Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Philadelphia 76ers Go Retro

In an unprecedented move, the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers have decided to change its primary logo and color scheme and revert back to its “traditional ‘76ers basketball’ logo and red, white and blue color scheme. The basketball logo was last used during the 1996-97 season and consists of a color scheme that was originally established in 1963 and used during the Sixers’ two championship seasons in 1966-67 and 1982-83.” (link)

The Philadelphia 76ers 2009 Official Logo
I can’t even begin to tell you how happy this makes The Blot. The logo you see above is a classic and something that should have never been abandoned in the first place. The 76ers tried to become “hip” with a modern logo and dark color scheme, and you know what? It failed. The team had a few good years with Iverson, but ever since he left the franchise it has been searching for an identity…an identity it has had all along. Just by reverting to their classic logo and traditional red, white and blue color scheme the franchise will be able to remind its city of their championship years and reenergize its fan base.

The Philadelphia 76ers Previous and Current Team Logos
What it is that makes teams feel like they need to mess with their look? It always seems to be for a piss poor reason, like the opening of a new stadium, the drafting of a potentially amazing player or to give a facelift to a team in rebuilding mode. But whatever the reason is, it’s typically the wrong decision. Just think of all the classic team logos and color schemes in the four major North American sports leagues and I can almost guarantee not a one of them has changed their logo or colors: teams like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in baseball, the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys in football and the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in basketball. Thankfully, we can now add another franchise to that list…the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Michael Lau x Mindstyle The Godfather Marionette Vinyl Figure

The Blot is a HUGE fan of The Godfather movies, so when the news that Michael Lau, the godfather of urban vinyl, would be designing a Godfather vinyl figure first hit the internet I freaked out. I had all these different visions of what a Lau designed Marlon Brando vinyl figure would look like…and now we know. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Lau would go with a marionette theme, but it def works in tying in The Godfather logo with the image of Brando’s Vito Corleone.

Michael Lau x Mindstyle The Godfather Marionette Designer Vinyl Figure
The creation of this figure was made possible due to a licensing agreement between MINDstyle International and Paramount Pictures, and marks the launch of their new The Godfather art toy collectibles (ATC) line. In my opinion, the only downfall to this figure is the announcement that this figure will have two alternate limited edition colorways available from select retailers. How they could possibly feel a designer vinyl figure of Vito Corleone could possibly need additional colorways is beyond me! You just don’t mess with a classic.

Michael Lau x Mindstyle The Godfather Marionette Designer Vinyl Figure
This original version of The Godfather (with marionette) is packaged in a special limited edition collectors box and will launch at the “Family Tradition” art exhibition curated by Ron English in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 19th at De la Barracuda. The figure will also be available in extremely limited quantities at MINDstyle’s San Diego Comic Con booth #4545.

Michael Lau x Mindstyle The Godfather Marionette Designer Vinyl Figure
The Michael Lau x Mindstyle The Godfather Marionette Vinyl Figure is 8 inches tall (12 inches with the marionette attached) and has a limited run of 300 figures. The Godfather OG colorway is expected to retail for around $175.
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Monday, June 29, 2009

MINDstyle - SDCC 09 Exclusive 8 Inch Stephan LePodd Vinyl Figure by Doktor A

MINDstyle’s sixth (and potentially final) San Diego Comic Con 2009 exclusive is an 8 inch colorway of Doktor A’s Stephan LePodd from the good Doktor’s first Mechtorians mini figure series. Doktor A has christened the SDCC 09 exclusive Stephan LePodd vinyl figure as “The Entertainer.” The Blot’s a huge fan of Doktor A’s steampunk style, and there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a highly sought after figure at this summer’s Comic-Con.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive 8 Inch Stephan LePodd Mechtorians Vinyl Figure by Doktor A
What’s really cool about this SLP colorway is that it’s the first 8” LePodd figure to come with three different hats! As always with MINDstyle, the figure is not the only detailed and quality part of the product, as The Entertainer SLP comes packaged in one of the finest boxes for collectibles on the market, and includes a numbered collectors card.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive 8 Inch Stephan LePodd Mechtorians Vinyl Figure by Doktor A
Collectors can purchase the San Diego Comic Con 2009 exclusive Stephan LePodd The Entertainer colorway at MINDstyle’s SDCC booth #4545. The SLP vinyl figure is limited to 150 pieces and will sell for $90.00 each.
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Kidrobot - Futurama Mini Figure Series Sneak Peek Photo

Last week when The Blot was scouring the web looking for photos of Kidrobot’s upcoming Dunny 2009 Series I stumbled upon a really intriguing photo. It looks like a blind boxed mini figure series based on the characters of Matt Groening’s animated television series Futurama! I can only assume this is the follow up to Kidrobot’s hugely popular The Simpsons mini figure set, and it couldn’t be coming at a better time what with Futurama scheduled to make its highly anticipated return to TV with all new episodes next year on Comedy Central.

