A manufacturer from Hong Kong and Taiwan show off some toys of questionable origin.

One of the more interesting companies we saw at Toy Fair was Champion Crown Industries Ltd. They are a Hong Kong based toy company that specializes in toys of questionable origin. You may have seen their toys in a Walgreen's, or at a local dollar store. They are very familiar to the toys you know, but just different enough to be unique.

Champion Crown is the Hong Kong branch of Leader Shine Ent, out of Taiwan. From their site:

"Leader Shine Ent. Co., Ltd. was established in 1986 to manufacture plastic toys, mainly transformable robots. Since then,more than 70 kinds of products have been developed and exported to many countries. In 1991, leader Shine started to move their moulds to China to reduce the cost and make their products more competitive. Their Hong Kong branch, Champion Crown Ind. Ltd. was therefore set up to manage the marketing business and to coordinate with the design department in Taiwan and the factories in China. For many years, Leader Shine has gained wonderful reputation by providing high quality products to enlighten children's imagination and creativity. Leader Shine will keep developing new transformable robots and initiative toys for children all over the world."

The two gentlemen at the Champion crown booth were reluctant to talk to us, and I am surprised that they let us take pictures. We commented on how similar there products looked to existing lines, such as GaoRanger, and all they said was "No, no, Original Product".

We'll let you judge for yourself.

http://www.champion-crown.com (under construction, but click on company, and view the shots from inside the factory)
http://www.championcrown.com/e/default_home.asp
http://www.toys-mall.com.tw/leadershine/html/main.asp?Status=ec0101

1/6 scale action figures seet in a post-apocalyptic Hong Kong

Da Joint is a Hong Kong based design studio that produces animated works and motion graphics for networks and TV commercials. ZMDC is a side project based on a Hong Kong comic book set in a post-apocalyptic future.

These 1/6 scale figures are fully articulate and come with detailed armor and weapons. Each figure is limited edition and is available now through on-line retailers. Check out the Da Joint homepage at http://www.dajoint.com.hk/

Da Joint (Hong Kong) Click on an image to enlarge
		[g2:19209 size=100]
ZMDC KUSA Hairy Rouge Warrior	ZMDC KUSA Master Nova Trooper	ZMDC Jiu Gang (Bai Bing) Trooper	Firedrake High School 5RB
ZMDC KUSA Master Nova Trooper	ZMDC KUSA Master Nova Trooper	ZMDC KUSA Master Nova Trooper

View the full gallery

Burning Eye, Burning Rat Fink, Burning Devil and Burning Tiki antenna toppers and urban vinyl.

These are the coolest things. They are antenna toppers for your car or bike, and they come in four varieties: Burning Eye, Burning Rat Fink, Burning Devil and Burning Tiki. But what is really great is that they are developing bodies for them, so you take a burning eye for example, and stick it on a body, and you get an instant urban vinyl! This is an awesome idea, and I hope it takes off. The Owner, Ron, was a great guy and he has a great line up/ Check out Burnco Industries at http://www.burncoUSA.com

Horoscope Bear and POLY IR combat robots.

While wandering through Toy Fair, we met Kenny Lai from a Hong Kong based company
called Digitspace. They had some really great products on display, but the two
that caught my eye were the Horoscope Bear and POLY IR combat robots.

The Horoscope Bear figures are bearbrick-sized figures with LEDs and sensors inside them. Put 2 compatible horoscope bears next to each other and press a button. If they light up, they indicate that they could be a good friend or lover.

POLY IR combat is part of the Robot combat series 1. There is an army of these guys ready to fight. You hold your hand over the top of the robots, and they begin to move. As they encounter an enemy robot, they enter combat mode, and you use the position of your hand to direct the fight.

As of yet they have
no US distribution, but I think it's only a matter of time. You can
check out their full line at http://www.digitspace.com/

Friendswithyou makes some insane plush and wooden toys. Check this out, regardless of what you're into.

Ok, so they're not action figures, they're not Japanese, and they may not even be toys. But you gotta admit, this is freakin' cool:

It's like a satanic Domo-Kun!

They also had some wooden prototype toys on display. One of them is even a robot, so quit yer complaining!

