Toy OTD: Disney Store Plastic Cars Toys: Mater, Red, Sarge, 'Chewall' Tractor, Chick Hicks, Lightning McQueen (2006 - 2008)

The movie Cars has proven to be a merchandising bonanza, spawning myriad lines of toys and other products. Like any other franchise, there's a range of quality within them - some items are excellent, some are fine, and others are functional but not much more. The primary line of Cars vehicles sold at the Disney Store are decent toys. They're mostly of a mid-range quality: in general the Mattel diecasts are far better, but this plastic, talking series is better than the smaller PVC cars, pullback items or plushes.

For one thing, they're fairly big - much bigger than any of the diecasts. If your kids need something larger to play with, this line is literally a better fit. The details aren't quite as lavish as those of the diecasts, but they're still good. Because of this, I'm assuming that these toys weren't cast from digital data but interpreted through traditional sculpting or other means (it's hard to know for certain). The construction is reasonably solid, but they do feel a little flimsy in places.

The biggest design detraction is the choice to make the pupils movable - they 'look' back and forth when pushed along a surface. In order to do this, the eyes are mounted on clear plastic stalks in front of an open 'windshield'. They're not all that intrusive on some of the cars, but on others it looks rather awkward and unattractive.

The other play feature included in the line is a motion-activated voice chip. This is a bit of a mixed blessing since they've got hair triggers, and chat away at the slightest movement. Other than that, the lines feel like dialogue from the film and have a decent feel for the characters' personalities (although it sounds to me like many of them were recorded by soundalikes).

The paint work here is minimal - the main body color is provided by the plastic itself. Most of the detailing is the cast plastic color as well, which in general I like as a cost-effective toy strategy. Colors tend to be a little more durable, and manufacturers don't have to be as precise about the few paint passes they do have.

The heaviest paint use is on the 'rusty' characters, and while the "Chewall" tractor looks significantly better than its diecast counterpart, Mater is only moderately successful - still looking more like paint than a rust texture.

Unfortunately, the other paint substitutes used here are decals - and they're another notable minus. They're particularly weak on heavily decorated characters like Wingo or Chick Hicks. I decided not to buy the Wingo from this series at all because I couldn't find one without stickers that weren't already bubbling up or tearing in the package. Chick's decals are better, but it doesn't look like it would take much play to badly damage them.

These toy cars by their very nature have no real posing capability or balance issues, so articulation and display stands are moot points here. Scale could be a display issue in the sense that collecting this line can eat up a sizable chunk of shelf estate. Fortunately, there's not nearly as many characters in this format as have been made in, say, the diecast line.

The packaging, on the other hand, is rather nice. The designers came up with a large clamshell, and turned it into an environment straight from the film! The branding is covered with the 'metal flake' base, and the toy itself rests on a short stretch of 'highway' backed with a rich panorama of Radiator Springs. The signs are built to create a 3D effect, and perform double duty describing play features. It's nice that there's so few stickers on the blister itself! On the other hand, it's a shame that they use so much plastic and take up so much space - but the shelf presence is pretty impressive considering the price point (originally $10-$15).

I imagine these toys are still available at the Disney Store, but since there's very few actual stores left, you'll probably need to get them online. You can get Doc Hudson and Sally on eBay for $23.74 + shipping, Lightning McQueen for $14.50 + shipping, Red for $27.63 + shipping, Luigi & Guido are packed together for $18.63 + shipping, Sarge is $12.93 + shipping, Fillmore is $17.63 + shipping, and Wingo goes for $14.50. There may be more toys in this line, but that's all I've been able to find. Compare prices, watch that shipping, and have fun!

Toy OTD: Michelle Valigura's Peter Pan Trinket Box (2008)

It's really great to see Disney merchandising moving beyond the model sheets and allowing contemporary artists to interpret their characters! It's an inspired idea that feeds still another generation of fans and collectors.

Michelle Valigura has been producing adorable plush and sculptural work for quite some time now. It's easy to see why she was chosen to design limited edition pieces for the studio - her work has a friendly, childlike quality similar to old-school Disney concept artist Mary Blair.

This trinket box is a great example of her work. The simple shapes and bold colors feel like inspirational art, yet clearly evoke the original characters. The materials and paint treatment give the box a homemade charm, but it doesn't feel flimsy or awkwardly made. It's clearly a dimensional piece, but a strong graphic design, too!

The only somewhat disappointing aspect of this item would be the packaging - I don't have it any longer, but if memory serves it was a glossy black cardboard box. While this approach gets points for restraint, it strikes me as a missed opportunity for showcasing more of Ms. Valigura's artwork.

Created to commemorate Peter Pan's 55th birthday, this box is part of a run of three hundred pieces, and was only sold at Disneyland. Originally it cost $65, but I have seen the odd piece at Disney outlet sales for $30 or $40. These sales are pretty common in California, but I doubt they happen anywhere out of state (though Florida is a possibility).

Happily for collectors, this piece still isn't tough to find on the secondary market - you can buy one right now on eBay for $24.99 + shipping. Hop to it!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

I know it's been a while, so I thought I'd send out my Happy Thanksgiving wishes! All the best from Anita, Figaro, Piccolo and me.

