Toy Fair 2022: JAKKS Expands Their HALO Arsenal

Back over to UK Toy Fair where Matt found our awesome distributor buddies at Zappies hosting some of our American friends like Mattel, Noble Toys and JAKKS Pacific! JAKKS had their own little nook where they showed off the latest Sonic the Hedgehog toys (which we'll get to soon) as well as a small pile of concept art for upcoming HALO Remote Control vehicles. Let's check out what your troops will be riding into battle this year... 

Toy Fair 2016: Bandai SpruKits

Bandai created and continues to dominate the character model kit market around the world, most commonly represented in the billion dollar Gundam franchise. With SprüKits, kids and adult fans can build their favorite action figure characters including those from DC Comics, Microsoft’s Halo®, Dentsu, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and have their creation look like a great collectible action figure without needing any glue, paint or scissors, as is typically expected in a model kit.

SprüKits are offered in three building levels to accommodate builders of all abilities. Level 1 figures are designed to be entertaining and easy to assemble. For those builders looking for the next challenge, Levels 2 and 3 kits increase in complexity and build time, which delivers a larger figure with sharper details, and increased articulation.

JAKKS Pacific's HALO 31" Figure

Have you been looking for a toy that can double as home invasion deterrent, watch over your baby and allow you to ride in the HOV lane on major highways? JAKKS to the rescue!!

New from JAKKS Pacific; straight out of Halo 5: Guardians comes the BIG-FIGS Massive scale 31 inch Master Chief action figure!  Master Chief has 7 points of articulation in his neck, shoulders, wrists, waist and special bicep articulation points allowing him to be displayed in an iconic two-handed rifle wielding pose. 

Designed with the video game enthusiast in mind this colossal figure features authentic details including the Master Chief’s signature green MJOLNIR combat armor and UNSC issued MA5 Rifle in hand. Every detail is captured in this amazing larger than life figure. Complete your 31 inch BIG-FIGS Massive scale collection today! Look for it in the action figure aisle. 

Toy Fair 2015: Bandai Sprukits: DC Comics, HALO & LBX

If there is one thing Bandai is never short on, it's innovation. ...but if there is one thing UK Toy Fair is always short on..it's new toy reveals. Combining these two forces, we crossed our fingers and hoped Bandai was itching to pull out at least a small sampling of their 2015 toys for us to shoot the holy hell out of, making a trip to the UK worth it! ...and ...they did. Yay. Today, we'll take a look at Bandai's full range of Sprukits, a snap together model kit series where you create a fully posable action figure. Maybe Bandai says it better...

"SpruKits lets you build your favorite hero from the spru up.  Build a highly detailed figure with true to life action hero movement and articulation without paint, glue or cutting. Experience the joy of building as you snap together and assemble the pieces to build your hero and have the pride that comes with being able to say "I built.” "

SDCC 2014: Dark Horse To Make HALO Replica Ships & Vehicles

It was announced during Dark Horse’s “The Art of Video Games” panel at this year’s Comic Con International that Dark Horse would develop and manufacture a line of replicas based on the ships and vehicles which have appeared in the multi-million selling video game franchise, “Halo®!”

Furthering the arrangement between 343 Industries and Dark Horse, which has to date, produced two blockbuster comics series with canonical storylines written by writers from the video game franchise, this news is sure to excite gamers and collectors alike!

Xbox One Revealed

A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

Stop Motion HALO and WOW Mega Bloks

Two things we love here at Idle Hands...animation and construction toys! Apparently Mega Bloks has been exploiting these loves for some time now, right under our noses, and we never knew it. Ahh..the geek universe...she is too vast to see the end of it. At any rate, when we discovered these stop motion epics, we had to share. The HALO bit is pretty lengthy as it is multiple parts spliced together, so be prepared. The World of Warcraft bit is the last episode in a series, but it has a recap at the beginning, so we figured you'd get the gist. If you want to see the WHOOOOLE thing, I'm sure there are plenty of links at the tail end of the vids. 

Holiday Geekbook: Build Your Tiny Kingdom

Recently, LEGO (the most widely recognized building block company on the planet) announced that they would be releasing a line just for girls ages 5 and up. The resounding response from older female fans was "LEGO already has a line for girls...it's called...LEGO!" On the strength of this statement, I can assure you that building kits still make an awesome gift for your children age 16 to 40. Today, there is such a variety of subjects to choose from between the three companies making these toys, you can't go wrong. Here's a quick run down of some of their more exciting licenses...

