Tag: toy association

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Tonner Doll Company Reveals Avatar and Tron Figures @ Toy Fair 2012

Captain Jack Sparrow Will Take You To That Special Island

If you’ve been following this blog for a while you might remember the Tonner Doll Company article written after the 2011 Toy Fair. It has been one of the most popular postings at SkeletonPete and continues to pull traffic daily. That’s really no surprise because the story and photos highlight the Tonner company’s gorgeous creations; dolls that are acclaimed and cherished all around the globe. They have produced many licensed collectibles of DC & Marvel Comics characters as well as fantasy and classic Hollywood film tie-in’s. So it was a treat when Ken Pierce and I got to meet Robert Tonner himself and have a chat about upcoming designs and figure licensing.

Avatar and Tron Sneak Peek
Mr. Tonner was kind enough to give the OK to photograph and share with readers the prototypes for both the Tron Legacy and Avatar doll series, which at the time were still pending the approval of the licensors. Emily, The Corpse Bride and Ms. Beetlejuice join the Tim Burton inspired line, which also includes his Alice In Wonderland visions. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is represented by a lovely Penelope Cruz as Angelica, and a simply jaw-dropping likeness of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

There are dolls and then there are DOLLS. Robert Tonner’s fashion design background and attention to detail always result in a capital product. He keeps the collector community abreast of new merchandise with a regular YouTube video-blog. A visit to Tonner’s exceptional website will fill you in on the entire product line, including the time honored classics of Effenbee, which celebrated its centennial in 2010 and has been owned by Tonner since 2002.

Flights of Fancy Convention
The 2012 “Flights of Fancy” Tonner Doll Convention, a weekend long gathering of doll collectors, takes place in Lombard, Illinois this coming May. Attendance is limited to 300 and there are special hotel rates available. Check this link for further details.

Click Any Image To Launch the Tonner Doll Gallery.

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Dread Presidents Attack @ Toy Fair 2012

"I am not a creature!"

One Nation Under Gort…
I simply could not let President’s Day go by without giving you a look at Heroes In Action Toys and Toy Tokyo’s collaboration, “Presidential Monsters”. These cloth garbed dolls recast our commanders in chief as classic film creatures; a hysterically horrific spin on American history. Baracula, Monster from the Watergate Lagoon, The Ronmy, Zom-Bush are highlights of the product line. Clever details like The Watergate Creature’s web-fingered victory signs and LincolnStein’s bolt equipped Top Hat (ready to be juiced by the upcoming Doctor Benjamin FranklinStein) will make you laugh out loud. Interns won’t stand a chance against the JFK “Phantom of the White House” or saxophone toting “Wolf Bill”. Not that they did in reality either.

Better Than Voodoo Economics…
In addition to the 7 currently available action figures, there are plenty of others to come. Prototypes displayed at Toy Fair included Andrew Jackson as Nosferatu (my personal favorite) and Teddy Roosevelt as a white furred Yeti. Also coming is a ghostly George Washington as “The Spirit of ’76”. Apparently Sarah Palin is also in the wings with a Vlad the Impaler spoof.

Ken Pierce and I had a great time chatting with the folks at the Toy Tokyo booth during Toy Fair 2012 and it’s always a treat to visit their store in Manhattan’s East Village. Be sure to check them out for a mind-blowing array of collectible goodies.

Click Any Image to Launch the Gallery

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

Camilla d’Errico & Dark Horse Create “No Ordinary” Collectible

Camilla d'Errico's "No Ordinary Love" Limited Edition Statuette

Delicate Doppelganger
There were lots of exciting new items at Dark Horse Comics’ Toy Fair 2012 booth. Along with their Mass Effect Reaper prototype, they also offered a first look at the upcoming Camilla d’Errico sculptural bust.

The piece is based on the painting “No Ordinary Love”, which can be found in the d’Errico art book Femina and Fauna, also produced by Dark Horse. Camilla’s work reminds me of a blend between Margaret Keene’s iconic 60’s doe-eyed waifs and 70’s TV Anime. As the book title suggests she often juxtaposes ethereal young ladies with some unexpected wildlife eliciting a placid, though equally disquieting, beauty. If I simply described this fantasy portrait you might imagine a tentacle enrobed, raven caressing, bride of Cthulu. Thankfully my photos reflect something quite the opposite and answer the question “Can you fall in love with a girly wearing a calamari as a chapeau?” with a rousing affirmative.

Dark Horse Product Development Manager Chris Gaslin told me that the sculpt was done by Gentle Giant Studios with d’Errico supervising the prototyping. They’ve created a masterful work imbued with the detail and delicacy of the original painting. The 8 inch tall, 5 inch wide, statue will be produced in a limited edition of 950 copies for worldwide distribution. Each will be hand-numbered and collector boxed, with a certificate of authenticity. Expected release date is June 2012. Dark Horse also plans Helmetgirls a second helping of Camilla’s paintings for July publication.

Click Any Image to Launch the Gallery

Categories
Toys & Collectibles

okidoki @ tokidoki @ toy fair 2012

Marvel Avengers join the tokidoki Universe

Sometimes Love Hurts…
The tokidoki universe is a world of paradoxes; cute little creatures with sometimes prickly or outre attitudes. Take for instance the Cactus Friends – cuddly animals that can’t be cuddled – or the 12 lions and lionesses of the soon-to-be-released Royal Pride family. The crown capped ladies are decked for a shopping spree with their perfect pink poodles by their side, while their maned male counterparts are equipped with crowbars, nunchuks, and ouzi’s, ready for a smash and grab or back alley rumble. Yikes!

Todidoki godfather/designer Simone Legno spun up his Japanese inspired fantasies online about 11 years ago which drew the attention of the Hard Candy cosmetics company. A partnership proposal brought Simone from Rome to LA in 2003 and launched the ever expanding tokidoki line of apparel, make-up and novelties.

New to the Zoo…
In addition to the newest Cactus Friends, (Porcino the pink piggie and yellow snuggie zipped rabbit Truffle) tokidoki is offering several Marvel Avengers tie-in’s in their spring 2012 line. Along with iPhone covers and skate-decks there’s a fun set of baseball caps with embroidered “doki-ized” superhero designs. This includes a winged Captain America cap, Iron Man, as well as the assembled Avengers. My favorite is the awesome Doctor Doom design. Each hat has a unique under-the-brim graphic that ramps up the visual impact, and – yes – there are brim labels for the sticker afflicted. Also on display at the tokidoki Toy Fair booth were Marvel themed Frenzies, little lanyard strung collectible charms that will be sold in blind boxed displays.

Be sure to check the tokidoki web site for a look at their diminutive punk rockers and classic Moofia designs.

Click any image to launch the gallery.