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Lionel’s THE DARK KNIGHT™ Boxcar and MAN OF STEEL™ Boxcar

March 23, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

In conjunction with the highly anticipated film,BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, Lionel has created two special boxcars for fans to show off who their favorite superhero is. Where does your loyalty lie? Are you rooting for THE DARK KNIGHT masked protector of GOTHAM CITY or the MAN OF STEEL, caped guardian of METROPOLIS?

Lionel’s THE DARK KNIGHT™ Boxcar and MAN OF STEEL™ Boxcar both feature detailed graphics, die-cast metal sprung trucks and operating couplers, as well as opening boxcar doors. They are made in the USA (of US and imported parts) and available for consumers to pre-order through their local Lionel dealers for $84.99 each. To find a local dealer, consumers can visit Lionel.com.

Additionally, Lionel will be kicking off a Tug of War “Who’s Your Hero” sweepstakes, which will run on the company’s social channels beginning on Friday, March 25^th. Consumers can pick their favorite between THE DARK KNIGHT and MAN OF STEEL, with Lionel picking a lucky winner on April 4^th from the list of the most popular hero to receive a set of THE DARK KNIGHT and MAN OF STEEL boxcars.

Review: Tall Tales

March 23, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

Mezco Presents Beetlejuice 6inch Roto Figure

March 21, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

Mezco Presents Beetlejuice 6inch Roto Figure

Beetlejuice, “the ghost with the most” is back and ready to bring his unique blend of horrific hilarity to your home.

First made famous in the self titled Tim Burton film Beetlejuice, the afterlife’s leading bio- exorcist is dead set on showing you that “you’re working with a professional here”.

From his ghoulish green hair, to his gross, yellowed teeth and dressed to kill in his iconic black and white suit, Mezco has captured every detail of this obnoxious apparition.

Standing 6 inches tall and featuring 8 points of articulation, Beetlejuice comes packaged in a collector friendly window box suitable for display. NOTE: Box is not sandworm proof!

Watch out for Beetlejuice to enter the collections of the living in September/ October and is available for pre-order at

http://www.mezcotoyz.com/beetlejuice-6-inch-roto-figure

Be sure to follow Mezco on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/MezcoToyz

And Twitter

https://twitter.com/mezcotoyz

Jean St. Jean Talks Creatureplica!

March 21, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

By Steven Biscotti

Steven Biscotti: Hi Jean, I’m Steven. We’re here at C2E2, at the Creatureplica booth; we know you from your work at Diamond Select and we’re always excited about all the products that have your name on it.

Jean St. Jean: Alright cool.

SB: What’s really cool is seeing these line of action figures here. They kind of represent the horror, Universal classic monsters motif and I just wanted to get your idea and approach behind the line.

JSJ: We wanted to do a cryptozoology line, first and foremost that would be able to interact scale wise with six and seven inch figure lines. You know, I’ve done all the ‘Universal’ stuff for Diamond and this stuff kind of falls within that line and it’ll also interact with the ‘Van Helsing’ figures and things like that. We started out with a Sasquatch and Yeti which are staples of cryptozoology lore and I’ve been into that particular mythology for a long time; since I was a kid basically. So when my partners came along to back the whole thing, they all wanted to do it and because I had a foreknowledge of this stuff they allowed me to just run with it and design it in a way that I felt was appropriate. They’re highly detailed [and] some have more articulation than others. They’re more aesthetically balanced than articulation wise, which we’re still kind of playing around with just what that balance of articulation to style is going to be along the way, but the other two figures are variations of werewolves. The Horror Hound is actually the mascot for Horror Hound magazine; those guys are friends of ours so we did that figure in conjunction with them and we actually have a zombie exclusive of that being sold this week at Horror Hound in Cincinnati. The other ones a Rougarou, which is basically classic werewolf mythology; kind of a ‘Howling’ style werewolf. The difference between a rougarou and a classic werewolf is the way the lycanthropy disease is transmitted is through the curse of a witch, rather than a bite or a scratch, which is kind of the classic way it’s transmitted. That’s kind of the basics of the line. I was actually going to be working here at the convention on parts of wave 2, but UPS kind of screwed up two days in a row and my stuff is not showing up, but we’re going to be doing a Wendigo from Native American mythology and some Alien Grey variations.