All the friendswithyou toys are 100% handmade. These guys are a lot of fun, and their site is fantastic. http://www.friendswithyou.com/

go buy their toys now!

1/6 scale Action figure maker take a shot at the urban figure market with its STASH figure.

Merit International Produces 1/6 scale figures and accessories, and distributes
some great toys, like the Italian made DUST armor and figures by PAOLO PARENTE.

Most of their products are military themed, with an insane amount of detail.
Some figures come with 1/6 scale machine guns that you can actually disassemble
like the real thing. They are now taking that attention to detail and bringing
it to the urban figure market with a series of figures designed with licensed
urban wear by the likes on NIKE and DID.

One of the more interesting pieces is a 1/6 scale of artist/designer "Stash" and
his designer brand fashion
" RECON". RECON has three stores, New York, Tokyo and San Francisco.
Each location has its own version of figure with different clothing,
spray cans and "AUG" (machine gun).
This is also the first 1/6 figure to have 1/6 Nike "Air Force One" shoes
with permission from Nike.

The back panel of each version of the figures is designed to combine
into a larger picture. Each figure contains a numbered card and is limited to 1000 pieces each.

Last but not least ? Does this guy look familiar?

Visit Merit International on the web at http://www.merit-intl.com/main.htm

New Toys from The Neo Kaiju Project, MARS-1, Sam Flores, AMOS Toys, Scarygirl, Rocketworld and Presspop Gallery

I met up with Jim from STRANGEco to talk about their upcoming line for 2004. For those of you who don't know, STRANGEco produces original art toys, imports new and original figures from Hong Kong and Japan, and commissions exclusive versions of the best designs from the new breed of toy artists worldwide. Here's what STRANGECO has planned for in 2004:

	The Neo Kaiju Project - STRANGEco and Super-7 Magazine have teamed up to present a fresh spin on Japanese giant monster ("kaiju") design. Series 1 will be previewed at Toy Fair, hatching ten original figures by artists Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Seonna Hong, Kathy Schorr and Todd Schorr. http://www.neokaiju.com/
	MARS-1 by MARS-1 - STRANGEco presents the first limited edition vinyl figure by emerging San Francisco visual artist MARS-1, whose robotic/organic style has been shown in galleries throughout the United States. http://www.mars-1.com/
	Tiger Baby by Sam Flores - International art phenomenon Sam Flores lends his distinctive character style to vinyl, the first in a series of figures produced with San Francisco's Fifty24SF Gallery. There will be a couple of different paint schemes for this toy. http://www.samflores.com/
	AMOS Toys - UK-based AMOS Toys continues to present new In-Crowd figures by designer par excellence James Jarvis. http://homepage.mac.com/james.jarvis/
	Scarygirl - Acclaimed toy artist Nathan Jurevicius returns to the Scarygirl universe with a new series of Mini Scarygirl 4-inch figures. Featuring twelve characters from the Scarygirl comics, the new figures will be packaged individually and in special four-figure box sets. STRANGEco will also be featuring the popular Mini Treehouse series- treehouse stump display and all. http://www.nathanj.com.au/
	Rocketworld - San Francisco-based Rocketworld is the creator of the I.nsurgents W.ilderness G.ruppo - a new line of collectible vinyl figures designed by Patrick Ma and co-produced by STRANGEco. Comprised of characters from a fictional insurrection of mutated animals against human destruction of their natural habitats, a portion of all I.W.G. sales are passed on to a variety of different wildlife groups (including the World Wildlife Fund, the Gorilla Foundation, the International Rhino Foundation and the Zoo Conservation Outreach Group) . http://www.rocketworld.org/
	Presspop Gallery - The newest brand distributed by STRANGEco, Japan's Presspop Gallery features a bold line of collectible vinyl figures from underground comic artists Archer Prewitt, Chris Ware and Dan Clowes. http://www.presspop.com/

Gundam Seed, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, SD Gundam, Knights of the Zodiac, Astro Boy and Thunderbirds

Bandai did not allow photos to be taken in their showroom. instead, they provided attendees with cd-roms full of images, but not all products displayed were represented on the CD's.

