Comic-Con Preview Night
Kevin Eastman signs during Preview Night at Comic-Con International
SAN DIEGO — I didn’t schedule anything major for tonight, so I could wander the floor and check in with people. While traffic is lighter than it’ll be during the full days, it still felt pretty full once the show got in full swing.
Among things seen at Preview Night:
* Saw Mark Waid signing at Boom! Studios and thanked him for giving me an interview back in the mid-1990s when I was starting my own comics zine. He was friendly and gracious about it. I encourage everybody to check out his Irredeemable, which is a dark and intense comic.
* Saw Alex Ross artwork that costs more than my car. By quite a bit, actually.
* Saw some Heritage auctions items that also were quite pricey – a 9.8 Incredible Hulk 181 had an estimate of $17,000.
* Lots of new toys in the Mattel booth – Captain Marvel has a figure upcoming in the “Brave and Bold” line, so I hope that means we’ll see him on the show.
* Got a “Nexus Army” T-shirt from the Rude Dude booth. They were going fast, according to Rude Dude’s Jaynelle Rude, so if you want one, get over there quick!
* Also purchased a new “Scott Pilgrim” shirt from the Oni booth – really getting excited for that movie, and of course the comic remains among my favorites.
* Kevin Eastman was drawing a large line with his new “TMNT” book – congrats on the 25th anniversary of that indie hit!
* Dan Parent, “Archie” writer/artist, was doing a commission of Archie marrying Betty – giving the Betty fans some retailiation for the upcoming Archie/Veronica wedding, it seems!
- Matt Price
More than 350 sellouts for Transformers 2
As of 1 p.m. ET today, MovieTickets.com is reporting over 350 sold out performances for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” Of those sellouts, 115 are midnight performances. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” accounts for 41 percent of tickets sold at MovieTickets.com this week. “Transfomers: Revenge of the Fallen” is directed by Michael Bay, and stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. It opens June 24.
- Matt Price
Comics Q&A: Jason Henry and Superhero Muggs
Kyle Roberts and Matt Price talk to Jason Henry, who creates a show called “Superhero Muggs” on YouTube.
Popularity of Batman character sparks “Dark Knight” toy line
With the Oscar success of “The Dark Knight,” the Christopher Nolan-directed film is again in the public eye. Mattel, the toy licensor for “Dark Knight,” has launched new toys in its “Dark Knight” line of toys, including playsets and role-playing items.
Rob Novickas, spokesperson for Mattel, spoke to the success of the “Dark Knight” line, and the method of translating a somewhat dark film to a successful all-ages toy line.
Q: How successful has the Dark Knight line of toys been?
A: Batman is considered an evergreen property. While “The Dark Knight” was not a movie seen by most kids, the fact that the character is so popular and has been with many generations made the toy line very popular with kids and especially adult collectors.
Q: Was it difficult creating a line of toys that was true to the dark themes of the movie, and yet still play-friendly?
A: For years, Mattel has created a variety of Batman toys that bring this perennial super hero favorite to life for fans of all ages – from action figures and role-play toys, to playsets and games. Our close-working relationship with the filmmakers and Warner Bros. on this film allowed us to be an active participant throughout the entire process. This presented a unique opportunity for Mattel to demonstrate its distinct ability to translate what viewers see on screen into child-appropriate, fun toy line that captures the spirit of the Batman characters.
Q: Tell me about some of the special features of the Dark Knight toys.
A: Mattel has developed an exciting collection of innovative and fun products including role play toys that allow kids to transform into the Dark Knight and fight crime just like Batman, cool vehicles straight out of the streets of Gotham City, realistic action figures and interactive playsets that capture the action, drama and thrill of the movie.
Q: What about Batman has made the character and accessories so popular over so many years?
A: It’s all about the gadgets and the ultimate cool car – what’s cooler than the Batmobile? The cape and cowl is also extremely popular with boys. Batman has entertained and inspired generations of people, and is truly considered an evergreen property between its multiple films, comic books, television series, and consumer products. He’s embodies the “good triumphing over evil” that makes super hero play so appealing to children of all ages.
Q: How much of an effect does the success of a film, in dollars or awards consideration, have on the success of a toy line?
A: At Mattel the success of a toy line comes from creating innovative and fun toys first and then over laying of a license. In the case of Batman, we make the ultimate in action figures and vehicles, and the role play items allow a kid to really feel like he’s the best of the super heroes – Batman.
– Matthew Price
From Tuesday’s The Oklahoman
Recent “Dark Knight” toy releases
The following toys are recent releases in the “Batman: The Dark Knight” line.
Batman: The Dark Knight – The Rapid Fire Utility Belt: This role play toy includes a cape and features a rapid-fire motorized blaster with foam projectiles that feeds into the buckle.
Batman: The Dark Knight Mega Cape: The cape can rapidly expand to a 5-inch wingspan, or retract into a convenient back harness for run-around play.
Batman: The Dark Knight Gotham City Battle Playset: This playset transforms into four different environments, as well as a Batmobile.
