Get set to go retro again, as Vital Toys unveils its second wave of figures from the campy classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show as well as several new projects.
The new line includes Rocky favorites like Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss in her charming underclothes, Brad Majors and possibly a Meat Loaf figure.
“We’re working with Winterland to finish up the licensing deal to do Meat Loaf as Eddie from the movie,” a Vital Toys spokesman said. Eddie could be included in a two pack with Green Lab Coat Dr. Frank N. Furter while a Janet/Brad or Janet/Magenta two-pack is also planned.
Another 70s cult film, Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke, will be available as a two-pack in April, with Curtis the Pimp, Strawberry, and the Ajax Girl coming later on. Vital Toys and Tower Records are working together on some Cheech and Chong exclusives, as well as figures of based on the devil-girl stylings of pop artist Coop.
And from the world of the bizarre, the first figures of both pioneer new wavers Devo and Ripley’s Believe it or Not are also on the way. Devo is the first in a series of early ‘80s music artists, whose look is based on the classic “Whip It” music video. The Ripley’s figures will include the world’s tallest man as both an action figure and a life-sized inflatable, the Giraffe-necked woman, the 6-legged cow and a series of toy artifacts. The line’s packaging will reflect original cartoons and pictures that Ripley himself used to promote his fantastic findings.
Expect to find the Ripley’s line beginning in July, with new additions every other month.
[photo coming soon]
Sunday, April 1, 2001
Thursday, March 1, 2001
Toyfare Magazine - Novel Gets Dark
What toy company could make products that vary from brawny spokesman Mr. Clean to anime favorite Sailor Moon? The answer is Novel Toy, Inc., a relatively new company founded by a pair of identical twins from Australia.
“My sister [Gayle] and I started the company at the beginning of the year,” said Novel Toy’s President Gillian Blakeney, “We took over the premises of another toy company before we began and we took a lot of the great staff with us.”
Specializing in toys and novelty items for both classic and cutting-edge books and TV shows, the L.A.-based toy company has already acquired almost a dozen toy licenses that include such kiddie-faves as the comic-strip cat Garfield, Nickelodeon’s Sponge Bob Squarepants and Blue’s Clues, Clifford and Hello Kitty. Novel Toy also produces a number of anime-related lines such as Sailor Moon, Card Captor Sakura, and Tenchi Muyo.
But perhaps the biggest news involving Novel Toy are the rumors that they have acquired the rights to the Fox’s hot sci-fi drama Dark Angel as well as pop sensation Pink. Unfortunately, further information was unavailable at press time. “It’s way too early to discuss Pink and Dark Angel,” Blakeney remarked. Stay tuned to ToyFare for more info.
[photo coming soon]
“My sister [Gayle] and I started the company at the beginning of the year,” said Novel Toy’s President Gillian Blakeney, “We took over the premises of another toy company before we began and we took a lot of the great staff with us.”
Specializing in toys and novelty items for both classic and cutting-edge books and TV shows, the L.A.-based toy company has already acquired almost a dozen toy licenses that include such kiddie-faves as the comic-strip cat Garfield, Nickelodeon’s Sponge Bob Squarepants and Blue’s Clues, Clifford and Hello Kitty. Novel Toy also produces a number of anime-related lines such as Sailor Moon, Card Captor Sakura, and Tenchi Muyo.
But perhaps the biggest news involving Novel Toy are the rumors that they have acquired the rights to the Fox’s hot sci-fi drama Dark Angel as well as pop sensation Pink. Unfortunately, further information was unavailable at press time. “It’s way too early to discuss Pink and Dark Angel,” Blakeney remarked. Stay tuned to ToyFare for more info.
[photo coming soon]
Thursday, February 1, 2001
Toyfare Magazine - McFarlane Does Kid Rock
Bawitaba! Detroit’s favorite Devil without a Cause, is set to become Todd McFarlane’s newest rock n’ roll action figure.
