cdubya

Get greedy, this needs to be done! Although I'd probably say we need an Alien in each pack for balance (difficult as there's just the one). Perhaps a version with the inner jaw extended.

Is there any chance of a second production run (if TRU requests it), or is it pretty much over and done? In either case it'll likely increase purchases of the specialty market release and hopefully persuede a Series 2.

Still no sign in Missouri, but I did manage to snag a full set from a TRU in Kansas last week. I'm extremely impressed with these (despite my Spidron's weak knee-joints) and have been having a blast mixing-n-matching parts. I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun with Minimates! I may actually pick-up another set when these finally hit MO. Since these are based on the comic (which I don't have) might we be able to deduce who may make the cut in the event of a Series 2? I've noticed (based on the covers) that the lion and tiger seem to be reoccurring characters. Would anyone with more info. (i.e. read the comic) care to chime in with perhaps a list of the characters/species?

That is an enticing deal despite the steep shipping (but isn't it all these days). I still wish this were plastic with moving parts (treads, paws, cargo doors, etc.) rather than just a static resin statue, but at $28.02 I may finally be ready to commit. I needed set 3 anyways and there's nothing wrong with extra custom fodder from set 2!

Yep, that'd do provided they stand 2.5-3" with the attachments. You're missing a few small details like the forearm spurs and weird back flange, but this is a very good representation of how they can effectively achieve the tall, lanky proportions (hopefully their minds think alike!). While I think it'd be more economical/practical to have just one head with a hinged-jaw and an extendable inner-jaw, I suspect that we'll probably get multiple head sculpts for variation. "Teeth-bearing sneer, open mouth (inner-jaw retracted), and open mouth (inner-jaw extended)" are essential. Anything else is gravy. Blue, brown, and battle-damage paint variations of all three could expand our hive nicely. I know that counter-dumps have been hit-or-miss in the past, but this is one line that truly needs/deserves it. You can never have too many drones! And eggs; lots-n-lots of eggs! Make it possible DST.

I've got to admit that I've been dragging my feet on picking the coach up (despite how cool it looks), as I get so tired of being sucked-in to DST lines that never get completed. I realize that I'm part of the problem: if item doesn't do well at retail, line doesn't continue. However, like myself, I think quite a few people are holding back until we can get some confirmation that DST has plans to go forward with at least one box set completing the Munster family. It's a sad cycle.

I love the film, the idea, and the fact that 'mates have finally got a pinky-toe in the Disney door, however I personally don't think that these translate well into 'mate form. Regardless, I'll still probably get these if for no other reason than to support the expansion of this golden opportunity for DST. I've no doubt that these will sell if reasonably priced. Now in the extremely unlikely event that "Tron" and/or "John Carter" 'mates miraculously occur from this relationship, then I will be thrilled! I still maintain that Syd Mead inspired Light Cycles would be the ultimate Minimate vehicle packs. *Disney also now owns a little franchise called "Star Wars"...just say'in.

That would be excellent! Especially with the flame-thrower. However, my biggest concern (besides how the Aliens' lanky bodies and height are addressed; I trust they'll be good based on what we've seen for "Battle Beasts" and "Halo") is that boxy 'mate bodies have never really been conducive to rifle-holding. A set of hands with the opening slit turned slightly inward (or rather the peg offset a centimeter toward the thumb) would make a world of difference. An odd request, I know, but two-handed battle-grip is an important detail for this line IMHO. Just an OCD thought.

Now this is exciting news!! I must confess that I haven't been coming around much lately as my 'mate-collecting has waned a bit, but Aliens?!? Oh, I'm back in a big way! Lost in Space is a pleasant surprise as well. I can understand a few folks' reservations about LiS, but it has been aired for ages and has a decent fan-base. I think these will translate quite nicely in MM form and that Chariot just screams MM vehicle! A landing-pod would be nice too, but do not forget to include a few of the funky aliens as they are an essential part of the shows' appeal. And then there's the big news...Aliens. What can I say other than if any movie, show, etc. were tailor-made for army-building "dumpers" this is it! A good amount of characters with reusable parts from a highly recognizable franchise= win. It doesn't hurt that it coincides with a video game release. Get these into retail in a timely manner and watch sales soar. The "power-loader" and "APC" (must seat at least 4-6 'mates though...don't cheap-out DST!) are no-brainers for mini-vehicle release. I will personally buy the Hell out of this line. I'd still like to see a box-set or two in the near future for "Alien", but this will do...for now. Secure the Predator license too, and watch me back-flip like a wind-up monkey!

