Merchandise

Don’t Toy With Me: Gorillaz Vinyl Figures

Published

20 years ago

June 8, 2005

The virtual band Gorillaz had toys in the works back in 2002 through Art Asylum, but for whatever reason, these didn’t materialize. (View the unreleased toys HERE.) Artsy-fartsy toy store Kidrobot apparently picked up the sculpts, dumped the planned Gorilla figure and a bunch of the accessories, and has released the toys as very limited-run, large vinyl figures just in time for the group’s new album, “Demon Days”.

The paint and sculpting on these figures is virtually flawless. From the even coats (you wont see apps this clean on any mass-market line) to the subtle details like the circles under Russel’s eyes, it’s some of the best paint I’ve ever seen. We don’t even need to talk about how great the sculpts are – you can see for yourself. Look at the subtle curve to 2D’s legs. How about that wry smirk on Murdoc? It’s a tribute not only to the sculptors, but to Jamie Hewlett’s original designs as well. Many simplified, graphic characters like the Gorillaz have a tough time making the jump to three dimensions. But Hewlett’s Gorillaz actually turn around quite well, which makes turning them into action figures a lot easier.

The plastic used is rigid and durable. Even in the increasingly hot weather, the Gorillaz are standing straight and tall on my bookshelf, while the 10″ Teen Titans figures next to them are crashing to the ground. This is no mean feat; most manufacturers have moved to softer plastics for both cost savings and the fact that they’re supposedly better at capturing small sculpt details. Clearly, the excellent Gorillaz toys put lie to that.

Frontman 2D is probably my favorite figure of the bunch. I love the sculpting on his teeth (including the missing ones), and his pose is probably not the first drawing off his model sheet. The posing on the hands is just spectacular, and the inclusion of the cigarette is ballsy considering how demonized smoking is these days in the action figure world. At about thirteen inches tall, he’s a pretty big toy and the tallest of the bunch. The “Pink Rabbit” design on his shirt is a fun choice, but I suspect we’ll see quite a few repaints using this tooling sporting new shirts. Though these figures are not really intended for play, 2D is articulated with a swivel neck and limited shoulder swivels.

The creepy bass player, Murdoc is captured beautifully here. A little shorter than 2D at about twelve and a half inches, Murdoc’s “arms folded” pose leaves him a little less articulated than his bandmates, but no less appealing. All the nastiness is there – from the one red eye, to the upside-down cross dangling from his neck.

Little Noodle comes with the most articulation of the set-head swivel, limited shoulder swivels and wrist swivels. She measures about seven and a half inches. Unfortunately, with Noodle, the rigid nature of the materials used becomes problematic. Though she’s intended to be posed holding the guitar accessory, it’s pretty difficult to fit it into both hands, and trying to do so caused some minor paint rubs. I’m a bit worried about the durability of the wire used to make her headphone antennas as well; it looks like it could bend or break given the right conditions. Still, she’s as beautiful as the rest of them.

Russel is a bit of an anomaly in that while most of the character’s designs remained fairly static from album one to album two, his appearance changed quite a bit. Though he’s still a hefty guy, he’s lost weight and gained a far less simian appearance. Because these sculpts were originally done a few years back, Russel’s figure is based off of the earlier album’s artwork. I do kind of wish they’d tweaked his sculpt a bit, considering how closely tied into the promotion of the “Demon Days” these toys are. He’s about eleven inches tall. I am also a bit disappointed that his radio features no detailing at all-it’s quite literally a gray box.

Each figure comes in a brown box of varying size depending on the character inside. If you’re not up to comparing sizes to guess who’s who, there’s graphic of the included character’s head on the top of each box. Line up the four boxes in the right order and they spell “Gorillaz” in spray painted text, making a nice backdrop for the band. Inside, they’re all packed into a two piece plastic tray, which keeps them nice and safe from all but the angriest delivery guy. Each includes the same sheet of stickers for customizing you figures, your furniture, or in my case, your sketchbook.

