MisterPL Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 To me, Lost in Space represents the end of that era of the goofy, space-age aesthetic marked by polished metal surfaces and men in ridiculous rubber suits. Star Trek made an effort to get past that and in theatres films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Silent Running were ushering in a new age of cerebral sci-fi. This Lost in Space set will fit in beautifully with my black & white Universal Monsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tad Ghostal Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 To me, Lost in Space represents the end of that era of the goofy, space-age aesthetic marked by polished metal surfaces and men in ridiculous rubber suits. Star Trek made an effort to get past that and in theatres films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Silent Running were ushering in a new age of cerebral sci-fi. This Lost in Space set will fit in beautifully with my black & white Universal Monsters. Mister PL - speaking of goofy, space-age aesthetics, are you a fan of the Mel Birnkrant's Outer Space Men line rejuvenated by the Four Horsemen? Many of those original designs were based on men in ridiculous rubber suits, and I've always loved 'em (the designs, not the men in them! ) http://melbirnkrant.com/return/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 That line caught my eye, yes. I haven't purchased any but things like that and Mars Attacks! always get my attention. So fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystery Man Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Those art samples look fantastic. I am reeeeally ready to get my hands on this set (and future ones)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tad Ghostal Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 (edited) Zach - just thought about The Other Shoe: when do you think we may see what the new Robot figure looks like? You know, the figure to which the minimates are only ancillary? SDCC? Sooner? Edited July 10, 2013 by Tad Ghostal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 No idea! Not SDCC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 Does anyone have any in-hand images of the 2-pack they'd like to share? And any news on future offerings yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tad Ghostal Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Does anyone have any in-hand images of the 2-pack they'd like to share? And any news on future offerings yet? Seconded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 This is from Monkeycrumb's panel report: Lost in Space: Color version should be coming, Chuck doubt's they will do anything other than "the boy" and the robot again, states "no" to a family box set anytime soon, but while he didn't say never, he didn't sound hopeful. Also, Jay & Silent Bob were sold out at DST's booth by Sunday, LiS still had plenty to go around! So I'd say it's not looking very good for more LiS. Sorry, guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 I'll take whatever Lost in Space MInimates DST & AA can offer. Only offering "the boy" and Robot kinda smacks of just offering Kirk & Spock. Seems like Dr. Smith and B-9 could each successfully anchor a 4-pack, not unlike how Peter Pan and Tink anchored the Disney sets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tad Ghostal Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 well Dang. Clearly there weren't as many LIS fans around SDCC as there were J&SB fans. I'll take a color pair of Will & B9 regardless. Maybe two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeycrumb Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Just to clarify Hellpop, I spoke with Chuck at the booth Sunday, I missed the Saturday panel. And I think DST made a mistake going with black & white sets for SDCC. Even a "hot" line like Walking Dead has trouble moving that b&w Dale pack. But I'm sure the blame will be placed squarely on the license, not DST's decision to go b&w for the SDCC exclusives if my talk with Chuck on the Universal Monsters is any indication. Shame too, because it's an awesome set! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 A full assortment was never in the cards, even before SDCC. That said, if the set had performed better, maybe we would have reconsidered. Chuck has stated that the license was primarily acquired to make robot stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jatta Pake Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 (edited) A full assortment was never in the cards, even before SDCC. That said, if the set had performed better, maybe we would have reconsidered. Chuck has stated that the license was primarily acquired to make robot stuff. I'm not in the loop on all things Minimates but when did Lost in Space hit stores? I thought it was only SDCC exclusive. Does this mean that sales at the Con could have performed better? Or was the color set solicited in Previews without enough pre-orders from retailers? I think these looked cool. Would more retailers have pre-ordered if they were grouped in a "sci fi classics" assortment? Throw in a Flash Gordon 2-pack, Twilight Zone 2-pack, and a Metaluna Mutuant 2-pack. Edit: By the way, my responses to any lack of Minimates sales is always - make more Minimates! I would be terrible at this business and bankrupt the company in a heartbeat. Edited July 23, 2013 by Jatta Pake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 A full assortment was never in the cards, even before SDCC. That said, if the set had performed better, maybe we would have reconsidered. Chuck has stated that the license was primarily acquired to make robot stuff. So what other robot stuff is in the works? The press release at Toy Fair mentioned "an electronic replica of the B-9 robot" as well as Minimates. Any other high-end product in the works or does Chuck really think he can make the guaranty on robot replicas alone? It just seems odd to put all those eggs into one basket since Chuck has insisted in the past that DST generally doesn't go after a license if they can't get it in more than one category. (IE - role play, vehicles, busts, bottle openers, plush, action figures...) Acquiring this property and only offering robot seems a little myopic. And don't get me wrong; I realize that the property was pursued because of the perceived popularity of the robot and that Minimates were just icing on the cake. But there's an opportunity to offer something fans have rarely or never gotten before (figures of the Space Family Robinson) as well as DST's take on a toy robot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeycrumb Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 If the family were to come in a series of 2-packs with the Robot repeated in every pack, I'd still buy every pack. It's both maddening and saddening that the greatest strength of Minimates is rarely the actual focus. I wish DST all the best with their non-minimate stuff, but how much of it has never been done before? Nobody's ever made the family IIRC. Aside from