FORT90

For those who missed part one. So, where was I? Oh yeah: Mario and company could be found in various corners of the show floor (though, oddly enough, I barely saw any WWE merch)?

And here we have a Sackboy pimping his publisher’s new toy (and I know plenty are excited for the Vita version of LittleBigPlanet)?

One of the more interesting things I stumbled across was a special attachment for a faucet that allows one to make water balloons super easily?

? Unfortunately, the Chinese guy pimping it was only interested in dealing with distributors, and couldn’t have given a rat’s ass about talking to members of the press. Oh well.

A recurring theme I noticed throughout was stuffed animals that were round. Either entirely so, or just their bodies, like these bloated ponies?

? Who also looked high?

Just rows and rows of little, plastic cars?

Speaking of wheels, there’s not a whole lot to say here?

It’s the same for any trade event, but you will be amazed at the crap that people are trying to sell at Toy Fair?

? Or at the very least, by the means in which some choose to sell their wares?

To mark the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Power Rangers in America, they had a super huge Red Ranger at the front of the convention center?

Another favorite discovery this year was the Puppet Heap Playthings, a series of super high quality puppets by an outfit that is located in New Jersey. I’m a sucker for homegrown talent?

In addition to creating your own adventures, Puppet Heap has vignettes of their own and that are online, but only accessible via special codes that come with each character (again, cannot stress enough how awesome they are). Which you can see in the back; everything was shot in their backyard of Hoboken!

I have tons of little figurines and the like that I’m looking to unload, but also have fun doing so in the process, hence why the following looks so interesting?

Here we have a full body dragon outfit, from head to toe, for a little girl. Note the hands, which are also dragons?

Speaking of, check out this gigantic dragon, made entirely out of old Mountain Dew boxes and Pringles containers?

It was the highlight of the Makedo booth. You may have seen their kits at educational toy stores and museums?

Each contains various tools to allow one to assemble all sorts of wacky creations, made entirely out of cardboard boxes and cups, thanks to their specially engineered cutting tool and pins. Like this robot?

Unfortunately, even the most baseline starter kit is pretty expensive, like around $30-40. But at least cardboard is relatively cheap! Actually, no, it’s not.

Hey look, a monkey!

Yo-yo’s are serious business!

I personally would never wear the following in a million years, but I’m sure others out there would feel otherwise?

I feel odd saying this, but I’ve completely let this Skylanders craze pass me by. Granted, it’s mostly geared for kids, but I should still know more about the video game that I already do?

Other than Spyro being involved, I know virtually nothing. I’m just amazed that someone was able to breath new life into him, after all this time, and now he’s more popular (and profitable) than ever before?

At the top of my list of favorite things at Toy Fair 2012 was the Nanodots?

It’s simply a collection of magnetized little balls, but man, you can do a LOT with them! Like make them behave in all sorts of wacky manner, or simply create super cool constructs. The following, btw, is made of 2,304 individual Nanodots?

One of my final stops was the Think Geek both, where they had a TON of Portal paraphernalia. Hey, whatever makes money, right?

They also had the iCade 8-Bitty, which I’ve already gone over at In-Game on MSNBC. And finally, last but not least, what Toy Fair report is complete without dolls! Usually I concentrate on Harry Potter ones, but this time, how about Tron Legacy?

Alas, I could find no updated model based upon Hermione, but Quorra will do just fine.

? And I guess that pretty much wraps it up? Next time, your first link dump of the new year. Get ready!

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I am a firm believer in better late than never. Not just when it comes my way overdue fourth installment of the FORT90ZINE (which, as noted, is coming out in time for TCAF, I swear to God), but my not nearly as overdue Toy Fair 2012 report!

So how was the show? Well, each year it becomes slightly less and less exciting, mostly because you basically see the same stuff year after year, more or less. But unlike last time, I was also able to take my time, and therefore do a bit more digging.

