RTM News February 7, 1999 -April 27, 1999

Toys R Us issued a press release today announcing several major steps in the company's e-commerce strategy to be the clear leader in the online retail market for toys and children's products by fourth quarter 1999. To that end, the company has announced three key initiatives: the establishment of toysrus.com as a separate subsidiary headquartered in Northern California; a strategic partnership with Benchmark Capital, the leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm; and the acquisition of a 500,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, fully automated distribution center strategically located in Memphis, Tennessee.

To further advance its Internet strategy, Toys R Us is establishing toysrus.com as a separate subsidiary. The subsidiary, which will be headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA, will encompass all Toys R Us Internet businesses, including Toys R Us, Babies R Us and Kids R Us. the existing Toys R Us e-commerce business will be largely relocated to California.

In addition, toysrus.com is in the process of completely rebuilding its website. The new site, which will be launched in the second quarter, will offer numerous customer-focused enhancements. Toys R Us believes these are critical steps in creating the right culture, platform and incentives to achieve the leadership status in e-commerce.

Lastly, Toys R Us announced the acquisition of a 500,000 square foot state-of-the-art, fully automated distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee, the geographic and overnight delivery "sweet spot" in the United States.

The distribution center, with its experienced fulfillment team, will enable toysrus.com to provide flexible, high-speed 'pick, pack and ship' direct to e-commerce customers. Capable of processing over $1 billion worth of orders annually, this distribution center provides a firm foundation for the company's online business and is an important part of Toys R Us' E-commerce growth strategy.

[JC 4/27/99]

Hot on the heels of the Bone redeco series, and Quake: Upgrade 1.5, ReSaurus will be releasing a Speed Racer redeco series this summer!

The redecos take the four figures from the first series of Speed Racer and give them a new look with all new paint ops. Especially cool is the Pops Racer who now sports a "dirty" paint scheme, and looks like he's been hard at work tuning up the Mach V (which, by the way, is expected in toystores in the May/June timeframe and promises to completely blow away every action figure vehicle that's come before!)
So far it's definite the redeco series will be offered through Previews. The assortment may also be carried by mass market retailers, but that is uncertain at this time. ReSaurus has posted a picture of Grand Prix Speed Racer from Series II on the Daily News portion of their website, so be sure to check that out! Series II features Grand Prix Speed, Inspector Detector, Assassin (from the Gang of Assassins), and (sure to be a fan favorite) the mysterious Racer X. Racer X's car, the Shooting Star is also coming along with the second series.

Go, Speed Racer! Go!

[JC 4/23/99]

[MJF 4/22/99] images from www.toysrus.com

You had better hide your Quake and Resident Evil figures, 'cause here comes Pac-Man!

Hasbro Interactive announced last week it has reached an agreement with Namco Ltd. that will allow Hasbro Interactive to develop, publish and distribute interactive games based on 11 Namco properties, including Pac-Man, the #1 video arcade game of all time. The license agreement includes PC game rights to such arcade classics as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and Dig Dug, and multiple hardware platform rights to Galaga, Galaxian and Pole Position, among others.

According to a Namco source, the deal also allows for the toy division of Hasbro to produce toys, including action figures, based on these Namco properties. With action figures based on video game properties appearing more and more on store shelves, combined with the retro-nostalgia factor, this deal looks to be a lucrative one for both companies.

[JC 4/21/99]

The eternally busy gang at ReSaurus has just announced, via their new ReSaurus Newsletter, that their next all-new series of Quake figures will be based on the upcoming id Software release Quake III: Arena!

There are four figures planned for the new series, including a new Male Marine named Sarge, Slash, a female cyborg, the alien champion known as Klesk (pictured, from the game) and Sleeg a heavily armored alien.

Subscribers to the ReSaurus Newsletter were given a special sneak peek at the control art for the Klesk figure. Want to see it? All you have to do is sign up for the Newsletter right here!

So, what about the figures based on the orignal Quake game announced at Toy Fair? ReSaurus plans to release many of those items, including the nearly completed Shambler, in the future (possibly as exclusives for their in-progress Collectors Club). As always stayed tuned to the ReSaurus website, as well as right here, for the latest news!

It's a Quake world, baby! Are you ready?

[JC 4/20/99]

RTM spoke with Terry Lattimer of Infinite Concepts recently about the Mortal Kombat action figure line that stunned retailers this past February at Toy Fair.