“[Kid Rock] stands for something to a certain crowd,” McFarlane told MTV regarding the decision to immortalize Kid Rock in plastic form. “They sort of rally behind him.”
The figure will come with his trademark pimp-daddy style of clothing – red and black fedoras, jeans, white tank top, and his “Good Ol’ Boy” belt buckle. While the inclusion of his pimp coat is still being ironed out, Kid Rock will also be packaged with what’s been termed a “peep-show girlie booth” to continue in the vein of Kid Rock’s pimp-and-stripper-related theme. Rock himself expressed interest in a removable hand with extended middle finger, despite the problems it may cause with retailers.“Maybe we’ll have to put a sticker over it that says, ‘Kiddies, don’t look behind this,’” McFarlane suggested.But Kid Rock is not McFarlane Toys’ only upcoming venture into the music world.Although still unconfirmed, other rockers who may see themselves as McFarlane creations in the near future include legendary Doors frontman Jim Morrison, metal gods Metallica and AC/DC, the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and MTV faves Limp Bizkit. “Those are still in negotiations,” according to McFarlane Toys Public Relations Manager Ken Reinstein.
Who says rock is dead?
Christina Brzustoski
[Sidebar]
Despite a host of music projects under consideration, McFarlane Toys hasn’t turned away from the world of film. McFarlane is currently working to get approval from various parties to make a slew of new movie-related products.
Adventure film buffs will appreciate McFarlane’s plans to produce not only the swashbuckling archeologist-hero Indiana Jones, but also Mel Gibson’s William Wallace (from Braveheart) and Gladiator’s Russell Crowe as the sword-wielding Roman soldier Maximus.
The pea soup-spewing Regan from The Exorcist and city-ravaging monster stars Godzilla and King Kong are also planned for the future.
And let’s not forget the psychotic lead characters from such landmark films as Taxi Driver and Pulp Fiction. We could soon see not only Robert De Niro’s Travis “You talkin’ to me?” Bickle but also those Tarantino hit-men and hamburger philosophers Jules and Vincent.
Here’s hoping that a royale with cheese is packaged with each Pulp figure.
[photo coming soon]
“[Kid Rock] stands for something to a certain crowd,” McFarlane told MTV regarding the decision to immortalize Kid Rock in plastic form. “They sort of rally behind him.”
The figure will come with his trademark pimp-daddy style of clothing – red and black fedoras, jeans, white tank top, and his “Good Ol’ Boy” belt buckle. While the inclusion of his pimp coat is still being ironed out, Kid Rock will also be packaged with what’s been termed a “peep-show girlie booth” to continue in the vein of Kid Rock’s pimp-and-stripper-related theme. Rock himself expressed interest in a removable hand with extended middle finger, despite the problems it may cause with retailers.“Maybe we’ll have to put a sticker over it that says, ‘Kiddies, don’t look behind this,’” McFarlane suggested.But Kid Rock is not McFarlane Toys’ only upcoming venture into the music world.Although still unconfirmed, other rockers who may see themselves as McFarlane creations in the near future include legendary Doors frontman Jim Morrison, metal gods Metallica and AC/DC, the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and MTV faves Limp Bizkit. “Those are still in negotiations,” according to McFarlane Toys Public Relations Manager Ken Reinstein.
Who says rock is dead?
Christina Brzustoski
[Sidebar]
Despite a host of music projects under consideration, McFarlane Toys hasn’t turned away from the world of film. McFarlane is currently working to get approval from various parties to make a slew of new movie-related products.
Adventure film buffs will appreciate McFarlane’s plans to produce not only the swashbuckling archeologist-hero Indiana Jones, but also Mel Gibson’s William Wallace (from Braveheart) and Gladiator’s Russell Crowe as the sword-wielding Roman soldier Maximus.
The pea soup-spewing Regan from The Exorcist and city-ravaging monster stars Godzilla and King Kong are also planned for the future.
