Overall, I found the event very enjoyable, almost surprisingly so. I’ll admit, I wasn’t a huge Kevin Smith fan going into the event; but I quickly realized that I liked Kevin Smith much more than I like Kevin Smith movies. The live podcast was fun, with a loose format that just allowed conversation to flow. If you’ve not heard ‘Jay and Silent Bob Get Old’ and are a fan of Kevin Smith’s be sure to check it out at SModcast.com.

The Q&A was really entertaining. If you’ve been to Comic-con, I’d describe it as solid celebrity panel – but in much better seats with alot more personal space. During the Q&A Smith and Mewes, answered a variety of questions on topics ranging from Smith’s ‘fued’ with Tim Burton; their movie ‘Red State’; plans for “Jay and Silent Bob’s Groovy Cartoon Movie”. The interactive portion worked really well, twitter was the perfect way for questions to be submitted and handled.  This was a really interesting event – I would love for Fathom events to host more similar events with other prominent creators. You can see future Fathom Events by following this link.

On the SDCC exclusives side, the exclusives follow last year’s trend. 2 versions of a figure – this year it’s Jinx and a Transformers-inspired deco’d vehicle – a Shockwave H.I.S.S. tank. Very cool, very purple.

Check out all the images in the gallery below.

Additionally, the Super Bowl 30 second trailer was posted today. While I remain cautiously optimistic about the film, it does please me greatly that Cobra Commander is back to looking Cobra Commanderey. You can check that out here.

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

eFX Inc. Enters the Marvel Universe With a New Line of Prop Replicas to be Introduced This Spring
 
Limited-Edition Prop Replicas and Collectibles Based on Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and More to be Revealed in 2012

                   BURBANK, Calif. (Jan. 26, 2012) – After making full-scale prop replicas and collectibles for some of the most iconic science-fiction, fantasy and action franchises of all time, eFX Inc. announced today that it will unveil an all-new line based on film and comics characters in the Marvel Universe.
                  eFX, which has acquired worldwide rights to create Marvel collectibles, plans to reveal its new line of Marvel collectibles in the first quarter of 2012, and to display the first collectible prop replicas from the upcoming Marvel film The Avengers at WonderCon in Anaheim, Calif., from March 16 to March 18.
                  Included in its initial line-up of limited-edition Marvel collectibles are expected to be Captain America shield, Thor’s hammer and a full-scale Iron Man Mark V mask.  As fans worldwide anxiously await the May 4 theatrical release of The Avengers – which brings together some of the most famous Super Heroes ever created – eFX will continue introducing new Marvel-based collectibles based on these incredible characters.
In addition to prop replicas and high-end collectibles, eFX will also offer a series
of items inspired by Marvel characters and properties, which, like the replicas, will be available on its website at www.efxcollectibles.com and at select retail locations.  Prices are expected range from $49 to $1,500 and more.
                  “The Marvel universe is extraordinary, diverse and exciting – just like Marvel’s fans around the world – and we are really eager for them to see what we are creating with guidance and input from the Marvel team,” said Bryan Ono, president of eFX Inc. “Marvel’s comics and movies offer virtually endless possibilities for absolutely incredible propreplicas.”
                  Since its inception more than four years ago, eFX has created the highest quality, limited-edition collectibles based on many of the most recognized and iconic properties in the world.  Many of its sold-out, limited-edition creations are prized and sought-after by fans.
                  Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and other characters from the Marvel universe join an incredible list of properties within the eFX portfolio, including the Star Wars Saga, Star Trek, the original Battlestar Galactica, and classic Disney movies.
                  More details about eFX’s current and upcoming collectible pieces can be found at the eFX Inc. website, www.efxcollectibles.com. 

(San Francisco – January 26, 2012) – Mimoco (www.mimoco.com), makers of the MIMOBOT® and MIMOMICRO™ lines of designer USB flash drives and card readers unveils the latest slant on their collection of character-based memory devices – the Legends of MIMOBOT Series featuring icons, geniuses, and stars of the human race.  
 
Leading off the initiative, and in collaboration with the Albert Einstein Estate, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and GreenLight, is the Einstein™ x MIMOBOT line of up to 64GB flash drives. Mimoco is honored to announce their partnership at Macworld which will see Einstein, the renowned genius, in the MIMOBOT’s stylistically illustrated flash drive form. The Einstein™ x MIMOBOT drives come preloaded with bonus Mimory™ and the MimoDesk™ personalization suite of Einstein-themed wallpapers, icons, and avatars.
 
Albert Einstein is the most iconic scientific figure of the modern era, and is a symbol of the incredible advancements in science and learning humanity has made in the last century. With his signature bushy hair and mustache, Einstein™ MIMOBOT reveals his lighthearted side when you remove his cap, exposing the USB plug and Einstein’s playful pose with tongue sticking out. Just like the real thing, Einstein™ MIMOBOT does the heavy computing, but this time stores and transports your documents, music, photos, and data, rather than unifying theories of relativity.
 
“Perhaps no other figure in the scientific community has played a more important role than Albert Einstein,” says Mimoco CEO Evan Blaustein. “It is a real thrill to collaborate with his estate on this Einstein MIMOBOT flash drive series, merging one of history’s greatest minds with our MIMOBOT brainchild that fuses designer toy ethos with memory storage function. Now everyone can store their data inside Einstein’s digital MIMOBOT brain!”
 
Mimoco will drop additional Einstein x MIMOBOT designs at SXSW in March, including the Brainstein MIMOBOT character which provided the spark for the famous person crossover, created by Michal Miszta as an entry into Mimoco’s Unmasked Design Challenge with Infectious.
 
“We are really excited about the launch of the Einstein™ MIMOBOT Series. We believe Mimoco has done a great job in the development of a powerful yet fun line of computing tools that capture Einstein’s lighthearted and spirited nature,” said David Reeder, VP GreenLight.
 
The Einstein MIMOBOT flash drives are now available at www.mimoco.com, in select stores, and are on display for their first appearance at Mimoco’s Macworld booth #1036 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

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.