Tag: toys

This is one collectible you’re going to want to keep mint-in-box. Mattel’s Wonder Woman Invisible Jet isn’t just invisible, it’s nonexistent. The Hot Wheels packaging suggests that the jet is nestled within the cardboard and plastic molding (pictured on right). Gullible buyers can be forgiven for thinking there’s a miniature jet in the box — Mattel’s designers had weights hidden inside to make it feel as if it actually contained a toy. The joke continues on the back of the box, in the place  where Mattel usually provides quick facts about the vehicle inside, such as its make and model. Here’s an excerpt: Designer: The Amazons Birthplace: Paradise Island Specialty: Created by Amazon engineering, Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet can make transatlantic flights without refueling. The idea was spawned April 1, when Mattel’s social marketing team came up with a prank ...

It’s not quite as disturbing as, say, “Midnight Cowboy“ Underoos or “Deliverance“ trail mix, but there was a backlash in 1979 when Kenner made a fun plastic toy based on “Alien,” a movie that certainly earned its R rating. I wonder if those kids ever made it out of the kitchen… The 18-inch toy didn’t last long on shelves, according to Jay West, a world-class collector of ”Alien” (and our “super-fan”contributor covering the alternate-reality game for “Tron: Legacy“) — the outrage of parent activist groups sent the plastic creature into retail exile, which, as you might suspect, makes the toy even more coveted by today’s collectors. Anybody who brings one of these to our “Alien” screening on Sunday gets a free poster of Darwyn Cooke’s amazing illustration for the Hero Complex Film Festival.  – Geoff Boucher RECENT AND RELATED Next weekend: Ridley Scott with Nimoy & Nolan in L.A. Ridley Scott: ...

GUEST POST Today a guest post from one of our faithful readers,   G.I Joe: A Real American Hero is arguably the greatest toy line ever made. The characters, brought to life by Larry Hama, have stood the test of time, outlasting and outselling everything from its time with the exception of Transformers and "Star Wars" toys. The toys were the most popular of its day; The Marvel comic book outsold even the “X-Men.” But what really made the toy line stand out were the vehicles. G.I. Joe was not just an array of action figures, it was a military force waiting to happen, which meant tanks, planes, boats and some weird gear too. These are the best — the best of the best, in fact — the Top 10 G.I. Joe vehicles of the 1980s.  10. G.I. JOE MOBAT (1982)  You can’t have G.I. Joe, or ...

First, Buzz Lightyear arrived from a faraway galaxy (store). Then, Jessie and Stinky Pete and the crew were added to the stash. Now there are lots of new characters joining Woody, Hamm, Mr. Potato Head and the other original toys as “Toy Story 3″ rolls into theaters this summer (June 10). Ken, Mr. Pricklepants, Stretch and others await their marketing spotlight. — Jevon Phillips RECENT AND RELATED John Lasseter makes his presence felt on Disney toy aisles Thinkway chief sings the praises of JohnLasseter John Lasseter talks about the back story of “Toy Story 3″ Michael Keaton will be boy-toy Ken in “Toy Story 3″ “Avatar” takes Mattel into new toy territory 50 years later: “Sleeping Beauty” star dazzles D23 audience VIDEO: Dick Jones, the voice of “Pinocchio,” looks back  A Tinker Bell movie for boys? Disney hopes so PHOTO GALLERY: No ...

Dawn C. Chmielewski is in New York covering Toy Fair, and here’s her report on Hollywood’s increasing sway over the toy aisles of American retail.  When Pixar Animation Studios guru John Lasseter was working on the original “Toy Story” movie, he approached the maker of Barbie to include the fashion doll in the film — and was rebuffed. What a difference 15 years, and $8 billion in global merchandise sales, make. As Disney’s Pixar prepares to release “Toy Story 3” this summer, virtually every major toy maker — including Barbie’s Mattel Inc. — has lined up to make dolls, action figures, construction sets, vehicles and board games based on the film. No fewer than 250 toys will begin appearing in stores before the movie’s June 18 release — three times as many as were made for “Toy Story 2.” And retailers ...

Dawn C. Chmielewski covers Disney for the Los Angeles Times and she recently wrote about the interesting role Pixar guru John Lasseter plays in the Disney toy line. During the course of her reporting she interviewed  Albert Chan, president and CEO of Thinkway Toys, and since we’re always interested in the toy aisle here at Hero Complex we bring you a Q&A with the toy master whose company was an early part of the Pixar success story.   DC: How did the relationship between Pixar and Thinkway get started? AC: Thinkway and Pixar’s relationship began 15 years ago. When Pixar launched “Toy Story” in 1995 it was the first fully computer-animated movie. As such, it was different than traditional 2-D animation and Disney had difficulty convincing any major toy company to develop toys for the world’s first CGI film. For me, it was no risk ...

“AVATAR” COUNTDOWN: 4 DAYS We’re code blue here at Hero Complex as we go into the final days of our “30 Days of Avatar” countdown. Today we talk to Jason Horowitz, the marketing director for Mattel, whose company is taking James Cameron’s sci-fi epic to the toy aisles with hopes that it can be the king of the jungle this holiday season. GB: It’s so rare these days to have a huge special-effects film that’s not based on a preexisting property — a comic book or novel or a toy. For you, that must make “Avatar” a bit of a challenge and also a pretty exciting design opportunity. JH: You’re absolutely right. This is an amazing new world that James Cameron has created and when we heard about “Avatar” we were so excited because it has everything that makes for a great toy ...

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE, PART TWO (READ PART ONE RIGHT HERE and PART THREE RIGHT HERE) Stressed about finding the perfect gift for that special Muggle, Trekkie, Twi-Hard, Jedi or Bat-fan in your life? Relax and read on: You’ve come to the perfect place at the perfect time, because this is the 2009 Hero Complex Holiday Gift Guide — just think of us as a sort of retail Yoda guiding you through the complicated swamps of holiday shopping. “Buy or buy not. There is no browse…” “Star Wars” Garden Jawa: Do you know someone that has a gopher problem and a fixation of the George Lucas universe? Well, of course you do — who doesn’t? Just last month, the Garden Jawa ($35) went on sale exclusively at Star Wars Shop. Not even a cranky Bantha could resist this little guy, who is close ...

 Today we have a special treat for you here on the Hero Complex. We’ve been impressed with the serious fanboy obsessiveness of the Bat Blog, a colorful corner of the Internet devoted to the Caped Crusader and the mountain of collectibles that bear his pointy-eared visage. So today we venture into the Batcave and turn the Complex over to collector expert Tommy from Bat-Blog, for a guest column: The 10 coolest vintage Batman toys. It’s a great list – although we’re not quite sure what’s going with that water gun… 10. 1960s Batman Figure Water Gun This vintage Batman toy is a total blast. It’s a 1966 Batman plastic toy water gun, released the same year that Adam West debuted in Batman’s cape and cowl on television and also hit theaters with the tie-in film. This item was created in a way more innocent time and I bet ...

EXCLUSIVE Here we bring you a sweet exclusive, the first group photo of the entire cast from the upcoming blockbuster film "Star Trek." Hmmm. Don’t they look a bit … stiff? OK, sorry. It’s been a long day. Actually these are the nifty, new 6-inch "Trek" action figures from Playmates Toys. They will retail for $8.99 and hit shelves in April. I love the older Spock in the back row and bad-guy Nero looks pretty good, too, which will please actor Eric Bana, who may have thought his action-figure days were over after "Hulk. "For you collectors, keep reading to the bottom to see the specs and features. As for "Star Trek" the film, check this out… I can’t tell you how excited I am about this new movie. Here are the specs and blurb info on those action figures: ...