It’s hard to fathom how much work goes into designing our favorite films. Often times we take it for granted. We’ll go to to the theater, or play a game and we’ll love every minute of it, but that’s it. It’s not often that we sit back and ask how it came to be. This week, Weta Workshop, a design studio known for their on films such as Avatar, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, among others, decided to answer that question for us. They’ve posted the first part of an on-going series detailing some of their stunning works and giving us some insight as to how they came about. The cool part, of course, being that Weta actually manufactures many of these designs for resale, so if you’re a collector and you don’t mind spending a few bucks, one of these pieces might even catch your eye, not to mention your wallet.
Check out that scowl. Here’s a look at Medicom’s Han Solo Ultimate Unison collectible figure. At just under a foot tall — 30 centimeters to be exact — this posable figure comes complete with everything you need to re-enact your favorite scenes from the films. Well, almost everything. He’s got his blaster, the removable camo jacket from Return of the Jedi and even his breathing apparatus from the asteroid sequence in Empire Strikes Back. He even comes with interchangeable hands. Unfortunately, the scowl has to stay. At least they did a fantastic job of capturing Harrison Ford’s handsome visage — even if he looks a little like Vigo the Carpathian. I just wish they had spent as much time touching up the rest of his skin to match, after all, the list price is set at ¥25,800, or $340 USD. For that price, you’d think they’d throw in a Wookie while they’re at it. Assuming you have the credits to afford one, you can pre-order it at AmiAmi, but don’t worry, you have plenty of time. The figure won’t be shipping until June 2012. Read more…
I love the hand made quality of this Tardis Dr. Who Messenger Bag which I found on Etsy — while I like the new series it would go great with a vintage Tom Baker multi-colored scarf. Bag design by Rhonda Wojciak of Nani Originals.Read more…
Part of the joy of New York Comic Con is that it’s part party — but it’s also like running through a giant attic that’s filled with various bits of your childhood! I was really happy to come across this origional Mattel Eagle 1 Spaceship on display: the funny thing is that when I was a child it seemed so much larger. This wonderful Space:1999 display was the handy work of Geek box Display Cases who had a booth at the show — they’re based in Hillsborough, North Carolina and you can find their website here and their Facebook page here. Read more…
Many a stylish fangurl could be spotted at New York Comic Con this year — this photo essay not only includes those into goth lolita looks, but also those cosplayer who go that extra mile: Read more…
One of the coolest trends we spotted at NYCC this year were parents and kids attending the show both dressed in cosplay! What we liked about this is that it makes the whole event more family friendly, and we hope to see more of this next year… Read more…
There are those fans who will tell you that cosplay is a high art to be taken seriously — and what follows is a photo essay which doesn’t feature those fans! Shown above is Waldo doing a photo bomb of Princess Leia Organa. And below is that net troll you all know and love: Read more…
With few exceptions most of what you see at the New York Comic Con are toys, book and other goodies aimed at guys — so it was a nice break to spot Jem hanging out at the Hasbro booth. According to our diva above Hasbro will be releasing the original series on DVD and they had tons of cool toys if you wanted to recapture some of the MTV magic of the 80s: Read more…
At this year’s Christmas Toy Fair, Sega’s toy division showed off their officially licensed Star Wars R2-D2 Homestar Planetarium — a R2-D2-shaped projector capable of displaying over 10,000 stars on the ceiling or wall of your choice. Despite that hefty number, the actual unit isn’t that big, only running on four AAA batteries. The projection only spans about five to seven and half feet depending, with a circumference of almost six feet around, perhaps making it more ideal for bedroom situations. Still, you have to admit the thought of having your own mini-R2 unit spitting the stars onto your ceiling would be sweet. It even includes the Death Star for good measure. The unit hit Japanese stores back in mid-September, but if you want to get your hands on one, you can always import it. It’ll cost ~$87 USD before tax, so it isn’t cheap, but importing toys rarely is.
It’s true that anyone can collect toys or take up photography, but using both to craft your art requires a bit of talent and creativity. Vesa Lehtimäk understands that. Known to most as Avanaut, Vesa’s spent the last few years photographing his kid’s toys, which include everything from their stuffed animals to Star Wars. He employs excellent use of landscapes and lighting, often to dramatic effect. In short, many of his galleries are breathtaking despite the fact that many of these toys by themselves fail to impress when looked upon with our naked eye. While I’d love to post every single photo he’s taken, it behoove you to follow his tweets, or visit his flickr account. If you’d like to own a print or postcard, several of his works are also available through RedBubble.
One again, the guys at Major League Mods have given Fanboy a peek at their latest work — a special Star Wars-themed surround sound system. This simple 200 watt 2.1 setup features two TIE fighter satellite speakers and a subwoofer modeled after, you guessed it, the Death Star itself. If you’re concerned about how they sound, each TIE fighter comes equipped with a Yamaha 2¾ inch mid-range and 1 inch dome tweeter with built-in crossovers. The Death Star sub comes with a 6½ inch driver, a full set of control knobs and switches — power, treble, bass, and so on — and features a custom paint job by Nub Graffix. In addition to the RCA inputs for the satellites, there’s also an auxiliary headphone jack for your favorite iDevice.
