Pre-Toy Fair 2011: LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

IT'S LEGO TIME!! After many many years of covering toys, we know one thing for sure. LEGO fans want to see every detail you can scrounge up for them. That said, we teamed up with our buds over at Wrestlingfigs.com (click the link for lots of pirates eye candy) to bring you some pre-toy fair coverage of LEGO's new Pirates of the Caribbean line for the upcoming film "On Stranger Tides" as well as past films! Here's the skinny...

The LEGO Group and Disney Consumer Products announced an upcoming collection of LEGO® brand Pirates of the Caribbean construction toys that will set children's imaginations sailing on thousands of build-and-play adventures. Scheduled to launch in spring 2011, eight new building sets will bring the action, stories and characters of the entire series of Pirates of the Caribbean films to life in LEGO form, including the spring 2011 premiere of the fourth installment, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

"The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is a classic favorite among families and children around the world," said Jill Wilfert, vice president licensing & entertainment at The LEGO Group. "The pirate theme is always a strong player in the LEGO portfolio, and the Pirates of the Caribbean brand offers the quintessential pirate experience with familiar characters, stories and scenes, allowing us to develop even more authentic and exciting models for children and collectors."

"Collaborating with The LEGO Group on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is sure to be another great example of how together, we merge timeless characters and stories with a versatile play pattern to create exciting ways to play for children and fans of all ages," said Vince Klaseus, senior vice president of global toys, Disney Consumer Products. "We look forward to giving children a chance to recreate the adventures from the big screen, while adding their own creative twists and ideas through LEGO building."

What's on tap?

Queen Anne's Revenge Ship with Jack Sparrow, Angelico, Blackbeard, Chef, Quartermaster (could be wrong on this one) and 2 Zombie Pirates- 1097 pieces : From the captain’s quarters perched high on his magnificent ship, Blackbeard secretly looks on as Jack Sparrow and the motley crew attempt mutiny against Angelica and the zombies. Will our heroes be able to take control of the ship before Blackbeard reveals himself? Includes Jack Sparrow, Angelica and Blackbeard figures. Available: May 2011 - $119.99
















































Whitecap Bay with Jack Sparrow, Philip, Syrano (Mermaid), Mermaid, Scrum and a Pirate - 746 pieces : At White Cap Bay, Jack Sparrow and the other pirates must capture a mermaid. Spot them using the searchlight and shoot the net from the boathouse cannon. But beware! If the whale oil tips over, the whole lighthouse is sure to go up in flames! Includes Jack Sparrow, three mermaids and three other pirate minifigs, mini-boat with pirates’ victims, crewmates and a collapsing lighthouse. Available: May 2011 - $79.99







































The Mill with Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Norrington - 365 pieces




























The London Escape with Jack Sparrow, Gibbs, Horse Coach Driver, King George's Soldier and King George's Officer - 463 pieces

























The Captain's Cabin with Jack Sparrow and 2 different Zombie Pirates- 95 pieces : Will Jack Sparrow escape the captain’s cabin with a coveted prize or be captured by Zombies? Includes buildable shelf and two ships in a bottle. Available: May 2011 - $10.99
















The Cannibal Escape with Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and 2 different Cannibals- 279 pieces




























Isle De Muerta with Elizabeth Swann, Jack Sparrow (head turns for skeleton jack look!), Hector Barbosa and Skeleton Barbosa - 152 pieces































Fountain of Youth with Jack Sparrow, Blackbeard and Hector Barbosa : The race is on to see who will make it to the Fountain of Youth first! Will Jack Sparrow be outsmarted by Blackbeard or wooed by Angelica, or will he beat his rivals to the coveted pools of eternal youth? Set includes Jack Sparrow, Barbossa with peg leg and Blackbead minifigs, plastic waterfall detail and two chalices. Available: May 2011 - $19.99
















And what licensed LEGO line would be complete without a new Video Game??!!

Disney Interactive Studios and TT Games have collaborated to develop LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game. Based in the world of the globally successful film franchise, incorporating storylines, locations and characters from the first three films, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game will re-create the action, adventure and memorable moments of the Pirates of the Caribbean mythology in LEGO form, incorporating the humor of LEGO minifigures and fantastic worlds built from LEGO bricks and elements for players to explore. The video game will release in May in conjunction with the film and will be available for the Wii™ console, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system, Games For Windows — LIVE and the Nintendo DS™ family of hand-held systems.

