Tag Archives: Wonder Woman

Toys

Toy Company Mego Eyes Australia for 2019

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The toy company that ruled the toy isle in the late 70’s with their lines of 8″ Star Trek and DC superheroes action figures along with their iconic 12″ dolls of Farrah Fawcett and Cher is making their way back into Australian stores this year after almost four decades.

Mego was one of the hottest toy companies way back when to the point that in 1976, their first release Cher doll became the highest selling doll that year beating out Mattel’s powerhouse Barbie, but all the glory came crashing down when the company passed on an offer to nab the licence to (a then unknown) Star Wars and followed that up with a shift towards electronic and robotic toys that saw the company sadly file for chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 1982.

In the years between, prices for vintage Mego items have soared with collectors forking out huge bucks to fill in the gaps of their Mego collection. Vintage boxed dolls of Charlie’s Angels star Jaclyn Smith can rise as high as $400aud while those 8″ DC Heroes, in mint boxed condition, can see prices rise into the high thousands.

Mego’s vintage 12″Jaclyn Smith doll released in 1977

But, jump forward to 2018 and Mego Corporation is alive and well with Marty Abrams back at the helm announcing an exclusive deal with Target US that would see Mego figures back on the shelves for the first time since the late 70’s with licences for classic pop culture favorites including an I Dream of Jeanie double pack, Charlie’s Angels, Charmed, Cheers, a Full House Stephanie and DJ Tanner double pack and various original series Star Trek characters along with releases of classic monsters such as Frankenstein and Dracula. Add to this a brand new 14″ line with DC hero action figures for Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman and Mego Corp are well and truly back in the market leaving fans of classic pop culture wanting more!

Mego’s classic line of 12″ celebrity dolls including Cher, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith that were hugely popular in the late 70’s and are a highly sought after collectors item almost 40 years later (and one i’d love to see make a return this year!)

With the Target/Mego deal ending this year, it allows for Mego Corporation to begin looking for worldwide distributors with Mego confirming that they are in fact hammering out a deal with an Australian distributor meaning we will finally see Mego in Australia in 2019.

Mego confirmed they will be coming to Australia via a comment on the Instagram account of Australian vintage/modern toy collector Modern_Retro_Collectables

Their recently announced fourth wave of figures includes an 8″ ‘legends’ series that sees Muhammad Ali, Farrah Fawcett and Marilyn Monroe (among others) immortalized in plastic along with a retooling of their 14″ DC superheroes which will see Wonder Woman and Batman in alternate costumes.

There’s no official word of yet as to whom will be stocking Mego, when we will see them or the price point but watch this space as Mego hinted at a huge announcement coming Wednesday (Thursday our time) that may reveal more. Watch this space!

Fashion Dolls, FRONT, Toys, Wonder Woman

Toy Review: 2017 Black Label Wonder Woman Barbie

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Taking inspiration from the up-coming live action Wonder Woman movie starring Gal Gadot, Mattel are releasing three Black Label Barbie dolls based off three of the characters within the film.  Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta and Robin Wright as Antiope.  The first of the three to be released is Gadot’s Wonder Woman, seen first here in Australia.

While Mattel are still yet to officially reveal any images of the trio, this 2017 black label release has already begun to hit selected stores in Australia.

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Thepophub.com has got your first in-hand look at this new doll but note, as I am not a de-boxer, this review will only take in-to account what can be seen without removing the doll from her plastic/cardboard prison!

Releasing as part of Barbie Loves Pop Culture series, this new doll features many similarites to that of the Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice Wonder Woman barbie released last year (that was never released in Australia) with the articulated body, the dark rooted hair and Gal Gadot/Wonder Woman facial screening.

The box art is bright and colorful featuring the movies Wonder Woman logo with the outside of the plastic sheet surrounded by a printed gold lasso.  The back of the box showcases a promotional photo of Gadot as Wonder Woman with a short bio of the character.

The doll features shoulder, elbow and wrist articulation along with articulation in the knees – the feet remains unknown as I did not take of the boots.  One hand is molded in a clasping pose to hold her sword while the other is in a fist, so as to hold her shield.  The shield itself is held by the doll via two straps that link over Wonder Woman’s arm.

Wonder Woman’s outfit remains screen accurate with the bodice made out of light plastic in the red and blue signature look with a faux leather pteruges skirt with gold imprinted details.  The bodice and skirt are somewhat flimsy to the touch and I cannot confirm how these are attached to the body.  The faux fur and fabric cape is quite lush and ample in size and while the official description does state there is in-fact a hood, the final product has no such addition to the cloak.  This cloak is held closed by a single button and elastic loop combo with the elastic loop feeling strong and capable of holding with some decent play.

