The Famous Starstore Blog » Action Figures

Here comes the 2009 San Diego Comic Con!!!

starboy — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:34:46 +0000

It’s that time of year again- Time for millions of geeks the world over to be seething with jealousy at the lucky people going along to the legendary San Diego Comic Con. This year looks set to be just as cool as the 2008 extravaganza, and we’re keeping ‘em peeled for the coolest movie collectibles and film, TV, books and comic announcements and product news from the event.

We’ll be covering as much of the San Diego Comic Con news as we can across our many blogs, so stick with the Starstore blogs for a unique British perspective on the latest developments from SDCC 2009!

We swear one day we’ll make it there and report to you live from the event itself, but until then, we’ll be scouring the net for the best news and announcements so that you don’t have to!

This year’s event runs from the 23rd to the 26th of July, with a preview night on the 22nd before the shenanigans commence for real. There are some suitably awesome panels, previews and product unveilings going on this year, and we’ll cover as many of the big ones as we can.

There are some fantastic workshops and signings right across the event, but the big ones for many fans will be the TV previews, movie previews and merchandise previews. We’re personally really looking forward to finding out what Sideshow Collectibles have on offer this year in the way of new products.

Other panels and stuff of note throughout the SDCC weekend? Summit’s Astro Boy preview, the reveal of details on the next Tetsuo movie, a preview of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, a look at the groundbreaking new James Cameron science fiction epic Avatar, the next developments in the Halo franchise, a presentation of material from Terry Gilliam’s Imaginarium of Dr Parnassuss, a Doctor Who panel with Russell T Davies and David Tennant, a panel on the Kick Ass movie, a talk with fantasy legend Terry Brooks, the premier of the animated Green Lantern movie, The Guild, Farscape’s 10th Anniversary, a look at the new version of The Prisoner, Star Wars Day, Sideshow Collectibles‘ panel, Dr. Horrible The Totally Rad Show Live, Ray Bradbury… gah, so much!!!

We’ll be covering as much as we can right here! It may not be as cool as actually being there, but we’ll be bringing you as much of the AWESOME as we can.

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Have a look and see some sneak previews of the greatest movie collectibles from Sideshow - Visit now!

Resident Evil 5 action figures – wave 1 in stock now!

starboy — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:45:12 +0000

The first set of action figures from the latest installment of the legendary Resident Evil video games is now in stock! Three figures have arrived in the first wave, and in keeping with previous figures in the Resident Evil line, they are pretty damn cool. The three figures in this first batch are Sheva Alomar, Chris Redfield and Executioner Majini.

Supplied in clamshell packages, the figures each come with character specific accessories and multiple points of articulation. The Shiva and Chris Redfield figures are superb, but the paint job on the Executioner figure could be a little better. That said, these new Resident Evil 5 action figures look set to be a big hit with fans of the rejuvenated genre icon.

HALO: More merchandise coming from McFarlane this year!

starboy — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:44:30 +0000

The highly respected McFarlane Toys will be unleashing many more Halo figures this year, which is great news for fans of the all-action video games phenomenon. There are more regular action figures, more box sets, more helmets and a brand new ‘Stylized’ range. Let’s take a look at the merchandise to come…

July 2009 will see the release of more mini figures in the HALO WARS range. Supplied in packs of three, the new wave includes the following packs: UNSC Troops (Blue), UNSC Troops (Green), Alpha Base Pack, Covenant Troops (Silver and Bronze) and Covenant Troops (yellow). There is also the fifth wave of ‘Equipment’ edition figures coming. This is to include: Master Chief – Active Camo, Sgt. Avery Johnson, UNSC, Jump Pack Brute, Elite Assault – Silver, Spartan Soldier Scout – Cyan, Halo Wars Weapons Pack, Spartan Soldier Hayabusa.

A new addition to the Halo action figure range is the first wave of ‘Stylized’ figures, bringing a whole new look to the Halo merchandise scene. This awesome range will include: Master Chief, Brute Chieftain, Spartan Soldier EVA, Spartan Soldier EOD. A new line of box sets is coming too, with the ‘Team Slayer’ and ‘Deluxe Armour’ sets first in line for release.