Terry has been working in toy design for years, striving to come up with innovative ideas that push the envelope, like the bone-crunching action he developed for Jakks Pacific's WWF action figures. Terry and his team are now pouring all their years of experience in the toy industry into Infinite Concepts.

The latest innovation is the Center of Gravity Joint Integrity Technology, which enables these amazingly articulated figures to pose and balance like the human form. Mortal Kombat, with it's strong martial arts themes and colorful characters, was the perfect license to use with these new action figure body types.

The first assortment, consisting of Lui Kang, Shang Tsung, Mileena, Sonya Blade, SubZero and Scorpion, is expected to debut in late summer/early fall. The male characters are 8-1/2" high, and the females measure in at 7-1/2". The female figures will feature a revolutionary new design for the hip joint allowing for both realism and flexability unlike any seen in a female action figure to date.

Fans of Mortal Kombat can look forward to future figures in the line as well, possibly by years end or early 2000. Plans for the second series are tentative at this early stage but top contenders include Kitana, Jax, Rayden and the monstrous half-dragon, Goro!

RTM will be keeping a close eye on this amazing new toy line, and bring you all the latest information as it becomes available.

[JC 4/20/99]

News is in that ToyBiz has done some more schedule rearrangements. Keep in mind that what is announced at the annual Toy Fair is always tentative. Some toys never see the light of day. Others just get scheduled at a different time.

WCW Muscle Flexors and Head Knocker are now scheduled to ship in 2000.

The 4th Spider-Man Web Splashers line will ship at a currently unspecified date.

To read more about Diamond's exclusive Famous Covers X-Men deal, check out their website for news about Nightcrawer and Rogue scheduled to appear in the May '99 Previews catalog, out next week.

[MJF 4/19/99]

Convention season kicked off as the 13th Annual WonderCon was held this past weekend in Oakland, CA. Sadly, publisher presence has dwindled significantly compared to past years (Marvel and McFarlane didn't attend, and DC Comics occupied a single table.), but Raving Toy Maniac was on the scene sniffing out tidbits of note for action figure fans!
Awesome Comics

The figures are coming! They really are! Awesome was showing off actual production samples of the Fighting American figure, which they had flown over from Hong Kong just for the show. The figure should be showing up in stores within six weeks! The Ka-Boom prototype was also shown, and looks terrific. Ka-Boom should be exploding into comic shops in late summer. Genie, from Rob Liefeld's Re:Gex is slated for a fall release. Beyond that there are still plans for figures based on characters from The Coven, Supreme (based on the redesign by Alex Ross), and Avengelyne (the latter two are still in negotiations).

Action Toys

Matt Hawkins, creator of Lady Pendragon, and half of the Action Toys gang, was present displaying the prototype for the upcoming Alley Cat figure based on the upcoming Image comic (which is, in turn, based on model Alley Baggett). Action Toys has a lot of irons in the fire, including figures based on Merlin from Lady Pendragon, Pat Lee's manga-infuenced Dark Minds, as well as some other properties that are too early to discuss.

DC Comics

Unfortunately, DC Comics licensing folks weren't at the show so not much could be gleaned in the way of upcoming DC-based figures. However, when asked about the DC Direct line, Editor-in-Chief Mike Carlin stated that DC Direct was their most successful new product launch of recent years and much more is planned for the future. Good news for DC fans!

Graphitti Designs

Big Blast II is coming in late 1999. We spoke with Bob Chapman, Graphitti's head honcho, who confirmed that Hellboy, Grendel (Christine Sphar) , and The Spirit are the definite line-up (there had been some issues surrounding The Spirit that had cast some doubt on whether the figure could be made. Thankfully all the details have been worked out).

[JC 4/19/99]

The latest issue of ToyFare has hit the newsstands presenting an X-Men Age of Apocalypse exclusive - Morph! Sydney, the lovable maleable comic relief of the AOA storyline will be yours for $10.00, a coupon from the mag, and a few months of patience. Morph is made up from an AOA Magneto body with a modified Chameleon head.Coming up next month is an exlcusive Capt. Kirk in pinstriped suit. In June look for ToyFare to offer the Classic Daredevil from last year's survey on RTM, back when we were considering offering our own exclusive figure. In July, you'll find a M.A.C. exclusive of the upcoming Lady Death II. This month's issue is also chock full of wrestle-mania, as this "All-Wrestling" special issue offer a sneak peak at JAKK'S Pacific's new line of WWF figures, sporting beefier, bolder sculpts. Featured are pictures of Steve Austin, Understaker, Kane, the Rock (with trademark raised eyebrow), and Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

[MJF 4/15/99]

This just in! The recently canceled Famous Covers X-Men assortment may have just been given a second chance at life thanks to the folks at Diamond. Inside sources at Diamond are saying that the Famous Covers X-Men will be coming out after all, as Previews Exclusives.

