Fantasy Funko Lines

I came across an article on popvinyls.com asking "If you had control of Funko, what Pop Vinyl lines/licenses would you create?"   While it is always fun to play the What If game, the truth of the matter is that Funko already has a tremendous amount of licenses from a number of key pop culture lines ranging from DC to Marvel to Walking Dead to video games to Disney to....well, you get the idea.

So, the coming up with some brand new lines was a bit more difficult than initially realized.   However, after some deep introspection, Google searches, and some Coke Zero, some ideas burst forth.   So, take a look, let me know what you think, and send us your own ideas!

Doctor Who -

Yes, there is the Titans series, but there are smaller and Blind Boxed. This line would sell itself and would have tremendous crossover appeal. The entries into the line are easy with versions of the Tenth, 11th, and 12th Doctors along with a Dalek, Weeping Angel, and Cyberman being mandatory. A Pop-sized TARDIS would be a great addition allowing for time travel posing with other Pop Viny lines.

Other entries could include any of the classic Doctors, modern companions Rose Tyler, Amelia Pond, Clara Oswald, and River Song, and possibly even Captain Jack Harkness. However, I would "pop" (pun intended) for a version of the robot dog K-9 complete with bobble head action and retractable nose laser.

Gangsters -

Funko has already paved the way with the Scarface Tony Montana figures, and there are a host of other classic lawbreakers that could form this series. Marlon Brando's The Godfather (and perhaps Pacino's Michael Corleone), Robert DeNiro's Al Capone from the Untouchables, Tony and company from the Sopranos, and the crew from Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs would for the basis for a nice subset aimed at the mature collector.

Looney Tunes -

From the "They Don't Have This Already" File, this line would be an instant hit and like the Disney line, has an enormous amount of depth. From the standards such as Bugs, Daffy, Tasmanian Devil, Tweety, Sylvester, Elmer, Porky Pig, Road Runner, and Wile E Coyote to more obscure favorites including Marvin the Martian, Gossamer, and Foghorn Leghorn, this would be a foundation line for Funko. The addition of some of the later Warner Bros animated offerings would just be icing on the cake. Can you imagine the demand for Pinky and the Brain Pop Vinyls?

Indiana Jones -

Another one from the "It's Not Made Already" file, a small Indiana Jones line would be a nice addition to the Funko catalog. Instead of trying to force every character into the line like the Mighty Muggs series did, this subset would greatly benefit from staying true to the core characters. A few different versions of Indy, Indy's father Dr. Henry Jones, Marion Ravenwood, and perhaps the Grail Knight from the third movie would make a nice easily obtainable line.

Dukes of Hazzard -

The good old boys in Pop Vinyl....if Duck Dynasty can do it, they sure can. Bo Duke, Luke Duke, Daisy Duke, Rosco P Coltraine, and Boss Hogg are all shoo-ins for the line. However, it would be the Pop-sized General Lee that would be the must have for collectors. Bonus points if it could play the opening bars to Dixie a la the real one.

Mythbusters -

Ok, so maybe the mass market appeal is not there, but I could see this having a specialty market niche. The show has been around for a number of years and has a large amount of geek cachet would could translate into impulse purchaes. Since it would also be a small subset, it would be easy to collect the entire line of Jamie, Adam, Tory, Kerri, and Grant. "Post Explosions" variants of Jamie and Adam would add to the line's cool factor.

Bioshock -

With Funko's expansion into video games, it is probably only a matter of time until they get this license. Any of the various Big Daddy monsters, Little Sisters, Splicers, and the Heavy Hitter from Bioshock Infinite (as a super sized Pop) would create a good sized series to go along with the already existing Halo, Diablo, and Warcraft lines. The Big Daddy armors would give Funko a chance to create some of the most detailed Pop figures ever. Additionally, the line would fill a decent sized gap in the available merchandise supporting the game.

More Shows Added to 2014 Schedule!

We are really hitting the road this year!   We have just added three huge shows to our 2014 schedule.

 

First off, we will be making our first appearance at the huge Baltimore Comicon, Sept. 5 - 7.  Home of the Harvey Awards and featuring more comic professionals than Marvel's LinkedIn page, we are really excited for this one and will be filling our booth with Marvel, DC, and McFarlane figures, loose figures, and Pop Creations.

