*UPDATED!: Bandai's New Thundercats Toys Shown at UK Toy Fair

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.

The Fantastic Four Loses a Member *Spoilers Inside!

So much for the "Heroic Age"! The grim visage of death returns to the Marvel Universe and stretches a bony hand out to Marvel's first family this week. This has been a long time coming and when I was told by my comic book devouring friends that one of the Fantastic Four was set to die, it was clear who it would be. Running down the list of possible candidates, Mr Fantastic is just too important a scientist in the scheme of things to just disappear, Invisible Woman has been known to pop up on the most awesome places to superb result and The Thing is just too damn fun to read when he is given the proper characters to play against. The obvious choice was a wise crackin', arrogant hero who can throw fire. In the scheme of a modern Marvel Universe, it just seemed he's not that relevant anymore. Of course, no one ever stays dead in comics (God forbid) and this gives the powers that be the chance to revamp him and make him worth while for a triumphant return, much like they did with Hawkeye not too long ago. It also gives the comic's giant a chance to evolve the family he's left behind in the time that he's gone. Every once in a while we are allowed a fleeting glimpse at how bad ass Sue Storm (Invisible Woman) can be with her powers when working with other teams. I'd love to see more of that! How about Sue taking on a mission with X-Force??!! Here's the official skinny...

“FLAME OFF!” In a move sure to shock comic fans worldwide, Marvel unveiled that its ever popular super hero the Human Torch will meet his demise and die heroically in Fantastic Four #587, hitting stores tomorrow (Wednesday, January 26th). Concluding the “Three” storyline that captivated the mainstream media and industry press alike, this issue and the death of such a renowned character from the First Family of comics signals the beginning of major changes for the Marvel Universe as the Fantastic Four lose one of their founding members.

“Jonathan Hickman [writer of Fantastic Four] came to us two years ago with a vision for evolving the characters and concepts introduced to fans 50 years ago in Fantastic Four #1 – and quite frankly his vision blew us away,” said Tom Brevoort, Marvel Entertainment SVP of Publishing. “The death of the Human Torch is the first major move in this incredibly exciting evolution of the legendary Fantastic Four franchise and a necessary part of the larger story we will be telling featuring the beloved characters moving forward.”

But the story doesn’t end there-- February’s Fantastic Four #588 brings the long running series to a conclusion as the Fantastic Four disband and the surviving characters must discover their new roles in the Marvel Universe. Just what’s next for the surviving members of Marvel’s First Family?

Fantastic Four #1 debuted in 1961, kicking off the “Marvel Age” of comics and dramatically increasing the popularity of super heroes. As the progenitor of Marvel Universe, the Fantastic Four set a new tone for super hero comics with its nuanced characterization, reflection of real world fears and progressive depiction of super heroes. Through the years, the Fantastic Four have been involved in many of comics most important & memorable storylines, from the introduction of Galactus to the chart-topping Civil War and now the upcoming event Fear Itself.

It all begins with the shocking death of the Human Torch in Fantastic Four #587, in comic stores Wednesday, January 26th, 2011!

FANTASTIC FOUR #587 : Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, Penciled by STEVE EPTING, Cover by ALAN DAVIS Rated A…$3.99 On Sale – 1/26/11

FANTASTIC FOUR #587 SPOILER VARIANT : Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, Penciled by STEVE EPTING, Cover by JOHN CASSADAY Rated A…$3.99 On Sale – 2/2/11

FANTASTIC FOUR #588 : Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, Penciled by NICK DRAGOTTA,
Cover by ALAN DAVIS Rated A …$3.99 On Sale – 2/23/11

Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings Talk Thor, Geeks, Gadgets and 3D Boobs

Sometimes, you are just in the right place, at the right time, with the right people and the stars align juuuust right to make magic happen. This was the case at SDCC this past season when Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings sat down with a bunch of geeky reporters to talk about THOR, life, art, their place in this dorky world we've created around them, technology (or their lack of) and ...the unflinching eye that is the 3D camera lens. Partman, especially, would hit the "dislike" button on that last point. If ONLY someone had video of the pair talking about all these topics. OH WAIT! We got that. Enjoy!!


Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings talk THOR..and Boobs in 3D
Uploaded by Nomadixxx. - Watch feature films and entire TV shows.


Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, “Thor,” which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Check out our pile of stills from the film, showing some fairly wimpy looking Frost "Giants". Thor opens May 6th, 2011.

*UPDATED: Spider-Man On The Run

Shooting is underway on the upcoming Spider-Man film reboot and since we live in the future, it should be no surprise that cameras wielded by citizens on the street are catching every minute of it. This latest bit of footage reveals Spider-Man running from a bad scene, seemingly pursued by police, through the city streets of LA. Check out the action...



We don't have a run down on the plot yet, other than the involvement of Gwen Stacey and her father as essential features in young Peter Parker's life and the impending chaos sure to be caused by The Lizard and a new fiend (to even some classic comic fans) known as Proto-Goblin in the "gritty, contemporary reboot" of the franchise. We've also learned, through eagle eyed fans pouring over the first piece of official art, that Spidey might be back to relying on web shooters for his latest on screen adventure. Sounds like a step in the right direction!

UPDATE: A new picture just surfaced, I'm assuming pilfered and re-pilfered from MTV, showing a close up of the movie costume. While this is most likely a stunt double and therefore, a stunt costume for shooting this particular scene, the details all seem to jibe with the first released pic. Now normally I'd point out that the metal shoe-thingies are probably for running and stunts, but they seem oddly stylized to the costume, so maybe they are for keeps? I'll also point out the circles on his wrists, once again showing off potential web shooters that seem more of a reality now. So what do you think of this Spidey-2099 esque costume??

Funko Star Wars Pop! Vinyl Figures

It's not really a stretch to make Star Wars super cute...and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just because companies have been doing it for years with plush toys and Hasbro's Galactic Heroes figure series, so we've become accustomed to the transformation. Never the less, when Funko throws the lever on their cutification ray, you are assured perfect levels of adorable and an instant urge to squeeeeze. Unfortunately, this go around, your squeeze reflex will have to be placed on pause, as these latest pieces are in the Pop! Vinyl line, making them 3 and 3 quarter inches of vinyl, and while you can pet them, put them in your pocket for adventures and (somewhat) snuggle, they are not squishable. Look for Funko's Star Wars Pop! Vinyl figures of Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Yoda, Stormtrooper, Darth Vader and Greedo this March.

Mattel: Ask Matty Answers for January

Note on how we cherry picked all these news bits:: We realize most of our readers are not HARDCORE, so we've omitted any bits that go into detail about accessories, paint, and anything else that is super specific. We've also omitted the inevitable non-answers. If you'd like to read the whole 5 point Q&A on any site, just click on their name and jump right in.

Action Figure Insider : Young Justice characters are not off limits to the Justice league unlimited line, even though the new figures are in scale with JLU (they just aren’t the same style.)

Mattel wants to focus on finishing off all the on-screen members of the team first before they move into the rest of the DC Universe. Getting nitpicky, Matty also mentions the blades on Azriel in DCUC wave 16 are not removable but do rotate and are correct on the final figure.

New DCUC 2 packs will be coming to Toys R Us in late 2011. One will include a Black Tuxedo Joker figure packed with a Harley Quinn re-release, now with a whiter face. Why it was blue to begin with, I’ll never even begin to fathom.

PoeGhostal.com: Dodging the questions about articulation and accessories, we’ll get right to the meat! Mattel says they’ve got big plans for more Dark Knight collector figures, alluding to the corresponding Green Lantern Classics line being released to run off the momentum from the upcoming film. Generally I’d be all for this, but anyone already collecting DC Universe Classic will tell you there are already a ton of Bat heroes and villains in the ranks. An entire line for the Bat is very unnecessary. What is more likely is that we’ll get more Movie Masterpiece type figures.

Pendragon’s Post : We’ve got hardcore answers to hardcore questions on this site, so we’ll jump to the couple of little news bits. The first being that the 200X look from the 4Horsemen we loved so much will not resurface in the collector club line…ever ever. The second bit involves the question of all these new school DCU characters in a line called DCU CLASSICS. Matty pretty much answers that the world is at their fingertips and they’d always intended to mix the new in with the old. Speaking of old, they say there will be "at least" two Golden Age characters in Wave 19!

