Sideshow:

• Marvel Carnage comiquette
• Marvel Black Panther premium format with spear exclusive
• Star Wars Captain Rex figure preview
• Star Wars Yoda vs. Palpatine “Senate Duel” diorama
• Spider-Man legendary scale bust
• Dinosauria: Spinosaurus preview

Weta:

• Bag End environment unveiled
• Weta Legs: Reverse leg stilts for about a grand
• A trio of LOTR stone pendants from New Zealand
• Second LOTR Shield: Gil-Galad arrives, photos posted on forum; reviews mixed
• Weta Workshop Halo Master Chief Xbox 360 case mod auctions for charity to nearly $10K USD
• Dr. Grordbort’s Raygun Shoot Out competition launches

Hot Toys:

• War Machine bust pre-order
• Iron Man Mark IV figure pre-order
• Whiplash figure pre-order
• Clash of the Titans Perseus pre-order

Sideshow:

• New “12-inch Figure Environment”: Reactor Station Alpha
• LOTR Uruk-Hai Berserker PF production photos posted, still frightens children
• Diablo 3: Overthrown statue finally gets a coat of paint
• Next in line for Dinosauria: Styracosaurus Maquette
• Lady Deathstrike to participate in an upcoming Marvel VS Diorama

Weta:

• New Taylor/Howe/Wuest sculpture tease continues
• Unnatural Selector Blunderbuss gets miniaturized, at a price you can finally afford
• Star Burst one-off Raygun fetches $1350

Hollywood Collector’s Gallery:

• T-800 Endoskeleton Battle Damaged 1:2 Bust exclusive to Razor’s Edge Collectibles

Sideshow:

• SDCC Mort of The Dead (original character) figure pre-sells, gone within the hour
• SDCC Runaway Brain Mickey Mouse figure goes up for pre-order, sells out
• Previews Star Wars Imperial Shock Trooper figure
• Pre-orders Henry Jones Sr. figure, with exclusive grail tablet accessory
• Previews Rocketeer polystone statue (Electric Tiki)
• New “12-inch Figure Environment” debuts at $90 a piece: Temple of Anubis
• New “12-inch Figure Environment”: Shrine of Dagon

Weta:

• Guillermo Del Toro signing “The Strain” at the Cave, June 17th
• Alan Lee signs The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook and more at the Cave, June 20th
• Two new Grordbort’s Rayguns teased, including the Star Burst

Hot Toys:

• Silk Spectre II is teased; fanboys hot and bothered
• Pixar’s “UP” line announced
• Terminator: Salvation T600 ‘Martin Laing Signature Version’ figure exlusive to DCDirect in North America
• Albert Wesker figure from the video game series Resident Evil/Biohazard up for pre-order

eFx:

• Luke’s X-Wing helmet announced, price a mystery

Sideshow:

• Horn tootin’ Boromir Legendary Scale Bust pre-sells
• SDCC G.I. Joe Crimson Cobra Commander priority pre-orders, ES 1000
• SDCC LOTR Mount Doom diorama pre-orders, takes a day to sell out; handful of Non-attendee versions vanish quick
• New pro 12-inch figure body is introduced
• Emma Frost premium format pre-orders, faces “cartoony, anime” criticism; exclusive sells out anyway

Weta:

• Podcast with Richard Taylor and Shane Rangi
• Drops Comic-Con hints

Hot Toys:

• Godfather Vito Corleone figure, now with more furniture
• Terminator: Salvation Marcus Wright figure pre-orders as film opens

A new miniature Raygun and it’s not even Comic-Con yet! Yes, this be Weta’s third, and this time it’s the F.M.O.M. Wave Disrupter Gun that undergoes the treatment. If you happen to be in a ‘most-tongue-twisting-gift’ competition this holiday season, you’ll do no better than this.

$60 and limited to 900.

There’s a new “Dr Grordbort’s” satchel to go along with, too!

Sideshow Roundup 12/4

In addition to being free (with any in-stock order), the all new 2009 Calendar also offers us a glimpse at the as-of-yet unannounced premium format debut from Sideshow’s original “The Dead” line, in the form of a Zombie channeling his best Magneto.

Awww, just in time for the holidays.

And what’s this? A “stoned” Captain America legendary scale bust? Say it ain’t so!

New Pre-Orders:

• Obi-Wan Kenobi Jedi Knight 12-inch figure (PPO Dec 5)
• Edward Scissorhands 12-inch figure (Hot Toys)
• Terrax statue (Bowen)
• Destroyer statue (Bowen)

Previewed:

• Captain America legendary scale bust

Giveaways:

• Alien Captain Dallas 12-inch figure

Sure, the formula’s not changed much but Sideshow’s annual tribute to monochromatic American consumerism steams ever ahead, hitting the spot like a gut-busting Thanksgiving meal– even if LOTR geeks are relegated to the left overs. This year’s lot includes some given Silver Screen Edition-ized treatments, and some not so predictable– anyone claimed to have called a Blackbeard premium format is lying!

Happy Turkey Day!

New Pre-Orders:

• AH! Black Queen Comiquette
• Spider-Man ‘Back in Black’ Comiquette
• The Dead Subject 2221: The Harbinger
• Silver Screen Edition Creature / Black Lagoon premium format

Previewed:

• Blackbeard premium format

Giveaways:

• SSE Creature premium format

I seem to recall Dusty saying some time ago that Sideshow tries not to create exclusive items that are too crucial (in regards to the Indiana Jones PF and its idol exclusive). Well, that’s certainly not the case with the Leonidas premium format, up for order this week, and selling at a good clip. The Spartan helmed head will indeed only grace those who cinch the exclusive from Sideshow– pretty damned essential I’d say.

It could be entirely possible that she was referring only to licenses with murderously rabid followings (Star Wars, Indy) in hindsight.

In other news, Hot Toys live up to their name by making me succumb to ordering my first ever figure.

New Pre-Orders:

• 300 Leonidas premium format
• Iron Man Mark II (Hot Toys)
• Zombie statue (Bowen)
• Jean Grey statue (Bowen)

Previewed:

• Captain Antilles 12-inch figure

Giveaways:

• Ringwraith legendary scale bust

It seems ages already since this beauty was shown off at Comic-Con, but Weta’s finally put up their first Halo piece for order- Cortana.

As I was prepared for a price of $250-$300 from what seem to be ever-rising cost of collectibles, the $225 ’special’ pre-order price comes as a nice surprise. There a certain element of beauty here that sets it apart from the other Chief / ugly space creature pieces, which the masses have definitely responded to. Edition size to be determined.

• Pre-order Cortana at WetaNZ
• See our Cortana photos from Comic-Con 08

It’s amazing to me, particularly looking at this week’s newsletter, just how diversified Sideshow’s distributing portfolio is nowadays. In fact, 3rd party manufacturers may actually have been the majority here. One stop shop for pop culture collectibles? I suspect that’s the goal.

The most notable news from the home front of course, is the full reveal of the polarizing Aragorn legendary scale bust and the tease of a Namor comiquette, purportedly that of accomplished sculptor Tony Cipriano. This representation of the 69 year-old (!) comic book staple has thus far been met with startling apathy!

New Pre-Orders:

• Aragorn legendary scale bust
• Tank Commander military figure (Hot Toys)
• Marrina mini-bust (Bowen)
• Alien 12-inch figure (Medicom)
• Sonic the Hedgehog statue (First 4 Figures)
• Mazinger Z statue (High Dream Corporation)

Previewed:

• Namor the Sub-Mariner comiquette

Giveaways:

• Jurassic Park: T-Rex vs. Raptors diorama