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Film & Television Series Toys & Collectibles

SuperStegoPterodonusExpyAllosaurus: Hasbro’s Jurassic Mash

jurassic world, hasbro toys
Hasbro’s Indominus Rex is ready for his close-up.

Rex on the Highway…
The Jurassic Park franchise is poised for reintroduction with the release of Amblin Entertainment & Legendary Pictures’ Jurassic World (JW) on June 12. You already know the plot premise of dinosaur DNA dithering posited by the late Michael Crichton in his original novel and assayed in three previous films. This new movie takes us a couple of generations down the timeline when the theme park concept is in full bloom and InGen bio-techs endeavor to combine several carnivores into one heavy hitter of a crowd attraction – Indominus Rex. What could go wrong? Ask Victor Frankenstein. Ask Carl Denham.

As I write this, NBC is spinning up some interest with an airing of the original Jurassic Park including some spiel from director Steven Spielberg and I’m guessing a new or expanded JW trailer package. It seems quite appropriate (and about time) I post some views of the Hasbro Toy Company’s related Jurassic World merchandise.

Hasbro was kind enough to afford us a look at their Jurassic World licensed products way back in February during a special New York International Toy Fair event. Some of what is presented here may have been altered by the time it hit the shelves, particularly the paint schemes.

hasbro toys, jurassic world
Hasbro gives Jurassic World the Hero Masher treatment.

Getting Skooled…
Immediately evident at the JW display was the wide range of age levels the toys are aimed at. I was surprised to find myself drawn to the more idiosyncratic items oriented toward a younger audience. Maybe I’ve seen too many dinosaurs since my first Louis Marx set in the late 1950’s, more likely it was the fun factor that attracted me.

In particular I got a smile thinking about these toys in live play rather than displayed on a shelf. The PlaySkool T-Rex has a goofy “I’m going to eat you” smirk and there’s potentially frenetic hands-on competition with the Wreck ’N Roar Play-Doh Game. I especially love the mix and match nature of the Jurassic World versions of Hasbro’s Hero Mashers, which have a serendipitous connection to the film’s mixed DNA concept, and give kids a creative outlet to make their own dinosaurs.

hasbro toys, jurassic world
Hasbro’s “Stegoceratops”

This is not to say that the choices within the more standard collectors line are not without note. In particular the “Stegoceratops” is a neat recombinant oddity that will make a remark worthy addition to any dinosaur collection, and I found the winged Dimorphodon really excellent in sculpt and paint job. It’s something I’ll want to own.

The “chomper” Indominus Rex is the flagship of the Hasbro JW action figure line. Though it has no other scale analog to pair it with, you could very effectively terrorize your pet cat or shitzu with it – or send it into battle with the 40” Godzilla you got last year.

Based on the JW trailers, one toy package that seems representative of what is unique in the film’s narrative is the Indominus Rex and Gyroscope Craft box set. If I was grabbing only one JW piece this would be it. The sculpt on the iRex is very good. It’s scary mean glower seems to suggest it is thinking about its next maneuver.

hasbro toys, jurassic park
Classic “Dino Damage” and JW tattoo recall the original Kenner toy line.

Damage Control…
Nostalgic dads will be glad to see that Hasbro has honored some design features of the old Kenner Jurassic line. The creatures sport JW “tattoos” and visible internal body parts behind removable or clear patches. It’s what collectors call “dino damage” and part of what made the original toy line unique. Some of it even creeps into the Wreck ’N Roar gameplay.

BTW, humans are apparently generic “green guys,” not representative of the film’s cast. It’s not such a big deal as I suspect open ended play will be the order of the day once these items get mixed into your child’s toy box. You can never have too many “red shirts.”