Kidrobot’s Gorillaz vinyl figures are something really different from your standard action figure. Though I generally favor toys that are more oriented to playability, in this case I make an exception. The $150 price tag on the set of four may seem steep. But considering it’s the only three dimensional representation of these characters, if you’re a fan, it’s worth it. These are truly beautiful figures, and capture the essences of perhaps the best post-millenium cartoon characters perfectly. The limited production run on these, coupled with Kidrobot’s site calling these “Black Editions”, leads me to believe we’ll see this tooling utilized again in the future. In addition, I’d love to see smaller, more articulated figures and some trading figure-style dioramas would be great as well.

The Gorillaz Vinyl figures can be found at Kidrobot.com.

Merchandise

Introducing “I Want That Too” – The Ultimate Disney Merchandise Podcast

Published

9 months ago

April 6, 2024

Lauren Hersey

Disney Fandom? It’s no joke. It stretches far and wide, from the die-hard theme park fans to the ones who’ve watched every single Disney movie. Some people love Marvel’s cinematic universe or can’t get enough of Star Wars. The wonderful world of Disney seriously has something for everyone.

But you know, within this colorful crowd, there’s us – the Disney collectors, the ones who can’t help but bring a bit of that Disney magic home, from the latest plushies to those must-have popcorn buckets. Enter “I Want That Too”, a Disney Merchandise Podcast and Video Podcast.

Why “I Want That Too”?

I’m Lauren Hersey, and along with Jim Hill, we’re taking a deep dive into Disney merchandise with our podcast and video podcast, “I Want That Too.” Our goal is to bridge the gap between showcasing the latest Disney merchandise and uncovering the stories and history behind the products you love.

For collectors, Disney history lovers, and every Disney fan in between, “I Want That Too” is your entry point into the world of Disney merch like you’ve never experienced before. So, if you’re like us – someone who sees a Disney item and thinks, “I want that too” – you’re in exactly the right place.

What to Expect from “I Want That Too”

For fans of Jim Hill’s storytelling on the “Disney Dish” podcast, “I Want That Too” might just be your new favorite listen. With over three decades of experience as an entertainment writer covering the Walt Disney Company, Jim brings a load of stories to our podcast, that he is excited to share with our listeners.

Each episode, we share some of the latest of Disney products, unpacking the stories behind their creation. For instance, we recently spotlighted the new Chuuby popcorn bucket from “Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway” at Disneyland. Jim shared how this unique little character got his name. Similarly, while exploring the “Flower and Garden Festival” merchandise at Epcot, Jim shared the story of how Orange Bird made is way into the theme parks.

Our latest episode featured Tiki Culture and we looked at the fascinating history Enchanted Tiki Room’s history, including its “Under New Management” phase. We also celebrated “The Lion King’s” 30th anniversary with the introduction of the Zazu shoulder plush. Jim reviewed “Before the Birds Sang Words” by Ken Bruce, diving into the evolution of Tiki Culture and how Tiki-themed merchandise made its way into the parks.

You see, “I Want That Too” isn’t just about products; it’s about the stories and the history that leads to the products.

We’ve covered a lot of ground with stories, so now it’s time to shift gears to merch – and that’s where my passion comes in. I’m a huge Disney fan. In fact, my family and I made it to Walt Disney World and Disneyland 5 times last year from West Virginia, and we average anywhere from 2-4 trips a year.

What I look forward to most on every Disney trip are the shopping and dining experiences. I love finding good deals, so visits to the character warehouse are a must for me. You might be surprised by the size of my collection of Disney Minnie Mouse ears and spirit jerseys. I’m also a big fan of Loungefly backpacks, Disney Pandora jewelry, and I adore anything related to DVC and Annual Passholder exclusives.

My husband and I have three kids who are just as Disney-obsessed, always looking forward to the latest toys and games. And let’s not forget, Jim is a huge Disneyana fan, which means you’ll get the latest news and happenings when it comes to vintage and collecting.

Where to Find “I Want That Too”

Finding “I Want That Too” is straightforward and simple. You can listen to our podcast on all major platforms. Simply search for “I Want That Too” in your preferred podcast app and subscribe so you won’t miss an episode.

Our podcast is jam packed with stories, making it ideal for podcast listeners. However, if you’re curious to see what we are talking about, make sure to visit and subscribe to Jim Hill Media on YouTube.

