Ask Ken at Palisades

[beaker]

luke:

>>>We could never take muppet lunchboxes to school for fear of getting beaten up by the Transfomers kids (i secretly paraded around as one of them, but was really a double agent for the Muppet cause)<<<

That's so weird, as I was BOTH a Muppets and a Transformers kid(and still am a transformers kid to some extent) Obviously at around 4th or 5th my Muppetness had to go kind of covert as one could get beat up for bringing a Sesame anything to school(funny how just a decade later it became 'alternative' trendy indie emo hip to bring such to school, call it 'geek chic')

I actually had a Fraggle lunchbox in 3rd grade, but unfortunately Henson made a bad decision by making FR available only on hbo
(thank goodness for syndicated TMS!)

And yeah, I loved Palisades anime and video mini lunchbox line, and the electric mayhem and muppet show ones rock! (i think i have all of the mini lunchboxes cept buffy, heh)

///beaker///

 

[ResidentLilly]

I should be clear on that. It isn't that Piggy stuff does not sell well. It sells VERY well. It just tends to sell less than some of the other characters like Kermit, Beaker, Animal and Gonzo...I really don't know why. Could be a chick thing.

Ken

 

[beaker]

luke, and fer sure:

luke:

>>>I think THEY get the impression that WE don't like them because of that slightly hyperactive comment Corey made about WOS collectors "bowing in concession" to the Muppet figure line - obviously they don't know that Corey can be (to put it kindly) slightly over-enthusiastic and passionate at times - and theres nothing wrong with that. <<<

Yeah, what's up with that Cory character? hey, i might browse toughpigs forum and the *cough* WoS sector, but there's only one forum I have a sworn allegiance to. Luke, let me break it down for ya(and just for the record I myself have been a huge Simpsons fan since the late 80's)

Muppets: began in 1955
The Simpsons: began in 1987(1989 proper)
Muppets first merchandise: Wilkins and Wonkins puppets(195?)
The Simpsons first merchandise: 1990 burgerking
Muppets: are having an all out blitzkrieg that has just began including radio, print, tv, toy, etc campaigns
The Simpsons: seems to be widing down according to Groening and nielsens ratings
Muppets: If youre lucky, ya can meet the muppeteers and muppets themselves
The Simpsons: well, you could meet Matt Gorening if youre lucky, but being The Simpsons are 2d...(Same thing with Disney)

On there WoS forum, they claim we havent been collecting figures for very long. Well news flash WoS folks...I myself have been collecting Muppet figures for 2 decades(starting with the great Fisher Price line) and I have made it a goal to search and find for every rare HEnson related figure/figureine collectable out there.
(as well as haven collected Star wars, Transformers, and various anime figures for another decade and a half) WoS secotr forum seems to think theyre the authority on toy hobbyist collecting,
and sure a lot of folks on here this is their first forray into figures(I myself have been waiting twenty years+ for new Muppet figures) but believe me for a lot of us weve been toy collectors for a long time.

Some on there are saying how theyre passing up the TMS line
at stores just to buy even more ho hum WoS wave 7 and 8's.

With the exception of the magnificent Kudos and Kang, it seems all these WoS collectors would be clamouring for figures as detailed and rich as the Palisades Muppet line as a breath of fresh air. Sure, why not pass on the endlessly cool Teeth and Bunsen figure for that repaint Cleetus *sigh*

Todd MCfarlane himself must be wishing he had gotten the licence for these babies, as all they seem to be putting out is eroneously grotesue monstrosities.

Luke, me over zealous? naw.
And yes, to be fair a majority at WoS sector are planning to buy the Muppet show line. It's just funny to see such ardent enthusiasm for a product based on something around for 12 or so years. Anybody willing to go a few rounds here from Star Trek contingents?


fer sure:

>>>Anyone been to the Simpsons collector sector recently? There have been some real anti Muppet Central rumblings over there lately. How petty. Anyways I think we are on the verge of the next flame war. Don your scuba masks kids, we're going in.<<<

Yeah, I must admit as Luke pointed out its mostly curiosity over there. I feel bad all there figures are practically all yellow and have inferior scuplts and details(though thats obviously based on 2d designs) PS: Whens the Simpsons gonan get a new intro?

fervent, zealot, and sworn to the felt cause

 

[Louis Kazagger]

Re: Are These Numbers Right?

