Marvel’s Fall 2016 Adult Coloring Books featuring Star Wars, Doctor Strange & Women of Power

You’ve read the comics. You’ve experienced these iconic and groundbreaking stories. Now it’s time to experience the Marvel Universe like you never have before – as a coloring book! Marvel is pleased to announce its next wave of Adult Coloring Books featuring some of Marvel’s most iconic characters, stories and artwork to delight fans the world over! The Marvel Universe has action, power, excitement and adventure. Now all it needs is YOU!

“The Adult Coloring Book market has become a pop-culture phenomenon,” says David Gabriel, SVP Sales and Marketing, Marvel. “With Marvel’s first wave of Adult Coloring books, fans added their own personal style to classic Marvel stories. And now, with our latest editions coming this year, fans will be able to bring their personal artistic style to some of Marvel’s most recent and epic events."

Australia’s MONSTER FEST Opens Submissions for Features, Shorts and Expanded Cinema Projects

Monster Fest has announced that submissions are now open for Features, Short Films and Expanded Cinema Projects, with an Early Bird Deadline of April 29, a Regular Deadline of June 3 and a final, Extended Deadline of August 12, 2016.

Australia’s premier festival of cult, horror and the fantastic, Monster Fest returns for its sixth edition November 24-27, 2016at the Lido Cinemas in Melbourne, with support from Screen Australia.

Death Note Anime to Blu-ray for the First Time

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces a new release of one of the anime genre’s greatest series with the debut of DEATH NOTE COMPLETE SERIES on Blu-ray on March 1^st.

The edgy supernatural crime thriller is based in the groundbreaking DEATH NOTE manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata (and published by VIZ Media; rated ‘T’ for Teens). VIZ Media’s DEATH NOTE Blu-ray home media releases will be available as a Standard Edition and also as an “Omega” Limited Edition, a definitive collection containing the complete 37-episode series along with 2 DEATH NOTE anime feature films. The Standard Edition and Omega Limited Edition each contain three hours of additional bonus content including interviews with the DEATH NOTE manga creators and behind-the-scenes footage of the English and Japanese voice cast.

A Look Back at The X-Files: Season 10

Still looking good after all these years

Remember when you used to look forward to every episode of The X-Files? But then one day you didn’t? Remember how it was a joy seeing Mulder and Scully together? And then it wasn’t. And then it wasn’t even Mulder and Scully. It was Scully and the T-1000 from Terminator 2.

If you made it that far with the original series you got further than I did. I drifted away during the original run sometimes during season 5. My favorite writers had moved on. The ongoing conspiracy was getting all the more convoluted and it was becoming clear that things were being made up as they went along. I remember something about black oil and bees.

Cyanide & Happiness's "Joking Hazard" Game Up To $1.4M on Kickstarter

So...safe to say this one is getting funded!

Explosm Entertainment, the creators of Cyanide and Happiness, the #1 animated comedy show on YouTube, and Studio71 have launched a Kickstarter campaign for Joking Hazard, a new card game that will surely hit the public in the gut with laughter and discomfort.

“Joking Hazard is a card game adapted from our popular Random Comic Generator, where everyone competes to finish a three-panel comic, drawing from hundreds and hundreds of random panels. Every comic is unique and you're creating these weird little situations starring two horrible characters. It's never the same comic twice,” said Explosm Entertainment’s Rob DenBleyker, Creator of Cyanide & Happiness.

Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary ‘Trek Talks’ Speaker Series

CBS Consumer Products announced today the creation of Trek Talks, an initiative designed to bring fans of Star Trek together for a new and exciting live event program that will explore the impact and influence of the franchise over its 50-year span. Trek Talks will feature leading thinkers to dive deep into the franchise’s influence on technology, science, society, culture, and more through a series of lectures across the globe.

Trek Talks will be locally produced and hosted by academic and entertainment institutions including colleges and universities, science museums, and pop culture centers and festivals as well as other non-profits and commercial corporations. Organizations (in partnership with CBS) can choose a topic from a group of themes that cover the full scope of Star Trek’s influence or can develop their own theme.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Toys Hitting Stores Early *UPDATED 2/25

There has to be a better way, right? In the history of toy lines made for upcoming films, has there ever been a street date that was a 100% lock? Everyone in the world respecting the street date and maintaining whatever reveal marketing has planned? No? Didn't think so. We have no idea if there is a street date on the side of the boxes for the second modern Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film "Out of the Shadows", but we suspect there is, and it's been blown in record time.

