World’s Greatest Toys!

It’s show-time again!

Rob Chatlin (editor of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys!) and I will have a dealer table at this Sunday’s (02/17/08) Los Angeles Comic Book & Sci Fi Convention at the Shrine Auditorium.

As with last month, we will have a broad range of Mego figures — MOC, MIB and Loose — on display and available for purchase. We’ll also have vintage Kenner, Mattel, Popy, Medicom and more. It will be a vintage toy lover’s dream. I will also have copies of the Mego book on hand and can sign books for anyone interested in acquiring an inscribed edition.

If anyone out there in Blogland is in Southern California, we’d love it if you stopped by the show. We actually have THREE tables this time, and we’d love to see you there. Here’s the info:

Shrine Auditorium Expo Center
700 West 32nd St.
Los Angeles, CA

The official Web site for the con is here:

Los Angeles Comic Book & Sci Fi Convention

Guests include stars from TV’s Jericho, Katy Sagal and Teen Titans Year 1 Writer Amy Wolfram.

Hope to see you there!

Benjamin

Geeks with kids, you may rejoice! Wizard World Los Angeles, the family friendly comics and pop culture extravaganza at the L.A. Convention Center March 14-16, announces it’s brand new “Children’s Area” on the show floor for the youngest fans.

In an effort to make the Wizard World experience the best possible one for all attendees, Wizard has expanded programming and events for children and added the following specifically for the 10 and under Wizard fan.

Be sure to bring your cameras for photo opportunities with an official Marvel Spider-Man character appearance as well as with Stormtroopers and Rebels from The 501st Legion: Vader’s Fist, The World’s Definitive Imperial Costuming Organization.

All Jedis-in-training will have a chance to participate in Lightsaber instructional classes taught by members of the New York and L.A. Jedi.

A slew of prize packages will be handed out as well as free comic books during our coloring and kids costume contest. Kids will also be able to sit down with friends to play games.

Mike Kunkel, winner of the 2007 Annie Award for best Character Design in an Animated Television Show and creator of the two-time Eisner Award-winning comic book series Herobear and the Kid (shown at right) and the critically acclaimed book “The Land of Sokmunster,” will be on hand doing sketches.

“We have always prided ourselves on making every Wizard World convention as family-friendly as possible,” said Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Yanarella. “By designating an area for our younger guests we hope to build a whole new generation of fans who share our love of comics and pop culture.”

For a complete list of events, registration forms, guests, activities, ticket prices and times, visit www.wizardworld.com.

I am so excited for this year’s Wizard World convention in Los Angeles. I’m a HUGE fan of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Wizard is boasting an appearance by none other than… drool… Summer Glau!

I hope to see you the weekend of March 16-18. For more information about the show, check out the official site:

Wizard World

Better yet, click the cool banner to the left! I hope to see you there.

Since the book was published, I’ve gotten some amazing Emails and feedback about the book. In keeping with the spirit of this Blog, I want to document the entire process. Accordingly, I will post questions and answers here. If you have a question about Mego or the book, please Email me: benjamin(at)worldsgreatesttoys.com

On January 31, reader John asked the following:

Question: Wasn’t there a package or catalog that showed a super-heroes that were planned but never made? I’m thinking it was Green Lantern. Wasn’t this mentioned in a Museum thread last year?

Answer: No. Green Lantern is depicted on the Hall of Justice, and I discuss that in the book. There is very little documentation of planned or unproduced figures; it is mostly speculation and wishful thinking on the part of collectors.

Question: Why not a section on rejected heroes or heroes that got only as far as planning stages? Was this not included because no art or prototypes exist to support the text on it?

Answer: I do mention Doc Savage, but as mentioned above, there is little documentation of other figures not created.

Question: Everyone seems to lament the lack of Flash and Green Lantern. It’s nearly the first thing they ask when they join the museum. Why not address that topic in the book?

Answer: As previously mentioned, I discuss Green Lantern, but not Flash. What’s the point? You could have asked why I didn’t discuss Doc Oc or Doctor Doom or countless other characters Mego never produced. But to what end? The book is a careful documentation of what Mego DID, as opposed to what they did NOT do.

Question: There was a sculpt of Joanna Cameron’s face for the ISIS figure. It probably does not survive but I would have loved to see an example of it.

Answer: Yes, and the Cameron sculpt is in the hands of a well-known collector, who was not willing to share it for the book. I have seen pictures, but was not allowed to include it in the book.

Question: I was under the impression examples existed of the Greatest American Hero figures, Ralph, Bill and Pam. They did appear in some advertisement tho the heads have not surfaced to my knowledge. Why not include that in the last section? Could not the GAH figures in 8 inch have been seen by Mego as a return to Super-Hero figures in the 1980’s?

Answer: Not really. Since the packaging prototypes are known and documented, we know that GAH was NOT to be branded as “WGSH.” I did include Isis and Teen Titans, despite their lack of WGSH branding, but again: I chose to focus on what Mego DID produce, rather than dwell on that which they did not produce.

I look forward to more questions and comments. As you read the book, make a note and send ‘em in!

Benjamin