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 63rd installment, the topic of conversation is, what else, Minimates. Below are the highlights:

• “Gooey Peter” wasn’t created since he was barely touched by marshmallow in the movie. That doesn’t rule out the possibility of a special hairpiece to be included. (Editor’s note: The inclusion of the unnecessary and overly minimal Gooey Walter Peck hairpiece likely eats up the budget for this, so I’m not holding my breath)
• No real plans for shorter Marvel Minimates.
• No current plans for Aliens or Predator, though that could change after the franchise reboots.
• Always possible for more “Through the Ages” box sets, depending on characters that necessitate it.
• Brief origins of Minimates: Digger (of AA fame) came up with the concept as a response to what Medicom was doing in Japan. Licenses and designs were all over the place until DST stepped in with their Marvel license. Rest is history.
• DST is pretty happy with the current Marvel army building system. Not everyone requires dozens of the same figure, so this way it caters to both crowds. Army building single packs for other lines have done fair, so it isn’t out of the question for the future, but no plans right now.
• Once an assortment of Minimates is sold out, it won’t be reproduced. That won’t stop new assortments of past figures from popping up in other retail markets, it just mean there won’t be a straight up re-run of an entire series.
• A well rounded line-up planned for Iron Man 2, which should be on shelves in time for the movie. Marvel has been pretty forthcoming with designs and information this time around, so DST is in their best position ever with this movie tie-in.
• DST Customer Service is your best bet for replacement parts, though rare sets like Bullseye & Moonstone may be harder to replace.
• The Beatles were considered a few years back, but Apple didn’t like the designs and passed on the idea. There’s always the future though.
• Frequently Asked Questions: No more Street Fighter II. Stop asking for Kang, they heard you.
• DST has made some changes in Customer Service, so hopefully this will improve turn around time regarding responses.
• DSTRobert has an idea on how to make a 6-armed Minimate. That being said, there are no current plans to use this idea.
• Marvel TRU series 5 SHOULD be in stores now. (Editor’s Note: Just not in your store)
• Still working on Battle Beasts, but nothing they can go public with yet.
• Possibility for more Back to the Future in 2010 for the 25th anniversary, but nothing decided yet.
• Beverly Hills Cop is on hold.
• Several irons in the fire regarding TV and movies, but nothing sure yet. Hopefully something for Toy Fair 2010.
• There’s a divide in the DST offices over the more minimalist early releases and the highly detailed modern releases. There’s always a chance for the old figures to be revisited in more detail.
• Stargate would be cool, but DST isn’t sure if a large enough fan base is there for Minimates.
• DC is very much off limits right now.
• Target and Walmart are not carrying Minimates right now, but not because DST doesn’t want them to. For online retailers, they mentioned Action Figure Xpress and Stuckakid as two that were with them since the beginning. (Editor Note: Might I recommend newcomer Luke’s Toy Store?)
• DSTChuck was unaware that they had gone so long without a webline for Spidey.
• Songbird? “All in good time my friend!”
• X-Force Warpath? Only the look and configuration is exclusive to Toys R Us, not the character.
• Jim Lee Jubilee? “It’s arguable that she was on the team and remember she was demoted to the New Mutants. I will say there have been MANY conversations where her name has come up …so you never know.”