LEGO: Star Wars, DC Super Heroes, LEGO City, Ninjago, Alien Conquest, Pirates of the Caribbean..and next year, Lord of the Rings!

MEGABlocks: HALO, Dragons Universe, Power Rangers, Hello Kitty, Moshi Monsters, Smurfs, Marvel Comics and Movies..and in 2012..Warcraft and Starcraft!! (i like to think I had some input on those last 2..or I delude myself on this at the very least.)

With LEGO taking on Marvel as well in 2012, I suspect MEGA will stop making theirs, which is a little sad considering how much people love their single figure mystery packs.

...and new to the brick battle is KRE-O, who are currently only doing Transformers, but since this is a Hasbro in house project, we drool at the prospect of G.I. Joe sets in 2012! I suspect they'll fold some girl licenses in their as well after LEGO's girlie-announcement, so don't be surprised if you see blocky My Little Ponies on the shelves as well. February is so close now, and with it comes TOY FAIR, so look out for our coverage there and all will be revealed.

UNTILL THEN...we have EYE CANDY!! On tap...

Kre-O sets for Jazz and Sentinel Prime: Each kit features Kreons; little LEGO minifigure like guys that are really the most sought after part of any kit on the planet. Considering these Kreons embody the style of the Generation 1 cartoons we were raised on, you could see why Transformers fans have been eager to crack open these sets. Jazz comes with a mini Jazz and a Race Car Driver while Sentinel Prime (who is an Optimus Prime variation and should not be confused with the movie version. Robots with facial hair. Maddness.) comes with mini Sentinel Prime, Soundwave, Thundercracker and a Fire Chief. Since I am a huge dork, I instantly ditched the human figures in favor of shooting your favorite bots. Would you have done any less? I think not.

The kits were fairly easy to assemble (but of course I had assistance from my ace builder Eileen), though I will point out both kits had a minimum of two missing pieces. Since these were not integral to the completion of our task, they get a pass. Time was of the essence, so we stuck to robot modes and found the posability fairly good, but the joints are so loose, trying to get them to stay put in any pose beyond standing straight up is a risky situation. That moment where your new creation begins to topple over is akin to watching your fragile toddler sized child slip off the couch. Obviously, I have no kids. My only other gripe would be Jazz's hooks for hands, which make for great campfire horror stories but not much play fun. Over all, I can see kids digging these kits and even adults flashing back to their youth while building their favorite Autobot or Decepticon (and more likely snatching out the Kreons immediately to put on a shelf), but Transformers toy fans will miss the actual transforming aspect.


































MEGABloks HALO UNSC Falcon with Landing Pad: I was in a comic shop the other day where some kids were talking about how awesome LEGO is. They posed the question "does MEGA make anything cool??" Eileen, from across the room yelled "HALO!" Indeed, HALO is a title that attracts fans across the globe to my Flickr account to slobber over all the images from last year's Toy Fair. The UNSC Firebase alone has drawn 10k views! With countless vehicles, environments, weapons of mass destruction and a legion of figures to charge into battle, it's no wonder why fans await every release with wiggly, feely fingers and eager wallets.

The Falcon was assembled in one night (by Eileen, natch), with no missing pieces, easy to follow instructions, and two little Spartan soldiers to pilot the ship and man the side mounted heavy machine gun. What's not to love?! The cockpit opens, the blades rotate, the guns swivel and you can do all this without the damn thing falling apart every two seconds. Amen for the little things, yea? Adding a landing pad is one of those things were you say "they didn't neeed to put that in there, but I'm very happy they did." It's a nice, class final touch that makes the ship sparkle on your shelf. The downside? MEGA has 3 kabillion more HALO kits out there, and after building the Falcon, you'll be hooked. It's like crack I tells ya. Eileen is still in recovery. Those blind packaged single figures are particularly hard to kick.


























Speaking of plastic crack...

