Star Wars Celebration VI Mobile App

Star Wars Celebration Mobile App is a fun addition to the Celebration anticipation! Check out the details and download link here. (Now I'm going to go play with the app a little and see if I can customize my Android phone...)

More Guests & Artists at Star Wars Celebration VI

Two exciting Star Wars Celebration announcements: MORE GUESTS and MORE ARTISTS!

Follow these links to see who's joining the party in Orlando! Guests and Artists

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Zecora My Little Pony

My Little Pony fans and collectors will be thrilled to see this pony... San Diego Comic Con 2012 Exclusive Zecora! From the Everfree Forest, Zecora glows-in-the-dark and has always been a fan-favorite rhyming zebra who can’t wait to share her magic and sage advice with all of her pony friends.

(update) SDCC 2012 Exclusive Doctor Who Revealed!

(UPDATE!) Yesterday, Underground Toys has just revealed via their Facebook and Twitter accounts that the San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive Doctor Who item will be "Victory of the Daleks" Collector's Set. Today it was revealed that the set will include: "1 Winston Churchill action figure with alternate head & right hand, 1 Ironside Dalek action figure w/ Tea Tray arm, 2 glasses, and 3 telephone accessories. I suspect that an official (maybe unofficial) picture will be revealed in the next 24 hours! Check back soon!

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Uglydoll POWER BABO

As revealed on the Uglydoll Facebook page... San Diego Comic-Con exclusive plush doll POWER BABO. As usual, this will be a popular item!

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Doctor Who Revealed!

Underground Toys has just revealed via their Facebook and Twitter accounts that the San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive Doctor Who item will be "Victory of the Daleks" Collector's Set. No picture has been released but expect one soon. Speculation is that it will include a Winston Churchill figure! I would love to own a figure of one of the most iconic Prime Minsters of all time (and he's in a Doctor Who action figure set! Doesn't get much better than that... check back for a picture as soon as it is revealed.

Exclusive Jumbo Vintage Star Wars Figures

I must admit, I am ecstatic with Gentle Giant's Retro/Jumbo 12" Kenner Star Wars figures. In the last month Gentle Giant has confirmed and released pictures of the Premier Guild Member exclusive (Gammorean Guard and Yoda with brown snake) and the Comic-Con exclusive (Blue Snaggletooth) and the Star Wars Celebration VI exclusive (Lando Calrissian). For the record, I will be purchasing all of these! While I can't "review" these yet, because have yet to be released, enjoy the pictures below...

Toy Hunters returns to the Travel Channel

Press release:

CHEVY CHASE, MD (June 25, 2012) – This is not your ordinary child’s play!  Travel Channel reveals the big business of buying and selling toys and collectibles in the new original series “Toy Hunter,” premiering with a special one-hour season opener featuring back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, August 15 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT (regular time slot at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT beginning Wednesday, August 22).  This weekly half-hour series follows acclaimed toy dealer Jordan Hembrough, founder of Hollywood Heroes, a New Jersey-based vintage and modern collectibles company, as he travels across the country hunting for the most sought after pieces. For this toy hunter, poking through cramped attics and rummaging around dirty garages to score vintage items is all in a day’s work!

 

“Toy Hunter’ takes viewers on the ultimate adventure across America,” said Andy Singer, General Manager, Travel Channel.  “Our viewers will not only accompany Jordan on his passionate search for toys, but they will see items from their own childhoods that are sure to make them reminisce. They’ll be amazed at how much these old toys are worth today.”

 

In each of the eight episodes, Hembrough strategically maneuvers around reluctant sellers, abates budgets and avoids the unforeseen roadblocks as he tracks down the rarest pieces.  With many collectible items valued in the thousands of dollars, Hembrough will travel the country on the ultimate toy quest searching for the holy grail items he and his clients yearn for.  Some of those rare toys (and the year they hit the shelves) include:

 

• “The Six Million Dollar Man” Venus Space Probe (1977)
• GI Joe: “Pimp Daddy” Destro (1997)
• Jurassic Park Prototypes (1994)
• Luke Skywalker Telescoping Lightsaber (1977)
• Care Bears Treat Heart Pig (1982)
• Barbie #1 in box (with brunette hair) (1959)

 

Armed with his encyclopedic knowledge of toy history and savvy skills of negotiation, Hembrough meets with amateur and professional collectors alike.  Throughout his travels on the series, he crisscrosses the country encountering a diverse group of enthusiasts including former Kenner toy designers in Ohio, flea market pickers in Ashville, North Carolina and vintage toy store owners in Austin, Texas.  Some notable moments include meeting specialized collectors like the Batman collectors in Biloxi, Mississippi, a Spiderman collector in San Francisco, and Los Angeles mask collector and designer/sculptor Jordu Schell (also featured in Travel Channel’s “Making Monsters”).  Hembrough also connects with a toy comrade in New Jersey, to sell horror collectibles at the Chiller Theater Expo – the largest horror toy and comic convention in the country. 

Disney's Brave - Great Movie!