Small replica Halo helmets will be released in September 2009, in packs of 3. There will initially be four box sets available. October will see the arrival of the 3rd wave of Halo Wars heroic scale mini figure packs, with another five packs to choose from and collect. That month will also see the release of wave 6 in the regular sized Halo action figures, and that wave is said to include: ODST Soldier , Brute Bodyguard, Spartan Soldier Recon, Grunt, Rtas ‘Vadum, Flood Pure Form.

Also on the agenda is a second batch of stylized figures, box sets and a deluxe boxed Mongoose vehicle with Spartan Soldier figure. In December, McFarlane will release the fourth wave of helmet replicas, with another four packs added to the line. It is an exciting time for Halo fans, and there will be more merchandise and halo news announced soon. Big things are coming, so watch this space!

WELCOME TO 2009: The movies and merchandise to look out for this year!

starboy — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:55:57 +0000

Happy new year one and all! 2009 promises to be a big, brash beast of a year, with some of the most anticipated films and gear around in ages. 2009 is going to be a big year for many geeks, as not only do we have the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen to look forward to, but there’s also the very promising Terminator: Salvation and the hugely anticipated WATCHMEN adaptation on the way too.

Oh yeah, and there’s that little STAR TREK film too…

Doctor Who will be back for another four special episodes in 2009, before David Tennant gives up the TARDIS keys to the 11th Doctor for series 5 in 2010. There’s the remake of FRIDAY THE 13TH too, introducing a whole new generation to the origins of Jason Voorhees. Car fans get the awesome Fast and Furious, the fourth film in the extreme racing series of blockbusters. The third film in the UNDERWORLD series will be taking a bite out of cinemas too, and fans are hopeful that RISE OF THE LYCANS will be as good as the trailer promises.

Classic toy fans will hopefully get the thrill ride they’re hoping for this summer with the release of the first live-action GI JOE movie. Classic horror fans won’t be disappointed though, as there’s the WOLFMAN remake starring Benicio Del Toro, and the first film to be based on Clive Barker’s infamous short story collections, namely BOOK OF BLOOD.

There’s some fantastic new merchandise on the way too, with action figures, collectibles, statues and more from the WATCHMEN movie due in this month, as well as brand new figures in the GEARS OF WAR range coming soon too. The GEARS OF WAR range is going to grow with some fantastic figures from the huge sequel to the hit game, and they look superb thus far!

Also on the horizon there’s merchandise from the aforementioned Transformers sequel, the fun old-school Monster Scene Kits, and a brand new range of Torchwood figures, just in time for the third series of the SF hit to arrive. There are a huge number of other ranges to be released in 2009, so make sure you bookmark Starstoreblog or subscribe via RSS for the latest updates!

Right, let’s get started. How about:

DOCTOR WHO:11TH DOCTOR TO BE ANNOUNCED BY THE BBC TOMORROW!

Be here for the latest!

2008: THE STARSTORE REVIEW

starboy — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:37:22 +0000

This year has been another big one for the geek world in movies, TV, comics, books and new media. There has been an unprecedented growth in the realms of geekdom despite the economic woes faced by the entire planet. As things become more difficult, people are wanting more entertainment value for their money, and quite rightly so. That’s where science fiction and fantasy, comics, movies, book, collectibles and everything else geek flavoured comes in. The global media stage has been crammed with superheroes, science fiction and fantasy characters and other such delights for pretty much the entire year, with a few outstanding examples of the genres and industry that we all hold dear.

Film has had a surprisingly strong year despite the global economic downturn. Audiences have flocked to cinemas to take in a selection of blockbusters that have been something different to the usual empty spectacle. The biggest, naturally, is The Dark Knight, the second film in the revived Batman franchise. That film left countless records smashed to pieces in its wake. While the film ran to a rather bloated running time, it captivated millions with its gritty, urban take on the first struggles between Batman and the Joker, and proved that comic book movies can be more than just set pieces and effects.