Kastor’s Korner : NOW we get some juicy info..or at least confirmation of no info coming. Matty states that it is way too early for us to see anything from their Voltron and Back to the Future lines at Toy Fair this February, so cross those properties on your watch list for now.
Pop Culture Network

This bit is pretty specific to Masters of the Universe collectors, but I thought you might find it interesting none the less. Apparently there was a new system employed to combine the two halves of the Power Sword included in the re-issue King Grayskull. Mattel is open to the possibility of including the improved swords in a future weapons pack or figure variant. They also mention that while the character Mosquitor may be a possibility in the MOTUC line, they won’t be employing the “pump his blood” feature.

Figures.com : Mattel is looking into ways to improve the articulation in their Masters of the Universe Classics line, as evidenced in the new Victor figure (coming in this week!) On the topic of more giants, like the ones in Buzz-Off’s pride, they say it’s a possibility. They also mention that the character Jitsu is still a ways off.

In Ghostbusters news, Mattel mentions that poor sales on the Ghostbusters 6 inch line would prevent them from delving into an animated style as well. They site tooling and development as the major expense to such characters. Does that mean my new subscription to their Ghostbusters figure club will be filled with reused bodies and heads? I certainly hope not!

SuperHeroTimes.com : Mattel kicks things off answering to another comment calling for MORE Batman. (the mind boggles.) Mattel states the obvious..that Batman is their best selling character and he will see an update in the future. They also answer the call for a long awaited Doomsday collect and connect figure and while they agree it is about time, there are no plans currently. That doesn’t mean they may not announce something at Toy Fair. They also gave some info on the upcoming Green Lantern movie lines, saying the 6 inch line will be in the Movie Masters vein while the figures for the kiddies will be 3 and ¾ scale.

*UPDATED: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Action Figures Revealed

An email just dropped into my box with an advertisement in a UK magazine showing the first action figures to be seen from the newest installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise titled "On Stranger Tides". You'll notice the company listed as Flair, but the product is the same scale as previously announced by JAKKS Pacific, so we'll assume these will be distributed in the UK by Flair. On tap for the JAKKS line are ...

4 inch Action Figures Jack Sparrow, Angelica, Barbosa, Blackbeard and Mr. Gibbs, all scaled to climb aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge Ship Play Set. Right now I've got no idea who the Brit on deck is. But that's just the beginning!















With no fear of a recession prematurely emptying your pockets, JAKKS have planned out five series of 4 inch figures, three series of battle packs, four series of 6 inch collector series figures, three series of 6 inch classic movie moments action figures AND two series of premium 12 inch figures. That's what I call a full lineup. Before long, you'll have a ship full of scurvy sea dogs and the zombie pirates to battle them. Yo ho.

1/15/2011- New Info! OK so the dandy in the official Brit officer's outfit is looking more and more like Barbosa, which jibes with the series 1 lineup so it sounds right. We've just yet to see Mr. Gibbs. Details on the Queen Anne's Revenge Ship Play Set reveal some of the play features including a battery casing on the lantern on the front of the boat (light up most likely), big section gaps on the side suggesting you can pull off the side panels for battle damage, a hook from the crows nest suggesting you can hoist a figure up and cannons that appear to fire projectiles. Also there's the obvious addition of a cloth sail, which is notable in itself. Pre-orders list the ship between 65 and 70 dollars. Prices on cases of the basic 4 inch figures suggest a retail of around $8.99 dollars per figure. STEEP! The 4 inch scaled battle packs should come in at around $15.99, with 3 pieces in each wave. 6 inch figures premiere in a 5 figures set with each figure at $15.99 a pop. This 6 inch collector line includes a build a figure piece with each figure. In fact, each of the 6 inch collector action figure series has a BAF theme!! Looks like there might be more monsters than just zombie pirates on deck. Big MIGHT, but one can hope. BAF could actually mean anything, but traditionally, you are building a big creature of some sort, so fingers crossed. Then theres the 6 inch Classic Movie Moments series which appear to be 2 packs of action figures. JAKKS will release 2 of these per series. Last in line are the 12 inch premium figures, released 2 per series for $19.99 each. Nice price!