I figured I'd illustrate the post with one of my favorite turkey designs, Mayor Turkey Lurkey from Disney's Chicken Little. Enjoy!

Sweet! MINDstyle Pours On The Coolness: Black Hole Figures!

Well, "Black Hole figure" for the time being, but hopefully things will continue on down the character line if V.I.N.C.E.N.T. sells well. Can't wait!

I'm a big robot nerd, so I have a soft spot in my heart for these guys... especially old B.O.B. I sure hope he's next on the production line!

Article and images courtesy of Disney Consumer Group and I LIKE TOYS. Check out the link for more pictures, including a paint test!

Photoshop Afterglow Beaver Mock-Up, Some Great Toy News!

Here's a (really) rough mock-up of the Afterglow Beaver variant using a defective production sample, a paper 'sticker' applied with packing tape, a little Sharpie and a lot of Photoshop. It's pretty close to the way I want it to look - but I'm trying to figure out a way to make the white areas look good in normal light and in the dark. If I paint the eyes and teeth, they'll look too dark when the toy's glowing. But - I'm also worried that those areas will be too weak if I simply leave them the GID vinyl color. So I'm still pondering...

In other news, Hot Toys has the license to make Up merchandise, which is very exciting! Hot Toys is one of the best collectible manufacturers around, so I'm sure they'll do an amazing job. I'm hoping for vinyl figures of Carl, Ellie, Russell, Dug, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Kevin, Muntz, young Ellie, young Carl, and young Muntz. Give 'em all the deluxe Hot Toys treatment, I say!

The first stills have emerged for the Michael Lau/Godfather mash-up vinyl being produced by MINDstyle. I think it looks amazing! I knew I was in for it when Mr. Lau announced that he was doing movie toys, and I was right - the three-figure Kubrick set was super-cool, and this one is just as good! I'm saving my pennies as we speak...

Maquette photo, posts courtesy of I LIKE TOYS.

Toy OTD: Young Epoch Ltd. Disney Wind-Up Toy: Minnie Mouse

There's a lot of retro Disney toys coming out of Japan, and this plastic wind-up is another great example! This piece take the 20's stylization even further, removing flowers, bloomer frills, even fingers, yet it still retains the original's charm.

It's impressive how someone can make a simple wind-up toy look so good! Most of the black paint has a matte finish for that extra-classy touch, and there's an awesome mix of paint and dyed plastic to support it. The color palette is limited, and cheery but not too bright. There's the rare glitch, but in general the paint apps are excellent.

The sculpt is incredibly tight, especially considering how graphic the design is. It's tempting to believe that it was modeled on a computer, but I think a good sculptor could do it. The proportions have strayed from the cartoon, but it still looks nice.

The winding mechanics work great, and there's no real balance issues, since it's a walking toy.

It's been quite a while since I've seen the packaging, but I remember it being tasteful and suitably retro - a white and sepia design, like old-fashioned wallpaper. I think there was a clamshell interior, with a plastic window on one of the sides. Nice, but nothing you'd be tempted to keep.

I can't find one of these for sale online anywhere, so you'll have to set up an eBay favorite search, or contact your trusty toy hunting service. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Mattel DJ Rockin' Ride (2008)

There's another great line of Cars toys to collect, though I don't think many people do. I understand swearing off from them - these large, talking versions are real space gobblers and much more expensive than the standard diecasts. Plus, well, they're not diecast, which I'm sure is a deal-breaker for the majority of Cars collectors. Still, these are super-cool toys, especially when you get into the secondary characters!

DJ is a particularly good character for this format. He's a smaller vehicle, so he scales up well without becoming unmanageable. The big line's also good for tucking in plenty of nifty features!

Since DJ is a musical character in Cars, Mattel made the toy musical, too. As with all of the Mattel items, DJ is spot-on model - but they've integrated his play functions very nicely as well! You can choose between a variety of short beat-box loops that are triggered when you roll him across the floor. The beat selector is right were it should be - the huge knob in the middle of DJ's sound system. Nice!

There's some great lighting effects, too - undercarriage 'neon' and a glowing rear spoiler. The designers built part of the foil out of translucent plastic to make it look even cooler. The eyes move back and forth (I can't remember if the eyelids do) as DJ is pushed along. It's really neat in low light!

There's some speech clips as well, but I think it's just a couple of phrases. I don't think they're film-specific, but it's not a big minus for me.

The packaging is the half-box style that's currently common with these larger toys. Big points, though, go to Mattel for designing a special key-type pair of mounts to hold the toy in place. Rather than struggle with dozens of tough-to-cut, spun-a-million-times wire twist-ties, the key-mounts simply turn and unlock. Very cool!

This hasn't been out for all that long, and in general the larger toys are much easier to find than their diecast counterparts. You can get one for $14.99 + shipping at shop.com. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Dark Horse Deluxe, Disney's Gremlins Vinyl Figure: Fafinella (2006)

Toy licensing has exploded to such a degree in recent years, not only are companies reaching into increasingly distant corners of pop culture for inspiration, now they're merchandising properties that never reached the finish line!

Roald Dahl wrote and published a children's book called Gremlins (unrelated to Joe Dante's 1984 movie) in 1943. The rights were optioned by the Disney studio in the hopes of developing the story into a film, but for various reasons the project never went beyond the early stages. The book remained popular with Disney and Dahl fans, but was not reprinted again until two years ago.