That said, the two major Marvel movies out this year had greatv effects and set pieces as well as fantastic stories, acting and direction. The Incredible Hulk was vastly superior to the 2003 film, and Iron Man may well be THE definitive Marvel movie thus far made.

Other big genre movies this year have included the superb new take on the monster movie idea, Cloverfield, as well as the fifth film in the SAW franchise and the long-awaited new X-Files movie. The X-Files sequel, I want To Believe, turned out to be a low budget and very small scale piece which disappointed many fans despite being a strong standalone story. Other fun flicks this year have included Death Race, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Transporter 3 and Rocknrolla, but the end of the year has been dominated by one film- Twilight. The adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s bestselling teen vampire novel may be leaving many people shaking their heads in bemusement at it’s popularity, but the fans have been lapping it up. There was the movie release of Star Wars: the Clone Wars, which kicked off the TV series too. That film wasn’t quite the hit many had expected, but the series is going from strength to strength.

US imports Battlestar Galactica, LOST and Heroes have continued to thrill TV fans across the world, and fans have seen the end of Stargate Atlantis come and go. Stargate fans needn’t worry too much though, as Stargate Universe is on the way, helmed by respected actor Robert Carlyle, of all people! UK fans were also treated to new series of Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Chronicles, Merlin and Primeval. The year’s UK genre delights were rounded off by the stupendous Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Next Doctor.

The comics scene in 2008 has again been dominated by Marvel and DC, who wheeled out two hugely popular crossovers, namely Marvel’s Secret Invasion and DC’s Final Crisis. DC’s entry was walked all over by Marvel’s massively superior story and creators. The comics world was rocked by the sad death of Michael Turner, art supremo and creator of the Fathom character.

Games have continued to dominate the entertainment industry throughout the year, with Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Dead Space, Fallout 3 and the like all battling for supremacy. The Wii really came into its own this year, and games such as Guitar Hero proved that everyone can join in. Another Tomb raider game, Underworld, also proved that Lara Croft still has what it takes to get fans parting with their cash.

On the merchandise front, the big sellers this year have been video games action figures. Figures from Halo 3 and the Gears of War games have been flying off the hooks at a surprising speed, as well as figures from Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Street Fighter and more.

Sales of the Twilight novels went through the roof this year, with the latest installment being released and the movie doing huge business, here’s hoping that this means more genre projects will get off the ground and show people just what fantasy and science fiction is capable of.

What’s ahead The big names for next year are JJ Abram’s STAR TREK recreation, the second Transformers movie- Revenge of the Fallen, and of course the highly anticipated WATCHMEN, adapted from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s legendary graphic novel. Doctor Who and Torchwood will return for shorter runs in 2009, and Sarah Jane will also return for a 3rd series. Primeval is back too, as are a multitude of US series to enjoy.

2008 has been a hell of a ride, and 2009 is going to be very interesting indeed for everyone on planet geek. There has been more than enough for geeks to get into some serious flame wars over, and that’s how we like it, really. From everyone here at Starstore.com and The Last Picture Show, thanks for a great year, and we look forward to meeting more of you in 2009!

TORCHWOOD FIGURES: SERIES TWO UNVEILED

starboy — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:40:08 +0000

We’ve received the brand new images of the next series of TORCHWOOD action figures, which will be released in the new year. No definite release date has been set for this next wave, which is probably just as well, considering the massive delay in getting the first batch of figures out. This second set of four figures includes Toshiko Sato, the Blowfish, Ianto Jones and fan favourite Captain John, as played by James ‘Spike’ Marsters. The sculpts look pretty good, and according to info from the manufacturers, the packaging will be different than series one to set them apart from the first four. Then again, that could also be down to the packaging on series one being a nightmare to open. Hopefully these figures will be out in time for the five part Torchwood mini series ‘Children of the Earth’ early next year.

