Raving Toy Maniac

January 23, 2013 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

-------------
NEW PREORDERS
-------------

MP-17 MASTERPIECE PROWL
This new Masterpiece Transformer has just been listed at $79.99. Please Note: The pricing on this item is subject to change while we verify final costs with suppliers.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK11668&mode=re...

MP-18 MASTERPIECE SMOKESCREEN
This new Masterpiece Transformer has just been listed at $79.99. Please Note: The pricing on this item is subject to change while we verify final costs with suppliers.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK11669&mode=re...

NEW TAKARA TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS, EG FIGURES

On Sale This Week: The Star Trek Klingon Bird of Prey!

January 23, 2013 - It's finally here! The Klingon Bird of Prey is shipping to comic shops, and Star Trek fans are already calling it one of the greatest starships Diamond Select Toys has ever made!

Based on the iconic alien ship's appearance in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, General Chang's unnamed, experimental Bird of Prey features adjustable wings, light-up weapons and engine, and plenty of dialogue from General Chang himself, as voiced by Academy Award-winning actor Christopher Plummer. The Bird of Prey measures over a foot long and over 18 inches wide with its wings level!

Pick one up at your local comic shop or your favorite online retailer, and if they're sold out, tell them you want to order one!

Also shipping: New editions of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D and the "All Good Things" Enterprise-D!

Find your local comic shop at http://www.comicshoplocator.com

January 23, 2013 - (Sponsor Announcement) - Online retailer BigBadToyStore.com has several items of interest to collectors:

MP-12T Masterpiece Tigertrack Exclusive - $99.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK11667&mode=re...

Hasbro Bot Shots - Stunticons Five-Pack & Autobot Arctic Force Five-Pack
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22541&mode=re...

Beast Hunters Voyager Wave 02 - Beast Shockwave - $27.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22544&mode=re...

Beast Hunters Voyager Wave 02 - Set with Prime, Predaking, Beast Shockwave
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22543&mode=re...

Beast Hunters Voyager Wave 02 - Case with 2x Beast Shockwave
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS22542&mode=re...

Star Wars Celebration Europe Coming to GERMANY in 2013

Tickets now available

January 2013 - Star Wars Celebration Europe, the official Lucasfilm event for all things Star Wars, is coming to Messe Essen, Germany July 26-28, 2013. Tickets are now available at http://www.starwarscelebration.eu

The event, which is expected to draw between 25,000 and 30,000 Star Wars enthusiasts to Essen, marks only the second time Lucasfilm has presented an official Celebration in Europe, the first time being in 2007 in London.

"Essen is a perfect location for Celebration Europe," says Mary Franklin, Sr. Events Lead at Lucasfilm. "The passion and enthusiasm for Star Wars and The Clone Wars is tremendous in Germany. Messe Essen offers an ideal meeting place for the fan community from all over Europe and a good setting for all the special Star Wars programming we are planning."

Poppin' Mad: JOLLY TIME® Pop Corn Petitions Hasbro To Consider Popcorn MONOPOLY™ Game Piece

In a salty letter to Hasbro president, JOLLY TIME CEO cites tradition of popcorn and family game night, pleads company to join forces for a better future.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa, Jan. 18, 2013 -- Since 1935, families around the world have been getting buttery fingerprint stains on MONOPOLY dollars, and popcorn bowls have been flipped over hotels placed on Boardwalk. That's why today, JOLLY TIME Pop Corn – a 100-year-old, fifth-generation family-owned company – has publicly released a salty letter petitioning Hasbro to offer the option of a popcorn game piece.

LEGOLAND® California Resort Builds Largest Expansion In Resort's History!

CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 17, 2013 -- LEGOLAND® California Resort's General Manager Peter Ronchetti announced new additions, a national Junior Concierge search and employment growth with new jobs to come when North America's first LEGOLAND® Hotel opens April 5. "With annual additions, LEGOLAND California Resort is a multi-day destination proving the need for this multi-million dollar hotel," said Ronchetti. "With the Hotel comes new jobs and our HR team is filling 250 positions. Not only has the Resort grown tremendously since opening in 1999, but we have truly heightened the economy in the area providing up to 1,610 Model Citizens (employees) averaging 5% growth annually since 2004. Our employment numbers have increased 62% in the last eight years!"

Allen Wen aka AW177 x outsmART originals: Year of the Snake T-Shirt

January 2013 - YEAR OF THE SNAKE t-shirt by Allen Wen aka AW177

Chinese New Year begins February 10th and 2013 is the year of the Snake! Allen Wen (AW177) has created an incredibly detailed design to commemorate the Black Snake and outsmART originals is proud to release this limited edition t-shirt to celebrate the holiday.

Based on the Chinese horoscope, the Snake is intuitive, introspective, refined and the most collected of the animal signs. People born in the year of the Snake are attractive people who take cries with ease and do not become flustered easily while being graceful people, exciting and dark at the same time.

The G.I.JoeCon 2013 Brochure is now available for download. Night Force action figures, the voice of Lady Jaye and so much more are coming to Indianapolis, Indiana April 4th - April 7th!

Fort Worth, TX - January 18th, 2013 - Fun Publications, Inc., licensee for Hasbro's official G.I.Joe Collectors' Convention, G.I.JoeCon, has released the brochure that details many of the toys, events and guests that will be featured at this year's convention that will take place at the JW Marriott from April 4th thru April 7th in the great city of Indianapolis. You can read and download the brochure at http://GIJoeCon.com.

K'NEX Great Thrill Ride Build-Off Returns!

Contest expands to three Cedar Fair parks for 2013

Hatfield, PA (January 2013) - For a third consecutive year, K'NEX, America's Building Toy™ will continue its quest for future thrill ride innovators, expanding the Great Thrill Ride Build-Off competition this year to include three Cedar Fair parks!

The contest is open to all classrooms and student groups in grades 6-12 and will run through April 8. Students are challenged to build an original, functional amusement park ride solely from K'NEX parts and explain the scientific principles that affect its operation. The contest encourages students to apply what they've learned about potential and kinetic energy, speed, acceleration, gravity and rotational motion to their creations.

One winning K'NEX model will be displayed at each of the three participating parks: Cedar Point amusement park/resort in Sandusky, Ohio, home to parent company Cedar Fair's corporate headquarters; Dorney Park in Allentown, Pa.; and Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee, Minn.

Atari Files For Chapter 11 To Separate From French Parent

Iconic Brand Seeks to Restructure and Secure Independent Capital for Future Growth

NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2013 -- Today Atari Inc., Atari Interactive Inc., Humongous, Inc. and California US Holdings, Inc. (collectively, the "Companies") filed petitions for relief under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. With this move, the U.S.-based Atari operations seek to separate from the structural financial encumbrances of their French parent holding company, Atari S.A. (formerly Infogrames S.A.) and secure independent capital for future growth, primarily in the areas of digital and mobile games.