Kidrobot - Futurama Mini Vinyl Figure Series Complete Set Sneak Peek Photo
Isn’t really hard to believe it’s been six years since Futurama was canceled by FOX back in 2003? Now don’t start sending me e-mails asking for more information on this exciting mini vinyl figure series, because this photo is seriously all I know. I would guess we can expect to see this series go on sale in late 2009 or early 2010, but who knows! In the meantime, check out the awesomeness that is the picture above. The Blot will be sure to post more pictures and information on this upcoming Kidrobot release as it becomes available.
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Friday, June 26, 2009

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Character Movie Posters Set 3

As you all probably know, The Blot can’t get enough of high quality movie posters, especially promo posters for a big summer blockbuster. So I was excited to find out a third set of character one sheet movie posters for the upcoming live action film G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra had recently been released.

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Character Movie Posters Set 3 - Channing Tatum as Duke
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Character Movie Posters Set 3 - Ray Park as Snake Eyes
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Character Movie Posters Set 3 - Sienna Miller as The Baroness
These five six G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra theatrical posters are definitely the best set of character posters released so far. They actually have some action in them this time around and a huge splash of color, something the previous sets sorely lacked. Unfortunately, all of the posters for G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra seem to only focus on just four characters: Duke, Ripcord, Snake Eyes and The Baroness (with Storm Shadow and Scarlett occasionally showing up). What’s Destro, General Hawk and Heavy Duty have to do to get some love from the marketing folks at Paramount?

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Character Movie Posters Set 3 - Rachel Nichols as Scarlett
G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra Character Movie Posters Set 3 - Marlon Wayans as Ripcord
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra Character Movie Posters Set 3 - Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra premieres in theaters on Friday, August 7, 2009.
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Thursday, June 25, 2009

MINDstyle - SDCC 09 Exclusive Obese Alien Popaganda Vinyl Figure by Ron English

MINDstyle’s fifth San Diego Comic Con exclusive and second exclusive from Ron English’s upcoming Popaganda Circus Sideshow mini figure series is the metallic blue Obese Alien vinyl figure.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Popaganda Circus Sideshow Obese Alien Vinyl Figure by Ron English
With Ron English’s new mini figure series making its way to retailers in late August, MINDstyle, Ron English and Toy Tokyo will be releasing a very special color version of the 3 inch Obese Alien mini figure at San Diego Comic Con 2009 for $20.00. The SDCC exclusive Obese Alien figure is limited to just 200 pieces and will be available exclusively at Toy Tokyo’s SDCC booth #5237.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Popaganda Circus Sideshow Obese Alien Vinyl Figure by Ron English
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MINDstyle - SDCC 09 Exclusive Mask Mouse Murphy Popaganda Vinyl Figure by Ron English

MINDstyle’s fourth exclusive at this year’s San Diego Comic Con comes from the mind of the creator Popaganda, Ron English. While English’s all new Popaganda Circus Sideshow mini vinyl figure series won’t be hitting store shelves until late August, collectors will get a little sneak peek at the PCS series with two SDCC 2009 exclusives.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Popaganda Circus Sideshow Mask Mouse Murphy Vinyl Figure by Ron English
The first limited edition SDCC exclusive from English’s forthcoming Popaganda Circus Sideshow series is Mask Mouse Murphy, which eerily resembles everyone’s favorite mouse Mickey. The SDCC exclusive Mask Mouse Murphy is limited to just 200 pieces and will be sold exclusively at Toy Tokyo’s SDCC booth #5237 for $20.00 each.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Popaganda Circus Sideshow Mask Mouse Murphy Vinyl Figure by Ron English
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Threadless - “Fighting Crime Doesn’t Pay” Super Hero T-Shirt

As you all know, The Blot’s a sucker for a cool super hero themed t-shirts. So I was pleasantly surprised to find out earlier this week that Threadless has released an all new super hero inspired t-shirt entitled Fighting Crime Doesn’t Pay. The shirt plays off of the old adage “crime doesn’t pay,” and shows us where the world’s greatest heroes might have ended up if so many of them weren’t independently wealthy. This is their second shirt to feature Superman (the first, Microwaves Are Just Too Slow, can be seen here), but he’s not the only super hero making an appearance on this awesome Threadless tee! Fighting Crime Doesn’t Pay also features broke and destitute versions of Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Captain America and the Human Torch.