Since the book features brightly colored fantasy characters, Dark Horse wisely got permission to make merchandise based on the story! Some of the best of these new spin-offs included a line of resin statues, pvc mini-figures and larger vinyl toys.

This is one of two of the large vinyls - Fafinella, or a female gremlin. It's really a wonderful figure - the sculpt has some nice touches to it that throw the symmetry off without making it difficult to cast. I really like how the extemely stylized helmet (especially the visor) is faithfully duplicated from the original artwork.

The paint work is a little loose, but the apps are tight enough to keep crisp borders between the punchy colors. The 'lipstick' and 'eye shadow/lashes' are nicely done, preserving the appeal of the design. The paint/vinyl colors are also faithful to the book.

There's no articulation at all - it's basically a vinyl statue made from a bunch of separately molded parts. There's some balance issues due to the top-heaviness of the character, but the casting is very well done, so it's not as precarious as it could be.

The packaging is simple, but reflects the source book exceptionally well - the cover colors are treated like a branding palette, so the box is decorated to look just like the reprinted edition! A wide plastic window lets you look the toys over before buying.

Fafinella and Widget (a male) are sold together as a set. It's still very easy to get - you can buy one for $24.49 at tfaw.com. Enjoy!

Toy OTD: Medicom, Disney Vinyl Collectible Doll: Ariel (2002)

I bought this toy for my wife Anita because she's such a big fan of the film. This is executed so well, though, that I don't mind having it in my collection one bit! It's really a wonderful 3-D execution of the 2-D design.

The sculpt is simply terrific, and the figure balances nicely thanks to the choice of a seated pose. It's a logical answer to balance a mermaid character, but you'd be surprised how many toys there are that don't choose the obvious solution!

Like many other VCD figures, this toy utilizes paint and dyed vinyl extremely well. The facial paint work is really tight and delicate, plus Medicom gets big points for making Ariel's waist fin translucent - just another example of how they go the extra mile in their products. There's no artiuculation here, but the pose is dynamic enough that you don't really need any.

The packaging isn't particularly imaginative or attractive, but at least the money is in the toy - plus credit is due for how well protected VCD figures are in their sturdy clamshell/box containers. Warping and pain rubs are extremely rare in this line!

There isn't one of these figures for sale online right now, so you'll need to warm up another eBay favorite search. Good hunting!

Medicom VCD Modern Pets Mickey Mouse (2006)

There's been a lot of re-imagining of Mickey Mouse going on in the last few years, and this vinyl figure is one of the most successful examples. This toy is a nice merging of the Modern Pets style with classic Mickey - it still feels like the character, even though it's a significant departure from the current design.

It's very appealing, and like most Medicom toys, extremely well made! The sculpted pose is really strong, and the color work is a terrific combination of tight paint passes and different colors of vinyl. It all comes together to form an attractive 3-D version of stylized cartoon design.

I think I originally paid around $40 for this figure. It's been out for a couple of years now, so its price has climbed to $68.99 + shipping at yesasia.com. Get on it!

Toy OTD: Thinkway Wall-E Boxed Set: The Reject-Bots

As we continue into Wall-E's opening weekend, here's another cool tie-in from Thinkway Toys. I'm really impressed that Thinkway not only made their smaller figures so nicely, but that they made toys of the secondary characters! Unless George Lucas is involved somehow, peripheral characters are a rarity.

While the packaging isn't all that exciting, the proof is in the pudding - the figures themselves. The sculpts and paint work are extremely tight, with very few concessions made. It's great to see this level of faithfulness without creating safety or price point issues. The use of materials is also striking - check out Gopher's translucent head!

There's a surprising amount of articulation here, too. Paint-Bot and Massage-Bot are far more posable than you'd expect, and are jointed much like they are in the film. The character accuracy is so good, one might've forgiven less intricate figures, but Thinkway goes the extra mile, and meets the buyer more than halfway. Cool!

To top it all off, there's not just one, but two clear display stands for the hovering characters who can't stay upright on their own. Technically, Beautician-Bot floats too, but the figure sits upright just fine - Thinkway picked their battles well!

You can get this set for $20.00 + tax at Toys 'R' Us, or online for $20.00 + shipping at toysrus.com. Check in with disneystore.com if they're out of stock at TRU - The Disney Store doesn't seem to have any of the toys for sale right now, but they may become available again later (they have been on the site in the last week or so). Have fun collecting!

Toy OTD: Thinkway Toys' Wall-E Figures: Lift'N' Load Wall-E, Search And Protect Eve

To celebrate Wall-E's opening day, here's two examples of Thinkway's terrific toy line!

Lift 'N' Load Wall-E has tons of great detail, an intricate paint job, and plenty of articulation (right down to the hands!). The treads don't move, but there are larger versions where they do - hold out for the $30 Interaction Wall-E if that's critical to you.

The figure comes with two 'trash' cubes that you can make Wall-E 'compact'. Since the trash compartment is the same shape, you can put Play-Doh® in there and make Wall-E produce a cube of that, too!

You can get this figure at your local Toys 'R' Us® for $9.99 + tax, or online for $10.99 + shipping.