It was only days ago when we spotted the tiniest glimpse of TMNT movie product through a gap in the wall at the Playmates booth at New York Toy Fair, but when we got inside, it was made clear those items were under wraps. The movie studio's plan is to reveal the line at Wondercon next month, right before they hit shelves across the country. Today...some folks are finding them at Walmart. Go Murica.

Harry Potter Film Concert Series Beginning in June

CineConcerts and Warner Bros. Consumer Products are announcing the world premiere of The Harry Potter Film Concert Series, a new concert tour celebrating the Harry Potter films.  The tour will feature Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and will kick off this summer, travelling to destinations across North America. The world premiere will take place on June 23^rd, 2016 at The Mann Center with the Philadelphia Orchestra performing. Tickets go on sale Saturday, February 20th at 10AM via MannCenter.org, Ticketmaster.com, or the Mann's Center Box Office. Soon thereafter the tour will appear with such orchestras as the San Diego Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Pops and Symphony Silicon Valley.

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!

Deadpool Aims For Greatness But Misses The Mark

As recently as five years ago, the idea of a movie with a character like Deadpool at the center would have been seen as impossible. It's not the bad language, as God gave us Quentin Tarantino. The gratuitous violence is not a problem either, as movies like Kick Ass, Wanted and Dredd paved the way, creating a contest of sorts. It's not enough to just be shockingly violent anymore! Now we expect a certain level of inventiveness along with that blood splatter. Just watch Kingsman and you'll see where that contest is taking Hollywood. Shockingly, inventively violent happens to be Deadpool's specific cup of tea, and if those previously mentioned films with comic book themes could exist, it's sort of laughable Deadpool wasn't born right alongside them! So, was the fact that Deadpool is a Marvel Comics character and the suggestion that he exists alongside (at the very least, the FOX stable) the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe enough to keep him off the big screens for so long? Who knows. What ever the reason studio executives would give for shelving a character that makes major bank in merchandising and comic books every year, I think they all agreed the time for a Rated R super hero is NOW...but could they make it work?

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: Hasbro Announces Transformers-Inspired Album

Transformers Roll Out heralds the global pop-culture Transformers phenomenon, featuring a collection of hit original songs inspired by the Hasbro Transformers franchise from leading established and up-and-coming alternative, rock and alt-pop artists, morphing together to create an epic portfolio of hard-hitting tunes that truly embodies the soul of the HasbroTransformers brand. The album will include tracks from chart topping rock band ‘Bush’ and front man Gavin Rossdale, lending powerhouse vocals in “This House is on Fire” and will also feature up-and-coming alt-rock group Mount Holly on the album’s lead title track “Roll Out.” Transformers Roll Out is being released on Sony Music’s RED Associated labels and is available for digital pre-order on Feb 9th at iTunes: http://smarturl.it/Trans4mersRollOut_AM

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.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Superbowl Spot with ALL THE KRANG!!!

And the people cried out to the heavens and said....Oh Bay, blow up as much of the city as you want, just understand that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was originally intended to be a semi-serious spoof on super hero comic books. It should be equal parts goofy, thoughtful, heartfelt and action packed with insane visuals seemingly dreamed up by rabid 12 year olds and monsters who talk....FUCKING EVERYWHERE!! That's all we need. Please and thank you. And the Bay looked down from his secret spy satellite with the giant laser array always pointed at Canada and said..Hmm....K. ....AND THEN HE JUST MIGHT HAVE GONE AND DONE IT. Real talk...I'm somewhat excited for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie...even if i'm sure they fucked up Casey Jones. Let's catch up with the boys in their newest TV spot which premiered tonight during sportsball..

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.

Ratchet and Clank in Theaters April 29th

This one.....COMPLETELY flew past me. Had no idea they were even making a movie. Honestly, I blame you. The illustrious history of Hollywood transforming video game properties into mega blockbuster movies continues! Who could forget Super Mario Bros?? Or Postal?? We've got a couple of TV ads from Ratchet and Clank that will allow us to decide if this newest project lives up to its predecessors.

Two unlikely heroes struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy “lombax” who has grown up alone on a backwater planet with no family of his own. Clank is a pint-sized robot with more brains than brawn. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way, they will learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one’s own identity.

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!