 

Second, we will be making a return appearance to the best pop culture show in Virginia, the VA Comicon on Nov. 22 and 23rd. We did this show on a last minute notice, and we are glad we did. Great cosplay, lots of artists, and lots and lots of wonderful fans made this a fun trip. We'll be bringing more loose figures, more Marvel, DC, McFarlane, more Pop Creations, and just all around more!

Third, we don't just do toy and comic shows. We'll be laying the Smackdown at Wrestlecade in Winston Salem on Saturday, Novemeber 29th (the Sat after Thanksgiving)! Possibly the biggest wrestling fan fest in the Carolinas, the guest list is already loaded with Vader, the Steiner Brothers, Ted "Million Dollar Man" Dibiase, LAX (Hernandez and Homicide), Sunny, and more to come. Our ring will be filled with Jakks Attitude Era figures, Classic Superstars, and whatever TNA and Mattel product we can get between now and then.  Heck, we're even bringing the original wrestling buddies!

It's going to be a great year for Road Trips!   

Introducing - New World Pop Creations!

We are planning on opening an Etsy shop with some of New World Angi's great pop culture creations.   Using actual comics, postcards, trading cards, and other media, she is hard at work creating new comic tiles/wall art, pendants, and displays.  We currently have nearly 100 comic tiles ready to load on Etsy featuring a variety of subjects including:

• Star Wars
• Hulk (green and red)
• Spider-Man
• Walking Dead
• Fantastic Four
• JLA

and many more.

The pendants should be added within the next 60 days.

Additionally, she will be taking custom orders for a favorite character, scene, etc.  Check it out!

NWTC on the Road Again!

Just added!  We are going to be at the upcoming VA Comicon in Richmond on Sunday Feb. 9th.  Hopefully this will be the start of regular appearances at this great one day show run by Brett Carreras and Guy Rose.  

The item menu for this show will include

• lots of loose figures from McFarlane and Marvel
• some Toy Biz Marvel Legends on card
• some hard to find Blackest Night figures on card
• early Dragonball Z figures on card

 

Hope to see you there!   Like us on Facebook for more updates and info!

Testing and Such

Trying out a new interface with hopes of a return to regular blogging.    Also, exciting news coming soon!

Heroes Con Coming Up! June 22 - 24

You know how it is when there is something you have been looking forward to and working towards for a very long time....the culmination of work and determination....the end point of your quest.  The anticipation can be cut with your favorite sharp edged implement.
Well, here at New World central, we are reaching one of those points as we are less than a week from HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC.   After doing a number of one day and "dealer only" style shows, this is going to be our first huge CON with thousands upon thousands of attendees.   Getting through this huge show successfully and profitably will be a huge accomplishment for us in our ongoing business development.  We've been honing our convention procedures leading up to this, and very soon now, it will be showtime.

So, come out and see us at booth 105 - first booth on the wall directly in front of you as you enter the convention hall.   Make that first corner, and there we are - nearly 800 figures, busts, art prints, custom crochet hats, and a whole lot of cool bound up in a 10x10 spot.

Of course, if you came to the show just to see us, we are impressed and grateful.   However, there are a lot more reasons to come out to the show.  It's Heroes 30th Anniversary, and they have pulled out all the stops with the guest list including -

• Adam Hughes
• Mark Bagley
• Neal Adams
• Bob Layton
• Ron Marz
• Ed McGuinness
• Mike Mignola
• George Perez
• Dos Simonsons - Walt and Louise
• Mike Zeck
• oh...and some guy named Stan Lee.   

Get more details at www.heroesonline.com

So....come this time next week, we will be hard at work setting up the booth, hanging the figures with care, and Mike endlessly rearranging in a search for plastic feng shui.    Wish us luck and hope to see you there!

Thoughts on Free Comic Book Day 2012

Another Free Comic Book Day has passed with much jubilation for those of us in the hobby and amused notice by the rest of the "normals".   I personally spent mine over at the Ultimate Comics event in Durham, NC.  Alan and company put on a nice presentation with LOTS of books, bunches of artists, some nice sales, and some unique twists such as a live band.

