Thursday, 28 February 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/28/2013


In Other News... we've a bunch of Podcasts for your listening pleasure, more Amazing Spider-Man 2 news, Paranormal Activity 5's new gimmick and more.

Podcasts







Let's kick off with this week's Nerd Lunch Podcast, episode #74 for those keeping score...

[LISTEN]







Episode 54 of the AFB Podcast is a retro-restoration special, plus Newton Gimmick from Infinite Hollywood drops in for a

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 2 - Flesh Eatin' Phil




Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released 2012

SLUG Zombies Series 2

As we continue our round-up of the last figures from Series 2 you may be thinking we're simply mopping-up the leftovers or that the figures we haven't covered yet are some of the weaker or less-impressive sculpts. But in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Still not convinced? Then check out Flesh Eatin' Phil.

AFFILIATE LINK: EE Exclusive Knight Rider KITT Vehicle & Michael Knight




Admit it: you've always wondered what would happen if Michael Knight came up against the evil forces of Cobra. And now you can finally solve that mystery, with this Entertainment Earth-exclusive Knight Rider KITT with Michael Knight action figure set from Diamond Select Toys!



Featuring electronic sound and light-up features, plus opening doors (and a passenger seat that's compatible with

NEWS: JAKKS Pacific Sign Nintendo Toy Deal




Malibu, Calif. – February 25, 2013 – Leading U.S. toymaker JAKKS Pacific, Inc., (Nasdaq: JAKK) announced today that it has been granted rights in major toy categories by Nintendo of America Inc. to manufacture, market and distribute a line of toys and related consumer products based on a robust library of iconic Nintendo characters that generations have come to love. In addition, JAKKS’

VIDEO VIEW: PIxel Dan's Toy Fair 2013 GI Joe Coverage




OK, so Toy Fair 2013 is long gone but when we saw Pixel Dan's up-close and in-your-face look at the GI Joe line-up - including a really good, long look at the upcoming Eaglehawk vehicle - we just had to bring it to you.

NEWS: Goodleg Toys' Shipwrecked Plunder Boys






The chaps at Goodleg Toys continue to impress and utterly baffle me (seriously, what are you guys on?) with their, erm, ''unique'' releases and the upcoming Pablo Perra hand-sculpted, 10-piece limited edition run of figures - dubbed Captain John ''Goodleg'' Blackweird of the Shipwrecked Plunder Boys - is no different. We've no word yet on when you'll be able to get your hands on one of these

VIDEO VIEW: The Toy Museum's Kre-O GI Joe Reviews



The Checkpoint Alpha and Cobra Armored Assault sets, in one video? Don't mind if I do, sir!

NEWS: Ask DST #198





Oh look! It's another edition of Ask DST. And it's another round-up of assorted questions and miscellaneous requests! So check out this potpourri of Star Trek, Tomb Raider, Minimates and Munsters goodness!



Ask DST #198: More Catching Up!

VIDEO VIEW: Pixel Dan's Marvel Legends Ultimate Captain America Review



Tuesday, 26 February 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/26/2013


And IN OTHER NEWS... a slew of Podcasts, indie toy news, awesome Lego creations, TV cancellations, Spidey's new costume and more!

Podcasts





Holy Broadcasts, Batman! The Retroist takes a look at the Adam West/Burt Ward Batman TV series.

[LISTEN]





Episode 53 of the AFB Podcast takes a look at the DC Bombshells line and chats with sculptor Tim Miller!

[LISTEN]







UnderScoopFIRE!'s

VIDEO VIEW: New Castle Grayskull vs Vintage Comparison



FEATURE: LoEB ''The Oscars''





''Hey kids! What time is it?''

''League of Extraordinary Bloggers Time!''





Oscar fever must have been in the air everywhere, as this week Brian posed the following Assignment:



''The Oscars.''


So here's my contribution!


















Interestingly, most people think I am at least one of the above.





---



And the Nominees for Best Supporting League Member are...

Dex for

REVIEW: DC Unlimited - The Flash (New 52 Costume)




Produced by Mattel | Released February 2013

DC Unlimited...?