LEGO MINI FIGURES!!! : Both the light of my life and bane of my existence. Each figure comes single packed and are available in more retail stores that carry toys with prices ranging from $2.50 to $3. Since the bulk of our readers are casual fans of toys (as in you love the idea of them but you probably don't buy many), you may balk on the $3 price tag (as do we all), but considering a 6 inch figure has sky rocketed to $16, it makes some sort of twisted sense. You'll find series 5 in stores at the moment with characters including Fitness Instructor, Lizard Man, Lumberjack, Gladiator, Small Clown, Egyptian Queen, Evil Dwarf, Boxer, Ice Fisherman, Graduate, Royal Guard, Cave Woman, Detective, Snowboarder Guy, Zookeeper, and Gangster! Looking for a Zombie? Series 1 has it. Need a Rapper fighting a Samurai Warrior? We direct your attention to series 3. Desire a Disco Stu? HE LIVES HERE!!

Now here's the maddening part. IF you hate the idea of blind packaged figures, assuring that you will score no less than 3 Tennis Players in your lifetime, then you Google "LEGO Mini Figure Codes". The first couple of series had two bar codes, one of which allowed you to scan with your smart phone (since we live in the future) and reveal who you were getting. Later, the evil overlords of LEGO decided to make it more difficult and instituted a dot code system. On the bottom of each package you'll find little round indents. Look verrrrry closely. The placement of these dots tells you who is inside. Of course, if you are ace Minifig master Matt Booker, you can feel up the package and know who it is in seconds, but not everyone possesses such groping powers, so there we stand in the isles of Toys R Us, phone in hand, struggling to find the dots that will reveal an Evil Dwarf. Pray for us.








CLICK HERE to score a Sentinel Prime, but keep in mind he was just on sale for about half the price, so keep watch!
CLICK HERE to nab your HALO MEGAbloks Falcon with free shipping!

Holiday Geekbook 2011: The Dorkiest of Auctions

It's time to show you all the awesome things you can buy for the geekiest of your loved ones this holiday season! If you are reading this as a regular viewer, there will be plenty to oo and ahh at and add to your Amazon whish lists. For those of you wandering in from the badlands of the Googleverse, these articles will provide you with the stuff of dorky dreams.


Quick tip: Amazon has a wish list feature you can add to your browser allowing you to browse the interwebs and add anything you see to your list. You can reference it later to remember the stuff you want to buy AND doubles as a handy dandy list you can slide to family members who are clueless as to what to buy you for holidays and birthday time!


To kick things off, allow me to hog the stage for a moment and pimp a selection of auctions plucked from the depths of my OWN DARK HEART!!! Rarg. Actually it's mostly stuff I love but have no room for since my apartment is not Tardis like (possessing of infinite space in the inside)...at all. Up for grabs are ...


NYCC Exclusive Avengers Movie Teaser T Shirt: Navy Blue Thor Edition Size Large
HALO NYCC Exclusive Silver Spartan Mark V Play Arts Action Figure 78 of 400
NYCC Exclusive Hallmark Star Wars Droids Ornaments
NYCC Exclusive Hallmark Glow in the Dark Star Trek U.S.S. Defiant Ornament
SDCC Exclusive Monster High Ghoulia Loves Dead Fast Doll
ThreeA 1/6 Scale World War Robot Bertie MK3 Nightwatch Edition
SDCC Exclusive Green Lantern Movie Carol Ferris Barbie Doll
Dalek Vanimal Zoo Space Monkey Vinyl Art Toys
SDCC Exclusive Mattel Avatar Final Battle Action Figure Set


And more importantly than all of these things are the MUCUS TICK ACTION FIGUES ON SALE!!! For a limited time, get a super posable, semi translucent green Mucus Tick action figure in an exclusive package design for only $15 dollars (plus shipping)! This is the lowest price we've ever posted. Mucus Tick comes with extra hands to hold his stop sign and an extra head for when you want him to be super smiley. Email me at paulnomad@gmail.com and we'll hook it up. Spread the word! This deal won't last forever!

NOTE: The Mucus Tick deal is ONLY available through me directly. No one else carrying this action figure is obligated to give you the same price.

SDCC: Acme Archives Events and Exclusives

Acme doesn't just make devices of mass destruction used by desert dwelling coyotes. OH NO! These days, Acme has had to diversify and oddly, made art their specialty! Here's the skinny...

