Gillbob316

Whenever I'm in Orlando I go to ACME... something or other... it starts with ACME, look it up in a phone book. I wanna say it's called ACME comics and games, or comics and toys, or something along that line, but i'm really not 100% positive. It's not -in- Orlando, it's a bit of a drive out of town, but it's a huge store, they have tons of comics and toys, and are good for minimates, so I find it's well worth the drive. They always have the newer minimates, and they usually have a healthy selection of older ones too... they also, at times, have the variants... I know I've grabbed a few there. I got all my series 1 mates there WAY back in the day... and I just picked up all the sets I was missing from Lord of the Rings mates on my last trip to Florida. If you go, be sure to check all the class display cases filled with random loose toys thoroughly, because more often than not there are loose minimates in them that are hard to spot... being that they're so small. Anyway, that's what I'd recommend. If you're bent on not actually leaving Orlando however, I'd say goto Bad Apple comics. It's much closer, but much smaller, and their selection usually isn't as good, toy or comic wise. ... Boy, I know a lot about comic book stores in Orlando for someone who lives in Illinois, huh? My family goes to Universal Studios and Disney World a lot...

Back on the subject of DC Quality-Control, I'll add my 2 cents... I too had a Robin who's leg broke off at the knee straight out of the package. I had a Power Girl who had both legs painted as if they were her right leg (so her left leg's underpants line went the wrong direction) I realize this is something I could have seen before opening her, but frakly it was such a small detail that I didn't notice until she was open and I played with her. And, I returned the afformentioned Robin, I ALMOST had a faulty Penguin in the replacement set... I almost flipped because I realized right after opening him that his left arm was a right arm... but then I further realized that his right arm was a left arm... so a double-problem managed to correct itself in that case... heh... Anyway, ever since then, I've made sure to open every set of mates I buy in the car immediately after buying them, instead of when I get home, 'cause I'm sick of having to spend an extra hour going to the store and back for returns. (If they even have more in stock... if they don't, I have to wait 2 weeks for them to order more.)

I'm hearing lots fo conflicting info here... Some people are saying their comic book store/shipper says, "Got 16 last week, getting Zombies this week" Some people are saying their comic book store/shipper says, "Getting both 16 and Zombies this week" But I'm hearing no, "Getting 16 this week, getting zombies next week" See, I don't think of myself as the west coast, 'cause I'm in Illinois, but I still get my mates with the west coast shipments, so I haven't yet gotten series 16... I get it Wednesday... Does there exist a possibility that I could get Zombies as well this week? Is Diamond just giving Zombies a kick-start, and shipping them nation-wide for once, instead of in installments... ... Because that would be awesome... I actually -like- the 1 week delay on regular series, because I always get the variant that way, by going to the comic book store 1st thing in the morning when they open... I get a 1 week warning that way. But with a no-variant boxed set, a one week delay is just a one week delay, and I don't wanna wait, hehe...

Those aren't really High Res... just big and close up... they're fairly mid quality jpegs, not high res... Resolution is a clarity thing, not a size thing... a picture could be 300 dpi (that's high-res) and still be a thumbnail... Those pictures aren't very crisp at all... (Still a good find though... feel free to ignore this post, I just felt the need to be a graphic-arts nerd for a second there.)

All my Toys R Usesses either have no mates, or just the Darkstalkers Street Fighter pack... I don't need more Evil Ryu, I want Shin Akuma!

You think they could figure out a way to make a 1" mate? Gir would have to be like... a torso and a crotch, with a slightly oversized head, and arms and legs half the length of normal mates, with no joints in them...