Threadless - Fighting Crime Doesn't Pay Super Hero T-Shirt by Stef McFeters
Fighting Crime Doesn’t Pay comes on an asphalt grey American Apparel tee, retails for $18 and can be purchased directly from Threadless here.
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

MINDstyle - SDCC 09 Exclusive Cosmic Pennie Scavengers Vinyl Figure by Kathie Olivas

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive The Scavengers Cosmic Pennie Vinyl Figure by Kathie Olivas
MINDstyle’s third limited edition release at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con is the 3 inch light blue Cosmic Pennie. Taken from Kathie Olivas’ tremendously popular Scavengers mini figure series, this SDCC exclusive mini figure will be sold only in San Diego for $20.00 and is limited to 200 pieces. Collectors hoping to add this adorable little figure to their Scavengers collection probably need to head to Toy Tokyo’s SDCC booth #5237 as soon as they get to Comic Con!

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive The Scavengers Cosmic Pennie Vinyl Figure by Kathie Olivas
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MINDstyle - SDCC 09 Exclusive Junior Serv-O-Matics Figure by Brandt Peters

The Junior SDCC 2009 colorway, MINDstyle’s second San Diego Comic Con exclusive, is also the first exclusive for Brandt Peters new mini figure series Serv-O-Matics. The Serv-O-Matics mini figure series launches this month and is sure to be a huge hit with both Peters fans and designer vinyl collectors.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Junior Serv-O-Matics Vinyl Figure by Brandt Peters
The Serv-O-Matics toy series takes collectors further in to the world of Peters' signature character Slap-Happy and the maniacal world of Slappyville. What’s really cool about this series is that it also includes a chase figure by Brandt’s wife, Kathie Olivas. What can I say, The Blot’s a sucker for artist crossovers!

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Junior Serv-O-Matics Vinyl Figure by Brandt Peters
The San Diego Comic Con exclusive mini figure of Junior is 3.5-4" tall, will retail for $20.00 each and is limited to just 200 pieces. Fans can purchase this limited edition figure at Toy Tokyo’s SDCC booth #5237 while supplies last.
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Johnny Cupcakes x Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen AutoBones T-Shirt

The pop culture themed t-shirts just keep on coming from Johnny Cupcakes this summer! First it was a Wolverine inspired t-shirt, then just last week JC released a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt, and now comes a tee featuring the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime.

Johnny Cupcakes x Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen AutoBones T-Shirt
I think the Optimus Prime version of the classic Johnny Cupcakes “Cupcake and Crossbones” logo turned out pretty cool, and I’m glad to see Johnny used Optimus’ classic look instead of Michael Bay’s movie version for this t-shirt. Even if TF: ROTF sucks, and The Blot’s a little worried it will after reading the film’s initial reviews, at least we got a pretty cool Transformers 2 t-shirt out of it from Johnny Cupcakes.

Johnny Cupcakes x Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen AutoBones T-Shirt
Johnny Cupcakes’ newest shirt, the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen inspired Optimus Cupcake AutoBones t-shirt, drops today, Wednesday, June 24 in all three JC stores and online. The Optimus Cupcake AutoBones shirt retails for $35.99 and can be purchased in both Guys and Girls styles at the Johnny Cupcakes online store.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Shocker Toys - SDCC 09 Exclusive San Diego Comic Con Logo Mallow Vinyl Figure

The third and final 2009 San Diego Comic Con exclusive 5 inch Mallow from Shocker Toys is the SDCC Art Mallow, and from its picture below it just looks like a guy wearing a San Diego Comic Con logo t-shirt.

Shocker Toys - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive SDCC Art Mallow Vinyl Figure
While this Mallow is not a previously existing character (unlike the other two 2009 SDCC exclusive limited edition Mallows), it is the rarest of the bunch with only 250 of these SDCC Art Mallow figures being produced.

Shocker Toys - SDCC 2009 Exclusive San Diego Comic Con Logo Mallow Vinyl Figure
The San Diego Comic Con Logo Mallow will also be the hardest Mallow for collectors to get their hands on since it will only be available in San Diego at the Con. The price for the SDCC Art Mallow is unknown at this time, but if you'd like to pre-order the other two SDCC exclusives head over to the Shocker Toys online store.
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Shocker Toys - SDCC 09 Exclusive Dr. Rockzo Metalocalypse Mallow Vinyl Figure

The second 2009 San Diego Comic Con exclusive 5 inch Mallow from Shocker Toys should make all the [adult swim] fans out there very happy! From the animated television series Metalocalypse comes a Mallow of everyone’s favorite rock ‘n roll clown, Dr. Rockzo.

Shocker Toys - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Dr. Rockzo Metalocalypse Mallow Vinyl Figure
While The Blot would prefer a full set of Dethklok Mallow figures, Dr. Rockzo is probably the next best thing. I love how spot on the figure’s look is to the animated character, and they did a great job getting Rockzo's colors just right.

