Super Impulse, famous for their line of impossibly small replicas of iconic toys, games and products, showed off a basket full of their Poptaters at the recent Toy InsiderSweet Suite Event.
Poptaters are a mash-up of Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head and the world of pop culture personalities. A bit bigger than SI’s usual licensed collectibles, Poptaters feature characters from fandoms both obvious and surprisingly obscure. There are also generational leaps from Boomers to Gen A giving the product a wide appeal.
The Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) 114thNorth 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.
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 TrekMr. 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.
Solo Sulu…
Oh boy, we were already really excited about Mezco Toyz‘ One:12 Mister Spock, but this morning’s communiqué from the land of Mez ups the ante. The company has just announced the addition of George Takei‘s character Mr. Sulu, helmsman of the Starship USS Enterprise, to their line of original 1960’s Star Trek figures. Mr. Hikaru Sulu ultimately captain his own Starfleet ship, the USS Excelsior, in the Trek franchise and Mr. Takei has gone on to distinguish himself with a currently running Broadway play, Allegiance, that assays his time in a United States internment camp during the second world war.
Enterprising Young Crew…
Fans of the backstories of their favorite Star Trek characters will be thrilled to learn of IDW Publishing’s just announced Star Trek: Starfleet Academy mini-series.
Slated for launch in December 2015, IDW says the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy books will not only tell the school days tales of Kirk, Spock and Uhura, but will also offer an adventure that ties in the “current” crop of cadets from everywhere in the galaxy.
IDW editor Sarah Gaydos likens the stories to those of Harry Potter’s Hogworts days, as well as the young X-Men’s tutledge under Professor Xavier, and they are suggested as a good entry point for new readers. The 2009 movie reboot has already shown us Cadet Kirk could be quite a problem child, so I expect lots of rule breaking and some detention in the offing. Maybe even an intergalactic “breakfast club.”
Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrot will write the series with Derek Charm handling the artwork. Johnson, Charm and Gaydos will be part of a panel discussion at SDCC on July 10 at 4pm with plenty more to relate about this series and other IDW projects. Walt Disney fans will also want to check the IDW booth (#2743) schedule for when Charm is signing convention exclusives of his Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse issues.
Silver Anniversary Reflections…
The academy series will launch right on the heels of IDW’s 50thStar Trek issue that promises to be loaded with special content, and begins a three parter that brings the plot line of the classic TV episode “Mirror/Mirror” (Oct 1966) into the new ST universe.