If you think that stashing away all those new Star Wars figures is the way to invest in toys, you might want to think again. Smart Money magazine has announced its best investments for 1998 and two of them are toy companies; one you've definitely heard of and one you may not have.

Toy companies are often thought of as trendy investments. However, as Smart Money notes, toy sales are relatively unaffected by changes in the economy. Apparently parents are reluctant to cut toy buying out of the budget when economic hard times set in. Thus, sales remain fairly steady regardless of how the rest of the economy fares.

Leading the pack is Mattel who leads the industry with an estimated 60% of most popular toys on the market today. Mattel's acquisition of Tyco, its upcoming deals with Disney, and its plans to expand its presence overseas in the coming year all contribute to its leading position among the toy companies. With offerings ranging from Barbie to Tickle Me Elmo, Mattel is a tough act to follow.

Did you know that stock car racing is the fastest growing spectator sport in the U.S.? It's true and one company is poised and ready to cash in on this new trend with a wide variety of racing products and collectibles. Action Performance Companies, Inc. might not be a household name yet, but they did make Smart Money's runner-up category in the best Leisure Product category.

So maybe you should consider buying some stock instead of that Slave Leia. The stock is more likely to put your kid through college anyway.

If you'd like to check out all the financial info and dirt on some of your favorite toy companies, head on over to RTM's own Business Behind the Toy Business article where you can get all the scoop and even do your own searches.

go figure! kicks off its monthly debut with a jam-packed double issue that should be available in stores very soon. If your comic retailer doesn't carry this magazine, ask for it. But if you never set foot in a comic shop, you will soon be able to find go figure! in Blockbuster Video stores around the nation. This new deal was recently wrapped up and should give the magazine a boost as Blockbuster has recently become known as a place to snag some often hard-to-find action figures.

There is really too much in this issue to describe in the space available here. It's really like rummaging through the bins at a toy show....you never know what you're going to find next. One page it's an analysis of the coolness of Major Matt Mason and on the next page it's an article on KISS. The coverage is broad, including a Toy Biz preview for 1998, the new Lost in Space, Star Wars, Puppetmaster, Beast Wars, Wrestling, and much, much more. Seriously.

The cover story focuses on toy collector Mark Hamill (he was in some 70's space movie) but the visual highlight of this issue is of course the incredible "mini-movie" of the Hoth Battle using real Kenner Star Wars toys. It's truly breathtaking. To call these just virtual dioramas does not do justice to the artistry involved. A must see!

And congratulations to Star Wars guru Adam Pawlus who will be doing a regular column for future issues of go figure! Adam's legendary newsletter (mirrored at the top of this very page) is one of the best sources for up to date Star Wars information. The current issue of go figure! has a profile of Adam and we wish him all the success in the world. It's about time someone snatched him up and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!

And if you look real closely, you might even see a familiar name on the magazine's cover. There's a quote from The Raving Toy Maniac right there above the title. We're flattered that they think enough of our opinion to quote us on the cover. Aw shucks. We're gonna blush now. Of course, we're going to make you buy the magazine to read the quote.

You can also visit go figure's expanding web site at http://www.gofiguremagazine.com

Issue #7 of ToyFare is on the shelves now. You can check out a look at the Star Wars Expanded Universe, a chat with supercollector Danny Fuchs, and a look at the recent trend of action figures based on video game characters.

There is a plethora of new toy coverage including looks at the new Graphitti Designs figures, Famous First Appearances, Fighting American, and Antarctic Press. Hasbro's Star Wars page is the web site of the month and Twisted Mego Theatre features everyone's favorite Shellhead, Iron Man.

There is also a look at Secret Wars figures, Marvel's first stab at an all Marvel action figure line. The Chop Shop shows a nice and easy fix up for your Thing figure. Wrap it all up with a bunch of other news tidbits, the usual bounty of contests and the ultra-neato exclusive figure, Union Jack.

Pick up this issue at your local comic shop now or look for it on store shelves everywhere.

We've been getting a lot of mail on this exclusive offering from White's Guide to Collecting Figures and Hanger 18. This is not a rumor; it is real. The figure is Feral, the character first introduced in New Mutants #99. The offer is available in issue 37 (January) with one of the three different covers (shown at right). The order form can be found on page 55 and a larger picture of the figure can be found on page 83.