A clear (emphasis on acrylic) model paint is best. However, if you've no access to any you can always raid the wife or girl friend's (if applicable) clear top-coat nail polish (also a durable acrylic). For small projects such as this it will work just as well if not better.

That's his "O" face! HO-oo.

That is flippin' amazing!! I was contemplating attempting to build one myself (though nothing this mechanically complicated...WOW!), however given the outrageous cost of LEGOs (unless you happened to already have them) it would most certainly cost more than the $70 statue to complete. I just wish the statue had a few moving parts (treads, cargo doors, etc.) for the price. Those of you looking for a cheap alternative may want to check your Wal-Mart clearance aisles. I picked-up a 2012 Thundertank and Tower of Omens for $10 each! While they're not "classic" in design, they work well with MMs.

I ask the impossible: "Spinner" (and other vehicles/figures) from Blade Runner Vehicles from "the Road Warrior" And lastly, but slightly more plausible...a Minimate *horse *Ah, my mini-kingdom for a horse! (along with cowboys, knights, Lone Ranger, Zorro, the Phantom, etc.) Bonus-points if designed in a way that allowed a 'mate torso to be attached Centaur-style!

Yeah, Mattel's track-record of "good" decisions is an extremely short list. However, I do believe that our chances are far better than if the license was being held (or rather...locked-down) by someone like Hasbro who would determine that they'd do a better job in-house by sh!tting-out some Kre-ons. Or worse yet, do absolutely nothing with it (BSG, Micronauts, etc.)! The success of Thundercats coupled with Hero Icon's passion for the line could be just the nudge that it takes move this stubborn mule (or "jack-ass", if you like) of a company. Best case scenario, it would probably be a year or two down the road and the "Matty-Club" run would be winding-down a bit which may also help. Hell, the Four Horsemen themselves would probably champion the idea (those guy's passion for nostalgic-toys is awesome) regardless of whether they were involved!

Mum-Ra "the everliving" will be in Series 4 according to the control art shown at the panel. The next two sets (2 & 3) will be sold at NYCC. Hopefully enough is being produced for on-line retailers. This line looks awesome!

While I'm personally not a Masters of the Universe fan, I know for fact that many people are. Now, with the news that Heroic Icons will be releasing Thundercats 'mates it seems inevitable (and rightly so as they would translate beautifully in MM form IMHO) that MotU will surely be on the horizon since the company specializes in products from both of these licenses. I think it is safe to speculate that both of these will be successful. While doing a little research to refresh my memory on the characters, I was amazed at just how near perfectly the original Mattel releases would coincide with the four 'mate box-set formula. I'd love to see H. Icons simply copy the original line-ups (with a few minor tweaks here-n-there), as I think it would enhance the nostalgic feeling for MotU fans. Four waves of two box sets would pretty much cover the entire line (at least the major characters). Here's a general idea of how it could go: Series 1 Heroic Warriors He-Man Man-At-Arms Stratos Teela w/ Orko pack-in (ala Snarf) Evil Warriors Skeletor Beastman Mer-Man Zodac w/ Screech pack-in Series 2 Ram-Man Man-E-Faces Mekanek Buzz-off Evil-Lyn Faker Tri-Klops Trap-Jaw Special "beast" asst. "Battle Armor" He-Man w/ Battlecat "Battle Armor" Skeletor w/ Panthor Series 3 Fisto Moss-Man Roboto Sy-Klone Clawful Webstor Whiplash Kobra Khan -or- Two-Bad Stinkor Spikor Scare-Glow Series 4 Prince Adam Sorceress King Randor Queen Marlena Hordak Grizzlor Mantenna Leech

I liked the initial proto.s, but now I'm incredibly excited about this license after seeing what they've got planned! While I too could do without the "human" elements (oh well, fodder for a mod-project), this has pure-win written all over it IMHO. Excellent fantasy character designs translated into well-executed 'mates. What's not to love here?!? Sign me the F-up and ship these out already!

Well they've certainly exceeded my expectations with the inclusion of Mum-Ra's generals all in one pack...WOW!! Cheetara, Tygra, and the kittens look great also. I can easily see the orders for the Thundertank and Cat's Lair statues doubling (if not tripling) after this news. This is precisely how a Minimate (or any) license should be handled. Hats-off. *Now if they can shoe-horn a 2.5"- 3" Mum-ra "the ever-living" into the mix somehow. I vote for a "build-a-figure" program to encourage (like it's needed) sales of each set. Set 1: head + accessories, set 2: torso and arms, set 3: legs and waist. Now if they'd prefer to expand into more than 3 sets, I'm all for that as well! I believe you mean..."HO!!!".