Having released 20 waves of the DC Classics line at retail, Mattel has decided - no doubt echoing the similar reboot over at DC comics - to start afresh with a new line of 6'' tall DC-themed figures. Dubbed the ''Unlimited'' line, Mattel currently has two sub-lines within the brand - the Batman Unlimited line (featuring, as the

VIDEO VIEW: The Toy Museum's McDonalds' Happy Meal HEXBUG 2013 Review



AFFILIATE LINK: GI Joe ''Specialty Action Figure'' Set






Dubbed ''the Dollar General Joes'' due to their limited appearance last year in Dollar General stores, the ''Specialty'' wave of GI Joes has become something of a Holy Grail for many collectors. And it's easy to see why. The limited release made them difficult for many to find (with prices on Ebay skyrocketing in response to this) and their old school awesomeness struck a chord with

VIDEO VIEW: Pixel Dan's GI Joe Kre-O Battle Platform Attack Review



REVIEW: Lego Minifigures Series 8 - Vampire Bat




Produced by Lego | Released 2012





Lego Minifigures Series 8...?

OK, yes, we know Series 9 is out and on shelves but from what we can gather, it seems like many stores - including a few local to That Figures Towers - haven't received their updates stock yet. And as Series 8 includes some rather cool figures - many of which still seem quite relevant (more on that in a minute) - we thought '

Thursday, 21 February 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/21/2013


In Other News... Some new Podcast goodness, JJ Abrams confirms a return in Star Trek Into Darkness and more!




Podcasts



Here's Episode #73 of the Nerd Lunch Podcast, this week featuring a Pirates of the Caribbean drill-down special.

[LISTEN]







Toys R Evil

Hugely influential toy blog Toys R Evil celebrates its EIGHTH birthday this week. Congratulations to Andy for not only having the

AFFILIATE LINK: Lego Star Wars Jabba's Palace





Does a figure the size of Jabba still count as a ''Minifigure?" Either way, he's one of eight figures included in this amazing 717-piece kit that allows you to recreate the dark doings within the evil Hutt's palace. And just for the sake of being even more awesome, the Palace can be combined with the previously-released Rancor Pit for even more Jedi adventure!



Pre-order your Lego Star Wars

VIDEO VIEW: Cordicon's Marvel Legends Hyperion Review



FEATURE: LoEB ''A Birthday Celebration''





It's hard to believe but The League of Extraordinary Bloggers turns one year old this week!




To honor the occasion, Head Honcho of the League and coordinator of our assignments Brian at Cool and Collected, gave us a two-fold task this week:



1. Write about your involvement in the League of Extraordinary Bloggers and recall some of your favorite posts — these could be your own and/or

VIDEO VIEW: Pixel Dan's NECA Predator Jungle Extraction Dutch Shaefer Review



NEWS: Diamond Select Toys to Release Peter Pan Minimates






Diamond Select Toys has announced it's to release a new line of Peter Pan-themed Minimates.





In 1953, the Walt Disney Company delighted audiences with its full-length animated feature Peter Pan, an adaptation of the 1911 novel about a magical boy who wouldn’t grow up. Now, with the first-ever Blu-Ray release of Peter Pan in stores now, the Disney Store has teamed up with Diamond Select

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/19/2013


Mortal Kombat: Legacy returns, more Doctor Who: An Adventure in Space and Time casting, Podcasts, a popular character that could be returning to the Star Wars movies and  so much more, all after the jump!

Podcasts



Here's Episode 51 of the AFB Podcast, featuring a discussion of the Star Wars Black Series and a Review of the Play Arts Kai Arkham City Catwoman.




[LISTEN]






Guardians of

REVIEW: Lego Minifigures Series 9 - Roman Emperor




Produced by Lego | Released February 2013





Lego Minifigures Series 9

We're slowly building a collection of Lego Minifigures at That Figures, picking up an assortment of the blind-bagged toys as and when we can. And as part of that today sees us taking a closer look at the newly-released Series 9 Roman Emperor.



Roman Emperor

The Roman Emperor is not one of the more complex figures in

VIDEO VIEW: Ultimate Spider-Man Fighter Pods Series 1





I spotted these previously-unknown-to-me blind-bagged minifigures this weekend but passed on picking any up. So I was rather pleased when I came home and saw that Dan at The Toy Museum had not only grabbed a few packs but also produced this cool little video review of the toys.

NEWS: Ask DST #197





Diamond Select Toys' ever-popular Ask DST feature is back, with a round-up of all those left-over and hanging questions - and their subsequent answers. So go check it out!



Ask DST #197: Time to play catch-up

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 1 - Headless Halpert




Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released January 2012





SLUG Zombies Series... 1?

