Lobsterman

Arrgh. So he's basically a $40 mate, right off the bat. If anything on the site counted toward the $25, I'd be sold, but spending that much to help AFX clear out their overstock is a little rich for my blood. Clever sales model though. Here's hoping they save a few to be used on future promotions...

These have really gone "old school" with accessory design, haven't they? I half expected Uhura to have some kind of sculpted skirt, but that's Gwen Stacy's original skirt mold, isn't it?

Just wanted to give DSTMatt a public shout out for the free mate. I earned it, apparently, for being a funny guy, and he delivered. I very much appreciate the gesture. So, thanks, DSTMatt!

Got mine, as well. I don't usually order from them; are they pretty quick to ship after processing, or is this the "your order will ship...in two to three weeks" notice? I'm just curious to know whether these are actually in hand somewhere.

Wow! BSG 3 two weeks early is a nice surprise!

Thoughts: 1) Hooray, Chloe! Fix her up with Punisher's M-16 and she'll be good to go! 2) I really hope Chase's hair comes off, and it's not a sculpted head. That hairpiece design would be really cool for... something.

I was wondering the very same thing. Perhaps the DS9 "Trials and Tribble-ations" guess wasn't too far off after all... they would all be pretty easy redecos of the existing TOS figures.

I'm really excited for tomorrow when this list makes sense again...

Maybe if we try hard enough, we can convince every specialty retailer to stop making exclusives. Hey, AFX! You suck, and so does your stupid Defenders four-pack!

I only ask because, up until the store owners on the board get their actual shipping lists, any previously discussed date is just wild speculation.

A couple waves had been mentioned for the 31st... Rocky wave two, Star Trek wave two... Anyone have a shipping list that confirms or disproves?

And in other news, Spider-Man was taken to an area hospital today for intravenous nutrient and fluid recovery. Friends of the popular superhero say he has been locked in his Manhattan apartment for the past three days, refusing to eat and periodically forcing himself to vomit, after a fan called him "fat." "You guys are jerks," said Tony Stark, Spider-Man's former boss and fellow costumed super hero. "He's really sensitive about that, with that skin-tight costume of his. It really hurts. We've got enough to worry about without you people building up unrealistic body images for us."

Would anyone else be bummed if they are? Would you rather see the full slip-over masks than sculpted heads? We kind of discussed the possibility after seeing the Marvel wave 19 and 20 protos at comic con, but we've seen it in execution a few times now – Zombie Cap, Doc Brown, Kilowog, and now STRIPE. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something I don't like about them. Part of it is the lack of customizability. I think the other part is my fondness for the uniformity of the base minimate figure. When some mates have masks and others have sculpted heads, it seems inconsistent across a collection – even more so than the gradual increase in tampo details from the beginning of the line to now. I've also noticed sculpted facial details creeping into the heads, which makes them feel even less consistent with their predecessors and more... I don't know... "action figure-y" than uniquely minimate. I'm not sure why having a sculpted mask on a generic head doesn't bother me in that sense. Maybe I just like playing dress-up with my minimates... This has gotten me wondering if sculpted torsos aren't in the future, as well. If it saves on production cost to cut out an extra piece that slips over the head, wouldn't the same hold true for the body?...

Wow. Wait until it hits us next week that it's going to be a solid 4 months before we see another DC mate... Unless they move those up, too

I'd like to participate. I don't really trade on this board, so I don't have any feedback. Is there some other way I could prove my reliability?

Couple questions: The DST site says December for the SM3 waves. Where did you hear November? So it's confirmed the GR wave is officially on ice? Is the 24 second series 2-pack (Jack on the stretcher and Nina in shackles) still being solicited, or did it get canned?

An opening briefcase - nice! Civilian Tony Stark w/ Iron Man Suit In Briefcase custom... GO!

So, has anyone seen the 24 mates yet?

That's exactly what I was thinking! Although I had the words "life-size" in mind... That would be cool, but unfortunately the maximum print size is around 5x5x2.

Awesome! I wonder why they have such a far-off date on the Diamond site? I also wonder if the east coast is getting them next week (the 10th) or on the 17th as previously mentioned?

Those are really great. Nice job, Boyd!

Actually, from what I read, I think they need a specific 3D modelling format called STL. You'll need a 3D program to get that.

www.printapart.com Okay, this is bad-ass. A hobby magazine article I was reading gave a complete rundown of the process with pictures. You basically create model in a 3-D program, send them the file, and they print it with a polymer inkjet dealie. It captures detail amazingly well – the "pixel" size is .04mm. A Minimate-accessory-sized part ended up costing about $30. A little pricey, but if there's a "must-have" unique piece you need, it's within reason. I'm very seriously considering this for a couple projects...

Okay, now DST's site has them pushed back to 11/7. Didn't the newsletter just say they were in the store?

Same experience here. I got correct gloves, actually, so a perfect record. I've actually never had any breakage problems, aside from the infamous fused Nightcrawler leg, in 3+ years of buying minimates. Do you guys open them with your feet or something? (I keed, I keed)