~ Welcome to RTMemo
~ Featured This Issue
        - Marvel Select Interview
        - Treebeard and Sauron
        - Muppets, Series Two
        - Muppets Electric Mayhem Playset
        - Ultimate Iron Man Bust
        - MOTU Evil Enemies, Series Two
        - Super Friends Batman Maquette
~ News Highlights
~ From the Buzz
~ From the ShopCenter/MarketBuzz
~ From NewLineShop.com
~ Toy Link of the Week
~ Non-Toy Link of the Week

------ Welcome to RTMemo ------

Happy New Year!

It's been a few weeks since we've "talked," so this edition will be a bit longer than usual. There are also a few extra links in the "non-toy link of the week" section, for those of you who enjoy that section.

------ Featured This Issue ------

Figuratively Speaking about Marvel Select
RTM's Figuratively Speaking returns with a talk with Eric Lyga of Diamond Select Toys and Jesse Falcon of Toy Biz about the Marvel Select action figures:
http://www.toymania.com/columns/figspeak/mselect.shtml

Spotlight: Treebeard and Sauron
The RTM Spotlight celebrates two towering action figures from the Lord of the Rings: Treebeard and Sauron:
http://www.toymania.com/columns/spotlight/lotrdeluxepair.shtml

Spotlight: Muppets, Series Two
The RTM Spotlight gets moving with the second series of Muppets action
figures from Palisades: Fozzie Bear, Floyd Pepper, Crazy Harry, and Gonzo:
http://www.toymania.com/columns/spotlight/palmuppets2.shtml

Spotlight: Muppets Electric Mayhem Playset
Animal takes center stage on the RTM Spotlight... a look at the Electric Mayhem Playset from the Muppets by Palisades Toys:
http://www.toymania.com/columns/spotlight/palmupemayhem.shtml

RTMisc: Ultimate Iron Man Bust
Tony Stark is Iron Man in the Ultimates, and RTMisc is there when he is immortalized in mini-bust format from Diamond Select:
http://www.toymania.com/columns/rtmisc/dsultironman.shtml

Spotlight: MOTU Evil Enemies, Series Two
The RTM Spotlight spins into action with a peek at the second series of "Evil Enemies" action figures in Mattel's Masters of the Universe line: Trapjaw, Tri-Klops, and Spin Blade Skeletor:
http://www.toymania.com/columns/spotlight/badmotus2.shtml

RTMisc: Super Friends Batman Maquette
RTMisc rings in the New Year with an early look at the Super Friends Batman Maquette from DC Direct:
http://www.toymania.com/columns/rtmisc/dcdbatmanmaq.shtml

------ News Highlights ------

Dragon Ball Z from JAKKS Pacific
JAKKS Pacific has been awarded the license to create action figures based on the wildly popular Dragon Ball Z:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2834.shtml

Star Trek Busts
Sideshow Toy announced more of their Star Trek busts, and unveiled images of the Kirk and Spock busts:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2758.shtml

Portable Toygodd
Toygodd of Action Figure Times is being made into a block-type action figure - the Toygodd Qee!
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2760.shtml

New Head Knockers
NECA will be making Head Knockers of Transformers characters:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2763.shtml
NECA will also be making Head Knockers based on Terminator 2:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2827.shtml

Muppets Series 4 Figures
Palisades released images and details about their fourth series of Muppets action figures (Dr. Julius Strangepork, Captain Link Hogthrob, Rizzo, and Sam the Eagle as Mr. Samuel Arrow):
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2766.shtml

2003 Joe-Lanta Show
The 3rd annual GI Joe show in Atlanta is coming up in March:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2780.shtml

Tron 2.0 Action Figures
NECA has unveiled their action figures based on characters from Tron 2.0:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2791.shtml and
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2812.shtml

Spy Gear in Post Cereals
Another toy promotion in breakfast cereals:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2794.shtml

Bandai's Ultimate Muscle
Details from Bandai about their Ultimate Muscle toys and action figures:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2796.shtml