Anxious fans awaiting these figures need to show their interest to their local comic shops. Let them know you want these figures!

Diamond is expected to make an official announcement regarding these figures soon. RTM will bring you the latest developments as we learn more.

[JMC 4/14/99]

The rumors have been swirling on the Buzz Board today. RTM has contacted Toy Biz and verified the the X-Men based assortment of Famous Covers 9" figures has indeed been canceled.

Does this mean Cyclops, Magneto, Nightcrawler, and Rogue, will never see the light of day? Hard to say. It is possible the figures may show up as exclusives, or be released with the upcoming X-Men movie (if it ever actually gets made). For now, fans of Famous Covers figures, as well as X-Men fans will just have to mourn these figures that could have been.

There's no word as to what exactly this means for the future of the Famous Covers line. However, nothing beyond the X-Men assortment was shown at Toy Fair in February.

[JC 4/09/99]

Correcting yesterdays update, DC Comics has, indeed, officially announced the variant figures for the next assortment of action figures from DC Direct. According to the 4/1/99 edition of the DC Online Newsletter the variants are as follows:

Death: The variant Death figure features a non-removable top hat in place of her umbrella.

Preacher: The variant Jesse Custer figure features a white suit instead of black.

Plastic Man: The variant Plastic Man figure features different hands in the shape of a hammer and a pair of pliers.

DC Direct Wave 3 is scheduled for an August release exclusively to the direct market.

Thanks to Michael Clune for the headsup
[JC 4/8/99]

Toys R Us, a sponsor of Major League Baseball, is bringing opening day to its customers. To coincide with the opening day of the 1999 Major League Baseball season, Toys R Us has announced a Sweepstakes, plus tips for parents whose children are ready to play ball this season. The Major League Baseball Sweepstakes is going on now in all Toys R Us stores through April 30. Kids ages 7-14 can enter to win a fantastic grand prize package: an opportunity to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at a 1999 World Series game, plus go to the 1999 All Star Game, plus be a bat boy or batgirl for a Major League Ball Club AND even get season tickets to the team of their choice for the year 2000 baseball season. Kids can enter at any Toys R Us store.

[JC 4/07/99] - who says, Go Tigers!

Long time readers may recall from last years coverage of the San Diego Comic Con International, that sculptor-extraordinaire Randy Bowen and his company, Bowen Designs was planning a move into the action figure market with an original creation, Bionica. Whatever happened to Bionica? Well, we're glad you asked!

RTM contacted Bowen Designs this week to find out that status of this project. Here's what Randy Bowen had to say: "We should be recieving the first "test shots" on the Bionica toy by the middle of this month, with the actual product to follow in the next few months. We're currently working on a number of as yet top secret toy related products. STAY TUNED!!!"

RTM will bring you more information from Bowen Designs as it becomes available.

[JC 4/07/99]

Matt Hawkins of Action Toys (as well as creator of comic and action figure newcomer Lady Pendragon) has given us a peek at their upcoming Alley Cat action figure, based on sexy supermodel Alley Baggett.

Alley Cat is also slated to star in her very own comic book series to be published by Image Comics, which is set to debut in July at Wizard World's Chicago ComiCon.

The Alley Cat action figure is set to be released in late Summer or early Fall.

[JC 4/05/99]

Those creative folks at ReSaurus keep turning up the heat on the competition. In a move similar to their previously announced Quake II: Upgrade 1.5 (see news article below), ReSaurus will be releasing a newly redecoed version of the first Bone assortment this summer to satisfy the Bone cravings of rabid fans who really, really, really like Jeff Smith's award winning comic book Bone. Here's what you can look forward to seeing:

Fone Bone: (pictured right) New color hat and cloak. All figures will be smiling head version.

Smiley Bone: New color hat and vest. Newly sculpted toothy grin head. Added cigar accessory.

Rat Creature: Redeco paint scheme all over. Different color bowl of bones.

For more information be sure to visit the ReSaurus website.

