Out this week, the 6-7 inch Indie Spot Light series from Shocker Toys, featuring some indie  favorites from the 1990’s including The Maxx, ShadowHawk, SCUD, Kabuki and Katchoo.

We are privileged enough to have received the lovely SOL figure for review, which right off the bat looks like is stepped straight off the pages of SCUD: The Disposable Assassin.

As any fan would attest, the key to any SCUD action figure aside from the beautifully accurate sculpt seen here, is articulation and pose-ability, which this figure has in spades.  18 points of articulation to be exact with plenty of ball joints and replaceable hands, with and without guns.

This articulation, while being the figures greatest strength, also poses some small problems.  The figure is a bit flimsy, not low quality, just fragile and you will no doubt repeatedly and inadvertently snap pieces off the frame while striking wild poses.  These pieces will easily snap back on and are only  a small nuisance.

The lankiness of the figure begs for a clear pegged stand to support your cool poses, but instead we get a cringing black Isz, for when the Maxx inhabits the real world. Not a bad trade.

Retailing for around $15, this is a beautiful figure well worth the asking price for ant serious SCUD fan. Unfortunately I’ve heard that SCUD figure pre-sold out, so you may be forced to dredge the depths of the black market to scratch that itch, but don’t let this heresay information keep you from ordering one.

If you’ve ever known the terror, tragedy and heartbreak of a broken action figure, you’ll find this article a great source of comfort. Never again suffer a broken toy!

Click the image… And I’ll fill your brain with enough toy fixing goodness to keep you dateless for life!

Any hard-core toy nerd can tell you that Hot Toys is the king of the action figure world right now. For those not in the know, Hot Toys is a little outfit from Hong Kong that has been kicking ass all over the toy scene. Most recently with their award-winning Dark Knight 1/6 scale figures–probably the greatest Batman toys ever made–and their much anticipated Iron Man movie figures due out soon. The next movie line they will conquer is the original Predator and it should come as no surprise that these toys will be anything less than awesome.

Hot Toys has been making figures from the other Predator and AvP films for years with each subsequent release getting better and better, however, they have not yet done toys from the original Predator–until now.

Here is what you get with this guy:

• Realistic based 1/6 scale (14 in. tall) Predator from the first Predator movie
• Over 24 points of articulations
• Highly detailed armory and figure body with newly developed body chest , arms
• Removable mask with light-up laser targeting system (battery operated–YES!!!)
• Real fabric net body suit
• Interchangeable open and closed mandibles (oh SNAP!)
• Articulated Shoulder Cannon
• Extendable Wrist Blades
• Wrist Computer
• Bone Trophies
• Highly retailed Medical kit
• Interchangeable hands
• Jungle featured display base

Pics to drool over…

Toy News International had the scoop from the New York Comic Con. I’ve included a few photos of the prototypes from their story below:

And those packs are screen accurate… trust me.

This press releas found its way to my inbox earlier today:

MATTEL SET TO LAUNCH COLLECTIBLE LINE FOR
CLASSIC COMEDY BLOCKBUSTER “GHOSTBUSTERS”
Favorite Ghosts and Ghostbusters Included to Celebrate
Classic Film’s 25th Anniversary

Culver City, Calif. – February 4, 2009 – Sony Pictures Consumer Products and Mattel, Inc. announced today the development of a new collectible line of toys based on the world’s favorite poltergeist fighting team, the Ghostbusters, including an extensive cast of ghosts and ghostbusters – celebrating the 25th anniversary of the frightfully funny classic film “Ghostbusters.”

Mattel’s “Ghostbusters” collectible line, debuts with 12-inch figures in June 2009, and will be available exclusively at MattyCollector.com. Each figure will feature window box packaging and include authentic Ghostbuster equipment unique to each character. For the first time, Mattel’s line will include talent likeness of Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman and Winston Zeddemore. Select prototype figures will be on display February 6-8 at New York Comic Con and February 15 at Mattel’s New York Toy Fair Collector Preview Night (by invitation only.).

“We have assembled a quality group of licensing partners to support and celebrate the anniversary for one of Columbia Pictures most cherished properties. Mattel’s line-up of collector toys is the perfect complement to what will be a great selection of 25th anniversary product,” said Juli Boylan, Senior Vice President, Sony Pictures Consumer Products Worldwide.

“Ghostbusters” collectors can also look forward to 6-inch figures, with one debuting at San Diego Comic Con in July 2009. Sculpted by Four Horsemen Studios, the team currently working on Mattel’s popular DC Universe™ Classics and Masters of the Universe® Classics collectible lines, the 6-inch line will come complete with authentic “Ghostbusters” equipment and ghost.