And let’s not forget the psychotic lead characters from such landmark films as Taxi Driver and Pulp Fiction. We could soon see not only Robert De Niro’s Travis “You talkin’ to me?” Bickle but also those Tarantino hit-men and hamburger philosophers Jules and Vincent.
Here’s hoping that a royale with cheese is packaged with each Pulp figure.
[photo coming soon]
Monday, January 1, 2001
Toyfare Magazine - Chips are Down
In just a short time, toys have come quite a long way. Just three or four years ago, no one was learning Furbish or raising electronic ferrets and robotic puppies. Your Han Solo figure couldn’t even talk, and Interactive Yoda wasn’t around to criticize your Force-manipulating abilities.
But those days have passed, and new toy technology has your favorite wrestling toys trash talkin’ just like on TV. Little plastic Darth Maul can now utter his only two lines from Episode 1 while conversing with the equally evil Darth Sidious. Just stroll through any aisle in the toy store and it’s impossible to escape the horde of motion-sensitive, sound-activated, interactive toys. And it’s thanks to the microchip that our toys are now so much more advanced than the motionless stuffed animals and speech-deprived action figures of the not-so-distant past.
The toy industry is far from the only one relying on microchip technology for its products. With everything from hand-held computers to the ubiquitous cell phone and kitchen appliances relying upon this new technology, the all-important microchips are currently in short supply. So what does that mean for toy collectors? Will the toy industry be compelled to stop making nifty interactive toys and bring us back to the Dark Ages of silent, dull and immobile products? Will the new age of technologically enhanced toys come to a premature end before ever reaching its zenith? And, perhaps most importantly, will there be enough PlayStation 2 consoles to go around after its long-awaited US release in October?
The shortage will probably not mean the end of the electronic toy renaissance, but it could very well sideline the new technology for the near future. For instance, Mattel, Inc. typically orders microchips 30 to 45 days early for its products, but with the chip manufacturers unable to ship on time, Mattel faces production chaos. “We calculate on a specific timeline,” Mattel’s spokeswoman Lisa Marie Bongiovanni said, “and all of a sudden it’s doubled. How do you fit that into your production schedule?” Mattel’s preschool and infant toy departments were most affected by the shortage, and Mattel stands to lose a whopping $100 million in holiday sales.
Mattel is not the only company feeling the pinch of the chip shortage. Hasbro’s Interactive Yoda Furby was postponed for several months because of it, and it may also delay several new products in the second half of the year. Sony will only be able to ship 500,000 PlayStation 2 units this October, far less than initially planned for the eagerly anticipated smorgasbord of technology, with its all-in-one game console, CD/DVD player, and Internet provider. Another video game maker, Radica Games, Ltd. announced that their shipments would be also be jeopardized by the shortage.
Playmates, the creator of the Simpsons figures and other microchip-enhanced dolls, has cut down on the quantities of some of their upcoming products, like figures from this December’s Jim Carrey/Dr. Seuss flick, The Grinch.
“Some of our Grinch items we produced less of than we would have liked,” said Playmates’ Jeff Trojan. “But a delay just means you can make less of [the toys] than you want this year before the holidays. You don’t delay everything until the spring, you just have to make a choice of whether you want to get it out or not.” Playmates had already ordered most of the chips they needed after the Amazing Babies line received positive fan reaction from the Toy Fair.
So while larger companies have had to delay products or ship fewer than was originally anticipated, toy companies are fortunately still managing to survive the shortage. And while an Associated Press report noted that the chip shortage would delay JAKKS Pacific’s Real Sound Arena, the California-based manufacturer claims it will still be able to layeth the smackdown. “We really planned ahead, so we didn’t see any effect from [the chip shortage],” reported JAKKS Pacific’s Jenna Goldberg.While JAKKS may currently be unaffected by the shortage, delays and limited quantities could plague the toy industry for the next year and a half. “Things are tight,” Trojan confirmed. “If there’s one hot electronic toy that sells out, that’s probably where it affects you.”But don’t despair just yet, toy fans. This latest shortage doesn’t signal the death knell of toy technology; fans may just have a harder time finding that hot new interactive toy for a while. Just make sure you ordered that PlayStation 2 in advance.
