The Alien™ Franchise

[Turtle]

I just want to buy all of the Alien/Aliens stuff that gets made. Treating them as one license is gravy to me because that seems to imply the chance of getting more Alien stuff down the line is higher, not lower. I'm looking forward to having everything announced, and I'll hold off on lamenting missed opportunities until the line is dead, not before it even starts.

[Valo487]

I think I'm just more puzzled than anything that outside of doing a box set or two pack that are strictly Alien they seem to be of the opinion at DST that there's no other way to get these characters out, I feel like I offered two very realistic and reasonable options if they wanted to continue. My question is more why DST seems to be so reluctant to pursue the first movie as part of the overall license, when I feel like it is just as popular as the second? And also I think that casual buyers aren't going to draw as big a distinction between the two movies, they see the Alien itself and will pick one up, I don't think that the movie it's based upon is going to be a dealbreaker. I would like to see DST look at this property as an overall universe, where everything has a place, instead of focusing on the second movie and saying "Maybe we'll get to the others." To me, the Xenomorph is the rock star of this license to casual buyers, I think there's a lot more potential mileage to get out of this property, I just don't want to see DST overlook a great opportunity.

Plus, if they get Predator....

Valo, I never said there was no way to get the characters out, just that we had no active plans to do so. Your options were to make sets that have characters from two different movies in them, and to make an army dump with 8 multiples of the exact same xenomorph, who only really had one look in the film. I doubt the licensor would think either idea was realistic or reasonable. (I don't even know if I personally like the idea, not that I matter.) And keep in mind, this forum is the home of people who don't want 616 Marvel characters in a two-pack with Ultimate Marvel.

And clearly, people DO draw a distinction between the two movies, as they want Alien Minimates specifically -- more Aliens Minimates is not an adequate substitute, even though that movie has more xenomorphs, which according to you are the selling point of the line. We're trying to focus on one of the most colorful and varied parts of the universe, with legitimate army-builders in the form of more varied xenomorphs that actually appear in large numbers on screen, but people here want specific human characters in grey jumpsuits and maybe some invented variations on a single xeno. I mean, want those characters, too, but if their undetermined fate is going to affect your appreciation of the Aliens line, then would we have been better off not making an Alien set at all? Seems like it.

Can I just send Chuck a link to this thread?

He'll call us all ridiculous (myself included), but go ahead.

Before I start, I would just like to apologize for quoting such a long post, but I wanted to be able to refer back to it. You're right Zach, some of my points weren't made in the clearest way, I was trying to hurry up and say what I wanted to say before I had to go to work. I didn't mean another army builder case with eight of the exact same Alien, I meant make variations of the smooth head Xenomorph for lack of a better description, similar to the ones you did with the Aliens set. I know it's a not a big deal, but I prefer the smooth version from the original film. Have one or two in black, one or two that are more brown tinted, open mouth, close mouth, battle damage, I hear there are even red Aliens in some of the expanded universe material. In regards to the two packs, I meant that if you decide to do a supplementary wave of two packs for Aliens, just have one of the 3 or 4 sets feature Alien characters alongside the Aliens characters. Have it all under one heading, but utilize the characters from both. I know that my ideas aren't perfect, in an ideal world, we would just be able to get any character from anything that we would like, without having to worry about market interest, but unfortunately that's not the world we live in. What I meant about the Xenomorph being the rockstar, was that the average person walking by who sees a set based on Alien OR Aliens, is going to first be interested in the Xenomorph himself before they notice the human characters. As much as all of us love Ripley, she comes in second to finally getting a 'mate of the Xenomorph. If we never got anything but just the Alien himself, I would still buy multiples of him just because I love that design so much. I definitely trust your judgment, and I'm just glad to see Alien get any representation at all, the point that I was trying to make is that I feel like both movies are equally loved, and a lot of people prefer the first film to the second, and vice versa. I just hope that the Alien material does well, so DST will revisit it. I just don't want to see the belief that Aliens is the more marketable film create tunnel vision that prevents other sets from being made because of the perceived lack of interest, which I don't think is the case. I think having Alien or Aliens merchandise on shelves will sell. A casual buyer might pick up one or two sets, just depending on whatever it is they happen to see, but I can't imagine anyone who is a fan of the series only buying sets from one film or the other, I feel like they would want them all. Either way, you're going to make a lot of money off of me as soon as these are released.