“There haven’t been many comedic blockbusters over the past quarter century as memorable and loved as ‘Ghostbusters,'” said Tim Kilpin, GM for Boys, Girls & Games, Mattel, Inc. “We are honored to participate in the celebration of the film’s 25th anniversary by creating the most extensive line of ‘Ghostbusters’ collectibles ever.”

Mattel will also create characters and ghosts from the classic animated series, “The Real Ghostbusters,” to go along with the classic “Ghostbusters” film.

Playmates Toys new Star Trek figures based on the anticipated Star Trek film by J.J. Abrams and Co. Boldly going back to Playmates, the same company which brought us the huge line of Trek figures and accessories spanning from the original Star Trek series to Star Trek Voyager. This time around we get the new cast and crew (or is it old crew?) of figures in 12”, 6”, and 3.75, meaning you’ve got a choice in figures if say you want them to match up with older Trek figures or stage that Star Trek/ Star Wars battle you’ve been wanting since you were six. From the looks of it, all the sweet playset toys go to the 3.75” (you can even have them land on planet G.I. Joe and pretend Cobra are the Nazis) keeping the playsets within a respectable budget (the retail on the Transporter Bay and Enterprise Bridge are about $30 and $25 respectively).The small scale on the figures isn’t the most fantastic, but most figures that size sacrifice sculpt for playability. The 6” figures probably look the best of all three, meeting in the middle with sculpting and articulation. The 12” look fairly decent in the costuming/ uniforms, but look to have the same unfortunate problem as the first round of Star Wars figures when first released (AKA He-Man chest with tiny heads). Still, I’m going to have to get Dr. “Bones” McCoy at the very least to sit on my shelf with “The Doctor” and Dr. Doom, so they can team up as the 3 Doctors!

Of course we get a new Enterprise loaded lights, sound effects, and dialogue from the film. Plus, it boasts a Starfleet shield base with a ball and socket tip that allows you to set up your new Enterprise in 360 degrees of tilt-action (unfortunately, you’ll still be stuck like Kahn with your Enterprise posing in two-dimension combat poses). Figure and ships aside, the best is the Star Trek gear with new Phaser Pistol, Communicator, and Tricorder! I’ll be looking for those specifically when they hit shelves (roughly about $15 at retail) as I do drop-rolls in the toy isle. Watch out, my Star Trek Kung Fu is strong and I won’t hesitate with a Kirk-to-the-Chest flying kick if you get in between me and the Trek toys!

Well, it looks like Mattel got their mitts on the license for the new JJ Abrams Star Trek movie (in theaters May 8, 2009). Uhura looks hot. I showed the press release to a couple of 8 year-old girls and they pretty much agreed. They didn’t care much for the boys.

These are set to drop around the 3rd week of April and expected retail price is about $43 a pop. That price point almost clinches it as a line for die-hard Trek/Barbie collectors only. At least until they go on clearance! What do you think? Would you pay over $100 for these 3?

I’m not much of a Star Wars fan, I know its blasphemy in the geek world but I’m ok with that. However, this toy and the others like it are pretty bad ass. The Force Trainer is basically a ping pong ball in a vertical tube. The cool part is that by putting on a wireless headset that is basically a simplified EEG machine to your head you use your brain waves to activate a remote that sends air through the tube and raises the ball. The better you get and more focused you are you can even make it move up and down. It will retail for around $100. The coolest thing about this to me is that this is just the beginning. Mattel is coming out with a similar product this fall in which you use your brain to move a ball through an obstacle course. This stuff is fucking cool. And for you Star Wars types you get to “use the force”.

Today we’re looking at the newest addition to the Star Wars 1/6 scale figure line from Medicom. This Real Action Hero (RAH) Clone Trooper Commander from Attack of the Clones made its debut at Star Wars Celebration Japan this summer. It is a limited edition of 1000 (250 in Japan, 750 in US) and is exclusive in the US from StarWarsShop.com.

The 1/6 toy scene is on fire this year. Major players like Hot Toys, Sideshow, and Medicom continue to blow us away with each new press release. The quality of the figures is going up every day. Unfortunately, so are the prices. This guy retails for about $150 (USD). StarWarsShop.com lists him for $129.99. Medicom figures tend to be the more expensive for what you’re getting.  More on that later.

Medicom’s package is nice in that it only takes 2 slices of tape and the figure is ready to pop out. No stupid twisties or rubber bands! The art on their Star Wars boxes is very simple. It does have a window so you can see the figure in the box. This makes it nice for mint-in-package collectors, if you go for that sort of thing. Personally, I like when a box is simple or has artwork that I don’t care about. It makes it easier to toss it in the rubbish! I have a hard time letting go of rad package designs–my storage is full of empty toy boxes.