Search and Protect Eve is just as well designed and executed as Wall-E. Since her eyes are LED-type displays in the film, Thinkway added a clever feature - if you press her head, her eyes will click to one of six different expressions!

Her chest compartment pops open at the push of a button, and you can store some of her accessories - an old shoe, a light bulb - inside (these seemingly random items will make more sense when you see the film). Since Eve is a floating robot, a display stand has been provided when your kids (or you!) aren't zooming her through the air.

I think there's only three points of articulation, but it makes sense when you consider the design. The joints are closer to the ball-and-socket kind, so the most is made from the few options available.

You can get Eve at your local Toys 'R' Us® for $9.99 + tax, or online for $10.99 + shipping.

If they're out of stock, you can also get them at the Disney Store website, but they're more expensive there.

See you at the movies!

Toy Story Mania! Opens

Well, it actually opened yesterday. Now that it's officially open, I feel like I can share these photos I took at the cast member preview. It's a great ride, and lots of fun!

I got pretty good scores in the game, but I have a feeling Anita will kick me up and down the street on our next visit! Her accuracy was steadily improving each time through...

Toy OTD: Dell Mickey Mouse Squeak Toy

I've had this toy since I was a kid - I think my folks bought it for me at a flea market. The squeaker still works, and it still stands on its own, even though I'm assuming it's around forty years old.

In spite of my love for the improvements in production technology, there's a lot to be said for the charm of a limited paint palette and a little overspray. Black, white and red are a classic color combination, and the off-white helps keep the toy warm and friendly.

It's a curious pose for a figure - it feels like Mickey is waiting or reacting to another character, as if a Minnie Mouse had been made as part of a set. Still, there's a real sweetness to the sculpt, even though Mickey isn't on-model in the strictest sense. His look and clothing are not exactly what we expect when we picture a Mickey toy, but it has its own consistent design integrity.

I have no idea what was paid for this 'originally' (i.e, in the early '70s when my parents bought it for me - probably less than a dollar. I don't see these for sale all that often, but you can buy one at whatacharacter.com for $55 + shipping.

Toy OTD: Thinkway Incredibles Interactive Action Figure: Syndrome

Thinkway Toys has made talking, interactive figures since A Bug's Life (at least). Put a pair of them together, and they'll have a chat all by themselves! It's a super-cool feature - when you throw strong articulation, great sculpts, clever use of materials and sharp paint work into the mix, you've got a high standard to match.

You can either set the toy to sound off several phrases at the press of a button (or possibly triggered by your own voice), or adjust it to interactive mode so he can talk with Mr. Incredible, Dash, or both at once! The pre-recorded phrases allow for some enjoyable back-and-forth between them.

The articulation is of particular notice here because it allows for a good amount of posing without making the character look artificial or awkward. The cloth cape and vinyl parts are nice touches, as well. The ankles make balancing the figure a bit tricky, so a doll-type stand or a pegged base might have been a good accessory. "Zero Point Energy" sound effects or lights on the figure's wrist bands would've been awesome, but since (I think) this toy was partially assembled after opening, adding those features would probably have been prohibitively expensive.

I can't remember how much this toy originally cost - I think it was between fifteen and twenty dollars. Unfortunately, it's not available online at all right now, so warm up another eBay Favorite Search if you want to add this toy to your collection!

David Silverman Directing For Disney

"David Silverman, who most recently helmed 'The Simpsons Movie,' has signed on to develop and direct 'The Pet,' a live-action sci-fi family comedy for Disney. Scott Rudin and Craig Perry are producing."

To read the rest of Borys Kit and Gregg Goldstein's THR article, click here. Photo by Ronnie Del Carmen.

Congratulations, David! Have fun!

Toy OTD: Span Of Sunset Cheshire Cat ('Disappearing' Version)

This is an amazing toy, made by Span of Sunset in Los Angeles. They've done several paint variations of the same great sculpt, but this is one of the early ones. I still think it's the best of the line - the Disney Cheshire Cat is painted as if he's already disappeared (a spiffy-looking matte black with glossy black stripes), and the eyes glow in the dark as if that's all that remains. Clever! The box is also great - it opens as if it's the cat's head (check out the photos on the SOS site). The execution is relatively simple - only a couple of paint passes and no articulation - but the thinking behind it is very strong.

Originally, this cost about a hundred dollars, but it's long sold out - I think there were only fifty of these made. Getting one now will probably cost you about $250 - $300 on eBay, so be prepared. Good luck!

Gentle Giant Unveils Ratatouille And WALL-E Maquettes At New York Comic-Con

Check out the pictures at actionfigs.com! I've been waiting for this for a long time. Gentle Giant is a terrific company for these licenses, and I know they'll do a wonderful job!

They look great - I can't wait to snag 'em when they get released this fall! I'm hoping that Skinner and Anton Ego maquettes are on the way, too! Keep your fingers crossed...

And Then There Were None: Ollie Johnston, 1912 - 2008

Ollie Johnston, the last of Walt Disney's legendary animators dubbed "The Nine Old Men", died today at the age of ninety-six. His work has inspired legions of animators, cartoonists and fans alike.

Condolences to his friends and family.

UPDATE: If you'd like to read Charles Solomon's New York Times obituary for Mr. Johnston, click here.

