Hey folks,
Some of you have heard me express my fascination with a toy known as the MiniMate. This block figure has 14 points of artculation in a compact 2 inch size. They're cute and don't take up a lot of room. And they're like the plastic equivalent of crack. Once you get started, you can't stop.
Now in their 5th year of existance, they are apparently gunning for that retro "Mego" feel for people who grew up in the 1970s with the action figures from that company.
You see, Mego had licenses for DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes and a number of other things and the best part is everyone was in the same scale. You could team up Batman & Spider-Man and have them fight Kirk & Doctor Zaius if you wanted to and it wouldn't look funny (well...beyond it looking funny).
Art Asylum & Diamond Select Toys started the year off with a cool concept to launch their Battlestar Galactica MiniMates. Limited editions of Cylons (both classic and modern) in single packs to build armies (a case would get you 12 Cylons, at least one each of 5 different kinds). This spring we get the first 7 MiniMates from the new TV series and they will be showing off the next 14 (Waves 2 & 3) at Toy Fair next month.
Meanwhile, the Marvel MiniMates line is about to enjoy its 14th Wave. Seven figures based on X-Men: The Last Stand will make their debut in a month or two. They will be followed by 7 figures from the Ghost Rider movie in Wave 15. The Marvel line has been at a bit of a stand still of late. Last year we only saw waves 12 & 13 and those were full of retreads and repaints (yet another version of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America and a few others). Thankfully, once these two new waves are done (since the movie lines seem to be bringing us people we've seen before in comic book versions or people with coats & shovels) they're finally giving the fans what they've been craving...Avengers! In 16 waves and with dozens of MAJOR characters in the Marvel Universe to play with, it is inexcuseable that it has taken them this long to bring us Thor. Now if only they can get me a Doctor Strange, I'll be very happy.
Hopefully, there'll be more announcements for Marvel MiniMates at Toy Fair (or later in the year at San Diego Comic Con). The rest of Wave 16 consists of Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, She-Hulk and Wonder Man with a variant Bearded Thor.
Meanwhile, Art Asylum & DC Comics have announced 5 waves of DC MiniMates (and there'll probably be a 6th as they seem to be coming every other month) with the first about to hit at the end of February. In just 5 waves, DC has already put the lack of variety in the Marvel line to shame (Compare Marvel's first 5 waves which consisted of 35 figures that broke down into 9 villains, 4 women, 4 Daredevils and 6 Spider-Mans to DCs which consists of 40 figures of which 13 are villains, 8 are women and the only repeats are Batman & Superman who get 2 figures each). They've got a Ma Hunkle MiniMate coming out for goodness sake (she was the comical Golden Age Red Tornado). If that doesn't show that DC's got a great continuing lineup in store for us in the future I don't know what does.
Meanwhile, back at licenses that Diamond Select has...they've revived the Star Trek MiniMates that Art Asylum originally made back in 2003 when they were in the 3 inch scale. The first wave does feature some repeat characters (Kirk, Spock & McCoy) but gives us some new ones as well (Pike, Vina & Scotty) as well as continuing DST's "chase figure" theme in a smart way (Dress Uniform McCoy comes with Scotty...swap out Scotty's head for an extra one from one of the other lines and you've got your own unnamed Red Shirted Ensign to be killed by...well...Vina I suppose or the 3 inch tall versions of the Gorn, the Mugatu or Khan...at least until some real bad guys appear in this line). Hopefully we'll see more than just "Classic" Trek in this line. Heck, hopefully we'll see more than just one wave.
Lastly, DST has announced MiniMates for both Rocky & 24 (there's an odd combo) and they supposedly hold the mini figure licenses for Serenity, Stargate & Buffy (particularly now that Palisades Toys and their wonderful Palz line have died and gone away).
MiniMates are very cool and while its unfortunate that certain licenses didn't work out (we only got two waves for Lord of the Rings), 2007 is shaping up to be a great year for the small guys. Can't wait to see what comes out of Toy Fair in February.
For more info or pictures check out www.minimatescentral.com or www.minimateheadquarters.com or www.artasylum.com
Meanwhile, I'll be back in a few days with a MASSIVE catch up on movie reviews (Dreamgirls, Children of Men, The Prestige, The Illusionist, Snakes on a Plane, Beer Fest, Beer League, Cars and a few others).
Be seeing you.
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