I don’t go for a lot of the prequel collectibles. No offense to any prequel lovers out there, but the awful fart stink that those movies left in the room has only just recently started to clear up for me. I’ll spare you the ranting tangent. The armored characters are undeniably rad, though. Particularly the Episode II clones. I totally dig the mandalorian-ish visor and that fin dealy on the top of the helmet. I passed on the Medicom Ep III clone figures, but when I saw this guy solicited I had to snatch him up.

SCULPT, PAINT, AND AWESOMENESS

The armor sculpt and paint on this figure are top-notch! Right up there with the RAH Stormtrooper they released a few years ago. I have no complaints here. The body suit also has a rad ribbed-like texture. Dig that. While the Medicom body itself is amazing and has incredible articulation, poseability is limited due to the armor, but that’s to be expected. Have you ever tried on real trooper armor? Try sitting down!

I have to admit that when I saw the helmet up close the first time I was a little puzzled. The helmet seemed to extend too far down the neck. Check it out:

I honestly couldn’t remember if the helmet actually looked like that in the movie. I mean I only saw it once and haven’t watched it since. I have seen the Clone Wars cartoons several times and played with plenty of 4″ Clone Troopers and in each of those cases, the helmet cuts off before curling down on the neck, like you would expect a real wearable helmet to look. A quick trip through Google images answered my question…

So this helmet is movie accurate. But it begs the question, how did the actors squeeze their heads into those helmets? Looking at this figure, there is no way you could slip the helmet off and on a scaled head. It’s stuck on there. So were the helmets in the movie supposed to be like a two piece deal that locks on around the head like a capsule? Or (gasp!) were all of the clones in the movie CG?! I’m sorry, I don’t know enough about the movie or the real props to answer that.

*UPDATE* Score another one for Google. According to multiple sources, there were no actual helmet props from Attack of the Clones since all of the Clones were CG! Seriously? Come on, Lucas!

SCALE

Let’s take a minute to talk about scale.

Medicom’s RAH figures are notorious for being short, as in, not quite 1:6 scale. This makes it difficult to display them with Sideshow’s 1:6 Star Wars line. Medicom has done something totally weird with their Clone figures, though. They’re taller! Compare Medicom’s own RAH Jango Fett (see above) with the Clone Commander. Is this a decision they made to fit better with Sideshow’s future offerings? Who knows. Does this mean that all future Medicom Star Wars figures will be in this scale, as well? Like that wicked Han Solo and Royal Guard they have coming out later?  We’ll have to wait and see, I suppose.

But these clones do look good next to Sideshow Star Wars figures (pictured w/ Sideshow Obiwan). This is good news for people, like myself, who want to put this guy right next to Sideshow’s highly anticipated General Kenobi coming in October.

ACCESSORIES

Unlike Sideshow and Hot Toys, Medicom figures are usually pretty light on accessories. The Commander comes with an extra set of gripping hands and a blaster. There is also a display stand, but if you’re like me, you’ll just leave that in the box or throw it away since these dudes stand so well on their own.

The extra hands are nice and do their job. For my money, Medicom has the best hand peg system on the market. They fit snugly in place, but they’re easy to swap without worrying about breaking them. Hot Toys’ pegs seem a bit tight and my Sideshow’s hands are always falling off.

The blaster, on the other hand, falls short in a couple of areas. The paintjob is super dull. It looks like a cheap toy more than a scale replica, which sucks a little when you look at the immaculate job they did on the figure. Just compare the Medicom blaster (bottom) with the Sideshow Stormtrooper blaster (top):

As we can see, Sideshow does a much nicer job with the sculpt, paint, and overall quality of the accessory. Pretty amazing for Sideshow considering they charge half the price Medicom charges for their figures. Pretty sad for Medicom, though. Another notch on Sideshow’s belt….the folding stock actually folds!

Whereas the stock on the Medicom blaster does nothing. Boo hoo hoo.
In conclusion, even with its lack of accessories, this figure is super rad. Rad enough to be buried with? Probably not. Worth $150? No way. If you can get it for $100 or less, snatch it up! $130 is okay considering many of us will be forking out upwards of $170 for the RAH Han Solo next year. There is also a plain white Ep. II Clone Trooper hitting importers any day now. Personally, I felt like the plain white ones look a little boring. The yellow on this figure has a better aesthetic. If they were half the price? I’d be buying at least 2 plain whities for the yellow commander to boss around!