On a regular basis, the gang over at Art Asylum compile questions from their fans and present them to DSTChuck in a segment they call Ask DST.
In the 71st installment, the topic of conversation is, of course, Minimates. Below are the highlights:
- No current plans for Kang the Conqueror.
- Marvel vehicles are still a no go.
- Ghost Busters license also does not allow for vehicles at the moment.
- Ghost Rider movie license has passed, but if they do a second movie, who knows?
- No set plans in place for Battle Beasts. Several options are on the table that are being reviewed.
- The “full idea” and what DST wants to do with the vehicle line will be more evident in the second series of releases.
- No plans for a pony tail on Jim Lee Jean Grey, though final production hasn’t been set yet.
- No plans for any more Battlestar Galactica vehicles.
- DST wants to do more box sets in 2010.
- Several new ideas and lines are slated for 2010, including new directions and categories. Stay tuned at Toy Fair.
- DST has considered the slime packs for the Ghost Busters. It is hard to balance the desire to do every figure with the demand from retailers. In the past they’ve been bitten by going one wave too far and they don’t want that to happen with this line, so they’re being cautious. (Editor’s note: Does this sound like an unofficial announcement that the GB line is nearing completion?)
- The plan is to make the flight stand more readily available for use.
- Bruce Lee license is no more.
- No current plans for another Black Panther figure.
- DST has never really discussed a Dragonball Z license.
- Generally, box sets and the like are planned a good year in advance, with some room for more editorial demands (tie-ins to current storylines and such). At present, 2010 for DST is planned out through at least October, though some of the summer box sets and stuff are being filled in right now.
- Alpha Flight has been penciled in several times, but never seem to make it into production. Still, the chances get better every day.
- Vulture’s wings “could” be used for Songbird, but Chuck thinks they’d work a lot better for Falcon.
- DST is getting better at planning out what works better as box sets and what works better as 2-packs, as well as line-ups that compliment each other. As line-ups are starting to be planned out, locking characters into place creates a sort of mental vibe that tends to follow the trend, leading to a series of Jim Lee X-Men or Excalibur, with thought given to fleshing out a team or set.
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January 19th, 2010 - 1:58 PM
Close to confirmation as DSTChuck gets for Falcon and Meggan, I’d say. I can only hope he’s joking about Kang, and that we’ll all be pleasantly surprised when the next round of reveals happens.
January 19th, 2010 - 2:46 PM
Officially produced generic customizer parts that we could order direct from DST (or authorized source) seems like a no-brainer…flight stands, new or existing hair pieces in multiple colors, hands, feet, etc. There’s a customizer market that would support this if DST gave it a shot.
I still want a product line of civilians, Police, Firefighters, Emergency, News crew, etc… think Playmobile or Lego.
January 19th, 2010 - 3:04 PM
PLEASE, NO PONYTAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That cartoon was not the best representation of Jean. If they want a ponytail they can pull one off of the TRU Exclusive Spider Woman, need one I got two extras but leave Jean the way she was shown!
January 19th, 2010 - 3:33 PM
Why do we need another Black Panther? I thought the one we got was pretty perfect…
January 19th, 2010 - 6:31 PM
Hmmmm….
“Several new ideas and lines are slated for 2010, including new directions and categories. Stay tuned at Toy Fair.”
Am I the only one who thought of GLEE when reading “new directions”? Could be a fun little license. I’d pay for a Sue Sylvester Minimate!
January 19th, 2010 - 7:10 PM
Yeah, I’m also confused why anyone would want/need a new version of Black Panther.
Alpha Flight is very needed!
January 19th, 2010 - 9:48 PM
Alpha Flight and Kang! Kang seems to be the most popular figure not made so far. We’re getting garbage like Menace and Anti-Venom but no Kang. WTF? We need a vote every six months similar to the TRU Secret Wars box set. Then make that figure. It’ll keep some of us happy. I’m getting more and more picky with what I buy now. Art Asylum isn’t making the charaters I want. The closer we get to the movies (Thor , Captain America, etc….), we’ll actually see figures around that hero. (Not based on the movie I hope.) Maybe even a villain or two…
January 20th, 2010 - 3:51 AM
We want Kang!