SkeletonPete Says…
It will be very interesting to see how Jurassic World and the Jurassic Park franchise resuscitation is received. What were in 1993 stunning CGI effects of dinosaurs come to life, are now common place on TV commercials. Audience expectations are going to be super high but I hope the filmmakers avoided the temptation to overwhelm with effects. I believe the success of the film will rest mostly on how engaging the characters are, and with Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy’s Starlord) and Vincent D’nofrio (who did a masterful job as KingPin in Netflix’ Daredevil) we should be in good hands.

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Toys & Collectibles

Toying with Success: 2015 Toy of the Year Winners

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The Toy Industry Association‘s 112th North American International Toy Fair 2015 (#NYTF15) got it’s official start with a ribbon cutting event at New York City’s Jacob Javits Center on Saturday February 14, but it launched with advance festivities at the Association’s annual Toy of the Year Awards ceremony the evening before. I’m glad to see several that caught our eye this season took top honors.

toy industry association, american international toy fair 2015, toy fair, toy of the year awards
Spin Master’s Zoomer Dino wins TOTY Best Boy Toy of 2015.

Spin Master’s Zoomer Dino, the remote controlled “Boomer,” was voted Best Boy Toy. Its sleek design caught my eye when I first encountered it at the Big Toy Book 2014 Holiday of PLAY event.

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Hasbro’s Rebelle Dolphina Bow SuperSoaker

Co-editor Adriana “Andy” Melendez (Sylverwhisper) was particularly fond of Hasbro’s Nerf Rebelle archery sets, allowing young ladies to channel their inner Katniss Everdeen in backyard Hunger Games or rival Marvel Avenger Hawkeye for his accuracy. One of the Rebelle line, the super soaker Dolphina Water Bow, took Best Outdoor Toy honors.
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Crayola Paint Maker Kit takes 2015 Activity Toy of the Year Award.

The Crayola Paint Maker won Activity Toy of the Year division. It’s a toy we gifted to my niece this year. Crayola’s complete line of classic to digital creative sets is impressive. I still covet my childhood box of 64 crayons, replete with sharpener but I’m looking forward to reporting on Crayola’s other products, including their interesting camera obscura style drawing apparatus.
toy industry association, american international toy fair 2015, toy fair, toy of the year awards, Disney, Frozen, Princess Elsa
Elsa is Everywhere…
It would seem that Princess Elsa is celebrating her TOTY award by putting NYC in a deep freeze for the next several days. The ubiquitous franchise Disney’s Frozen deservedly won for Property of the Year.

The Complete List…
The Toy Industry Association’s press release offers the complete rundown of winners with an explanation of their voting process.

“TOTY Award winners were selected with the input of consumers (on ToyAwards.org), retailers (mass and specialty), media and members of the toy industry. The five ballots were weighted and used to determine the category winners, with the exception of the “People’s Choice” award, which was selected exclusively by consumers.”

Recognizing an outstanding toy that inspires creative play through various forms of activity, the Activity Toy of the Year was presented to Crayola Paint Maker (Crayola)

Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for boys of any age, the Boy Toy of the Year was presented to ZOOMER DINO™ (Spin Master)

Recognizing an app-cessory or other physical toy that interacts with a smartphone, tablet or gaming device, the
e-Connected Toy of the Year was presented to LEGO® FUSION (LEGO Systems, Inc.)

Recognizing an outstanding toy that helps children develop special skills and knowledge through play, the
Educational Toy of the Year was presented to LEGO® Technic (LEGO Systems, Inc.)

Recognizing an outstanding children’s board, card, CD-ROM or electronic game, the Game of the Year was presented to Simon Swipe™ (Hasbro, Inc.)

Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for girls of any age, the Girl Toy of the Year was presented to Shopkins™ Small Mart Playset (Moose Toys)

Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for infants and toddlers up to 36 months, the Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year was presented to Go! Go! Smart Animals™ Zoo Explorers Playset™ (VTech®)

Recognizing an outstanding toy that combines innovation and play value, the Innovative Toy of the Year was presented to MiP ™ (WowWee)

Recognizing an outstanding toy that is designed for outdoor play, the Outdoor Toy of the Year was presented to Nerf Rebelle Dolphina Bow (Hasbro, Inc.)

Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for preschool-aged children (ages 3-5), the Preschool Toy of the Year was presented to LEGO® Juniors (LEGO Systems, Inc.)

Recognizing a property that has had the greatest success spreading its brand throughout the industry, the
Property of the Year was presented to Disney’s Frozen (The Walt Disney Company)

Recognizing an outstanding toy that is distributed primarily through specialty toy retailers, the
Specialty Toy of the Year was presented to Gravity Maze™ (ThinkFun, Inc.)

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Toys & Collectibles

Flick of the Wrist: Hasbro’s One-Step Dinobot Transformer

A Single Movement Activates Grimlock's Transformation
A Single Movement Activates Grimlock’s Transformation

Really Big Bots…
The Hasbro Toy Company expands their trademarked, tried and true, Transformers line this season with a hefty battle contender, The “Stomp and Chomp” Grimlock. As envisioned in the most recent Transformers film Age of Extinction, Grimlock is the leader of the DinoBots and one sweet ride for Autobot Optimus Prime.

I encountered this behemoth at the recent Big Toy Book event HoliDAY of PLAY and was immediately impressed by its sturdy build and massive size.

The included Optimus Prime figure does not convert but when placed on Grimlock’s back serves to activate a specific set of actions, like lights, sounds and weapon releases. Grimlock is aware of whether an Autobot or Decepticon is on board and reveals different actions in response.
Hasbro_Transformer_ 1
Hasbro_Transformer_ 8
One Small Step…
I’ve always loved the ingenuity of Transformers designs, but being pretty old school I was expecting the usual puzzlement of realigning this the toy’s components into any sensible shape after initial disassembly. Much to my surprise Grimlock’s T-Rex mode was instantly converted into a robot standing 20” tall with one pull of its back handle. Wow! Once he’s upright check the tail for a disguised samurai sword to arm your bot.

Additional figures can be purchased separately, there are several other one step changer transformers in the company’s movie related line.

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Toys & Collectibles

Toy Insider Kicks Off 2014 Gifting Season

TI_HoP14flt
Pete & Andy’s Play Date…
On a gorgeous late October afternoon co-editor Adriana “Andy” Melendez (@sylverwhisper) and I joined other members of the press and blogger community on the 44th floor of New York City’s Hearst Building for a grand event to kick off the coming gift giving season presented by the folks at The Big Toy Book.Com, in partnership with The Toy Insider and Woman’s Day Magazine. Dubbed “The HoliDAY of PLAY” the gathering was aimed at affording social media and online reporters a jump on building buzz for the best toy options of late 2014.

Top Toy Tips…
Attendees enjoyed a couple of hours of hands-on experience and information gathering directly from manufacturers with a focus on the annual Toy Insider Hot 20 and Top Tech 12 lists. These lists (broken into age appropriate categories) and the entire 2014 Gift Guide can be found in the November issue of Woman’s Day magazine, as well as at Toy Insider online.

Following an introductory period of play and networking Big Toy Book Founder Laurie Schacht (@toyinsidermom) addressed the group. She delineated emerging trends in the toy industry using onsite vendors’ wares as examples punctuated by a video featuring highlights from last summer’s Sweet Suite event and soundtracked by my favorite EchoSmith tune “Cool Kids.”

HoliDAY of PLAY Attendees Got First Hand Info from Toy Vendors, and Spun Up 16 Million Twitter Impressions.
HoliDAY of PLAY Attendees Got First Hand Info from Toy Vendors, and Spun Up 16 Million Twitter Impressions.

Big Toy Book Founder Laurie Schacht Hoists a Bag-O-Swag for a Lucky Winner.
Big Toy Book Founder Laurie Schacht Hoists a Bag-O-Swag for a Lucky Winner.