View the full gallery

A rep for Bandai said that although they have largely ignored the adult collector market, they are beginning to recognize it's importance to their lines, and we may see more products geared to collectors in the future.

We begin with Power Rangers Dino Thunder, the US incarnation of Abaranger. Bandai has already released the DX Thundersaurus Megazord (abarenoh), and will continue the line with the DX Dino Stegazord (Killer-oh, StegoSraidon, and Dime-Noko-Don), DX Arctic Force Megazord (bakurenoh), and DX Triassic Megazord (Max Oja). The DX Triassic Megazord will be a store exclusive, but no store has been announced. There will also be another Jumbo Megazord in June, most likely the Dino Stegazord.

Some other Dino Thunder products slated for 2004 are:

• 5" Thunder Power Rangers Action Figure
• 5" Quadro Battlized Power Rangers Figure
• 6.5" Dino Morphin Power Rangers Figure (Zord Mode)
• 12" Talking Power Rangers Figure
• 12" Battlized Power Rangers Figure (Ranger Mode)
• Action Cycle for 12" Figures
• Hovercraft Cycle with 5" Figure
• Dino ATVs with 5" Figure
• Deluxe Dino Vehicles with 5" Figure
• Die Cast Action Racer
• Die Cast Morphin Racers
• Role Play Dino Morphers
• Role Play Dino Weapons

2004 is the year of Gundam Seed for Bandai. Most of the line is an import of the Japanese line, with several alterations.

• Action Figure Model Kit Level 1 - Duel Gundam, Mobile Ginn
• Action Figure Model Kit Level 2 - Blitz Gundam, Freedom Gundam
• Action Figure Model Kit Level 3 - Aegis Gundam, Buster Gundam
• Action Figure Model Kit Level 5 - Aile Strike Gundam, Launcher Strike Gundam
• 4.5" Gundam Seed Action Figure - Strike Gundam (Active Mode), Duel Gundam
• 4.5" Gundam Seed Deluxe Action Figure - Sword Strike Gundam, Launcher Strike Gundam (ADMSIA)
• 4.5" Gundam Seed Mobile Suit & Vehicle - Aile Strike Gundam & Sky Grasper

Bandai showed a lot more in their showroom than they provided pictures for. In addition to the above, There was also;

• 7.5" action figures (The same toy as the Metal Material Strike Gundam, but they are replacing the metal with plastic. No word on whether the armor will be removable. The Japanese version was shown at toy fair)
• DX Freedom Gundam (This will be a toy based off of the 1/60 "Big Scale Real Detail" Freedom Gundam kit. They are going to assemble it and add lights and sounds, the weapons may still require assembly. This will obviously undergo a major re-tooling.)
• Arch Enemy MS-14S Gelgoog
• 4.5" Battle Scarred Figures
• 4.5" DX Battle Scarred Figures

Superior Defender is going totally insane. They had so much product on display, that I can't even begin to describe them. There were dozens of standard SD Gundams, kits, playsets and more.

• 1.5" Mini Defender Playset - Dark Gundam Playset
• Superior Fortress Playset - Musha Fortress Mega Castle Playset
• 5" Action Defender Figure - Mobile Defender Gun Diver 01, Knight of Storm Vieate
• 5" Deluxe Action Defender Figure -Musha Defender Ashuramaru, Gundam GP-02A
• 5" Action Defender Combo Set -RX-78 & G Fighter, Captain Gundam & Gun Vehicle, Knight Tallgeese & Golden Griffon
• 5" Deluxe Vehicle Set -Gundam Bike & Side Car

There was also a prototype of a Superior Defender vehicle. It looked like a gray dump truck, and the front turns into a giant SD Gundam (while still attached to the back). The back can fit several full sized SD Gundams. The truck had wheels on the front, and rubber tank treads on the back. A switch made it move forward or backwards. It was absolutely beautiful. I also got my hands on a SD Rx-77 Guncannon & Rx-75 Guntank Action Defender Combination Set. It features 2 fully transforming core fighters that fit in the figures, and you can swap parts out between them. Absolutely insane. Expect a full review of it soon.

There was a LOT of Astro Boy merchandise out. Astro himself was shown in several different scales, and with several different poses, but there were also vehicles, villains and playsets.