I'm just gonna do these all by looking at the 6 basic characters, and choosing what I think would have bene the most intuitive variant... I know some of the ones I'm mentioning were released later, or in other sets, but I'm just gonna chug through them... Series 1: Grey-Hulk... just makes more sense to me than Black Elektra Series 2: Honestly, I would have left it Black Spider-Man. I know it angered lots of people, but it makes the most sense. Series 3: Original Costume Ultimate Wolverine (From the cover of Ultimate X-Men #1) Series 4: Black Bullseye Series 5: Grey & Gold Juggernaut (I don't know if he had even worn that costume yet when these hit, but I pick that.) Series 6: Phoenix Phoenix (As in Green Suit Phoenix) Series 7: J. Jonah Jameson (With an ACTUAL head, and just given the regular Chameleon various Mask Accesories) Series 8: Like Series 2, I think Invisible Sue was the logical choice. Series 9: New X-Men Emma (Would have made more sense w/ Diamond Form) Series 10: Like 2 & 8, I like the variant Spider-Woman choice. Sorry it's harder to get, but it was a good variant.) Series 11: Green & White costume Rogue (Also would have given the normal one a Jacket) Series 12: Again, Good Variant Series 13: I'd have made a normal Kitty the regular, and Phasing the variant Series 14: Movie Civilian Logan Series 15: "Demon" Blackheart Series 16: Fantastic Four She-Hulk Series 17: Original Movie Green Goblin (I know he's not in the liscense, but he'd have been a cooler variant) Series 18: I'd have switched M.J. in as the normal and made Gwen the variant... makes more sense to me... Series 19: Original Angel (Blue Skin, Feather Wings) Series 20: Modern Havok (There are tons of options for this set though, I just went with this 'cause I'm an X-Fan)

0. Tweak (My own original character) 0. Tragedy (My own original character) 0. Trickle (My own original character) I cheated and made them all #0 because I didn't wanna waste 3 slots on a team of my own original characters... they're a boxed set. 1. Marrow (X-Men) 2. Cammy (Street Fighter) 3. Mileena (Mortal Kombat) 4. The 6 Original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (Again, Cheating, Boxed Set) 5. The Spice Girls (You're probably getting the idea by now) 6. Callisto (Xena: Warrior Princess/Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) 7. Sylvanas Windrunner (Warcraft III/World of Warcraft) 8. Waspinator (Beast Wars: Transformers) 9. Chairman Kaga & The Iron Chefs (Woo Hoo! More Cheating!) 10. Jay & Silent Bob (At least this time I cheated a little less) 11. Dark Helmet (Spaceballs) 12. Josie and the Pussycats (I just don't stop do I?) 13. The 4 witches from the movie "The Craft" (Apparently i don't...) 14. Ghostface Killer & Michael Myers (The guys from "Scream" & "Halloween" ... not the rapper and the actor...) 15. Demona (Gargoyles) As you may have noticed, there were several instances where I listed teams and/or groups, instead of individuals, because I felt they were units that just COULDN'T be broken up. I could never live with just 1 of any of the characters I mentioned as groups... it would just be lame to have 1 Power Ranger or Jay with no Silent Bob. I also listed several individual characters from games/shows/movies with expansive casts (like Waspinator, Mileena or Dark Helmet) It's safe to assume that I'd want the other cast members in those cases too, but the casts were just too big for 1 boxed set, so I just listed my favorite person... but I want them ALL! So to sum up, same as the previous post, liscense wise I want... 1. My own original characters 2. Mortal Kombat 3. Power Rangers 4. The Spice Girls 5. Xena: Warrior Princess / Hercules: The Legendary Journeys 6. (World of) Warcraft 7. Beast Wars: Transformers 8. Iron Chef 9. Askewniverse (AKA Kevin Smith Movies) 10. Spaceballs 11. Josie and the Pussycats 12. The Craft, Scream & Halloween (I'm lumping these as "Horror Movies") 13. Gargoyles And hey... after that lump, and removing "Marvel" and "Street Fighter" which already have minimate liscenses, I've free'd up 2 more slots again... So I'm adding... 14. The Venture Brothers (Brock being my single character representative) AND 15. Pee Wee's Playhouse (Cowboy Curtis being my single character representative) ... Boy was that a long post...

