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Important Toy News: Arthur the Aardvark rocks out & LEGO announces some new literature
Welcome back to Important Toy News, the SYFY WIRE column that shows you all the best and coolest happenings in the world of amazing toys and collectibles for the week.
So hold on tight to your money as your coinage and bills do their weekly wallet dive and transform into shelf candy on the way down. Because seriously — we have some mind-blowing toy goodies on the way. Join me, your resident if not favorite Toy Journalist, while we dive back into the toy box for another adventure down the rabbit hole that is new toys and collectibles announcements.
And we're starting by heading back to the '90s with Arthur!
ARTOY THE AARDVARK
Seated 4.5 inches tall, Arthur, star of the beloved PBS series, is seen playing a baby grand piano. Per YouTooz, this piece is "carefully sculpted to include individual keys and pedals, Arthur sits in his usual attire with his headphones on. They're plugged into a cd-player, with a fire mixtape inside."
The double-walled window box is inspired, with instructions on the best way to consume a friend's mixtape. This collectible ships in a matte, embossed, protective outer sleeve. Mixtape Arthur costs $29.99 and will be available to purchase at YouTooz on Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. His rabbit bud Buster is going up for sale too, so don't miss out!
TOY LOYAL SUBJECTS
Are you ready to rock with a whole new line of action figures? The Loyal Subjects has introduced a new format in one of the most storied categories in toys: Action Figures.
The new BST AXNTM 1:15 scale Action Figures from TLS are hyper-poseable with 31 to 33 points of articulation using a modern armature system, which brings the figures even more to life, including killer paint details, super character likeness, interchangeable hands, multiple accessories, and great sculpt details — all at a super affordable price point of $15.99 SRP! With its amazing assortment and variety, BST AXNTM is the ultimate Action Figure mashup, representing every genre from anime, to action/adventure, to sci-fi, to movies/TV/cartoons, to nostalgia. Heroes with a thousand faces vs. villains with a thousand faces! Something for everyone! Seriously, I own a few of these figures and I think they're just stellar. You can see the entire catalog and learn more by visiting TheLoyalSubjects.com.
UFC (ULTIMATE FIGHTING COLLECTIBLES)
Jazwares and UFC are teaming up again to bring the world of UFC and mixed martial arts into homes everywhere with a new line of UFC action figures and role-play collectibles. Available for preorder now from Ringside Collectibles, the new wave of collectible figures includes Conor McGregor, Jorge Masvidal, Amanda Nunes (heck yeah!), Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya, Urijah Faber, plus a coveted chase variant, and they all make for a perfect addition to any UFC collection.
The UFC Ultimate Series limited-edition figures by Jazwares are, according to an official press release, "the most detailed, realistic, and sophisticated representations of UFC athletes. Re-create the thrill of fight night with the UFC articulated fighter figures! Each fighter features amazing, character-authentic details including tattoo-like-details, weight class body types, and realistic facial expressions. These 6.5-inch UFC collectibles come with two sets of removable hands and two removable heads. They also come with a fighter-specific flag, UFC champion belt, or other unique fighter accessories." With 23 points of articulation, each figure is poseable and perfect for play and display.
WHY TOY SERIOUS?
Do you want to know how I got these scars? Standing on a pillar decorated with gargoyle-like sculptures of medieval buffoons around him — the very symbols of the playing card that inspired his name — stands Gotham's most fearsome villain. This figure of the Joker, from Iron Studios, wears his formal purple outfit and holds one of the playing cards that say his name. The figure, according to Iron Studios, is an addition to the company's "Batman The Dark Knight" line, and there's a 1/10 scale Batman collectors can pair with this Joker, as well as the versions of the hero and his archenemy presented in the MiniCo line. Standing nearly 12 inches tall, this piece costs $159.99 and will ship in Q4 2021.
TOY CARS
Buckle up, because Disney and Pixar's Cars Week is back, and you're invited to join the action-packed week leading up to this year's Daytona 500 on Feb. 14.
This year, Cars teamed up with Mattel and NASCAR for the ultimate collaboration. Classic Cars characters like Lightning McQueen, Jackson Storm, Mater, Luigi, and Guido have been NASCAR-ified, and some of the most notable NASCAR drivers including Chase Elliot, Austin Dillon, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola, and Kyle Busch have been transformed into die-cast figures. These will all be available soon at Walmart, so keep your eyes open on your next essentials run!
GASTOY, LADY TOYMAINE, AND THE TOYED KING
Ravensburger announced its next "expandalone" game, Disney Villainous: Despicable Plots, which adds Gaston (the cover star), Lady Tremaine, and The Horned King to the franchise's diabolical roster. The game is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Target and will officially go on-sale nationwide on Feb. 28.
Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) must remove obstacles from his realm to prove to Belle that he's the perfect man. Lady Tremaine (Cinderella) plots to marry one of her stepdaughters to Prince Charming. And The Horned King (The Black Cauldron) needs to take over the world by filling his realm with Cauldron Born after securing The Black Cauldron. I love Disney's Villainous games and I know this one will be a fantastic addition to the lineup!
LEGORATURE
LEGO Lovers, rejoice! More new goodies are coming this year via the Chronicle Books x LEGO collaboration. As if building with LEGOs weren't awesome enough, more stunning paper products (which include photography books, stationery, puzzles, playing cards, and more!) are on the way. Most notable are some stunning LEGO photography books, which are the perfect blend of art and fandom. You can see the entire inventory of products here on the official LEGO x Chronicle Books website and ensure that these beautiful bricks adorn your life in all aspects. Learn more at the LEGO x Chronicle Books official products page.