The figure is not part of the Marvel's Gold line nor should it be confused with the upcoming Wolfsbane figure in the future New Mutants line. This is a White's exclusive and is not carded, but polybagged. The cost is $9.95 (plus $4.50 S&H) and is limited to 5 requests per household. You can order via phone at 1-888-280-0389.

The prototype of the figure shown appears to be a Black Cat body with a Deathbird head. But please bear in mind that the actual production piece may vary from what is shown. The offer isn't expected to ship until March.

Since we're enduring that after the holidays and before Toy Fair slump, we thought we'd give you some info about another product that we've been getting quite a few questions about. The Quake conversion, X-Men: Ravages of Apocalypse is on store shelves now. The game had been promised as early as the end of November. However, many people had difficulty locating the game before the holidays. Well, we hope there weren't too many disappointed X-fans who opened presents only to find that Santa had forgotten the game of their dreams. But you can start playing now!

The game requires that you already own a registered copy of Quake (sorry, the shareware version doesn't count unless you registered it). You play as a human who has been cybernetically enhanced by Magneto. You can also play multiplayer games and actually become one of your favorite X-Men. Looks like a fun adaptation of the Quake engine. So get playing, bub!

Graphitti Designs is on the verge of releasing it's first comics based assortment, dubbed Big Blast Figures, to comic shops this Spring. This assortment will consist of the previously shown figure of Mike Allred's Madman, along with Matt Wagner's Mage and the Hunter Rose Grendel. Standing 8" tall, these highly detailed figures sport generous articulation, including wrist and ankle joints.

The second set of 12" Universal Monster figures to be made in conjuction with the new postage stamps will be another J.C. Penney exclusive. These excellent figures include the Bride of Frankenstein, the Lon Chaney Phantom of the Opera, and the Invisible Man. They will be avaliable through both Diamond Comics and J.C. Penney in the Spring. The Bride of Frankenstein will later be a seperate non-exclusive figure.

First up is the redeco line, X-Men Secret Weapons Force- Battle Chargers. This four figure assortment consists of AOA Jean Grey and AOA Omega (already seen in Toyfare #5), Cyclops (at left), and Weapon X. All of the figures have newly sculpted heads; Jean Grey has a Mystique body, Omega has a Quark body, Cyclops has a Meanstreak body, and Weapon X has a Captive Sabretooth body.

The Spider-Man Sneak Attack Bug Busters assortment features yet another Spider-Man, Silver Sable (at right), the "old man" Vulture, and Jack O' Lantern. Also scheduled to ship with this assortment is the Spidey Super Bugbuster with Spidey figure. Look for these assortments to hit shelves mid-Spring.

You heard right, fans! 1998 will bring 12" BTAS figures based on the new designs from Kenner. The initial assortment is scheduled to be Batman, Robin, and Nightwing, with Harley Quinn tentatively scheduled to be a Toys R Us exclusive. All of these should be shown at Toy Fair '98, with more details to be announced at the same time.

In other BTAS news, we have been getting numerous reports of the new BTAS figures hitting both coasts at Wal-Mart, and the new Batmobile showing up at Target. Get hunting, kids!

For fans of this genre of figure, there is really good news. Preliminary reports indicate that sales are brisk and there is a third series (and beyond) in various stages of development. We can't yet disclose the character choices in the third series, but suffice it to say there are two characters in the proposed line-up who have never been done by Toy Biz before and many people will be thrilled with the choices. We'll let you know as soon as we we're able. But for now, feast your eyes on the second series (you can click on the individual pictures to get a better look). The Famous First Appearances assortment is slated to debut on retail shelves in March/April. Keep in mind that these are prototypes and may change before their actual release.

We'd like to take a moment to clear up a little confusion regarding another of Toy Biz's new lines. Silver Surfer Collector Series figures are now on shelves all over the U.S.. However, there are actually going to be two separate Silver Surfer lines: The Collector Series and the Animated Version. As you may know, the Silver Surfer Animated Series is set to make its debut in 1998. The Collector Series figures are larger and more detailed while the Animated line has a more sleek style. It is our understanding that the Animated line will be slightly smaller than the current Collector Series figures. This is nothing new. Toy Biz employed the same strategy with its Hulk figures earlier this year. Look for the first Animated Series assortment to include Drax the Destroyer, Thanos, Raze, and a Silver Surfer.

Hope this clears things up for the many of you who have written asking about this. Stay tuned for more Toy Biz news and pics!