[JC 3/31/99]

Jackie Chan fans may finally get an action figure of their favorite action hero! With the long-delayed Chan figure from Palisades apparently lost in the netherworld of toys, fans of the comical martial artist thought they'd never see Chan as a poseable plastic wonder. Well, Hong Kong's Dragon Models has come to the rescue, and what a rescue it is!

We had a few pictures of the figure in our 1999 Toy Fair coverage, but we knew you'd all appreciate a closer look at what is sure to be the ultimate Jackie Chan figure!

Be sure to check out Dragon Models website for more of Jackie Chan, as well as their other figure and model products. Tell 'em RTM sent you!

[JC 3/31/99]

Toys "R" Us, Inc. (NYSE: TOY), has announced via press release that Bruce W. Krysiak, 48, has resigned as President and Chief Operating Officer and President of the U.S. Toy Store division. The company also announced that Mike Shannon, Executive Vice President,has been named President of the U.S. Toy Store division, reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Robert C. Nakasone. "Bruce Krysiak has indicated that he wishes to leave to pursue other interests. We appreciate his contributions over the past year and wish him well in his future endeavors," said Nakasone. "This has been a difficult decision that has nothing to do with the direction in which Toys "R" Us is heading, and which I fully support," said Krysiak. Mike Shannon, 47, has been with Toys "R" Us since 1998 as Executive Vice President. Prior to joining TRU, Shannon served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Gayfer's/Maison Blanc Department Store Division of Mercantile Stores and served as a member of the Mercantile Stores Board of Directors. Toys "R" Us is the worldwide authority on kids, families and fun. The company currently operates 1,500 stores: 704 toy stores in the United States; 466 international toy stores, including franchise stores; 212 Kids "R" Us children's clothing stores; and 118 Babies "R" Us stores. The company also sells merchandise through its Internet site at http://www.toysrus.com and through mail-order catalogs.

Apparently not everyone wants to be a Toys "R" Us Kid these days. While the company may claim to be the "worldwide authority on kids, families and fun", they are no longer the industry leader in terms of sales, with that distinction now going to Wal-Mart. According to sources inside the toy industry, Wal-Mart had over taken TRU in terms of retail market share and is now the industry leader in Toy sales. Wal-Mart share is somewhere in the vicinity of 18.5% and TRU is around 17.4%.

In a separate press release earlier this month, Toys "R" Us revealed their fourth quarter earnings. For the fourth quarter ended January 30, 1999 sales were $4.9 billion compared to $5.0 billion reported for the fourth quarter of last year. For 1998 sales were $11.2 billion compared to $11.0 billion reported for 1997.

Robert Nakasone, Chief Executive Officer, stated "Our U.S.A. comparable toy store sales decreased 4% for 1998. Our results reflect the much-publicized weakness in the overall worldwide toy industry, which was cycling against very strong sales of virtual pets, action figures and plush a year ago. In addition, sales were negatively impacted by the retail price deflation in the video game software and hardware category, as well as the deflationary effect of sales of clearance merchandise related to the company's previously announced inventory reduction program."

Of course, this year is expected to be an entirely new ballgame with merchandise from Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace alone expected to generate near a billion dollars, not to mention continuing strong performance of video games.

[JC 3/31/99]

ReSaurus has just announced plans for a special upgrade to their popular line of Quake II action figures! The series - Quake II:Upgrade 1.5 - is slated for a summer release and will feature sculpts, accessories and paint schemes.

"Kids and collectors are tired of the same old repaints on action figures," says ReSaurus Senior Product Designer Steve Hamaker. "We wanted to give our fans news sculpts, new weapons as well as new decoration to enhance their collection of Quake figures."

Four brand new characters will include Marine Viper - a solid African-American fighting machine; Female Marine Lotus - a seductive, Asian warrior; an imposing Tank Commander; and an even creepier Iron Maiden. All four figures feature "upgraded" heads, accessories and paint schemes.

Viper will come with an all-new machine gun and Lotus will feature the "most requested weapon" - the deadly rail gun. Both will include a grappling hook with real rope. The Tan Commander features a newly sculpted head and shoulder-mounted weapon. Iron Maiden comes with a real chain, all new hoses and a rotting flesh paint scheme. The accessory creatures were also upgraded with new paint schemes on the Parasite, Strogg Technician and the fearsome Barracuda Tiger Shark.

Not content with just upgrading the figures themselves, ReSaurus has also enhanced the packaging as well.

