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Toys & Collectibles

Go Figure: Mezco Toyz 2017 “One:12 Collective” Preview

mezzo toyz, one:12 collective, doctor strange
Strange Days Indeed. This beautiful rendition of Marvel Comic’s Dr. Strange will join Mezco’s One:12 Collective.

The Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) 114th North American International Toy Fair in New York City is less than 24 hours away and as always we are preparing to bring you coverage of the newest products and toy trends for the latter year gifting season. Cameras are packed, lenses are polished, and we’re stocking up on energy bars for the 4 day foray that encompasses the entire Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and parts beyond.

Another Fine Mez…
Thanks to the fine folks at Mezco Toyz we got an amazing head start. Their recent sneak peek event (held at their outer borough Fortress of Solitude) afforded the opportunity to grab lots of unfettered photos of their upcoming offerings. This post will reveal the additions to their One:12 Collective, but you can expect plenty of pix of Living Dead Dolls and other licensed goodies to appear here as well. Keep in mind this is an advance look and many of these prototypes are still pending licensor approval.

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Toys & Collectibles

Figured Out: A Mezco Toyz 2016 “One:12 Collective” Gallery

mezco toys, one:12 collective, the punisher, marvel comics
Punch Drunk Love: Marvel Comics’ Punisher gets Mezco’s detailed One:12 Collective treatment.
Toyz Story…
I’ll keep the chatter down since this post was promised as a gallery of prototypes for Mezco Toyz‘ burgeoning One:12 Collective series first revealed at their pre 2016 American International Toy Fair event. Take a look, the details speak for themselves. Having had hands on experience with the Dark Knight Batman and the Star Trek Mr. Spock I can say that the production models are as refined as the prototypes.

I recommend you make a point of checking out Mezco’s website for information on each character, it’s accessories, and the pre-order schedule. Many are selling out early.

space ghost, mezco toyz, one:12 collective, hanna-barbera productions
Mezco Toyz Space Ghost and Blip One:12 figures have just gone on pre-order. (Photo Courtesy of Mezco Toyz)

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Art Books & Graphic Novels SkeletonPete Says

We Can Be Heroes: Leaping Tall Buildings @ Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

"Leaping Tall Buildings" Graphic Novel Discussion at Housing Works Cafe
On the cusp of the release of “The Dark Knight Rises” The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby Street, New York, New York) hosted an enjoyable and informative panel discussion aimed at graphic novel/comic book fans. The event shared it’s name with the recently released hardcover Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics published by Powerhouse Books. Authored by writer Christopher Irving and photographer Seth Kushner, previously of the Graphic NY website, the volume features interviews with key figures in the industry from golden age to underground. In addition to the book Irving edits an online ‘zine The Drawn Word, which is of equal interest to genre fans and collectors.

DC’s Dynamic Duo, The Other One…
Graciously on hand for the charitable event were writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Neal Adams who discussed their early 1970’s revitalization of Batman and Green Arrow. Though the popularity of the 1960’s Batman TV series boosted the caped crusader’s profile in popular culture the “Biff, Bang, Pow” campiness and commensurate decline in quality of the actual comic books soon left the DC editors with a less than compelling character.

In 1971 Editor Julius Schwartz brought the writer and artist together with an intention to “avoid the crap.” O’Neil created a set of guidelines harking back to the stealthy crime fighter of the earliest Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson stories. Noting Science Fiction author Alfred Bester’s “obessed” characters as inspiration O’Neil outlined a psychological key to the Dark Knight persona. This consistency of personality was a giant leap beyond the “anything goes” loopy spin of DC scripts at the time. As O’Neil said during the panel talk “Batman doesn’t fight dinosaurs… doesn’t time travel.” He deliberately avoided using outre villains like The Joker, Riddler and Two-Face. Adams’ sinewy depictions perfectly complimented the reality driven stories and a real life DC dynamic duo was born.

O'Neil and Adams inscribed "Leaping Tall Buildings" for Fans. All Proceeds went to the Housing Works Community
Clearly iconoclasts in a time when drug stories and ethnic diversity in comic books was nearly unheard of O’Neil and Adams went on to create now classic barrier breaking moments in comics history. During the evening the two gave an extemporaneous good cop/bad cop view of those accomplishments and behind the scenes business. Adams generally leaned toward unvarnished recollections with “F-Bomb” punctuation, while O’Neil was willing to apply a bit of balm to the memories – though he did believe ignorance of writer Alfred Bester a knock-out worthy offense. They both enjoyed teasing the audience with supposed spoilers based on their premiere night viewing of “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Publisher Powerhouse Books donated copies of Leaping Tall Buildings which quickly sold out as attendees took the opportunity to have them inscribed by Adams, O’Neil and the authors. All proceeds from the event went to the benefit of Housing Works.

How It Works, How You Help…
Housing Works is a not-for-profit organization the mission of which is “to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.” The Cafe offers a regular series of talks on an eclectic number of subjects and serves to draw attention to the charity, which is exactly what it did for me. All proceeds from the cafe and the various satellite thrift shops throughout NYC’s boroughs go directly for support. Please consider a donation to Housing Works whether it be monetary, volunteer work or salable items, or drop by the cafe to have a brew and buy a book, CD or DVD.

Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams, Christopher Irving, Amanda Bullock, Seth Kushner
SkeletonPete Says…
The event was a great introduction to the programs at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe and the organization’s cause. It was also a wonderful opportunity to hear the anecdotes and opinions of two respected graphics professionals, catch up with Chris Irving and share some personal remeniscences with like-minded folks. It was a sweet reminder of the spirit of early 70’s NY ComiCons and a perfect example of how fandom can come together for a good cause. Simple but effective everyday heroism. Thanks to Amanda, Director of Public Programming at the Bookstore Cafe, for the warm welcome on my first visit.

Ken Pierce of the PiercingMetal website was also on board to cover the event. He’s a long time comics fan and collector and you can read his coverage here.