Pre-Toy Fair 2011: Bandai's 8 inch Classic Collector Thundercats Lion-O Figure

No NEW news on this line but a new image dropped by Warner Brother's Consumer Products for the masses, ensuring that juuuust about all the surprises have now been leaked from Bandai's Thundercats line. Good job WB! Sorry Bandai.

Based on the classic 1980’s animated ThunderCats cartoon! Each of these 8” figures includes 18 points of articulation and comes with each characters iconic weapons. Series 1 is to include the following figures:

- Lion-O - with long Sword of Omens, short Sword of Omens, ThunderClaw
- Tygra

Early talk had Lion-O ans Mumm-Ra taking the lead on series 1 but the official listing says otherwise. We'll know more in one week! CLICK HERE to see more toys from the line.

New York Comic Con Extended to Four Days

After hosting nearly 100,000 fans, guests, and professionals at the 2010 edition of New York Comic Con (NYCC), organizers of the annual event have decided to extend the length of the show by an extra day in 2011 in order to accommodate even more attendees as well as provide additional programming and business opportunity for the artists, creators, and exhibitors who are the foundation of the show’s success. New York Comic Con has experienced exponential growth since it was launched in 2006. The show now occupies the entire Jacob K. Javits Center and the addition of another day of activity assures that the convention can continue its expansion into one of the largest annual events in New York City. New York Comic Con is a celebration of the pop culture universe, covering comic books, anime, movies, television, toys, and games. It attracts fans from around the world, exhibitors and guests from the full spectrum of popular culture, and tremendous media attention -- almost 4,000 members of the press attended the show in 2010 and stories appeared in hundreds of outlets ranging from blogs to live national TV broadcasts.

The dates for the next New York Comic Con are Thursday, October 13 – Sunday October 16, 2011. The show will be open to the public for the first time for three full days – Friday (10/14), Saturday (10/15), and Sunday (10/16). This will mean more hours and opportunities for fans to interact with their heroes throughout the popular culture universe and allow show organizers to expand the Cultyard and New York Anime Festival -- two shows-within-the-show -- which serve the burgeoning indie toy and anime and manga communities. NYCC’s additional day of convention activity will take place on Thursday (10/13) with academic programming beginning at 12 noon. The convention floor will officially open for professional hours and a new fan preview night on Thursday from 4pm – 7pm. NYCC’s professional hours provide a quality business atmosphere for exhibitors while providing VIPs and media a chance to see new products and merchandise in an exclusive setting. For the first time, a very limited number of dedicated and committed fans will also have access to the convention floor during this professional time. These fans will only be admitted if they purchase the new, limited quantity, full 4-day pass to NYCC. Tickets will go on sale on February 7 at 12 noon Eastern Time. Further details are below.

In other ReedPOP news, officials note that their international expansion, which is an essential component of the group’s business and its embrace of the pop culture universe, has had a marked success with the recently concluded Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention (STGCC) which took place December 10 – 12, 2010 at Suntec Convention Center in Singapore. ReedPOP acquired STGCC in April, 2010. The global pop culture appetite is growing significantly in the region, and the chance to meet comics creators at STGCC was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many fans. Critically acclaimed comics writer and STGCC guest Gail Simone commented after the event: “STGCC is a world-class pop culture event in one of the most amazing places on Earth. I can’t wait to come back!”

“NYCC’s expansion to four days is in response to our immense growth,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP. “Our show has simply gotten too big to take place in three days. Additionally, the evening hours for professionals on Thursday will provide even more flexibility for both exhibitors and other industry pros to participate in this key part of the show. Meanwhile, our success in Singapore, coming hard on the heels of our success with NYCC, has been incredibly energizing. Our international growth is central to ReedPOP’s core mission to open up new markets for our exhibiting customers and guests and to spread the currency of cool to fan boys and fan girls in all corners of the globe where popular culture thrives. Further, our global approach allows us to broaden our offerings at every event we organize. The success of STGCC is closely linked with the success of NYCC because pop culture is universal, and what we learn in Asia may be applied to NYCC and vice versa. We want to delve into all areas where pop culture exists, from fashion to comics, from books to film, and we want to learn from other cultures. I am ecstatic that this philosophy seems to be working so well for ReedPOP. The physical growth of NYCC, the expansion to four days in 2011, and the recent success of STGCC are milestones in the growth and extension of ReedPOP as a brand serving passionate fans and dedicated professionals. We are humbled by the support we have received and excited to continue our mission in the year to come with new additions to our stable of events.”

