Posted on Oct 26, 2011

The Shiny in Comic-Con

As the next Comic-Con approaches Austin TX in November (https://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com), we look to the recent NYC conference and some of their goodies galore. Exhibitors and Panels presented their best at NYCC, producing eye candy irresistible to the costumed masses. With an overload of childhood favorites and new release promos, many felt the tempting wane of their wallet. A Cultyard area brought innovative variations in design, artistry, new/resale products, tech, toys, etc. The selections were astounding. The plushie Vamplets, baby vampyres, had a grand gothic booth that easily drew onlookers. They exhibited a “cute & fun approach” to vampdom. A bit of exciting news is the pick up of their product line by Toys R’ Us. Their merchandise includes Vampets (such as zombie guinea pigs and rabid rabbits) with more expansion to come. Additionally, a book is in the making, written by the creator G-Ra. Gayle Middleton aka G-Ra was also a designer of The Littlest Pet Shop and My Little Pony. From plushie to plastic, we then find the Mimobots. Evan Blaustein (a toy collector like most in Mimoco) was once searching for a flash drive but was handed a TRON bearbrick (a designer collectible toy). The aesthetics of the bearbrick circuitry was similar to flash drive size and weight. Blaustein saw a market for the combination and wanted to turn the commodity product to a limited edition designer product. Mimoco opened their line to licenses with companies such as Star Wars, Hello Kitty and now Emily the Strange. Mimobot “took a utilitarian consumer electronic product and turned it into a limited edition collectible art piece. A Mimobot is a designer toy with a digital soul.” Further into NYCC, it was no surprise to see photo opportunities with the Batmobile and the ‘Back to the Future’ DeLorean. Vader’s Fist, a costuming organization, was in also full gear and character. A popular vampire sighting was James Marsters at the autograph section. Ironically, Vampire Slayer, Eliza Dushku, was a few tables down from James. One notable comic series has plans for a feature film mentioned in the New Gen panel http://www.newgenuniverse.com. With Mark Hamill officially their Creative Consultant, New Gen continues its stellar development. The epic story is set in a dimension “hovering above New Jersey and New York City” with twin superheroes and an environment of nanotechnology. We all look forward to the many many gifts each comic-con has to offer.