Shocker Toys - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Dr. Rockso Mallow Vinyl Figure
The SDCC 09 exclusive Dr. Rockzo Mallow is limited to just 500 pieces and can be purchased either at Comic Con or pre-ordered (by both SDCC attendees and non-attendees) now at the Shocker Toys online store. The Dr. Rockzo Mallow is $30 if you are planning on picking it up in San Diego or $36 if it needs to be shipped to anyone not attending the convention.
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Shocker Toys - SDCC 09 Exclusive The Phantom Mallow Vinyl Figure

Even though today is Mallow day here at The Blot Says…, I still don’t know all that much about Shocker Toys’ new line of 5 inch designer vinyl figures. Shocker Toys will be unveiling its latest toy line at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con by releasing three different Mallow SDCC exclusives. The SDCC exclusive The Blot is most excited about is the Phantom Mallow based on the legendary comic strip adventurer created by Lee Falk.

Shocker Toys - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive The Phantom Mallow Vinyl Figure
I’ve been a huge fan of “The Ghost Who Walks” ever since I was a little kid, and I can still remember watching him on TV in the short lived 80's cartoon Defenders of the Earth.

Shocker Toys - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive The Phantom Mallow Vinyl Figure
The SDCC 09 exclusive The Phantom Mallow is limited to just 500 pieces and can be purchased either at Comic Con or pre-ordered (by both SDCC attendees and non-attendees) now at the Shocker Toys online store. The Phantom Mallow is $25 if you are planning on picking it up in San Diego or $30 if it needs to be shipped to all you non-attendees.
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Shocker Toys - Mallow Vinyl Figures

Not to be left out of the growing designer vinyl toy market, Shocker Toys, creator of the Indie Spotlight comic book action figure toy line, has created its own line of designer vinyl figures called Mallows. Mallows are a new 5 inch marshmallow themed figure featuring up to 10 points of articulation and up to 7 interchangeable parts with an oversized removable head. You can see what a Blank Do-It-Yourself Mallow looks like in the picture below:

Shocker Toys - Blank DIY Mallow Vinyl Figure
Similar to Mighty Muggs and Mez-Itz in size, Mallows will feature a whole slew of different licensed characters on this new, interesting looking platform. Along with producing Mallow versions of the comic book characters that make up their Indie Spotlight toy line, Shocker Toys will also be releasing Mallow vinyl figures based on American Greetings characters such as Sushi Pack, Madballs and My Pet Monster. Collectors and artists can purchase the D-I-Y white Mallow seen above at the Shocker Toys online store for $13 each.

What’s most exciting about Shocker Toys’ new Mallow toy line is that it will be launching at this year’s San Diego Comic Con! Shocker Toys has three different SDCC 2009 exclusives lined up for this summer’s Con, and The Blot will be featuring each and every one of them here today at The Blot Says… So check back in later today to find out more!
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Monday, June 22, 2009

Kidrobot - Dunny Series 2009 Sneak Peek Photo

It was unofficially announced/leaked last week that Kidrobot’s next 3 inch blind boxed Dunny series will be entitled Dunny Series 2009! The Blot scoured the web and was able to find this picture of the upcoming Dunny series. I know it’s small, but there looks to be some incredible designs in this series. From what I can make out, we can expect Dunnys from Huck Gee, Frank Kozik, MAD, Luke Chueh, Amanda Vissell, Andrew Bell, Brandt Peters, a Gloomy Bear Dunny by Mori Chack and a Tofu Dunny by Devilrobots. Can anyone identify any of the other artists in this series?

Kidrobot - Dunny Series 2009 Complete Set Sneak Peek Photo
In other Dunny Series 2009 news, Kidrobot and Dragon*Con are teaming up again this year with the official launch party of Dunny Series 2009 taking place at Drgaon*Con on Friday, September 4th at 8:30pm during the Comics and Pop Art Reception. For those lucky enough to attend the convention in Atlanta, GA, a very limited number of Dunny Series 2009 figures will be available for purchase.
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Kidrobot - Lucky Cat 8 Inch Dunny by Mr. Shane Jessup

So no official details have been announced yet, but Mr. Shane Jessup unveiled on his Twitter page late last week that his uber-popular design Lucky Cat, from Kidrobot’s Dunny Series 4, has finally been produced as an 8” Dunny and will be released in late July 2009 (possibly at SDCC 2009). Check out the picture below of the 8 inch Lucky Cat Dunny packaging photographed by Mr. Shane Jessup himself:

Kidrobot - Lucky Cat 8 Inch Dunny by Mr. Shane Jessup Due In Stores July 2009
Fans have been clamoring for an 8 inch Lucky Cat release for over a year now and thankfully Kidrobot listened! The only question now is whether the Lucky Cat Dunny will be open eyed or closed. Hopefully we’ll get both as with the Series 4 Dunny of the same design. The Blot will be sure to write a follow up blog post as soon as more details are revealed about this upcoming Kidrobot release.
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Friday, June 19, 2009

