Information AboutMinimates |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT MINIMATES | |
| action figures | |
| collecting | |
| toy brands | |
|
Minimates are a Block-styled miniature Action Figure created by Art Asylum . HISTORY The line began in 2002 with a line of 3" Minimates based on several different licenses. These included Dark Angel , Star Trek , Bruce Lee and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon along with a Rock Star line featuring KISS , Rob Zombie , Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper . The 3" Minimate Line also included several blank or promotional Minimates, these usually bore the logo of a specific company and were used as give-aways. Minimates came of age several months later, when following a partnership with Diamond Select Toys a range of 2" Minimates based upon the Marvel Comics Universe was launched. The 2" Minimate body type began to be used for the promotional Minimates in place of the 3" body type, and it was announced that the 3" range would be discontinued. This line was soon joined by a range based upon ' The Lord Of The Rings ''. Soon a new series joined the line in the form of C3 construction sets, which were accompanied by DC Comics Minimates in the 2" scale. In 2006 2" Minimates based upon the Street Fighter 2 and Darkstalkers video games were released, along with Minimates based upon the classic and new Battlestar Galactica TV series as well as the Speed Racer license. 2006 and 2007 have seen a large number of new license announcements, at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con Diamond Select Toys revealed plans for a line of Minimates based on the '' Rocky '' movies, Kelloggs Cereal Minimates were also announced with design art posted on the official Art Asylum forums, and in November Popbox Collectables have been discussing the possibility of Minimates based on the '' I, Robot '' film. The first new license announcement in 2007 was DST's plans for a series of '' revealed further information for announced licenses, as well as expansion of the Movie Minimate concept when Minimates based Back To The Future Trilogy were revealed. PRODUCT LINES Current lines Marvel The Marvel Minimates line was one of the first Minimate lines to be produced, and is now on its 15th and 16th series, or 'waves', of figures. Each series tends to follow a particular theme, i.e. Spider-Man (Series 2 and Series 10), or X-Men (Series 3 (Ultimate X-Men) and Series 11), and are released in pairs. Figures in these sets are bought in determined packs of two. Each series will also feature a 'chase' figure, which is often a variant on one of the figures in the series. Many retailer and convention exclusive figures have been produced based on the Marvel line, and there are over 100 Marvel Minimates in existence. Due to license restrictions limiting all Marvel Minimates to the 2" scale, a range of four 8" unarticulated resin statues under the 'Minimates Max' banner were to be produced in 2006 to accompany to the line and represent larger scale characters in the Minimate style. Unfortunately because of the cost and unarticulated nature of the statues, the line was not well received and eventually cancelled, with only two of the four announced statues released, Galactus and the Sentinel. Also in 2006, a DVD movie featuring CGI animated Minimate characters was released under the name 'X-Men: Darktide'. Released as a box set containing Magneto, New X-Men Cyclops, New X-Men Wolverine and Juggernaut Minimates, the movie also features the Minimate debut of New X-Men Storm, Beast and Archangel. In late 2006 Diamond Select Toys revealed that the next two waves of Marvel Minimates would be based on live action Marvel movies, with the previously announced '''' movie Minimates forming Wave 14, and Minimates based on the upcoming '' Ghost Rider '' film forming Wave 15. After what fans considered a light year of releases, 2007 has already seen a number of large announcements for the Marvel line. In a move targeted seemingly towards long-term Minimate fans, DST announced that Wave 16 would be based on the Classic Avengers, featuring frequently requested characters such as Thor . Characters were announced on a day-by-day basis, the announcement being posted on a different toy-related site each day. The 2007 New York Toy Fair revealed a series of boxsets based on Marvel Zombies and Spider-Man, with Minimates based on the highly anticipated '' Spider-Man 3 '' film shown behind closed doors, set to be released as Series 17 and 18. =Diamond Select 2-Packs ==Series 1 ==Series 2
==Series 3
==Series 4
==Series 5
==Series 6
==Series 7 Note: Silver Surfer was originally paired with Thanos, who was dropped due to production issues. The pairing was later revived as a retailer exclusive.