Ultimate Comics and other NC comic stores such as Acme Comics in Greensboro and Heroes Aren't Hard to Find in Charlotte understand that there is a large measure of enlightened self interest in staging not just another promotion, but a true "event".   The regular customers can be counted upon to come out, but it is the greater targets of lapsed fans, casual observers, parents and young kids, and similar that are the true targets.  Comics still have the stigma of being a male and geek dominated area symbolized by the "Comic Book Guy" on the Simpsons or the crew on Kevin Smith's Comic Book Men (that show does us no favors).  Ask a casual fan what they think a comic shop looks like, and the usual visual is a poorly lit "paper dungeon", or worse yet, surprise that comic shops still exist.

These stores break those stereotypes with nice open and, most importantly, accessible environments.   Accessible not only in terms of space and lighting, but also in terms of atmosphere and attitude.  Potential new customers should feel welcome no matter age, gender, or demographic.   They should not feel like an outsider intruding upon some four color high security area protecting the secrets of Batman's utility belt.   This is not just a matter of courtesy, it is no a fundamental for survival.  For a shop dependent upon a print based product source in an internet based world, each and every potential customer is vital.  Even with comic book based properties riding high in mainstream culture, gathering and maintaining new customers is still a difficult process and cannot be taken for granted just because "The Avengers" is the number one movie in the world.

Unfortunately, there are still a number of stores who do not understand this.  Stores that do not participate in Free Comic Book day or just stack the books on a table near the entrance with a sign stating "Limit X titles per customer".   In my area, three stores of this type have gone under in the past four years, despite the popular successes of Marvel Studios, the Dark Knight, and a lot of cartoons.  This style of shop is extinct.  They just don't know it yet.

In the past year, Marvel and DC, have begun the processes that will gradually lead to the evolution of our hobby.   Both have begun significant digital initiatives (Marvel Digital Universe Unlimited is a WONDERFUL thing.  You owe it to yourself to try it).  DC rebooted their entire universe to get out of 70 years of continuity.  They have also begun placing advertising with their movies and other media promoting local comic shops.  Marvel needs to follow a similar path, especially given the range and size of the Disney media machine.  A perfect example would have been some sort of comic shop promotional message placed BEFORE the after credits scene.   (Have Pepper Potts pick up Tony's subscriptions from the local shop!)  Despite this criticism, it does appear that the Big Two are increasing their support levels for shops and will hopefully continue and expand upon these programs as the medium shifts more towards digital.

So, if you picked up one of the FCBD books on a lark, make a note to go back to that shop and see what other wonders they can offer you.   Additionally, share the fun by passing the book(s) onto a friend or a child (age appropriate please!).   If you are a regular comic shop customer, do the same.   These books are not meant to be stored in plastic and cardboard.  They should be set loose and have as wide a dispersion as possible.   This is the true legacy of Free Comic Book Day, and it is up to us, comic book fans and shops alike, to fulfill this.

Heroes Con and New Arrivals!

It's been quite a busy past month of March here with some big news!

First off, we are confirmed for our first ever Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC.  If you are a comic or pop culture fan located within a day's drive from Charlotte, you owe it to yourself to go to this Con.  Scheduled for June 22 - 24, this huge show features some of the biggest names in comics along with twelve to fifteen thousand fans.  The Saturday evening art auction is the stuff of legends.

We will be located in spot 105 on the far left wall.  Look for the Batman and Superman balloons along with lots of great figures!   We will have more info as we get closer to the show, but click here to find out how to attend.

We have also added some new lines to our Amazon storefront including:

• Marvel Super Hero Squad
• DC Universe Superman/Batman Public Enemies (Target Exclusive).  We only have one of the rare Major Force figures!
• Nearly 75 Undertaker figures from various Jakks Pacific series.  This includes some of the rare Collector Series packs and the Ring Giants!  We also have some of the ring sets that included Undertaker figures, but those have not been listed yet.
• A selection of San Diego Exclusives including the Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Cobra Commander, and Kilowog exclusives of the past few years.  The Avatar, Skeletor, Franken-Berry, and similar exclusives will be added over the next few months.