MINDstyle - SDCC 09 Exclusive Mono 9 Inch Two-Faced Hazel by Kathie Olivas

I think The Blot might be one of the few designer vinyl collectors out there not obsessed with the work of the industry’s power couple, Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters. Don’t get me wrong, they are both extremely talented, I am just not as into as most toy bloggers seem to be. With that being said, I do have an affinity for blank and mono colored toys, so it was cool to find out that MINDstyle would be releasing a San Diego Comic Con 2009 exclusive 9″ Two-Faced Hazel mono colorway from Kathie Olivas.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive 9 Inch Two-Faced Hazel Mono Colorway by Kathie Olivas
This SDCC exclusive mono colorway is a larger version of the chase figure of the same name from Olivas’ Scavengers Series 1. These 9 inch Two-Faced Hazel vinyl figures have proven to be extremely popular, so I would expect fans to be fighting over this extremely limited release.

MINDstyle - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive 9 Inch Two-Faced Hazel Mono Colorway by Kathie Olivas
The SDCC edition of Two-Faced Hazel will be released exclusively at San Diego Comic Con and will retail for $99.99 each. This figure is limited to 200 pieces, will come packaged in one of the finest boxes for collectibles on the market and includes a numbered collectors card. Since demand will be high, MINDstyle has decided to only release 30 figures each day leading up to Kathie’s signing on Saturday, July 25th at MINDstyle’s SDCC booth #4545.
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Johnny Cupcakes x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Crossbones T-Shirt

The great Johnny Cupcakes has done it again, this time creating a quirky tribute to one of The Blot’s favorite comic books/cartoons/toy lines of the late 80’s and early 90’s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! What else really needs to be said about this awesome pepperoni pizza version of the classic Johnny Cupcakes Cupcake & Crossbones logo (besides go out and buy one today obviously). The Blot is really loving the rate at which JC is releasing these movie and pop culture themed t-shirts.

Johnny Cupcakes x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Crossbones Guys & Girls T-Shirts
Johnny Cupcakes x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Crossbones T-Shirt Back LogoThe Johnny Cupcakes x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Crossbones t-shirt comes in sizes S-3XL for guys and sizes S-XL for the ladies. Both styles sell for $35.99 and can be purchased at the Johnny Cupcakes online store or at any one of the company’s three retail locations. Click here to purchase the JC x TMNT Pizza Crossbones Guys t-shirt and here to purchase the JC x TMNT Pizza Crossbones Girls t-shirt.
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Thursday, June 18, 2009

SDCC 09 Exclusive JLU Green Lantern Origins Action Figure 3 Pack

It’s looking more and more like summer 2009 can officially be called the Summer of Green Lantern. DC Comics’ highly anticipated mini-series/cross-over Blackest Night starts in June, the animated feature film Green Lantern: First Flight comes out on July 28th and we’re getting some killer San Diego Comic Con exclusives from both DC Direct and Mattel. Yesterday The Blot spotlighted the DC Direct SDCC 09 exclusive Green Lantern figures and today we take a look at Mattel’s Justice League Unlimited SDCC 2009 exclusive Green Lantern Origins action figure 3 pack.

Justice League Unlimited San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Green Lantern Origins 3 Pack - Abin Sur, Hal Jordan & Sinestro
The JLU Green Lantern Origins 3 pack features test pilot Hal Jordan in his trademark Ferris Aircraft flight suit, his predecessor Green Lantern Abin Sur and his mentor/arch enemy Sinestro. As hard as it is to believe, this is the first ever Hal Jordan Justice League Unlimited figure, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why it took Mattel so long to release one. I know in the animated world of JLU the primary Green Lantern is John Stewart, but come on!

Justice League Unlimited San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Green Lantern Origins 3 Pack - Hal Jordan, Abin Sur & Sinestro loose figures
What’s even worse is that after all this time Mattel’s first Hal Jordan toy is literally a Hal Jordan figure and not a Green Lantern figure. I guess the old saying really is true, beggars can’t be choosers! I assume Mattel is releasing this Origins set to coincide with the release of the Green Lantern animated origin movie First Flight, which explains why we’re getting a test pilot Hal Jordan figure. Here’s hoping Warner Bros. finally gets its act together enough so that the long gestating Green Lantern live action movie can finally get out of developmental hell.