More info to come!

Mondo Dracula Print Drops TODAY

GET READY to hit BUY!! Mondo gives us a sneak peek of their newest limited edition print...and their first for 2011. Adding to their Universal Monsters line comes Dracula, and it will blow your mind.

MONDO - DRACULA by Vania Zouravliov and Aaron Horkey
Mondo, the Alamo Drafthouse's collectible art boutique, releases a stunning print of Dracula as part of its Universal Monster series (previous releases include "The Bride" and "The Wolf Man," both by Martin Ansin).

DRACULA will be on sale January 12th at a random time at MondoTees.com. Follow @MondoNews for the "on sale now" announcement

Regular (Black Edition of 330) - Variant (Sepia Edition of 65)

If you are now drooling be aware that these sell out faster than you can blink, so if you neeeeed to have this in your home, watch Mondo's twitter feed and click like lightning.

Pokemon National Mall Tour

Pokémon Trainers get ready... the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems are touring America! The Pokémon Company International announced today that one of the most anticipated video game releases of the year will be supported by a multi-city national mall tour starting February 5th - a month before the March 6th U.S. launch of the games. The 14-city tour will give fans an opportunity to discover all-new Pokémon while playing the brand-new adventure that has already taken Japan by storm. The mall tour will kick off a blockbuster year for the franchise with more activities, entertainment, and product releases on tap throughout 2011.

Each two-day stop along the Pokémon Black Version and White Version Tour will offer fans a truly immersive experience based on the new world found in the video games, with Pokémon taking over malls to celebrate the marquee releases. Video game demo areas will showcase Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version, allowing fans to experience the games firsthand. Families can attend a free screening of the new Pokémon feature-length film, Pokémon-Zoroark: Master of Illusions, at theaters located at the mall tour stops. The tour also features Pokémon character meet and greets with brand-new starter Pokémon Snivy™, Tepig™ and Oshawott™, a mall-wide scavenger hunt, a special Celebi™ character distribution at GameStop stores; plus contests, prizes, and much more! A Pokémon Center store offering merchandise will also be on-site.

"The anticipation for Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version has been palpable, and we are eager to introduce these fantastic new games to America," said J.C. Smith, The Pokémon Company International's director of Marketing. "We cannot wait to hit the road and give Pokémon fans an up-close and personal look at an all-new world of Pokémon in a fun, totally immersive environment."

The Pokémon Black Version and White Version Tour will run every weekend through March 20th in the following cities:

February 5th and 6th:

* Seattle, WA (Westfield Southcenter, Seattle, WA)
* Cleveland, OH (Westfield SouthPark, Strongsville, OH)

February 12th and 13th:

* San Jose, CA (Westfield Oakridge, San Jose, CA)
* Memphis, TN (Wolfchase Galleria, Memphis, TN)

February 19th and 20th:

* Los Angeles, CA (Westfield Santa Anita, Arcadia, CA)
* Indianapolis, IN (Castleton Square, Indianapolis, IN)

February 26th and 27th:

* Denver, CO (Town Center at Aurora, Aurora, CO)
* Philadelphia, PA (Franklin Mills, Philadelphia, PA)

March 5th and 6th:

* New York, NY (Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ) (Actually Friday and Saturday, March 4th and 5th)
* Minneapolis, MN (Mall of America®, Bloomington, MN)

March 12th and 13th:

* Dallas, TX (Grapevine Mills, Grapevine, TX)
* Atlanta, GA (Discover Mills, Lawrenceville, GA)

March 19th and 20th:

* Phoenix, AZ (Arizona Mills, Tempe, AZ)
* Jacksonville, FL (Orange Park Mall, Orange Park, FL)

The mall tour kicks off a historic year for the Pokémon franchise that will introduce an all-new trading card game expansion, feature-length film, animated series, and merchandise. The multi-pronged rollout will thrust the Pokémon brand into the spotlight across its many entertainment offerings.

