elhonez

I will personally guarantee that Wave 83 will be none of the following: Martial Artists! Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, Shroud, Mantis, Death-Dealer (comic), Razorfist Masters of Evil! Whirlwind, Moonstone (80s), Mr. Hyde, Tiger Shark, Fixer, Goliath Sinister Syndicate! [A Spider-Man], Rhino (armored), Beetle (80s), Shocker (classic), Boomerang, Speed Demon (comic) Thor! [A Thor], Ulik, Destroyer (comic), Warriors Three Iron Man! [An Iron Man], Blizzard (first app), Crimson Dynamo (late 70s), Mandarin (OHOTMU version), Firebrand, Blacklash Serpent Society! [A Captain America], Sidewinder, Bushmaster, Diamondback, Black Mamba, Death Adder Supernatural! Brother Voodoo, Dracula, Morgan Le Fay, Satana, Son of Satan, Black Talon

I'm super psyched to learn more about 83 and beyond. Zach, are you able to comment on 83? Some questions: Will "83" appear anywhere on the packaging? When will this set be revealed? When will it be solicited? Will it be themed? Are you able to offer any hints?

So it's wrestling??

Cool Harkness -- I was thinking about doing something similar. That "shawl" is an inspired choice.

I also probably can't help -- I struggle with getting paint to look good & smooth. I have better luck when I'm spray painting flat colors, but I haven't tried spray paint on that type of plastic (at least I don't think I have).

Thanks for all the answers & insights Zach! Loving the box execution. I've always been one to tear open my mates and discard the packaging, but this set will have me re-thinking that strategy moving forward.

Some QQs (and thoughts) as I digest this: Is that a new/refreshed logo for Minimates? I like the book-spine look. Was using one of the many comic fonts for the "Fantastic Four" title off the table? What's on the back of the box?

Will DST still be counting these as "waves" or will we be abandoning that language now?

I love that Doctor Voodoo! @Padrino I did do a Ruby Thursday, but like Chondu it could use some modernizing, like a better torso piece, purple arms and a gold choker. Of course her main "thing" is her fishbowl head, which is a Mysterio helm I just red sharpied into ruby goodness.

Maybe one of the GOTG crew and Krugarr? Krugarr would be doable with a Strange cape + painted snake bottom. If Krugarr were the half-fig, then Talon would be the main attraction. Both definitely pretty obscure, although Krugarr made a cameo at the end of GOTG vol. 2. [edit: my thinking being this could explain the emphasis on "comic that a movie is named after" rather than a simple character-name movie like Thor, since the original comic GOTG were so vastly different than the movie lineup]

I had forgotten if I ever shared this? It was a super early QC I did of Chondu from the Headmen. I might change a couple things if I were to do it again today, maybe paint the feet, but overall I was pleased with how it came together: vs.

I'm zeroing in on both the "named after" part and the "no legs" part. Named after a comic could refer to the subtitle, like "Age of Ultron" or "Civil War." Because otherwise, it would just be the common name of multiple volumes of a comic, e.g. "Guardians of the Galaxy" or "Incredible Hulk." No legs could be energy bases, like Cannonball, or robot halves, like Shaper of Worlds or Bonebreaker. Or even snake tails like Bushmaster or Reptilla? But then again I'm notoriously bad at guessing based on Luke's clues, so whatever I end up guessing, go ahead and bet against me. Infinity War, Civil War, Age of Ultron... I'm guessing one of these. But they are mostly past my era of collecting, so I don't know what modern characters would quality for the no-legs bit. Just thinking out loud, Ultron invites lots of robot-y associations, but heroes who turn half their bodies into golden powered streaks whilst they knock about are a dime a dozen too. *I will note that the original Ultron, Ultron-1, had no legs and might be an interesting pack-in for an unmade figure from the AOU series since he/it appeared there. However, it wouldn't necessarily have a normal torso or arms either, so there's that.

An MCU Marvel movie, or non-MCU?

I'm going to periodically ping this thread with the observation that the omission of King Ghidorah from the line is a significant one. Bring on a fourth and final set!

I had thought Sesame Street briefly too, I think it would be very cool. But since Zach's latest post came after that guess, I think we can discount anything preceding his post. Masters of the Universe? That wouldn't be very WTF though, as many have been clamoring for this license to be picked up. If it's CSI: Your City Here, that would be both a WTF and a big fizzle for me. Sex in the City? Bridgerton? They'd both be WTF. The Bachelor? Dr. Pimple Popper? Modern Family? "What If?" would be literally WTF, although would that qualify as a new license? Could it be one of the DC shows like Superman & Lois, where the "WTF" would be "WTF aren't you doing regular DC Comics waves?"

Were any of my guesses correct?

Technically, it's a 92% increase. So, neener. (and yeah, hot damn that's a big bump)

Hm, broadcast. Rick and Morty? Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Saturday Night Live? South Park? Dancing with the Stars?

Maybe each "wave" will now be a single figure whose limbs are distributed across multiple blind bags, $8 each. "Oh shoot, another Willie Lumpkin left leg."

I appreciate this line-of-sight, so I can be sure to save up enough righteous indignation to build to an appropriate crescendo in February (I don't want to blow my wad in January). Will this blowback be primarily indebted to price, character selection, or a mix of both?

I think price-based WTFs are going to be a steady-state for the global economy, even beyond action figure collecting. Inflation across the board is rolling on in. For transparency though I live in SF, where $12 burritos seem to be table stakes post-pandemic. While prices elsewhere are never quite as douche-y as they are here, they are often a bellwether for price creep elsewhere. I'm meandering but my point is: I believe the rising tide will lift all boat-prices. In the short-term, the relative increases may be to the detriment of MiniMates, but even the big guys who move many more units and can leverage economies of scale (Hasbro) are incrementally increasing their prices. For my money, I'm a MM lifer. I could quit and shift my focus to another line, but that hypothetical line would be subject to the same market forces, so I just stick to what I like. Dance with the one what brung me!

This is super helpful -- thanks Luke!

I want to ask Luke, but really anyone: what software are you currently using to make decals? I really want to get back into making decals, and some of the customs on my virtual workbench demand them. I used to use Gimp, but it's been a very long time, and it really isn't great for the task in my experience.

Thanks for the suggestions! Lots of fit MiniMates, I guess they hit the gym more regularly than I do. I think Reed from Black Lagoon is a great suggestion. For context: I'm looking for parts for de-iced Iceman in the classic era, where he would not have been too yoked. And I'm looking for multiples, to account for multiple de-iced looks (FA and Neal Adams). I suppose Neal Adams-era Bobby could be a bit more fit, so I'll use one Vincent Vega and one Dr. Reed.

Are there any other flabby or less-fit bare chests than Vincent Vega from the Bonnie Situation?