Raving Toy Maniac

K'NEX Announces New Additions to the KISS Line of Building Sets

Officially-Licensed Sets by K'NEX Allow Music Fans to Build Hard Driving Rock Band

Hatfield, PA, February 2013 - K'NEX, the only US construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love®, is pleased to introduce 2 additions to its monstrously successful line of KISS building sets. The new sets allow KISS collectors, rock fans and building enthusiasts to continue building and playing with characters from their favorite iconic rock band.

February 25, 2013 - Troops of Doom is 5 years old today, with 523 comics and 118 extra photos to date. The next five episodes will feature "Become a Troop of Doom" contests where readers can have a character named after them and have a recurring role in the comic.

Troops of Doom is an action figure webcomic featuring GI Joe battling Star Wars for Lego technology. Launched in February 2008 and updated as often as possible Monday to Friday. Check it out for a laugh.

http://www.troopsofdoomcomic.com

DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES EMERALD CITY COMICON 2013 SCHEDULE!

February 25, MILWAUKIE, OR - Dark Horse Comics is headed to the Pacific Northwest's foremost and fastest growing pop culture convention – Emerald City Comicon.

Join us for signings at booth #1102! Free comics and/or prints with each signing while supplies last. Please note that lines may be capped or tickets issued as needed; ask early about your favorite signings!

Comics, books, and collectibles will be available for purchase from Dark Horse or your favorite retailer.

DARK HORSE SIGNINGS & PANELS

Friday, March 1

2:30 p.m. Tyler Crook (B.P.R.D.)

3:30 p.m. Doug Sneyd (The Art of Doug Sneyd)

4:30 p.m. Superhero Signing: Frank Barbieri (Blackout), Francesco Francavilla (The Black Beetle), Michael Avon Oeming (The Victories), Josh Williamson (Captain Midnight)

6:00 p.m. Steve Lieber (Alabaster)

Klingon Disruptor Gets New Packaged Pics, Demo Video and Exclusive Variant!

February 25, 2013 - Is Diamond Select Toys defecting to the Klingon Empire? First they gave Star Trek fans two insanely detailed Klingon Bird of Prey electronic ships, now it's two electronic replicas of the Klingon disruptor!

With three different settings, the thumb trigger can activate single shot, rapid-fire and "disintegrate" sound effects, with a flickering red LED at the muzzle. The standard model is based on the weapon's appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Action Figure Xpress will have an exclusive Star Trek III version of Commander Kruge's weapon of choice! Check out the packaging and the demonstration videos below!

Link to AFX-exclusive Kruge edition:
http://www.shopafx.com/afxexsttr3kl.html

Link to Standard edition demonstration:

DARK HORSE COMICS & HAPPYGIANT ANNOUNCE USAGI YOJIMBO GAME

Award Winning Comic Brought To Life for Mobile, Tablets, Desktop

New York, NY, ­ February 22, 2013 - HappyGiant, in association with Dark Horse Comics, announce "Usagi Yojimbo: Way of The Ronin", a game now available for iPhones & iPads, and coming soon to Android devices and desktop PC's (http://www.usagiyojimbogame.com).

In conjunction with the release of the game, Dark Horse Comics is announcing the first new Usagi Yojimbo collection after a year hiatus working on 47 Ronin. The first new book will be Usagi Yojimbo: A Town Called Hell, which will see release on July 17.

On Sale This Week: Marvel Select Venom and the U.S.S. Enterprise-E

February 21, 2013 - Never before has there been a new toy day more highly anticipated than today! Not only did Diamond Select Toys' latest, greatest Marvel Select action figure ship to comic shops and specialty stores today, those store also received DST's newest electronic Star Trek ship! Both toys have been long-coveted by collectors, and both are already getting rave reviews! Read on to see what makes these two items so amazing!

Marvel Select Venom Action Figure

INTRODUCING THE NEW 2013 STAR WARS® Star Tours™ Action Figure Packs from Hasbro

February 2013 - The celebration of the amazing new Star Tours Disney theme park ride continues in 2013 with new STAR WARS Star Tours Action Figure Packs from Hasbro. Building off of the packs released in 2011, these two sets of figures introduce new Droids from the ride experience as well as a few reprised fan favorites. New figures include a blue Signal Droid, red RX Droid, a G2 Droid rebuilt from scratch for more accurate detail, and the very first appearance of a new Seeker Droid!

These packs launch in May 2013 at Walt Disney World - Hollywood Studios during STAR WARS Weekends and will be available at Walt Disney World stores in Florida and Disneyland Resort stores in California shortly thereafter.

Experience the magic of the ride and then relive the action with the STAR WARS Star Tours Action Figure Packs!

(Item# A0416) STAR WARS® Star Tours™: Search for the Rebel Spy

February 2013 - LEGO has announced a giant new Star Wars set, the Red Five X-wing Starfighter:

10240 - Red Five X-wing Starfighter™
Ages 16+.
1,558 pieces.
Build the ultimate LEGO® Star Wars™ X-wing Starfighter!
US $199.99 CA $249.99 DE 199.99€ UK 169.99 £ DK 1699.00 DKK

Collect and create the most highly detailed LEGO® Star Wars™ X-wing Starfighter ever produced. This iconic starfighter is featured in many of the most exciting Star Wars battle scenes, including the decisive battle scene above planet Yavin™. Recreate the moment when Luke Skywalker's X-wing delivered the proton torpedo that led to the destruction of the Imperial Death Star! With 1,558 pieces, this realistically detailed model features opening wings and cockpit, a special display stand, data sheet label and R2-D2.

• Includes R2-D2 atromech droid
• Features highly authentic detailing, and opening wings and cockpit
• Includes 1558 pieces

DARK HORSE DELUXE PARTNERS WITH TOY2R TO DISTRIBUTE LIMITED EDITION HELLBOY MINI-QEE VINYL TOYS!

MILWAUKIE, OR - February 2013 - At this year's International Toy Fair, Dark Horse revealed what is sure to be one of the year's most-talked-about toy releases! Hong Kong's innovative designer-toy company Toy2R will produce a new range of 5" vinyl figures in their popular "Mini-Qee" format, putting their unique design spin on Mike Mignola's popular Hellboy character.

Mike Mignola's Hellboy has emerged as one of the classic comic book characters of the modern day, spawning a successful series of graphic novels, motion pictures, animation, interactive games, and toy lines. Excitement around this character is at an all-time high, as Mignola takes him back to whence he came in the smash-hit series Hellboy in Hell, currently in its third issue.

Spin Master Ltd. and DreamWorks Animation Take Flight with Exclusive Global Licensing Relationship for DreamWorks Dragons Franchise

Toy Line from Hit TV Series DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk to Debut in Fall of 2013

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 19, 2013 - To forge an alliance worthy of the great Vikings and dragons of Berk, Spin Master Ltd., one of the leading toy manufacturers in the world and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. have entered into an exclusive licensing relationship in which Spin Master will serve as the worldwide master toy licensee for the DreamWorks Dragons slate of upcoming franchise properties, which includes a television series as well as the much-anticipated sequel to the original film.