WALL·E toys are showing up in toy stores everywhere. Today I dropped some money on the U Repair WALL·E figure that you can take apart and reassemble.

Here is a quick video of some of the various WALL·E toys that are available…

For the mid range collector types, the InterAction Talking WALL·E might be a good choice. It seems to be the equevelent of the talking Buzz Lightyear figures that were so popular during the first Toy Story film release.

If you are a really hard core collector, and you have around $190 bucks to spend, you might want to look into this toy…

I usually don’t buy the Pixar toys (I think the last one I picked up prior to my purchase today was a Zurg figure) but I may have to pick up some more WALL·E figures.

-Floyd Bishop 

Toys R Us is having a great sale this week on many of their movie line related toys, including figures from the new “Indiana Jones”, “Narnia”, and “Speed Racer” product lines. If you need some more figures for your office cubicle, you may want to swing by your local Toys R Us this week.

-Floyd Bishop 

Gentle Giant has created  a series of sculptures for Disney, based on some of their most famous dragons. In this new interpretation of the characters, the dragons are much more fearsome than their animated counterparts. The above image is Mushu from “Mulan”.

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Gentle Giant has created  a series of sculptures for Disney, based on some of their most famous dragons. In this new interpretation of the characters, the dragons are much more fearsome than their animated counterparts. The above image is Mushu from “Mulan”.

That’s the same expression I had when I first realized the sculpture was Mushu. If you’re into the whole reimagining thing, then these figures might just be something you would like. Other characters in the series include Elliot from “Pete’s Dragon”, and Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty”.

The dragons stand between 8 and 13 inches tall, and retail for $300.00. You can learn more about the figures, and place an order, at the Gentle Giant website.

 -Floyd Bishop

via LiveNews

Mattel, the American producer of the action figures for the new Batman movie, has pulled the late Heath Ledger’s original “Joker” figurine from production, claiming the toy was too scary.

The move has left collectors scrambling to buy the limited edition original before supplies run out.

Read the full story here… 

 -Floyd Bishop

 **The Matte Plastic blog will be up to full force soon. We had some login weirdness related to the recent format change. Keep watching this space!

Ok, not exactly “toys” news yet. But we all know if it’s a movie nowadays we’re gettin toys from it!
So, over at Ain’t it Cool News they have an article on the new Land of the Lost movie HERE

Nice update to the Sleestaks, and I will have to have a figure of one standing on my desk. He’ll probably end up on the shelf tormenting the Doctor Who figures, and Back to the Future figures (time travellers after all). Anyway, check out the update and go rip into those figures like a slow moving Sleestak after Marshal and Will’s Brady Bunch hair!

-Matt

I know I yammer a lot about opening your figures. It’s just something I’m pretty adament about. I mean, it’s toys after all! BUT, action figure packaging has become quite cool over the past years. They’ve gone from being just standard rectangular cards or boxes to being oblong, specialized shapes, etc.
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I know I yammer a lot about opening your figures. It’s just something I’m pretty adament about. I mean, it’s toys after all! BUT, action figure packaging has become quite cool over the past years. They’ve gone from being just standard rectangular cards or boxes to being oblong, specialized shapes, etc.

The Star Wars figure packaging is pretty cool looking. The cut out of the shape definitely feels like it fits with the style of the movies. Plus, now they put twistie-ties and rubber bands on everything to hold them in place and make it harder for shoplifters to swipe them. So, it is kind of an effort to get the figures out of their packaging. But…..

See how much happier our little medical droid is here - all out of that confining plastic. He looks much happier now than the Padme figure. Even in her crazy dominatrix outfit, she looks quite depressed to be locked in her plastic tomb, unable to reach her clear plastic accessory - a cup? a flashlight? Uh, not too sure!

And now, 2-1B’s free to make use of all his joints! Articulation is amazing in toys nowadays. The old figures had about 5 points of articulation, figures today seem to have about 9-10 at least! (and they’re usually full range joints!)