SB: Now we see that these are all readily available…

JSJ: Mmmhmm…

SB: And we could get them throughcreatureplica.com?

JSJ: Right. Creatureplica.com, BigBadToyStore has them; I think Entertainment Earth still has them. You could get them through your comic store through Diamond Comics, and there’s a lot of other retailers online if you look around. More and more people are picking up on them and they’re just starting to pop up in more comic stores too. For the most part, they are mostly available online but like anything else, if people want to be able to get them at their comic stores, then let your comic stores know and as they see a rise in interest in them, they’ll probably stock more of them.

SB: Is there any particular figure that you’re most proud of? Maybe one you had the most fun designing?

JSJ: My favorite of the line is the Yeti because I’ve always enjoyed Tibetan mythology surrounding it. That’s the one where I went furthest away from witness reports because the Sasquatch one is based off of witness reports I took myself and from different things I’ve read and sort of speculative biology in terms of what a bipedal crypto of that sort might look like. The Yeti reports in mythology and in anything that’s halfway current, they tend to look a little more like a sasquatch as they tend to have more of an ape-like morphology in the feet, split off, bifurcated large toe, but we wanted him to represent more of what the pop-culture look is because if you did a Yeti that kind of looked like more of an orangutan style (supposedly what they look like), no one would really understand that that’s what it’s supposed to be. We kind of went more with the bumble look, you know? [laughs] Giant and white, mouthful of teeth.

SB: It looks great and, again, for somebody that likes creatures and likes the monsters, it’s definitely a unique and inspired take on them.

JSJ: Thanks.

SB: They really compliment the Universal Monsters that Diamond Select has put out. Going into wave 2 could you talk about any of the other characters we could expect to see?

JSJ: Wave 2 is going to have a Wendigo which is kind of a more supernatural creature. Basically from what I’ve read, it’s kind of a wind spirit that gets into people and causes them to become cannibalistic. So basically this is like a human that’s been transplanted and transformed into this gigantic and cannibalistic monster. They tend to look along the lines of almost a cross between a giant, monstrous stag and a person, and maybe a little werewolf thrown in there. That’s one of the characters I’m working on and I’m also working on the Alien Greys – there will be a variety of those guys. And two more characters that we haven’t announced yet. At this point I’m working on sculpting waves two and three so probably within the next month or two we’ll show wave two and then maybe by the fall we’ll start teasing wave three.

SB: Well Jean, thank you so much for talking about Creatureplica and it was a pleasure speaking with you.

Follow Steven on Twitter
www.twitter.com/reggiemantleIII

Transformers Takeover SXSWi Mashable House to Launch TRANSFORMERS: EARTH WARS Mobile Game

March 15, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

Transformers at SXSWi

The brand partnered with the Mashable House to spread the word about the Spring launch of TRANSFORMERS: EARTH WARS, a new real-time strategy combat game which fans can pre-register for now to receive a free character when the game launches. The week also marked the official launch of Optimus Prime’s Snapchat (handle: optimusprime)!

As part of the action, Hasbro’s Transformers brought along a 10-ft tall,

fully functional Bumblebee transformer that visitors had a blast taking photos with. Bumblebee was also in attendance for the TRANFORMERS PARTY on Saturday, March 12, where attendees drank custom cocktails like The Marg-a-tron and Bumblee-tini and rocked out to an exclusive live performance by Mount Holly, who performed their new title track Roll Out from the upcoming Transformers-inspired studio album Roll Out.

