Cappy

There, above pic is all fixified. Here we are, folks, the last night of the 2009 Ady Awards. There have been tears and jeers, joy for toys, but the final votes are the biggest. Let's step right into the last Big Four categories, starting with: Worst Variation (Click thumbnails for larger pics) 3rd place: Special Ops Wolverine 2nd place: Symbiote Bond Spider-Man 1st place: Old Man Logan Best Variant 3rd place: Captain America (Bucky Barnes) 2nd place: Phoenix (green costume) 1st place: Wolverine (Wave 28) Worst Minimate 3rd place: Ultimate Spider-Woman 2nd place: Old Man Logan 1st place: Ultimate Hulk And now, The Best Minimate of 2009 3rd place: Phoenix (green costume) 2nd place: Ares 1st place: The Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool Can Deadpool stand proudly next to past winners like Dr Strange? That's a definite yes. In fact, Ares and Phoenix are no slouches themselves, each gathering more than one Ady. Which demonstrates how DST has raised their standards over the years. As the 2009 Adys come to a close, the future of Minimates only looks brighter. **** Free-lance photographer Mini_Myte captured this revelation of how Best/Worst Variation Ady awards effect family ties: Before we go, I need to thank Bob Harris and Mini_Myte for their behind-the-scenes support and help; I needed every bit of it, guys, thanks! Thanks go to Shanester for hosting our wackiness. And of course, the man himself, Ady Carter, holds all our eternal gratitude for creating the community that is Minimate Multiverse. Following the successful conclusion of the 2009 Ady Awards, we interviewed a white Blank about his snafu during the Best Accessory presentation. (We assume it was the correct Blank, because he was rather touchy about the subject.) MMMV: Your gaff during the Adys has landed your picture on the cover of The Minimate Times -- Blank: Can't people just get over it? It's been rectified, okay? Turns out Assault T-800 is a really nice guy, watching out for the underdog. He helped me out big time...

Now that is sweet news!

Biggest Sleeper (Click thumbnails for larger pics) 3rd place: AIM Soldier 2nd place: Goth Girl 1st place: Cosmic Silver Surfer Best 2-in-1 Minimate 3rd place: Black Panther 2nd place: Terror Dog Louis Tully 1st place: Hydra Agent "When DST can't make them fast enough, we make our own." A few select individuals have taken this creed to dizzying heights, bringing the craftsmanship of custom Minimates to a new level of excellence. Tonight, the Ady Awards would like to thank all of our customizers, and recognize the following fan favorites: Favorite Custom (Click thumbnails for larger pics) 3rd place: Warth (Blue Lantern) by Shamrock 2nd place: The Maxx by Shamrock 1st place: Hellboy by Bob Harris Favorite Customizer 3rd place: Bob Harris 2nd place: Luke314pi 1st place: Shamrock The Ghostbusters have repeatedly been on the podium, gathering their share of fame. No small feat against the powerhouse that is Marvel Minimates. In recognition of their sterling work this year, the Ady Selection Committee has created a unique category to honor the Ghostbusters' dedication to the cause: Best Ghostbuster 3rd place: scorched Louis Tully 2nd place: Dr Ray Stantz (GB1) 1st place: Clear Slimer (Yeah, he should be on a green stand, but that would only detract from the beauty of the piece.) Tomorrow we conclude the 2009 Ady Awards Ceremony with a look at variants and the three Minimates selected as simply The Best.

Stupid cut-n-paste technology... why can't the computer know what I meant to say... *mutterfrizzle* On that minigun: I've spent countless hours since I got the thing, trying to decide which way is up. It makes sense that the ammo belt would hang down, but it looks cooler held the other way.... Oh well, maybe I'll do a little digital editing. Don't fret for Ares, he gets his share of Adys this year, just you wait.

It promises to be a fabulous night here at the 2009 Ady Awards, filled with glamorous and provocative stars of the miniverse. Our first tantalizing category is Best Celebrity Likeness (Click thumbnails for larger pics) 3rd place: Assault Gear T-800 as Arnold Schwarzenegger 2nd place: scorched Louis Tully as Rick Moranis 1st place: Ultimate Nick Fury as Samuel L Jackson Sexiest Minimates 3rd place: Moonstone & Movie Weapon X 2nd place: Sand Saref in leather & Ultimate Nick Fury 1st place: Captivity Six & Gambit Worst Accessory 3rd place: Endoskeleton diaper 2nd place: green flight stand 1st place: Endoskeleton guns Best Accessory 3rd place: T-800's minigun 2nd place: clear flight stands 1st place: Ghostbusters' proton pack Best Accessorized Minimate 3rd place: Ares 2nd place: Armored Punisher 1st place: Deadpool (it was a close race between these three combatants) Coming up tomorrow: awards presented to the Best 2-in-1 Minimate and the Favorite Custom, amongst others.

