MindStyle Fraggle Figures Revealed

[frogboy4]

Most certainly the Fraggle film is still on. Check out writer/director Cory Edwards' blog that he updates with all of his news (much of it of the Fraggley kind).

As this is typed - I am filling in for one of my freelance clients at his collectibles/toy store down the street from the Metreon (you probably know the one). There's a stack of beautiful Palisades Swinetreks with First Mate Piggy that just don't move like other items of the similar size and a fraction of the quality. We have Super Scooters, Beauregards, Helmet Gonzos, Crazy Harrys and Johnny Fiamas to keep her company. It really is all about the frog.

Anyway, all of these products are mixed in with talking Shaun of the Dead figures, Firefly ornaments (that sell remarkably well), Joker figures, Lord of the Rings animaquettes and a five foot tall Princess Leia statue. Last week I brought my slightly modified, beautiful MR Gonzo poser puppet and stuck him right next to her. There were surprisingly fewer gawkers than I would have imagined. That dude is 95% spot on as I have styled him.

There are fans of the Muppets, Fraggles and all things Henson, but without a current project there isn't enough interest piqued to push healthy unit sales numbers. And, let's face it, that's what the game is about. Profit. Even in the limited edition market. Most of the work produced these days is made by hardworking freelance artists, modified and produced cheaply in China and sold by "Suits" to retailers.

With the new Muppet media push along with the new Fraggle film there will be a Henson renaissance in media and products. I assure you. It's just not there yet even if the fans are.

 

[beaker]

With the new Muppet media push along with the new Fraggle film there will be a Henson renaissance in media and products. I assure you. It's just not there yet even if the fans are.

Totally. We're at the moment that ten years ago we were hoping for. We didn't know it would take a decade, but it's well worth the wait.

And hey, maybe this is like 1996 in the Star Wars community, right before the massive 1997 relaunch of Star Wars? We can say we were "pre 2009" fans

Say, what toy store you be talking about? The one on market?
Metreon is pretty much tumbleweed cricket city.

And holy smokes, THANK YOU so much for posting that Fraggle movie writer blog. I can't believe I never saw that before. Wow. I like how in this modern era, there's no longer this disconnect between directors/writers and the fans...because, well the writers and such are just as big of fans as us.

Still, its a bit surreal that Fraggle Rock of all franchises is to get a threatrical treatment and a big push. I thought itd never happen

 

[frogboy4]

Totally. We're at the moment that ten years ago we were hoping for. We didn't know it would take a decade, but it's well worth the wait.

And hey, maybe this is like 1996 in the Star Wars community, right before the massive 1997 relaunch of Star Wars? We can say we were "pre 2009" fans

Say, what toy store you be talking about? The one on market?
Metreon is pretty much tumbleweed cricket city.

And holy smokes, THANK YOU so much for posting that Fraggle movie writer blog. I can't believe I never saw that before. Wow. I like how in this modern era, there's no longer this disconnect between directors/writers and the fans...because, well the writers and such are just as big of fans as us.

Still, its a bit surreal that Fraggle Rock of all franchises is to get a threatrical treatment and a big push. I thought itd never happen

The Metreon is still busy. They have the Sony and Playstation stores, but other fare has left due to the price of rent and the struggling economy. Also the ownership recently hiked the rates on new contracts. Even the Tokyo Pop kiosk left a couple weeks ago. Now we have people coming in for Pokemon cards. We don't carry that stuff or comic books, but we do carry some Anime figural work.

Action Figure Freddy is a smaller shop across from the new Westfield Shopping Center that houses Bloomingdales and a gazillion floors of so many things. It's doing well even if the Virgin store won't make it after Christmas.

Anyway, customers seem to be very fond of the Muppets, but purchasing tastes are all about video game figures and anime versions of things. It's a bit uninspired. It reminds me of the barely-functional humans in Wall-E that needed to be told "Red is the new Blue" so that they could follow suit. Personally I'll take a Fraggle over that any day.

Cory's blog is really a nice touch that shows he wants to connect with his audience. He wants to reassure us about the project and that can only help later. He seems like the Ken of movies.

 

[Redsonga]

Well as far as anime 'taking over' I was a fan loooong before it was a fad, so please don't think of us all as mindless zombies . The same goes for video games and comic books for me :3. I was always more than a little disappointed every summer when I went to San Fran for my leg appointments and found how few of those card shops actually had comic books . *sigh*
Anyway, the trouble is I think, that a lot of shops don't keep selling things long enough to see that there are people that want to buy them..Most of all in malls where shops seem to come and go every week . And when they do sell things it's only that high end collectables that a tiny fan like me with twenty dollars in her pocket couldn't afford if we saved up for a year

 

[Drtooth]

Well as far as anime 'taking over' I was a fan loooong before it was a fad, so please don't think of us all as mindless zombies . The same goes for video games and comic books for me :3. I was always more than a little disappointed every summer when I went to San Fran for my leg appointments and found how few of those card shops actually had comic books . *sigh*

The anime stuff is... uh... kinda dying out, actually. A Shame really, I was looking forward to quality One Piece merchandise. Plus the stuff I like, for the most part, isn't even licensed in the US (Daggnabbit, Mattel... bring back M.U.S.C.L.E. Ban Dai's Ultimate Muscles were nice, but not in the same vein) The gamer stuff has completely taken over everything. And you know me, I like a good Mario or Sonic game, but I've always time for other things.

I think the Muppet stuff completely cooled off just as the toy line was ending. I haven't seen anything outside of plastic Keychains and T-shirts since. I think the Fraggles will fit perfectly into that market, especially for the 80's nostalgia crowd. Though, frankly, I don't know if it's best to wait 1-2 years for the movie or release them middle of next year.

 

[Redsonga]

I actually wouldn't know if anime is dying out in shops because I don't live remotely near a comic shop . I get most of my fandom thingies now ether right from Japan or watch fansubs of series that aren't here in the US yet..It is a shame when a series has dubbing I really really like but the company drops it..I am still waiting for the rest of I'm Gonna Be An Angel and Child's Toy .

I don't think they should wait to put out the fraggle toys...In a perfect world I think it would have been nice if they had started working on the FR movie a couple of years ago itself, so that the series boxset would have been out at the same time as the movie for the holidays . But I know, they had to know the fandom and money was there first..but still, it would have been nice^.^...

 

[Drtooth]

I actually wouldn't know if anime is dying out in shops because I don't live remotely near a comic shop . I get most of my fandom thingies now ether right from Japan or watch fansubs of series that aren't here in the US yet..It is a shame when a series has dubbing I really really like but the company drops it..I am still waiting for the rest of I'm Gonna Be An Angel and Child's Toy .

It's dying off from television. And I think the gaming industry is a huge reason of that. I keep seeing new DVD's being announced, but only one or 2 companies even bothers now.

That said, we're basically getting the same new stuff over and over, and the classics and older animes get the shaft because they look... well... old. Someone has the rights to Doraemon, but they're just sitting on them. If you can't make something that's about as popular in Japan as Sesame Street is here, then you know something is wrong. (plus I want my freaking Kinnikuman available legally with at least subtitles)

That said, I don't know where a lot of these people who aren't Muppet fans are. I've seen a lot of Muppet Merchandise in 2003-5 get bought up rather quickly...even the left over stuff (Maybe a Movie Theater Scooter here and there... and the Odd Gonzo doll not marked down). I think the Jim Henson creatures are doing well around me, but I have to check.

But then again, I think it is a good idea to wait for these figures. Economically, we're not going to be in good shape for quite some time. By the time the movie gets closer, I'm sure things will be better, and buying toys won't have to play second to food and housing.