Justice League Unlimited San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Green Lantern Origins 3 Pack Back - Abin Sur, Hal Jordan & Sinestro
What’s cool/creepy about the JLU Green Lantern Origins 3 pack is that all of the heads in this pack are swappable. This lets you play out Hal’s transformation from Test Pilot to Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814, so I guess in a way we really are getting a Hal Jordan Green Lantern JLU figure. This “feature” is a first for Mattel’s JLU toy line, making me more than a little worried that we’re going to end up with three headless figures because their heads don’t fit snugly on their bodies.

No price or run size on the SDCC 09 exclusive JLU Green Lantern Origins three figure set has been announced yet. While this is a San Diego Comic Con exclusive, any unsold sets will be made available after the Con at MattyCollector.com.
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PNE - The 27 Club Print by Justin Hampton, Emek & Jermaine Rogers

Post Neo Explosionism is a collaborative founded by three mainstays of rock poster art: Justin Hampton, Emek and Jermaine Rogers. The group first came together in an unprecedented union of talents with a group showing of their works in the fall of 2002 at Seattle's famed Showbox Theater. From 2002-2005, PNE helped pioneer the idea of the 'poster series' by creating prints for each of the dates of tours by Queens Of The Stone Age, Audioslave, and Built To Spill (respectively). Now PNE is back with an all new rock themed collaborative art print entitled The 27 Club.

Post Neo Explosionism - The 27 Club (Regular Edition) Print by Justin Hampton, Emek & Jermaine Rogers
The imagery of the screen print embraces one of the most enduring cult phenomena of rock music: the pantheon of influential musicians who passed from this mortal world at the age of 27. Of course, there were a few others in the history of rock and roll who perished at age 27 and are not depicted here. PNE decided to choose a few of their favorites The 27 Club…can you identify them? This collaborative print is the first of various PNE art prints planned for the future, addressing a variety of topics ranging from the sublime to the utterly ridiculous.

Post Neo Explosionism - The 27 Club (Black Glow Edition) Print by Justin Hampton, Emek & Jermaine Rogers
The 27 Club (Regular Edition) is a 7 color screen print, measures 28 x 24 inches and is limited to just 200 pieces. Each print comes hand signed and numbered by all three artists and will sell for $100 each. The 27 Club (Black Glow Edition) comes in an otherworldly pale tone, printed on black stock, and when the lights are out the image glows in the dark. The 27 Club (Black Glow Edition) also measures approximately 28 x 24 inches, but it is limited to 100 signed and numbered prints which will retail for $100 each.

Both versions of The 27 Club screen prints will be released on the PNE website on Friday, June 19th, at a random time between 2pm-3pm central standard time. There is a limit of one of each poster per buyer.
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

SDCC 09 Exclusive Green Lantern Hal Jordan Blackest Night Action Figure Set

DC Comics, DC Direct and Graphitti Designs are teaming up to produce what is sure to be one of the hottest to get exclusives at this summer’s San Diego Comic Con. For the first time ever, “Green Lantern fans will be able to collect Hal Jordan not only as a Green Lantern, but as a member of the Red, Orange, Blue and Yellow Corps as well.” (link) This has got to be one of the best ideas for a SDCC exclusive The Blot’s heard of in a very long time, and DC Direct and Graphitti Designs are really going to make collectors work to collect the entire Hal Jordan Blackest Night five figure set.

San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Green Lantern Hal Jordan Blackest Night Corps Action Figure Set - Red, Orange, Green, Indigo & Yellow
Not only can you only purchase these Green Lantern Hal Jordan action figures at San Diego Comic Con 2009, but in order to purchase each Lantern Corps color fans will have to return to the Graphitti Designs booth (#2315) each and every day of Comic Con starting on Wednesday, July 22nd (aka Preview Night). This is because only one Hal Jordan colorway will be available each day of SDCC.

San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Green Lantern Hal Jordan Blackest Night Action Figure and Set Packaging
SDCC 09 Schedule of Figure Availability
Wednesday (Preview Night) - July 22 - 6:00 pm
Hal Jordan: Green Lantern - 3,000 pieces available

Thursday, July 23 - 10:00 am
Hal Jordan: Yellow Lantern - 1,500 pieces available

Friday, July 24 - 10:00 am
Hal Jordan: Blue Lantern - 1,500 pieces available

Saturday, July 25 - 10:00 am
Hal Jordan: Orange Lantern - 1,500 pieces available

Sunday, July 26 - 10:00 am
Hal Jordan: Red Lantern - 1,500 pieces available

San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Green Lantern Hal Jordan Blackest Night Action Figure and Set Packaging
Every Hal Jordan action figure comes with its own lantern, a wearable power ring customized for to Corps, and comes in its own four-color box. Each Hal Jordan Blackest Night action figure is available starting on its respective day and will continue to be on sale until it is sold out. But, Graphitti Designs and DC Direct are limiting purchases to 2 figures per customer. I am assuming this means 2 figures per colorway per customer, but we won’t know for sure until the start of SDCC. The price for these extremely limited edition figures is currently unknown. (via IGN)
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Dragon Boy Vinyl Figure by Sam Flores

The Blot’s been a huge admirer of Sam Flores art for a long time now, and his Fatima and Tiger Baby figures are part of the reason I became a collector of designer vinyl in the first place. For a number of different reasons I’ve never gotten any of the many Fatima or Tiger Baby colorways, so I’m more than a little excited at the opportunity to pre-order Flores newest figure, Dragon Boy.

