The Four Horsemen have opened up another poll for the FANtastic Exclusive. Now that the figure is done, they are addressing the many requests for a version in the same size as the 2up they use as a prototype. The voting is for determining the popularity of a bust in the same scale as the 2up prototypes of the Minotaur figure, Xetheus, as well as whether the bust ought to be a faux bronze or full color. Below are the 2up painted prototype and the painted bust.

 

Figures.com has a checklist so you can keep track of all the myriad exclusives that will be available at the event. I’m not sure how one could qualify it as a checklist, but thats how they are billing it. Its good to have it all in one place.

Yahoo has an interesting article on how a number of this summer’s coming movies are having toy lines made. The article focuses on the DaVinci Code and how it relates to last summer’s Star Wars toy ‘success’. I say success in quotes because Hasbro just reported a large loss and blamed it solely on sluggish sales of Star Wars toys. The article also makes note of how awful things went when the toy line came out for the Phanton Menace when it turned out that it was not well received by audiences. They also mention how poorly Last Action Hero translated to a toy line and a number of the other movies coming out that will get the toy aisle treatment including Superman Returns, Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest, and Pixar’s Cars.

It was interesting to note how X3 was seemingly absent from the entire article.

From an unknown source, TFW2005 got their hands on sketches of Optimus Prime and Hot Rod from the forthcoming Transformers Classics line.

If these highly detailed drawings look insanely good to you, theres a reason. Thats Don Figueroa’s signature.

EDIT: Well it turns out that Hot Rod is just a concept, and not the classics model.  Don posted a message to TFW2005 declaring all future leaks off limits, and they’ve taken down Hot Rod in accordance with that.  I’m personally on the fence one whether to remove the image from this site as well, but adding this disclaimer that it is just a sketch…

He-man.org has announced that NECA and the Four Horsemen unveiled the next character in line for the 14″ line of statues. Trapjaw. Just like the other statues, he will be produced in a limited supply and incredible detail. Prices and availability are expected to be announced by the San Diego Comic Con where the prototype will be on display.

The Four Horsemen have revealed the fully painted 2-up of the FANtastic Exclusive for 2006. Over the past several months, they have posted polls allowing the fans to choose many different aspects of the figure from concept designs for the character to be made to the weapons it will be wielding. The last of those polls have closed and they started work on the figure. We know get to see the fruit of their labor and our choice. Without further ado: Xetheus, 7th Kingdom Minotaur.

The first 3 pictures on that page look heavily photoshopped, so I included the non-altered ones below.

  

TNI is reporting that Majestic Studios will be offering an exclusive for the San Diego Comic Con. The exclusive will be a Battle Damaged Cylon from the new incarnation of Battlestar Galactica. The figure will not be just a repaint of upcoming line they will be offering but instead featuring a whole new head sculpt. Includes figure, interchangable arms so regular arms can be switched for the turret gun arms, stand and base featuring head and parts of another fallen Cylon. Articulation includes shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, and knees. These figures will be extremely limited to 400 pieces, 100 of which will be available on preview night with the rest available at the normal start of the convention and none will be held back. Figures are on a first come first serve basis.

TFW2005 is reporting a RUMOR, and I emphasize that this is just a rumor at the moment, that Alternators Nemesis Prime will be a San Diego Comic Con Exclusive. Nemesis Prime is a black repaint of the currently available Alternators Optimus Prime. This might not be that far of a stretch since last year Legends of Cybertron Skywarp was a Hasbro exclusive at the convention.

Remember, this is strictly speculative at the moment and has not been confirmed.