Torchwood action figures- series 2 (click to see the full size images):

What have been 2008′s most wanted Action Figures?

starboy — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:19:31 +0000

That time of year where we take a look back at the big names is here again. It has been quite a year on the action figures and memorabilia front, with all manner of media tie in items coming onto the market from movies, comics, TV shows and games. The area that has seen by far the most interest in licensed action figures this year is undoubtedly the ranges of merchandise based on console/video games titles. With the continued (and somewhat meteoric) growth in the influence of the gaming world over popular culture, it stands to reason that related merchandise would be in demand, and it certainly has been in 2008.

The big two names I’m talking about here are the Gears of War and Halo franchises. While the Halo range has grown with another two sets of articulated figures this year, the makers have also branched out into statues, large format figures (the rather awesome ‘Legend’ series of figures), headknockers, posters, calendars and various apparel for the discerning Halo fan. The success of the Halo merchandise has been dwarfed slightly by the sheer demand for official merchandise based on the Gears of War franchise.

With a huge sequel to the first game now doing the rounds, the demand for the Gears Of War items has been steadily growing throughout the year. Thankfully NECA have created some incredible items to keep the fans at boiling point, with some of the best action figures that have been on the market in years. The Gears of war figures are a larger format to most games figures and feature a much higher level of detail as well as better accessories and packaging. The box sets have been hot sellers as well, each of the three released so far featuring four separate figures. The first box set is now no longer available, but the second and third are being snapped up by fans left right and center.

Other games that have featured on the action figure hooks in 2008 include Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario Brothers and more, proving that older titles still carry some clout with games fans, and let’s face it, there’s plenty of them around. Lara Croft also made a comeback with the excellent figure of her from the latest Tomb Raider game, Underworld.

Star Wars has been present again this year thanks to tie-in merchandise from the new Clone Wars movie and TV series, despite the lukewarm reception to the film version. One surprising thing in this year’s run of film and TV related merchandise has been the demand for the ‘Classics’ range of Doctor Who action figures, which surpassed all expectations and have been snapped up by eager Whovians everywhere. The first series of TORCHWOOD figures finally saw the light of day in december, way past the original September release date.

Movie merchandise has seen something of a resurgence too, and a particularly popular item of late has been the 12 inch SAW puppet on Tricycle box set, depicting the infamous Billy doll from the horror franchise, which, of course, had its fifth installment released in the latter part of the year. Other official horror based items have included a superb 12 inch version of Jason Voorhees and more, just going to show that the fans still want blood. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight have all had their parts to play this year too, and some fantastic merchandise has been available.

Those who are into their rock music action figures this year were treated to new figures of Joey Ramone, Lemmy from Motorhead, two new Elvis Presley figures and two new Elvis headknockers. While the number of new items in the music ranges has been pretty thin on the ground, the demand is certainly there for more, and we’re eager to see who comes next. Personally I think we need to get some Dimebag figures.

The market for licensed memorabilia from all corners of popular culture has seen a definite upturn in 2008 despite the economic troubles the world is facing, and these collectibles make perfect Christmas gifts. The merchandise industry is now even more a part of popular culture and the media it is based on that ever, even going so far as being integral to the continued life of the entertainment industry itself to a certain extent. While DVD sales are keeping cinema alive and box office takings slowly raising, the future is looking rather solid for the action figure world, and there are many, many more to be collected in 2009. The winners this year must be the video games ranges, and in particular Gears of War, which does appear to have won the battle of 2008.

Onto 2009, and the joys of merchandise from WATCHMEN!

Thanks for a great 2008 you guys, it’s been a blast.

COMING SOON: The STARSTORE ROUNDUP OF 2008.

TORCHWOOD FIGURES: MORE NEW IMAGES REVEALED

starboy — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:49:00 +0000

More images of the new TORCHWOOD action figures have been released, further fueling interest in the long-delayed set of Doctor Who spin-off merchandise. The figures were originally due in August of 2008, but due to approval issues have been delayed. No release date has been set, but they are due sometime this month, exclusively in speciality shops such as ours. You can still pre-order the Torchwood action figures from our site!