Dragon Boy 10 Inch Vinyl Figure by Sam Flores
Dragon Boy Vinyl Figure Side View by Sam FloresKnown for his signature characters based on Asian motifs, Sam Flores has a unique style that translates remarkably well to vinyl. Unlike most vinyl toys, Dragon Boy is made up of three separate pieces giving the illusion of a dragon floating through the clouds. As you can see from the picture above it is truly a stunning piece. What’s really cool about this figure is how detailed it is. The color on the dragon really pops due to its detailed, gradient blends.

The Dragon Boy vinyl figure is 10” tall and has a limited run of 500 units. Sam Flores’ Dragon Boy was created for Upper Playground’s 10th Anniversary and is currently available at the Upper Playground online store for presale (limited to 2 items per customer). Expect Dragon Boy to ship sometime in late-August or early-September.
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

MAD’s 09 Kidrobot Dunny Concept Designs

Last week MAD posted on his Flickr account a slew of new Dunny concept designs he has recently submitted to Kidrobot. While there has been no word yet if Kidrobot will be putting any of these killer designs into production, they were just too great not to share here on The Blot Says… As many of you know MAD is one of The Blot’s favorite artists, and after seeing the designs below is there any question he should be getting his own Dunny series sometime very soon?

Kidrobot - Ape 8 Inch and Dinero 3 Inch Dunny Set Concept Designs by MAD
Kidrobot - MAD's 2009 Dunny Concept Designs 2
I really love the Ape and Dinero Dunny set with its Donkey Kong and Mario influence, but I swear if I don’t get a Guardian Dunny or Mad*l production figure sometime soon I’m going to be royally ticked off. MAD’s Guardian figures are some of the best custom designer figures I’ve ever seen, and I can’t wait to see the long rumored custom Guardian Mad*ls MAD is currently working on. I’m also a big fan of MAD’s Sham Da Clown vinyl figure, so it’s cool to see him reproduced here in Dunny form.

Kidrobot - MAD's 2009 Dunny Concept Designs 1
Kidrobot - Riot Dunny Concept Design by MAD
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SDCC 09 Exclusive Wolverine Mighty Muggs with Retractable Claws Photo

We finally have a legitimate photograph of Hasbro’s upcoming San Diego Comic Con 2009 exclusive Wolverine with retractable claws Mighty Mugg thanks to ActionFigurePictures.com. (link) The Blot had some serious reservations about this year’s Marvel Comics SDCC exclusive Mighty Mugg when it was first announced, but I think it looks pretty cool! It’s obviously a homage to this summer’s quasi-blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and it actually resembles Hugh Jackman (at least it does slightly if you squint while looking at the figure). I do wish they hadn’t tried to copy everything about Jackman’s movie version of Wolverine because I could have done without his big shiny belt buckle.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Logan with Retractable Claws San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Mighty Mugg
There has been no official announcement yet on the SDCC 2009 exclusive Wolverine Mighty Muggs’ run size or price, but I’d be willing to wager it will retail for somewhere between $15 and $25. For those of you unwilling to wait until the figure’s release at San Diego Comic Con, there might be one available already on eBay (and a SDCC exclusive Optimus Prime Mighty Mugg as well).
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Monday, June 15, 2009

Los Angeles Lakers - 2009 NBA Champions

After two months of playoff basketball Phil, Kobe and the rest of the LA Lakers finally did it! After some very hard fought series the Lakers are the 2009 NBA Champs. Let me tell you, no one is happier about that than The Blot (except for maybe Aly because now she doesn’t have to watch another basketball game for a very long time).

2009 NBA Champions - The Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant and Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson Celebrate After the LA Lakers Win the 2009 NBA ChampionshipSadly, Game 5 of the NBA Finals was the only game The Blot didn’t get to watch all playoffs. Our flight home from Tahoe was delayed and then it took an additional 30 minutes for our luggage to hit the baggage claim once we finally made it back to Houston. When we landed it was halftime and the Lakers were up by 10¸but by the time we were in our car heading home there was only 4:30 left in the fourth quarter and the Lakers were up by like 11-15 points. Listening to the end of the game wasn’t all bad since Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown and Dr. Jack Ramsay are some of the best basketball commentators in the industry.