See you soon in the New World!

A Beginner's Guide For Packing

I see the UPS truck stopping outside, and my interest jumps as my latest eBay purchase has arrived.   Or, I hand in my USPS call tag and am eagerly awaiting the post office employee's return with boxes in hand (or on cart).  Either way, I can usually tell within the first minute of seeing the box if I am in for a good or bad experience.   

Having been involved in the buying and selling of collectible action figures for the past twelve years, there have been a variety of best and worst practices that I have seen employed on eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, and other online venues in that time.  By my personal count, in my first five to six years on eBay, I averaged one poorly packaged transaction a year (meaning that the items were damaged as a direct result of poor packaging).  In the last three years, that rate has increased to a staggering one in five transactions with an expected "casualty" rate of 10% damages in bulk purchases.   One wonders why I prefer Craigslist!   

And the problem is not just limited to new sellers.  Blame the drive towards "free shipping", the incentive of using shipping costs as a secondary revenue stream, lack of respect towards the items, or any of a variety of other reasons - the bottom line is that shipping practices have notably declined in the past few years.  

This is an area that should not be overlooked by any sellers.  Just like the outfit you wear to a job interview, the packaging sets the immediate tone and attitude for your customer before they open your package.  When I see an obviously reused box, I am going to be checking things out fairly closely.  When I see a new box with a printed label, I am not going to be as hawkish.   Plus, if there is an issue with one of the items, I am more likely to give the seller the benefit of the doubt if I can tell care went into the packing process.

Here are some DOs and DON'Ts - 

DO:

• Have a box already available for packing your item(s).  I know of four instances in the past six months where the seller took a heavy loss on shipping costs because they did not know what size box they were going to need.   And, if the seller is already taking a loss on shipping, they are more likely to cut corners on packing, resulting in damaged items.
• Have some space between the sides of the box and the item(s), usually one inch on all sides.  If the items are flush against the sides of the box, they are very vulnerable to any impacts as well as sliding if the box is tipped.  Center the items in the box and fill in all the space with packing materials
• Use packing materials and enough of it!    There is a phrase in shipping - "If it shakes, it breaks."   Paper, peanuts, air pillows, stuffed animals - use something in there and make sure to use enough of it.  I once received an shipment of 12 action figures with three pieces of looseleaf paper as packing.  My first reaction is that the seller was a moron.  Lack of packing materials shows a lack of professionalism and respect for your customer.  
• Use standardized boxes.  As much as possible, use the same size boxes for all of your shipments.  It helps with storage, packing, and even carrying the prepared shipments around.  
• Bag the items inside the box.   It looks good, keeps the items clean, and adds protection from scuffs and scratches.  A win-win.

DON'T:

• Reuse used boxes.  I know this one can be tough for smaller sellers, but if you are going to reuse boxes, make sure they are in good condition, no punctures, sharp corners, and no writing.  When I see a reused box, I don't think "Wow, they are doing good for the environment."   I think "Someone is trying to make some money on me" quickly followed by "Something is going to be messed up." 
• Use shredded newspaper.   Unless it is the only resort, shredded newspaper is a horrible choice for packing material.  It's dirty, it gets everywhere, and it may be the most annoying form of packing material out there (other than no packing material at all).
• Pack to the top of the box.   Just like the above tip about leaving space, that includes the top of the box.  If your items are going to the top of the box, something is going to be at best case bent and at worst case broken.
• Assume it will be "good enough" or the shipping distance is "short enough".  If you have any doubts about a pack job, redo it.  The one you don't will the be the one that comes back to bite you.

I know these items will require some extra effort and expense on the front end of your business.  However, attention and planning in these areas will reap benefits by increased positive feedback and reduced defect rates.  In addition, streamlined processes will decrease your time and labor costs. Ultimately, these expenses will be offset by new business influenced by positive feedback and repeat business from satisfied customers. In the end, it's more than just cardboard and paper.  It's attitude, perception, and professionalism all wrapped up with packing tape.

