Toygodd has again braved the wilds of New York City to get the photos and videos for AFTimes… and me! Having done Toy Fair by myself, I know that, while a fun experience, is long and tough work. If you haven’t already, check out all his coverage of the American International Toy Fair 2012.

Now with the secrets revealed, I’m figure its time to talk about some of the things that have come out of this year’s event, as well as some new news coming in the wake of it.

NECA

I have to say that the “vast” amount of my action figure-buying dollars have been going to NECA… and will continue to do so in 2012!

The reveal of the Rocky, E.T. and Hunger Games licenses, as well as the continuation of the Gremlins and Predator lines continue to show the breadth of NECA interests. But for my money, It’s about Evil Dead 2, Rambo, The Terminator and ALIENS… and what they have coming down the pike.

Longtime readers know how much of a fan of Evil Dead 2 I am. I proudly display my signed picture of director Sam Raimi with one of his “Sam-o-Cams” on the set of ED2!! So the Evil Dead 2 figure line has been eagerly anticipated since the announcement came in 2011. And the images seen so far have been knock-outs! Word has come that the first series of figures have begun shipping out from e-tailers and showing up in stores.

The “lovely” Henrietta (on the right) and “Hero” Ash are part of the 2nd series of figures, likely due this summer. Time to start selling blood to get these-as many colors of blood as I can!

The Rambo line was a surprise as well in 2011. I was happy to hear that NECA was going to start off with First Blood versions of Rambo. And if you haven’t seen the first one, I HIGHLY recommend it! The movie really MOVES and is not as cartoonish as the later movies. Unfortunately, none of the figures were available shown at Toy Fair. But a work-in-progress shot was recently release and it makes me VERRRRY happy!

This image is for Rambo’s makeshift burlap poncho that he wears during most of the time in the forest evading authorities. But it is also the first thing that came to mind when the action figure line was announced and was confirmed by Randy several months ago to me. This is an iconic version of the character to me. And I can’t wait to see more!

I have been very vocal in my happiness for the figures NECA’s done for The Terminator. The three figures released in 2011 have fulfilled a dream of mine since I saw the movie in Oct. 1984. I was happy to plunk down my money to get Series 1 & 2 so that A)I could own them and B)I could support the line in hopes for more figures. Because, especially now, money talks in the toy world. And one very specific character without whom, well, there wouldn’t be any more movies…

And apparently my purchase helped! NECA will be continuing The Terminator line and producing, for the first time in action figure scale, Kyle Reese! As you can see from the reference photos, this will be Reese after he has traveled back to 1984 to protect Sarah and “zero” the T-800. I’m speculating but perhaps the arms & jacket are removable to allow for other arms, including a bandaged hand, so that it covers several scenes. Likely come with a sawed-off Remington 870, maybe even some homemade pipe bombs. Can’t wait to see more.

Now here’s to hoping the line continues to prosper and lives long enough for a Future War Sgt. Reese. That would make me simply giddy!

NECA announced that they will doing figures from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, a kind of “prequel” to his classic ALIEN. Due to obvious issues of secrecy, nothing could be shown by NECA from the line, though Randy has indicated that we should see something perhaps in June.

What came as a surprise was the continuation of figures from ALIENS! This is another movie/brand that I’ve always been a fan of, no matter who made them. There will be a brand new Alien Warrior “with removable limbs, fully articulated, and about 9″ tall.” According to Randy, “You can expect the Warrior Aliens to have clean and battle damaged versions and both blue and brown highlights for variety when army building your hive.” VERY nice. But what really “gets me on the Ready Line” is that NECA will be producing two Colonial Marines!

As of now, Cpl. Dwayne Hicks has been confirmed with the identity of the 2nd Marine being kept a secret. While a previous Hicks was done my McFarlane, it left something to be desired… like articulation and accuracy! So having NECA not only get to redo it right but a brand new Marine gets me all happy! My guess is that it’s either Pvt. Hudson or Pvt. Vasquez, being both long-term characters in the film and popular with fans.

Don’t expect Lt. Ellen Ripley to be in the line any time soon. I don’t think Ms. Weaver is very much interested in adding a likeness to a “war” movie toy. As far as a Queen Alien goes, not very likely. But… “There’s a slight possibility we’ll get to her in 2013, but there’s nothing confirmed yet.” Remember-SLIGHT.

What about a full lineup of Colonial Marines? Well, that all depends on the consumer: “Honestly, it all depends on how well sales go and what our production schedule permits. We are very excited to finally bring you Colonial Marines from Aliens and we hope to bring you a Queen in 2013.”

If you like a line and want more characters, then buy them! I know we all want a bargain in this economy but holding out for markdown is a line killer. Money talks-Simple as that. And NECA’s getting a whole lotta mine!

Thanks for reading and I’ll be back with more soon!
RANDY

Please refer to the attached photos and spec below for your reference.

~ MMS Series ~

The 1/6th scale Batmobile Collectible Vehicle specially features:

- Authentically detailed 1/6th scale model car

- Approximately 39” L x 16” W x 9” H

- Perfect scale to Hot Toys Batman (1989): 1/6th scale Batman Collectible Figure

- 2 headlights, 4 taillights and interior light-up function

- 2 seats

- Two (2) machine guns

- Functional door which allows sliding function

- Articulated flaps on both sides

- Four (4) batdiscs

- Detachable side plane and side hook on both sides

- Detachable base

- Batmobile’s shields

*Battery not included for collectible, 2A batteries (a total of 3 pieces) are required

Release date: Q2, 2013

TM & © DC Comics.

(s12)

This week is the week you absolutely have to go to your local comic shop. And not just because the new comics are in — because it’s a big week for Diamond Select Toys! Three new DST products hit stores on Wednesday, and they’re all worth making the trip to your LCS. Don’t have one in your area? Check comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one, or look up your favorite online retailer!

Marvel Select: Green Goblin Action Figure

A Diamond Select Release! Designed and Sculpted by Art Asylum! Marvel Select gives their take on one of the Marvel Universe’s most popular villains! Spider-Man’s longtime nemesis, Norman Osborne, has never looked more menacing, wearing a detailed, modernized sculpt of the classic Green Goblin costume. Equipped with 16 points of articulation, this 7-inch figure can perch on top of his included base, a perfectly balanced Goblin Glider wrapped in smoke. The Green Goblin comes in oversized collector packaging, ready for display. Suggested retail price: $21.99

Femme Fatales: Snow White PVC Statue

A Diamond Select Release! Sculpted by Sam Greenwell! Following up on its earlier PVC statues of Little Red and Alice, the “Femme Fatales” figure series continues with a new take on yet another classic fairy tale character: Snow White! Standing 9 inches tall, this Sam Greenwell sculpt envisions the shy girl from the tale of “Snow White and Rose Red” all grown up, with scissors at the ready to snip off the beard of any entangled dwarf. SRP: $45.00

Marvel Minimates: Best of Marvel Minimates

A Diamond Select Release! Designed and Sculpted by Art Asylum! Marvel Minimates have been around for ten years, and DST has made hundreds of different characters, but at the end of the day everybody wants their favorite hero or villain. So for those of you just getting into Marvel Minimates, or simply looking for the best version of a Marvel icon, DST presents a “Best of” wave of two-packs: Wolverine and Sabretooth, Spider-Man and Green Goblin, Captain America and Thor, and Iron Man and Thing. A great jumping-on point for any collector or retailer! Each Minimate stands 2 inches tall with 14 points of articulation and a variety of removable and interchangeable parts and accessories. SRP: $8.99/two-pack

Look for these products online, or find your local comic shop here. And get regular DST updates on Facebook and Twitter!