OK, I know that Series 1 of the awesome SLUG Zombies line appeared at retail over a year ago, but in an effort to catalog each and every figure released we're taking a moment to step back in time with the subject of today's Review, the only figure from Series 1 that we haven't gotten round to taking a look at (

VIDEO VIEW: Battle Beasts Minimates Stop-Motion Animation





OK, so they've been manipulated a bit (for DRAMATIC PURPOSES) but if you're still not sure what to expect from Diamond Select Toys' new Battle Beasts Minimates then this video - originally spotted over at Battlegrip.com - might give you more of an insight. And even if you're not a fan of the line, it's still a pretty neat bit of stop-motion work.

NEWS: GI Joe Kre-O Codes Cracked!




I've yet to encounter them for myself but the new GI Joe Kre-Os are going down a storm with those who've found them at retail. But did you know that each blind-bag actually features an encoded - and therefore decode-able - numbering system that will allow you to avoid duplicates and find the figures you want?


That's the story over at GI Joe fansite The Leaky Suit Brigade, where they've

AFFILIATE LINK: DC Unlimited Wave 1 Case





We've already featured the Batman Unlimited figures in a previous Affiliate Link but having seen these toys out for myself over the weekend - and as a former non-fan of Mattel's DC Universe line - I have to admit that Matty and his chums have won me over.



Intended to reset the DC Universe run and bring the range into line with the New 52 versions of the characters, the DC Unlimited figures

VIDEO VIEW: Lego Red Five X-Wing Starfighter



Thursday, 14 February 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/14/2013


In this week's In Other News... we bring you a couple of Podcasts, Doctor Who news, a few additional Toy Fair 2013 updates and more...


Podcasts







The Cult Film Club is in session, so stick a ferret down your pants in honor of the 80s muscletastic Beastmaster.

[LISTEN]







The Nerd Lunch Podcast this week focuses on live action kids' TV of yesteryear.

[LISTEN]










The Moderately

NYTF 2013: Diamond Select Toys






So what did Diamond Select Toys have going on at this year's New York Toy Fair? 




Minimates, new Universal Monsters figures, more Marvel Select and so much more to see! So check out these galleries!



Action Figure Insider - Diamond Select Toys

The Toy Ark - Diamond Select Toys The Munsters Gallery

The Toy Ark - Diamond Select Toys Marvel Toys

The Toy Ark - Ghostbusters Toys

The Toy

KICKSTARTER: Legendary Monsters Action Figures (Revision)





We've already seen the proposal for Legendary Monsters line over at Kickstarter but sadly the original project just fell short of its backing target. But you can't keep a good monster down and so the project is back, with a new streamlined release line-up (hopefully the Deluxe editions with ''witnesses'' will make a comeback further down the line) and a new financing target. Check out the

NYTF 2013: Lego





Lego took the opportunity at the New York Toy Fair to show off some of their already-on-shelves and new, upcoming kits and concepts. 




Original lines Legends of Chima and Galaxy Squad will be joined by a host of licensed tie-ins, including more Star Wars Lego and the upcoming Lone Ranger sets. Check out these comprehensive galleries to see what you'll be building next!



Action Figure

AFFILIATE LINK: Lego Spider-Man ''Daily Bugle Showdown'' Set





Spider-Man swings into action in this awesome Lego Super Heroes play set!



Featuring over 470 pieces - including minifigures of Spidey, Nova, J. Jonah Jameson, Doctor Doom and Beetle - the set comes with a figure-launching catapult and exploding play features, Doom's grapple-release swoop jet and more for hours of baddie-bashing fun!



Order your Lego Spider-Man Daily Bugle Showdown from

NYTF 2013: NECA




Fancy a quick sneak peek at what to expect from NECA over the coming year? Then step right in!





It's a real mix of licenses and characters from NECA, featuring everything from Batman to Bilbo Baggins, from Portal to Prometheus, joining new additions to fan-favorite lines such as Predator and Aliens.


Action Figure Insider - NECA Gallery

Cool Toy Review - The NECA Showroom

The Toy Ark -

REVIEW: Lego Galaxy Squad Space Swarmer




Produced by Lego | Released January 2013





Galaxy Squad

Galaxy Squad is one of two new original sub-lines introduced most recently by Lego (the other being, of course, Legends of Chima.) This space-based line sees four color-coded teams of astronauts battling against evil space insects, with the human's calling upon advanced, multi-functional vehicles and robotic sidekicks to assist in

FEATURE: LoEB ''I Love...''




Unfortunately we missed-out on last week's League of Extraordinary Bloggers assignment due to some boring real-world stuff. But now we're back on  active duty!