Toy OTD: Medicom Vinyl Collectible Dolls: Fantasia Mickey

This one's just out of the park - it's one of my favorites and a bunch of categories: Medicom toys, Disney toys, Mickey toys. It's simply stunning - a fantastic sculpt of a terrific pose. It may not be spot on from the film, but it's been tweaked in a really good way to allow for a great figure!

Most of the color is in the vinyl rather than paint, which helps make it look gorgeous. It balances well, and the pose holds up great over time. The only bad thing about this toy is that you can't buy it on the primary market! You'll have to try to find it at a boutique toy website, or on eBay. I can't find it online anywhere, so I'd suggest cranking up the Favorite Search. Good luck!

Remake OTD: The Lone Ranger

Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney are teaming up again to bring us a new version of the classic radio hero (if you're asking, "What's a Lone Ranger?", read this).

The writers of the Pirates of the Carribbean films are in talks to handle the script. There's no word of who will direct it yet.

To find out more, read the Hollywood Reporter article.

PS: I've heard talk that Johnny Depp was being considered for the role of Tonto, but hopefully it was just a rumor.

Lost Sleeping Beauty Art Comes Home

"A Japanese university plans to return about 250 pieces of original animation art to the Walt Disney Company that were mislaid in storage after traveling to Japan nearly five decades ago.

Disney said that the art — cels, backgrounds, preliminary paintings and storyboard sketches — was part of a collection that was handpicked by Walt Disney himself. It was sent to Japan in 1960 for a touring exhibition timed to the opening of the film 'Sleeping Beauty.' The exhibition opened at Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo in May of that year and traveled to 16 other stores throughout Japan."

To read the rest of Charles Solomon's article, click here.

Recent Artwork (For A Change!)

Here's two versions of a Dave Smith caricature that I did. Dave worked in the Walt Disney Archives, and just became a Disney Legend. I drew this artwork to decorate his congratulatory card!

The first version (as you can see) was much more stylized in terms of color. It didn't pass muster, so I changed it into what you see above. I also added a stack of animation paper, to help hint at his job a little bit. I'm glad I did that - it anchors the character in the frame more effectively.

Initially, I was disappointed that I had to back down on the color, but now I'm not as sure. I like the fact that it's punchier and less literal (for some reason, it reminds me of The Banana Splits, but I'm not sure why), but something seems missing - I'm not as happy with the suit colors in that context. I think the trick of placing one of the Mickey faces on top of his head like a Disneyland hat works better in the original.

Well, anyway, there you go. Enjoy!

New Muppet Film In The Works

VARIETY: Segel and Stoller take on Muppets
'Marshall' duo to write, direct film for Disney
By MICHAEL FLEMING - Posted: Wed., Mar. 12, 2008, 9:00pm PT

Disney has enlisted scribe-thesp Jason Segel and helmer Nick Stoller to create the next Muppet movie for the studio.

Segel and Stoller will write the script and Stoller will direct.

Segel, who graduated from Apatow-produced skeins "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared" got his first sole writing credit on the Apatow-produced "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." Universal releases the pic, which Stoller directed, on April 18.

In "Sarah Marshall" Segel's character writes a "Dracula" musical performed by puppets. Those cloth creatures were custom-made by the Henson puppeteers, and the experience emboldened Segel to pitch his concept for a Muppets movie when he was invited in for a general meeting with exec Kristin Burr. Segel got a deal in the room and enlisted Stoller to co-write and direct the project.

Segel and Stoller just made another U deal to co-write the comedy "Five-Year Engagement," with Stoller helming and Segal starring.

Segel, from the CBS laffer "How I Met Your Mother," next stars in "I Love You, Man" at DreamWorks.

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Well, this could be cool - I hope they're both fans of the show. It'll be interesting to see how the transition to writing for puppetry goes. I'm assuming it's significantly different from writing live-action.

Disney Establishes Core Production Overseas?

REUTERS.COM: Disney to make animated films in Japan, paper says
Wed Mar 5, 2008 6:41pm EST

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Walt Disney Co. plans to make animated films in Japan to cater to Asian tastes, as it moves core production outside the United States for the first time, a business daily reported on Thursday.

Disney would team up with Toei Animation and other Japanese studios to tap talent and computer graphics technology, the Nikkei newspaper said.

A short animated film about a robot had already been made with Toei and was due to be aired in May, with two other projects in the works, the paper said.

While Disney sought partners it did not plan acquisitions at this point, it added.

(Reporting by Edwina Gibbs; Editing by Rodney Joyce)

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Disney's had a lot of satellite production houses in other countries before, so I'm assuming 'core production' is the key phrase here. Even so, is it true that Disney's never made a feature completely outside of Burbank? I think so, but with all of those other studios in the '90s, it makes me less certain.

Toy OTD: Hasbro Monsters, Inc. C.D.A. Agent Figure W/Sound

The original Monsters, Inc. figure line is pretty nice - the toys aren't necessarily loaded with features or meticulous detail; but they are streamlined, appealing versions of the movie's characters.

The C.D.A. agents weren't an obvious choice for toys, so it's cool that one was included in the line-up. There's not a lot of articulation here, but the sculpt and colors work well, and the figure's solidly balanced. There's an extra feature, too - at the press of a button, an antenna pops up (with a sound clip from the film) from the top of the backpack.