For more information on the Quake II: Upgrade 1.5 line, as well as the rest of ReSaurus' fine products, be sure to visit the ReSaurus website.

[JC 3/24/99]

DC Comics is enjoying something of an action figure renaissance this year. The recently released DC Direct assortment featuring Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing and the Golden Age Sandman is reportedly selling briskly, with many comic shops reporting complete sell through.

Originally it was being reported that no reorders would be available, but RTM has learned that DC will be going back to press on the Wonder Woman action figure, producing another 2,000 more for retailer reorders. DC fans who missed out on this terrific figure should be pleased with this late-breaking news.

But, that's not all. RTM has also learned that the next assortment of DC Direct, slated for November, will feature Spider Jerusalem from Transmetropolitan , the modern DCU version of Starman, and Morpheus, the Sandman from Neil Gaiman's critically acclaimed series, as well as a special "Holiday themed" figure of Mad Magazine's mascot, Alfred E. Nueman.

DC's plans for year 2,000 releases should make DC fans ecstatic. In the planning stages for release in early 2,000 are figures based on the classic Archie Goodwin, Walter Simonson character Manhunter, not to mention all new figures of the Hal Jordan Green Lantern, Oliver Queen Green Arrow, and Black Canary.

From what we've learned, it seems that DC Comics re-negotiated their license agreement with Hasbro, allowing DC access to characters that were, otherwise, strictly in Hasbro's domain. This new agreement should open the doors for a wider wider variety of DC related action figures.

[JC 3/28/99]

ToyBiz would like to invite you to take a survey! Would you be interested in a line of figures based on the ladies of Marvel's hot new line of MC2 comics? They're batting the idea around, and they want to know what you think. Step on up and take the survey to give us your feedback. The characters under consideration are Spider-Girl, Wildthing, American Dream, and Stinger.

UPDATE: 4/10/99 - The survey is now finished - On behalf of ToyBiz, thanks for everyone who contributed to this survey!

[MF 3/26/99 - 4/10/99]

Has ToyBiz stopped producing Marvel action figures? Well, as ToyFair '99 has shown, ToyBiz is catching its breath after turning out hundreds of Marvel characters for half a decade (while the spotlight falls on WCW/NWO action figures!) Meanwhile, news has been spreading about new cartoons in the works. We spoke with ToyBiz, and the rumors are true: an Avengers and new Spider-Man cartoon are in the works. Based on past history, it's a good guess what we'll be seeing....you guessed it, more action figures! Currently the cast is not set in stone, but Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America will not be part of the main team (though nobody has ruled out guest appearances). Right now, it looks like the Avengers cartoon won't be ready until possibly November 1999 at the earliest. That means action figures wouldn't be out until 2000.

Just to clarify: no Avengers or new Spider-Man cartoon toys are definites yet, but you can bet we'll be seeing them soon!

So who's in the running for the cast? Like we said, nothing is definite, but clear candidates are Vision, Wonder-Man, Hawkeye, Wasp, Ant-Man, and Ultron as a main villain.

While Marvel superheroes won't be as abundant as previous year, there are still more Spider-Man figures, the Avengers Boxed set, Marvel vs. Capcom 2-packs, and the Famous Covers X-Men to look forward to. If you live near a KayBee toys store, you can pick up some old figures you may have missed. Currently available (at the bargin prices too) are Iceman I, Deadpool I, Cable III, Robot Wolverine, and a repainted Magneto (with the big "M" on his chest).

[MF 3/26/99]

Sure, the first series of action figures based on the Image comic The Tenth isn't due until this summer, but series creator Tony Daniels official Tenth site is reporting the following:

"The second wave of the Tenth Toy-line will show up around the fall of '99. This series should include Gozza with Full-Armor Ruckus, Eve,KillKrow, amongst other newer characters. Soon, we'll have pictures of the progress to show here on the website".

ReSaurus hasn't officially announced any plans for a second assortment for The Tenth. Be sure to check back here, or at ReSaurus' website for the latest information!

[JC 3/25/99]

Fans looking forward to several announced action figures from Antarctic Press have been wondering just what has become of those products, some of which like the Flaming Carrot and Alley Oop are highly anticpated by their respective fans. Antarctic Press has been oddly silent as of late, and their website hasn't been updated in several months, causing great concern to folks waiting for these figures and stimulating quite a few rumors in the online community.

