New Disney Star Wars figures

Some cheap LEGO stuff at Target this week!

I saw the Wreck Raider (above), which is a very worthy set, with a couple of bucks knocked off its worth. Great vehicle, a diver and a shark man! If Ben doesn't have it yet, I recommend it (before Saturday, when the sale ends).

Also, Prince of Persia sets are now showing up at TRU. Ostriches! Camels! Cool new hats!

Mattel Creates New Toy to Turn into Movie

From worstpreviews, Toy-maker Mattel recently challenged its designers to come up with a new toy line that could simultaneously be turned into a TV show, feature film and game. And just recently, the company picked the winner of the challenge.

The yet-unnamed toy line will be an alien civilization that's been living in the depths of Earth's oceans. "It's actually a great idea, with the caveat that they need to coordinate the story and have it all make sense well beforehand," said Jeff Gomez CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment. "Yes, there's brand equity in the name Hot Wheels. But it's the characters [in Battle Force 5] that young boys are identifying with, and that are driving TV ratings and the sales of the Hot Wheels DVDs. And that's likely what’s influencing Mattel's decision-making on further transmedia implementations."

At this point, Mattel has already partnered with producer Neal Moritz (Fast and Furious, I Am Legend), who will soon start looking for screenwriters.

The 11 coolest glow-in-the-dark toys ever made

From toplessrobot, The first marriage of zinc sulfide into plastic isn't recorded in history, but it's still a happy day for kids everywhere. It's the day that someone figured out that you could make plastic glow-in-the-dark, a scientific breakthrough that has benefited the world of toys almost exclusively. From that glorious day, kids started getting action figures that, when left out in the light for a while, would radiate an otherworldly luminescence for hours in the dark, opening up a new way to play -- and more importantly, a whole new time to play (i.e., after we were told we had to go to bed). Eventually, some scientist will likely figure out that glow-in-the-dark toys have been slowly poisoning us all for years, but until then, we might as well enjoy them -- and remember the 11 coolest glow-in-the-dark figures ever made.

See them here

A galaxy of new toys rings in 30 years of 'Star Wars'

By Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY

The Empire Strikes Back is turning 30, and its birthday party will be held this summer in Orlando.

Celebration V, a convention of Star Wars fans that Lucasfilm hosts every few years, will have a special focus on the 1980 film during its weekend run Aug. 12-15.

Carrie Fisher is the first celebrity guest confirmed. "Princess Leia is going to be there, and she's always a huge, huge hit," says Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm's head of fan relations.

Details can be found at StarWarsCelebration.com.

And no birthday party would be complete without toys, a staple of Star Wars fandom. Hasbro is releasing a series of new toys Aug. 1, including a new version of the AT-ATs — those giant, snowbound metal dinosaurs from the opening Empire battle sequence on the frozen planet Hoth.

The toy retails for about $100 and is 2 feet tall and almost 21/2 feet long. "It's absolutely suitable for play with a kid," says Howard Roffman, Lucasfilm's head of licensing. "But if you're a collector, it's also a trophy piece."

A decoration for a desk? "A big desk," Roffman says.

Hasbro also is putting out full-scale Boba Fett helmets with electronic sounds and phrases — probably all of the bounty hunter's lines, since he had only a handful.

And a collection of new Hasbro action figures based on the Empire characters will be released. They'll be new designs but with vintage packaging and photos of the 1980-era toys on the back. Hasbro also is repeating a giveaway from the original Empire release. Fans can mail in proofs of purchase from the action figures to get a free Boba Fett.

That toy will be a vintage design, with one big exception: The original was touted as having a firing rocket on its back, but at the last moment, those ejecting plastic nubs were declared a safety hazard and glued in instead.

"That was a big disappointment at the time. They couldn't do it within the safety standards," Roffman says. "But they have been able to make it work now." The rocket part is a little larger, to avoid the threat of swallowing and choking.

Roffman jokes: "It took 30 years for the dream to be realized."

Dumbest figure set ever?

From cooltoy review

I must have a Zibit

Check out a video of it in action here

Big Trak is back

From bigtrakisback, 2010 is the year that the world's most well loved robot toy returns, with a 21st century makeover! Dubreq Ltd (creators of the famous Stylophone pocket synth) are bringing the Bigtrak back from the dead with a new line of robot space toys for the modern toy market. Based on the famous 1980's robot vehicle, the new Bigtrak range will use 21st century technology to expand and enhance the basic Bigtrak play concept of pre-programming a toy vehicle to perform a task.

Goodbye for now, my babies

My setup at the new house has no wall for these shelves, so I'm putting the MOC display in a big storage container for a while. The timing is actually good, as Zack was just starting to understand that he could have those things, and I don't want to be a dad who dangles toys in my kid's face and tells him he can't touch them. But still, I'll miss these spaceships. Especially when I have the urge to pick one up and fly it around the room (insert vocal space jet noises).

JLU Aquaman

As with the Super Powers collection, the DC Universe's lamest superhero actually makes for a decent action figure. The orange on this guy had just a tiny bit of shiny finish, which looked pretty neat; also he had those fins coming off the back of his calves, and the fashionable severe blonde flat top.

But that price! Ouch. To be clear, I'm not 100% sure it was on the right peg, and the price-checker couldn't read it. Given the bizarre range of DC figures out right now, I'm hoping there's some large-scale line I've forgotten about and the tag was for that, because that's a serious jump. Not an impossible one, unfortunately.

And here's the back. So it's good news if you never got a Barda (and I don't think I did), but did the fans really pick another Batman variation? That seems hard to believe.

I saw a single-carded Green Lantern that had a different set of five on the back, and the group included a single carded Deadshot. Still, at $8.99, I can't tell if that's good news.

Some of the new JLU coolness headed our way

See a ton more examples, here

LOLWUT?!: German 'Identify The LEGO Star Wars Minifig By Putting It In Your Mouth' Show

From geekology, This is a segment from some German variety show in which a unisexual teen identifies LEGO Star Wars minifigs be swishing them around in his/her mouth for a little while. Unfortunately, 4 out of 5 proper ID's isn't very good AND YOU WILL MAKE THE OLYMPIC MINIFIG IDENTIFICATION TEAM. Stick to Duplo, child!

Impressive Lego lightsaber duel

McDonald's 2010 Star Wars Happy Meal TV Commercial (worst toys ever)

DO NOT WANT: Sexy Fembot LEGO Models

From geekology, Flickr user rediv (aka Alan M) went and made himself some sexy LEGO fembots. Why? I dunno, he's sick in the head or something. Or maybe he just needs somebody to talk to (get a fish, God!). Isn't that right, Mr. Tickles? You're my friend, aren't you? Mr. Tickles? MR. TICKLES? OKAY, WHO THE F*** FED MY FISH AN OMELET?!