==Series 8
==Series 9
==Series 10
==Series 11 Note: Clear Iceman Minimate was originally listed as the chase for Series 11, but was swapped to Frosted Iceman during production. ==Series 12 - New Avengers
==Series 13 - Astonishing X-Men Note: Due to changes in Diamond Select Toys' shipping schedule, Series 13 was actually released for sale before Series 12.
==Series 14 - X-Men: The Last Stand
==Series 15 - Ghost Rider
==Series 16 - Avengers Note: Due to changes in Diamond Select Toys' shipping schedule, Series 16 was actually released for sale before Series 15.
==Series 17 - Spider-Man 3 - Set 1
==Series 18 - Spider-Man 3 - Set 2
==Series 19
==Series 20
=2003 Wal-Mart - Canada 2-Packs
=2004 Wal-Mart & Target 2-Packs
=2005 Target 2-Packs
=2006 Target 2-Packs Note: The Professor X figure listed here is different from the original 2003 exclusive, featuring a blue suit and silver .
= Toys "R" Us 4-Packs (w/ Hidden Figures)
=2003 Toys "R" Us 4-Packs (no hidden figures)
=2004 Toys "R" Us 4-Packs (no hidden figures)
=2006 Toys "R" Us 4-Packs
= ShopKo Single Packs
=Minimates Max (8") =2003 Exclusives
=2004 Exclusives
=2005 Exclusives
=2006 Exclusives
=2007 Exclusives
DC and C3 line Announced in 2003 and released by Play-Along , the DC Minimates were to come packaged along with 'C3' ('Create Construct Customize') construction sets, and focused mainly on Batman and the Justice League. The line was moderately successful, but caught between the license requirements forcing the inclusion of construction sets and fans interested in just the Minimates. The first wave was produced in 2004, with the second released in 2005 along with 'Mini-Flyer' construction sets. Serving as precursor of sorts of the X-men: Darktide DVD, DAVE School students produced '''' as a student film in 2005. Done in the same style as Darktide, New Times features Batman versus both Catwoman and the Joker, and is notable for its all-star cast including Adam West and Mark Hamil reprising their roles as the Batman and the Joker. Never intended as a commercial release like Darktide, New Times was released as a download on the DAVE School website or orderable as a free DVD from DAVE School itself. As a promotional item the Batman minimate from the Mini-Batmobile set was released separately in a Batman: New Times bag. Although never officially announced as discontinued, Play-Along did not renew the license for the sets in 2005. DC Direct were in talks with Art Asylum about the line, but the result of such talks is not known. Because of this, many prototypes for DC Minimates were created, but never produced. This included Minimates versions of Wonder Woman , Hawkgirl , and full C3 lines based on the cartoon show '' The Batman '' and the '' Batman Begins '' motion picture. On , 2006 on the Art Asylum forums that after delays over quality concerns, Series 1 was released in February 2007, with Series 2 due in March, Series 3 in April, Series 4 in July, Series 5 in September and Series 6 in November 2007. =C3 Sets Wave 1
=C3 Sets Wave 2
=C3 Miniflyers Wave 1 =2004 Exclusives
=DC Direct 2-Packs ==Series 1
==Series 2
==Series 3
==Series 4
==Series 5 ==Series 6
==Series 7
==Series 8 =2006 Exclusives ''Street Fighter'' The first line of '' Street Fighter '' Minimates was released in March 2006. The series also includes characters from the game '' Darkstalkers ''. Unusually, the AFX exclusives were made available before the Series 1 reached retailers. The 7 characters from Series 1, along with their Player 2 costumes are available in blind single packages in Japan, the first blind-packed Minimates. Two four-packs of characters from Series 1 were also released at Toys "R" Us in September 2006. =Series 1 =Series 2 - Delayed Indefinitely (Possibly Cancelled) = Toys "R" Us 4-Packs =Exclusives
