Ivan

Thanks for the support everyone. It's been tough finding the time to put together updates to the database and contribute to the Minimate community in general. Just too much real life to deal with. I started an update last month and just posted it a few hours ago. There's no NYCC or VHS-style releases included, but at least the Transformers are finally represented. Now maybe Soundwave will stop talking to me in my sleep.

I got your motivation right here!

The snap of a few sparks, a quick whiff of ozone, and the lamp blazed forth in unparalleled glory. Not a finger!

What, like this? Sorry, I'm denying everything.

You would think with all the signs posted people would realize TRU isn't taking returns anymore.

I've got to admit it's been hard for me to keep track of new releases. I know the Teen Titans stuff and Cthulhu isn't up there yet. I'll likely appropriate any info you provide yb. :)

Changes with my hosting service and real life have reduced my updating frequency to near zero. Sorry about that. Minis and Vinis have still been coming in, they've just been piling up, misguided and unloved. I worry about them sometimes. Are they eating right? What do they dream about? Do the Vinis resent the Minis for their additional articulation? Do they view their greater size as an asset or a disability? Are the Vinis conspiring with the Pops to overthrow the Mini regime? If so, how how do they plan to overcome the 35:1 to population disparity? Probably guerrilla tactics... Wear down the superior forces with ambushes and sabotage. Hide in the shadows. Quick strikes. Hmm, stealth and speed don't seem to be strong points for them. I wonder if they would attack civilian Minimates... or just keep to the military, super-hero, and zombie factions. Muppets and Spongebob are probably the most vulnerable, but everyone else seems to have some defensive and/or offensive capabilities. Would Vinis attack Minis from the same line? That's a sticky ethical issue. Is Vinimate NBX Sally really all that different from Minimate Sally? Would Vini Marty McFly be willing to cut the breaks on a Delorean knowing Mini Doc Brown would be the one driving it next? The leaders of the Vini Insurrection would have to be sure to manage these relationships. They'd want to make sure that they use it to their advantage too. I'm sure Vini Ripley would be quite good at taking out a bunch of Mini Xenos. I wonder who the leaders of the Vini Insurrection would be? The robots maybe? Iron Giant, B9 and Robbie working together for the benefit of all Vinimate kind. It's odd how they don't attack the Mini Terminator encampment. Cylons haven't suffered any losses either. I wonder if there's anything to the rumors? Some conspiracy nuts say the artificial life on both sides are conspiring together to take out as much of the Mini and Vini population so that can rule together. But that's just crazy talk. So in the spirit of peace and solidarity I gathered up everyone in my backlog for a group photo. I hope to get them integrated into the general population soon. Hopefully I can include the recent TRU stuff too. But NBX 4, Marvel 24, and Ragnarok haven't shown up with the nearest 3000 sq. miles. Hope those new bastards don't start any trouble.

I know there are no specialty blind bags to worry about. But with the approaching October and the mention of NBX Vinimate exclusives at Hot Topic , I'm wondering about Minimates. Is Hot Topic getting a blind bag assortment this year?

Thanks buttheadsmate and youbastards. Very helpful both.

Can anyone provide a description of the differences? Packaging, color, accessories, tampo?

Haven't seen any POTC movies, but my first thought was this one: Don't know if it had a cover and/or a chain in the movies. It's kind of a moo point isn't it though? Chuck says they'll usually just retool pieces instead of trying to hunt down a rarely-used tool at the factory. Might as well make an accurate one in that case.

Thanks all. This was a really fun contest. All except for the frustrating faces. Every time I try to make new Minimate faces, my respect for the official designers goes up. It's amazing to me how they can condense a face down to a few lines while maintaining recognizability. It's a good thing the Barf face went through a lot of processing. First it was mainly obscured by the helmet, then rendered, scaled down, then re-rendered as the packing insert. I'd love to get to Series 2 one day and get it right. (With the Planet of the Apes/Megamaid playset!) Thanks again for the votes and praise. All the entries were great.

I've always thought it was a tragedy that there's never been any Spaceballs merchandise. I've heard the "reason" but I still want a little Dark Helmet of my own. Now that Disney owns Star Wars their might be some wiggle room in licensing considerations. But until then I bring you my entry, Spaceballs, the Box Set! (click for larger images) Here's the marketing insert you can see in the pack. And here's a group shot of the figures and accessories. Secure all animals in the zoo.

Heh, one nice thing about the upgrade is that everything old is new again. The unfortunate flip-side is that it illustrates how I haven't done anything super-Minimatey in over a year.

I think the Alice thread was lost to the upgrade, so I'll just drop the panel announcements here. TRU Exclusive: White Rabbit/Cheshire Cat. Hot Topic Blind Exclusives: Time-Frozen Alice, Monochrome Time, Translucent Cheshire Cat. And FWIW, someone during the Q&A also asked about DST making an alternate hand where the peg is rotated 90 degrees about the grip axis. For better gripping of accessories like the Minigun. Chuck was very receptive and seemed to like this idea.

Maybe old news lost in the upgrade, but Zach mentioned during the SDCC panel that the Hot Topic blind packs would include Behemoth, a Caroling Elf, and Mummy Boy.

Interesting this should pop up now. At the SDCC panel, Maximates came up during the Q&A and it sounded like DST may revisit these. No specifics, so I don't know if they would still be resin statues or something different. Maybe the last Marvel contract negotiation gives more options?

Are you deleting and reposting this? It's come up three times now on the activity stream.

The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping. Why is that, Zach?

A contest combining two of my favorite things? Wild xenomorphs couldn't keep me away. Here's a 1920x1200 version, with all the extra detail. (I may swap this out for a different version with a different light angle if the render finishes in time.) [EDIT]: Replaced the image with version #2 that I like better.

Ran out and hit the local malls looking for these and found three boxes, one per Hot Topic. The first two both had 16 in the box so I thought maybe DST had changed the count for NBX. But the last store had the full 18 bags. I grabbed the whole lot of 18 to make sure I got any one-per-casers. (I just can't bring myself to grope these in the store.) They had all been stickered with Hot Topic UPCs so I have no idea what the order is, but the breakdown appears to be: 3 Jack, 3 Sally, 2 Clowns, 2 Finkelsteins, 2 Mayors, and 5 Oogie Boogies. I haven't opened all of these so I'm not sure how many are regular and how many are 'Torn'. Not a lot of accessories. Everyone got a base. The Mayor got a megaphone. The reindeer got an additional stand. The clown got an alternate head. His unicycle is part of the sculpt and not removable (unless you take his pants off too.) Pics: I haven't opened the reindeer yet either. Mine only had three legs. I've got to contact CS tomorrow to see if that is normal or if I can get another leg. Sorry the copyrights are so big, the script is made for pics that are taller than they are wide. I also have to say that was my most pleasant Hot Topic run. (I never used to have enough points to avoid the look of contempt.) Employees were nice and helpful. The stores seemed brighter than they used to be. And only one smelled of patchouli. Still crammed full of stuff, but not as claustrophobia inducing. Thanks for posting the news here arnim.

Normally I avoid wishlist threads like the plague that they are, but I have to make an exception here. Please, for all that is good and minimatey, fix the misspelling in the thread title. It hurts my delicate sensibilities. Oh and it's obvious this wave is going to be Wrecking Crew! The clues were all over the DST booth at SDCC.

I'm reminded of a quote, Something about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Oy $15. Guess I should have asked for free ones when he was in a more generous mood.

At the panel I believe Zach said that 1.5 would closely folllow 1, in time for the holidays. The slide for series 1 said September.