As noted, a limited number of fans will be provided access to professional hours from 4 to 7pm on Thursday, October 16th at NYCC in 2011. A total of 10,000 4-day passes are available for purchase, and this 4-day pass includes admittance to the convention floor both on NYCC's three dedicated public days as well as on Thursday during professional hours. There will be no single day tickets sold for Thursday. There will be 3-day passes available for purchase for Friday – Sunday, and there will be single day passes available for Friday – Sunday, as well. Tickets for NYCC will be sold via www.nycomiccon.com beginning at 12 noon Eastern Time on February 7.

In addition, tickets for the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), which is also organized by ReedPOP and which will take place at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, March 18 – 20, 2011, are now available via the C2E2 web site, www.c2e2.com. Further information about all ReedPOP shows and activity is available through Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.

Pre-Toy Fair 2011 Coverage: Hasbro's Thor Movie Merchandise

Screw it. There's so much news pouring in now that we may as well just start the TOY FAIR MADNESS!!! The "on shelf date" is March 1st, but that isn't stopping stores from selling Thor movie action figures to eager fan boys and girls. Khalil of Kastor's Korner got in on the sales jump and while he has yet to write up his potentially epic review series, he's got a little taste posted just to wet your appetite. So what can we expect from Hasbro on March 1st? Well this news is not incredibly earth shattering, as we saw most of these things at NY Comic Con, but here's the run down anyway...

3 and 3/4 inch Basic Action Figures Wave 1: March 1st Release

- Lightning Clash Thor : Hammer lights up!
- Battle Hammer Thor : Sword becomes..hammer? Ahh..two hammers are better than one! - Thor is known across the cosmos as the mightiest warrior in all the Nine Realms. He has defended the divine kingdom of Asgard for a millennium from the darkest forces of the Marvel Universe. With his legendary hammer, Mjolnir, in his hand, he is an unstoppable force who commands both the lightning and the storms.
- Sword Spike Thor : Sword pops open to reveal..another sword? - Thor is the master of nearly every weapon in Asgard's arsenal. The dwarves created Thor's Power Sword (HE-MAN MUCH?!) to allow him to channel his otherworldly abilities and defeat any for that dares to cross his path. The unusual blade hums with divine might as Thor charges the internal spike with the power of his lightning.
- Secret Strike Loki : Blades combine to form a giant sword! - Thought Loki is no coward, he prefers to test his wits against his enemies, rather than the strength of his arms. Coercion and mischief are his tools for victory. Other gods sneer at his avoidance of combat; an attitude they will learn to regret when they finally get a taste of his triple-bladed sword.
- Shield Bash Marvel's Odin : Pop out shield and sword spikes! - Odin is a fierce and powerful king, ruling Asgard with wisdom and defending its borders with legendary force. Behind every word he speaks lies the rumble of cosmic thunder, and in the hand that wields his sword lays the near boundless strength of the mighty Allfather. To challenge him is to immediately know defeat, for all of Asgard will rise to fight alongside him.
- Invasion Frost Giant : With ice weapons and helmet..which is funny as no one else comes with theirs. - Since the beginning of time, the Frost Giants have struggled to break through the walls of Asgard. Although they have always been defeated by its king, Odin, they have never been destroyed. They now wait and plot their return when they will be strong enough to rise up again and finally destroy the golden realm and its king.

Khalil says the paint jobs are great, details solid and each comes with iconic weapons that are practical for the character as well as happy meal-esque action feature weapons for the kiddies. It may be of interest to know that under the Thor title it says The Mighty Avenger. This is Hasbro and Marvel (pardon the pun) HAMMERING the point home. By the time the Avengers movie drops, kids will know who they are, come hell or high water! There's even a little Avengers Assemble symbol on the package, encouraging you to have Thor and Iron Man join forces! Yay Marvel Team Up!

Wave 2 is also slated for release in March but no details have been released yet. Wave 3 and 4 follow in April, seemingly with 6 figure lineups as well.

Hero Action Figures wave 1 and 2 are deluxe packs with a 3 3/4 inch figure and deluxe armor accessories. These will hit in April as well.

Now anyone can summon the power of Asgard with Thor's lightning hammer! This role play item features lights, thunder sounds and lightning projectiles. Due out March with the initial push. A Thor Basic Helmet is coming as well. Basic implies that a waaaay cooler helmet might be dropping closer to the movie's release date?? Maybe something where the voices of the GODS themselves command you to smite your evil little sister??!! One can only hope.

For further images from the upcoming film and video of Natalie Portman speaking on the down side of life in 3D, CLICK HERE!