Some Thoughts on the Super Bowl Ads - 2012

With my beloved Saints not in the game, I found myself lacking any vested interest in the game (although I really do not like the Patriots).  So, since several more qualified authorities and non-authorities have pontificated about the game itself for the past two weeks and up to the current second, let's talk about the commercials!

I am not going to bore you with the standard winners and losers or Top 10 list.  Instead, this will be some random thoughts from one geek's perspective on the quickest multi-million dollar investments in history.  And, given that it is a geek's perspective, this will be fairly pop culture heavy.

• The Avengers - Marvel rolled out a teaser for an actual commercial that came off as just more teaser.   Far more impressive is the extended trailer that was simultaneously loaded up on the Avengers Facebook page.  The "We have a Hulk" line is an instant classic.   However, the question lingers....why not air the full trailer during the Super Bowl?   Was there not enough money in the marketing budget or were there no spaces available?

• GI Joe: Retribution - Nothing really new here other than the brief glimpse of the fully helmeted Cobra Commander along with more of The Rock's pecs and Snake Eyes kicking tail.   However, the overall look and tone of the film appears to be far more appropriate for the property than the overly cartoony first one.  With some of the moves that the de-lipped Snake Eyes has been showing in the previews, I hope Larry Hama is smiling.

• General Motors - I didn't place Clint Eastwood's voice until about halfway through the ad, but once I did, it was all goosebumps.  Tokyo, you feel lucky punk?

• MetLife - Ok, we have characters from Warner Bros, Hanna Barbera, the Bullwinkle stable, and Voltron (?!?!?!).  Which of these things is not like the other?  Also, how much is the deductible on those lions and does it increase when they form the robot?

• Honda CRV - Man, that Matthew Broderick just does not age!  Otherwise, this felt very forced.  I wanted to like it, but instead, I was let down at the end.  Some things should not be given the commercial treatment.

• The Voice - Yeah, there were several ads for the show, but the Tarantino-esque action spot was clearly the best.  Cee Lo Green in the Uma Thurman track suit has to be the geek out spot of the night.

• VW - Missed it.  Will have to catch it online later tonight.  The Force was not with me, but I hear the dog spot released in advance was better.

• Geico - Will someone make bacon out of the damn pig already?   It was funny the first 20 times, but the amount of commercial spots that Geico is purchasing has to be causing my rates to rise.

And finally, the Coke ad with the football fan polar bears.  As the one bear goes out and vents his frustration to the heavens ("Arrrrgh!"), the only thought from this black and gold fan is "I feel your pain."

Now, time to start planning out the trip to New Orleans for next year's Super Bowl.......Who Dat!

A Quick Change

Mike made a few changes and linked www.newworldtoysandcollectibles.com to our Amazon website.  One URL and no extra clicking!  Check it out today.

A Short Rant on America's Got Talent

Begin rant - what in the world is with America's Got Talent!?!?

 For the third season in a row, a solo singer wins out over an ensemble group that displayed a  LOT MORE complexity, skill, and creativity! Last year, we got a blue eyed soul singer who is ripping off Joe Cocker and this year we get the Rat Pack revisited while exciting groups like Fighting Gravity, Recycled Percussion, and Team iLuminate finish third....THIRD?!?!?!?!

Check with New World Angi, I have been saying since the first Las Vegas shows two or so months ago that I cannot get behind Team iLuminate because they will get to the finals and finish third. Look what happens. I personally want to see the voting results, because I cannot fathom how the singer beats the group AGAIN. It almost seems like the group does not get it because it would be too difficult to split the million dollar annuity prize, AND it is cheaper to mount a show for a solo singer than a variety group (not to mention all the tutors for the kids in Silhouttes)

I love the show, but I have serious doubts about its credibility now.

End rant.

Comics and Everyday People

Having recently done a mall show with a non comic targeted crowd, I found it quite interesting how people outside the regular comic demographic view comic books today.  Some of the observations have a definite tie in to the current DC digital initiative while others are downright troubling when it comes to selling comics.

