Awesome Toy Blog

With Bif Bang Pow!’s announcement earlier this week of their 2012 San Diego Comic-con exclusives, I sent off a quick note asking if they could provide some additional images of the products and they came through in a big way.  Links to all the limited exclusives are below and all the images are in the gallery. I’m totally feeling the classic TARDIS bobble-head, and if you’re a sharp eyed reader, you’ll notice that is the very first logo on the base.  And those classic Cylons?  Heaven! Bif Bang Pow! outdid themselves this year.  Enjoy the pics!

• Twilight Zone – The Invaders Diorama
• Twilight Zone – Kanamit’s Cookbook Set – $29.99
• Six Million Dollar Man – Dr. Rudy Wells with Tin Tote – $49.99
• Battlestar Galactica Cylons pair w/ Tin Tote – $49.99
• Venture Brothers Brock Sampson (bloody) 3 3/4″ figure – $14.99
• Doctor Who – TARDIS Tin Tote Gift Set (Tin Tote, Coasters, TARDIS travel mug) – $24.99
• Doctor Who – Original TARDIS Bobble Head – $21.99

Bif Bang Pow! has announced some of their 2012 San Diego Comic-con exclusives by way of the latest Entertainment Earth catalog. While there’s quite a few product listed on the SDCC pages, some of the products listed have been already available for pre-order and are simply debuting at the show. If I get additional word from Bif Bang Pow!, I’ll post a correction, but in the meantime below are the limited exclusive items – along with their pre-order information.
The Twilight Zone – The Invaders Diorama

Measuring 10-inches deep x 8-inches wide x 7 1/2-inches tall, this incredible black-and-white diorama recreates a moment from the memorable “The Invaders” episode of The Twilight Zone that starred Agnes Moorhead. The resin statue features a diminutive Invader, U.S. Air Force Space Probe No. 1, and a rooftop scene complete with fearsome giant.  This piece is available for just $24.99 at Entertainment Earth.

The Six Million Dollar Man – Dr. Rudy Wells with Tin Tote

Standing 8-inches tall, this retro-style Dr. Rudy Wells Action Figure based on the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man features multiple points of articulation, series-true fabric clothing and interchangeable heads depicting all 3 actors that played the good Doctor. Steve Austin’s physician arrives in an awesome tin tote that emulates Oscar Goldman’s briefcase! It looks like an ordinary brown briefcase on the outside, but the full-color interior features artwork representing the decoder, bionic scanner, tuner, energy modules, and other gadgets and gizmos you remember from the show. The tote measures 8 5/8-inches wide x 6 3/4-inches tall x 4-inches deep. This piece can be ordered for $49.99 at Entertainment Earth.

Battlestar Galactica Cyclons with Tin Set

Inspired by the original Battlestar Galactica sci-fi TV series, the futuristic metal lunch box features an embossed chrome-metallic surface and the BSG logo. Even more exciting are the silver-colored Battle Damaged Cylon Centurion and gold Cylon Commander Action Figures included inside! Measuring 8-inches tall, these articulated action figures feature authentic fabric and armor pieces, plus incredible rifle and sword accessories and a retro style reminiscent of the bestselling “Mego” figures of the 1970s and 1980s. The tote measures 8 5/8-inches wide x 6 3/4-inches tall x 4-inches deep. This set is available for preorder now and is priced at $49.99 – from Entertainment Earth.
Venture Brothers Brock Sampson Bloody Deco 3 3/4″ figure

Never-before-made 3 3/4-inch Brock Samson Action Figure! This macho secret agent is conspiring to get into your home and start your The Venture Bros. collection. Posing as an irresistible articulated action figure from Bif Bang Pow!, Brock Samson stands 3 3/4-inches tall in all his bloody machismo glory, ready for his next action. The figure includes a knife accessory and a special Comic-con only deco. This figure is available for preorder now and is priced at just $14.99 from Entertainment Earth.
The Twilight Zone – Kanamit Cookbook Set