The Jim Hill Media community has expressed interest in more video content, and Jim and the team are trying to make this happen. This effort is just the beginning. To support more stories and insights in video format, subscribe to Jim Hill Media and Disney Unpacked on YouTube, and don’t forget to turn on your notifications.

Listening and watching is just one part of “I Want That Too”; we invite you to join our community. Whether you have questions, a story about your personal Disney collection, or a topic you’re eager for us to cover, we’re ready to hear from you.

Contact us with your thoughts, stories, and suggestions. Your feedback is crucial and might influence our upcoming episodes. So, engage with us—subscribe, participate, and tell us what you’d like to see and hear more about.

Closing Up Shop: “I Want That Too” – a Disney Merchandise Podcast

As we wrap things up, if you’re looking for a fresh podcast that combines Disney merchandise with interesting Disney history and insights you can’t find anywhere else, then “I Want That Too” might just be for you.

It’s not just any podcast – it’s a chance to join a community where our passion for all things Disney shines through in every episode, through every story, and with every piece of merchandise we talk about.

Whether you’re a collector, Disney history buff, or just want to hear about Disney from a different angle, “I Want That Too” promises to bring something new to the family of Jim Hill Media podcasts. So, we hope you’ll give “I Want That Too” a listen.

Merchandise

Marvel Animation bets big on shorts as it launches the second season of its Funko-inspired comic match-ups

Published

7 years ago

September 27, 2017

Jim Hill

Marvel Entertainment has long been celebrated for its ability to weave these epic-length narratives that can then play out across multiple motion pictures, TV shows and comic books.

So if length really plays to this studios’ storytelling strength, why then is Marvel Animation headed in the opposite direction? Creating a series of stand-alone, 90-second long shorts that – rather than putting Marvel’s super heroes through their usual action-adventure paces – opt to shine a spotlight on these characters’ more comic side?

“It’s all about new formats, new audiences,” explained Cort Lane, Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Animation & Family Entertainment. “That’s been our mission statement for this past year here at Marvel. I mean, we obviously have the affinity of our core target audiences. We have those people who already love our characters, go to see our movies or are aware of them. But we wanted to do something that would possibly help Marvel reach a broader audience. And we thought that comedy might be the way to get there.”

Mind you, what spurred Cort & Co. to initially explore this idea was this series of animated promos that Funko created for its Marvel Collector Corps subscription boxes.

“These promos were created by this tiny little studio in the U.K. called A Large Evil Corporation. And the folks who work there, they are very inventive and have a great comedy sensibility,” Lane enthused. “Even though the Funko versions of our characters don’t have mouths, A Large Evil Corporation was still able to animate these very simple versions of the Marvel characters in a way that was very expressive and highly entertaining.”

So – building on A Large Evil Corporation’s previously existing relationship with Funko – Marvel Animation launched a trial balloon late last year. They put together a trio of shorts that were basically expanded versions of those animated promos for the Marvel Collector Corps subscription box scripts.

The first of these shorts (i.e., “Spellbound.” Which debuted online back on November 30^th of last year and starred the Funko versions of Spider-Man, Iron Man & Loki) was viewed 600,000+ times. By the time the third in this series (i.e., “Chimichangas.” Which featured Funko’s versions of Deadpool & Venom fighting in & around a food truck) bowed on December 14, 2016, these shorts were now getting 4 million views. Which is when Marvel Animation decided to go all in with its comic shorts initiative.

“Our thinking was – by placing these comedy short form pieces across multiple platforms – we’d then be able to reach a broader audience. Getting all the eyeballs that we might not traditionally get through our animated series. Which – while they have been doing well on Disney XD — have been more boy-targeted,” Cort stated. “By deliberately making these pieces only 90 seconds long, that then makes it possible for these comedy shorts to go on social media, to be put up on YouTube. Which then makes it possible for them to reach an exponentially larger audience.”

Ironically enough, though it obviously doesn’t take as much effort to craft a scenario for a 90-second long comedy short as it does to write a teleplay for a 22-minute long episode of an animated series or the screenplay for a feature-length film, Lane still insists that a lot of thought & effort goes into each o these short form pieces.