In a special Valentine's Day-themed assignment, Brian at Cool and Collected posed the following:



Write a stream of conscious post listing the things you love and hold dear.




So with that in mind, here goes...



I love...



NYTF 2013: Mattel's DC, Watchmen & Batman Lines




Mattel took the opportunity at this year's New York Toy Fair to both showcase their existing DC-themed toy lines but also unveil a few unexpected surprises.




1966 Batman Line

Inspired by the camp classic TV show the Batman 1966 Line features the likenesses of Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo, battling Gotham City's finest - or should that be fiendish-est? - villains, including

VIDEO VIEW: Ed Catto Talks Captain Action at 2013 Toy Fair






Here's Ed Catto of Captain Action Enterprises talking to Toymasters Video Magazine about the launch and future of Captain Action, including news about the Captain Action animated series and a sneak-peek at the upcoming line of DC hero costumes.

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/12/2013


Here's our round-up of this week's other news, including some new indie toys, breaking Toy Fair coverage, podcasts, TV news and more!




Podcasts





The Nerd Lunch Podcast Episode 71 does a Mirror Universe take on Star Trek: Voyager.

[LISTEN]





New Star Wars-themed Podcast Galaxy of Toys returns for its second episode, this time looking at the New York Toy Fair line-up.

[LISTEN]




The

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 1 - Piece Mail Pete




Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released 2012

SLUG Zombies Series... 1?

With the New York Toy Fair 2013 currently underway (and sadly, no word yet from JAKKS Pacific on what we can expect this year, SLUG-wise), we're reminded of the simpler, slower and less complicated time, when the SLUG Zombies first exploded onto the scene during the 2012 Toy Fair... Ah, it seems so long ago... And so to

VIDEO VIEW: Pixel Dan's Toy Fair 2013 Lego Star Wars Video Tour






Be sure to check out Pixel Dan's other videos for more Toy Fair 2013 coverage!

NYTF 2013: Star Wars





Hasbro showcases the new ''Black'' Series of 6'' and 3.75'' inch figures at the New York Toy Fair. Click through for images and galleries.





The big news broke earlier this month, namely that Hasbro was finally working on a line of 1:6 scale figures featuring ''core characters'' from the Star Wars Universe, which was swiftly followed-up by the announcement that the new 3.75'' line would

AFFILIATE LINK: TMNT Classics Wave 2 Case





After their phenomenally successful resurrection, the Heroes in a Half-Shell continue to wage war against evil with the upcoming second wave of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics action figures. Featuring our favorite ass-kicking amphibians and some of their deadliest foes - including fan-favorites Bebop and Rocksteady - this 12-figure case is set to land on - and promptly disappear from -

REVIEW: Lego Minifigures Series 9 - Waiter




Produced by Lego | Released February 2013




Lego Minifigures Series 9

The ninth wave of Lego's super-popular line of blind-bagged minifigures has just landed at retail. Although my initial thoughts on the concept were less than enthusiastic (see this Review here) I've come to a new understanding with Lego toys - and the minifigures - and so here's another look at the line with the subject

NYTF 2013: Marvel Universe, Legends, Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Ultimate Spider-Man & Wolverine





Hasbro took the opportunity at the New York Toy Fair to preview a few new additions to the Marvel Universe line-up, showcase some of the upcoming Marvel Legends figures, plus give us a sneak peek at what to expect from the Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Spider-Man sub-lines and even unveil a new line of Wolverine toys!





Hasbro has big plans for its Marvel-themed line-up. As well as

NYTF 2013 - GI Joe




We kick off our New York Toy Fair 2013 coverage with one of our favorite lines, GI Joe. Click through to see what Hasbro has planned for the line, including new vehicles and the return of formerly-cancelled 30th Anniversary figures!





Hasbro seems to be giving GI Joe a new push - not surprising, given that GI Joe: Retaliation is about to hit theaters later this year - with a number of new

VIDEO VIEW: Toy Talk Friday Episode 25



Thursday, 7 February 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/07/2013


Two alone Star Wars movies could see the return of a couple of fan favorites, SLUG zombies Series 5 and beyond, Guardians of the Galaxy news, Podcasts and more - all as featured in today's In Other News...

Podcasts



The Moderately Geeky crew talk Star Wars 6'' figures, new TMNT toys, the Captain Power revival and more in Episode 31 of the Modertately Geeky Podcast.

[LISTEN]





Randy Bowen

NEWS: Hot Toys GI Joe: Retaliation Storm Shadow Gallery





Hot Toys has just released a plethora of new images showcasing their upcoming GI Joe: Retaliation Storm Shadow 1:6 scale collectible figure. Check them out after the jump!