These toys have been sold out for seven years, but they're still easily found on eBay. You can get one right now for $8.09 + $8.25 shipping.

Toy OTD: Medicom Vinyl Collectible Dolls: Alice (In Wonderland)

Another toy touchdown from Medicom! Alice isn't one of my favorite Disney films, but it's hard to resist another wonderful sculpt. The pose is a bit symmetrical, but I love how simply the shapes are executed. They also do a great job of combining different colors of vinyl rather than painting, which looks really awesome (it inspired me when I was designing my toy).

Even though there's not much paint on this figure, the factory really did a nice job. Check out that face! Granted, the expression's a little cold, but it's very tight paint work.

It's not pictured here, but the figure does come with its own display stand. Big points (as usual) for that!

This figure's been out for a while, so it'll be a little tougher to get. You can buy one right now from eBay for $29.80 + $27.80 shipping. Usually, these toys cost around $20-$40, so that's not a lot of markup. Happy shopping!

New Toy Arrivals!

If you've got Target gift cards, I found a bunch of new toy releases that you might want to hunt down! I stopped by early this morning (I had to bring my car in for a scheduled maintenance, and the store was right next door), and stumbled across some cool stuff:

* Mattel's World of Cars large-scale plastic DJ - With movable eyes, sound clips, and flashing undercarriage lights! There's four different music cues to choose from, too! You can get it right now at entertainmentearth.com for $34.99 + shipping, but I bet it's cheaper at Target.

* Lego's Indiana Jones line is in full force, with at least four different sets to choose from - Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb (or the Well of Souls for you moldy figs), Race for the Stolen Treasure (the desert truck chase from Raiders), Indiana Jones Motorcycle Chase (Indy and his dad from Last Crusade on a motorcycle/sidecar, with Indy's Crystal Skull son on another bike), and Temple Escape (the opening sequence in Raiders, complete with boulder and idol)! If it's rainy (like it is here today), you can buy all of them at Lego.com from the comfort of your computer desk.

* The first series of Hasbro's Star Wars Mighty Muggs are out! I picked up Darth Vader, and passed on the Stormtrooper. You can get some of series 1 - Vader, Boba Fett, Darth Maul and a Stormtrooper - at toysrus.com for $9.99 + shipping (each).

Happy hunting!

Toy OTD: Burger King "Toy Story" Premium: The Robot

Don't worry if you don't remember this character from Toy Story - he's a pretty obscure background toy, and only has one spoken line: "Mr. Lightyear needs more tape!" He helps Buzz fix his spaceship, pals around with the toy snake in Andy's room, and that's about it. The only reason I remember him is because I did his voice.

Needless to say, I was really happy when Burger King made a toy of him as part of the Toy Story kid's meal line (or was it for Toy Story 2? I'm not positive). He's never been merchandised in any other way, and while I guess that makes sense, I've always liked Bob Pauley's design a lot, and hey, you can never have too many good robot toys. It's really nicely made for a item this inexpensive, and pretty on-model, too!

I can't imagine this toy being all that valuable, even though though this line sold out twelve years ago. You can get two of them, plus a lot of the other fast food toys, on eBay starting at $2.00 + $7.65 shipping.

Toy OTD: Medicom Kubrick Lightcycle (2002)

Medicom's Kubrick figures didn't interest me at first - at least, not until they started picking up movie licenses. The line that finally broke my resistance (and I think it was one of the first major film licenses that they got) was the Tron series. There wasn't a lot of good Tron merchandise back in the day, and it hadn't quite become the nostalgia magnet that it is today.

There's a lot of blind-boxed, individually-packed figures out now, but Medicom went all the way with these toys - five boxed sets, each with a vehicle and at least one figure. The packaging was terrific, too - all black with the logo and the iconic lightcycle grid! Almost every design element was on-model, and straight from the movie. The cycles even open up to store a figure, and have rolling wheels, too!

Set A had a gold lightcycle, and figures of Tron and Yori. Set B had a tank, a red cycle, and a Flynn figure. Set C had a Recognizer, a yellow cycle, and a warrior figure (you know - the ones that wore gussied-up paint masks). Set D had the blue cycle, the MCP (which opens up to feature the aged chess program inside!), and a Sark figure. The fifth set was called "Wire Frame Model", and had "low-res" versions of the lightcycle and Tron (black plastic with grids painted on them). You can see pictures of all the sets and their packaging here.

This lightcycle is from set D, and the crowning touch is the display stand, which is truly ingenious. Since the toys can't stand by themselves, Medicom packaged a portion of the walls the cycles create in their standout sequence. You fit the "wall" into the rear wheel, looking just like it does in the film. Since it's a short "L" shape, it supports the cycle without weakening the design - in fact, the stand actually embellishes the toy. Simple, but perfect!

It looks like all of the Tron Kubricks are easily available - at least, they are right now. If you can read some French, you can buy set C and set D from lulu-berlu.com for 54.99 € each. Set A is on eBay right now starting at $9.99, with set B currently at $15.50 (sets C and D are also up for auction). The "Wire Frame Model" set is for sale for $49.99 + shipping. Happy shopping, programs!