Other accessories include a gold plastic armband, silver plastic bracelets and gold plastic boots with red imprinted details and black elastic.  There’is also a brown faux-leather scabbard with gold plastic hardware, gold cord lasso which appears to be non-removable, gold plastic sword with silver imprinted blade, gunmetal silver plastic shield with gold imprinted details and black elastic bands, and a clear plastic doll stand with black plastic base that is not branded in any form.

The hair is styled in loose ringlets and is held with some form of setting gel leaving parts of the hair feeling dry and ‘crunchy’.

Pre-Order your case of all three dolls from Entertainment Earth here!

The facial screening and mold remains stunning just as it was with last years release.

 

This black label release comes with a certificate of authenticity and remains an non-numbered limited edition release.

Currently available in selected stores in Australia (David Jones and GoFigureCollectables.com.au as of writing this) Wonder Woman Black Label Movie doll is scheduled for a USA release in mid April – though Mattel’s site is stating May 2017.

Also, check out the first look at the Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta black label Barbie below!

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FRONT, Toys, Wonder Woman

First Look at the Black Label Wonder Woman Movie Barbie Doll

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The first sneak peek look at one of the new Wonder Woman black label Barbie dolls, based off the up-coming movie, has been leaked the final product looks amazing!  With three new black label movie based dolls due for release, only a blurry image of Robin Wright’s Antiope has managed to make its way online leaving us wondering about Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Connie Nielsens’ Hyppolyta releases.

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Prior this is leak, no images, previews or news had been released about these black label dolls – we just knew they were coming and now, a first look of the Wonder Woman black label Barbie has dropped showcasing the new doll with the wonderful Gal Gadot screening as used in the Batman Vs Superman but with the addition of the black woolen cloak Wonder Woman sports in the new movie.

Check out the two images below.

While some of the new movie based action dolls have begun to hit US Wallmart stores (We should expect to see them end of April here in Australia) there is no exact street date (April 4th has been floating around on some collector sites) and the rrp is around the US$50 mark.

DC Superhero Girls, FRONT, Toys

Jakks Pacific Joins the DC SuperHero Girl Line

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Warner Bros. Consumer Products, in partnership with DC Entertainment are expanding their DC Superhero Girl line to bring Wonder Woman and co to every household worldwide with a global expansion of the brand’s licensing and merchandising program.  The program has seen the line grow to more than 30 categories including toys, costumes, apparel, accessories, publishing and stationery with licenses granted to Funko, Crayola and Pez Candy among others.

Budget toy maker Jakks Pacific has been tapped by Warner Bros. Consumer Products to create a retail line for the DC Super Hero Girls universe and now Jakks seem to have come up with the goods with the first batch of good to be released under the multi-year global licencing deal, revealed for the upcoming 2017 NY Toy Fair.

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  • DC Toddler Dolls: Adorable toddler dolls each dressed in an iconic DC Super Hero outfit including, Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Supergirl – each doll has rooted hair and comes with accessories such as belts, cuffs, masks, headpieces and shoes.

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  • DC Super Hero Girls – Everyday Dress-Up: Girls can now master their super powers with the Everyday Dress-Up assortment. These two-piece outfits include key accessories like masks, headbands, headpieces or arm cuffs.

A line of capes with Wonder Woman, Kitana and Bumblebee, along with designer superhero face applique and temporary tattoo packs are also due for release.

But it’s the announcement of a new line of DC Superhero Girls dolls that have people talking!

The new line-up by Jakks Pacific will include four characters, each measuring a whopping 18″ with 14 points of articulation and will be exclusive to Toys ‘r’ Us with a price point of $34.99 each.  While Supergirl, Wonder Woman and Bumblebee will be fit out in designs very similar to their Mattel counterpart, Batgirl looks set to be given an overhaul, sporting a look very similar to her classically iconic Batgirl ’66 look.

Jakks Pacific will officially unveil all during NY Toy Fair and has stated these products are slated to hit US stores this fall.

FRONT, Toys

DC Super Hero Girls Spotted on VIC Shelves!

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Wonder Woman and Super Girl from Mattel’s DC Super Hero Girls Line

The eagerly awaited DC Super Hero Girls line of action figures and poseable dolls have made a surprise and sudden appearance on shelves in selected Target stores across Victoria and Sydney today catching many fans off guard as we waited to receive any news of their release.  Word floating around was that we could have been waiting until as late as June this year before seeing this new line hit our stores and with the PR company dealing with press for this release for the Mattel created line not able to provide me any exact information regarding store exclusivity or in-store dates, it was a wait and see game that seems to have finally ended.