KidRobot's Family Guy Mini Figures

From the makers of such frustrating collectibles at The Simpsons mini figures series 1 and 2...those very people denying me my Zombie Simpson fix..a point not lost even on the Simpsons animation crew when they spoofed the figures in an episode! Now KidRobot bring that signature frustration and sadness to Family Guy fans! YAY!

What the deuce? You'll get all giggity over this insane collaboration from Seth MacFarlane and KidRobot. This 15 character series based on FOX's hit animated series Family Guy includes the Griffins plus friends and enemies like Quagmire, Joe, and the Evil Monkey. If you're lucky, you may even come across the two knock 'em down, drag 'em out chases! Each blind-boxed, 3" figure comes with an insert card and a character specific accessory.

From the image, it looks like series one includes Stewie, Lois, Peter, Chris, Meg, Cleveland, Joe, Herbert, Brian, Quagmire, Seamus (the Pirate), The Evil Monkey, Death and chase figures Ernie the Chicken and an undisclosed Peter, perhaps? Remember these figures are blind boxed, meaning you pay $9.99 a pop and have no idea who you'll get. Gamblers, start your engines!

Funko Updates with Marvel Comics, Elvis, Kiss and Run DMC Plush and Vinyl

CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!! Funko, masters of cutifying your pop culture loves report in with a ton of new releases landing in the next couple of months. Here's a run down...

Marvel Comics Plushies!! The successful DC Comics 7 inch Plushie line can be found on your local Toys R Us shelves and soon, they will have company! Adorable Marvel Comics Plushies land this May with a lineup including Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine, Hulk and Thor. Each will retail for around $12.99.


























Elvis Lives..and his gyrating hips are now replaced by a super cool kiddified lip curl! TAKE THAT SOCIETY!! The celebration takes place on two fronts with 3 & 3/4 inch POP! Rock Vinyl Figures including Aloha (70's) and 50's for $9.99 and Plushies including Jail House Rock, Aloha and Gold Suit 7 inch squishables for $12.99 this May.

Jimi Hendrix has already seen the Plushie treatment and now, he joins the POP! Rock Vinyl movement with Purple Haze and Reggae Rasta collectible figures at $9.99 a pop (pun intended) this February.

Run DMC seem to be enjoying a bit of a pop culture revival, so its only natural that Funko immortalize the trio in Plushie and POP! Rock Vinyl form! As stated before, the squishy can be had for $12.99 this March and the vinyl table top awesome for $9.99 this February.

Finally, your work space can now rock and roll all night and party every day with the cutest monsters of rock you'll ever own. IT'S KISS!! Face it, you can't have a POP! Rock Vinyl line without them. The Spaceman Ace Frehley, The Catman Peter Criss, The Demon Gene Simmons and The Starchild Paul Stanley hit this February for $9.99 a piece.

When the monsters of rock appear, they need a prince of darkness to lead them..so bring on OZZY! The Ozzy Osbourne POP! Rock Vinyl figure rounds out the chaos for $9.99 this February.

Gotham High AKA The Cartoon Bullet We Thankfully Dodged

You can say a lot of things about how Warner Brothers handles their DC heroes when they are adapted for kid's cartoons, but today, we got a look at a project that would never be and sigh in great relief. That project is called Gotham High.

"We all go through incredible changes as teenagers: growth spurts, bad skin, a sudden insatiable need to uphold justice and avenge your murdered parents…. Well, that is if you’re Bruce Wayne.
As if being a freshman at Gotham High wasn’t tough enough, Bruce’s insomnia and technological fascinations are taking their toll. Instead of spending his time studying, he has begun to obsess over an emerging personality trait: Batman. But under the watchful eye of his guardian and steward, Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce is forced to put his intelligence to good use: graduating high school. But given his classmates, can Bruce survive Gotham High?"

Ug. Just...awful. Teen Batman dealing with the ups and downs of being a mixed up kid with raging hormones while questioning his yearning to be THE BATMAN and ...doing what with his evil classmates? Fighting them when they steal test answers? Doing battle on the dodge ball court?? Outwitting The Riddler as he attempts to rig the home coming king voting???!!! Blek. Have a laugh at the cool but still horrible images for this prospective show.