[photo coming soon]
But those days have passed, and new toy technology has your favorite wrestling toys trash talkin’ just like on TV. Little plastic Darth Maul can now utter his only two lines from Episode 1 while conversing with the equally evil Darth Sidious. Just stroll through any aisle in the toy store and it’s impossible to escape the horde of motion-sensitive, sound-activated, interactive toys. And it’s thanks to the microchip that our toys are now so much more advanced than the motionless stuffed animals and speech-deprived action figures of the not-so-distant past.
The toy industry is far from the only one relying on microchip technology for its products. With everything from hand-held computers to the ubiquitous cell phone and kitchen appliances relying upon this new technology, the all-important microchips are currently in short supply. So what does that mean for toy collectors? Will the toy industry be compelled to stop making nifty interactive toys and bring us back to the Dark Ages of silent, dull and immobile products? Will the new age of technologically enhanced toys come to a premature end before ever reaching its zenith? And, perhaps most importantly, will there be enough PlayStation 2 consoles to go around after its long-awaited US release in October?
The shortage will probably not mean the end of the electronic toy renaissance, but it could very well sideline the new technology for the near future. For instance, Mattel, Inc. typically orders microchips 30 to 45 days early for its products, but with the chip manufacturers unable to ship on time, Mattel faces production chaos. “We calculate on a specific timeline,” Mattel’s spokeswoman Lisa Marie Bongiovanni said, “and all of a sudden it’s doubled. How do you fit that into your production schedule?” Mattel’s preschool and infant toy departments were most affected by the shortage, and Mattel stands to lose a whopping $100 million in holiday sales.
Mattel is not the only company feeling the pinch of the chip shortage. Hasbro’s Interactive Yoda Furby was postponed for several months because of it, and it may also delay several new products in the second half of the year. Sony will only be able to ship 500,000 PlayStation 2 units this October, far less than initially planned for the eagerly anticipated smorgasbord of technology, with its all-in-one game console, CD/DVD player, and Internet provider. Another video game maker, Radica Games, Ltd. announced that their shipments would be also be jeopardized by the shortage.
Playmates, the creator of the Simpsons figures and other microchip-enhanced dolls, has cut down on the quantities of some of their upcoming products, like figures from this December’s Jim Carrey/Dr. Seuss flick, The Grinch.
“Some of our Grinch items we produced less of than we would have liked,” said Playmates’ Jeff Trojan. “But a delay just means you can make less of [the toys] than you want this year before the holidays. You don’t delay everything until the spring, you just have to make a choice of whether you want to get it out or not.” Playmates had already ordered most of the chips they needed after the Amazing Babies line received positive fan reaction from the Toy Fair.
So while larger companies have had to delay products or ship fewer than was originally anticipated, toy companies are fortunately still managing to survive the shortage. And while an Associated Press report noted that the chip shortage would delay JAKKS Pacific’s Real Sound Arena, the California-based manufacturer claims it will still be able to layeth the smackdown. “We really planned ahead, so we didn’t see any effect from [the chip shortage],” reported JAKKS Pacific’s Jenna Goldberg.While JAKKS may currently be unaffected by the shortage, delays and limited quantities could plague the toy industry for the next year and a half. “Things are tight,” Trojan confirmed. “If there’s one hot electronic toy that sells out, that’s probably where it affects you.”But don’t despair just yet, toy fans. This latest shortage doesn’t signal the death knell of toy technology; fans may just have a harder time finding that hot new interactive toy for a while. Just make sure you ordered that PlayStation 2 in advance.
[photo coming soon]
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