Pirates Of The Final Resting Place

LOCAL6.COM: Possible Scattering Of Human Remains On Disney Rides Reported
Ride Closed, Police Alerted After Woman Seen Dumping Substance On Ride
POSTED: 10:10 pm EST November 15, 2007
UPDATED: 7:44 am EST November 16, 2007

Disneyland workers were recently forced to close the "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction after a ride security camera caught a woman apparently dumping human remains, in what may be a growing trend.

Workers at the Anaheim theme park spotted the woman sprinkling an unidentified substance into the water on the "Pirates" ride. Anaheim police were notified of the incident.

The woman told Disney park workers that the substance she dumped was baby powder, but officials are investigating the possibility that she sprinkled human ashes, Local 6 reported.

Some Disney watchers said park-goers tell them that people smuggling in the cremated remains of their loved ones and then sprinkling ashes on rides has been going on for a while.

They said it started at the Haunted Mansion, but now the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride is growing in popularity.

Al Lutz, who runs Miceage.com, told KABC that it is not unusual for people to scatter a loved one's remains at the happiest place on earth.

Disney officials said they were unaware of any confirmed ash-scattering incidents in the park and didn't believe it to be a problem, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Park officials said there was no real way of knowing if cremated remains were dumped into the "Pirates" ride.

Burton Back At Disney

VARIETY: Burton, Disney team on 3D films
Director pairs with studio on animated duo
By MARC GRASER
Posted: Thurs., Nov. 15, 2007, 4:15pm PT

Tim Burton is pairing up with Disney to direct two 3D-animated toons, "Alice in Wonderland" and "Frankenweenie."

Two-picture deal with the Walt Disney Studios begins with "Alice in Wonderland," set to combine performance capture imagery with live action and shown in theaters in 3D.

Script by Linda Woolverton ("The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast") is based on the Lewis Carroll classic.

Richard Zanuck, Joe Roth and Suzanne Todd will produce.

Burton, who is currently wrapping "Sweeney Todd" at Paramount and DreamWorks, will tackle "Alice in Wonderland" in early 2008, with production set to wrap by May, making it a pre-strike pic.

After "Alice," Burton will helm and produce "Frankenweenie," based on his 1984 short film about a pet dog who is brought back to life by his loyal owner. Pic will be shot in stop motion animation and shown in digital 3D.

"Tim is one of the most dynamic and creative storytellers of our time and having him back at Disney is just great," said Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook.

Burton had helmed "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Ed Wood" at Disney.

Toy OTD: Walt Disney Classics Collection Figurine: Susie The Little Blue Coupe (2004)

This is one of my favorite Disney merchandising lines - the sculptors really have a knack for adapting 2-D cartoon characters into three dimensions!

The Susie figurine isn't as elaborate as past releases, but it's still very well done. The sculpt and pose are really solid, and they capture the character. Big points for adding the antenna, which could have been dropped to make production easier and cheaper. A small minus might be the paint job - the glazing looks a little thin, and I seem to remember seeing brush work in the finish. It's a subtle and minor detail, and doesn't affect the overall quality much.

This item's been retired for quite a while, so the secondary market will be your hunting ground. Earl's Jewlers has one for sale for $75 + shipping, which sounds lower than the retail price ($95) that I remember (though I might be mistaken). Gocollect.com also has it for the same price. So get shopping!

Toy OTD: Medicom Vinyl Collectible Doll: Buzz Lightyear

I've been enamored with this toy line for quite a while, and this Buzz toy is still one of their best figures! It's simply gorgeous. The sculpt and paint work are so on-model, it's as if they had access to the digital files - but I don't think they did, which makes the likeness and pose all the more impressive. This sculpt is so good, the artist mimicked the model intersection points in the pose - in other words, the places where the pose caused parts of the character model to intersect each other (out of view of the camera, of course). Awesome!!

Many Buzz Lightyear toys have to drop the helmet for safety reasons, so it's great to see a full bubble for Buzz when he's in delusional mode. He doesn't know if our atmosphere is breathable yet! Better articulation, a sound chip, and an LED for Buzz's "laser" would've been cool, but the raw quality of this figure helps reduce those points to quibbles.

This figure's been out for a while, so it might be tougher to buy (I think I paid $50-$60 for mine originally). There's one for sale on eBay Malaysia for $150 + shipping - ouch! You may want to wait and try to find a better price. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Tomy Magical Collection Figures: 'Runaway Brain' Mickey, Pablo The Cold-Blooded Penguin, Bullseye

I'm generally not a big fan of small PVC figures, but this line is so well sculpted, a lot of them are too good to resist! Here's a few stellar examples.

The sculpts are typically very strong, with good posing and a nice sense of the character's personality. The paint work is also pretty tight, especially considering the size of the figures. If the character needs it, it'll be packaged with a small stand.

Some mini-figures get a little carried away in an attempt to create a background, the result becoming cluttered and busy. For the most part, though, the Magical Collection line ignores backdrops completely, keeping things nice and simple.

The best thing about this series is that it has no focus - any character from any Disney film (feature or short) could be made into a figure. While there's not a lot of really obscure characters, there are plenty of unintuitive ones.

