Will There Be News From Toy Fair 2009?

[beaker]

I am surprised Disney has taken the Muppets down the Transformers route! They have with Mickey to a great success in the collectors market as usual! Here is Mickey Optimus Prime!
http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/new-images-of-transformers-mickey-mouse-optimus-prime/15004/

Just think a Gonzo Megatron! A Robin Bumblebee! Dr. Teeth as Soundwave and the band members all he's "cassettes"! And you know what? They would sell beyond belief especially in Japan. Amazing...

Im not much a fan of "Disneyana", but I have to say that Mickey/Optimus Prime playset is one of the coolest things Ive seen Disney wise next to the Star Wars Muppets figure set.

 

[beaker]

Uh... the Muppets outside of Sesame Street characters (and to some extent the Fraggles) are virtually unknown in Japan. I don't think that would work at all.



Tell me about it. I go to specialty chains in MA all the time. And the funny thing is, they sell DVD's cheaper than even Best Buy half the time... not as cheap as Target, though... but sometimes I found insane clearance prices. I got the first (and only) Heathcliff DVD box set for 15 bucks... and I almost picked up the cartoon version of Carman SanDiego for 4 bucks. And these places have REAL Japanese blind box figures... FROM Japan with Japanese characters.

There is and was NO call for selling re molded TMNT for 10 bucks each. They aren't moving at all in my area. And they didn't even have to resculpt anything. 7 bucks, I'd understand... but 10? I see some of the unsold TMNT product at TJ Maxx and Marshalls for 5 bucks each. And these are the oversized, overpriced movie figures too.

Haha, I go to my local Marshalls to get cheap gourmet coffee and chocolates, and I saw cheap TMNT playsets.

Man I really miss the 2003-"Fast Forward" playmates figures. They've just ran out of milage completely with the TMNT 2007 movie likenesses. Im surprised they even have shelve space anymore.

Btw, I have to disagree, I think a Muppets/Transformers thing would be glorious. Though that would be too obscure for folks...then again, Japan is known for random obscurity.

Btw, if you want the absolute cheaptest dvds, I suggest http://www.half.com

Also Dr Tooth, you so gotta get the Dilbert boxset, which has all 30 episodes from the 1999-2000 series. It's just one of the most amazing animated series Ive seen, next to Invader Zim.

 

[Mister Hoggoth]

It's just one of the most amazing animated series Ive seen, next to Invader Zim.

Totally off topic, but I would love to have a puppet of Zim and especially Gir!

 

[Drtooth]

I still think my idea would work. Japan is one of the few major places where they find no need for a personalized educational Sesame Street program. Sesame gets by with its universal humor and simplicity of style. I'm not sure how the Muppet Show brand would go over there? I can see a cute anime cartoon of the Muppets doing remarkably well in Japan. How does Fraggle Rock fare over there?

Let's not forget one thing... cultural divide. Here's something... Tiny Toons was pretty popular over there (though they didn't air the entire series) but Animaniacs was a flop. But you know what American cartoon was rediculously popular, possibly even moreso than here? Wacky Races. I've seen so many animes reference it, it's not even funny. And of course Snoopy is also huge over there (mainly cuz he's so kawaii). I still don't know to the capacity that The Simpsons is popular... mainly because the Japanese had a similar show that has been around on and off since the early 70's (Tensai Bakabon ... look it up. The similarities are frightening. They even have a goofy cop). Then of course, there's stuff insanely popular in Japan that the US haven't and will never get. Doraemon? You can't punt a football without seeing his big blue head over there...

But Disney stuff? Trust me on this one... over half the Japanese products I've seen at Korean grocers and indie comic retail chains were Disney based. Blind box figures, large figures, candy toy products... I've even seen Mickey on rice seasoning mix. Sometimes I wonder if Asia and especially Europe (where Scrooge McDuck comics are really huge, or so I'm told) care more about Disney's classics than we do.