From the chilling The Twilight Zone episode “To Serve Man,” comes this astonishing gift set created with the consummate (not consumed) fan in mind. You’ll find an all-new articulated, 8-inch scale, fabric-clad Kanamit dressed in a black satin robe with black pants and tall shoes. But that’s not all! You also get an 8-inch tall x 5-inch wide Kanamit Cookbook Journal that contains 160 lined white pages, and both the figure and the journal come packaged inside a Kanamit-themed lunch box measuring 8 5/8-inches wide x 6 3/4-inches tall x 4-inches deep! This set is available for preorder now for $29.99 from – say it with me, kids – Entertainment Earth.
Doctor Who TARDIS Tin Tote Gift Set

Three fan-demanded Doctor Who collectibles in one awesome package! This embossed tin tote looks just like a TARDIS time machine, and with plenty of authentic detail, it measures 8 5/8-inches wide x 6 3/4-inches tall x 4-inches deep. The colorful lunch box is magnificent enough by itself, but inside you’ll find a 4-pack of Doctor Who-themed coasters and a 16-ounce TARDIS-design travel mug! Carry them all with you wherever your intergalactic travels take you. This set is available for pre-order for just $24.99 from Entertainment Earth.
Doctor Who Original TARDIS Bobble Head – B&W Deco

This TARDIS Bobble Head is based on the Classic Series – one of the earliest TARDIS models. The entire TARDIS bobbles… and it includes the signature materialize and dematerialize sounds! Measuring approximately 6 3/4-inches tall x 2 3/4-inches wide x 2 3/4-inches long in striking grayscale paint, the unique resin bobble head also features a Doctor Who logo base with a button to activate the sound. You simply gotta get one of these! Requires 1x “AG13 (LR44)” battery, included. This bobble is priced at $21.99 and is available for pre-order now.

This is a rumor, but a very likely to happen one. Miss Jo Grant herself – Katy Manning, has posted a picture of her with two Jo Grant action figure prototypes. While it’s a bit difficult to make out the details of the figures, they are two distinct ones. The first figure, with the fur coat is from ‘The Three Doctors’ and the second one is from ‘Claws of Axos’. No details on pack-ins with these figures or when/how they’ll be available. I’ve seen a few places say these are the SDCC figures – but that’s just rampant speculation. Underground Toys has said that an announcement of new figures was around the corner, so perhaps the cat is out of the bag.

Bif Bang Pow! had an impressive display at New York Toy Fair displaying new items from Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, 6 Million Dollar Man, Venture Bros. among others.

Here at AwesomeToyBlog, we were immediately drawn to the new Doctor Who items, including the TARDIS control room playset with K9. Frankly K9 is awesome, the set is worth it for him alone. Other new figures in their line include a Dalek, Li H’SenChang &  Mr. Sin (Talons of Wang-Chiang), Kraal & Magmus Greel (Talons of Wang-Chiang) and a 1st Doctor figure. The first Doctor figure looks fantastic as well. In addition to the figure, BBP! unveiled their Who glassware – including glasses with the 4th and 11th costumes, the TARDIS and its sign. Finally a black and white deco’d TARDIS bobble head was on display.

The Battlestar Galactica line had its debut at the show featuring figures of Starbuck, Apollo, Cdr. Adama, Lucifer, two different Cylons and an Android Sister. Check out the images – these looked great!

Also debuting at Toy Fair were the “6 Million Dollar” Man figures with Steve Austin, Bigfoot, Oscar Goldman and Fembot. Also on display were “6 Million Dollar Man” glass ware and a tote bag.

Check out the gallery below for these products and everything else on display including their bobbles, Dexter product, Venture Bros., Dark Shadows, Twilight Zone and more.

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My first appointment of Toy Fair 2012 was with Underground Toys, who are set to have a banner year. Their products lines include the Doctor Who, Star Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Ghostbusters license. In the past few years their products have gained more and more momentum at retail, particularly their talking plush items which you can find at Toys R Us.  Here are a few highlights for 2012 – check the galleries for images of everything on display.

Doctor Who: There were no new Classics 5″ figures on display – but I was assured that there’s more on the way, so rest easy. What was new? Doctor Who science themed kits, a TARDIS rubbish bin (which was fantastic), new talking plush (different color Daleks, the Silent, a Matt Smith Doctor), DIY Ceramic TARDIS and Dalek, and Doctor Who watches (these were gorgeous). Also much of the recently released and announced items from UK Toy Fair were on display.

Star Wars: Demonstrating how diverse Underground Toys have grown, a huge portion of their booth was allocated to Star Wars and other non-Doctor Who properties. In general most of the new product for 2012 were new additions to their talking plush lines. Jumbo Darth Maul, Darth Vader and R2D2 join their Jumbo Chewbacca figure.