These have all been out for a little while, so you'll have to do some digging to find them. Runaway Brain Mickey is for sale on eBay for $26.99 + $7.99 shipping - yikes! There's a monochrome version of Bullseye available at Toyzz.com for $11.99 + shipping, but I can't find the regular version. I can't find Pablo anywhere, so warm up those eBay Favorite Searches!

Coming Soon To San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum

The Art and Flair of Mary Blair
October 27, 2007 - March 18, 2008

Mention the name Mary Blair, and few will recognize it. But say she designed Alice In Wonderland, the It's A Small World ride at Disneyland, and painted many of the most popular Little Golden Books, and people will 'Oh yeah!' in recognition. Few others working in animation in the '40s and '50s were as innovative, interesting, and accessible as Mary Blair. Through her unique color styling and graphically strong shape language, her work pushed animation design in a different direction towards a more evocative, suggested feeling of the subject matter.

Blair's work is decidedly not realistic, but it evokes powerful emotions in the audience. Her sense of color defies logical explanation, yet somehow feels emotionally perfect. No wonder Walt Disney loved her work. Like animation itself, her paintings were a caricature of real life; more intensely evocative of the thing than the thing itself.

The Cartoon Art Museum is proud to present The Art and Flair of Mary Blair, a retrospective exhibition of the work of famed animation designer Mary Blair (1911-1978). One of the first women to work as a concept artist for Disney, Blair was responsible for the look of some of the key Disney films of the 1940s and 1950s including Cinderella and Peter Pan. Her colorful, charming geometric designs, synonymous with 1950s style, appeared in advertisements and children's books. Perhaps her most famous creation, however, is the Disneyland attraction It's A Small World, which Blair originally designed for the 1964 World's Fair. She was posthumously recognized as a Disney Legend in 1991 and was honored with a Winsor McCay animation award in 1996.

This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition includes an array of Blair's groundbreaking concept art for classic Disney feature films including Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Peter Pan, Disney shorts such as The Little House, Johnny Appleseed, and Susie, The Little Blue Coupe, and Disney theme parks and attractions, including It's A Small World.
The Art and Flair of Mary Blair showcases the full scope of Blair's career as an artist and illustrator, including early watercolor paintings, commercial illustrations for such clients as Hanes, Pall Mall, and Baker's Chocolate, a selection of Blair's fine art, unpublished family photographs, and children's book illustrations, including pages from the classic Little Golden Book I Can Fly.

Information regarding the opening reception and additional programming will be announced as details are confirmed.

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Oddly, even though this exhibit opens in less than four weeks, there's no sign of it on the museum's web site at all. I'll update my blog as I get more info.

This Blair image was from Peko-Chan's Flickr collection, most of which seem to have been culled from the internet anyway.

Toy OTD: Thinkway "Toy Story" Alien Lamp

This is one of my favorite Toy Story alien items - the sculpt is terrific, appealing and on-model. There's very little paint - the plastic is molded into the appropriate colors, which looks great! There's no branding anywhere to clutter up the design, and the base is simple and on-theme (making the buttons into craters is a nice touch, too). The head lights up and it talks when you turn it on. It's got my voice saying all of the phrases, so naturally I'm happy about that!

I guess this item didn't sell very well, because they were only made once (I don't remember how much these cost originally, but I think they were under $20.00). I can't find them anywhere right now, so I think an eBay Favorite Search is your best bet!

Toy OTD: McDonald's, Monsters Inc. Abominable Snowman Happy Meal Figure

I always like to show that it doesn't take elaborate manufacturing techniques or sky-high price points to make a cool, fun-looking toy. At least, that what I hope to prove - I love super-elaborate, boutique-y toys, but I don't want to come off like some kind of snob. Well, most of the time I don't...

Here's another poster child for simplicity in toymaking - there's three points of articulation, and three paint passes at the most. Of course, the figuremakers were lucky enough to start off with a great design that my buddy Ricky Nierva did. The sculptor here did a fine job of preserving the design's appeal, even though the source character's fuzzy and the toy's an all-plastic figure. The colors may not be spot-on-model, but I think the spirit of the law is maintained. It stands well by itself (the sculptor didn't show off and over-pose the toy), and you can pose it a little bit yourself for extra play value.

A lot of fast-food toys try to jam some sort of gimmick into a toy - I'm assuming they don't feel confident that the 'source memory' (or whatever you want to call it) won't inspire a purchase, so a rip-cord motor or slide viewer or something is added that has nothing to do with the film story or the character, and mainly winds up hurting the sculpt because this extra feature has to be accommodated. I understand that some of these items were designed when the script was still in flux - ofttimes, big plot points are dropped, leaving some of the merchandising in the lurch. Still, it's a shame.

The Happy Meal promotion for Monsters, Inc. is of course long gone, but you can still get a snowman (plus seven others from the line) for $15.95 + shipping.

Toy OTD: Medicom Vinyl Collectible Dolls: Stitch

This toy line continually hits it out of the park - this is by far the best Stitch figure I've ever seen! Fantastic pose, amazing sculpt, great paint work. It's a nice size (14 cm tall) - not big enough to be a shelf pig, but not so small you'll be afraid that you'll lose it, either.

Like most of the other VCD figures, it's not horribly expensive - you can get it for $33.28 + shipping at hlj.com. I hope Medicom makes a Lilo figure to go with it at some point! The bounty hunters'd be awesome, too...