@MountHollyBand

https://twitter.com/NASDAQ/status/708791094310522880

https://twitter.com/contentnow/status/708849932677959681

https://twitter.com/LanceUlanoff/status/708855733727600645

https://twitter.com/adamostrow/status/708373694155001856

https://www.instagram.com/p/BC3zxXlI-23/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/thebeff/status/708355992354889728

YOUR NEW LOOK AT TA-NEHISI COATES & BRIAN STELFREEZE’S BLACK PANTHER #1 FROM MARVEL COMICS

March 11, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

YOUR NEW LOOK AT TA-NEHISI COATES & BRIAN STELFREEZE’S

BLACK PANTHER #1 FROM MARVEL COMICS

New York, NY—March 11, 2016 — A new era dawns for Wakanda and its ruler, T’Challa! Marvel is proud to offer your new look at BLACK PANTHER #1 written by national correspondent for The Atlantic, MacArthur Genius, and National Book Award winner Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) and illustrated by living legend Brian Stelfreeze, BLACK PANTHER “A Nation Under Our Feet” is a story about dramatic upheaval in Wakanda and the Black Panther’s struggle to do right by his people as their ruler.

The indomitable will of Wakanda — the famed African nation known for its vast wealth, advanced technology and warrior traditions — has long been reflected in the will of its monarchs, the Black Panthers. But now, the current Black Panther, T’Challa, finds that will tested by a superhuman terrorist group called The People that have sparked a violent uprising among the citizens of Wakanda. T’Challa knows the country must change to survive — the question is: will the Black Panther survive the change?

Exclusively revealing with The Atlantic, Coates proposes a simple question that fueled his script forBLACK PANTHER, “Can a good man be a king, and would an advanced society tolerate a monarch? Research is crucial in both cases. The Black Panther I offer pulls from the archives of Marvel and the character’s own long history. But it also pulls from the very real history of society—from the pre-colonial era of Africa, the peasant rebellions that wracked Europe toward the end of the Middle Ages, the American Civil War, the Arab Spring, and the rise of ISIS.”

“For centuries, Wakanda has been sending would-be conquerors home in body bags. Now, it is about to face its biggest threat — and it comes from within,” says Marvel Comics Editor In Chief, Axel Alonso. “Under Ta-Nehisi’s unflinching gaze, the Black Panther will grapple with a threat that can’t simply be beaten into submission, one that raises questions about life, liberty and honor that are especially relevant today.”

Is this a bold new age for one of Marvel’s most classic heroes or his untimely downfall? Find out April 6^th as BLACK PANTHER #1 arrives digitally and in local comic retailers.

BLACK PANTHER #1 (FEB160736)

Written by TA-NEHISI COATES

Art and Cover by BRIAN STELFREEZE

BLACK PANTHER #1 ALEX ROSS VARIANT (FEB160737)

BLACK PANTHER #1 BLANK COVER VARIANT (FEB160746)

BLACK PANTHER #1 COIPEL VARIANT (FEB160738)

BLACK PANTHER #1 DISNEY INFINITY GAME VARIANT (FEB160745)

BLACK PANTHER #1 FELIPE SMITH BLACK PANTHER 50TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT (FEB160742)

BLACK PANTHER #1 GREENE CONNECTING VARIANT A (FEB160740)

BLACK PANTHER #1 SOOK VARIANT (FEB160743)

BLACK PANTHER #1 STELFREEZE DESIGN VARIANT (FEB160741)

BLACK PANTHER #1 STELFREEZE HIP-HOP VARIANT (FEB160739)

FOC – 3/14/16, On-Sale – 4/06/16

Spider-Woman, Silk and Spider-Gwen Swing Into Action in SPIDER-WOMEN ALPHA #1!

March 10, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

Spider-Woman, Silk and Spider-Gwen Swing Into
Action in SPIDER-WOMEN ALPHA #1!
Silk, Spider-Woman and Spider-Gwen Unite For Can’t Miss Crossover!

New York, NY – March 10^th, 2016 – The Spider-Event of 2016 is here! This April, Silk, Spider-Woman and Spider-Gwen unite for a story too big for any one of their titles to contain! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at SPIDER-WOMEN ALPHA #1– kicking off the epic 8-part universe hopping crossover! Blockbuster writers Jason Latour, Dennis Hopeless and Robbie Thompson are joined by a dazzling array of artists, including Vanesa Del Rey, Bengal, Javier Rodriguez, Tana Ford and more to bring you a story you won’t want to miss!