maybe a new hairpiece or a few, the entire family can be made with absolutely no further new tooling needed. Stuff like this makes me really wish they would go the way of a multi-license assortment, ala Movie Maniacs, for properties that can barely sustain more than one 2-pack at a time. DST already feels this approach is necessary for Star Trek, I'd love to see it applied to something like a catch-all Sci-Fi or Horror line. (I don't expect it'll ever happen, just wishlisting ) I sincerely hope DST gets that Robot minimate back out in color at least, as well as a color version of the Dr Smith they did in b&w. Robot B9 is one of the coolest this year, and I wouldn't complain if I wind up with a ton of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 When the movie was released, Trendmasters had the license for film and TV characters so they capitalized on both. As I recall they offered 12" versions of some of the TV family but not all. And of course they made lots of classic robot toys. Johnny Lightning had the license for vehicles, too, but I think that was well after the feature film. It just seems that if DST is looking for a "one-and'done" kind of property that fits the tried and true Minimates formula, this is it. Two 4-packs to get the family out there and the Chariot as a Minimate-scaled vehicle. That's it. Over. And if they sell well enough, offer another 4-pack with a couple family members in spacesuits and a couple aliens. Beyond that, by all means offer electronic figures of the robot, a replica of the Jupiter 2, and maybe some role play. But don't think that electronic robot figures have never been offered. It's block figures that have the novelty. You just have to look to the past to see what's worked, what hasn't, and why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeycrumb Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 But don't think that electronic robot figures have never been offered. It's block figures that have the novelty. You just have to look to the past to see what's worked, what hasn't, and why. I don't think that, and that's not what I said. I'm tired of what's been done before. The robot & spaceshit has been marketed to death. When I said "but how much of it has never been done before?", the answer is Not Much, except the entire family as I mentioned. I remember the 9" dolls made by the same company that made those ugly Babylon 5 dolls. I bought the Trendmasters stuff from the movie on clearance, those were fun toys at clearance prices. IIRC, Trendmasters didn't do 3 3/4" classic figures. I bought a few of the Johnny Lightnings. But as for what has worked before and what hasn't, the issue of every company has always been tooling costs. And there lies my frustration. Minimates don't have to tool up an entire figure from scratch like a 3 3/4 " line would need to. If tooling costs weren't an issue, Trendmasters would have surely made a 3 3/4" line back when the movie came out. But by looking at "what worked before" ignores the issue that the main concern preventing a profitable line of classic figures in the past isn't currently an issue for Minimates. Costs are relatively cheaper, so the issue should be if and how to get them out. I don't think they've ever made the girl (Penny?) as a toy before, and if that's the case, do you mean to say it can't be done just because of old data that says what works & what doesn't? If DST wanted to do 4-packs, throwing her in one with stronger sellers would have been best. And Minimate collectors are more prone to "collect them all" instead of cherry-picking single releases like action figures. And when you say this is a "one-and-done" property, I agree with you. But I also expected just what you mentioned - two 4-packs and maybe a vehicle. I think DST really made a mistake going B&W for the SDCC release. I totally get their intent, by making something not ultimately "necessary" for later collections in color (ala Dale & Walking Dead B&W set), but I really fear the poor sales on them will affect their overall opinion on the future of this line. Plus, I really want Dr Smith in color just to see him turn up in more of the minimate comic strips the members here make - he's got such a "Creepy Uncle" vibe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zak Katz Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 And his name is Zachary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 Sorry for the confusion, Mr. Crumb. I was referring to your SDCC report: "Chuck doubt's they will do anything other than 'the boy' and the robot again, states 'no' to a family box set anytime soon, but while he didn't say never, he didn't sound hopeful." Add to that Zach's statement that a full [Minimates] assortment was never in the cards and I think we're in agreement while scratching our heads over this. When I refer to "what's worked before," I'm talking specifically about Minimates. With the recent exception of Jay & Silent Bob, I don't recall any black & white sets selling particularly well. As a tip-of-the-iceberg offering, it's a nice tease. But as a litmus test for sales? Not so much. When it comes to tooling, with the exception of the Chariot, I don't see a lot of cost with a line like this. We're talking characters that require hairpieces and tampos thanks to the Trek-like jumpsuits they wore. The ladies might require an existing tunic or skirt piece but I don't think any new tooling would be required. And if you're offering them in their flight suits, it's even easier. Dr. Smith in his military uniform is just General Ross from The Incredible Hulk. Other than that we're talking a couple ray guns. (Interesting fact: The guns on LiS were actually modified toy ray guns.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeycrumb Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Can I just admit how much I like the gun that comes with Dr Smith? It's neat! And as for what I said about hairpieces, I really think they can find pre-existing pieces for the guys (Hail Ivan!) and just need new tools for the girls. And more ray guns are always welcome. And MisterPL, looking at your pics, I see that the collar doesn't match what we got on Dr Smith, and I really find I don't mind because it still looks great. (re-used from TWOK Kirk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zak Katz Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Can you please post pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Can you please post pictures! Finished the MMDB update. Here's Dr. Smith and B-9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zak Katz Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Thank you!! Hail Ivan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tad Ghostal Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Can you please post pictures! Finished the MMDB update. Here's Dr. Smith and B-9. Thanks for the photos Ivan, but Yikes - what happened to the Robot? Is that very soft plastic, or are you really not happy to see me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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