Raving Toy Maniac

May 10, 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.

- Surly Bikes Recalls Bicycle Forks Due to Fall Hazard

- CPSC Approves Proposed Rule Aimed at Making Strollers Safer

May 8, 2013 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

Hi - We've just listed a variety of great new items from Hasbro, more items will follow tomorrow as well:

GI Joe 2013 Eaglehawk Helicopter (Tomahawk)
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22822&mode=re...

Generations 2013 Series 03 - Set of 4
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22823&mode=re...

Generations Legends 2013 Series 04 - Set of 2
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22824&mode=re...

Marvel Legends 2013 - Series 02 - Set of 5
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22826&mode=re...

Marvel Legends 2013 - Series 02 - Case of 8
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22825&mode=re...

Marvel Universe 3.75" 2013 Series 02 - Set of 8
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22828&mode=re...

May 8, 2013 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

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OVERSTOCK CLEARANCE SALE
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We are having a spring sale with reduced prices on some of our overstocked products, including Transformers, Batman, Marvel Universe, Marvel Legends, Star Wars and more. Check out the reduced pricing on the list and start saving! The list includes 80 featured sale items, plus over 3000 additional items, so there is something for everyone.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/list.aspx?list=12683

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NEW PRE-ORDERS
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NEW BANDAI FIGURES - WHITE RANGER, SAILOR MOON, MEGA MAN, VENUSAUR, MORE

K'NEX® BRANDS & Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products Announce Family Guy™ Partnership

Officially-Licensed Building Sets by K'NEX Will Allow Fans to Build Their Favorite "Family Guy" Characters

Hatfield, PA, May 2013 - K'NEX Brands, the only US construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love ®, is pleased to announce its partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products to create an exciting new line of building toys inspired by the popular animated comedy series, Family Guy!

The partnership combines the award-winning K'NEX building system with the most iconic characters and elements from Family Guy, including Peter, Stewie, Brian, the Griffin Family station wagon, Stewie's time machine and more, bringing them from the television screen to the construction aisle for the first time.

May 2013 - Funko has announced new Wacky Wobblers based on The Muppets.

Expect to see Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal, Fozzie Bear, and Dr. Teeth in stores around June 20th.

May 2013 - Funko has announced a new POP! vinyl figure based on Children's Hospital.

Expect to see Dr. Blake Downs in stores around May 23rd.

May 2013 - Funko has announced a new POP! vinyl figure based on the Red Hulk.

Expect to see him in stores around May 23rd.

Star Trek Select Line Gets Packaging Shots!

May 2013 - The Star Trek Select line is almost upon us! The new series will feature the first new 7" Star Trek figures to come out of Diamond Select Toys in quite some time, and we're pretty excited about it. With detailed sculpting by Patrick Piggott, each figure comes with multiple interchangeable parts and a deluxe diorama base, as well as a second, non-poseable figure to interact with! And now we have packaging pics!

Mr. Spock is captured as he appears in the classic episode "Devil in the Dark," with a cave diorama and a Horta alien -- the first Horta toy ever made! Spock himself will have interchangeable legs for standing or crouching poses, and interchangeable hands to hold a phaser or tricorder or establish a mental link with the Horta. He even comes with an alternate grimacing head!

Spanky Stokes STROLL T-Shirt from outsmART originals

May 2013 - outsmART originals is stoked! Stoked to be working with SpankyStokes.com, awarded DTA's 2012 Best Blog, for the next t-shirt release.

The design is based on the SpankyStokes.com Stroll Mascot, where a few months ago on Instagram, numerous artists began drawing and submitting their concepts of the 'Stroll' character. Many versions were submitted from artists across the globe and each a unique and fresh take on the character. Jake Gillispie at Grindhouse submitted this design as a work in progress added additional updates as the design progressed. Since then, the design has been recreated as prints and stickers and now, as this unique collaboration, it will be released as an EPIC outsmART originals t-shirt! http://nvy.gd/ZCkWL9

THE ART OF THE BRICK® is coming to New York's Times Square! Tickets Now on Sale!

The largest display of LEGO® art ever assembled is set to unveil at Discovery Times Square on June 14th with brand-new, never-before-seen masterpieces

NEW YORK, May 6, 2013 -- THE ART OF THE BRICK®, a captivating exhibition of intriguing works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world, LEGO®, is set to make its debut in New York City at Discovery Times Square (226 West 44th Street) on June 14, 2013, with tickets now on sale.

The critically acclaimed collection of creative and inspiring art constructed using only LEGO® toy bricks by renowned contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya is coming to New York after enjoying record-breaking runs to sold-out crowds in Singapore, Taiwan and Australia.