Sonic the Hedgehog: This is a new property for Underground Toys and they introduce it with both clip on and larger talking plushes. In the larger plush – Sonic and Tails are wave 1, with the other pair following later in the year.

Ghostbusters: The Ghostbusters talking plush line expands this year with Slimer joining the talking plush lines. As previously several sizes of plush are available – and don’t worry; Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is sticking around as well.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Underground Toys for taking time out of toy fair to talk to AwesomeToyBlog. See the gallery below for images of everything on display!

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Bif Bang Pow! tweeted a toy fair preview today, and blew my mind. One of their releases for their Doctor Who line is a TARDIS control room playset with K9. That’s right – a TARDIS control room playset with K9.  In line with ‘retro’ aesthetic the playset is constructed of thick cardboard. This piece is posted for preorder now from Entertainment Earth and is due for release in October. Just a bit over a week for full toy fair coverage here on AwesomeToyBlog!

Despite being released in Australia, the ‘Seeds of Doom’ set has now been announced by Underground Toys. This set includes a 4th Doctor (most similar to the 11th Doctors set) with sword, a Krynoid (a repaint / remold of the Ax0n) and Seed Pods. No release date has been posted yet, but should be soon based on the availability in Australia. 

Updated: expect this set in the states late March, 2012.

Name: Cyberleader
Series: 2 from Bif BangPow!
Availability: October 2011

As part of the initial four figures released at last year’s NYCC – The Cyberleader is the final figure to get a chance to shine in the figure spotlight. Just yesterday I raved about how awesome the Master is, how does the Cyberleader stack up?

While the Master stands out my favorite of the first group of four figures, the Cyberleader is the most frustrating. The figure is so close to perfect – but one detail just stands out and mars the figure. Using the same basic body – the Cyberleader is based on a well articulated and high quality body. The cyberman outfit is fantastic – I love the printing on the outfit at the elbows and knees giving it a corrugated look. The chest apparatus is niced sculpted with great detail. The head sculpt is amazing, it nails the look of70′s Cybermen.

Where I stumble with the figure is with the where the head attaches to the shoulders. While it maintains neck articulation, it results in the head floating up above the shoulders and just looks off. I would have happily given up the neck articulation to have the head sit closer to the body – its not like a Cyberman has ever turned his neck on screen! To illustrate my point a little better, check out this ‘what if’ picture:

If this one detail was tweaked, I’d be over the moon with this figure – which is why I find it to be the most frustrating of the first four. It could just be incredible, instead of just good. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a solid figure and definitely worth picking up if you’re a fan of classic Who. Both the Cyberleader and the Master are still available from Entertainment Earth. Overall, I’m impressed with the first four Doctor Who figures from Bif Bang Pow! The have a great blend of the retro aesthetic with attention to detail and screen accuracy. The head sculpts on the Sontaran and Cyberleader are beyond top notch! I can’t wait for the next batch to be released from Bif Bang Pow! later this year.

Name: The Master
Series: 2 from Bif BangPow!
Availability: October 2011

As part of the initial four figures released at last year’s NYCC – The Master is the latest figure to get a chance to shine in the figure spotlight. While I’ve had the 4th Doctor and Styre for quite awhile now, I only picked up the Master and the Cyberleader this past Christmas – making them new to me.

Given that I’ve previously talked about the other Bif Bang Pow! Doctor Who figures, I can really get this review going. In fact, I believe the Master to be the best of the bunch released to date. I mean, he’s fantastic. The articulated body that serves as the basis for the figure is top notch, well articulated but never floppy. The costume, albeit quite simple, is excellent. The material used looks gauzy, very similar to the television costume. A nice touch is that the hood has wire in the hem, allowing you to bend and drape it as you see fit. I’ve fiddled with it a bit, and still haven’t gotten it quite right. The Sash of Rasillon also adds an essential bit of pop, but is also removable. The Master’s head sculpt is on point – with a creepy, bug eyed expression the Master looks like he just popped right out of ‘the Deadly Assassin’. Sure, if you haven’t seen the episode, the figure head sculpt might seem a little goofy, but it’s pretty close to screen accurate.