Issue #37 of White's Guide to Collecting Figures is available right now. The issue contains White's signature coverage of the whole spectrum of pop-culture collectibles. Feature articles include a review of Barbie's sporting past, a primer for collecting Teddy Bears, a look at the anti-Beanie Babies called Meanies, and a variety of articles on subjects as diverse as porcelain figurines to commemorative beer steins. There is regular coverage of SLU's, GI Joe, Star Wars, Star Trek, and most of the action figure world. And of course, as the cover indicates, there is a feature on the perennially popular Nightmare Before Christmas. Check at your local comic or book store to find this issue.

A very reliable source has let us know about some of the figures that will be shown at next year's Toy Fair in New York: Jo Yowza, Sy Snootles, an Ugnaught two-pack, Max Rebo, Barada, Ree-Yees, Squid Head, Prune Face, Lobot, Death Squad Commander with removable helmet, 8D8 with torture rack, and Mon Mothma!

Also announced at the recent Cincinnati Con, a Beast pack Tusken Raider and Bantha with real rooted hair. Look for more news and pictures in the next few weeks leading up to Toy Fair.

Well, what can we say about this? One of those things that aren't announced in advance, and are completely surprising when you see them, the Spider-Man Holiday Special two-pack is just simply bizarre enough to be cool.

Apparently available only at Toys R Us, this pack is limited to 35,000 sets, and consists of Spidey and Mary Jane repaints: Spidey has a hat, belt, and boots, and Mary Jane is all in red with glued on fur trim. Happy Holidays, indeed.

Investor Carl Icahn lost a major court battle Friday in his campaign to turn his control of Marvel Entertainment Group Inc into ownership of the bankrupt comic book publisher.

At a hearing in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, Judge Roderick McKelvie overruled objections by Icahn's lawyers and ordered the appointment of a trustee to manage Marvel's assets in place of its Icahn-appointed board of directors.

As a result of the uncertainty and a year of costly legal battles, Marvel is close to insolvency, according to previous assertions by Chase Manhattan Bank attorneys. In response to conerns that the appointment of a trustee would further delay a resolution of the Marvel case, attorney Jack McLaughlin assured McKelvie that an independent trustee would be appointed by his boss, regional U.S. Trustee director Patricia Staino, by early next week.

The independent trustee is expected to retain the current management of Marvel.

An important player in the mix is Marvel licensee Toy Biz Inc. Toy Biz has filed its own plan of reorganization for Marvel and today McKelvie scheduled a hearing on the disclosure portion of the plan for January 30.

Toy Biz president Joseph Ahearn said after the hearing that the appointment of a trustee, clears the way to move Marvel toward some plan.

``This judge came to the conclusion that there were a lot of financial players who were circling over this case for their own purposes,'' Ahearn said.

``And what got lost in the shuffle was that Marvel and Toy Biz were real companies with real employees and these people have a right to expect this morass to end.''

Ahearn said Toy Biz had lined up the support of enough secured bank lenders to have its plan approved by them. The Toy Biz reorganization plan would return about 67 cents on the dollar to the banks, compared with 61 cents under the Icahn plan, according to Ahearn.

You may have heard the recent rumors that the Superman: The Animated Series figure line was cancelled, and that the remaining figures would be sold only in Europe. Well, Kenner has let us know that not only will the next assortment be released wide in the US and elsewhere, but that at least two new assortments will be released next year! The first assortment will include Supergirl, Bizarro, and Metallo like we reported back in July.

We were also informed that WB has given both STAS and BTAS a major vote of confidence, which is one of the reasons for the big push by Kenner. This means that BTAS will also get more new figures, like Creeper and Two-Face. Who know what other figures might be unveiled at Toy Fair,such as the new Penguin and Scarecrow. More to come as we get it.

So grab Storm, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Green Goblin (the pick of the litter in my opinion...way cool!) and send in those order forms today. Who can resist Aunt May? If this promotion goes over well, who knows what kind of cool figure we might get for a second series promotion? Dare we dream?

Both ToyFare and Lee's Action Figure News & Toy Review hit the stands this week. It's hard to compare the two magazines given their radically different approaches. AFN&TR has a few bright spots, especially in Gus Lopez's article on the history of the C-3P0 carrying case. Complete with photos of prototypes from his personal collection, it's a unique glimpse into a piece of history. There is also a nice article on the Nightmare Before Christmas toys by the publisher himself.

