The New York International Toy Fair is still a month away, but right now, across the water, there is plastic EVERYWHERE!!! Bandai has been showing off their Thundercats cartoon and classic action figures, and even though the room is riddled with NO PHOTOGRAPHY signs, some muppet went ahead and took crappy camera phone pictures anyway. Since we usually have a friend at the show reporting back to us on everything he saw, we don't feel guilty in describing what is shown in as great detail as is humanly possible...and with crappy camera phone pics omitted.
The core line for the new cartoon is clearly in a 3 and 3 quarter scale, matching what most other companies are releasing right now (so sad.) At the very least we'll be getting a little scale with the figures as Panthro towers over his team mates who all come up to his chest. We've also gotten word that the figures are fairly well articulated for their size and are packed with details that are sculpted rather than just painted on. Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro and Tygra were shown. The boards on the wall also mention that Mumm-Ra is in the new show. Make a note that the look of the new show, while true to the original designs and instantly recognisable as their classic counterparts, is a little more Anime that you're accustomed to, with Lion-O looking more like a teenager and Panthro now HUGE and bearing the scars of battle.
All hope is not lost as we've heard there are also deluxe versions on the way in a 5-6 inch scale. It makes more sense that these would be 6 inch, as 5 puts them too close to the 3 and 3 quarter figures they'll be releasing by the ton. While I grumble about the tiny scale, with small figures often comes vehicles and playsets and Bandai is on board with this thinking. The deluxe playset is a sort of tower rather than the classic Cat's Lair. The deluxe vehicle is the Thunder Tank and it includes one figure...SNARF!! I'm betting you can thank Amanda Burns for that addition. There is also a light cycle looking Thunder Bike that comes with Lion-O. We hear the bike actually fits inside the Thunder Tank. Looks like Batman has some competition. All figures are said to "link up" with the vehicles and playsets, probably to activate action features, sounds and lights that may be included. This is cleverly called "Thunder Lynx"! I applaud the dorkiness.
As for the classic cartoon, an 8 inch Collector line of action figures is on the way. The design is said to be loyal to the original show and the figure itself will remind you of Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics line, where they maintain the look and feel of the original characters but update articulation and toy design for a sturdier, more modern action figure. This line starts with Lion-O and Mumm-Ra, natch'. Why 8 inches, you may ask? This puts them in scale with the classic line, but sadly, out of scale with most everything else you own. Celebration time for TCats fans for sure, and tears for others...as that is the way of toy collecting.
For role play, so far we'll see the Sword of Omens (still named properly) that starts out small and telescopes to full size. The eye in the center MIGHT even change to the TCats symbol as it does in the cartoon...or maybe you just flip it around and it is on the other side. We'll find out soon enough. Either way, I'd bet cash money it lights up. The eye is large enough to hold a light.
Everything should be hitting this Fall.
Updated with a pic thanks to
Bleeding Cool! ..until we are asked to take it down of course.
Updated again with an official pic from the WB.
UPDATE 1/27: A friend had a nice conversation with the crew manning the TCats stand and pulled some new info out of them. YAY Jedi Mind Tricks!! The Thunder Lynx is indeed a magnet gimmick that activates all sorts of hidden features on vehicles and the Cat Lair/ Tower thing. We are also told that the Mutants are a part of the new show and will get toys further down the line. I shudder to think what their "update" looks like. A last bit of random info is that Lion-O and his sword are bonded when he accepts the mantle, which is why we see him normal looking as a teenager and then sort of armored up with an older look. As he grows, the sword grows with him and provides with with increased power and armor to go with it.
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