Battle Beasts Invade New York Comic Con, Minimates Festivities Galore

Diamond Select Toys sent us an email informing us of some exciting festivities in New York next week!  We won't be able to make it to New York Comic Con this year (as we are on another coast due to business), but here's a rundown of what you may find when you hit them up at booth #2156!

• Signing: Ulises Farinas, the artist behind the wraparound cover (and the SDCC exclusive cover) for Battle Beasts #1 from IDW Publishing
• Battle Beasts Minimates panel Sunday, October 14 at 10:45 AM in room 1A06. All child attendees (must be wearing a child badge) will get a free Battle Beast promo Minimates figure.  

But wait, there's more!  Action Figure Xpress will have exclusive ThunderCats and Alpha Flight Minimates, and given that this is the 10th Anniversary of Minimates one might expect other fun surprises.  (For example, we've seen pictures of a 10th Anniversary Promo Minimate floating around.)  And if that weren't enough, Diamond says...

"Located in room 1B02 of the Jacob Javits Center, the [Minimates 10th Anniversary Exhibit] will showcase Minimates, artwork and animation from throughout the line’s 10-year run, from their rock-and-roll beginnings at the NYC-based Art Asylum in 2002 to their multi-brand empire with Diamond Select Toys today. It will be open during Comic-Con show hours all four days, and attendees will receive one free promo Minimate from the company archives, while supplies last. (One per person for the weekend.)"

More as we have it!

Battle Beasts IDW Interview, Comic #3 In Stores Now

Issue #3 of 4 of the Battle Beasts comic book is in stores this week, so if you haven't picked yours up just yet, consider a trip to the neighborhood comic shop.  Or perhaps someone else's neighborhood, if yours has no comic shop left.

You might also want to read this Bobby Curnow interview at The Comixverse, which provides some insight on just who designed the characters, and the ultimate fate of the comic book series.  (Spoiler: it really is slated to end at #4 right now.  That's some sad news.)

Be sure to check it out.

Battle Beasts Comic Book #2 In Stores Now

IDW published Battle Beasts #2 this week, and it should be at a comic book shop near you for $3.99.  There's a variant cover, and the solicitation promises some new characters as well.  Be sure to pick one up if you're out and about this weekend!

Battle Beasts #4 Comic Book Solicitation in New Previews

Good news-- there's a new Battle Beasts comic book solicitation in the new previews! (But don't read it if you don't want the plot of issues 2 and 3 spoiled.)  

Bad news-- it's issue #4 of 4!  No word yet on if a sequel series is in the works, or if it's going to be a Transformers-esque "#80 of a 4-Issue Limited Series" kind of a gag, but this could be it.  As such, be sure to pick up a copy when the potentially final issue hits stores later this year!

Will Vorin get his groove back?  Will Gruntos' pizza arrive before it gets cold?  And will Merek find love in the city?  Hopefully all this and more await us as the series concludes!

Reminder: Battle Beasts #1 Comic Book Out Today

Today's the big day!  Issue #1 of Battle Beasts should be at a comic shop (or San Diego-based convention) near you. 

The Stealth Vorin Minimates Figure will  be showing up as well... so you if see a spare, please hold one for me.  Thank you for  your support.

SDCC 2012 Battle Beasts Schedule

Also from the Art Asylum Blog, here are the dates to write down for San Diego's Comic-Con International in a few weeks.

Thursday July 12, 2012 - The Diamond Select Toys booth #2607 will be handing out 200 promotional Battle Beasts Minimates figures.  (This will repeat each day of the show, so get there early.)  A contest for a Battle Beasts Guitar and Case will be ongoing as well.  The Exclusive Vorin and Zik 2-pack will also be on sale.

Friday July 13, 2012 - The Diamond Select Toys booth #2607 will host a signing for the IDW comic book with Bobby Curnow (writer) and Ulises Farinas (cover art).  Free posters will be available for signing, and the SDCC #1 comic variant will be for sale.