''Battlestar Galactica'' Art Asylum originally planned to release '' Battlestar Galactica '' Minimates based on the modern and classic series in the latter half of 2006, but after partnering with Diamond Select toys the line has undergone numerous changes and focused primarily on the modern series. The original line-ups had a series of 2-packs, 4-packs and single character with vehicle/fighter packs, with the Modern series released first. Unlike the Speed Racer line, the Galactica fighters were to be partly constructable, with a central C3/Lego influenced block to which the rest of the vehicle attached. Various large conventions in 2006 continued to show off the prototypes, as well as a revealing more character designs from Season 2 of the Modern series. In September 2006 Art Asylum revealed on their forums that the originally announced line-ups and vehicles were dropped, the first revised waves was revealed to follow the standard DST Minimates three 2-packs/one chase figure format and was solicited in the November 2006 issue of Previews. These changes also coincided with the announcement by DST of a series of single packs of both Modern and Classic Cylons, with numerous variations available. Limited to only 500 cases of Modern and Classic, 12 Minimates per case, these sets are intended for the speciality market. =Modern Cylons Note: distribution ratios per case are indicated next to each figure
=Classic Cylons
=Modern Line - Series 1
=Modern Line - Series 2
=2006 Exclusives
=2007 Exclusives
''Speed Racer'' Introduced at the 2006 American Toy Fair, the Speed Racer line showed various forms of packaging and set sizes, with the first series released in September 2006. The packaging revealed at the 2006 SDCC indicated that the line would seem to mimic Art Asylum's initial approach to Battlestar Galactica, with Minimates of both classic and modern series, with prototypes of the modern characters sighted at the late-2006 conventions. =Series One - Single Pack w/ Vehicle
''Star Trek'' Originally one of the earliest Minimate licenses, only a single series of 3" Star Trek Minimates was successfully released by Art Asylum before the line was cancelled, though a second wave covering the remaining Original Series cast was announced, along with a follow-on Next Generation series reaching the design stage. The combined partnership between Art Asylum and Diamond Select Toys on the Star Trek license made a revival of Trek Minimates a frequently mentioned rumor, finally announced in mid-January 2007. =Art Asylum 3" ==Wave 1
==Wave 2 - Cancelled =DST 2" ==Wave 1
CHASE: Dress Uniform McCoy ==Wave 2
CHASE: Swashbuckling Sulu ''Rocky'' Announced at SDCC 2006, the Rocky license Diamond Select Toys holds reportedly covers not just the modern '' Rocky Balboa '' film, but past movies as well, with the first set of solicited Minimates covering the original film. Toyfair 2007 has shown further sets including mates based on the fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed an end of the first film/start of the second. =Rocky Boxset 1 =Rocky Boxset 2
=2007 Exclusives
''Back to the Future'' The second in an ever growing line of Movie Minimates, DST revealed plans for mates of all three Back to the Future films. Each movie receives a 4 mate boxset, with optional retailer exclusive 2-packs. =Back to the Future Box Set
=2007 Exclusives
''24'' The second in the so called TV Minimates, DST revealed plans for mates of series 24 will follow the standard Movie Mate format with each season receiving a 4 mate boxset and optional retailer exclusive 2-packs. =24 Season 1 Box Set =24 Season 2 Box Set =2007 Exclusives
Past Lines The Lord of the Rings The first series of '' The Lord Of The Rings '' Minimates was produced in 2004. Along with the new line came the 2.5" Minimate body, used for representing humans in the series, allowing the Hobbit s in the series, which used the 2" Minimate body, to appear smaller. A second line was produced in 2005, and a third was to be released around January or February 2006. However, there was much confusion about whether or not the figures would be reaching stores, retailers hesitant on ordering due to the belief that demand for movie LOTR products had ceased. Although never officially announced as discontinued, the license expired and was not renewed, ending the line. Several other minimates were reavealed but never officially announced as part of a series. Along with the minimates from series 3, they were never released. Lord of the Rings Minimates came with a small, clear plastic LEGO-esque block, which could be used to position the figures. =Series 1
=Series 2
=Series 3 - Cancelled
=Other Unproduced Minimates
=Toys “R” Us 3-Packs w/ Hidden Figures
=Exclusives
Bruce Lee
'' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ''
'' Dark Angel '' Intended to be released along with a larger action figure line, the sudden cancellation of the show effectively ended this line before release. A number of Minimate prototypes were designed, but only the exclusive saw release.
KISS
Rock
Other
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|