Probably the happiest Mighty Muggs Alert I have posted so far – I finally found, and purchased, a Yoda Mighty Mugg! Never actually seen one up close down here in Oz, and the ones I’ve seen on eBay have always been waaaayyyy overpriced for me. But finally managed to win one on the weekend for a reasonable price (even though shipping costs about the same as the item!) and he’ll end up being delivered sometime in the next few weeks.

Narrowly missed out on a Han Solo (v1) and Darth Maul (v1) from the same seller (the only “old” ones I don’t have now) but they’ll surface again I’m sure at some point

The San Diego Comic Con is fast approaching (July 23-26) and Hasbro has just announced one of their “exclusive” SDCC releases for 2009.

In honor of the 25th Anniversary of the TRANSFORMERS brand, OPTIMUS PRIME, leader of the AUTOBOTS and one of the most well known characters from the TRANSFORMERS brand lore, is getting the popular MIGHTY MUGGS line treatment for San Diego Comic-Con. This special edition OPTIMUS PRIME MIGHTY MUGG figure, which comes with a detachable cannon, shines with a metallic finish and comes in commemorative foil packaging.

Some collectors are a bit p’ed that they’re just releasing a shiny version of a Mugg that already exists (fair enough too), but some are also saying that the release is vague enough to perhaps allow for them to actually be releasing a “Revenge of the Fallen” movie version of Optimus Prime instead. We’ll wait and see.

Previous SDCC exclusive Muggs include Iron Man (a metallic-paint movie version), Peter Parker, Commander Gree (Clone Wars Trooper) and of course the golden Indiana Jones Fertility Idol. All are only available at ComicCon, and then later on of course through online stores or eBay.

Rumor has it that there’ll be another Star Wars exclusive Mighty Mugg announced, so we’ll keep you posted as soon as anything happens. In the meantime, if you’re going to ComicCon this year and would like to help an Aussie collector out by picking up some of these Mighty Muggs for him, please email (hello AT toytragic DOT com) Toy Tragic

OK, so I have some good news and some not-so-good Mighty Muggs news. The good news is that I picked up Starscream and Grimlock yesterday (Transformers Wave 2 – the ones that didn’t get canceled) and they are winging their way through the postal system to come and take up residence in the man-cave. You can check them out on the Mighty Muggs page.

The not-so-good news is a further negative comment from Hasbro about the future of Mighty Muggs. There has been a lot said lately about Hasbro’s apparent decision to sell all Mighty Muggs (in the US at least) through Toys’R'Us stores only (no longer through retail giants such as WalMart, Target, etc), and further comments lately from Hasbro about expanding on the range also seem to indicate that there’s a limited lifespan on the product. Still not sure what to make of all of this, and what effect it will have here locally, and I’m waiting to see what happens with a rumored new line of Transformers Mighty Muggs relfecting the upcoming Revenge of the Fallen movie.

If you’re a Star Wars fan, then no doubt the name Ralph McQuarrie rings a bell. And if his name doesn’t, then his artwork surely will. He is the artistic genius behind the concept artwork for the Star Wars saga. Some of the most remembered scenes in Star Wars folklore were dreamed up initially by McQuarrie’s creative vision. There have been many publications of his artwork, but I have a special kind of collectible publication that makes it just a little different from the others. It’s “The Art of Ralph McQuarrie Artbox”. (more…)

Green Lantern was one of the first comic titles (apart from The Phantom) that I seriously started to collect, and even though I don’t regularly buy the title any more, it still holds a special place in my collection. I’m excited about the animated feature film coming this year entitled “Green Lantern: First Flight” which takes us back to Hal Jordan getting the ring passed onto him from the dying Green Lantern, through his induction and training with the Green Lantern Corps and eventual showdown with his corrupt mentor Sinestro. Watch the videos here … (more…)

You know the saying, “If you build it, they will come”? Well, apparently ThinkGeek are taking this approach and asking people to register their interest in this awesome Star Wars product idea to try and help them make it a reality! This all started as an April Fool’s prank on their site, letting people knowing they’d been “had” once they tried to actually buy the item. However, seems like enough people actually asked them about it that they’re considering trying to actually make it (and I’m hoping that it’s not a continuation of the April Fool’s gag!)

Here’s the feature list they are suggesting for the fantastic Tauntaun Sleeping Bag:

• Classic Star Wars sleeping bag simulates the warmth of a Tauntaun carcass
• Built-in embroidered Tauntaun head pillow
• Glowing Lightsaber zipper pull
• Great for playing pretend “Save Luke from the Wampa” games
• Teach your children about the best Star Wars movie ever
• Fully Licensed Lucasfilm™ Collectible (*of course, once this actually gets made!)
• Fits children (and small adults)
• 100% Polyester construction, Machine washable
• Exterior Dimensions – 32″ x 60″

“… simulates the warmth of a Tauntaun carcass” LOL! The feature they left off that list, and one of the funniest for me, was the “Tauntaun guts” pattern on the inside of the bag, which you presumably “slice open” with the glowing lightsaber zip-pull. Cool.

C’mon ThinkGeek, April Fools gag or not, let’s get this done!