(Don’t forget that they once said that we’ll never see a Deadpool Minimate)
Looks like the GB line is coming to an end.
Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing figures like a regular Dana, baby Oscar, Janosz, Mayor Lenny, First Movie Janine, but I guess there is not a lot of demand for that.
The next TRU wave does look great, they’ve done a good job with this license.
“New ideas and lines”, now that makes me very curious…
@Agent Smith
With the vultures wings, Falcon has become a very good possibility. Personally I would also like to see: Batroc, Crossbones and Constrictor. Who is on your Cap wish list?
January 20th, 2010 - 7:06 AM
@ Feroz Nazir
Constrictor and Batroc of course! Once I saw the Vulture I thought Falcon and not in that fugly green and orange costume! One of my first Hulk comics was w/Constrictor as the villain. The villain has stuck with me ever since. I wouldn’t mind seeing Nomad (I know he’s not a villain), Baron Blood, the original Baron Zemo, Viper, Super Adaptoid, Red Guardian (his Russian counterpart) and Modok. I don’t know how they would do a Modok. I’m sure I missed some. Maybe even the other Invaders he fought side by side with in WWII – Miss America, Whizzer (yes, that’s his name), and Spitfire (my favorite after Union Jack). How about members of the Serpent Squad? I’m a fan of the Steve Rogers CA and not this boring Bucky turned Winter Soldier turned CA. Yawn. An excellent writer doesn’t have to kill the main character to write good stories. And of course nobody ever dies at Marvel. Have they brought back Uncle Ben yet?
January 20th, 2010 - 9:11 AM
While I love the Constrictor, I don’t associate him with Cap. The only time I can recall seeing him in Cap was around #180, the big Viper storyline. She, BTW, is a Cap-related Minimate I’d like. I’d vote for: Falcon, Sharon, Diamondback, Nomad on the hero side; Zemo, Batroc, Viper, for the villains.
I like some of your more out-there suggestions, like the Red Guardian and especially Spitfire. I’ve wanted her since the Invaders set came out.
January 20th, 2010 - 10:45 AM
The first time I saw Constrictor was as an action figure owned by my best friend (Mattel Secret Wars line).
I first read about him in a Captain American story, I think it involved a submarine and Constrictor was quite bulky.
Sharon Carter, the original Baron Zemo and Red Guardian should definitely get the Minimate treatment.
Modok would go great with the AIM agents, but indeed: how to realize the figure?
The first ‘missing’ Invader that came to my mind when the box set was released was Toro. I recently made a custom figure of him, so he could join the rest of the gang.
January 20th, 2010 - 12:01 PM
Do you mean the 1940′s version as the original BZ or the all fusha BZ?
January 20th, 2010 - 1:26 PM
Maybe people were asking for the current female Black Panther?
January 20th, 2010 - 3:29 PM
I was thinking of Baron Heinrich Zemo (introduced in Avengers #4).
There was a 1940′s version?
Which version did you mean Agent Smith?
January 20th, 2010 - 3:38 PM
Okay everyone’s talking Cap viallains so I think I’ll spice things up a bit; Iron Man needs some foes! Ghost, Masque, Crimson Dynamo, Whiplash (non-movie), Whirlwind, Blizzard, and for god’s sake MANDARIN!!
January 20th, 2010 - 4:05 PM
Nice list Zenaku, let me add: The Living Laser, Justin Hammer (comic version), Firebrand, Dreadknight and if possible: Fin Fang Foom.
January 20th, 2010 - 4:05 PM
The Baron Zemo from Avengers #4 is the same Zemo. Did Zemo wear a different getup in the Golden Age? Personally, I’d rather have the later one, because his costume’s much better.
