MINDstyle to make 25th Ann. Fraggle figures!

Cosmic Cow

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Sorry if this has been posted already but I just came across it this morning on another site:

MINDstyle and Dark Horse Comics Ink Worldwide Sales Agreement


Dark Horse is proud to announce they have signed an agreement to act as exclusive sales agent for the entire program of licensed products for MINDstyle—a California-based company which has recently emerged as a leading manufacturer of high-end collectible figures. The initial offerings, slated for release beginning in March, will include deluxe limited-edition vinyl figures and specialty products based on the classic Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal, comics artist Frank Cho’s Liberty Meadows, and award-winning painter Brom’s acclaimed book The Plucker.

“We are very excited to be associated with MINDstyle in putting this sales program together,” Dark Horse Vice President of Product Development David Scroggy stated, “and we are confident that they will help us make the release of these highly collectible, top-quality, limited editions a key event for collectors and film fans.”

MINDstyle has developed one of the most sought-after product lines in the burgeoning market of designer “art vinyl” figures. They are highly regarded for their unsurpassed work in creating a wide variety of limited-edition pieces derived from the work of contemporary artists. Their talented team of sculptors, painters, package designers and technicians have worked hard to set the MINDstyle line apart from the ordinary, and this attention to detail and quality control results in one sold-out piece after another. Each is highly prized by collectors.

“We are very pleased to be working with Dark Horse,” MINDstyle spokesperson M.D. Young remarked. “For MINDstyle, it was a natural progression in finding the right distributor for our products. We felt it was time to team up with someone who understood our vision and complimented our brand best. In this case, Dark Horse was the right company because of its “indie” identity and ability to reach a wider audience; and, it simply made good business sense. ”

“It's an exciting year!” Young continued. “We are breaking new ground with the products that Dark Horse is distributing—doing things outside of just the vinyl art toys. We will release a series of 25th-anniversary Fraggle Rock vinyl collectibles, and there are some really limited The Dark Crystal figures in the works. We're very excited about the art replicas from the late Viktor Schreckengost, and there will be some really cool 12- inch figures from the Shaw Brothers kung fu classics, 36th Chamber of Shao Lin and Shao Lin Temple.”

The initial offerings of the products will take place at the International Toy Fair in New York, February 17–20, 2008. Exhibited in Javits Center, booth #5744 , this presentation offers the first trade-only look at some exceptional pieces, including several new items displayed for the first time.
I love what they've done with The Dark Crystal so i'm anxious to see what they have going on with the Fraggles. :excited:
 

frogboy4

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:coy: I am excited too. I hope they are affordable! The Dark Crystal figures were too expensive (and too stylized) for my wallet. It is nice that there's enough Muppety, Hensony goodness out there competing for our dollar! I suspect the Fraggle line will mimic Palisades' Muppets line; however do we know if they will be posable? Should they be? Hmmm. I am so glad the Fraggles are reemerging. Thanks for posting this news. I bet you the proto sculpts will be making the figure mag rounds soon. :excited:
 

Luke

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Vinyl Collectables? Were the Muppets figs vinyl then?

EXCITING NEWS!
 

Drtooth

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MMmm... Not too crazy about hearing of Vynal figures. Will they be the smaller 10-15 dollar figures or those snooty artistic toys that cost over 50 bucks per? This sounds like a great idea, but if I can't afford them, then it seems like a moot point on my part.

No doubt these will be great anyway. I have a thing against those titanic $100+ ugly bear and wacky psuedo-Japanese looking toys. Though, being the hypocrite I am, I'd love to get the Gary Basemen ones (I'm a huge fan of his artwork, and I think Disney cheated everyone out of Teacher's pet toys). I like fun toys like the Muppet line, M.U.S.C.L.E.S., TMNT action figures, and random collectible PVC's of various cartoon characters and stuff like that. I hope these Fraggle toys have more of a feeling of those. And no doubt it sounds like they will.
 

theprawncracker

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*falls over* WOW! This is shaping up to be QUITE the year for Muppet fans already!
 

Erine81981

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What is this Vynal stuff? It sounds like something like an old plush action figure. Is that what it means or am i totally off. :excited:
 

frogboy4

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What is this Vynal stuff? It sounds like something like an old plush action figure. Is that what it means or am i totally off. :excited:
Vinyl figures are kind of like the porcelain of plastic figures. Seldom articulated, but they can be very nice representations of characters. It's just a smooth plastic. The use of this type of vinyl plastic figure is common and attractive as long as the likeness is well done. Many times these items are limited edition and that hikes the price. I hope these stay under 30 bucks a piece. It just wouldn't be wise to price them like their $80-150 Dark Crystal pieces. That's ridiculous and cuts out the heart of the market.
 

Fragglemuppet

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Yeah, affordability is my main concern, too. Has this company ever made inexpensive products? How about quality? How have their other lines looked, for those who have bought them in the past?

Yeah, all this muppety news, and it's still only February! It's like being a little kid at Christmas. I can hardly wait to go to sleep for wondering what new news I'll see when I wake up tomorrow!
:smirk:
:excited:
:smirk:
 

beaker

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Vinyl figures:
www.kidrobot.com

I LOVE em myself, there's 3 stores in San Francisco dedicated to those kinds of toys, and several in LA Ive been too.

But yeah, as DrTooth has pointed out, "designer toys" cost a lot more especially the smaller the quantity.

The Kubrick Sesame and Muppet Kubricks were sold at these sort of places, but aside from the one of a kind Gobo Palisades prototype, this will be the first time we've ever had Fraggle action figures.

(and actually most vinyl figures are articulated)

But yeah, I can just imagine the crazy good news that will come for
Muppet-Sesame-Fraggle-etc fans.
 

frogboy4

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Vinyl figures:
www.kidrobot.com

I LOVE em myself, there's 3 stores in San Francisco dedicated to those kinds of toys, and several in LA Ive been too.

But yeah, as DrTooth has pointed out, "designer toys" cost a lot more especially the smaller the quantity.

The Kubrick Sesame and Muppet Kubricks were sold at these sort of places, but aside from the one of a kind Gobo Palisades prototype, this will be the first time we've ever had Fraggle action figures.

(and actually most vinyl figures are articulated)

But yeah, I can just imagine the crazy good news that will come for
Muppet-Sesame-Fraggle-etc fans.
Which stores in SF? I'd like to check them out. I frequent some stores on a regular basis and know Urban Outfitters carries vinyl. My partner got me a Munny last year for a spontaneous gift.

Most vinyl figures I've seen aren't that articulated. At least not like the Muppet figures (not many toys are). Aside from a swivel joint here or there KidRobot's and MINDstyle's toys are pretty much handsome chunks of plastic. I think some fans think these figures will be Fraggle versions of the Palisades toys. I doubt that's the case as far as articulation. Not to say the sculpts won't be very nice, but they will likely not have the dozen or so joints, various materials and accessories that the Muppets line did. This seems to be a slightly different genre than many are used to. I hope to buy these in any form as long as they are attractive and affordable. :coy: :excited:
 
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