Batman: The Dark Knight Shift Attack Sports Coupe: Bruce Wayne’s sports coupe can transform to an attack mode. As the car changes, the four-inch Bruce Wayne driver figure changes to a Batman figure, and out come battering rams, missile launchers and massive turbo engines.
“Watchmen” books advance film
WORD BALLOONS
“Watchmen,” the Zack Snyder adaptation of the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, hits theaters next month. In the meantime, DC Comics and Titan Books have created books and merchandise to take fans into the alternate 1980s world of “Watchmen.”
First, the story itself. Named one of Time magazine’s 100 greatest novels, the “Watchmen” graphic novel is available in a variety of formats.
Most impressively, the oversized “Absolute Watchmen” ($75) features 48 pages of supplemental material beyond the 12-issue series. It contains the series proposal, pages from the original script, and additional art. The art was remastered and recolored for the original printing of “Absolute Watchmen,” and it’s now used for all of the “Watchmen” reprints.
Also available are a “Watchmen” hardcover ($39.99), a “Watchmen” trade paperback collection ($19.99) and a single-issue reprint of “Watchmen” issue No. 1 ($1.50).
In addition to the book, DC’s toy division, DC Direct, has created action figures, busts and props of the “Watchmen” characters.
Titan Books, meanwhile, has released four tie-in books surrounding the “Watchmen” film.
“Watching the Watchmen,” written by Dave Gibbons, comes in two editions. The comic-store exclusive edition has a cover featuring the character “The Comedian” and additional pages. It’s also signed by Gibbons and comes with exclusive prints. This edition retails for $50. The standard edition retails for $39.95 and has a cover featuring Dr. Manhattan.
“Watchmen: Portraits” ($50) features black-and-white portrait shots of people in the film, ranging from stars to extras, and was shot by official movie photographer Clay Enos.
“Watchmen: The Film Companion” ($29.95 hardcover, $19.95 softcover) was written by Peter Aperlo and explores the behind-the-scenes making of the film. Aperlo also writes “Watchmen: The Art of the Film,” ($40), which features storyboards, photography and preproduction art. Possibly most intriguing for comic-book fans will be the new art created by Gibbons, as well as alternate takes on the characters by comic-book artists John Cassaday, David Finch and Adam Hughes.
All of the Titan Books releases contain spoilers for the film and graphic novel, so read the book or see the film prior to reading the ancillary material.
Judging from the books, Snyder and company look to have created a rich alternate world, and tried to respect the graphic novel, which has engrossed readers for more than 20 years.
– Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Wired reviews Toy & Action Figure Museum
The Toy & Action Figure Museum, 111 S Chickasaw in Pauls Valley, was reviewed, with a photo gallery, by Wired. Boing Boing and other sites have picked up the story, as well.
It’s good to see one of Oklahoma’s meccas of cool stuff being noticed by the outside world! Congratulations to curator Kevin Stark.
– Matt Price
EA announces G.I. Joe game
Game developer EA has announced the company is working on “G.I. Joe” games for all major console and handheld systems, tying into the release of this summer’s “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” film.
A sneak peek of the game will be shown at Toy Fair next week in New York City.
The G.I. JOE video game picks up where the live-action movie leaves off, according to the release, and will feature 12 Joe characters.
The full release is after the break.
Comics Q&A: Marvel or DC in 2009?
Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss the pros and cons of DC Comics and Marvel Comics in 2009 in the latest Comics Q&A at NewsOK.com. Who will have a bigger year in comics, movies, video games, and action figures? Click the link to find out what we think.
“Star Trek” toys seek new generation of fans
Toymakers are aiming for the next generation of “Star Trek” fans with a new line of toys based on the J.J. Abrams film. Gareb Shamus, publisher of Toy Wishes (www.toywishes.com), says director Abrams will bring a contemporary feel to a classic property.
“For this brand especially, by bringing in somebody like J.J. Abrams, who has been an amazing contemporary director-producer in this decade, with hits like ‘Alias’ and ‘Lost’ … he’s able to appeal to today’s core fan, and (the) masses, as somebody who’s … innovative and exciting in what he does,” Shamus said.
“What they want to do is introduce Star Trek to a whole new generation of kids, and also appeal to the core fans they’ve had all these years.”
The Playmates Toys’ products, coming to stores this spring, will be available in three different sizes – 3 ¾ inches, 6 inches and 12 inches. The company is also teaming with Mattel to offer “Star Trek” Barbies.
The 3 ¾ inch line is expected to retail at around $7 and feature the characters from the new film, including Kirk, Spock and McCoy.
“Especially in today’s economic times, there’s definitely a trend for all toy companies to offer less expensive price point items,” Shamus said. “There’s no question that especially with the ‘Star Trek’ line, they want to create an entry point that can get as many people interested in and excited about the toys as possible.”
The smaller line also makes it more affordable to build sets and accessories, like playsets for the Bridge and Transporter Room of the Enterprise.
“‘Star Trek’ has history that can be built upon, so that when you see it for the first time, you feel like it’s a very rich, exciting franchise,” Shamus said. “This is a great chance for them to introduce the movie to a lot of kids that haven’t been exposed to it.”
– By Matthew Price
From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman
