First came the comics, now come the fanfic toys—Jaunty-Step Rorschach and Sexy Pose Comedian—to be unveiled at this weekend’s Toy Fair, as well as new DARK KNIGHT RISES toys. Not shown—new MumbleTalk Bane with 25 baffling phrases.

DC Direct, the exclusive collectibles division of DC Entertainment, announced today an extensive line-up of new collectibles based on flagship publishing and film initiatives.  Leading into New York Toy Fair, DC Direct unveiled two new collectible statues based on character art from the recently announced BEFORE WATCHMEN, a series of all-new stories that expand on the universe of best-selling graphic novel, WATCHMEN. Prototypes for Rorschach and Comedian statues will be unveiled at the show, kicking off the new BEFORE WATCHMEN product line that will go on sale later this year, exclusively from DC Direct.
 
Also announced today is an extensive line-up of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES collectibles based on characters from the highly-anticipated upcoming Warner Bros. film.  The line includes statues, busts and action figures based on iconic characters from the film including Batman, Catwoman and Bane.
 
“The DC Direct team has put together an amazing line-up for 2012,” stated Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer for DC Entertainment.  “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and BEFORE WATCHMEN lines are especially exciting, and the team has set the bar high as far as creative execution. We’re proud and psyched to share these collectibles with the world at Toy Fair. This is the tip of the iceberg with what we’ve got planned for DC Direct this year and beyond.”
 
DC Direct product descriptions include:
 
·         BEFORE WATCHMEN Rorschach – 9” resin statue
·         BEFORE WATCHMEN Comedian – 9” resin statue
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Icon – 13” resin statue
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Catwoman Icon – 7” resin statue
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Bane Icon – 12.5” resin statue
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Bust – 6.5” resin
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Catwoman Bust  – 6” resin
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Bane Bust – 6.25” resin
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Figure – 6.38” PVC
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Catwoman Figure – 6.38” PVC
·         THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Bane Figure – 6.38” PVC
 
Other key DC Direct product lines that will be on display at New York Toy Fair include new MAD: Spy vs. Spy and Just-Us-League of Stupid Heroes products, as well as the complete new action figures series based on DC Comics – The New 52.

Toy Fair is just around the corner – the annual gathering of all things toyetic at the Javits Center. Lots of spoilers for the SPIDER-MAN and AVENGERS films have already been inadvertently revealed through toys news in the last few weeks, so the well may be dry on that, but there is still actual toy news.

For instance, you may be excited about the Avengers movie, but once you know there will be Avengers Minimates, how much MORE excited are you? Diamond Select Toys is releasing two assortments, one exclusively available at Toys “R” Us stores and on toysrus.com, and another only at comic book shops and specialty stores. Both will be out in late April/early May.

Here are the lineups:

Marvel Minimates – The Avengers Movie (Toys “R” Us/toysrus.com)
- Captain America & Thor
- Iron Man MK7 & Hulk
- Hawkeye & Black Widow (exclusive)
- Loki & Nick Fury (exclusive)

Marvel Minimates Wave 45 (Specialty stores/comic shops)
- Captain America & Thor
- Iron Man MK7 & Hulk
- REDACTED & REDACTED (exclusive)
- Maria Hill & REDACTED (short-packed exclusive)

If you’ve been following previous toy spoilers, you might have some idea who these REDACTED villains are, but one of them could be a CRIMSON SKELETON.

Also upcoming from Diamond Select Toys, a big green Hulk that towers above his 7-inch toy teammates. (When we said gigantic we were talking scale, people.) Standing 8.25 inches tall, this Hulk is big and aggressive, as you all saw in the new trailer, and includes 16 points of articulation for what the PR calls “a full range of smashing.”

DC and Lego have teamed for an app that offers all-new, all-free comics.

This could be significant, for reasons explained below.

The LEGO Hero Factory app was created by DC but sponsored by Lego. It’s free for iOS and offers comics based on LEGO Hero Factory, a website that ties in multiple heroic LEGO brands like Ninjago, DC, and so on. Some are free, while other can be downloaded for 99¢.

The app will include familiar DC all-ages comics including The Batman Adventures, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade, Young Justice, Tiny Titans, Teen Titans and Superman Adventures. 
 
“LEGO Hero Factory is all about building heroes so it’s the perfect match for an app that also features DC Comics Super Heroes,” stated Hank Kanalz, senior vice president of digital for DC Entertainment in a statement. “We’ve had a great, longstanding relationship with LEGO Systems and we’re really excited to bring these comics to kids through the LEGO Hero Factory app.”

DC already produced licensed comics based on Lego’s now discontinued Bionicle line that were among the most distributed of the past decade, with hundreds of thousands of copies distributed, so you can see why both DC and Lego would want to keep this relationship alive. And putting their superhero branded comics in a hugely popular platform like Lego is a smart move. Doing it digitally is even more interesting.

We don’t know HOW we missed this story when it originally broke as we’re such huge fans of The Brick Testament at Stately Beat Manor. Lest you forget, this is one man’s crazy 10-year quest to retell the Bible using Legos, a gargantuan task of posing and photographing, not to mention compression. When the book came out in November, we were all over that shit, and so, originally, was massive ass market retailer Sam’s Club and religious bookstores, who thought that a version of the Bible told in colorful brick would appeal to children.

Smith explained to CNET that his publisher, Skyhorse Publishing, had told him that Sam’s Club had originally ordered 12,000 copies of “The Brick Bible” and that in just its first two weeks on the shelves, the book had sold 2,000 copies. He also addressed the fact that “it was reps from Walmart/Sam’s Club who had seen an advance version of the book and said they were very interested to place a large order of the book for their stores, but only if we were willing to remove or replace a dozen of the Old Testament illustrations–out of 1,400 total–that showed Lego people in sexual poses. So there are no illustrations of the Bible’s sex content in the book.”

Evidently Sam was not aware that creator Brendan Powell Smith is actually an atheist who was committed to constructing all the massacres, stonings and rapes found in the good book. After complaints that the author did not believe in God, the Brick Bible was removed from the shelves.

This tale was brought to our attention by a posting at the theological site Patheos, where the writer is dismayed by the Biblical verses Smith chose to illustrate:

Sexual discharges
•. Leviticus 15:16 “When a man ejaculates semen . . .” (the scene is of a Lego man masturbating in front of a television set)
•. Leviticus 15:18 “Whenever a woman has intercourse with a man . . .” (two Lego action figures engaged in sexual relations)
•. Leviticus 15:19 “Whenever a woman has her menstrual period . . .” (lonely woman sitting in a chair, gazing out the window)
•. Leviticus 15:24 “If a man goes so far as to have intercourse with her . . .” (Lego couple atop a Lego bed, as fully engaged as a Lego couple can be)

Have you ever SEEN a Lego, lady? They can be VERY engaged. Also…have you ever actually READ the Bible? As melodrama, it’s a potboiler that makes Jackie Collins look like That’s So Raven.

The writer of the piece, Kathy Schiffer, is ultimately saddened for Smith’s lack of faith and has a forgiving attitude emblematic of true Christianity:

Oddly, I found myself feeling not wrath, but sadness for “Reverend” Smith. A young (30-something) man with a great amount of talent, he rejects God even while immersing himself in the Bible. I pray that God, who is all-knowing and who loves Brendan Powell Smith with an unquenchable love, might bring into Smith’s life someone who can help him to see the deeper meaning behind those stern Old Testament stories, the divine inspiration in the Bible he now mocks.

ANYWAY, there’s some he said/deity said stuff going on here, as Smith claims the most salacious panels were removed before publication after complaints from Wal-Mart, while Wal-Mart says they never had any contact with Skyhorse, the publisher, before publication.

No matter how it all played out, the book isn’t carried at Wal-Mart anymore. But we’ll carry it in our hearts forever.

Everyone has been linking to the various Halloween goodies at Wonderful Wonderblog and the pictures of old Ben Cooper kids Halloween costumes from the 70s and 80s.

It’s a pretty remarkable sign of the progress in human evolution that we have gone from a holiday based around molded plastic masks of various characters accessorized with garish nylon jumpsuits to a holiday based around Sexy Nurse.

Seriously, why did you have to wear a MASK when these things were in vogue? I guess it had to do with secrecy and not letting the identity of the children taking your candy. I had a Ben Cooper costume or two in my childhood. I’m pretty sure one of them was a skeleton — I’d been terrorized by a Marcel Camus film as an even younger child — and I may have even worn it two years in a row. I realized that this wasn’t a good idea because the second year the mask was really stinky, like rotten eggs. After that experience I got with the program and started dressing like a pirate, just like everyone else.

People now may wear masks for Halloween but they are the full-on Rick Baker rubberized things. I can’t imagine those smell too good inside either.

If you have been around the nerdier sectors of the net in the last decade, you have surely seen The Brick Testament, by Brendan Powell Smith a loving fumetti recreation of the BIble’s most gruesome, perverted and vengeful moment rendered in Lego brick men and women.

What you may NOT have known is that the whole glorious thing is coming out this month in a paperback from Skyhorse.

Who says print is dead? This profoundly revelatory tome belongs on every book shelf in the nation for continued guidance.

But the Bible is not the only holy text that Smith has turned his posing prowess to. On his Flickr page, he has recently recast Road House with minifigs; the Patrick Swayze/Sam Elliott opus that might be called “The Gospel According to Barroom Brawls.”

Brendan Powell Smith lives by his creed: “Let there be Lego® Brick!”

Anyone in the LA area who is bummed over the postponed Wizard World LA show scheduled for September 24-25 should be aware that Power-Con is still on for those dates. This small two-day fan show is focused on Thundercats, He-Man, and She-Ra. It’s a small show but sounds like a swell afternoon if you’re into ’80s animation. More info:

September 24 – 25, 2011
Saturday: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sunday: 10 AM – 5 PM

Four Points By Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport

9750 Airport Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: 310-645-4600

Guests include a wide swath of voice actors, animators, cartoonists and toy makers who have contributed to these franchises, like Larry Kenney, original voice of Lion-O, and prolific cover artist Earl Norem.

Founded by Cory Jones (ex Blizzard), John Nee (ex DC) Scott Gaeta (ex Upper Deck) and some other folks, Cryptozoic Entertainment is a newish company with strong roots and, from what we heard at SDCC, lots of things in the works. They’re putting out a Walking Dead board game, and have signed with Diamond for distribution. Could there be more products in the works? Keep an eye on them.

Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books, graphic novels, and related pop-culture merchandise, today announced it has signed a special distribution agreement with Cryptozoic Entertainment to exclusively distribute The Walking Dead Board Game to the book market worldwide.

Founded in March 2010, Cryptozoic Entertainment has been dedicated since its inception to the motto “Fans First.” Most renowned for its manufacturing of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, Cryptozoic also publishes comics, games, and other trading cards. Their latest offering is The Walking Dead Board Game, based upon author Robert Kirkman’s bestselling comic book and AMC TV-series, The Walking Dead. In the game, players will have to stay safe while at the same time scouring Atlanta for supplies and protecting their loved ones. Should they fail, they return as zombies and the new objective is to make the other players zombies, too.

“We really have a unique selection of products, from our Walking Dead Board Game to our Big Bang Theory Trading Cards, to our World of Warcraft Manga,” Said Cory Jones, President of Cryptozoic Entertainment. “Partnering with Diamond will give us the ability to distribute our products to a much larger audience, and help apply our belief ‘Fans First’.”

“We are delighted to be working with Cryptozoic Entertainment, and anticipate a great partnership and even greater market potential for their diverse line of products,” said Bill Schanes, Diamond’s VP-Purchasing. “We are confident that Cryptozoic will be an invaluable addition and we are looking forward to helping them promote their Walking Dead Board Game.”

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Well, the second full day of Comic-Con is coming to an end, and there’s been lots of amazing stuff announced!  I’ve diligently sat deep in Stately Beat Manor, watching the news feeds, so you don’t have to!  Read on!

First, what good is swag, if you can’t tote it around the convention center?  Once again, Warner Brothers has the OFFICIAL convention bag, offering ten different designs (plus a variant!).  Like last year’s designs, these bags have a poster tube, and, in a revolutionary design, can be worn as backpacks!  Or, like last year, can be worn as clothing!  There are also four hotel key cards, including a design for Smallville.  All bags contain the design shown to the left, which was designed by Warner Brothers Television creative services department in partnership with CCI.

Ever wonder who runs the concession stands at the convention center?  Neither did we.  But PR Newswire ran a press release from Centerplate, which also runs the food service at the Javits Center in New York.  (Discovered Thursday morning, before the news feed was firing on all cylinders.)

Want free drink and swag, as well as an opportunity to lie back and relax?  Donate a pint of blood at the Heinlein Memorial Blood Drive, now in it’s 35th year!  (Thanks, Jackie, for starting this way back when!  Let’s hope the line rivals Hall H!)

One More Way “Twilight” Is Ruining Comic-Con Dept.: “Twilight” Stars Surprise Fans with Breakfast at Comic Con

Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Elizabeth Reaser, Boo Boo Stewart (a real actor, not Kristen’s wacky alter ego), and Julia Jones visited “Camp Breaking Dawn” - the nickname the fans gave their impromptu commune outside the San Diego Convention Center – armed with apples, bananas, muffins, and water. The cast members answered questions and posed for photos with the groggy but elated crowd.

Very classy, and a brilliant public relations campaign.  The media machine had not yet started coverage of Comic-Con, and the Twilight panel was the first of the day on the first day of Comic-Con.  With nothing else to cover that early in the morning, Summit gains lots of coverage for a small promotional price.  And the fans?  They’ll remember this forever.

Press Release Award for Best Double Entendres Dept.: Comic-Con 2011: THQ Sexes Up San Diego with Penthouse Pets

THQ and developer Volition have hired Penthouse Pets Heather Vandeven, Justine Joli, Heidi Baron, Shay Laren, Ryan Keely, and Nikki Benz to promote the new Saints Row: The Third video game at San Diego Comic-Con 2011. The girls will comprise the new Saints Row Quality Assurance Team, dedicated wholly to complete customer satisfaction. The Saints Row Quality Assurance team promises to ensure a satisfying Saints Row experience whether playing alone or with a friend. And gamers can meet these sexy ladies one-on-one at the THQ booth throughout the convention.

Too safe for work?  There’s always Axel Braun and his award-winning porn parodies.  The slide show (safe for work) shows production stills from Star Wars, Spider-Man, and Batman.  Xander Corvus actually looks like a decent Peter Parker.

Or perhaps your interests lie elsewhere.  San Diego Gay & Lesbian News posts a schedule of panels of interest to the LGBT community and their friends.

Or perhaps you run with a different crowd.  Comic-Con has something for everyone!

Remember That “New Stores Initiative”? Dept.: Marvel announces the beginning of a day-and-date program for new titles.  Series will be added month to month, starting in August with the Ultimates line.  Titles will be added either at the beginning of a new storyline or #1.

Schandenfreude Dept.: Jim Macquarrie serves Geoff Beckett of Shocker Toys with court papers during a panel.

“She’s’ been around, but she’s young and clean” Dept.: The rock band Kiss will guest star in a four-part story with Archie and company.

KISS arrives in Riverdale this November in the pages of ARCHIE #627, which kicks off the four-part “ARCHIE MEETS KISS” storyline, written by Archie’s own Executive Director of Publicity and Marketing, Alex Segura, and featuring art by Archie superstar Dan Parent. When one of Sabrina’s spells goes awry and a cabal of monsters invade the town, the Archie gang and KISS join forces to try and save the day. Full of adventure, humor and – of course – rock, the story is certain to appeal to fans of the band and the Riverdale gang.

No word if any blood will be mixed into the ink.  Will one of the monsters be called “Wicked Lester”?  Is there is a secret message reading the comic backwards?  Those are snakeskin boots “Arch” is wearing, not fishnets. (And if this is too much for your weak constitution, try these.)

And while we wait for the Replacements to appear in Riverdale (or Alice Cooper golfing with Hiram Lodge), Archie will be auditioning for Simon Cowell and X Factor, hoping to gain national exposure.  Of course, Jennifer Lopez gets wind of this, and brings in Josie and the Pussycats to perform on American Idol!  Can Archie’s new relationship with Val survive the competition?  MTV has the preview, and there’s one quibble… J.Lo never auditioned on American Idol.  But if that’s what’s needed for conflict, it’s easily glossed over.  And for those who crush on geek girls, Veronica’s cousin Marcy makes an appearance!

That’s Not All Folks Dept.: Warner Brothers officially announced “The Looney Tunes Platinum Collection” on blu-ray DVD.  There will be two different editions, one regular, one filled with all sorts of extras.  Cartoon Brew has news and comments (and is an amazing site for discussion and critique of all sorts of animation!)  And if this wasn’t enough, Warner Brothers has stated that the “Censored Eleven” will have a wide release, not an Archives edition!

Hmm… “Trichobezoar” Sounds More Exotic Than “Hairball” Dept.: Fans wondered what would happen to Vertigo when the “New 52″ titles hit the stands in September.  Well, Vertigo has announced upcoming books, as well as new comics!  The most interesting, yet under-reported (probably because it was announced last October), is The Annotated Sandman.  Greyscale art will be offset with annotations in the margins.  Myself, I’d rather see an online wiki version, complete with dictionary, encyclopedia, and all sorts of extras.

Is The Onion Covering Comic-Con? Dept.: Capcom and Sanrio have announced a partnership that will result in “Hello Kitty X Street Fighter” merchandise next year.

“His computer’s off. Luke, you switched off your targeting computer. What’s wrong?” Dept.: Garmin GPS Releases Star Wars Navigation Features

And here’s some more exclusive swag, courtesy of Hasbro.  Sold out?  Check HasbroToyShop.com next week.

While CAPTAIN AMERICA’s sugartastic ice cream and donut tie-ins have been causing a lot of comment – and cavities — here’s a new comic book movie tie-in that is frighteningly hip: a lens/case pak for Hipstamatic, the trendy and addictive photo app for iPhones that produces instantly professional-looking photos thanks to filters and levels. Director Jon Favreauannounced it on Twitter:

The new Cowboys & Aliens Hipstamatic Freepack available now. @MattyLibatique and I oversaw the look. Let us know how you like it.

Libatique is the cinematographer responsible for C&A and the favored camera-man for Favreau and Darren Aronofsky.

Although Hipstamatic will set you back $1.99, the pak — consisting of two lenses and a themed digital “camera case” is free for those who already have the app.

We’re Hipstamatic addicts here at Stately Beat Manor, and you’ve seen our ABSOLUTELY AMAZING MUCH BELOVED photos using it here many times. What do you get in the new pak?

The MATTY ALN gives you weird green hues.

While the Libatique 73 gives you a sepia-toned look based on 19th century calotypes.

So one’s a Cowboy…and one is an Alien! Get it?

Props to Favreau and Co., for an imaginative marketing tie-in.

Dan Clowes’ seminal THE DEATH RAY is getting a swanky new edition from D&Q this fall and there’s an amazing action figure to go along with it. Limited to 200, this will go fast so hurry! Before your sure-fire chance at indie cred slips away forever.

Have you always wanted a Green Lantern themed-thumb drive?

Probably.

And Mimoco is making your musings come true, with designer toy style Hal, Sinestro, Kilowog and Tomar-Re.

Sizes range from 2GB to 16GB — perfect for encrypting your most valuable intel.

Also, we live in a world where Tomar-Re and Kilowog are soon going to be on everything. Muse on THAT!

It’s billed as “The Fastest and Funniest LEGO Star Wars story ever told…The Prequel!” and it shows that when you have access to ALL the Lego sets, you can make a pretty bitchin’ Lego toon .

May 4th is celebrated around the galaxy as Star Wars Day not because it’s when the original STAR WARS opened (that would be May 25, 1977) but because it’s a pun on “May the Fourth Be With You.” It is celebrated by gradually replacing humans with droids and disappointing expectations.

Lucasfilms got in on the celebration by revealing details of the STAR WARS 9-disc Blu-ray release, which was announced today on starwars.com (Site is loading slowly.) According to Rob Bricken, this massive set STILL won’t include the ORIGINAL trilogies — you know the badass ’70s one where Han shot first and all? We can’t believe we passed up buying the original video tapes thinking “Those will never go away!”

A note on the above Lego film: notice how fast AOTC gets recapped? That’s because there was no story!

Someone made a Lego version of the song “Do What You Wanna Do” from the “Elementary School Musical” episode of South Park.

In this episode, the boys find that the whole school has gone crazy for musicals because of a cute boy named Bridon, and resist attempts to break into song every time there is an emotional moment. It turns out Bridon doesn’t even want to sing all the time and the episode ends with all the roles reversed.

So let’s review:

• South Park
• Legos
• High School Musical parody

HAT TRICK!

For a brief period in the ’80s, comics based on toy lines were all the rage — Micronauts, Crystar, Transformers, and of course GI Joe — and top-notch artists often worked on them, making them much better than you would expect. Again, GI Joe. Michael Golden first become known for his far-better-than-it-had-to-be run on MICRONAUTS, but he also provided covers for a less-well remembered series called CRYSTAR that was about some kind of crystal brothers who had to fight over a crystal world, and…you get the idea. Anyway, while poking around we found this painted cover by Golden of Crystar.

They just don’t make em like they used to.

UPDATE: Ben Towle reminded us on Twitter that rocker Glen Danzig is also obsessed with Crystar.