“Creating fully formed, independent little stories that can actually be told in 90 seconds requires a lot of discipline and some really tight storytelling,” Cort said. “You’d think that – given that the Funko versions of our characters don’t have mouths – they’d then be easier to animate. But they really aren’t. And given that A Large Evil Corporation has such a small staff of animators … Well, we had to be careful. Make sure that we didn’t overwhelm that studio by sending them too many shorts to work on at any one time. Allow them to turn each of these short form pieces into a comedy gem.”

The first of these gems which were created for Season 2 of this series – “Cosmic Sleigh Ride” – can be seen below:

“For Season 2, we’ll be ultimately be releasing eight of these comedy shorts. Some will be synergistic. ‘Cosmic Sleigh Ride’ – which features the Funk versions of Star-Lord, Rocket and Taserface — is bowing now because the Blu-ray / DVD version of “Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol 2″ hit store shelves a few weeks back,” Lane explained. “While other shorts in this series will premiere online when buzz is building around a particular character. Our ultimate goal here is to give our audience more of what it wants. Which – in this case – is connecting with the characters, but connecting in a different way. With comedy. And in a different format.”

So does Cort have a favorite among the eight new short form comedy pieces that will be debuting online as part of Season 2?

“From a storytelling perspective, there’s one coming up with Hulk and Black Widow that’s a personal favorite of mine which plays on their interesting relationship. I love those two characters because there’s such contrast there,” Lane teased. “I don’t want to reveal too much about this comedy short in advance. What I will say is that they’re on a spy mission and Hulk isn’t so great at spy missions.”

So what with this “new formats, new audiences” initiative, should fans of Disney XD series like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Marvel’s Spider-Man” be concerned? Cort says no.

“Moving into shorts is obviously a big shift for us. But we’re still in the business of creating long form animation. That said, all of the diverse platform opportunities that you get with short form really open you up to new audiences. And we’ll continue to explore that opportunity with things like our pre-school series, the Marvel Super Hero Adventures. Those will be a series of 3 & ½ minute shorts that will be coming out soon,” Lane concluded. “So, as you can see, we’re stretching. We’re committed to exploring short form as a format because the kind of audience that you can potentially get out of it is so significant.”

And that’s the long & the short of what Marvel Animation is doing with its new short form comedy pieces.

This piece was originally published by the Huffington Post on Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Merchandise

“Let It Go” gets the LEGO treatment as a whole new Disney “Frozen” story unfolds across books, TV & digital with “Frozen Northern Lights”

Published

9 years ago

June 21, 2016

Jim Hill

What with “Frozen – Live at the Hyperion” opening in late May at Disney California Adventure Park and Epcot‘s “Frozen Ever After” attraction opening its doors later this morning, Anna & Elsa have had a very busy month.

So what will these Scandinavian sisters be doing for an encore? Would you believe joining forces with the LEGO Group? Anna & Elsa – along with Kristoff, Olaf & Sven – will be starring in four new “Frozen” animated shorts that will air on the Disney Channel. Not only that, but these new LEGO shorts will be based on a brand-new published-by-Random-House story, “Frozen Northern Lights.”

The fun officially gets underway in July as “Frozen” fans can once again return to the kingdom of Arendelle thanks to a cleverly interconnected collection of books, animated shorts from the LEGO group as well as digital games & activities.

“So what awaits ‘Frozen’ fans once they return to Arendelle?,” you ask. “Frozen Northern Lights” tells the story of Little Rock, one of those trolls that adopted young Kristoff & Sven in the original “Frozen” film. Little Rock needs help earning his tracking crystal. So Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven & Olaf join this tiny troll on an epic mountain adventure to restore the glimmer of the Northern Lights.

The hardcover novelization of this story — “Disney Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights” – will hit store shelves next month. As for those four animated shorts, the LEGO Group will definitely be bringing its unique style of animation and quirky sense of humor to the world of “Frozen.”

And did I mention that the vocal talent from the original Disney “Frozen” will be returning to reprise their roles? Or that a full compilation of all four of the LEGO “Frozen Northern Lights” shorts will air on the Disney Channel later this Fall?

So are you ready to see “Let It Go” get the LEGO treatment?

This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post’s Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 21, 2016