Both magazines have the latest Star Wars pics. But ToyFare wins the "newness" battle by unveiling a buttload of new Toy Biz figures including the highly touted Resident Evil figures. Continuing on the Toy Biz front, there is an article on making a Spider-Man commercial. And of course, there is the now legendary Twisted Mego Theatre. Add in a customizing contest focused on the Animated DC Universe and an exclusive Guardian figure and we'd have to say that ToyFare is the better value for the buck (sorry Lenny!).

Check your local news stands or comic shops for both mags right now.

In the heart of the Mid-West lurks one of the coolest conventions around. Check out all th dirt we dug up at this year's Mid-Ohio-Con held on November 29th & 30th in downtown Columbus, Ohio. You can get a glimpse of the show as well as some news and interviews with comics and toy professionals. Plus, you could win an exclusive Black Violator figure courtesy of McFarlane Toys! Click here for all the scoop!

Diamond/Previews has teamed up with some of the nation's premiere toy retailers to make a few exclusive figures more widely available. Plus, they have a few exclusives of their own. The first of these is the long-awaited Babylon 5 set. These are 6" figures (unlike the 9" figures also to be released) and each will include a spaceship miniature specifice to their race. The assortment contains Captain John Sheridan (with Babylon 5 miniature), Ambassador Londo Mollari (with Centauri Cruiser), Ambassador Delenn (with Minbari Cruiser), and G'Kar (with Narn Cruiser). Also look for variants of Delenn and G'Kar. These exclusives will only be available through Previews and will not be sold at Toys R Us. The Delenn figure will be depicted in her pre-hybridization state as pure Minbari. She will be bald and have a new paint scheme as well. G'Kar will feature a new paint scheme and both variants will come with different packaging from the regular release figures.

The next figure featured by Previews is the Analee Call figure from the new Alien Resurrection line. Originally scheduled to ship with the regular line, the Call figure is now an FAO Schwarz and Previews exclusive. The figure will be limited to 15,000 pieces. No word on why the decision was made to pull the Wynonna Ryder figure from the main series. check with your local comic retailer or FAO Schwarz for ordering information. Better not delay. These could go fast.

And finally, Previews rounds out its exclusive offerings with two figures from the popular Puppetmaster movie series. Totem and Tunneler are the second wave in Full Moon Toys' Puppetmaster series. Totem features poseable arms and legs, and comes with a clear blue "Power Gem," the source of its supernatural powers. Tunneler features a nifty button-activated head drill, and accessory machine gun and pick ax. This figure is articulated at the waist for "drill stance" as seen in the movies.

Variants of these two figures will only be available through Previews. The exclusive variant Totem features a variant black body-paint scheme, with silver and blue highlights, and a 4 1/2" diameter clear red Power Gem. The Tunneler figure features the same button-activated head drill as the regular edition figure (and comes with the same accessories), but instead features a brown uniform and boots paint scheme, with silver braids and buttons.

Toy Biz is gearing up for the next wave of its 8" figures set to include Thor (shown left), Captain America, Dr. Doom, and Dark Phoenix. The first series is just beginning to show up in the U.S. This series includes Wolverine, Storm, Spider-Man, and the Green Goblin. There is also a mail-away Aunt May offer with the first series. This is some of the most groundbreaking work Toy Biz has done in years and if the mail we get here is any indication, fans are chomping at the bit to get a hold of these. Look for them soon!

Joe Leung's great page updated on Monday with lots of new pics! Included in the update are shots of the new BTAS packaged figures, more Galoob Star Wars sets, the new Legends of Batman packaged figures, and the Princess Leia two-pack figures.

Run, don't walk to see this update now!

The new Tomart's Action Figure Digest was slightly delayed by the Thanksgiving Holiday, but it showed up in stores this weekend. This issue covers packaged Alien:Resurrection pictures, Puppet Master figures,a POTF2 checklist, Total Chaos repaints, and their seventh annual Design Contest winners. The cover features the new Playmates 9" Kirk in Spacesuit figure.

In additon to the digital wizardry above, go figure! #3 features a tour through Toy Biz's showroom, and an interview with GI Joe creator Don Levine in addition to their usual columns and contests! Ask for it at your local comic store, or look for it at Tower Records. Or head on over to the go figure! site to check out upcoming news and subscription info.