Well, while RTM's calls to the Antarctic offices in San Antonio have gone unreturned, we have managed to dig up some information via the newsletter sent out to members of the Antarctic Press Toy Fan Club last month. Here's the latest info, according to the newsletter. As the saying goes, there's good news and bad news:

Keep in mind, with the volatile direct market, everything is tentative and subject to change without notice.

THE GOOD NEWS

Flaming Carrot: The first of the long-delayed figures to be resolicited in Previews. The new orders are in, machine tooling is underway. The final figure is expected in June or July.

Alley Oop: No production problems on this one, he's just in line behind other product. With any luck Oop will be resolicited with Antarctic's July comics and hit the shelves by late summer.

THE BAD NEWS

Ra from StarGods: The size and detail of the Ra figure gave it a bank-busting cost for machine tooling. With the comic delayed from a monthly to almost quarterly (or more) schedule, it was tough coming up with those expenses. But the creators of StarGods are now working on some video game deals that just breathe new life into the figure.

American Woman: American Woman's creator, Brian Denham, originally had grand plans for monthly four-issue mini-series, to be potentially followed by an ongoing series. However, by the time he got to the second issue he had decided to move on to other things. With no comics, it's unlikely the figure could be successfully resolicited. Too bad, since it looked to be one of Antarctic's best figure efforts.

What does the future hold for Antarctic Press Toys? According to Herb Mallette, "We won't be announcing firm release dates on any new projects until all of the preproduction tooling on them is done. This menas that we'll probably add no more than two to four brand-new toy projects this year on top of the catching up we still have to do on last year's toys."

[JC 3/25/99]

You don't dare speak his name, but you just might be able to put him on your toyshelf. Toy Vault, makers of the Lord of the Rings, and Astro City toy lines are in the early planning stages of a line based on H.P. Lovecraft's disturbing Cthulu tales. Contracts are still being finalized, but tentative plans call for the figures to be designed by Hellboy creator, Mike Mignola, and be sold exclusively through Previews. Articulation will be between 5 and 7 points, and the figures (the first two being Cthulu himself (itself?) and The Deep One. No release date has been announced.

In other Toy Vault news, online rep Rick reported recently on rec.toys.action-figures.discuss that the Jabberwock figure announced last year will likely never be released. In the Lord of the Rings line, the Lord of the Nazgul will probably be released seperated as a deluxe figure, selling for $19.95, and is reported to be 8 inches tall! Next up for LOTR are Gimli and Gollum. The entire Fellowship of the Ring, as well as Lord of the Nazgul's Winged Mount, should be in stores by the end of 2000. Look for the first figures based on The Hobbit, possibly Bilbo Baggins and the dragon Smaug, to be released in 2000 as well.

[JC 3/24/99]

Picture shown is of the Cthulhu statue from Bowen Designs and is shown simply for illustrative purposes of the Lovecraft property.

At a comic or collectable toy shop near you: the second wave of DC Direct figures are beginning to appear! Joining Alfred E. Newman and Spy vs. Spy are Swamp Thing, Golden Age Sandman and, finally, the Princess of the Amazons, Wonder Woman, who has been absent from most licensed DC toys since the 80's due to copyright restrictions. If your comic shop doesn't carry these gems, try an on-line toy vendor (check out our ad banners for some suggestions).

Besides DC Direct toys, some other direct market figures have begun to ship including Image comic's Lady Pendragon, Toy Vault's Lord of the Rings characters Frodo and Uglick, and Frank Miller's Sin City character Marv thanks to McFarlane toys. Orders for Dawn are being taken at local comic shops too via Diamond Publishing.

[MF 3/17/99]

There's a new toy company in town, and we've got the scoop on their 1999 offerings. RTM recently spoke with Bob LoMonaco, head of freshman toy maker, X-Toys, and got a sneak peek at their 1999, and early 2000, toy releases including their soon-to-be released toyline based on the Wing Commander movie and this summer's Wild Wild West.

Just click here for the whole story!

There is always a lot of excitement surrounding the annual International Toy Fair, but this one promises to be a real wild time! Rocker Ozzy Osbourne will be appearing at the industry trade show this coming Monday for the unveiling of the Ozzy Osbourne action figure from McFarlane Toys. McFarlane Toys head honcho, founder and inspiration Todd McFarlane will be at the show all week displaying the latest releases from the dynamic growing company. Stay tuned for RTM's upcoming Toy Fair '99 Coverage for all the details of this monstrous toy event.

