Toy Fair Pics!

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Jeez, I didn't even KNOW about these till muh buddy Quinn emailed me...

Wow.

FIRST of all, I love how, in size ratio to the others, Janice is, like, "Attack of the 50-foot Janice" size.

Aside from that, yeah, she's rully skinny, but, that's Janice. I think her hippiness exaggerates that to us---but the way her legs are positioned, that makes the hips look kinda natural.

The hair is too "texturey", and could be a bit longer, and the hat looks a li'l big, and yeah, whoever said her lips are "too concentrated in the center", I totally agree with that.

But she ain't rully bad or anything, just a few tweaks would make her GREAT.

 

[C'irdan]

figs

Well....here's my thoughts....

Beau looks good...but he needs a bit more variation of coloring on his face-otherwise it's perfect!

Statler and waldorf are good if not a little cartoony...and statler's upper lip is way too big.

Gonzo looks fantastic! The nose is almost perfect...if they just tweak the yellow and make it less shiny it will be insanely accurate. Camilla looks a little to happy and not like her nervous self...but pretty awesome all the same.

The Muppet Newsman looks great...but the short cartoony legs are kind of freaky...maybe just a little bit stockier would be good?

Janice...well...the lips are too big and too bright...she doesn't have teeth, the hair is too light, the hat is way too far down on her head, and she's annorexic...yes the Janice we know is very skinny...but this is a little scary...I think if they dull down her lips and fix the hat and the ugly green belt she'd look great...still she looks about average at this point...a bit dissapointing. Also her mouth should be closed or wide open. Fer Sure.

Pepe's body is spot on...but his eyes are way too round. He has those smug narrow eyes and the little gotee under his chin on the puppet but they are somehow missing on the figure. Colors are great.

Pigs in Space-Link and Strangepork look amazing...Piggy looks like an amateur sculptor did her...they should stay consistent! And the skirt is really wierd...didn't miss piggy wear a pant suit deal like Link and Strangepork? Even if she didn't it looks terrible...and her facial expression looks like she just smoked something very...happy.

Bunsen and Beaker-look really really good!

I'm noticing that the paint ops seem to be slipping in quality...the figures are looking more and more flat and cartoony in color--even in shape actually! Something needs to be done about Statler's body.

 

[WiGgY]

Now that I see Janice with her hat down more I love the figure! Her hair could be a little longer but then we wouldn't be able to move her head so it's a function over form type thing. I think all the band members look a little skinny except for Dr. Teeth and Animal. I like the look as long as it is consistent which it is.

 

[frogboy4]

The paint ops aren't slipping on these - they are prototypes.not the real scale figures. I also find it discouraging that some call the parts they find disappointing "terrible" etc. Absolutely none of these figures is terrible. In my 28 years as an avid Muppet fan I have never seen Muppet product of this quality. To call any of these figures amaterish is going overbard. It definitely beats all the WB and Disney product I've seen.

 

[WiGgY]

I agree. They al look great. Janice got bashed a lot and I think it was because someone put the hat on wrong when we saw the first picture. Ever since then people have been creating problems with her. I even started to dislike the figure until I saw the hat properly placed. I think the figures are all wonderfully done and these are only prototypes. I can't wait for the real things all painted up with texture and joints and stuff. Ken said that Piggy will get texturized at the factory and the same probably goes for Statler, Waldorf, Beau, Link, Dr. Strangepork, and the rest of the figures that look too smooth right now.

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by Luke
It's not that they can't - it's a Henson/Sesame Workshop issue. Originally they couldn't do Reporter Kermit because he was also seen on Sesame Street and Palisades don't have that license. So it's a compromise that they can do him without the hat and microphone, and include the Koozebanians to ensure people know it's from TMS and not SS.

Um, let's not kid ourselves, its Sesame Kermit 'Koozebane' Kermit was seen in what, a couple of TMS sketches...the same Kermit is seen a billion times in newsreporter garb on Sesame Street. I think its flat out lame EM/TV screwed up the JHC/SW licencing thing...but yeah, we all know hes pulling double duty. Then again I consider Mega Animal, 'Muppet Movie' big head Animal^_^

I just cant get over how excited I am about the Koozebanes, lobsters, and Camilla!!! Man, character packins rule! And PLEASE OH PLEASE let Rizzo be as tiny as possible! A larger Rizzo would just look out of place. Also I really hope the smaller Sam Eagle is the scale they'll use for him.

I will say though, the one sculpt that kind of left me, um less than enthused was Clifford:
http://207.44.204.78/photos/showphoto.php?photo=560&papass=&sort=1&thecat=513
I dont doubt for a second the face will rock, but people though Janice looked too human in proportion? Oh boy! Hopefully some major retooling will be given for this guy(as Clifford is one of my all time favorite Muppets!)

But yeah, the sculps ARE ALL astonishing...these are really just too much, and a fans dream come true.

NOW PEOPLE, do you see why I said 2003 would be the coolest Muppet merch ever?

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by beaker
NOW PEOPLE, do you see why I said 2003 would be the coolest Muppet merch ever?

Actually not really, to be the coolest Muppet merch year ever you'd need to be bowled over by the amount of Muppet stuff in mainstream stores, new products coming out of the wazzoo, and a blitz of media and promotion to back it up. This, while great, is just one (albeit fantastic) line which is under-promoted and doesnt get enough attention from the big toy stores to make it successful enough - the problem isn't US - it's THEM !. There isnt as much Muppet merchandise coming out this year compared to the previous two and we don't know yet whether the other licenses we know about (Ssssh !) will be of decent quality. Good year ? Yes, Best ever ? I doubt it !

Look back to the entropic days of the mid 80's and you'll find true greatness dude - all the big names supporting the Muppets !. I actually think 2004 will be a lot better than 03 because we'll have the new show airing, and with the Valentine deal going through there'll be a strong JHC prescense at the licensing show this year and they'll probably get a LOT of new deals done there and we'll see the new products debut mid next year in addition to the excellent Palisades stuff. BTW - yeah Clifford is very 'off' indeed, the body looks like one of those Osbournes kubrick things with the stick hands but it's a really early proto.

 

[Gonzo]

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Woo!

I'm VERY pleased with the Janice figure!!

I wish I knew how to get my Kermit figure to stand alone like he does in that picture with Rizzo. It seems he DOES have to be knee-knocking to stand up straight. Anybody else find a fix for this? Heat to the legs maybe?

Some of the paints looked 'too' shiny (plastic). Hopefully, those will be dulled a little (ie, Gonzo's tux, GREAT he's coming that way!!)

Do the Koozebane creatures (not the Merdiliwhatevers and the babies) come off their stand?

I cannot wait to get my set of stuff!!

Oh, and is there really going to be a JH figure, or was that just for design submission to the JHC?? If there IS one, I'm going to soil myself right now.

FOZ

 

[Misfit Toy]

Janice DOES have teeth...in another pic I noticed this and her hair looked longer. It's an angle thing as Ken has pointed out in the past. Who cares if she looks anorexic...she was made out of foam! I think it totally looks like her. Certainly captures the spirit, without a doubt.