Raving Toy Maniac

Forces of Dorkness x outsmART originals: Tusken Idol T-Shirt

February 2013 - "Be it scoundrel or scholar, I was drawn in by both Star Wars and the Indiana Jones movies as a kid. So I thought, "what's better than mashing those two?", and my response is a piece I call "Tusken Raiders of the Lost Ark". Our little golden buddy comes from the temples of Tatooine deep in the dunes and about as far away from Mos Eisley as one can get. Not only does it have the face of a Tusken Raider, but he's also riding the most loyal of the beasts of the desert, the Bantha." - Scott Kinnebrew

outsmART originals is thrilled to release the Tusken Idol t-shirt, a limited worldwide release, from the mind of Forces of Dorkness (aka Scott Kinnebrew). Shipping the beginning of March, this release will be screen printed on ultra cotton tees for both men and women.

Diamond Select Toys to Unveil New Products, New Licenses at Toy Fair International

February 2013 - This weekend, Toy Fair International begins at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Not open to the public, the event allows toy manufacturers to present their new offerings to buyers from retail stores around the world, and it always offers fans the first look at the hottest toys of the year. Well, this year Diamond Select Toys will once again be in attendance, and once again they will have plenty on display to dazzle fans!

On display at booth 4905 will be new items from DST's broad array of licenses: Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, The Walking Dead, Star Wars, Star Trek, Universal Monsters, The Munsters, Knight Rider, Ghostbusters, Pathfinder, Tomb Raider and Invincible. Products will include highly detailed 7-inch action figures, 2-inch Minimates mini-figures, Femme Fatales PVC statues, Granix art plaques, vehicles, light-up statues, banks, prop replicas, bottle openers, kitchenware, neon signs and more.

DST will also announce two new licenses at the show:

February 2013 - Christopher Tupa is writing a book and is asking for your toy memories:

I'm putting together a free ebook collecting people's memories of their toys and how they played with them. Would love it if you'd like to join the fun and submit something! All the details are here if you're interested: http://ctupa.com/blog/?p=1729

Hasbro Showcases Portfolio of Brands and Innovative New Play Experiences at the 110th American International Toy Fair

Premier Global Branded Play Company Highlights New Introductions from TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, PLAY-DOH, FURBY and More

NEW YORK -- February 7, 2013 -- Hasbro, Inc., home to many of the world's favorite entertainment and playtime brands, will celebrate new initiatives and product launches at the largest toy industry expo in the western hemisphere.

"Hasbro continues to deliver the best in branded play to consumers around the world with our unparalleled portfolio of multi-platform properties including TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY and MONOPOLY," said John Frascotti, chief marketing officer, Hasbro. "In 2013 Hasbro will offer a wide variety of new ways to experience our brands across multiple formats, making them available anytime and anywhere consumers want."

K'NEX® Brands Launches Fifth Annual Fundraising Initiative To Benefit The United Way

Hatfield, PA, February, 2013 – K'NEX, the only US construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love®, recently announced their fifth annual fundraising initiative benefiting United Way. K'NEX is donating 10% of sales from http://knex.com during the month of February to the North Penn United Way chapter and will also be accepting additional donations through its website.

"We're proud to support the United Way again this year," said Michael Araten, president of K'NEX Brands. "The devastation brought forth by Hurricane Sandy underscored the importance of gratitude and giving back. Raising funds for an organization like the United Way, which provides vital aid to those both around the world and around the corner, is important now more than ever."

February 2013 - CustomCon 34 (Spring 2013) is coming soon! The event itself will be held from April 22 to 26, but the entry deadline is April 1. (No joke, it just happened that the Monday of the week we were aiming for was April 1st.)

We will post the entry guidelines soon, but there are no major changes from years past, so mark your calendars now to be able to include your custom action figures in this online event.

LEGO Systems Unveils 250 New Building Sets at American International Toy Fair

- Builders of all ages will be inspired by endless LEGO possibilities, from new preschool play options to classic themes and new licenses to the introduction of the most advanced LEGO® robotics product ever -

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2013 -- American International Toy Fair -- LEGO Systems, Inc., makers of the world's leading construction toys, will unveil its largest collection of build and play toys ever – 250 new products – at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. With new products launching throughout the year, children of all ages and interests will find a LEGO® building set or theme to spark their building creativity, inspire storytelling and role play or keep them engaged in imaginative play for hours. New items are on display in Booth #1351 in Hall 3B of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from February 10-13.

Saban Brands Celebrates 20 Years of Power Rangers at American International Toy Fair 2013

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2013 -- Saban Brands and its licensing partners will showcase a playful assortment of Power Rangers inspired toys next week during the American International Toy Fair, Feb. 10-13 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. There will be a variety of action figures, plush, board games, consumer electronics and more to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the iconic franchise. New Power Rangers Megaforce products will be on display for the all-new season now airing on Nickelodeon, as well as some items inspired by the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series to commemorate the 20th anniversary year. All products are expected to hit shelves throughout the year.

The LEGO Group Announces Building Sets Inspired by Disney's The Lone Ranger

NEW YORK, American International Toy Fair (February 7, 2013) – The LEGO Group today announced an upcoming collection of LEGO® construction toys inspired by the Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' feature film The Lone Ranger, which debuts in theaters July 3, 2013. Scheduled to launch this April, six new building sets will bring the action and stories of the film to life in LEGO form, and will include iconic characters such as John Reid (aka The Lone Ranger), Tonto and the horse, Silver.

"We are thrilled to once again collaborate with Disney Consumer Products to create construction toys based on a live action film," said Jill Wilfert, vice president licensing & entertainment at The LEGO Group. "We have not offered a LEGO western theme in over 10 years, and The Lone Ranger provided the quintessential inspiration with familiar characters, stories and scenes, allowing us to develop authentic and exciting models for children and adult collectors alike."

February 8, 2013 - Listed below are the toy (and child-related) recalls from this week; these links go to the official announcements on the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site.

- Mutsy USA Recalls EVO Strollers Due to Strangulation Hazard

- Play Yard Sheets Recalled by 4moms Due to Entrapment Hazard