Toy Fair 2016: Ghostbusters Movie Plot Taking Shape

I'M BACK!! After 2 days of attempting to get some coverage online WHILE at toy Fair 2016 (a novel idea), and 4 days of heavy, HEAVY toy coverage averaging 2k pics a day among 4 photographers, I have returned...with words...to go with the pretty pictures we will be rolling out with the grace of a massive dump truck letting loose with the shift of a lever. It'll be toymageddon. Down and dirty in the mud, yo.

Let's kick things off with GHOSTBUSTERS!! The new film is looming and the licensees were out in full force on their various stages at Toy Fair 2016 in New York City. This environment has reporters who may be hunting for new movie news peeking into each booth for the "no ghosts" symbol which alerts us a clue might be nearby! It's the kind of fun little scavenger hunt that keeps you sane while trying your best to get 2 thousand toys a day shot in focus. Our hunt began at a 7am LEGO breakfast/press scrum where the new "Girls in Grey" were being shown along with a little demon guy...

Toy Fair 2016: EVERYTHING So Far!

Whyyyy would a crew be crazy enough to do 2 months of Toy Fair, covering events and companies on a global scale? Well, the truth is, when we get to the New York show, it is ultra competitive. People have hotel rooms and gopros strapped to their heads and wifi hot spots in their pockets. It's getting to the point where folks can take pictures and have them upload directly to their websites! We...can't do that. We don't have the gear or money for said gear, so we set everything up before the NY show hits. That doesn't mean you won't get updates when the NY show kicks off! Below you'll find links to our Flickr Galleries where all our images will be uploaded nightly, all the Toy Fair 2016 articles we've posted so far and a breakdown of each folder now available in our image database. Enjoy!

Toy Fair 2016: The Jakks Pacific 2016 Lineup

One of the leading designers and marketers of children’s toys and consumer products, JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) will showcase new and innovative products at this year’s American International Toy Fair in New York City.

“JAKKS Pacific prides itself on creating toys that have that ‘it factor’ and resonate with kids of all ages,” said Stephen Berman, Chairman and CEO, JAKKS Pacific. “Based on retailer feedback already, our 2016 line-up is the biggest in JAKKS’ history, with new product introductions in every major toy category.”

Toy Fair 2016: Big Chief Studios on Penny Dreadful, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Danger Mouse & More

2015 was a hell of a year for cloth action figures! In a category where Hot Toys pretty much dominated for many years with smaller scaled figures being MEGO reproductions or new items in the same style, we've now got a whole new ballgame with NECA and Mezco hitting mass retail with amazing, quality product. Across the pond, our friends at Big Chief Studios prefer to stick to the traditional 12 inch format and wows with every release, making many a Doctor Who fan's dreams come true while also filling the wish lists of Sherlock fans. This year, we also get a look at Penny Dreadful 12 inch action figures as well as some Danger Mouse merchandise, on display at Spring Fair in the UK. Let's get into it...

Toy Fair 2016: Thomas the Tank Engine Gets Super Again

It’s a bird, it’s a plane—but wait—it’s a train? It’s Thomas the Tank Engine as Superman!

Fisher-Price is expanding its highly successful Thomas & Friends MINIS with the addition of all-new mash-up MINIS.  Following the tremendous success of its partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment, to offer DC Super Friends MINIS featuring Thomas as Superman, and his other engine friends as Robin, The Flash, and Cyborg, among others, Fisher Price is set to debut more than 35 new DC Super Friends mash-up MINIS inspired by the world’s greatest Super Heroes.

Toy Fair 2016: Jakks Pacific Warcraft Movie Toys "Live" Images

As we creep closer to NY Toy Fair 2016, reports are coming in from every place you could imagine. It seems Jakks Pacific got their Warcraft movie toys out to retail about 3 minutes after we profiled them here on Idle Hands, and our friend Marvin Camua was nice enough to snap a pile of pictures for us. We feel pictures like this are important, as the official pictures are always going to show you the best possible image of toys, most likely hand painted by industry artists. It's not til these toys see mass production that we can REALLY see what we'll actually be able to buy on store shelves. With the Warcraft line, it's pretty much what we expected...