Feast your eyes on Big Chief’s Doctor Who Limited Edition Eleventh Doctor collectible figure. From the sculpt itself to the accessories, it’s about as high-end as it gets — I’d even say it’s almost on par with some of the Hot Toys figures we’ve been seeing recently. Of course, it’ll cost you about as much as one too. A special signature edition of the 1:6th scale figure retails for roughly $265 without shipping, while the less expensive limited edition will run for only $233. Both of them should be hitting the market around December or early January. To make up for that asking price, the signature edition includes a plaque hand-signed by Smith, while both figures will come with several interchangeable hands, and numerous accessories like the Doctor’s invitation to Lake Silencio, a sonic screwdriver, and more — sorry, no fez or stetson. The signature edition will be incredibly limited in supply as only 250 units are being produced. Ironically, the limited edition may not be so limited in number. If you want to get yours hands on one, head over to the official Big Chief website and sign up to pre-order yours today. Read more…
Check out this slick replica of the Master’s watch from the Doctor Who series 3 episode Utopia. Don’t worry, contrary to what Professor Yana might tell you, it works just fine. In fact, it actually lights up and comes made of a durable but light zinc alloy so it won’t weigh you down. Fortunately, it shouldn’t contain the hidden essence of a Time Lord either — just don’t blame me if you start hearing the sound of drums on occasion. You can head to ThinkGeek and pick up yours for only $49.99. All things considered, that’s probably a bargain. I can’t imagine what it’d cost on Gallifrey. Besides, pocket watches are cool.
Sure, it’s another video, but I’m sure you’ll overlook that once you see what it is. Beat Town Boogie, the guys who produced that hilarious Metal Gear Solid x Modern Warfare fan-film the other year, recently attended DragonCon in Atlanta. While they were there, they took their nifty HD camera setup and filmed all the cosplay they could. Here’s the final product; a 23 minute montage of some of the best cosplay you’ll ever see. After seeing the quality of these costumes, its no wonder why everyone I know decided to attend this year. The number of con-goers who attend in costume is simply mind-boggling, and from what I understand, continues to grow each year. If this video isn’t enough to convince you to attend, I’m not sure what would — it really looks like a blast.
Our favorite Mandalorian bounty hunter is back with this 12-inch exclusive from Sideshow Collectibles. Back in 2007, Medicom released a similar limited edition Boba Fett and while that figure sold exceptionally well, it’s become rather difficult to come by. Thankfully, this upcoming Sideshow exclusive may ease the pain by giving us a welcome alternative. Not only is it an adequate replacement, but the figure might even be more detailed than its Medicom predecessor. For example, his armor seems to be properly distressed, while his pants feature that dirt-stained look for added realism. It also seems to pose well in case you’re fond of photography.
Earlier today, Wizards of the Coast launched the first official expansion for Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012. The expansion adds three new planeswalkers to choose from, including the much anticipated return of Liliana Vess and her “Grave Whispers” deck. Others include Ajani Goldmine’s “Auramancer” deck, and Ral Zarek’s “Cloudburst” deck, neither of which I’m familiar with. Still, I can’t wait to see what surprises they have in store for us. In addition to the new decks, the expansion will add four additional cards to the existing decks, additional challenges and campaign levels, the ability to play as the archenemy in the 3 vs 1 battles, and six preview cards from the upcoming Innistrad expansion. Quite a deal, don’t you think? The expansion retails for ~$5 on both the PS3 and Xbox 360, but PC users can get a %40-50 discount if they purchase the expansion or game via Steam right now.
Not even the Doctor’s too old for Legos. Thanks to the guys at Entertainment Earth, even you can your favorite Timelord to the set of your choice. While its not an official Lego product, these Doctor Who minifigures are fully compatible and come ready to join any set right out of the box. In addition to bearing the likeness of all eleven doctors, each comes with their own unique sonic screwdriver to match. Pretty sweet, right? On top of that, the box itself comes shaped like a Tardis, making it that much harder to throw away. I have a bad habit of keeping a boxes, but I imagine if every toy I came across were like that, I’d practically horde them. The Doctor Who Eleven Doctors mini-figure box set retails for $39.99 and is currently in stock, so go ahead and pick yours up today.
These are a bit of an acquired taste, but if you’re huge fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, collect action figures, or grew up with those classic Mego figures from the 70s, you’re in luck. Next year marks the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation! To celebrate, Diamond Toys will be releasing a special line of Mego-inspired figures from the series. They won’t hit the market until winter 2012, but Trek.com has given us our first look. So far, all they’ve shown off Captain Picard and what looks like a random Borg drone, but I imagine there will be plenty more down the line. Each of these 8″ figures will come with real cloth costumes and should retail for $20 a piece. I don’t believe they’ll be a limited run, so you should be able to come across them at your local comic shops or through online retailers after they launch next year.
Yuruppy is a word that may sound strange, but in the context of a toy, perhaps not so strange. If you know what Tamagochi then learning about another new word is not problem. Yuruppy is a virtual pet toy for the people who are allergic to real animals, but want to experience what it is like of taking care of a feline or furry companion. Unlike Tamagochi though, your Yuruppy friend won’t die, when you are away from it for hours. Read more…
Great news for those of of us who love manga pirates and cartoon cats: Sanrio and Toei Animation are planning a merchandising plan for ONE PIECE × HELLO KITTY for a wide range of products which will come out in November. Goodies will include clothing, stationery, cosmetics and even fashion accessories. The branding will feature Kitty dressed up as Chopper, and hopper will sport a kitty hat (which make sense given how much Tony Chopper enjoys all things pink). Read more…
The Great Garloo was first manufactured by the Marx toy company in 1961 — this very creepy looking two foot tall battery powered humanoid lizard robot could go forward or backward and turn his arms. And for extra kitsch we wears a “Garloo” medallion and cute leopard print loin cloth. How to Be a Retronaut discovered this great commercial from 1963 for the little green guy: Read more…
I had always assumed the most intense fanboys in the realm of tech were the Apple fanboys who would camp out on line to get the latest Steve Jobs goodie — well I was wrong! Upon playing with Google+ I’ve come across a growing legion of Android fanboys who are obsessed with the Android mascot. And shown here is the proof of this devotion — I present the Droid_Robot font created by Natsumi Kawashima. Read more…
