We continue to work to bring you the best toy-related events for Comic-Con International in San Diego. We've just added two brand new panels with some new VIP guests.

Our first new panel is called "Breaking and Entering: Toy Design." Join top toy designers and artists as they discuss the ins and outs of designing for the toy industry. In addition to Clayburn Moore and Digger from the Art Asylum, we're please to have two new panel guests. First up is Aaron Archer who is a designer for Kenner. Then we have Brent Anderson who is the penciller for the Astro City comic and the artist who designed the upcoming Astro City action figures. This panel takes place on Thursday at 3:30pm in Room 9.

Our other new panel is "Collecting 101: Toys and Action Figures." Join our panel of toy collectors as they discuss the development, care, and feeding of a budding toy collection. Included on this panel will be Steve Collins, Ben Dunn, Ed Luena, Timothy Noyes,and our very own Jason Geyer. Stop on by Friday at 10:30 in Room 16B.

Be sure to check out all the cool toy events (including our collectors Meet & Greet) by checking out our official Comic-Con International page.

Giving in to popular demand, we're unveiling a brand new RTM news page, following in the tradition set by Scott Gordon's Star Trek news! Jeff Cope will be bringing all the Independent Toy Company news to you from now on on it's very own page. We'll still point you there when a major item breaks, but check back often to see what Jeff's up to!

More news has come in about the highly anticipated line of figures direct from DC. These figures will be slightly larger than previous DC characters (although they should fit in nicely with the current Legends of the Dark Knight line). As of now, they'll be 6" tall, mainly to give more value for the money. Prices haven't been finalized yet, but expect to pay roughly what other direct market figures are going for.

Following the MAD figures previously announced (Alfred E. Neuman and Spy vs Spy), the DC line-up will be the Golden Age Sandman, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman and Plastic Man! We get more excited about this line everyday. Stay tuned for more info as we get it!

The latest addition to the Marvel's Gold line has been unearthed. It's one of the most popular villains: The Taskmaster. A villain with the combined abilities of the Avengers, the Taskmaster has consistently been one of the most requested villains never made by Toy Biz.

This new exclusive is brought to you by The Toy Emporium. You can visit their web site for more info at http://www.figureoffer.com. The Taskmaster figure is limited to 7500 pieces and is available for order right now. The piece hasn't been widely advertised yet, so you'll be among the first to be able to take advantage of this offer. The Taskmaster should be available for shipping in late Septmember.

Also available from the Toy Emporium is a limited edition red Mercy figure. Check out their web site for pics and all the details.

This fall, B-movie fans will be able to cuddle up with their very own Mistress of the Dark: Elvira. From Figures Toy Co., this new action figure offering should be out in October to make a happy Halloween for all.

Elvira's debut figure will come with a chainsaw and a snake. There will also be a variant with a witches hat and broom. These figures will be approximately 7 1/2 inches tall and feature the likeness of everyone's favorite buxom B-movie queen.

In addition, there will be a special on-package mail order exclusive offer for a glow-in-the-dark Elvira figure. This exclusive will be limted to 5000 pieces so if you want one, be sure to send away quickly.

Elvira has nearly become a cultural icon so we're sure that there are a lot of fans out there who will be excited about this upcoming release.

Both White's Guide #44 and Beckett's Hot Toys #2 are available now. Each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses but they both seem to be competing for the same group of eclectic collectors

White's features Moore Action Collectibles' Beavis and Butthead on the cover and has an interview with Clayburn Moore inside. You can also glimpse the winning design for the "Design a New Career for Barbie" contest and there is an interesting article on the legality of custom figures.

The issue features a plethora of other collectible articles focusing on such varied topics as Coca Cola collectibles to Hallmark ornaments. The requisite Beanie Baby content continues to expand (as does the size of the magazine and the number of advertisements).

Beckett's second offering is more varied than its debut issue and probably more in tune to the action figure collecting audience, though it too has its share of Beanie and Barbie material. The cover story is on Godzilla (of course) and the issue features articles on Gene dolls, and board games.