The end result was a slightly more enjoyable Toy Fair, though I made sure to hit all the usual suspects right upfront. Like the Bandai booth, which had an assortment of Persona 3 and Mega Man X figures?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a good shot of Izanagi, but at least Thanatos was nice and viewable?

I’m pretty certain I’ve highlighted the D-Arts X and Zero, but not Vile?

For those of you who have every single Halo figure out there, how about Xbox Live avatars dressed as characters Halo? And once again, that’s why Todd McFarlane makes the big bucks!

The Square Enix booth had tons of stuff that weren’t just Final Fantasy released, like Street Fighter figures?

Though one could final some FF XIII-2 goods could be found as well?

To contrast the animu, you also had a God of War figure?

And Nathan Drake?

I’ve seen images of the Cyber Ninja via Kojima’s Twitter, the unpainted version at least, so it was nice to finally behold the final product?

Unfortunately, Meryl doesn’t look nearly as eye-pleasing in comparison?

Nearby was a Tetris booth featuring what appeared to be an iPad running a Tetris-themed clock, and housed in a Tetris-themed arcade cabinet made out of cardboard (which some time recall from last time)…

?. Too bad I couldn’t get a closer look; the folks running the booth gave me the stink eye for whatever reason. So moving on, here we have a portable NES and SNES player by Retro Bit. You’ve undoubtedly seen plenty of similar examples?

But here’s something I’ve never seen before, let alone heard of either; it’s an adapter for the SNES that plays Genesis games!

Unfortunately, the folks running the booth was pretty tight lipped as to how it works. My best guess is that it’s just a Genny on a chip that draws power from the SNES, and also uses it to output video. But still!

Back to figures: next stop was the Kotobukiya booth, who had two different Batmans. BTW, he, was far and away the popular character at the show?

I didn’t bother to share the one found at SE booth since it was so damn ugly. And that’s only because it him from Arkham City (the heinous character designs is one of the main reasons why I can’t give that game a chance).

Anyhow, the second one is an unpainted prototype, based upon the upcoming Christopher Nolan flick. The outfit is pretty much the only good about his take on the caped crusader, sorry (there’s one and only Batman, and his name is Michael Keaton)?

As in the past, Tekken was well represented?

Their latest line of Star Wars figures look quite nice?

I dig this Darth Vader one, even though I don’t remember him being so quite dynamic in the flicks?

Though I’m guessing it’s most to match up with Darth Maul, aka pretty much the only good thing about the Star Wars prequels?

I hear the Spider-Man comics are great these days, but I refuse to read them, after the way they retconned him revealing his identity to the world during Civil War (yes, I’m still pissed about that)?

Also, I don’t have high hopes for the new Avengers movie for a number of reasons, like how all the costumes look like ass. Iron Man’s mark 7 suit is a real step back?

Some more Marvel dudes?

And, of course, some Marvel ladies?

The Adventure Time booth had all sorts of awesome things, like a Beemo mp3 player! Unfortunately, I was unable to take any pictures of the new stuff, just items already available in stores. But since the following was new to me?

For fans of The Walking Dead and trading cards?

Next are the Obos, a brand new line of figures in which everything is made out of recycled cardboard. The box itself is actually the body, with all the appendages and other extras contained within?

All the extra bits are interchangeable, which allows for customized characters. But the best part is the engineering behind it all; despite being made out of paper, every component is super durable, so one can insert and removes parts over and over again, with zero wear and tear?

Oh, and the fact that it’s the creation of of NYC fellows is a nice little bonus. There’s a Kickstarter of course, which totally deserves your donation!

From paper, to plastic?

With each passing year, there are more examples of 2D artwork making the leap to a 3D form, and with stunning results. As is the case with this Camilla d’Errico bust from Dark Horse?

Things, and Hulks, and Iron Men, and Skywalkers, oh my!

I believe this X-23 statue is from Kotobukiya as well?

For those who already own a replica of the gun from Gears of War, how about one from Mass Effect?

And just one example of the wacky signage that was Toy Fair 2012?

? K, that’s it for now. Be sure to come back tomorrow with part 2!

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