Following the firstly launched character of the Snake Eyes Collectible Figure from the upcoming G.I. Joe Retaliation movie, Hot Toys is thrilled to present the white ninja - the Storm Shadow Collectible Figure who comes

NEWS: Ask DST #196






Oh look! It's the latest edition of Ask DST, which this time around covers a wide range of topics, from Marvel Select figures to Minimates.



Ask DST #196: The Grab Bag

AFFILIATE LINK: Lego Minifigures Series 9






Lego's ninth series of their super-popular blind-bagged Minifigures sees a host of new characters joining the line-up, with a crazy mix of futuristic space battlers to mythical creatures and even everyday folks (if you can consider a guy in a chicken suit ''everyday'') meaning there's something here for everyone.



But of course, being blind-bagged makes it difficult for the completists

VIDEO VIEW: Pixel Dan's Kotobukiya The Flash ARTFX+ Statue Review



Tuesday, 5 February 2013

REVIEW: Lego Legends of Chima Crawley's Claw Ripper




Produced by Lego | Released 2012

Lego Legends of Chima

Legends of Chima is Lego's latest sub-line of character-themed kits, play sets and vehicles. Set in the fictional realm of Chima (or so the tie-in animated show tells us) the story follows the exploits of Laval, Prince of the Lions and protector of the sacred CHI. When a group of rogue Crocodiles attempt to steal the CHI for themselves,

IN OTHER NEWS... 05/02/2013


In Other News... is our new round-up of the stories happening elsewhere this week, including - but not limited to - some of the non-toy, geek culture stuff that's caught our eye. So click through to check out wha' happen!




Podcasts

Here's a round-up of the latest (OK, and in some cases just late) episodes from some of our favorite podcasts.






The Retroist Episode 130 - Yars' Revenge
The

AFFILIATE LINK: The Walking Dead Comic Series Wave 2 Governor






Woodbury's finest leaps from the pages of the comic and into your collection!



Standing at 5'' tall and with 28 points of articulation (at least before Micchone goes to work on him...) this creepy looking Governor figure includes swap-out head and arm accessories, plus an arsenal of weaponry including a pistol and a kitchen knife. Spoon not included.



The Governor won't be available in

VIDEO VIEW: Cordicon's DC Unlimited New 52 Penguin Review



Monday, 4 February 2013

SITE NEWS: Back to Basics






I just wanted to post a quick update on some changes I plan on implementing at That Figures.





As you may have noticed (or not...) there were no updates to the site today. This is due to a change in the site scheduling that I've decided to implement in an effort to shake things up a little and give That Figures a more focused feel.



A New - Well, Old - Focus

When I first got back into

Friday, 1 February 2013

NEWS: Kotobukiya's Daredevil Fine Art Statue






The Man Without Fear is showcased in this new Fine Art Statue from the good folks at Kotobukiya.





For the next Marvel Comics Fine Art Statue, Kotobukiya turns to a defender of justice by day and by night. Matt Murdock grew up poor but idealistic in the rough neighborhood of New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, and he was sorely tested by the death of his father and being blinded by radioactive

AFFILIATE LINK: Lego Legends of Chima Lennox' Lion Attack






Thunder... Thunder... Thundercats? NOOO! It's Legends of Chima!



OK, so it would be a little unfair to say that Lego's new line, The Legends of Chima, is a rip-off of The ThunderCats. Think of it more as a ''spiritual successor'' or even ''homage'' if you must. But either way, if you miss Lion-O and friends then you could do worse than invest a little time in these new kits (and there's a

PODCAST: The Moderately Geeky Podcast Episode 31





And here's episode 31 of the Moderately Geeky Podcast, rounding up all the latest in nerd news and geekish goodness including new Lego kits, GI Joe Con-exclusives, JJ Abrams' Star Wars and guest Wayne Losey, former Hasbro designer and creator of the new downloadable (yes, downloadable) action figure line, Modibot.



The Moderately Geeky Podcast Episode 31: Night Force Lens Flare

VIDEO VIEW: Superman Unbound Trailer



PODCAST: The AFB Podcast Episode 49





Just in time for le weekend comes Episode 49 of the Action Figure Blues Podcast, which this week John ''Spanky'' Stokes is in the house and so things take a turn to the designer side...



The AFB Podcast Episode 49: Designer Vinyl with John ''Spanky'' Stokes