[DSTZach]

Feel free to ask DSTChuck for more Alien '79 Minimates via Ask DST (http://www.artasylum.com). As far as I can see, nobody has. NOBODY. I see a letter about a Nostromo vehicle, but we haven't even said we're definitely making any vehicles yet.

Since you've clearly gone native here, does DST's Facebook page carry any weight at all with Chuck? Because I've seen a few comments there requesting/expecting a second Alien set.

But I'll ask DST anyway.

I spend even more time on our Facebook page than I do here, and I do not recall these comments, but I likely told them to Ask DST. Chuck reads the FB page, but probably not every comment. Ask DST is the best way.

[CBMM1]

Perhaps this his been answered before, but does DST's license just cover ALIEN(S) or more than that? I'm not just talking the sequels. There is a plethora of expanded universe material. I'm talking comics, novels, videogames, etc. Also, can DST create their own Xenomorph variations like NECA has been doing? If so, that could be an interesting way to pump out the leftover humans.

Maybe I'm think too out of the box here, but if this first lineup sells well I could see a generalized theme (perhaps title: "ALIEN LEGENDS") being produced. Here you can get the casual buyers to buy 2-packs for the Xenos and collectors get their humans.

I dunno maybe I'm just crazy.

Edited July 11, 2014 by CBMM1

[DSTZach]

It's a movie license. I don't know about creating our own.

[DSTZach]

One letter received in Ask DST!

[youbastards]

I'm submitting one now, Zach. I did submit an Ask DST after the reveal of the ALIEN boxset, but it never made it to a Q&A. It had proposals for 3 or 4 different boxsets.

[MrClean]

I'd like to submit something to Ask DST, but every time I click on any link on the AA site that says "Ask DST" it just bounces me back to the questions. I don't know if this is a browser specific issue or not(I'm on Safari). Does anyone have a direct link to where to actually submit a question?

[MisterPL]

Try this:

http://www.artasylum.com/2014/06/ask-dst-249-star-trek-the-final-frontier/

[MrClean]

Try this:

http://www.artasylum.com/2014/06/ask-dst-249-star-trek-the-final-frontier/

Well, that took me to the same place, but I know the problem now. If the browser window is too small, it hides everything else besides the questions. Once I expanded the window, the sidebar popped up with the submit link. Thanks!

[Onyx_6]

We need 4 more characters to 'complete' the ALIEN crew. How/why would putting another Ripley/Xenomorph in a second box help us at all? We would then be even closer to an unfinished set!

My hope is that we see the Halo TRU approach where we got one Reach 2-pack and three Halo packs in the set. With wave 2, or with the TRU wave!, we could get a pack of ALIEN crew members among 3 2-packs from ALIENS.

And just remember that the original crew is seen on vid-screen in Aliens, so they can still show up as 'flashback' characters, packed with ALIENS characters!

When are these arriving again?

[MisterPL]

We need 4 more characters to 'complete' the ALIEN crew. How/why would putting another Ripley/Xenomorph in a second box help us at all? We would then be even closer to an unfinished set!

Agreed but this is what happens when DST decides to put both anchors (Big Chap and Ripley) in one 4-pack. Who else is perceived as a strong enough character to encourage sales?

Personally I'd be happy with Ash (with parts to recreate his grotesque demise) anchoring a followup set. Next to the chestburster scene, that was probably the most memorable and shocking scene in the film.

But if DST wants to complete the crew as part of a second series, I'm down with that. Just complete the crew.

[buttheadsmate]

I can't say that I've seen any love for a 'space-jockey' . I know that there are probably some logistical or licensing problems but that never seems to be a reason not to whine

I'd love a 'space-jockey' .

[karamazov80]

The Mez-Itz one has a flat head that sort of resembles a Minimate. But I personally wouldn't have much interest without Minimates in their space suits.

Edited July 15, 2014 by karamazov80

[Glantern]

How about two more Alien boxed sets?

