Raving Toy Maniac

VISIT VIZ MEDIA AT WONDERCON, BOOTH #206

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES ACTIVITIES AND CONVENTION EXCLUSIVES FOR WONDERCON 2012

VIZ Media Treats Attendees To Special "Test Drives" Of New WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Digital Manga Magazine

San Francisco, CA, March 13, 2012 - VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, returns to WonderCon 2012 as the show comes to Anaheim, CA, March 16th-18th at the Anaheim Convention Center. WonderCon is one of the country's best comics and pop culture conventions. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 206. Complete details on WonderCon are available at: www.comic-con.org/wc.

Throughout the convention, VIZ Media will treat WonderCon attendees to special "test drives" of the company's new WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA digital manga magazine. Drop by the VIZ Media booth, sample the new digital content, and complete a special survey to be entered to win a new Apple iPad 2! The winner will be notified following the show.

BIOWARE AND DARK HORSE ANNOUNCE MASS EFFECT 3 ­­ IN-GAME ITEMS ON PC AND XBOX 360 FOR FANS WHO PURCHASE MASS EFFECT ART BOOK

Assemble the Ultimate 3D Experience with Marvel's THE AVENGERS Collector's Edition RealD 3D Glasses

March 2012 - To celebrate the May 4th release of the summer's most anticipated film - Marvel's THE AVENGERS – RealD & Marvel have teamed to release a set of four character themed RealD 3D glasses.

Featuring designs for Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America, beginning in the month of April fans at will be able to collect these limited edition RealD 3D glasses at special events, fan screenings and via upcoming online giveaways. Collector's Edition Marvel's THE AVENGERS RealD 3D glasses will also be available at select AMC Theatres, National Amusement Theatres and independent theatres throughout the U.S. beginning as early as midnight on May 3rd.

For more information and to start your collection Like/Follow http://www.twitter.com/RealD3D http://www.facebook.com/RealD3D

March 2012 - The new wave of Minimates mini-figures based on the hit video game Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is in stores now, and they look amazing! Diamond Select Toys wanted to take their product for a test-run, so they threw the entire specialty wave's line-up into the ring one two-pack at a time and took pictures of the fighters facing off. (They even threw in a couple from Wave 1 for good measure.) Each 2-inch mini-figure comes with a display base, and most come with a bunch of additional accessories, so check out the gallery here!

http://www.artasylum.com/gallery/marvel-vs-capcom-series-2/

MvC3 Minimates Series 2 is available in comic shops and specialty stores now -- to find your nearest comic shop, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com! And be on the lookout for more exclusive MvC3 figures coming soon to Toys "R" Us!

Mega Brands reports fourth quarter and 2011 results

MONTREAL, March 14, 2012 - MEGA Brands Inc. (TSX: MB) announced today its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011. (All figures are expressed in US dollars.)

Consolidated total net sales in 2011 increased 2% to $376.8 million compared to $368.0 million in 2010. Sales increased 2% in Toys product lines and 3% in the Stationery & Activities segment. On a geographic basis, sales were up 1% in North America and 5% in international markets.

Reported net earnings were $8.3 million in 2011 compared to $131.1 million in 2010. Reported earnings in 2011 include a $3.0 million loss on the settlement of debt in 2011 and, in 2010, a $144.3 million gain on the settlement of debt and transaction costs and other expenses of $13.4 million.

March 14, 2012 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

Hi - Here is a quick update from BigBadToyStore - please check out a variety of exciting new preorders pictured below as well as this week's latest arrivals.

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NEW PREORDERS
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STAR WARS VINTAGE 2012 WAVE 2.0, 2.2, 2.5
Three new assortments have just been listed - each with figures unique to their specific wave. Take a look at the top 3 listings here for info on all the new figures.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/search.aspx?search=star+wars+vintage

TRANSFORMERS PRIME - DELUXE WAVE 03
Knockout, Hot Shot, and Vehicon have been added to the TF Prime lineup. We have sets of 3 available at $54.99, cases of 8 for $104.99 and singles of Hot Shot and Knockout at $17.99 - check them out here:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/search.aspx?search=prime+deluxe+03

Presenting the Winners in DST's Marvel Select Colossus Photo Contest!

March 2012 - Congratulations to everyone who entered Diamond Select Toys' Colossal Marvel Select Photo Contest! While only four winners were chosen, DST received almost 30 photos of the Marvel Select Colossus figure, each one better than the last! You'd think that so many pictures of the same steel mutant would get repetitive after awhile, but the sheer variety of backgrounds and displays and lighting choices made each new entry a wonder to behold. Here are the winners!

The first runner-up was Alexander Villamor Diaz, who shot Colossus sizing up Juggernaut for a game of one-on-one. Colossus has even taken his shirt off for it! Juggernaut was a frequent player in these photos, but DST loved the angle and the drama created by the piece... plus the fact that the rubble surrounding Colossus all came from other Marvel Select display bases!

The Harry Potter Alliance launches the Hunger is Not a Game Campaign
Working together with Oxfam, the HPA announces campaign to coincide with the release of The Hunger Games Movie

March 2012 - Boston, MA - The Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) will celebrate the release of The Hunger Games by partnering with Oxfam to raise awareness of hunger-related issues around the globe. Hunger is Not a Game, the HPA's first Imagine Better campaign, unites fans of The Hunger Games, the Harry Potter fan community, and Oxfam to tackle the pressing issue of the politics of hunger.

"For children around the world, hunger is something they live with every single day. Just as in The Hunger Games series, hunger is often used as a way to oppress and control a population," said HPA Executive Director Andrew Slack. "Through our project Imagine Better, we have teamed up with The Hunger Games fan community, as well as Oxfam, to seek food production reform to ensure that no child is ever caught up in corporations' deadly game."

Garbage Pail Kids

By The Topps Company, Inc.
Introduction by Art Spiegelman
Afterword by John Pound

"We were trying to help another generation of juvenile delinquents come of age."
- Art Spiegelman, from his introduction

"Kids loved them; parents hated them."
- John Pound, from his afterword

March 2012 - Garbage Pail Kids: More than twenty-five years later, you can still rattle off the names of all your favorites, long after your mother finally scraped the last of the "Oozy Suzy," "Potty Scotty," and "Acne Amy" stickers off your refrigerator door. You loved them as much as your parents despised them, and now the Garbage Pail Kids phenomenon (Abrams ComicArts; April 2012; U.S. $19.95 / CAN. $21.95; ISBN: 978-1-4197-0270-9) is here to gross us out all over again.

Toys'R'Us: Cody Simpson Dolls

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Toys"R"Us is the Ultimate Cody Simpson Destination, Offering Toys and Lifestyle Merchandise Inspired by the Teen Popstar in its Stores Nationwide

Australia-Born Musician, Cody Simpson, Covers the Retailer's Spring "Swagtastic" Catalog, Featuring Fan-Favorite Items From Life-Size Standees to Singing Dolls

WAYNE, N.J., March 13, 2012 -- As 15-year-old Internet sensation turned superstar Cody Simpson climbs the charts and steals kids' hearts, fans will shriek with excitement when they receive the latest Toys"R"Us catalog in homes this Friday, March 16, picturing the Australia-born singer on the cover. Filled with "Rockin' Accessories and Fashion Faves" for today's trendy tweens, the catalog features a selection of Cody Simpson toys and gear available at The World's Greatest Toy Store™.