Acme will be hosting an Entertainment Art panel on
Thursday at 11:00-12:00 in Room 32AB
Brian Rood will do a painting demonstration
The Acme Crew, Steven Daily, Jerry VanderStelt and
Steve Carrasco from Disney will comprise the panel

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EXCLUSIVES:
(please note these are only available at Comic-Con and may have limited availability)
limit 1 per badge

More info about Attendee and Non-Attendee ordering can be found on our blog.

"Darth Maul Character Key"
500 piece edition, $35.00
From the continued line of Acme Archives' Star Wars: Animated Character Keys,
comes this first installment from the Prequel Universe.

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Star Wars Visions Limited Edition Lithograph
18" x 24" 300 piece signed edition, $50.00

"Empire of Style"
by legendary artist Alex Ross

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Halo Fine Art Print
"Let's Rock!"
by Eddie Smith
9" x 16" 100 piece signed edition, $75.00
Concept Art from the popular Halo Franchise

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The Muppet Show: It's Not Easy Being Green Variant
Disney Underground Silkscreen Print by Dave Perillo
18" x 24" 100 piece signed edition, $50.00

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Disney Underground Limited Edition Lithograph
"Steamship Mickey"
by Steven Daily
11" x 14" 200 piece signed edition, $34.00

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Futurama Limited Edition Lithograph
"Futurama Kicks Ass"
18" x 24" 300 piece signed edition, $40.00
25 pieces in the edition are signed by Matt Groening
edition will be sold in blind packs due to the
limited availability of the signature

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SIGNINGS:
(Subject to change)

Friday:
Steven Daily- 2:00PM
Disney Artist
Eric Tan - TBA
Disney/Pixar & Lucasfilm Artist

Saturday:
Peter Ferk - 2:00PM
Character Key Artist

Peter Ferk and Christian Waggoner will be doing live art
demonstrations at the booth Wednesday through Sunday

For more SDCC Exclusives, hit our Flickr, which is being added to daily!

SDCC: Toys R Us + Entertainment Earth = TOY DOMINATION

The World’s Greatest Toy Store® continues its profound partnership with Entertainment Earth® at this year’s annual Comic-Con International in San Diego, and will no doubt contribute to the euphoria of the participating action figure and comic book enthusiasts. In honor of the show’s forty-second year, and the company’s thrilling third year in attendance, from Wednesday, July 20 through Sunday, July 24, Toys“R”Us® will offer an extraordinary extravaganza of official San Diego Comic-Con merchandise, including toys based on characters from TRANSFORMERS, ThunderCats® and DCU vs. MOTU. Continuing last year’s magnificent merge with Entertainment Earth, every Toys“R”Us Comic-Con exclusive will be available at Entertainment Earth Booth #2343.

To help commemorate these dynamic deals from Toys“R”Us, Entertainment Earth will be hosting several exceptional events:

On Thursday, July 21, from 10 to 11:30 am, Spawn® creator and renowned toy designer Todd McFarlane of McFarlane Toys will be available to sign autographs in celebration of the Toys“R”Us San Diego Comic-Con debut of the Halo “Master Chief Platinum” action figure. * On Friday, July 22, from 5 – 7 pm, Larry Kenney, who voiced the Lion-O in the classic ThunderCats® animated series will be available to sign autographs of the Classic Lion-O action figure from Bandai America Incorporated. *

Fans who are unable to attend the show can still purchase the exclusive Toys“R”Us San Diego Comic-Con merchandise online at Toysrus.com/comiccon2011 starting Thursday, July 21. However, there is a limited number of each item, so fans should visit Entertainment Earth at booth #2343 or Toysrus.com/comiccon2011 early to purchase the below action figures.

Toys“R”Us Exclusive TRANSFORMERS Masterpiece RODIMUS PRIME action figure from Hasbro®

TRANSFORMERS collectors can own the heroic Rodimus Prime in this recreation of the classic G1 action figure! Best known as Optimus Prime’s successor to the Autobot Matrix of Leadership in the 1986 Transformers movie, this fan favorite character has the ability to transform into his Winnebago vehicle mode. The set includes a miniature ally, the Target-Master Offshoot; a buzz saw; and the legendary Matrix of Leadership. Rodimus Prime’s rifle can also convert into Offshoot’s blasters, offering extra firepower when battling the evil Decepticons! Following its debut at Comic-Con International in San Diego, this Toys“R”Us exclusive action figure will roll out to Toys“R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com.


Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con ThunderCats “Classic Lion-O” Action Figure from Bandai America Incorporated

“ThunderCats, Hooo!” Lion-O, the leader of the ThunderCats, is presented in a new, highly-detailed 8-inch action figure with 18 points of articulation and a metallic finish in this recreation of his classic 1980s action hero look. Now collectors can imagine taking on the evil forces of the mutants of Plun-Darr and Mumm-Ra the Ever Living with accessories that include the iconic Sword of Omens (in two sizes), Claw Shield and the Sword stand.



Toys“R”Us Exclusive Comic-Con Preview of HALO “Master Chief Platinum” Action Figure from McFarlane Toys

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of the most popular video game franchises, Microsoft’s Halo, McFarlane Toys has released a commemorative edition of the game’s iconic SPARTAN-II super soldier protagonist! Now fans can own the platinum-painted version of John-117, who comes Covenant combat-ready, equipped with his MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI armor and classic assault rifle. This anniversary edition of Master Chief features full articulation and is the same height as Halo: Reach figures. Collectors will also be able to get their copy of Master Chief specially signed by its creator, Todd McFarlane, on Thursday, July 21 from 4 to 5:30pm! Be sure to pick up your figure at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con before it hits stores in August, along with the rest of the Halo: Anniversary line!


Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con Star Wars: Republic Commando Action Figure Set from Hasbro®

“May the Force be with you.” The saga of the Star Wars universe continues with this new set of action figures, based on the 2005 video game Star Wars: Republic Commando! Now fans can join Delta Squad, a crack Clone Trooper commando unit, as they battle the Trade Federation’s droid army. The four members of the covert group include stoic leader Boss; expert marksman Sev; technical expert and computer hacker Fixer; and wisecracking demolitions expert Scorch. The set also includes a Geonosian Warrior. All five 3¾ inch figures feature improved articulation and come equipped with battle accessories.


Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con DCU vs. MOTU- Bizarro vs. Battle Armor Faker from Mattel®

Combining two beloved franchises, DC Universe Classics vs. Masters of the Universe™ Classics, this “Bizarro vs. Battle Armor Faker” 2-Pack set brings iconic mirror image baddies together for the first time! Featuring a dastardly duo of villainy – The Man of Steel’s inverted nemesis and The Most Powerful Man in the Universe’s evil, robotic duplicate – fans can now battle for doppelganger supremacy of Metropolis® and Eternia®! The set contains Bizarro and Battle Armor Faker ® figures, accessories, comic book reprint packaging, as well as an exclusive mini-poster.


Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con Mortal Kombat “Lightning Fury Raiden” action figure from Jazwares®, Inc.

Collectors can now own the immortal thunder god of the Mortal Kombat franchise! Protector of Earthrealm and ally of the Elder Gods, Raiden appears in his lighting fury form ready to defeat Shao Khan and his minions in this limited edition action figure. This version of Raiden also glows in the dark, demonstrating Raiden’s mastery of electricity!


Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con “Flocked Sonic” action figure from Jazwares, Inc.

Now, kids, collectors and gamers can own a “Flocked” version of the world’s fastest blue-haired mammal! SEGA’s supersonic mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, has been re-released to commemorate the 20th Anniversary edition of the character. The fully articulated 10-inch toy is the first-ever flocked deluxe action figure, featuring precise fiber particles that provide a polished plush feel to Sonic’s fur.


Toys“R”Us Exclusive San Diego Comic-Con Minimates “MARVEL® vs. CAPCOM ® 3: Fate of Two Worlds” figures from Diamond Select

Celebrating the release of MARVEL® vs. CAPCOM ® 3: Fate of Two Worlds, a video game sequel nearly 10 years in the making, this licensed miniature figures set is based on players’ favorite fighters from the highly-anticipated third entry in the franchise! Fans can now recreate beat-‘em-up battle sequences with iconic characters from both MARVEL® and CAPCOM ®, including Hulk, Iron Man, Zero and Morrigan Aensland in their variant, player two colors.

All Toys“R”Us San Diego Comic-Con exclusives are limited editions and are available on a first-come, first served basis.

For a closer look as all these insane exclusives, CLICK HERE!!