Toy Fair 2016: NECA on Major League Baseball

When you describe an action figure with a cloth outfit to people, you'll get several responses...the most common probably being "You mean a doll!" People from my generation would gleefully recall the MEGO figures they had as a kid. Those a bit older, 12 inch G.I.Joes and his similarly scaled brethren. Today, companies like NECA and Mezco are redefining what an action figure with a cloth outfit looks and feels like...and they are certainly upping the quality of these items 10 fold. Now NECA takes things a step further and throws professional sports into the mix. It's been a long while since someone shook up this action figure category. It's time for something new!

Toy Fair 2016: Bandai's Miraculous

Filled with action, comedy and adventure, Miraculous Ladybug is the only authentic, modern every-girl superhero. Her good character is girl and mom approved and the toy line will inspire every girl to save the day. Miraculous™: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir premiered this past fall in the United States on Nickelodeon and will roll-out globally, in 120+ markets over the next three months. SPOTS ON!

The Miraculous toy product line is targeting girls 4-8 years old with the toys delivering key themes of aspirational action play (Ladybug’s World), transformation (BE Miraculous) and friendship (Marinettte’s World). The line launches globally in Fall 2016.

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.

Toy Fair 2016: A New Barbie for a New Generation

Mattel recently announced Barbie would be getting a makeover in an attempt to reconnect with children (and  the Moms who pay for them) who saw her model and life as a bit antiquated. New body types, heights and even modified body parts are being introduced to create a more diverse world for the iconic doll...which thrilled some, and confused others. If you ask a little girl to point at Barbie in a room full of people, she's going to walk right up to the blondest, skinniest girl at the ball. That's what Mattel wanted...a strong, recognizable brand. If you then change everything about her, is she still Barbie? ...Or can we expect the iconic white blonde to be leading this diverse army to the toy shelves? WE WILL SOON FIND OUT! Today, we check out what is probably a nice sized chunk of Barbie's new world, along with some Super Hero types that will be giving Hot Toys a run for their money...

Play Fair Brings Toy Fair to Kids!

Play Fair, presented by LEGO and Nickelodeon, is a celebration of play and entertainment for all ages, debuting at New York City’s Javits Center on February 13-14, 2016, and tickets for the highly-anticipated event are selling quickly. Participating brands include Hasbro, Mattel, Marvel, Cartoon Network, Crayola, Bandai, Toys“R”Us^® and Warner Bros.

Hosted by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) and LeftField Media, Play Fair will offer attendees fun-packed, interactive experiences with the toys, characters, and personalities beloved by kids and families!

Toy Fair 2016: Deadpool’s Big Red Rocket Is Coming!

Huhuhuhu. So pervy. With the Deadpool movie opening in theaters across the states this weekend, Factory Entertainment drops another bit of news on us! You'll note the extreme lack of actual Deadpool movie merchandise at toy retailers this week (i'm giving you the stink eye, Disney), but our toy making friends are doing their best to crank out and get a timely release for anything comic related they can produce. Funko has Pops and plush, there's a plethora of mugs, T shirts, and various nicknacks...and now Factory Entertainment shows off what we are sure will be a highly sought after item in the coming months...

Toy Fair 2016: Factory Entertainment's Toy Fair Preview

As our favorite companies prepare to strut their stuff in the heart of New York City this weekend, you can be sure to see a lot of sneak previews and straight up reveals coming from all ends of the earth to amp up your geek-excite levels! Now Factory Entertainment joins in on the fun with a quick look at what awaits you in their booth this year, coupled with some images from UK Toy Fair.

Factory Entertainment will be debut this year’s most exciting, highly-detailed collectibles at this year’s New York Toy Fair, February 13-16. Based on today’s hottest entertainment properties, Factory Entertainment will introduce new products and categories to appeal to pop culture enthusiasts of all ages.

Toy Fair 2016: Living Dead Dolls Welcome Creeps Under Your Bed & Horror Icons In Your Head

Mezco's Living Dead Dolls have been around longer than most of your children. Our creepy lil kid friends constantly surprise us with new designs, expanding our perception of all things creepy and exploring the world's history of horror while nodding to the iconic fiends of horror films...and sometimes making those icons one of the family! Mezco invited us to drop by and take a look at all that's in store for us in creepy baby land for 2016. Let's start with a peek under the bed...

Series 31: Don't Turn Out The Lights
A rustle in a dark corner, a bump in the night, a noise under the bed can all cause such a fright. These are the things of bad dreams and plight, we strongly suggest you Don’t Turn Out The Lights.