Yeah, Uncle Duke, I saw that too and wondered where they got their numbers, since Ken says he doesn't get into numbers. Another earlier seller quoted this number, and compared and contrasted it as well, saying that 100,000 regular Miss Piggy's were made. I figured they just pulled the number out of a hat to use in their sales pitch and now the copycats are following suit.

 

[Luke]

Oh gee Corey - thats all really gonna help things with our friends at the 'Collectors Sector' isn't it ? ;-)

Yeah you do have many points there, a lot of us have been collecting for a long time, and yes, i'm sure the Simpsons people would like more articulated figures, although both lines do have their advantages and disadvantages. I'm not making excuses for them or anything - though i do think we have a long way to go before the Simpsons collectors need to do any 'bowing in concession', WOS is a massively popular line, and it's way too early to really know the sucess of the Muppet figures.

It's actually quite unfortunate that the Muppets are getting compared to the Simpsons figures because they are so totally seperate and unrelated in many ways, and i think the work of both toy companies and the reactions of the fans speaks for itself but being as the comparisons are easy and obvious i guess its gonna happen whatever.

 

[ResidentLilly]

Can't we all just get along? Heh heh.

I love the Simpson's. I collect 'em, I put 'em in a place of honor in my collection and I think they are fantastic figures that capture in every way possible the spirit and flavor of the show and they have a rich universe of characters. I hope they continue to put out wave after wave and I'll be right there with my wallet to support it.

The only reason people ever say "Muppets will be the next Simpson's" is because what they are REALLY saying, IMHO, is that the line might be successful, have lots of characters from a rich universe and will hopefully also capture in every way possible the spirit and flavor of the show.

Is Muppets a better line? NO! Is Simpson's a better line? NO! They are both different in about every way imaginable, like the Star Wars line is different than the G.I Joe line, but both have a great history, rabid fans and cool toys. I actually think that Simpson's fans in many cases could be or are Muppets fans and vice versa...both shows show a lot of creativity, unique bits, recurring supporting characters and they are both very, very funny. Muppets is geared a bit more towards kids, but so what? Aren't we all big kids at heart?

SO take your Miss Piggy off the shelf, grab your Burns, and have some fun letting them interact. Heck, you can play like they are going on a date.

Burns: "Well, Miss Piggy, aren't you looking smashing this evening...perhaps we can have some dinner and discuss the intricacies of "pork bellies"?
Piggy: "Pork Bellies!?! HiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiYA!!"

Ken

 

[Zack the Dog]

Fozzie Bear and the Bumble bee guy interacting! That would be histarical!


Zack)Rowlf the, Bart and Rizzo would cause a heap of trouble together;-)Dog.

 

[beaker]

Heck, and the Muppets were evn on The Simpsons(ok, a rather crude parody of Sesame Street on the Homer missionary island episode)

Personally, the Muppets vs. Simpsons figure debate is healthy, and fun spirited.

Saying the Muppets are the next WoS is a good thing, because The Simpsons line has been insanely succesful.

Is the Muppets figures IMHO better than Simpsons line? Well I guess that is an odd comparison as Simpsons are non cgi flat 2d yellow. So i guess that is an off comparison.

Personally, I could not wait til the WoS line came out, and for those that saw in Tomarts and Less or Toy Fare the promo pic that had like fifty+ Simpsons figures and a promise to make nearly every character into a figure...well much enthusiasm abounded. Some have questioned on other forums, why there is only 4 characters and one playset/character per line for TMS line.
I think the answer is the painstaking scupt, as obviously the scupl job and paint job on these is way beyond the WoS line.

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Yet another question for you Ken. I seem to recall some discussion of it on the old forum, but here goes:

Just to refresh our memories, Rowlf isn't going to come with a piano bench because he won't be able to sit. Am I correct?

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[uncleduke]

Originally posted by Zack the Dog
Fozzie Bear and the Bumble bee guy interacting! That would be histarical!

Ay-yiyi Los oso es Grande!!

Actually the ability to pose Foz with Chief Wiggum should seal the deal for the Bear On Patrol Variant.


Vacation Fozzie should be cool, since there is a Vacation Smithers in the next wave or so... (insert your own joke here)

And Gonzo could hang out with Kang & Kodos!

Professor Frink and Dr Honeydew can compare notes!

Will there be room for Bleeding Gums Murphy on the Electric Mayhem playset?

the possibilities are endless.....