Ask Ken at Palisades

[MM-III]

show exclusive questions...

Hey Ken...

A few questions for you...

1. Just saw your mention of a Beaker figure at the Chicago show... is this the exploded version? If not... what's the change?

2. Just how many of those Dr. Teeth repaints were created? I've heard both 400 and 500... also is there ANY chance of a second offering through the palisades web site?

3. Are there going to be any more pesky industry-only give aways at future shows... the completist in me hopes not!

And finally I'd just like to add that I almost wish you were doing your job poorly and I could save all this money you're costing me! Keep up the great work!

 

[BlueFrackle]

Guys,

The What Not Muppet Figure is a great idea !

I can imagine it now !!

Vicma once made a pink Sesame Street What Not Muppet Puppet.

It came with different eyes, noses, hair etc.

And then in the 90's there was some What Not Puppets and you could buy a tub of accessories and stuff, like eyes, noses, etc.

I really think its a great idea !

See ya

 

[ResidentLilly]

1. Just saw your mention of a Beaker figure at the Chicago show... is this the exploded version? If not... what's the change?

We are calling it "Vanishing Cream" Beaker. From about mid bicep and chest up it will be clear, and he will come packaged with a tube of vanishing cream that Bunsen can hold in his hand. So you can make it look like another experiment in Muppet Labs gone wrong.

2. Just how many of those Dr. Teeth repaints were created? I've heard both 400 and 500... also is there ANY chance of a second offering through the palisades web site?

The official number sold at the show was about 424 actually. No chance of a second offering. We only got about a dozen people who wrote in asking for it, and that simply doesn't justify a second production run.

3. Are there going to be any more pesky industry-only give aways at future shows... the completist in me hopes not!

Dunno on that. But remember, that this give-away is not necessarily unique. The Kermit figure inside was not altered in any way, and you will be able to buy the lunchbox at the store. The only thing you can't get is the inner plastic blister and the sticker.

And finally I'd just like to add that I almost wish you were doing your job poorly and I could save all this money you're costing me! Keep up the great work!

Appreciate that. You know, it's hard to get excited about any of this stuff. By that I mean...it's like a cook that doesn't eat his own food, know what I mean? I don't really get to enjoy all this until six months after the fact, because of all the deadlines and rushes and all that. BUT, we got the packaged mock-up of the Muppet Labs with Beaker yesterday in the office. It felt like it must feel when you give birth! Beaker is alive, well and he looks GREAT! The lab set has exceeded the prototype and Greg's packaging is AWESOME. We will show the mock-up on the Daily Bit next week I think. Then as of next Friday it will start to SHIP. Can't tell you what a load that is off my shoulders. That Mutant Beaker was a mess and it's great to see how good the new one is. We will also show a comparison photo next week. You have to see this picee of POOP.

Whew...that one took some effort! The explanation, not the poop.

Ken

 

[MM-III]

Wow, a vanishing cream beaker is a great idea! It makes the figure quite unique without having to do a re-sculpt. Even though you're making a larger run of these, my guess is these will be much more sought after...

I can appreciate what you said about being close to the process and not being able to step outside and appreciate it all. I work in the visual effects business and I feel the same way about the films we work on. But when it's finally finished and we screen the results for everyone, the relief is immeasurable. The great thing is, you seem to love your job and that's something a GREAT many people can not say.

Anyway, looking forward to the lab pics... talk to you later!

 

[FER SURE]

Ken-

Invisible Beaker!! WOW I would have never thought of that. They had better be paying you well, cause this is by far the coolest series of toys ever produced. Is Beaker going to be the same price as Dr. Teeth and how many will we be able to buy. I wanna get at least 1 extra so I can trade it for a Animal from the San Diego show. I'd love to see a convention exclusive Chef Packed with a Musket handgun, head of lettuce and brussel sprouts.

 

[MM-III]

Oops... another question...

Is this new beaker considered a Series 1 figure or a Series 2?

 

[SteveJ]

I don't know if this is the right thread to post this in, but I wanted to share my dissapointment with this line. It's not the figures or the choice of characters, it's the exclusives. When I first heard about this line, I was really excited. Then I saw the figures and I was blown away. They looked awesome. Then I heard about the two exclusive per wave, and that was okay, because I could easily get to those stores to get those figures. But then I heard about the Dr. Teeth exclusive, and I was bummed. I'm only 15, and I can't get my parents to take me to a comic book convention in another state just to buy an action figure. But I figured, "Well, I could get it off of Ebay, and pay the high prices this once", but then I heard about this "invisible" Beaker. That was the final straw. If you are going to make a habit of making exclusives for Comic Cons, I can't afford to collect this line. I planned on getting all of these figures. Now, if I can't have them all, I don't want any of them. I also know many other collectors who have given up on this line. These exclusive may be the death of this line. So, thank you for reading this, and I hope you really think about it.

 

[matleo]

I'm sorry to hear you feel that way. I understand your disapointment and frustartion, but personally it sounds like a silly reason to NOT buy an action figure, but that's just me. If you like a figure or a series of figures, you buy it. if not, then you don't. Oh well! Your loss I guess. Just means more Muppet Figures for the rest of us.
I don't think this line is going to have any trouble succedding. it's a well made line with a number of familiar and well-loved faces in it many of whom have had little representation in merchandise. And even if someone who decides they can't have the ENTIRE line and ths won't buy any, I think the line will still do well. Like I said it's your loss, man.

--Matt

 

[kane31666]

It isn't always necessary to have every single item from a toy line. Think of the people who collect Star Wars, do they have everything. No, or at least I hope not. But anyway, another way to look at it is, that they aren't releasing original characters as these exclusives. Not to degrade the exclusives, but they're just variants. And if you really want these exclusives, as do many people on this board, who weren't able to go to the convention. A large scale petition should be organized to have the Dr. Teeth, and the upcoming Beaker variants be made available through the palisades store website. Ken said that they won't be available because so few people responded in regard to them. Maybe, if you show that there really is a lot of support in making these exclusives available through the site, then maybe palisades will offer them. I wouldn't decide to not even bother collecting this line because of two elusive exclusives.

 

[Zack the Dog]

SteveJ

Hi Steve, many of us would like to get every fig that is made, but the truth is we all won't. It's not that it's just "this" they are doing to the Muppet Show figuers, they do it too all the figuers. Ken said he collects Star Wars figs and he has had trouble and could not get some of them. You can still get the main line and in actualty what would you rather have? the dr teeth repaint ot the real Dr Teeth paint fig? the new Beaker does sound really cool, but i'd still rather have the main line one.

Remember that they are only toys, so don't let it get ya down, the regular line is very cool. So it's not a habit of them doing this and they are not trying to tick of muppet fans by it.

just you wait till that Rowlf the Dog fig is shown!

if they only made ONE Rowlf fig and i had the WHOLE set besides Rowlf, i would give it all up just for that one Rowlf the dog fig that was made...well,i'm sure that's just MY opintion;-)


Zack)Rowlf the, what? ok so maybe i wouldnt and use the Rowlf stick puppet as a fill in, but i would really think about giving it all up if i had it!Dog.