The Living Dead Dolls proudly reveal their newest nightmarish series based on the things that make us afraid of the dark, featuring five dolls who exist only in the twilight:

Toy Fair 2016: Mezco's One:12 Collective Impresses On All Levels

Last year, if you would have asked a seasoned collector to point at the most impressive action figure line of the moment, you would probably see many a finger pointed squarely at the Hot Toys 12 inch lines. This year, not only do they have a great deal of competition in their own category, but Mezco has stepped up with their One:12 Collective line and looks to raise our expectations, forcing the rest of the pack to re-think what a quality collector product should look like.

Redesigning the 6" scale figure category by combining posable action figures with real cloth outfitting, in a similar fashion to the 1/6th scale and larger collectibles. Mezco's One:12 Collective line will present a multitude of different characters from numerous brands.

Toy Fair 2016: Disney Store Exclusive Captain America: Civil War Action Figures

This time it’s war! Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War is coming to theaters this spring, and the Avengers are expanding their roster at marvelshop.com and the Disney Store, with three exclusive Marvel Select action figures from Diamond Select Toys! New for 2016, Avenging Captain America and Black Panther join the previously sold-out Winter Soldier, who returns for a new run!

The three figures are:

-          Avenging Captain America, a.k.a. Steve Rogers, features the First Avenger in his more modern “Marvel Now” outfit from recent comics, and includes a diorama base depicting a section of castle wall with the Hydra logo. His shield is removable, and can be held on his arm via two straps on the reverse side.

Toy Fair 2016: Marvel Legends Captain America Civil War 6 inch Action Figure Images Drop

Sorry to beat a dead horse...and I promise we'll get to another company/topic very soon! But right now, some lucky guy (who is probably in deep trouble right now) got to sit in front of a display of new Captain America/ Civil War Marvel Legends 6 inch action figures and took some lovely pictures he then shared with the world...or one friend who then went OH MY GOD YOU GUYS LOOK AT THE PLASTIC!!! ...and then they were everywhere. We've got images of Black Panther (Civil War Movie), Iron Man (Civil War Movie) and Nick Fury (Classic Comic), from a wave that's reported to include a Build-A-Figure Giant Man (Civil War Movie), Captain America (Civil War Movie), Nuke (Comic Version) and Red Guardian (Comic Version). ...That last figure wins the "did not see that coming" award. I don't think I've ever even read a comic with Red Guardian in it.

Toy Fair 2016: Hasbro's Marvel Legends 3.75 inch Comic 2 Packs Return

If there's one thing toy fans can say Hasbro is 100% great at, it's branding. Their Star Wars Black Series strikes an impressive visual on the shabby toy pegs of any retail store. When something like that works, you see what else you can extend the brand to include...like 3.75 inch figures, roleplay items and more. The packaging instantly screams "THIS IS A COLLECTOR PIECE"...even though the toy screams to be let out of it's packaging so you can make pew pew noises. With the renewed interest in 6 inch Marvel Legends, Hasbro has now taken the name over to their 3.75 inch Marvel Comics action figure line and have no plans of slowing down production.

Toy Fair 2016: Full Details on LEGO's Captain America: Civil War Sets

Sometimes there are news items that are have already been explored by the uber fans, but can be unfamiliar to the average person with geeky interests. LEGO's Marvel Super Heroes Captain America: Civil War building sets could be counted among these topics. Still, reporting on new news as it drops sometimes means you get bits of the story a little at a time, and so those that pop in later can combine all those bits into a fairly comprehensive report. Today, Idle Hands forms Voltron with all the bits and pieces of info around the inerwebs to show you a fairly complete picture of these new Marvel LEGO sets, complete with eye candy and a run down of all the features you'll want to explore when you tear your boxes open on release day.
**SPOILER WARNING** Details of these sets will no doubt reveal plot points for Captain America: Winter Soldier, so continue at your own risk!

Toy Fair 2016: "Live" Shots of Hasbro's Captain America Civil War Toy Lines

We are still around two weeks off from the New York International Toy Fair, where everything that's been under wraps to photographers attending shows around the world will be unveiled and ready to debut! While that seems like a lifetime to wait, we'll still do our best to bring you the latest news drops, toy company teases, and straight up reveals as they present themselves to us. Today, we've got one such unveiling of a line we've seen a fair amount of official pics for...but as every collector knows, the difference between a prototype image made pretty for public consumption and the finished product you can hold in your hand can be two different planets entirely. That said, Matt from JediNews gives us a look at how Hasbro's Captain America: Civil War toy line turned out!