DC Comics has unveiled their latest DC Direct action figure offerings in the February issue of Previews.

This latest assortment features Death from the pages of Neil Gaiman's critically acclaimedSandman,Jesse Custer from Preacher, and the ever popular hero, and JLA member Plastic Man!

Each figure is approximately 6" tall and fully articulated. Plastic Man even comes with rubber arms to simulate his stretching abiltiy!

This assortment from DC Direct is being advanced solicited in the current Previews, and will be arriving in comic shops on August 18.

This Fall, St. Louis toymaker Trendmasters will be introducing a new line of toys based on the hit Godzilla animated series (based, in turn, on last summer's TriStar Godzilla flick).

The Big G is set to take the toy shelves by storm when this new line hits stores in time for the series second season on FOXkids.

To check out a sneak preview of the new line click here.

Charlee E. Flatt strikes again with the latest announcement: Kurt Busiek's Astro City! The first two figures are scheduled to be available by the third quarter this year. The first two figures will be Jack in the Box and Hanged Man. More pairs will follow - so go on over to Flatt World Figures and vote on-line for who you want to see made in Flatt's spectacular 8" mega-articulated style. The survey will be run through April 15, 1999. Voting will give you a chance to win figures from a future Astro City assortment - so let Charlee know what you want to see! Shown here is the early prototype for Samaritan.

Flatt's Astro City figures will be on display at the American International Toy Fair this February. RTM will be there with live coverage.

Correction: - This is one of five properties for which Flatt World will be displaying prototypes at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. The first three are Bela Legosi/Dracula, the Phantom, and Zorro. The five reported earlier include these three. RTM apologizes for any confusion.

In anticipation of Toy Fair next month, we are pleased to bring you this sneak peek at one offering by Toy Biz. The Famous Covers series shows no sign of slowing down in 1999. This series of figures should be a fan favorite because it delivers a knock-out series of extremely popular characters.

Toy Biz also promises to unveil more figures in its WCW/NWO Wrestling line. The wrestling toys are flying off the shelves in most areas, quickly becoming one of the most popular toy lines on the market right now. The wrestling phenomenon has invaded the American consciousness. Nearly all of the top cable television shows are wrestling! Look for this line to have a long and successful run.

Stay tuned to RTM for more Toy Fair coverage from Toy Biz and all your favorite companies.

Let Me See The Famous Covers X-Men Classics

So, you can't wait to see what will be shown at Toy Fair '99? Then check out our exclusive Pre-Toy Fair '99 Report for a sneak peek at some offerings from Trendmasters, Toy Island, Toy Biz, and McFarlane! There are some cool and unique things coming this year, as well as some exciting surprises (who wouldn't want a Robby the Robot toy, anyway?). And remember to check back during Toy Fair '99 for our usual complete coverage of news and events.

Flatt World Figures has just announced rights to produce their distinctive figures based on the 1998 movie The Mask of Zorro with Antonio Banderas! Check out the prototype of Zorro shown here and then click on over to the Flatt World homepage for all the details. Tenatively set to be released in June '99, the figure comes with full costume, hat, boots, cape, belt, scabbard, die-cast chrome plated sword and dagger, medallion, and braided whip!

Figures based on Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) and Elena (Catherine-Zeta Jones) may follow.

This is the first of five new licenses that will be on display at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. Stay tuned to RTM for your Toy Fair '99 Coverage!

With the advent of a new year, ReSaurus has made a few resolutions of its own. According to Kevin Havens, Director of New Business Development, the company's new web makeover should be something to look forward to.

"We're all really excited about it. We've had a web site for a while, but what we have planned should blow the old site away. We're going to be going over all our old material and giving it a facelift. We also have a lot of new features planned" says Havens.

ReSaurus is also gearing up for Toy Fair next month. They hope to have some on site coverage via their new web site. Look for lots of new products from ReSaurus in 1999. In addition to the Gex action figures (Moo Shoo Pork and Grandmaster Gex figures shown here) look for a new western theme line called Badlands (with real action accessories like a working gallows!), a line of clothing and accessories for 12" action figures (tentatively called Quarter Master), a line of horse toys, and more! We can't wait to see what this company has planned for the rest of the year.

Stay tuned and we'll let you know about ReSaurus' Toy Fair plans! And be sure to look for ReSaurus' web site relaunch at http://www.resaurus.com

Back to the Main NEWS Page!