1. The Kids Don't Care - so, here we are in the middle of a major metropolitan mall over the course of three days, and I can count on less than two hands how many kids under 12 came up and started looking at the books of their own accord.  Most of the time, they went for the action figures first and had to be pointed to the comics by their parents.   Additionally, kids do not like to dig in the boxes, so the "joy of discovery" was a non factor.
2. "Hot" or "Not" - I had at least five adults who stopped by who identified themselves as former collectors, but they had not been following the books for a couple of years.  When I started talking about Secret Invasion, World War Hulk, and Blackest Night, all I got was blank looks.   Upon further investigation, a couple of years really meant the late 90s!   Even with everything done in the past four years or so to gain media attention, people still remember the Death of Superman and Mutant Massacre storylines.   I had one person (ONE!) ask if I had any of the new Death of Spider-Man issues (as one of the other dealers asked "Spider-Man died?").  As I tried to explain some of the recent big events, the dominant reactions revolved around the size and accessibility of the storylines.   The Big Two talk about attracting new readers yet these huge storylines appear to scare them off.   
3. Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs - Call it the Wal-Mart syndrome.   If there is not a price directly on the box that comics were in, I was consistently questioned on how much the books were.  Nevermind that there are 12 boxes with "Comics - 2 for $1" signs on every three boxes, if they were looking at a box between the signs, people had to ask how much it cost.   I even had questions about the post it notes on the action figures asking what the number meant  (Um, that's the price).   After doing so many shows, this really brought home how much I was used to the usual nomenclature and signage of the comic book show.  "Normals" did not have the same assumptions or base concepts.
4. Scary Comment of the Day - From a passerby - "Comic books.  They still make those?"

Bottom line, despite their own insular best efforts, the scope of the comic book industry has greatly decreased. The characters are known, but the individual stories and issues are not.  I picked up nearly 500 issues, all DC and Marvel, from the past three years from one person for a sad 0.25/issue.   Considering the average $2.99 cover price, that is even a worse return on investment than the stock market for the past few years. Moreover, there is no interest to pick up the stories even by casual fans EVEN AT A BARGAIN PRICE POINT!  So, I will have to save these books for the next true comic show.

DC has realized that they will have to do what the rest of the print industry has been in the process of doing the past few years - "Change or Die".  If they cannot bring in the younger readers or the casual readers, then our industry, our hobby, our passion, is on life support, no matter how much we may want to deny it.

  

Marvel needs to get on a similar path as their continual churn of "The Next Big Thing" and "The Next Big Death" is only cannibalizing long term sales for short term spikes.   Marvel is trying to replicate the speculator frenzy of the 90s by creating events and hoping readers stick around.  We have been down this path before, and we know how it ends (hello, Wizard).  Instead, if they could use their big multi-media properties, movies, and TV shows, to promote the books and have more of an integration between the platforms, that would drive more sales.  The current new Wolverine and Iron Man series are great examples of this, yet I have not seen one single "Read the Book" ad on any of these shows.    Hopefully, DC's new promotions, even as limited as they are, will spur some action over at the House of Ideas.

While the sales from the mall show were nowhere near expectations, the experience was illuminating.   For the various retailers complaining about the DC digital initiative, they should try setting up at something similar to this and see how the world beyond their "Wall Books" views their product and presentation.  The occasional customer looking through the lines of boxes could very well be a preview of their own future.

Concord Mills Show

If you are reading this now, you might have met us at the Concord Mills Cards and More Show put on by Exceptional Collectibles.  If so, thanks for dropping by and make sure to jump to our Amazon storefront (see up there) for some more great stuff.

If not, and you are in the Charlotte region, come on by and see us sometime this weekend (June 24- 26).  I am not sure where we will be, but look for the black grid with all the action figures and a tired looking guy next to it.

This is our first mall show, so it will be interesting to see how things go with a "passing" audience as opposed to the "targeted" audience of a comic and toy show.  Hopefully, we can draw some attention and sales, and it is a very high traffic mall, so we are curious to see how things turn out.  

There are a number of other sports card dealers there, so I am afraid we might stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.  That could be a good thing though.

So, wish us luck, we hope to see you there, and one of us will be chasing after the baby.

Yes, I know I need to put together that summary of Heroes Con.  I really loaded up on some of the art.  However, do you every buy a bunch of stuff, and when you look back, you see something that makes you go...."What was I thinking?"