• 5" Super 7 Abilities Figure - Hyper-Cannon Astro
• 5" Super 7 Abilities Figure - Searchlight Eye Glow Astro
• 5" Super 7 Abilities Figure - Jet-Leg Feet Glow Astro
• 5" Figure - Atlas
• 8" Build Your Own Astro - Completed 8" figure, Individual pieces & skeleton (this toy looked great, but no word on whether the internal skeleton is die cast or not.)
• Experiment Chamber Playset

They also showed a different villain that could have been designed by Go Nagai himself. A green robot with large spikes on his shoulder with a steam punk aesthetic. We saw two versions of him - one that transformed, and a regular action figure. He is the green character seen here. Another cool product was a small car that looked like it could have came right out of a Time Bokan series. In addition we saw 2 large size astros that looks suspiciously like the Takara DX atom toy. There were 2 versions, regular and a clear version. You can open up various panels, extend rocket flames out from the feet and open the chest panel. The design on this series of toys is wonderful.

[g2:19833 size=640]

Wow these guys are shiny. I don't know too much about them except for the fact that Bandai says they are going to be huge.

• 5" Action Figure - Black Phoenix
• 5" Action Figure - Black Swan
• 5" Action Figure - Black Dragon
• 5" Action Figure - Black Andromeda
• 5" Action Figure - Ares
• 5" Action Figure - Knight of Golden Leo
• 5" Action Figure - Knight of Golden Sagittarius
• 8" Action Figure - Knight of Golden Sagittarius & corresponding zodiac symbol figure
  

There were only a few Thunderbirds toys on display, but some of them were die-cast, popynica quality. They looked really nice.

• Thunderbirds Rescue Crafts - Special Pack (Thunderbirds 1-5)
• 6" Rescue Craft - Thunderbird 1
• 6" Rescue Craft - Thunderbird 2
• 6" Rescue Craft - Thunderbird 4
• 6" Rescue Craft - Transforming FAB-1
• Tracy Island Secret Base Playset - Thunderbird 1 and 3 Secret Base
• Tracy Island Secret Base Playset - Thunderbird 2 and 4 and Mole Secret Base
• Tracy Island Secret Base Playsets - Complete set combined
  

View the full gallery

A preview of Hasbro's Transformer Energon and Alternators lines, as well as Star Wars and Xevoz from the New York International Toy Fair.

Hasbro had a great line up this year at toy fair, but the standout lines were TRANSFORMERS and STAR WARS, as usual. The new line XEVOZ looked quite impressive as well.

TRANSFORMERS

View the full gallery

For their Transformers line, they had an assortment of Energon and Alternators toys on display. Armada is being phased out and there were no Go-bots toys on display.The spokesperson said she did not know of any plans to continue the line. The star of the line was Omega Supreme. From the official press release:

As the AUTOBOTS battle UNICRON, the OMEGA SUPREME character is the ultimate combiner in the quest for ENERGON. The figure stands at an incredible 16? in robot mode and it is actually two vehicles -- an awesome aircraft carrier and a battle train -- that combine to make a super robot. OMEGA SUPREME is action-packed with electronic lights and sound, additional mechanized features, firing projectiles and holds MINI-CON figures. OMEGA SUPREME can also combine with the new OPTIMUS PRIME figure for even bigger ENERGON play. (Approx. $49.99; Available in fall)

Omega Supreme may very well be the biggest Transformer ever. The prototype on display was made out of resin and plastic, but it appeared to be actual size. They did not show how the toy combines with Optimus Prime. The ship mode had heavy Yamato influences, with a little SDF-1 thrown in for good measure. I don't know about the vehicle mode, but judge for yourself.

The rest of Energon was on display as well, including the long awaited ARCEE toy:

They had prototypes of all the alternators including Silverstreak, which had a broken hood from being handled too much. Hasbro allowed people to handle all the product, which was nice, but I can imagine the shape these things are going to be in by the end of Toy Fair.

