Raving Toy Maniac

May 2013 - Funko has announced a new batch of 2.5-inch Mystery Minis, this time based on The Walking Dead.

Expect to see these blind-boxed cuties in stores around June 20th. This first series includes Daryl Dixon, Merle Dixon, and eight different zombies, including the Well Zombie that you can actually pull apart.

Variants include blood-spattered versions of the Dixon brothers, blood-spattered zombies, and glow-in-the-dark zombies. Check out the rarity scale below to find your favorite.

The Hulk Smashes Through the Ages in His Own Marvel Minimates Box Set!

May 2013 - Fans love the Marvel Minimates "Through the Ages" box sets because they offer a chance to collect some of the coolest alternate looks for the character featured in each set. But in Diamond Select's next box set, Hulk Through the Ages, you can collect four of the Hulk's coolest alternate personalities!

From Las Vegas enforcer Joe Fixit to futuristic despot The Maestro, from the peace-seeking Barbarian Hulk to the rage-filled Composite Hulk, the four Minimates in this set represent the Hulk at his best and worst, and thanks to the Hulk's unique psychiatric problems, each could be called a different character, and not just a costume change. (Although the Maestro does come with an interchangeable cape and helmet, while Joe Fixit has a interchangeable shirt and hair.)

Check out packaged photos below, and pre-order the set today at your local comic shop!

May 20, 2013 - Listed below are the toy (and child-related) recalls from this week; these links go to the official announcements on the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site.

- Powell Company Recalls Anywhere Lounger Bean Bag Chairs Due to Suffocation and Strangulation Hazards

- Deezo Children's Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by Zulily Due to Strangulation Hazard

May 16, 2013 - For April, we made a single trip to Wendy's. We really should have gone more often so the boy could complete the Cranium brain, but it is still a cute container by itself. So far in May, he's only been to Wendy's, and scored a Klutz Trip-tivities activity book.

Let's see what's out there in restaurants this month!

A quick check of the web sites for the more popular fast food restaurants reveals the following:

- McDonald's has Spy Gear and Winx Club toys in their Happy Meals, with Epic shown as the next promotion.

- The Chick-fil-A site lists mini scrapbooks as the goodies in their Kid's Meals. The "kids under 3" item appears to be a board book.

- Sonic has Slush Saucers in their Wacky Pack meals.

May 16, 2013 - A late-night email from http://HasbroToyShop.com included a coupon code!

Use code SPRING2013 to save 20% off your entire purchase.

The fine print at the bottom of the email excludes a few of the fun things you might be interested in buying:

20% off on most orders at HasbroToyShop.com website toward the purchase of products currently available on the site. Discount applies to pre-tax and pre-shipping amount. Offer excludes purchases of HasbroToyShop.com exclusives, FURBY toy, and Fundraising Kits. Other exclusions may apply. This offer cannot be combined with any other coupon or offer. Cannot be redeemed for cash. Not valid on previous orders. Offer valid in contiguous U.S. only. Offer may expire without notice due to error, fraud or other unforeseen circumstances. Subject to terms and conditions of use and HasbroToyShop.com policies. Offer expires May 31, 2013, at 11:59 PM (ET). ©2013 HASBRO. All Rights Reserved.

Check Out the Star Trek Select Kirk and Spock Figures in Action!

May 2013 - The ultimate Star Trek action figures are almost here! Arriving next month, the first two figures in Diamond Select Toys new, deluxe Star Trek line will be a classically-styled Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, each with interchangeable parts and a diorama base. We got in a couple of packaged samples, and couldn't wait to bust them open and send them on an away mission! Check out the pics of Kirk and Spock in action on an alien planet – and in the Enterprise's engineering section – demonstrating their various interchangeable parts, including hands, legs, heads, accessories and more! Pre-order both today at your favorite online retailer or your local comic shop!

Captain Jean-Luc Picard is the Next Star Trek Select Figure from DST

May 2013 - Star Trek Select Kirk and Spock are on their way to U.S. shores, and fans are already looking beyond them to see who will follow in their footsteps. Well, Diamond Select Toys has unveiled the next Select, and it's the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise D and E, Jean-Luc Picard! Wearing his classic TV outfit, Picard has been captured in the middle of a previously unseen engagement with the Borg, firing his phaser aboard a Borg ship, with a fallen foe at his feet. The figure will feature limited articulation and a detailed likeness by Patrick Piggott (prototype shown), and will come in shelf-ready Select display packaging. Look for him to beam down this fall, and join Captain Kirk and Spock in the Select hall of fame! Pre-order him today at your favorite online retailer or your local comic shop!

Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm, Scheduled to Appear at Star Wars Celebration Europe this July in Essen, Germany

May 2013 - Kathleen Kennedy, the President of Lucasfilm and producer of Star Wars Episode VII, will make her inaugural Star Wars Celebration appearance in Essen this July. Kennedy will make an appearance on the main Celebration stage talking with celebrity host Warwick Davis about her amazing career in the movie industry and her recent move to Lucasfilm.

"When I joined Lucasfilm, I immediately saw the true passion shared by Star Wars fans around the world. I'm thrilled to attend my first Star Wars Celebration and see in person that energy that makes the Star Wars experience so special."

May 15, 2013 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

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NEW PRE-ORDERS
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NEW DC COLLECTIBLES

Star Trek's Enterprise-E Makes 'First Contact,' and the Excelsior Joins the Fleet!

May 2013 - Diamond Select's fleet of electronic Star Trek ships is undergoing a rapid expansion of late, and two new starships are preparing to join fans' collections!

First up is a limited variation on the U.S.S. Enterprise E – the First Contact edition! With a new, detailed paint scheme based on Star Trek: First Contact, this new E is visually distinctive from the previous edition, which was based on its appearance in Star Trek: Nemesis. With the same great lights and sounds as the previous E, it will be a striking addition to any fan's collection, and will be ready to ship this summer.