toys
Marvel’s lawyers toy with humanity of mutants
Marvel’s lawyers want you to know that the publisher’s merry mutants are in no way human — at least when it comes to toys.
According to a recent Radiolab Podcast, in order to get a 5.2-percent tax cut on Marvel’s imported action figures, the company’s lawyers successfully argued the toys represent “animals or other non-human creatures (for example, robots and monsters)” as defined by the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, a tome that determines tariff classifications for all goods imported into the United States.
Confused? There’s a lot of legalese involved, so here’s the way it breaks down: There’s a distinction between two categories of products imported into the U.S. “Dolls” are toys representing humans, whereas “toys” represent non-humans. While dolls are taxed at 12.8 percent, toys are taxed at just 6.8 percent. Two shrewd trade attorneys noticed the distinction and successfully argued to U.S. Customs officials that Marvel’s licensed products don’t represent human beings.
- January 5, 2012 @ 09:00 AM by Steve Sunu
Shelf Porn Saturday | End-of-the-year shelves!
Hello and welcome to Shelf Porn! It’s been awhile since we had someone’s shelves to feature, and what a great way to end 2011 by posting someone’s collection.
Today’s shelves come to us from, simply, “The Dork,” who blogs regularly over at The Dork Review. “This is a collection of my stuff (minus the Yoda stuff; which is my wife’s) that I have been collecting since I was a kid,” he told me via email. He had previously posted it on his own site, and you can see that post right here.
If you would like to contribute some shelves, it’s easy — just send pictures and a brief description to jkparkin@yahoo.com.
And now, onto the shelves!
- December 31, 2011 @ 03:14 PM by JK Parkin
Comics A.M. | DC Comics named one of America’s Hottest Brands
Action Comics
Publishing | DC Comics joins the Kia Soul, Goldfish, My Little Pony and several others on Advertising Age’s annual list of America’s Hottest Brands: “With decades of stories under their capes and utility belts, Superman — and other DC characters, including Aquaman and the Flash — had ossified. Though relaunching its entire cast and making their adventures available to print and electronic audiences might alienate some hard-core DC fans, it might also gain plenty of new ones. Making DC characters more popular is crucial for its parent company. While the comic-book business is way down from its heyday, its characters fuel big-ticket Hollywood movies that can generate millions of dollars in revenue and licensing. The pressure may be on DC because rival Marvel, now owned by Disney, has churned out superhero film properties on a regular basis for years.” [Advertising Age]
Broadway | Producers of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark have changed their tune on the $75 million musical; previously they predicted they wouldn’t make back the money invested in the show without franchising it in other cities and countries, but now they predict they’ll make it back entirely from the Broadway run. They also are considering adding in new scenes and a new musical number to the production every year, “making it akin to a new comic book edition, and then urging the show’s fans to buy tickets again.” [The New York Times]
- November 28, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Brigid Alverson and JK Parkin
By Blackest (Friday) Night, no bargain shall escape my sight …
If you’re like me, instead of heading out to the mall to face the hectic Black Friday crowds (some of whom are apparently armed with pepper spray), you’re sitting at home nursing a turkey hangover and looking for good deals on the internet. Here are a few places you may want to check out for your gift-giving or personal shopping needs, and if you’re up for adventuring outdoors, Bleeding Cool has a great roundup of shops holding sales today.
Blackest Friday
ComiXology has a bunch of digital comics for 99 cents today. DC Comics is holding a Blackest Friday sale, allowing you to buy each issue of the Blackest Night crossover for 99 cents each. Marvel has Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four issues on sale for 99 cents, while IDW has their Star Trek comics on sale.
- November 25, 2011 @ 10:10 AM by JK Parkin
Batman, Joker get BLOXed in new vinyl figure line
Batman Blox
Funko, the company whose Pop Vinyl figure line includes everyone from Mickey Mouse to Yoda to Spider-Man to the Ramones, has a new line called BLOX that features “2D-image ‘thickened’ into a boxy 3D-figure.” The figures stand seven inches tall and feature Batman, Joker, Gene Simmons and several cereal mascots.
You can see all of them in all their glory over on the Funko site, or head to Entertainment Earth to pre-order them.
- November 21, 2011 @ 01:12 PM by JK Parkin
NYCC | Jim Lee vs. Spy vs. Spy
Jim Lee's Spy vs. Spy custom toy
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Mad Magazine feature “Spy vs. Spy,” and to celebrate, the magazine created a blank “Spy vs. Spy” toy and asked various artists to customize it. They’ve been sharing them over on their blog since around the time of the San Diego Comic Con, and in New York this weekend they’re unveiling one by DC Comics co-publisher Jim Lee.
You can find more of them on the Mad blog The Idiotical, or in person at the New York Comic Con.
- October 15, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Miles Morales to get his very own Marvel Minimate
Miles Morales/Ultimate Spider-Man Minimate
His costume is already set to appear next month in the Spider-Man: Edge of Time video game, but Miles Morales will follow that with a Minimate of his very own.