Saturday July 14, 2012 - Minimates Panel at 1:30 PM, meeting room 8.  While nothing specific is confirmed, it is expected that new figures will be shown here, possibly in addition to items already on display at the booth.

More surprises generally pop up along the way, so stay tuned for more as we have it!

Luke's Toy Store Gets Exclusive Battle Beasts #1 Comic Book Cover

Luke of Luke's Toy Store sent along this press release, which, with the picture, pretty much tells you everything.  As I am a lazy man, I copy and then I paste the release for you.

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Luke’s Toy Store gets exclusive Battle Beasts #1 cover

Luke’s Toy Store will be getting an exclusive variant cover of the new Battle Beasts #1 comic by IDW Publishing. This cover features new artwork by Valerio Schiti, and is limited to only 800 copies. While Luke’s Toy Store normally focuses on block figures such as Minimates, their customers’ high demand for this issue allowed an exclusive edition to be created. The Battle Beasts series is written by Bobby Curnow (Godzilla Legends, Night of 1000 Wolves) and penciled by Valerio Schiti (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Donatello, Dungeons & Dragons: Eberron). It focuses on a group of renegade Beasts who return to Earth to protect the ultimate weapon (and the human who activated it) from an armada of their violent brethren.

On July 15^th, IDW will launch the series with issue #1, and the first full wave of Battle Beasts Minimates will be revealed, which will be at Luke’s Toy Store in late fall of 2012! The first wave of two-packs will focus heavily on characters who appear in the comic, and will have a gameplay element, as well.

Battle Beasts #1 Luke’s Toy Store Exclusive Edition ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) can be preordered here: http://lukestoystore.com/battle-beasts-lukes-toy-store-exclusive-edition-comic/

About Luke’s Toy Store
Luke's Toy Store is a family-run online store carrying Minimates, accessories, and customizing supplies. Luke’s Toy Store recently rebuilt their online store from scratch in order to add over a dozen new features for their customers, include customer accounts, faster checkout, cheaper shipping, customer wish lists, product photo galleries, a new mobile site, and a Luke’s Toy Store news page.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Toho’s Godzilla; Wizards of the Coasts Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons; and the Eisner-Award winning Locke & Key series, created by best-selling author Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints, and Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

IDW’s critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot, while Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.

Ad: SDCC Battle Beasts Exclusives at Entertainment Earth

 SDCC 2012 Exclusive 2-Pack, $8.99

Ad: Want the latest SDCC exclusive Battle Beasts toys, but can't make it to San Diego?  You can preorder them at Entertainment Earth today!

The retailer is offering  Battle Beasts SDCC 2012 Exclusive Minimates 2-Pack for $8.99 and the  Battle Beasts #1 SDCC 2012 Exclusive Edition Comic Book for $5.49.

Click here to order yours today!

SDCC 2012 Battle Beasts Exclusives Revealed

Battle Beasts #1 Exclusive SDCC Cover

 Diamond Select Toys sent us an email with their various exclusives, and you can see the whole thing here.  But you're here for the Battle Beasts, so here's what they had to say:

"The first issue of IDW's new Battle Beasts comic book mini-series is here, and SDCC will have its very own cover! Depicting heroic beasts Vorin, Merk and Gruntos about to do battle on the steps of the San Diego Convention Center, this souvenir edition will be available from Diamond Comic Distributors (Booth #2401) and Diamond Select Toys (#2607), as well as numerous retailers on the show floor."

Also!

Battle Beasts Minimates Vorin and Zik 2-Pack

"The first series of Battle Beasts Minimates won't be out until this fall, but Diamond Select Toys is offering fans a preview set that's only at SDCC! The fully painted two-pack of 2-inch Beasts includes the heroic ram Vorin, star of the IDW comic series, and an all-new villainous dragonfly character, Zik! Available from Diamond Comic Distributors (Booth #2401) and Diamond Select Toys (#2607)."