Set 2:

-Ripley or Alien variant

-Dallas

-Lambert

-Brett

Set 3:

-Dallas (Space Suit)

-Lambert (Space Suit)

-Kane (Space Suit)

-Ash

This would allow us to get the whole crew, with Ripley or the Alien to anchor the second set. Then the third set could be anchored by the space suits.

[buttheadsmate]

We'll get space-suited figures in this line .......I just know we will.

[MisterPL]

Set 2:

-Ripley (Space Suit)

-Dallas

-Lambert

-Brett

Set 3:

-Dallas (Space Suit)

-Lambert (Space Suit)

-Kane (Space Suit)

-Ash

I'm good with that. Reusing those space suit sculpts has got to make things more profitable.

I can wait for the Space Jockey in the inevitable Prometheus line.

[karamazov80]

How about two more Alien boxed sets?

Set 2:

-Ripley or Alien variant

-Dallas

-Lambert

-Brett

Set 3:

-Dallas (Space Suit)

-Lambert (Space Suit)

-Kane (Space Suit)

-Ash

This would allow us to get the whole crew, with Ripley or the Alien to anchor the second set. Then the third set could be anchored by the space suits.

Sign me up, for any way of getting the whole crew in their regular work suit attire. Despite the Kubricks releasing so many figures from this line, they didn't even give us that. Edited July 15, 2014 by karamazov80

[Valo487]

Worst case scenario, they could just pack in a few extra heads and we could make our own for some of them. Lambert could use the Ripley body and I don't think it would cause any discrepancies.

[CBMM1]

NOOO!!!

On the newest "Ship Dates Update!" it says the dump isn't coming until September.

[Gregio]

Oh man! Really????? That´s terrible!!!!

I´m waiting for this figures since I saw them in the NYTF in 2013. More than a year after the license was confirmed and nothing in stores...

Now we have to wait more??? It´s kind of disappointing, I was really excited that the line would be launched this week...

[bilbofett]

Bummer. Can't remember where I saw this, but one of the sites had these listed for Sept. That was about two weeks ago. Luke's had them for this week so I thought it was an error. Guess not.

[DSTZach]

We didn't show them to the public at NYTF 2013, just retailers, because they weren't ready, and were a long ways off. We even had them in a silver box you could only see into when the light was on. I do not believe any photos leaked.

I don't think we showed them to the public until SDCC 2013, and we only showed Ripley, Newt and two Aliens. Still not ready, still a long ways off.

We first showed this assortment in January 2014, on Io9.com, right before NYTF 2014, when we solicited it. It was the first time most of these figures had been shown anywhere.

I haven't seen packaged samples yet, but I have seen unpackaged samples. Once I see a packaged sample, I know it's about month out. Good news is that the Alien 35th set should be coming out not too long after that.

Not sure of the timeline for Series 1, but we didn't allow photos of it at NYTF, although pictures were taken. But we did at C2E2. Just so we're straight.

And I don't know where Luke got this week as a date, I don't believe we have ever said that publicly, but maybe Diamond ran it somewhere. Sorry, Luke.

Look for sample photos before they hit.

[CBMM1]

And I don't know where Luke got this week as a date, I don't believe we have ever said that publicly, but maybe Diamond ran it somewhere. Sorry, Luke.

There was a ship date update (I believe it was 2 before this one) that had it listed for July.

[Gregio]

We didn't show them to the public at NYTF 2013, just retailers, because they weren't ready, and were a long ways off. We even had them in a silver box you could only see into when the light was on. I do not believe any photos leaked.

And who says I'm not in the NYTF? I saw them in person and even talked to you! Since I work in a import/collectibles company in my country, I go every year to NY and sometimes to the SDCC so I see not only the products that are the company's interests but my personal interests too!

But my point is: the license is confirmed since the Toy Fair in 2013 and the first products to be released was just 1 year and 5 months after (now 1 year and 7 month) It's a long wait.

In the Diamond Retail System actually the Dump Case has its release date scheduled to June, and marked just as "Hasn't Shipped" and now in the new Art Asylum Release Date, its marked to September.

As a collector (since the company I work don't deal with the minimates lines) this is kind of frustrating. I was really excited with the line specially the second movie figures (curiously, the first ones showed). Not only the boxset from AlienS don't have any news or release date scheduled but the first product confirmed (the dump case) suffers a delay of a couple months.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Gregio