The regular columns seem to be in keeping with the usual suspects (e.g., Star Wars, SLU's, etc.) but some of the other content does tend to be a bit more imaginative. They have toy reviews, video game reviews, a figure face-off between ETP's Professor (from Gilligan's Island) and Mego's Mr. Spock, and a look at super collector Storm Peng.

Where White's and Beckett's really duke it out is in the price guide. Both publications seem invested in getting their price guide to be the industry standard (with Lee's in the mix somewhere we suppose). We'll leave it to the reader to decide if either or both are useful in their own collecting. But if we had to give an edge to one of these two issues, we'd have to go with Beckett's for its attempt to provide diverse content...and the fact that they gave RTM a nice review in their Cyber Source column (what can we say, we're biased).

Check both these issues out at your comic or magazine retailer now.

We've been biting our tongues for quite a while, but we've finally been given clearance to officially announce the fourth wave of the popular Famous Covers figures from Toy Biz. The line up is a departure from the two heroes, one villain, and one female format. Instead, we get four classic heroes and one completely new body style.

The line is an Avengers theme consisting of Iron Man, Hawkeye, Vision, and the Hulk. The Hulk, of course, is the new body style and will be a really beefed up body suitable for Bruce Banner's alter ego.

Look for this line in 1999 with the now familiar and classy window box with a classic comic cover adorning each. We can't wait!

The latest issue of Lee's Action Figure News & Toy Review is available right now. The cover story features the new Middle Earth Toys and as an interesting counterpoint, they also have a feature on the classic Lord of the Rings merchandise.

The highlight of the issue is a visual reference to the animated Batman lines. If you are a Bat-fan looking for a good guide, pick up this issue. However, we do have to correct a little piece of misinformation in the article that could lead to one of those nasty rumors. According to all sources (including the The Bruce Timm Artwork Archive), there is no Wonder Woman: The Animated Series in the works. I guess we'll have to take back one of those "People in the Know" points from the letters column. Sorry AFN&TR.

Throw in a smattering on new toy news and you have the latest issue of AFN&TR available right now.

For the first time since the 1950's, Monopoly is getting a new playing token. And best of all, the fans get to decide which piece will make the grade. Joining the ranks of the already iconic Shoe, Cannon, Dog, Iron, Ship, and others will be one of the following: A Biplane, a Bag of Money or a Piggy Bank.

You can vote on-line at the Official Monopoly Web Site http://www.monopoly.com. There you can get some history of the game and its tokens as well as get an update on how the poll is going. It's too bad we can't have all three pieces because they are all pretty nifty in their own way.

Head on over and cast your vote today. We still call the Racecar!

Sources at DC Comics have let us know that added down the line to the direct market DC figures will be everyone's favorite forest elemental, Swamp Thing! This should be more in keeping with the Bissette redesign that's going strong today over the Wrightson/Movie version that was the basis for the 1989 Kenner figures. The scale on these will probably be in the Spawn size figure range.

In other DC toy news, we have been told that the DC group responsible for this direct market line is not currently working on Famous Covers style DC figures, as was previously reported. This line may be active at DC licensing, or at Kenner, though, so don't rule them out just yet. We'll let you know as things develop further.

ToyFare's newest issue has hit the stands with articles ranging from the state of Japanese toys to a look back at Mego's Planet of the Apes line. The usual content is also up to par, with an extended Twisted Mego Theatre demonstrating why Jolt Cola and Horse Laxatives don't mix.

But the big story of interest is the announcement and pictures of the new repainted Total Justice JLA figures. The pictures shown of "new" figure were mock-ups made for promotional use, but the actual releases are promised to be new sculpts of Martian Manhunter and Superman Red/Blue, with possibly Plastic Man on the way. Also shown were sneak peeks at the new Alley Oop and Bone figures.

According to this published report, the assortment is tentatively called "Mission Masters" and in addition to Mr. Freeze will contain Cave Climber Batman (with grappling hook), Slalom Batman (with skiis), and Glider Batman (with small Batwing-type glider).

