ARCHIVE: New York Toy Fair 2007 Preview

Article originally published 02/09/2007 at figures.com

As 2007 shapes up to be a banner year for the toy industry, action figure collectors and fans have their sights set on some exciting news. To kick the new year off, Figures.com and Action On-line will be at the New York International Toy Fair (February 11-14) to ensure YOU get the info first.

Comic books, movies and television shows serve as epic source material for some of the most innovative and detailed toys that we have seen in some time. From Jack Bauer to Jack Sparrow and everyone in between, these characters are sure to inspire geekdom when their figures hit shelves later this year.

Following up their landmark presence at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Sideshow Toys has big things planned for 2007. While new collectibles from their successful Marvel, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings lines will obviously be highlighted; it is a new license that has most fans salivating. Last month, Sideshow announced the production of polystone figures and dioramas based on the wildly successful Blizzard online game World of Warcraft. Until now, there has been no hint from Sideshow brass as to which WoW characters would get the first polystone treatment. Could NY Toy Fair be the grand stage on which Sideshow unveils the first glimpse of their WoW statues? We’ll be there to find out…

Amidst the depth of toy companies vying for the attention of fans this year, Hasbro is positioning themselves to be a major player. With 2007 being the 25th Anniversary of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Joe fans everywhere are locked, cocked and waiting for news on what Hasbro has in store. Last year’s success of G.I. Joe Sigma Six has fans expecting another amazing assortment of Six figures and vehicles. While one of the most anticipated lines of the year is Hasbro’s continuation of Marvel Legends, they’ll also be producing the much heralded Spiderman 3 line. In addition, Hasbro will use Toy Fair to showcase figures from the new Transformers movie, which looks to be gaining steam to be one as the summer season’s biggest blockbusters.

Not to be outdone, Marvel Toys (formerly Toybiz) will have their newly announced line of Legendary Comic Book Heroes on-hand to show fandom that the independents mean business. With figures based on Erik Larsen’s The Savage Dragon, Marc Silvestri’s The Darkness, Rob Liefeld’s Youngblood, Dale Keown’s Pitt and other independent comic heroes (and villains?) under their belt, comic fans will be rejoicing in the amount of plastic goodness headed their way. Mattel has also entered the fray, bringing with them a full line-up of DC Superheroes that fans have been clamoring for since the original DC Super Powers Collection ended in the late 1980s. With Superman and Batman heroes and villains already in the mix, can other new figures be far behind? Let’s hope Mattel delivers at Toy Fair…

NECA hopes to top last year’s efforts with a plethora of new licenses, featuring some amazing new toys and collectibles. Starting off with the recently revealed Kratos: God of War figure, expect NECA to have more video game toys on the horizon as part of their Player Select series. Not to be left out, new Resident Evil figures are in store, including the fan-favorite Tyrant monster. In movie news, magicians and muggels alike will get a glimpse at NECA’s Harry Potter figures at Toy Fair. With figures based on each of the previously released films and a new line centered on the forthcoming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, fans of the epic series of books and movies are in for a treat! When it comes to films, NECA has more in store than just wizards and wands. Horror and action fans can expect figures based on Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Quinton Tarintino’s Reservoir Dogs, David Bowie’s wicked Goblin King from Labyrinth and even a brand new series of Cult Classics.

McFarlane Toys announced on Friday that they are building on the success of their Hanna-Barbera line by creating a series of figures based on the classic Dr. Seuss story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This could open the door for McFarlane to tackle the entire Seuss library, possibly including the popular The Cat in the Hat and Horton Hears a Who. The Spawn house appears to be expanding their presence in the television market as well. They plan to continue producing collectibles from The Simpsons, with box sets and individual figures to feature characters from fan-favorite episodes of the long running series. Capitalizing on the success of their LOST line, McFarlane also has 6” figures based on the television hit 24 coming this fall.

Diamond Select will continue to expand their partnership with Art Asylum in 2007. Several new lines of Star Trek figures and ships are slated to land later this year. DST will continue to produce lines based on both classic and new-age Star Trek characters. Already announced are the ‘Wrath of Khan’ Enterprise and a special ‘Space Seed’ Khan/Kirk 2-pack. Despite the breath of new life DST has given the Star Trek license, the folks at Diamond have mapped all corners of the cosmos and aren’t happy with just sticking to all things Trek. Diamond has announced they will not only continue their successful line of Stargate: SG-1 figures, but will also produce 6” figures from hot sci-fi shows Battlestar Galactica and Stargate: Atlantis. In other news, DST has also secured rights to immortalize 24’s Jack Bauer in plastic. DST will tackle Bauer in numerous sizes, with both 12” scale and MiniMates to be included in their line of 24 figures.

One of the main questions the toy community wants answered at Toy Fair is what the future holds for some of the most successful and fan-favorite licenses. Rumors persist that Halo is looking for a landing pad and Kotobukiya appears to have made room for Master Chief at their headquarters. The Japanese company has announced they will be producing ARTFX statues based on characters from Halo, its sequel and the upcoming Halo 3. More is in store from Kotobukiya’s partnership with video game giant Square Enix, as additional lines of both Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts figures and statues are planned.

This is just a taste of the things we expect to see at this year’s New York Toy Fair. There is certainly more in store for the action figure community. What new plans does Hasbro have to continue the endurance of their Star Wars license? Will DC Direct release the full details of their World of Warcraft line? What’s in store for high-end collectibles from Master Replicas and Gentle Giant? Figures.com will be there with the latest news, photos and interviews direct from New York. Stay tuned for our live coverage of Toy Fair 2007!