Time to Get Back in the Blogging Saddle!

Well, the last year has certainly been full of lots of fun stuff as we have welcomed the latest addition to the New World Family - Joanne!

One year down the road, and she is getting all over the place, but she hasn't squished any action figures yet. Give her time though. She also discovered a Spider-Man chair and apparently loves the color scheme.

However, if you are here and not a member of the immediate family and friends, you are probably not here to hear about the wonders of children growing up. Rather, you are here to read or talk about the wonders of keeping a bit of childhood with you!

So...let's go through some of the highlights, shall we?


!!New Arrivals!! We have acquired 800 plus Marvel and WWF figures from the mid 90s still in the original shipper cases. Highlights include some of the Marvel model kits, Marvel vs. Capcom two packs, Silver Surfer Cosmic Racers, WWF Finishing Moves, WWF Bone Crunching Buddies and many many more. The vast lot of these will be moving into our Amazon store over the summer while excess stock will be on our $10 or less sections at shows later this year

!!Figure Review!! If the latest batch of Iron Man figures is any indication, the revived Marvel Legends line is going to be a MAJOR disappointment. I saw the new Hulkbuster Iron Man and was laughing out lout at it. Keep a hold of those Toy Biz versions folks. These new ones are just going to drive up the value of their better ancestors.

!!Movies!! Thor was great and exceeded my expectations. If they do not get an Oscar for the costumes, then that is outright stupidity by the academy. Also, did anyone else dig the Rainbow Bridge effect as much as I did? (and did anyone else expect a Mario Kart racer to come flying on down it?) Green Lantern? Let's put it this way.....I will probably wind up Netflixing it.

!!Shows!! Finally, we will be doing shows again in the second half of 2011. While details on some are tentative, we will be setting up at the NC Comicon in Morrisville, NC and the Inside Pitch show in Greensboro, NC in November.

Happy Birthday!

Just a quick note that today is New World Mike's 39th birthday! Going on 40 and still playing with toys!

DC Comicon Review

A new show organized by the promoters of the long running VA Comicon and Baltimore Comicon, the first ever DC Comicon took place last Sunday, May 2nd at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. While technically, not in Washington DC, the show was close enough to count and did avoid most of that annoying beltline traffic.

While the location and access may have caused issues for some people, it did not seem to affect attendance as the place was packed for just about the entire length of the show. We had a constant stream of people at our booth from 1015am to nearly 330pm (and the show closed at 500p!). With the continuing concerns over the economy, this was the second show we have been to in the past three months (see NC Comicon review below) that not only drew a good amount of people, but also people buying.

One of the big draws for the show was the artist Triple Play of JG Jones, Herb Trimpe, and Frank Cho along with a number of others. While we never got a chance to meet with any of the artists due to be soooo busy (not a problem I will ever complain about), I did notice a consistent line for them. The line for Jones started as soon as the show opened and grew to about 50 people by the time he arrived (one site related note - next time make the center aisle a little smaller. The side aisles were blocked on one side by the line of people). I did see a number of sketches by the Fillbach and Luna Brothers, so they did appear to be staying busy as well. Overall, I did not hear any complaints from attendees about access to the guests.

There were some activities supporting the main dealer's room, but once again, it was too busy for me to see any of them. There were about 20 people in costume, but nothing that had that "Oh wow" factor. Hopefully we will see more participation in this next time along with perhaps a program from the school's drama dept (do they have one?)

Overall, this show was a real encouraging sign going into the busy summer convention season, but it was also a testament to the hard work being put on by the promoters. While some people like to gripe and harp on little things, it was an overall success and surpassed a number of expectations. It proves that if you let people know the event is out there and give them a variety of reasons to come (dealer's room, guests, supporting programs), then they will come. Thanks to everyone involved, and we are certainly looking forward to doing the next one.

NC Comic Con Review

With 648 in attendance, the first NC Comicon has to be categorized as an unquestionable success. Additionally, there were lots of bags being carried out, which is great for the dealers as well. It was also good to see some familiar faces from other NC toy and comic events showing support for the new show on the block. The strong turnout makes a strong point that the Triangle area can support a full fledged pop culture show.

