2019 Toy Industry Resolutions - How Did We Do?

So Happy New Year's Eve everyone. Before we start 2020, let's take a look back at how my wishes for the toy industry resolutions went. In three words - not so good. But expectations were too high anyway.

2019 Resolutions

Jazwares
• Knocked it out of the park with Fortnite figures. Even though I don’t play the game, they came out with a nice first series of 13 figures that blend in well with GI Joe style figures. Resolution – please give us Series 2 and 3.  WE GOT SERIES 2 and 3 and they rock.

Hasbro
• Work with Target and Walmart to fix your distribution issues. - Didn't happen.
• Keep going with the Black Series – make as many releases like Wave 19. That was beautiful. - Decent but nothing much for Rise of Skywalker.
• More aliens from Solo movie - nope
• Disown the Kessel Run Millenium Falcon – a public apology might be nice - of course not
• Stop the Midnight Madness – no one cares anymore, and show some stuff during Toy Fair. Waiting for SDCC is ridiculous. No one cares about secrecy anymore. This didn't happen. It continues to be a farce.
• Have a great lineup for Epsiode 9 - Nope
• A 6 inch scale Indiana Jones line - Nope - this was an unrealistic stretch.
• 6 inch scale Black Series for GI Joe – it’s long overdue, and regardless how militant the 3-3/4’ collectors are – everything has been done and the line needs some energy injected into it - still hoping, but no - rumors of an Evergreen toyline are out there.
• Marvel Legends – finish the original Alpha Flight team – really, that’s all I want. Marvel Legends rocks. A few more Netflix Daredevil figures would be great while you’re at it. - HEY - we got the Alpha Flight team. Totally thought that was a fantasy.

Mattel
• Keep up the great work with the Jurassic Park line. Maybe a few more human figures and stop short packing them. Thanks!  Love the Brachiosaurus.

McFarlane
• Bring back 5 inch Walking Dead line. Of course not.
• Do a 5 inch Fear the Walking Dead line.  That ship has sailed but there are a few great characters. Nope.
• Keep doing Stranger Things figures. Nancy and Jonathan please. Two from Season 3. Yawn.
• If you’re going to do Game of Thrones, please release more than Series 1. Not yet. One repaint.
• Do your WW2 McFarlane Military figures. Nope.
• Stop the NFL repaints of the same figures. At least do different players, I don’t care if it is the same mold. The repaints stopped. So did the entire line. Was looking forward to Khalil Mack and Patrick Mahomes.

NECA
• More Marines from Aliens – which means the actors need to resolve to release their likenesses. Nope
• The rest of the soldiers from the original Predator – ditto above. Ditto - nope.

Funko
• Bring back Walking Dead mini-figures. Need Negan and his crew. And now we have Whisperers. - Sadly no.
• More 3-3/4 scale Game of Thrones figures – so much potential. Nada.

Super7
• Figures from the Dark Crystal series - YES YES YES
• Finish the Goonies and Star Trek - nope
• Original Battlestar Galactica figures - nope
• Red Dawn figures (Original Red Dawn) - this was a stretch, but yes, they are coming, or preorders are teased on Entertainment Earth
• Friends  - the tv show - no, but still hoping

Chicken Fried Toys
• Finally release your Dime Novel Legends figures – Kickstarter ended in 2016. I know we are close. Just want my western figures. - GOT THEM. They are incredible.

Mezco
• Release Series 3 and 4 of Heroes – or place these in Blake Wright’s Toys That Time Forgot Volume 3 - nope!

Anyone
• 6 inch scale Indiana Jones line - of course not
• Someone finish releasing the Bridge Direct Hobbit figures - ditto
• Someone good with a 3D printer make more GI Joe Combat Heroes - will pursue this
• Finish Palisades Muppets and Sesame Street line - sadly, never

LEGO
• Muppets - nope
• Disney Tinkerbell and her buddies - nope

MEGO
• Friends - nope

LANARD
• More Dino Wranglers from the Primal Clash line - so far, no

Four Horsemen – don’t change. Keep doing your wonderful stuff. And when is the Mythic Legion Space series coming? - They keep doing wonderful stuff.

Playmobil – keep doing what you are doing or try a few more licenses – Star Wars?  How cool would that be.

Toys R Us – come back but make sure your previous owners and investors are in jail. Unfortunately no.

Target and Walmart - they continue to be worthless disasters
• Fix your distribution as well as fill in the empty spaces of your toy aisle
• Restock after Christmas – geez, you’re starting to look like KMart

Walgreens – keep doing Walking Dead figures – thank you! Didn't happen but hey we got Marvel Legends Dani Moonstar finally.

Playset Magazine – thank you for continuing to do print. Love it! Still going strong.

Fellow Bloggers – keep doing what you are doing. Even though technology changes the audience and channel, and even if I don’t always comment, I love seeing what everyone is up to. We lost a few bloggers to Instagram and Facebook. I've been tempted as well. For the time being, will keep this up.

Star Wars Walmart Gold 2 Packs

It's been a long time since I fell for some gimick like this (think Silver Wolverine), but these caught my eye. The sculpts along with the gold color looked really neat. I thought that each movie from the Original Trilogy was cool as well. The Leia and Han sculpts from Empire were the best.

McFarlane Fortnite Update - Inferno, Havoc, Nighthare, and Hybrid

Gamestop is hit or miss with these McFarlane Fortnite figures. I think I walked in on the right day. These figures are so much fun. I have a feeling Fortnite will eventually peak and the trend will die for the next video game. But I have so enjoyed the creative characters they come up.  In this haul, I found Inferno, Havoc, Hybrid and Nighthare. I thought originally Nighthare was Nightmare until I carefully read the name and saw the character was a rabbit.

I especially liked getting Havoc. Havoc looks a lot like GI Joe's Cobra Saboteur Firefly. This is what I imagine a Black Series 6 inch GI Joe figure to look like in terms of detail and articulation.

A Vintage Merry Christmas

A little bit of vintage Mattel Battlestar Galactica under the tree.

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Festivus! Merry New Year!

Star Wars Black Series - Doctor Aphra and Cal Kestis

I don't know much this character. Didn't even know she was a villain? But cool design. Need to find out more about Doctor Aphra.

Cal Kastis comes to us as a Jedi: Fallen Order video game character.

Marvel Legends Retro Carded Storm

This was a tough one to find. Seems like it was short packed among the others. Finally stumbled across this. An excellent addition to the X-Men line. But why oh why can we not get Storm in her original costume?

Star Wars - The Mandalorian AT-ST - Best Buy exclusive

I really can't believe I purchased this. It's a repainted Scout Walker. The asking price was ridiculous. I think I got swept up in the wave of new releases, preordered, intended to cancel, and then didn't expect it to show up so soon. Shaking my head in shame. It did come with a very cool exclusive figure though. Kind of sucks that there aren't any other Mandalorian toys at the 3-3/4 inch scale.

Marvel Legends Mysterio and Night Monkey from Spider-Man Far From Home

This is a series I don't plan on completing - not interested in Molten Man BAF and many of the figures are repeats. Spider-Man is cool, but we now have about 50 Spider Man figures. However, the Mysterio costume in this movie was awesome, and I thought the "Night Monkey" outfit was pretty cool. So these are good additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe based figures.