The Lakers douse Phil Jackson with champagne after winning the 2009 NBA ChampionshipThankfully Aly and I got home just in time to see the Lakers celebrating the franchise’s 15th World Championship and Kobe accept the NBA Finals MVP award. It feels like these playoffs went on forever, but it was well worth it to see the Purple & Gold finally back on top of the NBA for their fourth title this decade. It’s hard to believe the Lakers have now been in the NBA Finals 6 times since 2000. I might also add that it has truly been amazing to see this team mature over the past three years. From barely making the playoffs to surprising everyone last year with their unexpected run to the 2008 Finals to this year’s championship, it has been a very exciting ride indeed.

The Los Angeles Lakers - 2009 NBA Champions
2009 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers  - Kobe Bryant Holding the NBA Finals MVP Trophy with Point Guard Derek FisherKobe now has his fourth championship and first without Shaquille O’neal, while Head Coach Phil Jackson now has his 10th NBA Championship, giving him more professional championships than any coach in the NBA or in the four major professional sports leagues of North America. Hopefully winning ten NBA titles will not be Jackson’s final act as the Lakers’ head coach and he’ll be back to steward the Lakers to a 16th NBA title.

2009 NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant
With the roster as it is currently constituted there is no reason the Lakers can’t win it all again next year, giving Kobe and Derek Fisher their fifth championship and Jackson his eleventh. But to do that team owner Jerry Buss will need to open up his check book and resign Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. I guess this summer will be a busy one for Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupcheck. Here’s hoping for back-to-back world championships!
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SDCC 09 Comic Book Edition Hellboy Mez-Itz

To commemorate the re-launch of Mezco Toyz’ Mez-Itz 6 inch vinyl figure line, the designer toy company is releasing a San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Comic Book Edition Hellboy Mez-Itz. Unlike the standard Hellboy II: The Golden Army Hellboy Mez-Itz, the limited edition Hellboy Mez-Its is based on the artwork of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.

Mezco Toyz - San Diego Comic Con 2009 Exclusive Comic Book Edition Hellboy Mez-Itz
The Comic Book Edition Hellboy Mez-Itz captures the essence of the Hellboy comic book from his sawed-off horns to his posable tail. Standing six inches tall with six points of articulation, this limited edition figure comes complete with Hellboy's legendary gun, the Samaritan. While this Summer Exclusive Comic Book Edition Hellboy Mez-Itz will not ship until late July, it is currently available for purchase here at the Mezco Toyz online store for $20.

Mezco Toyz Summer Exclusives - Mez-Itz, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Living Dead Dolls
The Blot is categorizing Mezco Toyz’ Summer Exclusive Comic Book Edition Hellboy Mez-Itz as a San Diego Comic Con exclusive, but I’m not really sure that it is since it is now available at the Mezco Toyz online store along with Mezco’s other “Summer Exclusives” seen in the photo above.
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Friday, June 12, 2009

True Blood Season 2 Premiere and Character Television Promo Posters

On Sunday, June 14th True Blood returns to HBO for a second season. The Blot was really excited when I first heard that Six Feet Under’s Alan Ball was creating a new show for HBO. I was even more intrigued when I learned the show would be about vampires and star the X-Men trilogy’s Anna Paquin.

True Blood Season 2 Television Promo Poster - Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse and Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton
True Blood Season 2 Character Television Posters - Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse
Then I watched the first episode of True Blood and I didn’t know what to think. The story was interesting and I liked the show’s unique take on vampires, but the cast’s acting was choppy at best. Plus, I couldn’t stand the accents of the show’s cast. Seriously, their fake Cajun accents were enough to make me stop watching True Blood altogether.

True Blood Season 2 Character Television Posters - Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse
True Blood Season 2 Character Television Posters - Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton
I decided to stick with it for a few more episodes, and then something interesting happened…True Blood got really, really good. I’m not sure how many episodes it took for the show to click, but once it did True Blood became my new guilty pleasure. It has everything a viewer could want in an HBO series, a compelling murder mystery intertwined with vampires, drugs and sex.

True Blood Season 2 Character Television Posters - Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte
True Blood Season 2 Character Television Posters - Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton
But it’s not as risqué as you might think. True Blood is heavily character driven with each character having their own demons to deal with on a daily basis and hopefully overcome. What’s really amazing is how in just one season True Blood has been able to build such a complex and interesting world, and yet is still accessible for new viewers who want to start watching now. So, if you have HBO but have never seen True Blood make sure you tune in this Sunday for the show’s Season 2 premiere. And if you like what you see you can always go out and purchase the True Blood Season 1 DVD box set that is in stores now.

True Blood Season 2 Character Television Posters - Michelle Forbes as Maryann
True Blood Season 2 Character Television Posters - Alexander Skarsgard as Eric Northman
True Blood airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9/8c.
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