Raving Toy Maniac

Announcing Street Fighter X Tekken Minimates Round 2!

September 2012 - The first series of Street Fighter X Tekken Minimates will be arriving in stores on Wednesday, but Diamond Select Toys is already hard at work on Series 2! Coming in January 2013, some of the most iconic characters in Street Fighter will face off with some of the biggest names in Tekken, as seen in the recent crossover video game! Check out the line-up!

After the new year, comic and specialty shops will get the following two-packs:

Ryu vs. Yoshimitsu
Abel vs. Kazuya
Rufus vs. Julia (exclusive)
Chun Li vs. Hwoarang (exclusive)

Around the same time, Toys "R" Us will receive:

Ryu vs. Yoshimitsu
Abel vs. Kazuya
Hugo vs. Heihachi (exclusive)
Rolento vs. Kuma (exclusive)

Pre-order the specialty figures today at your local comic shop, and pick up Series 1 on Wednesday!

The Magic of FURBY Returns as Hasbro Unleashes an Unpredictable Furry Creature with "A MIND OF ITS OWN"

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- September 17, 2012 -- Almost 15 years after its debut, the iconic FURBY creature from Hasbro, Inc. returns this fall with a "MIND OF ITS OWN" and advanced technology that gives each FURBY an unpredictable nature that will continue to delight and surprise children and fans of all ages.

Already named to hot lists for holiday 2012, the quirky FURBY creature first appeared in 1998, becoming the must-have toy of that holiday season and sparking a collector craze around the world, solidifying its place in pop culture history. Now FURBY, a toy industry icon, returns with advanced technology that delivers a uniquely interactive play experience and introduces this unforgettable character to a whole new generation.

September 2012 - Disney is holding a sweepstakes to help promote their upcoming Frankenweenie film. The grand prize is a trip to Disneyland for you and three guests. The other prizes are autographed movie posters.

Enter by October 7th.

SONY PICTURES TO DEBUT EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOKS OF CARRIE AND EVIL DEAD AT NEW YORK COMIC CON ON OCTOBER 13TH

CAST MEMBERS AND FILMMAKERS FROM BOTH FILMS WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE

Culver City, CA (September 18, 2012) - Sony Pictures will debut exclusive first looks at the highly anticipated upcoming films Carrie and Evil Dead at New York Comic Con on Saturday, October 13th from the Javits Center.

The panel presentations for Carrie and Evil Dead will take place between 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM on October 13th. The Carrie panel will include the film's stars, Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, along with producer Kevin Misher and director Kimberly Peirce. Evil Dead's panel will include the film's star, Jane Levy ("Suburgatory"), producer (and star of original) Bruce Campbell and director, Fede Alvarez.

MASAKAZU KATSURA IS SPOTLIGHT GUEST AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

TIGER & BUNNY Character Designer To Attend Courtesy of SUNRISE, Inc.

Norwalk, CT, September 21, 2012: New York Comic Con (NYCC) is today proud to announce Masakazu Katsura will attend this year's NYCC as a Spotlight Guest. Mr. Katsura is currently the character designer of the hit anime series TIGER & BUNNY, as well as the creator of acclaimed manga series including Video Girl Ai and Wingman. New York Comic Con will take place October 11 - 14, 2012 at NYC's Javits Center. It is one of New York's largest annual events and last year attracted over 100,000 attendees. Mr. Katsura joins a broad range of already-announced guests including Yoshitaka Amano, Brian K. Vaughan, Mike Mignola, Joshua Gates and Anne Rice. Katsura's appearance at New York Comic Con is courtesy of SUNRISE, Inc., the animation studio behind TIGER & BUNNY as well as anime classics including Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass and Cowboy Bebop.

MANGA ARTIST MASAKAZU ISHIGURO AND EDITOR MASAHIRO OHNO TO BE GUESTS AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Ishiguro And Ohno To Attend In Cooperation With JManga.com

ACCLAIMED MANGA ARTIST MOYOCO ANNO TO BE SPOTLIGHT GUEST AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Anno To Attend In Cooperation With Vertical, Inc.

Norwalk, CT, September 19, 2012: New York Comic Con (NYCC) is today proud to announce Ms. Moyoco Anno, the writer and illustrator of numerous acclaimed Japanese comics including Sakuran, Sugar Sugar Rune, Flowers and Bees and Hataraki-man, will appear at this year's NYCC as a Spotlight Guest. New York Comic Con will take place October 11 - 14, 2012 at NYC's Javits Center. NYCC is one of New York's largest annual events, last year attracting over 100,000 attendees. Ms. Anno joins a broad range of already-announced guests including Yoshitaka Amano, Brian K. Vaughan, Mike Mignola, Joshua Gates and Anne Rice. Anno's appearance at New York Comic Con is in partnership with Vertical, Inc., publisher of Sakuran in the US.

Viewers Invited to CARTOON NETWORK'S BIRTHDAY PARTY in October

Weekend Tributes Encourage Fans to Vote Online for All-Time Favorite Characters, Catch-Phrases, Villains & More

World Television Premiere of Original Music Video Celebrating Beloved Cartoon Characters

October 1 Kicks Off with Full Day of Birthday-themed Episodes from Contemporary & Classic Shows;
Concludes with 100th Episode of Hit Series Adventure Time and Season 4 Premiere of Regular Show

September 18, 2012 - This October, the world's first 24-hour, all-animation cable network will celebrate its first 20 years by hosting CARTOON NETWORK'S BIRTHDAY PARTY, an on-air and online birthday tribute created especially for kids and kids-at-heart who've grown up with the wildly fun and outrageous network since its launch in 1992. Launching on Oct. 1, 1992 within just two million U.S. homes, Cartoon Network has since grown to become the #1 television network among boys 6-11, and is currently seen in over 175 countries and in more than 360 million households worldwide.

TOMY Kicks-Off Donation Program in Conjunction with Autism Speaks

TOMY will donate $250,000 in Chuggington Wooden Railway playtables and train sets to benefit 500 preschools serving children with autism

OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 12, 2012 -- TOMY, a leading global designer, producer and marketer of toys and collectible products sold to preschoolers, youths and adults, proudly announces a large scale donation in conjunction with Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization. TOMY will donate up to five hundred Chuggington Wooden Railway playtables and train sets, with a total value of up to $250,000, to preschools who serve children with autism. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), autism affects one in 88 children and one in 54 boys. TOMY's donation is designed to help preschools serving children with autism provide wholesome and engaging play opportunities within educational environments.

U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for September 21

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2012 -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21: THE MAN WHO MADE AMERICA LAUGH

Profile America — Friday, September 21st. Today marks the birthday of a creative genius who made generations of Americans laugh — motion picture animator Chuck Jones. He created the characters of Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, and helped develop Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. Jones won several Academy Awards and wrote, produced and directed the 1966 television classic, Dr. Seuss's "How The Grinch Stole Christmas." When Chuck Jones headed his own unit in 1962, most movies were preceded by a short cartoon. At that time, American's spent about $5 going to movies — less than the cost of admission to a single movie today — even with no cartoon included. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at http://www.census.gov.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 462