Have you seen Disney/Pixar's new movie Brave? I took my family and we all loved it! After only 3 days it's grossed over $66 million in the U.S. and has captured the hearts of my kids! Click on the picture to the left for a free desktop background image! I'm even considering purchasing the limited edition Merida doll (only 7000 made) that's pictured below for my kids and teaching them about "collectibles."

Top 100 Video Games of All Time (by G4)

G4 just revealed their Top 100 Video Games of All Time! Do you agree? G4's website has been bombarded with views over the past 24 hours trying to get a glimpse at the "official" list... here it is!





100. Pong
99. Words with Friends
98. Pitfall
97. NBA 2K11
96. Guitar Hero 2
95. Burger Time
94. Braid
93. Star Wars: Tie Fighter
92. Galaga
91. The Sims
90. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadow of Amn
89. Left 4 Dead
88. Double Dribble
87. Mass Effect 2
86. Outrun
85. Silent Hill 2
84. Wii Sports
83. Ninja Gaiden
82. Super Smash Bros. Melee
81. Resident Evil
80. Gears of War 3
79. Psychonauts
78. Spy Hunter
77. Excitebike
76. Blades of Steel
75. Fallout 3
74. Star Fox 64
73. Mega Man 2
72. Mortal Kombat
71. Wing Commander II: V of the K
70. Star Wars
69. Double Dragon
68. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
67. Minecraft
66. Assassin’s Creed II
65. Unreal Tournament
64. NBA Jam
63. Wolfenstein 3D
62. Sid Meier’s Civilization II
61 God of War III
60. Contra
59. Maniac Mansion II: Day of the Tentacle
58. Ultima Online
57. Pokemon Red/Blue
56. Super Street Fighter IV
55. Kingdom Hearts
54. Gauntlet
53. Deus Ex
52. Rock Band 3
51. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
50. Sonic the Hedgehog
49. Angry Birds
48. Tecmo Bowl
47. Myst
46. Red Dead Redemption
45. Metal Gear Solid
44. Grand Theft Auto IV
43. Quake III: Arena
42. Ghosts N Goblins
41. Super Mario 64
40. Space Invaders
39. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
38. Super Metroid
37. Halo
36. Batman: Arkham City
35. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
34. Counter Strike
33. Final Fantasy VII
32. Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!
31. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
30. Super Street Fighter II Turbo
29. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
28. Super Mario Kart
27. Chrono Trigger
26. Ico
25. Grand Theft Auto III
24. Madden NFL 2005
23. Halo 3
22. Panzer Dragoon Saga
21. Resident Evil 4
20. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
19. Diablo 2
18. Ms. Pac-Man
17. StarCraft
16. Half-Life
15. Donkey Kong
14. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
13. Portal
12. Doom II
11. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
10. World of Warcraft
09. Shadow of the Colossus
08. Goldeneye 007
07. Super Mario Bros. 3
06. The Legend of Zelda
05. Tetris
04. Asteroids
03. BioShock
02. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
01. Super Mario Bros.

Lots more SDCC 2012 exclusives!

Gentle Giant's Ralph McQuarrie Stormtrooper and The Pale Man

Ferg's Playge Gohst

Pink and Green Flocked Treeson figures

Crappy Cat Driver Red edition

Mimobot "Adventure Time" Fionna

Pullip Dolls: Wonderwoman and Batman 

Sideshow's Utapau Trooper

Nuff said! Go a preorder this rockin' rollin' Trooper now at www.sideshowtoy.com
There's something about the orange Trooper color that always is attractive and makes me want an army of these guys!

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Admiral Motti Bust

Gentle Giant's San Diego Comic Con exclusive lineup begin with Admiral Motti (choking) bust. This piece is a limited edition of 1,200 pieces. Each collectible includes a numbered certificate of authenticity autographed by Richard Leparmentier, the actor who played the Imperial officer who is choked by Darth Vader in Star Wars.

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Alpha Flight Minimates

New Minimates! These things never get old! This time AFX will release a set of 4 exclusive Alpha Flight figures. Led by the battlesuit-clad Guardian, the team also includes the aquatic Marrina, the diminutive acrobat Puck and the flying, light-generating mutant Northstar.

SDCC 2012 Star Wars Character Key and Sketchplate

Coming to San Diego Comic Con and Star Wars Celebration VI will be a revival of ACME's character keys and sketchplates! This exclusive character key is of the Biker Scout Trooper and thesketchplate is of the Speederbike. I love that they are being released at the same time for those of you who might want to mount and frame them together! (I still wonder why ACME doesn't make at least 2 Star Wars character keys per year instead of the traditional 1 for Comic Con as has been the case for the last few years. I love these things!)

The Legend of Zelda: 'Figma' Link figure!

Why hasn't there been a complete series of Zelda figures... I know, I know, there have been various figures and collectibles over the past 10 years, but what are something AMAZING... something that will keep collector's interest... something that is worth every penny? Maybe this is it. Figma Link from Max Factory.

-Using the smooth yet poseable joints of figma, you can act out a variety of different scenes.

-A flexible plastic is used for important areas, allowing proportions to be kept without compromising posability.