I have to say that, as a whole, the figure is so good it looks like someone got a hold of the Master’s TCE (that’s a Tissue Compression Eliminator) and shrunk him down, plopped him on a card and sent him to my house. If you want one sent to your house, you can pick him up from Entertainment Earth.

Just a quick update on a rumor reported here the other week ago. The ‘Seeds of Doom’ set has now surfaced in from an Australian website. There’s conflicting reports on if this is the final set, as there may be changes to the 4th Doctor figure in the set. We should find out more when the figure is offered up to US and UK retailers later this week. In the mean time, enjoy the picture below.

Also bouncing around the message boards are rumors of a ‘Pyramids of Mars’ set including a Sutekh figure. Finger’s crossed this one’s true – but wouldn’t a Sarah James Smith (with shotgun) and Mummy be a fantastic two pack?

2012 is quickly becoming a banner year for Classic Doctor Who figures. The rumor mill was abuzz this weekend with rumors and an (now disappeared!) image of a ‘Seeds of Doom’ set. This set featured the long-rumored Krynoid figure (a repaint of the Axon), a 4th Doctor (from the 11 Doctors set) and 2 seed pods. As soon as the set is officially announced, I’ll update with pics.  Happy times to be a Whovian, indeed.

Clearly Underground Toys knew that I could do with a pick-me-up this morning as they announced a pair of new releases in their Classic Doctor Who line.  First up, from ‘Attack of the Cybermen’ is Peri in a pink top and a rogue Cyberman – featuring a removable faceplate. This is the pink Peri that had been floating around on ebay last year, solving the mystery of what she’ll be paired with.

The second announcement today made the rumor from earlier this week official.  From ‘Rememberance of the Daleks’ come the destroyed Dalek and Davros as the Emperor Dalek. The destroyed Dalek looks really great!  Check out images of both sets below. As soon as preorders or release dates are identified, I’ll let you know.

With a slew of releases on tap – its a great time to be a fan of Underground Toys’ lind of Classic Doctor Who toys.  Right before the holidays, I was fortunate to recieve the ‘Keeper of  Traken’ set from them for review.  Based on characters from the pentultimate 4th Doctor adventure this set includes a jacketless 4th Doctor, a decayed Master, the Melkur and the Master’s TARDIS disguised as a grandfather clock. The set is packaged in a window box with a diorama scene for the episdode which looked great – but as I open my sets; this was short-lived.

Let’s start off by addressing the cynics who gripe about repeat figures in the boxsets – in this set you do get another 4th Doctor figure and decayed Master figure – but each is different then previous releases. The 4th Doctor figure is most changed from previous outings as he’s taken off his outer coat revealing a fantastically deco’d vest.  He also now features ball jointed shoulders – enabling new ranges of motion. This release of the 4th Doctor really is a new figure.  The Master figure has changes that are more subtle than the Doctor’s.  Despite the Master’s appearance remaining relatively unchanged between ‘The Deadly Assassin’ and ‘The Keeper of Traken’ there were differences in the costumes and actor playing the role.  Not content with a complete reissue of the ‘The Deadly Assassin’ Master from the first wave of Classics, this release features a new head sculpt; evident by the nose.  This wasn’t something that Underground Toys had to do – but it really does add value to the set.  A fantastic touch!

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As the avalanche of new Classic Doctor Who figures continues; a youtube video gives credence to one of the rumors on an upcoming set.  The video (with a screen capture below) shows a packaged sample of a damaged Imperial Dalek and Davros as the Emperor Dalek from the 7th Doctor episode “Remembrance of the Daleks”. Of course, nothing is official until announced (or at least solicited to retailers) by Underground Toys; but it’s pretty likely we’ll see this set in the future. Personally, I’m thrilled with this set.  And wouldn’t that  destroyed Dalek would also be a fantastic pack in with an Ace figure?

Underground Toys today took to their twitter feed to announce a new release in their Doctor Who Classics line.  This newest release is a multi-pack from the 4th Doctor episode “Image of the Fendahl” and includes Leela, an adult Fendahleen, an infant Fendahleen a skull and a stand for the skull. Availability for this set in both the UK and US has been confirmed, however, a firm release date has not been communicated.  The last 2 months have been quite busy (and exciting) for the classic Whovian, and I can’t wait to see what else is up their sleeves.