Yes, Iron Man needs villains, post haste. I actually think that Iron Man has one of the best, most colorful cast of villains around. I’d add Unicorn and the Living Lazer to your list (yes, I like villains with an orange and green color scheme). Of course, everyone gave them a hard time with Spymaster, so….
January 20th, 2010 - 4:36 PM
HOLY CRAP!! The Iron Man movie minimates are up on Diamond select! The AWESOME!!http://www.diamondselecttoys.com/article.asp?ai=91071
January 20th, 2010 - 6:22 PM
Awesome!
Thanks for the link MixAllen.
Anyone want to take a guess at the last figure in the shadows?
And hopefully we’ll still see that Scarlet Widow figure, even if it has to be… a TRU exclusive…
January 20th, 2010 - 6:35 PM
I just told my LCS to reserve the entire Iron Man single pack case for me. Lol!
I have to imagine that MODOK would be a giant torso shell ala the terror dog.
I’d freaking kill for a Whirlwind, Blizzard or Beetle.
January 20th, 2010 - 8:42 PM
I’m back. I had to put in a 12 hour day slaving away for the corporate monster. The Baron Zemo from Avengers 6. (I do have the original comic.) He is the same as the 40′s with possibly minor costume adjustments. I believe he was retroactively written into the story causing Bucky’s death. Great topic and suggestions. No one has mentioned Thor. His movie is around the corner. I would like to see Cobra, Mr Hyde, Enchantress, Executioner, a decent Radioactive Man, Grey Gargoyle, Wrecker and his Crew, Destroyer, Odin and The Warrior’s Three. But like my momma used to say, you wish in one hand and $#!t in the other and see which one fills up first. We can dream can’t we….
P.S. Whirlwind was originally known as the Top. He was Giant-Man’s villain. I’d kill for him too. Add Count Nefaria as an Iron-Man villain even though he originally appeared in Avengers. Iron-Man accidentally killed him. He was Madame Masque’s father. Blizzard would be awesome as would Crimson Dynamo and Mandarin. How about Force, another armored hero/villain – I believe he was green and orange.
January 20th, 2010 - 9:39 PM
Man, so many awesome villains, so little time- we still need Brotherhood minimates as well as all these mentioned! Let’s just cut to the chase and have at least two waves with mostly villains and battle-damaged heroes- Wolvie is due for a comic one I hate to say, but then again so is Iron Man, Thor, and anyone who isn’t Cap, Spidey, or Daredevil.
January 20th, 2010 - 9:59 PM
The Wrecking Crew is tailor made for a box set, thinking about it. I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the various members of the Serpent Society (especially Death Adder). I also really want a Speed Demon and Boomerang and a new Rhino thinking about it.
January 20th, 2010 - 11:59 PM
I was just thinking there could be an entire Justin Hammer comics wave w/ Justin Hammer (duh), Blizzard, Whiplash/Blacklash, Beetle, Constrictor, Force, etc.
January 21st, 2010 - 2:55 AM
I think a Warriors Three set with Sif would be awesome alongside an Evil of Asgard box set featuring the Enchantress, Skurge the Executioner, Kurse and Hela.
For Iron Man, I’m hoping for a classic villains set featuring Mandarin, Whiplash (comic style), Madame Masque and either Living Laser or the Ghost.
Cap could also use a classic villains set consisting of Arnim Zola, Baron Zemo, Batroc the Leaper and Crossbones.
Throw in a Cap’s allies set featuring Falcon, Diamondback, Sharon Carter and Nomad.
Rounding out the theme of classic villain sets… we’d get Wolverine, X-Men and Avengers themed sets starring:
- Silver Samurai, Viper, Omega Red and Wendigo
- Mr. Sinister, Spiral, Juggernaut and Toad
- Kang, Grim Reaper, Grey Gargoyle and Whirlwind.
And if those don’t tickle DST’s fancy perhaps…
- Blob, Pyro, Avalanche and Destiny
- Sebastian Shaw, Donald Pierce, Mastermind and Harry Leland
- Moonstone, Blackout, Mr. Hyde and Titania…