Soooo many good things coming out! I've gone from luke-warm to extremely excited about "Battle Beasts" after seeing what they have planned!!

This development was just enough to draw me back in from my mini-break. It's good to be back and I'm thrilled at rising standards of current MMs. Thank-You AFX for consistently providing the cool (when DST seems afraid to take the risk)! These look a-mazing!! I can only imagine that there are plans for more if Jaga made the S1 cut over Tygra or Cheetara. Here's hoping that this is the beginning of extensive line-up from the TC universe (old and new). I've no doubt that these will do well.

Virtually no interest in the 4 TRUs that I frequent (besides the b/w exclusive). I've been wondering if there is truly no interest, or if the fan base is just well informed and are holding out for the box sets. As much as it worries me about future releases, I'd be a hypocrite to criticize collectors as I'm doing the same. I may pick up one or two for parts, but the box sets simply have more to offer and seem a more viable format for these. The b/w variants would have been better reserved for a special "collected box set" or as a Diamond/Previews exclusive IMHO.

Yes. Yes. And Hell yes!! I can't believe Annihilus and/or Ronan didn't make the cut, unless we've some "Fantastic" surprises in store for us in Series 38. Then again, this is a retool-wave, so I guess it's no surprise. However, let the record show that we want some Annihilus, Ronan, Attuma, Moloids, and throw-in a Watcher too while your at it! Make it happen around the same time our Inhumans get completed and it truly would be Fantastic. *DragonMan would be cool too, though I'm of the camp that prefers a little bit of scale difference when it comes to the larger characters (I know, "blasphe-mini"!). Two inch just ain't gonna cut it unless he gets some serious bulking and extensions IMHO.

Pretty nice, though not without faults. Reed, Sue, MoleMan, and Torch look excellent. I'm not really feeling that Thing, but with so many parts to choose from, everyone should be able to find a happy medium. Doom (my favorite character), still after so many attempts, misses the mark and is disappointing (WTH DST?!? Have you been studying Hasbro's business formulas?). This is where it gets difficult for me personally. As much as I love Namor, we already have great versions from the Defenders and Invaders box sets. This is obviously depicting his more recent appearance, but I always wished that in the event that we ever did get another Namor/Submariner that we (o.k., I) might be able to add an Attuma or at least TigerShark to our collection. I fear I just heard my "window of opportunity" slam shut. As cool and unexpected as the Atlantean Soldier is (neeever saw that one coming), I think even I would have preferred either a Doombot or Moloid as an army builder. Though judging by most of the reactions here, it would seem that most of you would have preferred there not be any army builder at all if it is going to be a limited exclusive (and understandably so). Therefore, Attuma was the solution to all our (o.k., again...my) problems! Overall, a pretty slick wave and hopefully one that leads to a stellar (or rather inter-stellar) Series 38 (more FF baddies, perhaps a She-Hulk guest appearance, and of course a planned box set completing my Inhumans...right?). Of course if I'm wrong, then you can just go to Hell!

Hmmm, that is interesting (though not surprising). I'm sure that all of their catalog will just be absorbed by Warner/Sony/or another gobbling-giant (which could consequently make any future licenses more difficult/expensive to negotiate. As far as what this means for DST, that is a good question for Chuck. I just keep hearing Bill Murray (ala Ghostbusters)-"Ohhhh Johnny; did you ever back the wrong pony!" And so ends another chapter in the history of Minimates (but hopefully the beginning of another).

Are you trying to tell me that Hot Dogs have meat in them ? Regards the Vipers & Raiders .....what sort of numbers of these were stocked in TRU's....dozens or hundreds? Overall or do you mean each store specifically? I can't speak for all the others, but of the 4 TRU's in my vicinity the max I ever saw at one time was twelve (2 cases each consisting of 3xVipers and 3xRaiders). I believe it's safe to say that the majority generally had one case at a time (six) pegged (or in some cases shelved) as the bubble-packaging took up quite a bit of space. And the real answer is "yes, yes you should." Don't forget, pick up 2 Tyrol packs... besides getting extra cylons, you get 2 army fatigue bodies that look really good with Venkman and Egon heads on them (Stripes). "That's a fact, Jack !"