The new Ultimate Spider-Man will join Diamond Select Toys’ line of Marvel Minimates next summer with a 2-inch figure that comes with two heads a removable mask, so you can showcase the character with or without his identity concealed. There’s also a “webline accessory.” The figure will be available exclusively at Toys “R” Us in a two-pack with a classic Spider-Man villain that will be revealed later.
- September 19, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Marvel, DC meet LEGO for the League of Little Superheroes
Superheroes are coming to the world of LEGO, as the Danish toy company signed deals with DC Comics and Marvel Entertainment this month that will allow their characters to be used in a LEGO Super Heroes line. Lego already has a Batman line, but the deal with DC gives them access to every character in the DC canon, including Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. The Marvel line will focus on the Avengers, the X-Men and Spider-Man, and it will launch in May 2012, at the same time The Avengers movie opens. Both the Marvel and the DC line will include both minifigures and buildable figures.
Update: JK Parkin returns from Comic-Con with pictures from the LEGO booth! Check’em out after the jump.
- July 27, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
SDCC ’11 | Artists customize “Spy vs. Spy” toys
Spy vs. Spy by Peter Kuper
It’s the 50th anniversary of the Mad Magazine feature “Spy vs. Spy,” and to celebrate, the magazine created a blank “Spy vs. Spy” toy and asked various artists to customize it. They’ve been sharing them over on their blog, with plans to display them in the DC Comics booth this week at the San Diego Comic-Con.
Peter Kuper designed the one shown above; check out the rest on the Mad blog, the Idiotical.
- July 20, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Shelf Porn | Bags, boards and Captain America video games
Hello and welcome to Shelf Porn. Today’s submission comes from Neal Bishop from North Carolina, who shares his collection of toys, comics and more.
If you’d like to see your shelves featured here, just drop me an email at jkparkin@yahoo.com.
And now here’s Neal …
- July 16, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
SDCC Wishlist | Skullkickers, panties and more
Skullkickers
The San Diego Comic-Con runs kicks off with a preview night on July 20, then runs July 21-24. If you are a comics creator or publisher, and you’re planning to bring something new to the con — a sketchbook, a print, a graphic novel debut, anything! — then we want to hear from you. Drop me an email and let me know if you’ll have something cool on hand that attendees should know about. Feel free to send any artwork as well.
This time around we have panties from Pantheon (seriously), more Mimoco, word of an announcement by Dark Horse, plans for Viz and Arcana, several Hasbro exclusives and more. So let’s get to it …
Skullkickers creators Jim Zubkavich and Edwin Huang will be at the Image Comics booth #2729, selling hardcovers of the first volume of Skullkickers with an SDCC-exclusive cover. You can find more details here.
- July 11, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Saturday Shelf Porn | More X-Madness
In our last edition of Shelf Porn, Eric Jaskolka shared his massive collection of X-Men merchandise — action figures, jackets, Hot Wheels, cups, statues, toys — this guy has it all. But several folks in the comments section asked about his comics.
“Many have asked to see the comic book collection,” he said over email. “I have attached pictures of the boxes as most people, like myself, keep the comics bagged and board and put away.” He also included more shots of some of his merchandise, including hats, toys and even a Wolverine pizza box. Initially he asked if I could add these to the original post, but hey, we’re talking about the X-Men here — how could I not do a spinoff? If the first post was Uncanny X-Men, consider this one New Mutants or X-Factor.
If you’d like to see your collection here, it’s easy, and it doesn’t even have to be mutant-related. Just send a brief write-up on your collection and some pictures to jkparkin@yahoo.com.
And now take a look at more of Eric’s collection …
- July 9, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by JK Parkin
Shelf Porn Saturday
Hello and welcome to Shelf Porn Saturday, where fans share their collections with us. Today’s adamantium-laced submission come from Eric Jaskolka, who shares a Juggernaut-sized collection of X-Men toys and merchandise. Seriously, it’s gotta be seen to be believed.
If you’d like to see your collection here, it’s easy — just send a brief write-up on your collection and some pictures to jkparkin@yahoo.com.
And now here’s Eric …
- June 25, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Shelf Porn Saturday
Welcome to Shelf Porn, where fans show us their stuff. Today’s collection of statues, toys and other stuff comes courtesy of Ian Walker from Poole, England.
If you’d like to see your collection featured here, just send a brief write-ups and some jpgs to jkparkin@yahoo.com.
And now here’s Ian …
- June 11, 2011 @ 03:20 PM by JK Parkin
Minimate and Mimoco exclusives for San Diego Comic Con
The folks at Mimoco, who have the license to make USB Flash Drives based on a variety of properties, including DC Comics and Star Wars, will have an exclusive Harley Quinn drive based on her appearance in the upcoming Batman: Arkham City video game:
- June 11, 2011 @ 09:10 AM by JK Parkin