Laurie called up several brave volunteers to participate in a couple of only mildly embarrassing competitions, one of which had participants emote their best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle “Cowabunga Dude!” Winners walked away with nicely filled swag bags. She also treated attendees to the first announcement of the 2015 Blogger Bash and Sweet Suite, which will be held on July 16 and 17 at Pier Sixty in New York City. In a little over 3 hours attendees managed to spin up 16 million Twitter impressions for the #HotToys14 hashtag and hundreds of Instagram images.

SkeletonPete & Andy Say…
It’s an anything goes marketplace, with tech and retro play products holding equal footing. We saw choices ranging from the robotics of the constantly expanding HEXBUG line to the return of the much loved 1980’s Pound Puppies from Funrise. LeapFrog offers the movement motivating immersive screenplay of their new console system, while creative stalwart Crayola straddles the classic vs. digital worlds with their Virtual Designer Pro kits.

Those only represent a smattering of the multitude of possibilities which is why the helpful guidance of the annual Woman’s Day/Toy Insider supplement and Toy Insider is so valuable.

Below is a list of the vendors who presented their wares at the event, with live links to their respective websites – you’re welcome. 🙂

Andy and I will be giving you a closer look at some of our favorites in the coming weeks.

Featured Manufacturer’s Sites

Battat
Build-A-Bear
ChizzComm
(representing Tech 4 Kids, Aliquantum International, Bravo Sports Corp. and Zuru Toys)
Cloud b
Crayola
Funrise Toys
Hasbro
HEXBUG
Jakks Pacific
Jazwares
Laser Pegs
LeapFrog
Little Scholar
Makey Makey
Rubie’s Costume Company
Spaghetti Headz
Thames and Kosmos
Toca Boca
Tomy
VTech

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Toys & Collectibles

Tail Shakin’, Lip Smackin’ Action: Hasbro’s Rocket Raccoon

Hasbro's Big Blastin' Rocket Raccoon Points the Cannon at You
Hasbro’s Big Blastin’ Rocket Raccoon Points the Cannon at You
With Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy poised for release just a few days from now this summer’s biggest star may turnout to be a 3 foot something CGI critter, voiced by Bradley Cooper, and armed to the teeth with tech weapons and one liners. Rocket Raccoon.

The GotG trailers suggest a tongue in cheek approach to galaxy guarding, with the scrappy Rocket the cheekiest among the rag tag band. If your youngster is raring to battle with Thanos’ henchman then Hasbro Toys has your back with two Rocket Raccoon goodies, already on sale.

Hasbro's Rocket Raccoon Action Mask Includes  User Activated Motion.
Hasbro’s Rocket Raccoon Action Mask Includes User Activated Motion.

Face Time…
Encountered at Hasbro’s Sweet Suite 2014 booth, The Rocket Raccoon Action Mask takes role-playing up a notch. It sports an interior mechanism that allows the wearer to move the mouth, eyebrows and ears. All the better to emote while foiling bad guys and singing “Hooked On A Feeling” (Ooga Chocka) or “Cherry Bomb” from the 70’s-centric movie soundtrack.

I predict many a moppet clad in Rocket Raccoon garb on Halloween 2014, this would be a superb choice to highlight that costume.

Rocket's Action is Activated from his Gun Scope or Leg Mounted Button.
Rocket’s Action is Activated from his Gun Scope or Leg Mounted Button.
Equipped with a Gun…
The Big Blastin’ Rocket Raccoon should make action figure collectors happy. The 8’ character is “locked and loaded” for battle, and he says so as part of his electronic repertoire of sounds and phrases. There’s a multi colored light array on the spinning turret and ear twitching, jaw flapping motion. Single action is activated from the gun scope, while continuous action can be effected from a button on his leg. Rocket’s backpack conceals the battery compartment for 3 AA cells, and has an on/off plus demo switch.

Both toys are rated for children 4 and up.