The club not having an indentation may just be too many uses of the same mold, too much paint, or a combination of both.

I really thought She-Hulk looked better with New X-Men Phoenix hair in the prototype than she does with Ultimate X-Men Storm hair... I wonder why they changed it... And I also agree, Wonder Man with brown hair was just stupid... thank god I have so many spare black hair pieces from my various Iron Men...

I just now realized that Loki's cape is White Queen's repainted... Hehe... pansy...

I voted for the Brotherhood, 'cause I'm an X-Men fan, and I want Toad and Blob. (Though I'd prefer Avalanche and Pyro to another Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver... not the original brotherhood, I know, but I like new characters better than new versions.) PS. I think listing Giant Man as 2" was kinda pointless... I mean I know it's just a "what if" poll, but we all know it's never gonna happen.

So far I've been avoiding the ones taht require me in them... It's not that I don't have ideas, or don't know what to do... if push comes to shove I can get them done and have my family/friends take them... I just hate being photographed... so I'm trying to think of acceptable ways of not showing most/all of myself for as many as I can... (This contest is rewarding creativity, after all...) Rule bending, it's what's for dinner! Hehe... I also don't yet have the themepark ride, but I have plans, if I can't manage to find a real themepark ride... Clever thinking and stacking backup plan, upon backup plan, upon backup plan... that's what's getting me through alot of the harder ones...

Stupid Question: Are you sure that neither Rocky's Hat nor Hood can't be removed from his hair, on either figure... like, 3 seperate pieces stacked, is what I'm saying. Hat > Hair > Head. It looks like it's possible... but I really can't tell from the pics, and as I don't have the figures myself, I can't say. Just wondered... since I agree, it's stupid for him not to have a hairpiece... It's a longshot and a stupid question, I know, but when I bought my first few minimates, it was actually quite a while before I ever realized Daredevil's mask was removeable... that's why I ask... just grasping at straws here...

Why are the X-Men fans only options Alternate Reality packs? I object. I picked AoA Pack 2 because it has more characters that can be used outside AoA... Blink and Sabretooth are both Exiles, and the Exiles are awesome, and have visited 616 on numerous occasions. X-Man came to 616 and was an X-Man... so... hey, 1 more X-Man for my team is awesome for me. Sunfire, though not techincally in 616, could pull a double use, because he recently started wearing his AoA costume in 616 continuity, after becoming Apocalypse's Famine Horseman. So hey, 1 more 616 X-Man *Thumbs Up* AoA Gambit and Sinister I don't much care about, but the number of characters I wanted in this set forced me to drag them along... My votes for AoA characters... Blink Sabretooth Morph Sunfire X-Man Dark Beast Holocaust All characters we can get some use out of beyond their little alternate reality bubble. Now, my idea for completely unrelated, NON-Alternate Reality X-Men packs... 90's Jim Lee X-Men... simple, get's the point across... Box cover could be that classic X-Men #1 cover we've all seen 100 times. And it gives us access to a lot of stuff people have been asking for for a while, such as... New characters, all in one of their best known looks... Gambit Jubilee Psylocke Already made characters, again, in some of their best known looks... 90's Costume Cyclops 90's Costume Jean 90's Costume Storm 90's Costume Beast Bishop with his awesome Mullet Professor X in the Big Gold Floaty Chair I know alot of us folks who grew up with the Cartoon in the 90s would love to see some of those mates, at long last.