A routine trip to Earth-65 to visit Spider-Gwen turns into a nightmare as Silk and Spider-Woman find themselves trapped on Gwen’s alternate Earth! And they’re not alone! The villainous organization S.I.L.K. is on their tails, and they’re dead set on using these interdimensional interlopers for their own gains. Now, it’s a race against time to get home in one piece! But while these Spider-Women struggle to find their way back, who’s keeping an eye on their universe? Plus – Cindy Moon comes face-to-face with her Earth-65 counterpart!

Don’t miss one minute of the excitement as these three wallcrawling warrior women swing into action in SPIDER-WOMEN ALPHA #1 this April!

SPIDER-WOMEN #1 (FEB160774)

Story by JASON LATOUR, DENNIS HOPELESS & ROBBIE THOMPSON

Written by ROBBIE THOMPSON

Art by VANESA DEL REY

Cover by YASMINE PUTRI

Connecting Variant A by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL (FEB160775)

Variant Cover by STACEY LEE (FEB160776)

Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (FEB160777)

FOC – 3/14/16, On-Sale – 4/06/16

Batman saves the Gotham and your money!

March 9, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

Batman Rescues Gotham—And Your Change!

(BALTIMORE, MD) – (March 9, 2015)- Batman is here to save more than just his hometown with a March PREVIEWS exclusive, Batman bust banks! PREVIEWS and Monogram Products, Ltd. partner together to bring fans an easy way to keep their money safe with the blue and black editions of this larger than life Batman bank.

Made of Vinyl, this impressive depiction of Batman from The Dark Knight Returns, stands at 6” tall and 9” wide. Through detailed precision, this exclusive sculpt of Batman would make an incredible collectible for any fan to showcase!

The two different colored banks are available to order at comic book shops for a retail price of $19.99 using their individual item code from the March PREVIEWS Catalog.

Dark Knight Returns Batman PX Bust Bank Blue Version: MAR162641Dark Knight Returns Batman PX Bust Bank Black Version: MAR162642

Fans are encouraged to pre-order their own Batman bank at their local comic book shop from the March PREVIEWS catalog to ensure they get it when it is released in May. Find a comic shop at www.comicshoplocator.com.

Toy Fair 2016: X Cube

March 9, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

here is our walk through with X Cube

Until next time!

Kernel is affording Assassin’s Creed fans the opportunity to immerse themselves in the highly anticipated movie release with exclusive film merchandise

March 9, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

Kernel Engages Assassin’s Creed fans with exclusive limited-edition merchandise, Behind-the-scenes first-looks at the upcoming Movie, Movie Tickets and More

Beginning today, March 9th at www.kernel.com/assassinscreed, Kernel is affording Assassin’s Creed fans the opportunity to immerse themselves in the highly anticipated movie release with exclusive film merchandise, one-of-a-kind experiences, revealing behind-the-scene sneak peeks and more.

Long before the Assassin’s Creed trailer premieres and nine months before the movie’s debut, Kernel’s is offering passionate fans of the franchise a first look of key elements from the film, including the hoodie and gauntlet worn by Callum Lynch’s/Aguilar (played by Michael Fassbender), limited-edition collectibles, apparel and accessories, the film script,advanced movie tickets, tickets to San Diego Comic Con and more.

To satisfy fans’ intense interest in their favorite entertainment franchises and characters, Kernel works directly with studios, filmmakers and distributors to give visibility to the entire creative process, from script to screen. The Santa Monica-based company has redefined fan engagement with offers such as movie ticket pre orders, access to exclusive digital content, and customized VIP-experiences.

Kernel co-founder Andy Martinez says: “We’ve curated bundles at all levels but the most important item included in each purchase is the ticket. That’s the shared piece that binds and connects all of us as Assassin’s Creed fans since the day we first plugged into the Animus and thought to ourselves, ‘wow, this would make a great movie!’”

Part of what is unique about Kernel and this program is that it is a real honest-to-god collaboration between the movie Fox, Ubisoft, New Regency, and of course the product creators like TriForce and McFarlane whose contributions traditionally wouldn’t be surfaced until much later.