I've got to agree with you there. I think the TOS deadweight in those waves dragged down the Next Gen figures. Next Gen stuff should have been transitioned in earlier. Here's still hoping DST sees the true path.

It's been a long time coming, even by Cappy standards, but the time, motivation and materials aligned themselves in the house of Scorpio presaging a synergy of customizing. I finally set about dyeing some figures. It's been roller coaster learning process, the kitchen stayed relatively stain free and the results were, well, let's step through it. I've always known Minimates were made of differing plastics, but that lesson hammered itself home when I dropped my first subjects into simmering purple dye: These victims started out as white FCBD blanks, stripped of their decals. Obviously, some of the plastic took the dye quite niceley. All the dark purple parts were in the bath only a couple of minutes. It should be noted here that I completely disassembled the 'Mate, including pulling apart the elbow and knee joints, so each piece was able to soak as long as needed. And apparently, the lighter parts needed forever. I tried every hint the internet offered: rubbed them down with alcohol, put acetone in the dye mixture: no joy. The lighter, scratchy purple on the chest block is where I had done some light sanding to remove the decal. The dye seems to have landed in the resulting texture, but not in anyway that I could use that to my benefit. Very disappointing start, to say the least. For some reason, I persevered, partly because I had other toys to boil anyway. I carefully examined a clear blank I had prepared. The plastic on that 'Mate seemed to be more uniform in its make up, so into the pot went the test subject! And this time, the payoff was great: All the parts that are white in the first 'Mates (chest, pelvis, etc) had to soak longer than the others, but at least this time they took the color eventually. A day to thoroughly dry, then some glossy coat and the above is the final result. He really is a pride and joy of mine. So dyeing a Minimate is possible, but really only recommended for clear 'Mates. Coming soon: more colors! But until then, since we just had Valentine's Day, I leave you with PINK!

Welcome to the 2009 Ady Awards Ceremony. Over the next few days, we will acknowledge the good, the bad, and the unexpected in Minimate releases. Even now, celebrities are arriving on the red carpet, where fans hope to snap photos of the lucky (and unlucky) award winners. Tonight Spider-Man wears his formal black suit in company with the idol of millions: Johnny Storm. The pair are escorting a beauty from 2007 and one of this year's hopefuls. Our cameras caught a couple of past winners entering the theater. Can any of this year's noiminees hope to match the star power of Dr. Strange or Green Lantern? Arriving to the roar of the crowd: the Ghostbusters! Don't worry, folks, they've assured us that the dynamic foursome is here for the honors, not the horrors. Well, the nominees and the fans have been nervously awaiting the results, so let's award our first Ady: Best Packaging Secret Wars Box Set Worst Wave or Box Set (Click thumbnails for larger pics) 3rd place: Marvel Wave 27 2nd place: X-Factor Box Set (due to lack of Angel) 1st place: Wolverine Through The Ages Box Set Best Wave or Box Set 3rd place: Dark Avengers Box Set 2 (with Ares) 2nd place: Marvel Wave 25 1st place: Marvel Wave 28 The fans have voiced their most-missed Minimates, so we'll leave you tonight with a quiet moment to remember those who have gone before: In Mermoriam 3rd place: The Flash 2nd place: Hal Jordan - Green Lantern 1st place: Wave 1 Batman (Seems to be a pattern here. Although Spock was in the final three, it seems the Star Trek line is not dead after all, so the Enterprise officer has withdrawn.)

Can't help but notice the name of your image file, bhm. Did you score this off of eBay?

Well, you just removed yourself from the Father of the Year ballot.

Tons of extras is good, of course, but this line also needs more sailors! Right now, all we have are captains. How about some army-building seadogs to back their captain? The volume of detail and color is amazing and bodes well, as long as they avoid so much sculpting that it interferes with articulation.