Tony Hawk and Art Asylum
Details about the Tony Hawk action figures from Art Asylum (many of which are already in stores, we've spotted them in a Wal-Mart in Iowa):
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2797.shtml

DC Direct Solicitations for December:
Oversized Wonder Woman Poster:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2798.shtml
Batgirl statue, Harley Quinn statue, Flash wall plaque:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2799.shtml
Kingdom Come action figures:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2800.shtml

King of the Hill, series 2
Images of the second wave of King of the Hill action figures from Toycom:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2808.shtml

Marvel Select Black Cat
Diamond Select unveils the Black Cat action figure, 7th in their Marvel Select series:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2814.shtml

LOTR: Two Towers Gollum Figure
The Gollum action figure from Toy Biz:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2815.shtml

Life-Sized Green Goblin Bust
Dynamic Forces expands their series of life-sized busts with the Green Goblin:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2832.shtml

Playmind: New Toy Company
Playmind is a new toy company - their initial product line will be action figures with die-cast parts:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2845.shtml

Mage Knight Dungeons: Pyramid
A new base set for Mage Knight launched today (January 2nd) across the US:
http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/2859.shtml

As always, these are just a few of the news highlights from the past week. To see all the news, check the main news index and the latest archives:
http://www.toymania.com/news/index.shtml

------ From the Buzz ------

Dare has found Monsters Inc bootleg PVCs:
http://www.toymania.com/toybuzz/messages/39182.shtml

TRDouble asks what you are most (and least) looking forward to in 2003:
http://www.toymania.com/toybuzz/messages/39176.shtml

Chuckster has found bargain-price Famous Covers at Factory 2 U:
http://www.toymania.com/toybuzz/messages/39147.shtml

Would it be a new year without the Happy New Year thread?:
http://www.toymania.com/toybuzz/messages/39056.shtml

(The posts on the Buzz last only a few days, so if you are reading this more than two or three days after this issue of RTMemo was sent out, the posts will likely be gone.)

------ From the ShopCenter/MarketBuzz ------

There are 17 new posts so far in 2003, so rather than pick and choose, let me just remind you to check this forum for trading and selling:
http://www.toymania.com/marketbuzz/

------ From NewLineShop.com ------

NewLineShop.com has "life sized" standees of the main characters from the Lord of the Rings films, so if you wanted a life sized cardboard Aragorn to watch over you, now's your chance:
http://www.toymania.com/links/cj_lotrstandee.shtml

------ Toy Link of the Week ------

OAFE - Online Action Figure Evaluators
As you might expect from the name, this site has action figure reviews. it also has "figuretoons," non-review columns, and a forum:
http://www.oafe.net/
And with it being that time of year again, they also have their picks for "Toy of the Year":
http://www.oafe.net/articulation/

------ Non-Toy Link of the Week ------

2002 Year in Review
Yahoo!'s "year in review" page breaks 2002 down by category, including news, tv, movies, finance, sports, etc:
http://yir.yahoo.com/2002/

Vaporware of 2002
Wired continues their tradition of mocking no-go tech products with their annual Vaporware awards for software and other tech products which were much-touted but which were never delivered in 2002:
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,57023,00.html

A repeat link because this one can help with many of your New Year's Resolutions: The Fly Lady
Are you a slob? Maybe just a little messy? Sign up at the Fly Lady's site for her reminder service (it's free) and get daily emails reminding you to do certain household chores. Some emails are for daily chores, while others are specific chores depending on the day or week. It sounds like nagging, we know, but sometimes a gentle email reminder to take out the garbage is better than a cold glare from your roommate or spouse about the same thing:
http://www.flylady.net/

And the "every couple of issues" repeat link:
Opt-out of the X-10 Pop-up Ads
Are the pop-up ads for the X-10 cameras bugging you? Go to this page on their site to get a cookie for your browser - the cookie will prevent the pop-up ad for a month.
http://www.x10.com/x10ads1.htm

------ In Closing ------

Thank you for subscribing to RTMemo and for reading the Raving Toy Maniac.

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- the RTM Staff
http://www.toymania.com