The Assassin’s Creed movie, based on Ubisoft’s best-selling franchise, stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. The film premieres December 21, 2016 from Fox Filmed Entertainment and New Regency.

Kernel’s Assassin’s Creed packages range from $15 to $1200. Once fans purchase a package, they’ll be treated to additional behind-the-scenes content, more exclusive movie merchandise and experiences that will continue to become available in the months leading up to the film’s release.

Some of the early items curated by Kernel include:

Spanish Crossbow from Ubi Workshop – Kernel Exclusive

Only available on Kernel, this 15th century crossbow is an exact 1:1 scale replica of the weapon featured in the Assassin’s Creed movie. Created by famed Hollywood weapon’s master Tim Wildgoose, the crossbow is 18” long and features scenes from Medieval Spain, as well as motifs from Assassin’s Creed lore. Handcrafted, numbered and limited to an edition size of 20, this piece is a worthy centerpiece of any Assassin’s Creed or movie prop collection. Comes with a signed letter of authenticity. This package also includes a ticket to see Assassin’s Creed in theaters, a digital copy of the script, and behind-the-scenes extras. Priced at $1200.

TriForce Aguilar Premier Scale Statue

The officially licensed Assassin’s Creed: Aguilar Premier Scale Statue, masterfully sculpted, hand-finished and hand-painted to precision quality by the artisans at TriForce. The limited-edition statue, crafted and cast in polystone, the most authentic on the market, portrays Aguilar posed on top of a 15th Century Spanish rooftop. The package includes a ticket to see Assassin’s Creed in theaters, a digital copy of the script, and behind-the-scenes extras. Priced at $500

Official Assassin’s Creed Hoodie – Kernel Exclusive

Only available on Kernel, Ubi Workshop’s hoodies offer fans an early look at Callum Lynch’s hoodie in the upcoming movie. The original costume was created by famed BAFTA nominated costume designer Sammy Sheldon Differ and worn by Michael Fassbender in his starring role. With its modern fit and unique hood, this unisex Hoodie is made from 100 percent polyester, features two side pockets, metal snap buttons embossed with Assassin’s Creed logo and a YKK zipper. The packages includes a ticket to see Assassin’s Creed in theaters, a digital copy of the script, and behind-the-scenes extras. Priced at $100.

McFarlane Toys Aguilar Hidden Blade – First Look!

Assassin’s Creed fans can bring the movie to life with McFarlane’s new screen-accurate Hidden Blade role-play item, offered as an exclusive first look only on Kernel. Used by Aguilar, the 15th century Assassin played by Michael Fassbender, the blade is highly detailed, intricately sculpted and true to the original design. An early unpainted sculpt is currently shown on Kernel, giving fans a rare glimpse of McFarlane’s creative process. The final product will be fully painted and functional, including a button-activated play-action and extending hidden blade. This package also includes a ticket to see Assassin’s Creed in theaters, a digital copy of the script, and behind-the-scenes extras. Priced at $60.

T-Shirt + Movie Ticket + Script

Live the Creed in this exclusive Assassin’s Creed movie T-shirt with the iconic words “Work in the dark to serve the light.” T-shirt is made of 100 percent pre-shrunk cotton and features a round neck and relax fit. This package also includes a ticket to see Assassin’s Creed in theaters, a digital copy of the script, and behind-the-scenes extras. Priced at $25.

Movie Ticket + Collector’s Watch + Script + Aguilar & Maria Temporary Tattoos – One Week Only!

Fans can arm themselves with everything needed to countdown to the Assassin’s Creed movie release, including a smooth printed LED Collector’s Assassin’s Creedwatch (with silicone band, digital readout, and month/year function), replicas of Aguilar and Maria’s tattoos as featured in the movie, an official digital copy of the script delivered on the day of the film’s release, and behind-the-scenes extras. Priced at $15, the special introductory package is available for one week only.

Synopsis:

Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.

Social handles:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kernelfilms/

Kernel – @KernelFilms

Instagram – @KernelFilms

YouTube – @KernelFilms