I know very very little about DC outside of Batman, so rather than write out a full on, well thought out wave, I'm just gonna muse randomly... I think Beast Boy is a given. They're clearly trying to round out the Teen Titans from the Cartoon Show... probly to give the line more appeal for the youngins'. I'm surprised so few of you mentioned him. I'd personally like to see a new Catwoman... mostly because she's my favorite DC Character... I want the purple costume, from the Jim Balent era. Not saying it'll happen, just saying it's what I want. I'd also like a Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, Scarecrow, & Ras Al Ghul. (Did I mention most of what I really know is Batman?) ... Actually I'd say Two-Face is pretty damn likely considering as of Wizard World Chicago he's now confirmed to appear in "The Dark Knight." (Incase you hadn't heard) ... Other than that I have very few thoughts on the matter... Krypto & Ace? Hehe...

Just interjecting a quick thanks for all the compliments thrown at my mate. I'd like to tell you that I was creative enough to come up with her off the top of my head for this contest, but she is something I've worked at for quite a while. I'm always on the look out for new parts that would compliment her. (Essentially, she's a not-so-quick quick custom) My only regret is that Lobo has not yet been released, or she'd most assuredly have his boots... maybe his hair too honestly... I'd have to see how it looked on her first. Anyway, again, thanks all. PS. That recipe given earlier was correct. The feet are also Batman's (as if it matters for plain black feet) just 'cause I wanted peg-holes, and Black Elektra had none. PS2. I think it's "pizzaz" but it's entirely possible that I'm also wrong.

Marvel: Nothing. Well... except for Gold/Silver/Santa Spideys... but I don't exactly count them amongst the regular line. As far as normal Marvel goes though, I have everything that has yet been released, including all variants & exclusives. Maximates: Don't have these though... too much damn money... need me a job or a good deal... C3: Batcopter, Mini-Javelin & Flash Mini-Flyer. (Like everyone else... though on the plus side, I do have the Superman flyer.) DC: Tons of crap... I've never been a huge DC fan, save Batman, so I only really pick up the Batman sets, and miscellaneous other sets with characters I like in them. (Like Power Girl & Dr. Fate for instance, because I wanted Power Girl... I have no idea who Dr. Fate is.) I may get the rest someday, when I find a job, but right now I can't afford them. (PS. Incase you wondered why then I have most of the C3 sets, a, Most of them -were- Batman, b, I got most of them dirt cheap when Tower Records, Toys R Us, and Target all clearanced them off at the same time. Mini-Flyers we're $1.99, ranging all the way to the Batcave which was $9.99. I think the only sets I paid retail for were the Batglider (Because I love Catwoman) and the Superman Mini-Flyer (Because I found him before the markdowns, and I knew he was rarer.)) BSG: Haven't bought any, don't watch the show. I kinda want some for parts to play with, but i'm in no hurry. I DO however, want some classic Cylons, because they remind me of a scene from Beverly Hills Cop 3. Street Fighter: Have Everything but Shin Akuma and Evil Ryu... I missed them, and they're never on ebay anymore. (PS. I want Series 2! I NEED Felicia and Blanka!!!) LotR: Gimli is the only major character I need... I am missing a few random Orc grunts as well though. Indy: Have them all... they weren't exactly hard to collect... Old 3" Stuff: Don't collect it. Started with Marvel, and the mis-matched sizes not being compatible, I really have no desire for 3". (Even 2.5", I'm not nuts about... got all these cool LotR pieces that don't fit my mates...)

I dunno if this has ever been discussed before (probly has... if so, I apologize for being redundant) but I hate the newer-style cowls on the DC Minimates... For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I'm refering too the ones on all the newer Batmans... Barbara Gordon Batgirl... Harley Quinn... the ones where their faces are just painted onto a full head mask, rather than having a piece cut away where the "face hole" should be, like all the old C3 Batmans... I think it was kinda forgivable for Harley, because her under-face was unpainted, and doing it allowed them to give her both a "Harley" head and a "Harleen" head... and she has a chin-strap on her mask, so it's less noticable... But for figures like the newer Batmen, or Batgirl, it's just ridiculous... they come with a seperate hairpiece anyway, so it's not like it's saving any plastic money, their faces are the same inside the mask as they are out... it's just unnecissary and makes them look dumb... it takes away the masks' sense of depth... And why just some random figures and not others? As far as I can tell from the Prototype, they aren't doing this with the upcoming Flash figure... (Thank Jebus) Maybe I'm just spazzing for no good reason, but I have no idea why DC chooses to do this... but I wish they'd cut it out... especially considering they HAVE sculpts for a normal Batman cowl... Is there a reason? Does anyone know?

Some of these ideas kinda suck... Of all the bands mentioned so far, I think KISS is the only one I would definately buy... MAYBE an Ozzy or a Rob Zombie, if done with a cool look... If they're gonna do this, they need bands with visual appeal, not just any random band that people enjoy listening too. (Which is probably why the ones I mentioned are the ones they've already made... I mean duh...) I mean Metallica? Blink 182? Good bands, but they make for sucky minimates... "This is our guys in T-Shirts holding guitars line..." Now a musical group I would drop a crapton of money for minimates of in a heartbeat (and I know you'll give me crap for this, but still, I say it)... The Spice Girls HUGE visual appeal there. They'd make awesome minimates. They're like living cartoon characters. I'm talking early... lameass Spice Girls, mind you. Before Ginger left, and they got all serious and boring. The hair and dress possibilities are near endless... what I wouldn't give for a British Flag dress for my minimates... or a good set of pigtails... :biggrin:

Yeah... I've ordered lots of minimates on AFX in the past, and their shipping has always been outrageous... but their prices are reasonably low alot of the time (especially when they have sales) so I figure it balances out... My advice is just to order alot of crap all at once to get more bang for your buck. Their shipping starts off high, then only goes up a little as you add items, so getting more stuff... distills... the high price... a bit... if you get my logic. I try to order several sets all at once when I get minimates, and I also just ordered a bust I wanted along with my Spider-Man 5 Pack, for another example.

Yeah... maybe that's it... being unemployed for the moment, I have absolutely nothing to do all day... It sounds like a good thing at 1st, but like... I need money... badly... hehe... (PS. On that note, if anyone wants to give me a job, feel free, I'd love one.)

Yeah... that'd be cool. Frankly, I rely on this forum heavily to get variant minimates. My comic book store is always VERY prompt with new toys... they get them the week they're released, and they don't put them out 'til Wednesday with all the new stuff... and since I'm on the east coast, we always get them a week later than the west coast, so as long as the west coast people post here when they got them, I always get them a week later, and as long as I show up 1st thing Wednesday morning at 10, I always get the variant. So it's a fun time. PS. Did anyone else notice that Wave 16 (Avengers) is dated this month but Wave 15 (Ghost Rider) is dated for October? Either these dates are incorrect, or they're pushing wave 15 back for some reason... maybe because by now everyone has lost interest in the Ghost Rider movie... (which already had lackluster appeal even when it was new) perhaps they're trying to sneak it out with the Spider-Man Movie Mates (which will sell well regardless of how long the movie has been out, because younglings gobble Spidey up)

Alrighty... thanks everyone... I tried calling up the comic book store I usually get minimates from (It's like a half hour drive, so I try not to go there unless I know I'm getting something) and they didn't have any, so I just ordered a set from actionfigureexpress.com... because they're only $14.99 there, and there was a bust I was gonna order anyway, so I figured... do'em both... get me some combined shipping action... Anyway, thanks again folks... now I can stop expecting to find them places they won't ever appear.

Because I can't find the damn thing... and I don't know if it's just bad luck, or if I'm trying the wrong stores... Is this thing Target? Toys R Us? Comic Book Shops & Specialty Stores? What's the deal? Where did everyone find theirs? Also, what does it cost retail? Because I did see them at Wizard World Chicago over the weekend, but they were $20, and since often times things be over-priced at cons, I wasn't sure if that was good or not. Anyway, could someone help me out in locating one of these? Any help ya'll could provide would be appreciated muchly.