This morning, posts started popping up on Facebook showcasing Target stores across Melbourne and Sydney beginning to stock their shelves with Wonder Woman, Bumblebee and other characters from the line in their 6″ and 12″ forms.

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A Vic based Target store’s display – so pretty!

Target have confirmed to me that the 6″ action figures and 12″ dolls will be available at select Target stores from today with a $19 price tag for the action figures and a not too shabby $32 tag for the dolls and suggested for customers to check and see when their local store is currently stocking the line.  The release has been staggered through Target stores with some already almost sold out and some not yet out for sale to which Target Australia has put down to “unusual shipping delays” to their stores.

Retailer BigW have confirmed they will also be stocking the action figures and dolls in a few weeks time with a similar price point.

The DC Super Hero Girl line has been a massive hit in America where it was first launched in early March this year with stores stocking the line selling out faster than they could replenish the shelves and online, leaving many customers slightly frustrated about not being able to either get their hands on the whole set or buy their child their favorite hero. While the line was generally aimed at the 5-15 year old girl market with their ‘positive influence’ selling point, the 6″ and 12″ figures have been a hit with adult collectors scrambling to collect the set as well.

There is also a budget line of 12″ figures (Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Supergirl) coming soon to Target US stores that feature painted uniforms, rooted hair and less articulation than the original released figures.

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Budget line “power action” Wonder Woman, Super Girl and Bat Girl!

Recently, Mattel announced a brand new play set to go along with the 6″ action figures which includes a flying mechanism, grappling hook and zip line along with themed accessories which expand the play opportunities for the iconic school setting.  Currently available for pre order through Amazon US, the play set has an October 2016 release date.

Does your local Target have this line?  Have you bought any yet?  Sound off in the comments above!

Action Figures, FRONT, Toys

Mattel Takes on Female DC Super Heroes

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Wonder Woman and Supergirl DC Super Heroes by Mattel

Fashion dolls and action figures that come with positive messages have become a major selling point of late and rightfully so!  Companies like IAmElemental and Mattel’s Barbie have recently been introducing female empowered figures and dolls that are all about ‘being the best you’ to the very lucrative 6 to 16 year old female market and now, DC heroines including Wonder Woman and Batgirl are joining those ranks via a new line of fantastic fashion action figure dolls from Mattel.

Among the bevy of empowered and positive female figures hitting stores is the DC Super Hero Girls that will see 6 well-known DC heroines and villains from Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Poison Ivy, Harlequin and Bumblebee released as collectible action figure dolls with several points of articulation, fabric uniforms and rooted hair.  They are somewhat shapely like Barbie but stand half an inch taller than the blonde bombshell.

The plan to diversify just what toys are offered to girls in toy stores is a big bold move that seems to sit well with both the kids wanting the items and the adults buying them . Mattel’s announcement of new curvier Barbie saw adult collectors snap up the shapelier dolls in the droves and with DC’s legion of fans behind them, Mattel could be sitting pretty knowing a second audience with accessible cash is eagerly awaiting these figures.

A budget or cheaper version of these figures will also be hitting stores along with smaller plastic molded versions of each character.

Hitting Target stores in the US first, word has it that here in Australia, KMart, Target and Big W will be stocking these figures and these could be hitting our shore as soon as March 31st so get your wallets ready!

Depending on the popularity of the line, further releases including Katana, Catwoman and Hawkgirl could be announced.  Find out more about the DC Super Hero Girls here.

Do you have plans to collect the line?  Want to see another heroine not listed released at a later date?  Sound off in the comments above.

SDCC, Toys, Wonder Woman

Dawn of Justice SDCC Exclusives Reveal Wonder Woman Figure

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Warner Brothers have just revealed the first of their big guns they plan on bringing to this years San Diego Comic Con in the form of merchandise for the up-coming Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice movie.  First there was the Lego Batmobile, then a diecast Hot wheels Batmobile with rubber tyres and now, we’re being treated to some pretty awesome looking figures.

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Superman Vs Batman 2 Pack

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Wonder Woman in 12″ form.

A 6″ Superman and Batman double pack that feature both figures with likeness of Henry Cavil (Superman) and Batman (Ben Afleck), fabric capes and matching bases that when joined, form the movies logo will be available to SDCC goers with a retail price of $30 plus a Wonder Woman Barbie that sadly won’t be available for purchase (but will be on show) until next year with the movie’s release.  The Wonder Woman doll features a brand new face sculpt, rooted hair, jointed body and outfit that resembles the one that will be featured in the upcoming Dawn of Justice movie.

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Hot Wheels Batmobile.

San Diego Comic Con runs from July 8 through 12.