The variety of vendors added a unique style to the occasion, moving it beyond the typical "dig-a-rama" of your usual comic book show. Vicious Vestments, Alternative Xchange (I hope I spelled that right), and Wootini all brought items not normally seen outside of the large shows. Heroes Aren't Hard to Find and Brett's Comic Pile loaded in the hard to find comics, and Ultimate Comics set up had a nice mix of blow out books and hot items.

Tommy Lee Edwards had a long line all day long, and this has to be one of the few shows I have come across offering free sketches from an accomplished artist. Christos Gage was promoting his newest books, and I also saw a good amount of people around the indy artist tables as well. And you can't beat having Thor as one of the con runners!

The lines were well managed at the beginning, and the only real issue was the heat in dealer room 1. Of course, it is a good problem to have too many people! Overall, it seemed like there were a lot of satisfied people, both attendees and dealers. Take a look at some of our photos from the show.

Kudos to Alan and company for putting on a great show, and we look forward to being there in November. If anyone has any figure requests...hit us up! We look forward to seeing everyone there again as well as some more new faces.

Quick Store Update

We will be posting a more complete recap of the past Saturday's NC Comicon in the next few days complete with pictures of the crowded and very successful show.

In the meantime, we have put the Amazon storefront on vacation while we update the inventory to account for the high amount of sales along with some cool new figures we picked up.

Thanks to Alan and company at Ultimate Comics for putting forth a great first effort! More thanks to everyone who came out including some familiar faces from the In Pitch shows. And even more thanks to the new people who came out including horror fans, star trek fans, and a whole lot of Green Lantern T shirts!

More to come......

NCComicon - March 13 10am - 6pm!

It's always exciting when a new show debuts, and this one really has our interest. Raleigh has long needed a good pop culture type show, and hopefully, this could be the answer. Promoted by the great folks at Ultimate Comics in Durham, the show is going to be held at the Morrisville Outlet Center across from Raleigh Durham Airport. This is a really unique venue to be having the show in. Bigger than a hotel ballroom, nicer than a National Guard Armory, smaller than a convention center, and centrally located for all of the Triangle, it'll be a good sized and nicely appointed space for the debut show. There is also a large baby consignment sale going on the same weekend at the mall, so you can do shopping for all ages in the family!

While not loaded with guests yet, Tommy Lee Edwards and Christos Gage are great snags for the show. Both are great fan friendly creators, and this venue should provide for some quality fan interaction with them.

Another high point of this show is the variety of dealers. With a deliberate aim of providing a full spectrum of pop culture options, there is more than your standard "comic show" rows and rows of long boxes. So, if your inner geek is into things other than comics, don't let the "Comicon" name throw you off. Check out:

Wootini - custom and designer artist vinyl figures.
Gamefrog - video and internet gaming retailer and center
Vicious Vestments - Alternative Lifestyle Clothing
alternativeXchange - alternative music, movies, posters, books, and more

And if you are into comics and you are anywhere around the central to eastern NC areas, you have to be there. The strong comic dealer line up includes
Ultimate Comics (naturally)
Brett's Comic Pile - promoter of the VA Comicon and great selection
Earl Shaw Comics - regional show dealer with lots of older books
The Carolina Comic Club
and six more great dealers!

And of course, there is us! We will be continuing our successful "20/20" sale promotion of 20% any total purchase of $20 or more. On the comic front, we will be featuring another great selection of at least 32 half boxes of 50 cent books, new additions to higher end books, and a new "Buy 1, Get One Free" variant and signed books sale. For the toys, we will be continuing our clearance of some misc movie and TV related older figures as well as
GI Joe - 25th, A Real American Hero, DTC, Extreme, and Sgt. Savage
Marvel Legends - Toy Biz and Hasbro
Charmed
Farscape
House of the Dead
DC Direct
Star Wars! - clearing out older Power of the Force figures and more at $3 each or 8 for $16!
McFarlane - Spawn, Terminator, Aliens vs. Predator, Conan, and more

We are really looking forward to this show, and hope to see a lot of support for it. See you there!