And here I thought NR was starting a thread about how Minimate daddies and Minimate mommies make Minimate kids.... I will say that smaller, fully articulated figures exist out there: the minor-PALz, MegaBloks Pyrates, DeQue, and Tinibiz. The first two have the full 14 POA, while the latter have 10. And no, I don't remember the Palz kid having a lesser range of motion. These lines all seem to use a harder plastic than 'Mates do, dunno if that matters. I came away from those Father's Day pictures feeling like the ball joints were, in proportion to the 'Mate scale, larger. Whether they are same diameter as 2" 'Mates, of course I couldn't say. Ultimately, my guess is we may lose elbows and knees, dropping the minor-mate to 10 POA, but DST will find a way to get the rest of it in there, even if it means retooling some joints. But man, I hope they scale the head back up slightly. Of course, if you're hoping for a Wasp or Ant-Man, guess the head ratio should stay as is.

I'm all for the classic Galileo, but after that DST has got to get into the later Trek stuff. Hopefully this is just a foot in the door approach for Next Gen, et al.

Those of you flogging DST for producing these: I get the feeling that Broadsword approached DST about making them. (No, I have absolutely no knowledge, just an instinctive guess based on the marketing I've seen.) Kind of like the Goth Girl Minimate. Which is sheer winning news. For our little 'Mates to start catching people's attention, for artists to think "Hey, I want my intellectual property in that format" is news of the best sort. If the momentum keeps up, maybe George Lucas will take note. I don't see what's to complain about: they're bright, detailed 'Mates. Nothing boring about 'em. Let's hope they sell through, then maybe we'll see some other comic book 'Mates. My Indiemates have been lonely.

Glorious gods of old!!! Mech Suits! I'm, I'm.... I'm trying hard to not hyperventilate. The Father's Day kids look freaky, because they have the same head/body ratio as their adult counterparts. Their heads should be relatively larger. Now DST can remake Lord of the Rings, with tiny little 1.5" hobbits. heh Did I mention the Mechs have me stoked? So much power armor (MAX Mechs, Iron Man drones, Iron Man himself and his armored enemies, Halo) goodness this year, don't know what I'll do. The Mechs carry a different feel than Ma.K, because the 'Mate fits into a cockpit space, but they will still look good alongside the Ma.Kub Kubricks.

Sadly, that is one thing that probably won't happen; DSTChuck seems to be very set against using the larger 'Mate bodies. Which one thing that always concerns me when a sci-fi line is announced for Minimates. We'll see if they can do the Brutes justice.

Halo news rocked! Pirates news dropped me dead. Un-frakking-believable. So out-of-there, I never bothered to put them on my wishlist. What bhm says about MegaBloks ships is dead on: once the 'Mates come out, the prices on those will only go up. MegaBloks ships should fit just fine, Playmobilcan work but the scale is a bit off (see my Hunt 2009 pictures for Minimates on Playmobil ships). Time to go find my oxygen tank...

You don't have to be a Halo game fan to appreciate the figures. Me, I've never played the game, but when I heard this news I freaked. Absolutely love those sci-fi battlesuits! Oh, thank the gods!

So... is there any thought that the many releases might include character versions from the upcoming remakes?

It happens that I was just checking my clear 'Mates and they all still look good. But the white blanks, which don't spend a lot of time in the sun, have started to turn.

No problems here, using Firefox 3.5.7 (guess I won't do that upgrade Mozilla recommends....)

rsprin, obviously you don't have another Iceman to compare it to. BUT, if you have a Twilight Frodo, comparing to that might help. Blue Iceman is bluer than clear Frodo, but definitely not as blue as blue Frodo (which is distinctly blue, unlike Iceman). Serioulsy. Actually, if you have a crystal clear Frodo or Invisible Woman or Dimond Emma Frost, blue Iceman will look tinted alongside any of those. Clear Iceman will match them.

I know my family stuffed Spidey into the loader once and he pushed balls around for a while.

eh? Beatles Palz? That's news to me. Or were they some other minifig?

Soon, soon! The invitations for the gala ceremony have been sent out, Ady trophies ordered, just need confirmation from a couple of the celebs (and a free weekend for the photographer...) In the meantime, you can relive the glitz of past years and debate whether Minimates overall are better or less than years past. I mean, can any 'Mate really beat Dr Strange from 2007? 2005: http://www.minimatemultiverse.com/index.php?showtopic=2696 2006: http://www.minimatemultiverse.com/index.php?showtopic=1450 2007: http://www.minimatemultiverse.com/index.php?showtopic=3886 2008: http://www.minimatemultiverse.com/index.php?showtopic=5637 2009: http://www.minimatemultiverse.com/index.php?showtopic=7574