STAR WARS

View the full gallery

The Star Wars display was a lot smaller than in years past. No PR people dressed up in costumes this time. But what they did have, should make every classic Star Wars fan happy for a long time. They are releasing figures in the ORIGINAL PACKAGING. That's right, the original packaging from the 70's. The front will be an exact duplicate, even including the Keener logo. The back will show the evolution of the figures from the 1970's to today. The figures themselves will be new, but styled in the spirit of the original figures. No overly dynamic poses. From the Hasbro press release:

Ever since the classic Star Wars trilogy burst onto the screen in 1977, a new generation of movie and toy fans has continued the tradition of celebrating the past, present and future of the Star Wars universe. In 2004, Hasbro builds on the tradition with the Original Trilogy Collection of authentically detailed figures, vehicles and lightsabers, this time celebrating Lucasfilm?s fall release of the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. Hasbro?s Original Trilogy Collection will recapture the magic of the first three Star Wars film releases from the late 70s and early 80s for a new generation of kids, bringing back the memorable black-and-silver retro package look and collectible new versions of the earliest Star Wars toys. In addition to updated action figure versions of the most favorite characters from the first three films, Hasbro is bringing back one of the most legendary spaceships in the galaxy -- available for the first time since 1996 will be the Millennium Falcon. (Approx. $4.99-59.99; Available in fall)

The Millennium Falcon, Tie Fighter and X-Wing on display were mocked up versions of old toys, so expect the final versions to look substantially different. The falcon will feature light up rear engines, with different "modes" of lights depending on the play. It will also feature light up laser cannons, and front lights. There will be a classic version 12 inch figure, and 2 different 3 3/4 figure lines. One will be in replica packaging, one will be in "The Original Trilogy Collection" packaging. The figures will likely be the same. We will also see a series of action play lightsabers based on the original trilogy.

XEVOZ

View the full gallery

Hasbro has a new line of Action figures that combines figures and gaming. The designs for this line was fantastic, and reminded me a lot of Stikfas (who were absent from Toy Fair):

Action figures take an evolutionary step forward with XEVOZ? - the convergence of action figures and gaming. XEVOZ are the first action figures kids can construct, customize and competitively battle in a fun strategy game. First, build your poseable figure with the kit. Then, battle an opponent?s figure using the special die, the BATTLE HELIX?. With each roll, a player dismantles the opposing figure piece by piece. Finally, xevolve your action figure by adding the new parts to create a more powerful warrior. Each XEVOZ character and species has a unique set of strengths and a compelling story. The web site, www.xevoz.com, allows players to build and battle virtual XEVOZ, as well as showcase their own unique character creations and learn more about the world of XEVOZ. (Approx. $6.99 - 14.99; 6 & up)

Bandai America Incorporated starts the new year with a bang by announcing its most diverse toy line-up to date for the upcoming 2004 American International Toy Fair in New York City.

"We are thrilled to ring in the New Year with our largest and most diverse line-up of toys ever. Bandai will continue our expansion of product with existing brands, launch new properties and enter new categories," said Bill Beebe, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Bandai America Inc. "Boys and girls of all ages will see a comprehensive line-up from favorites Power Rangers, Strawberry Shortcake, SD and Gundam, the debut of new licensed properties, including the classic character Astro Boy, and our entry into the popular collectible card gaming arena. We even have a few surprises that toy lovers will get to see only at February's Toy Fair."

BOYS CATEGORY

Power Rangers

The Power Rangers' 12th season, Power Rangers DinoThunder, promises to be action-packed, combining the number one boys action figure brand with a perennial favorite theme among boys - dinosaurs. Bandai America will introduce a complete line of toys to support the DinoThunder series - which will debut on ABC Kids on February 14, 2004 - including action figures, Megazords, vehicles, playsets, die-cast, role-play items and trading cards. The line will also include new toys, such as Raptor Cycles and ATV vehicles.

Gundam

Following the success of last year's battle-scarred assortment, Bandai expands the Gundam line to include characters from the new Gundam Seed series, scheduled to air on the Cartoon Network Action Block in April 2004. The new line features deluxe 4.5-inch action figures, 4.5-inch deluxe battle-scarred action figures with dioramas, 7.5-inch action figures, action figures with vehicles, action figure model kits, and a 12-inch Mega Size Gundam.