-He comes with his standard gallant expression, as well as a powerful shouting face for combat poses.

-The Master Sword as well as the Hylian Shield are both included.

-They can also be carried on his back as they did in the game.

-A poseable figma stand is included, which allows various poses to be taken.

 

Star Wars Celebration VI - autograph guests

Star Wars Celebration VI is closer than I realized! With that said, make sure you prepare your wallet for all the Star Wars autograph guests who will be in attendance. This is a great lineup of popular characters and a few that usually don't attend the convention circuit. Check out www.starwarscelebration.com for a complete lineup.

To name a few... Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Jake Llyod (young Anakin), Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine), Carrie Fisher (Leia), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), and many more minor characters that most autograph collector really want to complete their Trilogy posters!

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

From Assassin's Creed, Ezio has been cast in a blue translucent plastic. Included is an Eagle with articulated wings and a perch to land on. Ezio himself has an amazing 38+ points of articulation and three sets of interchangeable hands! I'm intrigued by this figure and I don't even own Assassin's Creed... won't stop me from getting this awesome figure!

SDCC 2012 Exclusive DC Universe Mimobots

Mimoco just announced their 2012 SDCC Exclusive: Bane Mimobot! He will be joined by other new releases including: Batman from “The Dark Knight Rises”, Superman, and Flash!  Each USB Flash Drive comes preloaded with bonus media, screensavers and avatars!

“We’re beyond thrilled to introduce these iconic and essential super heroes into the DC Comics X MIMOBOT line-up,” says Scott Seraydarian, Director of Media at Mimoco. “Superman, in many ways, defined American pop-culture in the 20th Century, and The Flash is just perfect for our line of designer USB flash drives. We at Mimoco are also excited to see ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ when it hits theatres this summer and are pleased to take part with the release of our awesome new ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Edition of Batman MIMOBOT flash drives.”

Batman™ (“The Dark Knight Rises” Edition) X MIMOBOT® features a brand-new design inspired by the Christopher Nolan-helmed trilogy of films. Batman™ (“The Dark Knight Rises” Edition) X MIMOBOT allows you to safely transport your documents, pictures, music and more, in style.


Bane™ (“The Dark Knight Rises” Edition) X MIMOBOT®, a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive produced in a limited edition of only 500 units, presents the powerful villain in this summer’s highly anticipated film. With his characteristic life-sustaining face-mask and military jacket, Bane (“The Dark Knight Rises” Edition) X MIMOBOT is focused on destroying the Batman once and for all, with a little help from your digital data, of course…


Superman™ X MIMOBOT® – The Man of Steel is now the ultimate in transportable data! Don’t be Clark Kent! Take off those glasses, tear open your shirt, and save the day with all of your music, pics, and documents at the tip of your fingers. All of it will be packaged as one of the most iconic super heroes of all time, complete with red cape, S-shield, and swooping hair. When you need your digital data, Superman MIMOBOT will be there to save the day!


The Flash™ X MIMOBOT® -  Store and transport your data at lightning fast speeds with the ultimate self-referential flash drive of all time, The Flash MIMOBOT designer USB flash drive. Could there be a more perfect character for a character-based flash drive? The answer, of course, is no.  With his retro crimson super hero threads and lightning bolt insignia, The Flash MIMOBOT can fetch your data and come back again before you can say, “Hey! Where’d The Flash MIMOBOT go? Oh, wait, there it is!”

Help Shawnimals get $250,000 grant

Help Shawnimals get a "Living Social" grant!

Step 1 - visit www.missionsmallbusiness.com

Step 2 - log in (you can use Facebook to login)

Step 3 - at the bottom of the page search for "Shawnimals"

Step 4 - vote for them!

NYCC 2012 Tickets on sale now

New York Comic Con tickets are now on sale! This convention has been growing each year and last year was amazing! I expect another year of exclusives and fun, so don't wait to purchase tickets!

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Avengers Helicarrier

Yes it's almost unbelievable... At over 4 feet long this exclusive black Marvel Avengers Helicarrier is the largest exclusive Hasbro (or any company) has offered at San Diego Comic Con (and it also includes 2 exclusive figures!) Pictured is the black exclusive and the blue standard store release (note: the size of the exclusive is 1 foot longer than the blue standard version that will be available in stores). The exclusive will includes a new version of Captain America and debuts S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill and also includes “additional weaponry.” What other differences can you see?

The Hobbit (production updated)

Visit Peter Jackson's Facebook page to see the new Hobbit movie update! Lots of goodies to salivate over and ponder before the movie's release this December 2012.

SDCC 2012 Exclusive Minimates!

Lots of new San Diego Comic Con exclusives were announced today! Marvel Minimates, Walking Dead Minimates, Battle Beasts Minimates, and more from Diamond Select Toys...


1. Battle Beasts: Vorin and Zik

2. The Walking Dead: Battle-damaged Rick Grimes

3. The Amazing Spiderman: "Sewer Battle" Spidey and Lizard

4. The Avengers vs. X-men: Hope Summers, new Emma Frost, new Cyclops, new Colossus (in Juggernaut suit)