked HENTAI faithfully captures the sculptor’s unique techniques.  Each part — boots, bag, body — have an irresistible attractiveness making for a cool, erotic figure which is destined to be one of the stand-out collectibles of the year.

 Yamato USA and distribution partners AAA Anime, Diamond Comics, BBCW, Grosnor Distribution, and Yes Anime are now accepting preorders for Yamato’s SIF EX: Food Girls – Eggplant-sama and SIF EX: Air Gear – Ringo Noyamano, the Masked HENTAI.  For more information, please visit Yamato USA’s website at www.YamatoToysUSA.com.

 

 

(more…)


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Wed 16 Apr 2008

Mezco’s Hellboy Movie Bust Feature

 

Freelancer John Charles has gone into the Mezco studios and made it out to tell the tale.  In this new exclusive feature we learn of the new Hellboy Roto Movie Bust.  The interesting thing about this bust is the fact that it has 3 points of articulation!  

Head over to the features page and check out the details and pictures of this great new item! 


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Wed 16 Apr 2008

A Closer Look at Mattel’s Movie Master Dark Knight Product

We getting closer to the release of the Dark Knight product release.   Mattel anticipated that the product should be hitting the first week of May, however our own Jeff Cope reported finding the Movie Masters line at a Toys R Us in Ohio today.

Let’s take a closer look at the Four Horseman sculpted Dark Knight Movie Master line:

 

BATMAN/Bruce Wayne

 

The Joker

(more…)


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