4.5" Gundam Seed Action Figure - Gundam Astray Blue Frame	Action Figure Model Kit Level 1 - Gundam Astray Red Frame

Astro Boy

Bandai America has been named by Sony Pictures Consumer Products as master toy licensee (worldwide excluding Asia) of the much anticipated Sony Pictures Television anime series Astro Boy, which is set to blast-off on the #1 kid's network, Kids' WB! in early 2004. Astro Boy was created 50 years ago by the legendary artist Osamu Tezuka, widely regarded as the pioneer of anime and the "father of manga" (Japanese comic books). In 1963, Astro Boy became the first Japanese show imported to the United States and one of the country's top-rated syndicated series. Bandai America will produce an extensive line of Astro Boy toys, including action figures, vehicles, role-play items (excluding costumes, masks and accessories) and playsets.

Thunderbirds

Bandai Co., Ltd. signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group (USCPG) as the master toy licensee for the upcoming theatrical presentation, Thunderbirds. From Universal Pictures and Working Title Films, Thunderbirds is a live-action feature film based on the hit British television series of the 1960s, which followed the perilous exploits of the Tracy family. Thunderbirds, starring Bill Paxton and Sir Ben Kingsley, is slated for release on August 6, 2004. Under the agreement, Bandai America is developing vehicles modeled after the Thunderbirds rescue crafts in the film as well as dynamic playsets. The products are scheduled to hit shelves by June 2004.

Jagun Fighters

Jagun Fighters debuted in August 2003 as a new brand that combines action figures with the elements of a game involving "fate" and "chance," carried out with two players battling one another with game pieces called Power Eye Stones. Bandai America launched the brand with a unique, grassroots campaign including sampling, in-store demos, outreach at anime/gaming conventions, a beta testers program and an interactive gaming environment at www.JagunFighters.com. In 2004, kids can add to their collection with new stones and 3-inch and 6.5-inch action figures, as well as new transforming stone sets with three pieces that can be combined into an exclusive, collectible figure.

Knights of the Zodiac

Originally introduced to Japanese audiences as "Saint Seiya" in a wildly popular TV show and toy line back in 1986, the property has since become an international phenomenon as a top-rated series across Asia, Europe, Central America and South America, and a multi-billion-dollar franchise, with 25 million action figures sold worldwide. The new TV show, entitled Knights of the Zodiac successfully debuted in the United States on August 30, 2003 as the #1 show across all boy demographics on the Cartoon Network's Saturday Action Block. Launching at retail in January 2004, Bandai America will release action figures that are exclusive to the American market. Future assortments will include additional action figures, playsets and role-play items.

Black Andromeda	Black Dragon	Knight of Golden Sagittarius

Superior Defender

Combining action, adventure, humor and spunky pint-sized heroes, Bandai America's new Superior Defender (SD) toy line has proven to be the "next BIG thing in robots." An all-new 3-D animated TV show based on the property, entitled SD Gundam Force, debuted to spectacular ratings September 1, 2003 on the Cartoon Network (#1 with boys aged 6-11). And Bandai America's SD action figures' debut at retail exceeded initial sales expectations, with action figures flying off the store shelves as soon as they are stocked. For 2004, Bandai America's toy line will continue to represent all unique characters from the SD universe, with 1.5-inch and 5-inch articulated action figures, vehicles, playsets and snap-together action figures of various skill levels, in addition to a new mega-size, battery operated action figure.

5" Action Defender Combo Set - Captain Gundam & Gun Vehicle	5" Action Defender Combo Set - Knight Tallgeese & Golden Griffon

About Bandai America

Bandai America Inc. is a subsidiary of Bandai Co. Ltd., the third largest toy company in the world, with 27 subsidiaries in 8 countries worldwide. Global interests include toys and children's entertainment, video game software, multimedia, music, full-length feature films, vending machines, trading cards, candies and licensed apparel.

Bandai America Inc. is celebrating its 25th anniversary as the master toy licensee of some of the most popular properties and brands in children's toys and entertainment, including the Power Rangers, Gundam, Strawberry Shortcake, Astro Boy and SD product lines. Bandai America is headquartered in Cypress, California and company information is available at www.Bandai.com.