Now, I know people use the argument that the figures are “worth” more if they’re in the package. Well, that certainly is true in the case of the original Star Wars figures. Man, if you had them mint in package today, you’d be sitting on a small fortune. But I think the days of saving figures for a huge investment are kind of gone. Not many people thought too much about saving their figures back then, so they’re fairly rare to find them now in good shape, etc. So, there’s a greater numbr of people collecting toys today and storing them away - hoping to one day cash in on them. But if so many people have them available, then their price really isn’t going to go up that much. But there are plenty of exclusive figures out there - those have a limited production run, so if you get some of those and keep them mint in box, then you stand to make a good price on them down the road.

Ultimately, it depends on why you are collecting these crazy hunks of plastic. Is it in the hopes of making money, or is it just for pure enjoyment? I know there are people that hope to make a buck on them so they buy multiples of them - one to open, others to save! If you’ve got the space and money to do it then have at it! As for me, I still collect them for the burst of childlike adrenaline I get from still enjoying them. Transformers are my favorites and half of their appeal is the fact that they transform! To leave them in package would pretty much ruin half their appeal! But, just like everything in life, we get free-choice - so keep them in package or open them. But they sure are a heck of a lot more fun out of the package!

Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve got a random short alien Jedi to get out of his package!

-Matt

Ok, I don’t have any of these little guys, but I ‘ve been tempted - they’re just a lot of fun looking. I suppose if I had a kid in that age group, then I’d have all of them [Read more…]]]>

Ok, I don’t have any of these little guys, but I ‘ve been tempted - they’re just a lot of fun looking. I suppose if I had a kid in that age group, then I’d have all of them I have a daughter, so she’s got an armada of Littlest Pet Shops that could probably take out that pile of Heroes with even more cuteness and instinctive animal visciousness. (the cuter it is, the more dangerous)
I got this image from HERE That site also had images from the New York Comic Con and there seems to be a ton of cool stuff coming out! Be sure to check out the section on the Marvel Legends figures - they’ve got a few new build-a-figure sets coming that look amazing! A giant Fin Fang Foom figure - says he’s over 15 ” tall. For those of you not familiar, he’s a giant dragon from the Marvel comics.

Man, I tried to reign in my figure collecting to mostly Transformers (for reasons of space), but these Marvel figures are probably going to suck me back in! I need a bigger office space, I’m sure the boss would think that was a justified reason - HA!

In the meantime, go open those figures - they’ll take up less space that way!

-Matt

Captain Planet says protect the planet, it’s the only one you’ve got!
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Captain Planet says protect the planet, it’s the only one you’ve got!

Grab your Planeteer ring and clean up the environment! Otherwise he’s going to have his five underage team members rough you up before appearing and beating you within an inch of your life with a biodegradable rubber hose, then roll credits!

Be sure to do your part today! You can start by opening those figures and recycling the packaging!

-Matt

After getting to help Floyd and Lisa with the Fredbot logo animation, I just felt like I needed to try and do a toy of the ol FredBot. So, I found this figure of Gigantor - kinda looks similar to our intrepid entrepreneurial giant robotic friend with dangerously spikey eyebrows? I found the figure at Big Bad Toy Store - they’re a great online store if you’re having trouble finding something or just don’t want to mess with hunting in the stores! I’ve shopped with them before they even had a store and have never had a problem with them! Anyway, he’s been shipped and is en route. I have some Aves Fixit Sculpt, tools, paintbrushes, X-acto blade, and a bunch of band-aids! Gotta order some paints and then we’ll be ready to roll on the modifications! I’ll be sure to take pics of the mod process I go through!

And, yes, he’ll [Read more…]]]>

After getting to help Floyd and Lisa with the Fredbot logo animation, I just felt like I needed to try and do a toy of the ol FredBot. So, I found this figure of Gigantor - kinda looks similar to our intrepid entrepreneurial giant robotic friend with dangerously spikey eyebrows? I found the figure at Big Bad Toy Store - they’re a great online store if you’re having trouble finding something or just don’t want to mess with hunting in the stores! I’ve shopped with them before they even had a store and have never had a problem with them! Anyway, he’s been shipped and is en route. I have some Aves Fixit Sculpt, tools, paintbrushes, X-acto blade, and a bunch of band-aids! Gotta order some paints and then we’ll be ready to roll on the modifications! I’ll be sure to take pics of the mod process I go through!

And, yes, he’ll be staying out of the package! Unless, I make a carded package for him, hmmmm….

-Matt