For a look at these pics, head over to the The Bruce Timm Artwork Archive. While you are there, take some time to look around at all the other animated style goodies.

Ed. Note: This story is brought to you by Jeff Cope. We'd like to welcome Jeff to our happy family. He will be maintaining a news page devoted to all the Small Press, Independent, and Direct Market toy lines and manufacturers. This dedicated feature will expand our coverage of this rapidly growing segment of the toy collecting world. Welcome to RTM Jeff. Hope you survive the experience!

Castle Freak is the ghoulish creature from the highly successful movie of the same name. Castle Freak is one of Full Moon Studios most successful movies ever. The film, directed by genre great Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond, Dolls) won Fangoria magazine's Chainsaw Award for "Best Direct to Video Feature" for 1996.

"Castle Freak will astound collectors who are looking for something a little different in highly detailed collectibles" commented Rick Phares, Executive Vice President of Full Moon Toys. "We have been working on many "extras" for this figure for quite a while."

Those "extras" include a complete dungeon wall and base, a shackle and chain to attach the figure to the wall, a cat'o'nine tails whip, and a special "surprise" accessory. "The additional "surprise" accessory is definitely a piece that will be talked about, once the figure is release." commented Phares.

Mephisto is the latest addition to the successful Puppet Master action figure series. Mephisto is the puppet that was seen in Andre Toulon's (The Puppet Master) flashback sequence in Puppet Master II, "we have had numerous requests from fans to release Mephisto as an action figure." comments Phares.

Mephisto (who bears a strong resemblance to Blade, another Full Moon Toys favorite) will come with a real cloth robe, gold chain, and crystal ball.

This trick or treat duo will be packed 10 figures per case (four regular Castle Freak, four regular Mephisto, one special edition Castle Freak, and one special edition Mephisto). The suggested retail price for each figure is $14.95 and will be available in October. Each figure will be packed in unique blister cards featuring exclusive artwork unique to each character.

Thanks to one of our roving reporters, we are pleased to bring you an additional picture of the upcoming Bone figures from Resaurus. These figures were on display at Heroes Con recently. Although these are just prototypes, they do look extremely promising.

Although several of the Bone figures have been shown elsewhere, this may be the first time that pictures of the Rat Creature, possums, and Thorn have been shown. We can't wait for this line!

The classic version of Havok (complete with his head gear) will be the ToyFare exclusive offering for issue #16 (available in October). This will make an excellent addition to the X-Men line and especially to the new boxed set (due out at around the same time).

This is the first time this version of Havok has ever been done. Although this isn't the design found in the Marvel Action Figure Guide, the figure is a representation of Alex Summers in his original costume and should please collectors and X-Men fans alike.

Look for a picture of Havok right here later this month! You'll see it here first!

CNN Headline News featured RTM in its CNN Online segment today (July 6th). We are very flattered by the attention and the coverage for the site we've worked so hard to bring you. The spot covers a lot of our features here at RTM including this very news page, the Custom Corner, the Toy Buzz Live chat, and more. Even our own Scott Carroll got his mug featured at the end of this clip (albeit he was but a youngster in the photo).

We believe that this type of publicity will open up RTM to a whole new audience. We haven't gone out of our way to advertise so the vast majority of our traffic comes from word of mouth from you, the reader. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support and hope you'll stay tuned for even more exciting developments as we continue to expand!

With the interest in larger articulated figures in cloth outfits growing in the past few years, it seems as if most of what the classic Mego company made is in vogue again. From Playmates' Star Trek line, to Hasbro's Universal Monsters and Planet of the Apes, to the recent Famous Covers line from Toy Biz. All that's been missing has been 8" figures based on DC comics' iconic line-up. Well, the wait may just be over. Sources indicate that we may be close to having a Famous Covers type line of DC characters hit the shelves, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash. It's unknown at this point if these are being made by DC's new toy effort, or by Kenner.

And speaking of DC's upcoming toys, we've been told that it looks like the new direct market figures previously reported on will be in the 6 1/2" to 7" range, making them incompatible in scale with Kenner's recent DC efforts. We'll bring you updates as we get them.