Here are the new pictures (Sadly not including one of the Cyberwoman);

Torchwood new action figures

CHRISTMAS GIFTS: THE BEST TOYS, ACTION FIGURES CALENDARS AND MORE FOR CHRISTMAS 2008

starboy — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:51:05 +0000

Christmas is coming, so make sure you have clean stockings and that you have most certainly behaved yourself this year. Getting hold of the perfect Christmas gifts for friends and family can be a nightmare, so here are some selections of recent hot sellers from our catalogue to help you find the gifts to make Christmas 2008 go with a bang!

GEARS OF WAR ACTION FIGURES
The official action figures based on the hugely popular video game franchise have been a hit with fans everywhere this year. series one and two are available as well as box sets for each series!

HALO 3 ACTION FIGURES
The gaming phenomenon continues to be a massive draw for fans of pure action, and the merchandise for it keeps on getting better. The figures for Halo 3 are an excellent addition to any fan’s collection.

ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM FIGURES
With the second crossover film in the sci-fi franchise came a new wave of hot action figures and collectibles which have been popular all year. With a third film going into production soon these will continue to be sought after for a while yet!

2009 CALENDARS
We have calendars featuring the hottest celebrities, movies, TV shows, games, comics and artists available, as well as all manner of animal and photography calendars for the year ahead.

THE LATEST POSTERS
Officially licensed posters from the stars of movies, TV, music, glamour, history, photography and more. Perfect gifts for everyone.

GRAPHIC NOVELS
The best new and classic graphic novels, featuring all the classic tales that laid the foundations for the current upsurge in comics interest and the comic book movies that are filling cinemas with new fans.

LIFE-SIZE CUTOUTS
Huge cardboard cutouts of your favourite stars, including Doctor Who, High School Musical, Star Wars, Transformers and many more icons of popular culture!

MOVIE COLLECTIBLES
Action figures, busts, statues, replicas and more from your favourite films, franchises, TV shows and cartoons. Something for fans of pretty much every film franchise around.

DVDS, DVD BOX SETS
The latest and greatest DVDs and DVD box sets for any fan of film, TV, anime, action, adventure, comedy, sci-fi, horror, fantasy and everything else under the sun.

VIDEO GAMES
The biggest games and accessories from the hottest video games properties in the world. Prepare to have aching thumbs!

There are countless other items available that would make perfect Christmas 2008 gifts, so do check out the rest of our site for something a little different this Christmas!

An American Werewolf in London – Over the Moon?

starboy — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:33:28 +0000

Continuing our Halloween moon theme, take a look at this comedy/horror cult classic released in 1981. The movie was written and directed by John Landis previously of The Blues Brothers fame. It stars David Naughton, Griffin Dunne and Jenny Agutter.

The film won the 1981 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and is much revered by Werewolf fans. American Werewolf in London is both scary and funny as it manages to effectively combine true horror and great comedy. The contrasting effects are part of the brilliance of this groundbreaking movie. It makes a perfect evening’s viewing for many of us around this Halloween time.

Our “hero”, American college student David Kessler is attacked by a large animal along with his friend Jack Goodman as they are hiking across the Yorkshire moors after a visit to the ‘The Slaughtered Lamb’ pub, a location close enough to home to cause us to be wary of some of our more hairy customers …

This fine film is remarkable and justly famous for its seminal Werewolf transformation scenes and portrayal of the decaying Jack Goodman character. The combination of makeup special effects, animatronics and use of CGI set the standard for a masterpiece of special effects for years to come. In fact a new Academy award – Outstanding Achievement in Makeup – was created specifically for the film and has been a feature of the Oscars since 1981.

This all leads us to suggest you should try and emulate the Werewolf look yourself for this coming Halloween celebrations – just don’t take in a visit to London’s zoo, Tottenham Court Road station, Trafalgar Square and certainly not Picadilly Circus along the way. But hey, do play Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Moon”, Van Morrison’s “Moondance” and Creedance Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” on your mp3 player for atmospheric enhancement during your nocturnal lupine travels.

By the way, the next time a full moon falls on Halloween is the year 2020 so you have a while to truly perfect your scary Werewolf Halloween costume before then.