Oh, so there's something from Toy Fair I just couldn't hold off on showing you guys. Playmates had an incredible setup for their Ninja Turtles stuff, displaying virtually everything they've got. You wouldn't believe how broad the line's about to become -- I really didn't have much faith that things would go as far as they have, but between readers keeping me up to date on the new series (which sounds friggin' awesome) and everything else, I'm now convinced that they're here to stay...at least for a while. Seeing the sheer amount of crap Playmates plans to throw at us in the coming months is a good indication of how successful the Turtles' resurgence has been, so if you're a bit apprehensive about jumping on another bandwagon that's going to dissipate as soon as your ass hits the trolley, don't be. This one's worth the effort. Of all the great stuff (and I mean, really great stuff), there was one item I just couldn't keep my eyes off of...
Look at that! "Ultimate Leonardo!" A giant Leonardo figure! Over thirty inches tall! Not a cheapo deal either, like so many of the biggie-sized action figures of the past have been. We had some guy from Playmates walking us through the showroom, and at first, I though this was just there for decoration. (like the life-sized plastic people in Lego's showroom) Nope, it's legit...they're going to be selling these things. Check out the size comparison -- the normal TMNT action figures barely come up to Leo's big toe. I gushed. I gushed a lot. The guy said they'd retail for a hundred bucks or so, and yeah, that's a lot...but come on! I could so picture that thing being the "must have item" on kids' wish lists come next December. I, of course, will be the first one on line when it hits the shelves.
In another Toy Fair note: for whatever reason, the Wayans were there. I cut through the middle of 'em without realizing it until after the fact. They were walking out of some costume showroom, so if you want to let you imagination run wild and provide yourself with material for a week's worth of nightmares, consider the possibilities of a Marlon Wayans Halloween mask.
Oh yeah, I managed to land a few of those finagled Toy Fair "exclusives." Some Willow figure from "Buffy" that's selling for 100 on eBay, and a gold-painted Gonzo that's in the same price range. Kinda takes the punch out of all the money I spent on lithium batteries.
Working on a new article this weekend. Loads of stuff on deck, and since I'm done with all these assorted other assignments, I can fully devote my time to the junk I really like writing about. You know, old toys nobody has heard of, and occasionally, string cheese. Click here for the end result of my trip to Cali a week or two ago -- a couple of interviews and a preview for the new Transformers game coming out on the PS2. I'm not a gamer by any stretch, but I know what I like, and this was it.
Posted by Matt on 02/21/2004. E-mail me!
Chestnuts roasted by 
1st!!!!