The biggest question on everyone's mind appears to be the make-up of the J. Jonah Jameson figure. Apparently it has most of you stumped. So we put our crack team of action figure scientists on the case and after doing extensive genetic testing and taking numerous core samples, we've reached a conclusion.

The head, of course, belongs to the Chameleon figure. The clothes are made of cloth and are obviously new. The body appears to be a Mr. Fantastic body from the Fantastic Four line a couple of years back. There you have it.

We'll let you do your own research on some of the other figures from these sets. Study hard and perhaps you could get a grant!

X-Men Strike Team | Spider-Man Mutant Mayhem | Famous Covers Two-Packs

The feature of this issue is a retrospective of the Thundercats line so if you are a collector be sure to pick up this visual reference guide. Also be sure to take a peek at the Micronauts Convention exclusive Black Falcon figure, sure to be a favorite of all the Micronuts out there. The issue is rounded out with looks at tons of packaged toys from Toy Biz, Jakks, and many others soon to be on a store shelf near you.

Check out this issue at your local comic or magazine retailer right now!

This deluxe book features an introduction by the other member of the Batman animation creative duo, Bruce Timm. The book promises hundreds of never-before-seen photos from the Warner Brothers animation archives along with a detailed episode guide, comments from the creators and voice actors, and a look at lots of the associated Batman merchandise inspired by this unique style.

The book's photography is done by the same individual who worked on Batman Collected, Geoff Spear so look for awesome photos to accompany this volume. The softcover edition should cost about $25 and the hardcover edition will run you in the neighborhood of $50.

This is a must have for fans of the animated series. Start drooling!

The new series, called Voltron: The Third Dimension, is slated to debut this fall with 26 episodes. Cinescape also spoke with the team that is leading this new venture, Netter Digital Technologies. This is the same crew that has worked on the special effects for the Babylon 5 series.

The concept sounds reminiscent of the extremely popular Beast Wars series. But where does this leave us for new Voltron toys? Well, no official word yet, but Trendmasters is currently producing some Voltron toys and would seem to be the front-runner for any new products based on this new series.

We'll keep you abreast of any new developments. World Events Productions, has a notice on their site to check back for exciting Voltron news today so you might want to keep an eye on that site for the latest breaking news on the world of Voltron.

The issue features an interview with Babylon 5 star Jerry Doyle (featured on the cover) as well as an interview with Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee. The Stan Lee article is fun if for no other reason than the fact that it contains a photo of a 7 year-old Digger (sculptor and head of the Art Asylum) with Stan the Man himself. A true fanboy from an early age.

Adam Pawlus continues to excel in bringing all the Star Wars news he can muster including a look at all the Expanded Universe figures. There is a complete rundown and photo essay on the upcoming Toy Vault figures and an article on a little known company called Gentle Giant. Ever want to have yourself scanned and made into an action figure? Check out this article to see how it could be done!

The issue also includes looks at Iron Man and Ant Man from the classic Avengers boxed set. You'll want to pick up this issue to get a better look at these two awesome figures coming next year from Toy Biz.

Brad Parker continues to prove that he is one of the best "action figure artists" on the planet. This issue is filled with his photo manipulations of popular action figures. From the continuation of the "Escape of Cloud City" saga using Star Wars figures to his excellent feature "From the Camera of Peter Parker" these are truly magnificent works. Makes you almost wish for a set of Toy Biz action figure trading cards done in this style.

Add in all the regular go figure departments like Plastic Bullets and the Collected Pages and you have a very satisfying read. The highlight of the issue has to be the Dennis Rodman joke. I won't spoil it for you, but you have to pick up this issue just to see this segment. It'll make milk fly out of your nose.

Pick up go figure! at your local comic or magazine shop. Also look for go figure and all the crew at the San Diego Comic-Con International in August.

Puck was one of the most popular entries in our Alpha Flight survey for Toy Biz. The company decided to go directly to the fans for the choices and that is exactly what is being made.

We'll keep you updated as we get more info and photos!