Showing items 1 - 25 of 182
Toy Fair 2012 Diamond Select Preview
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(February 09, 2012)
Toy Fair begins this weekend and Mania’s Toy Maniac will be running the halls of Javits Center bringing you all the latest new toys. Diamond Select Toys has already released images of several new figures, Minimates, and collectibles.
8 Great Phantom Menace Toys
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(January 27, 2012)
Who else stood in line at midnight at a Toys R Us or a Wal-Mart in 1999? The hype was building and the frenzy was practically ravenous. We charged in with our wallets wide open and bought two if not three of the same figure that night. Not many of us did t
10 Wishes for Toy Fair 2012
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(January 20, 2012)
Toy Fair is only a few short weeks away and your Toy Maniac could not be happier. It is the official start to the convention season and I will be in attendance. Each and every year all the big (and small) toy companies meet in New York City to shop their w
The Holy Grails of Action Figures
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(January 13, 2012)
They are out there… some where. The unobtainable action figure that we hold in such high regard they become “holy” to us. One figure that makes the whole collection complete. A Holy Grail, if you will. Now, there are several Holy Grail Action Figures
20 Most Loathsome Star Wars Figures
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(January 06, 2012)
With the return of Star Wars the Clone Wars tonight on Cartoon Network, the Toy Maniac wants to discuss his favorite toy line, Star Wars. Now in all fairness to the flowing scrapes of plastic, they weren’t all given a fair chance. There are by far way co
5 Most Anticipated Toy Lines of 2012
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(December 30, 2011)
The time is upon us when we look at what is to come. Already the studios have flooded us with new trailers and our thoughts turn to the toys. Will The Hobbit figures be the same size as the LOTR figures? Will Ridley Scott’s Prometheus have toys? For Vade
7 Classic Cartoon Christmas Toys
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(December 23, 2011)
The watching of Christmas Cartoons is forever a holiday ritual. The whole family sits down and watches the likes of the Grinch and Charlie Brown year after year. This ritual has been passed from one generation to the next.
10 Last Minute Geek Gift Ideas
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(December 16, 2011)
The hours are ticking down and you’re probably scrambling for those last minute gifts. We here at Mania have a few last minute suggestions for you. Now we know this is the Toy Maniac Column for the week, but not all our “Last Minute Geek Gift Ideas”
Top 10 Lord of the Rings Toys
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(December 09, 2011)
It is hard to believe that the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is ten years old this year. As I sat in the theater ten years ago I had no idea what to expect. I never read “The Hobbit” and only read a tad of “The Fellowship of the Ring
Today’s Nerf Warrior
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(December 02, 2011)
Last Christmas, I walked into my grandmother’s living room and was immediately hit dead in the face with something. My cousin, who was the culprit, then ducked behind the couch laughing. I looked down to see a small foam dart with a suction cup on the en
Black Friday Time Traveler – Part 2
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(November 25, 2011)
Every year there is that must have toy. Whether it is a Furby, an Elmo or Turbo-Man, parents will go to any length for that special moment of the holiday season. We here at Mania decided to raise the bar on how far we would go to get our all important holi
10 Must Have Muppet Toys
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(November 18, 2011)
The Muppets have been a part of our collective culture for decades. Hopefully with their return to the theaters next week, we will have a plethora on new Muppet adventures. Whether they are on the small screen or the big, let’s hope the Muppets become th
The Immortal Toy Lines
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(November 11, 2011)
Toys will never go out of style. As we get older, most of usually grow out of buying toys. We have all heard someone in our lives (or ourselves) say, “I had those when I was a kid”. This week, the Toy Maniac takes a look at the Immortal Toy Lines. Thes
Holiday Geek Toy Gift Guide 2011
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(November 04, 2011)
Everyone as that Geek in their life that is always incredibly fun and difficult to shop for. Instead of giving you this list on Black Friday, your Toy Maniac is supplying it now. This way you have plenty of time to search the different sites for items (som
Utapau Shadow Trooper Sideshow Collectibles Toy Review
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(October 28, 2011)
To celebrate the best time of year, Halloween, Sideshow Collectibles has been running their Spooktacular Event all week long. It is eight days of giveaways and announcements for the fourth quarter of 2011. Among all the hoopla, a new Star Wars Sideshow Col
Your 6 Must Have Universal Horror Figures
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(October 21, 2011)
It might be this way for all time. This is the time where a string of movies, from a very short time in history, is celebrated all month long. The Universal Horror Movies left their mark on our culture. These films are, in every sense of the word, classics
Code Name: Blast Off a GI JOE Documentary
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(September 30, 2011)
The G.I. Joe toy line was a huge part of our collective childhoods. Whether you were partial to the cartoon or the comic book, you played with G.I. Joe toys. Have you ever wondered where did it all come from? Code Name: Blast Off is a new documentary about
Undying Carcass Sideshow Exclusive Edition
by Robert T. Trate, Critic
(September 23, 2011)
Zombies are everywhere these days. From TV shows like The Walking Dead to video games where you fight them on the moon, the zombie plague has infected our collective pop culture. Sideshow Collectibles has also been infected and they have fully embraced it
5 Toy Dilemmas from Empire to Jedi
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(September 16, 2011)
If you were blessed enough to have Star Wars in your life as kid, it was an incredible time. Each movie brought forth tons of new figures; each with just a hint of who they actually were. As a kid, your Bossk figure took center stage when he arrived. After
5 Star Wars Figures That Haven’t Been Made
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(September 09, 2011)
Since the Star Wars Blu-rays are right around the corner, your Toy Maniac now has the perfect excuse to write about his favorite subject. Since he has done multiple lists about Star Wars figures before, coming up with a new list was tougher than he then th
15 Classic Star Wars Toy Commercials
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(September 02, 2011)
The complete series of the Star Wars Saga arrives on Blu-ray September 16th. Without a doubt, in our minds, Star Wars never would have survived with out its toys. The juggernaut of merchandise helped, but it was the ability for children to continue the sto
MOTUC: Man-E-Faces Toy Review
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(August 26, 2011)
I can still remember that fateful day my Mom told my brother and me to each pick one He-Man figure. My brother grabbed Ram-Man and, to this day, I am still not quite sure why. It may have had something to do with how he identified with the character, but t
Rezurrection and the Zombie Maniac
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(August 19, 2011)
The Moon is the next stop in slaughtering the undead
The Sideshow Collectible Wish List
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(August 12, 2011)
Since Comic Con, I haven’t been able to get the Sideshow Collectible booth out of my mind. The display cases were awesome. The contents were equally impressive. Mix that with the $75 gift card for Sideshow I just received and I am ready for my next colle
We go Ape for Planet of the Apes Toys
by Robert T. Trate, Columnist
(August 05, 2011)
For some, the Planet of the Apes is a bunch of people in lame rubber masks trying to act like apes. Others see it has a series of thought provoking ideas, incredible science fiction, and people performing in really cool make up. My Planet of the Apes obses
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