Also exciting was confirmation of a build-a-Minimates station at their booth, although no explicit comments about which brands of parts were made available, nor was pricing on any of these fine items.  Stay tuned for more as we  have it.

Battle Beasts: Sumo Blowfish, Egyptian Aligator

While for the comic book, new sketches of amazing, awesome, and otherwise fantastic new designs are surfacing at Previewsworld.com.

Sumo Blowfish is presumably not a final name (or even a guaranteed toy) but dang if that doesn't look like it would make a fun figure concept.  A few new figures (and an interview) can be found here and is well worth your time to read, drool over, whatever it is you kids do.  Maori Hammerhead is also quite striking and I gotta say these sketches really do show that this line might be slightly more open-ended beyond "animals in armor" which could make for a ton of interesting figures.

TONS of news! New Battle Beasts Minimates Interview with Zach Oat

Vorin... but which Vorin?

Over at ToyChestNews, Zach Oat of Diamond Select toys answers some questions about the one thing we're all looking forward to, new Battle Beasts!  Click here for the full interview.

Some highlights:

"The first Beast toys we'll have for sale will be a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive two-pack, featuring Vorin with his cloak down and an evil dragonfly character named Zik."

"Series 1 has both a scorpion and a tarantula, and both of them utilize a new four-pegged hip piece, which allows them to walk around on four legs."


"There will also be a couple of figures based on the book's human protagonists."


"They're two inches tall, they're really poseable, they cost less than $10 for a 2-pack... it just made a lot of sense for the brand."

There you go, Beast fans!  A new picture of a Vorin figure (above) is likely the Stealth Vorin, but as it was not explicitly labeled we'll leave that up to you to decide for now. (And in other news, who can sell me a Stealth Vorin?)

Stealth Black Vorin Minimates Figure Coming?

UPDATE: Diamond's own Zach Oat confirms it: "And there will also be a retailer incentive Minimate of Vorin in "stealth armor," available to comic shops that buy 25 copies of the comic."

The reliable, informed, and all-around nice dude Luke posted this little tidbit on the Minimate Multiverse boards.  So it's good news since it's a new figure... and potentially bad news for those of us aiming for a "complete set." Remember that blurb about their being a retailer incentive figure?  Well, apparently you gotta order a lot of comics to get it. Luke writes:

"This [retailer incentive] figure will be a 'Stealth Black Vorin' according to my Diamond rep. It will only be available through this promotion. We will not be carrying them, as we don't sell comics. If the number [of comics to order to get one figure] was lower than 25 I would consider it. "

As the comic book will be around $4, it wouldn't be out of line to expect the figure to sell for mid-double digits.  I'll be watching eBay, as the possibility of having a hole in my collection right out the gate is troubling.  Of course, the wholesale value of 25 comics is probably in the $50-$65 range, so hey, maybe you might buy a bunch to have something to hand out to the older trick-or-treaters?

Battle Beasts IDW Comic #1 in New Previews, Due in July

The new Battle Beasts IDW comic book is coming a heck of a lot sooner.  We just received this shot of a page in the new issue of Diamond Previews advertising the comic as a 4-issue limited series... and Transformers started off as a limited series, and look at it now!

It's due in July, and IDW Publishing posted a solicitation which also confirms a variant cover.  Apparently, the whole thing should be kicking off in time for Comic-Con!

C2E2 Swag: Battle Beasts Poster

In addition to everything announced, it turns out there are a few more giveaways at C2E2 if you like Battle Beasts. On eBay, some guy is selling a poster! A free poster, mind you, but it's not like I'd pay for it anyway. It's basically the same artwork as the freebie ashcan (promotional) comic book.

So the tally for C2E2 so far: Red Vorin, Grey Vorin, Comic Book, and Poster. What else did you find? Let me know!

Around The Web: IDW Battle Beasts Writer Interviewed at CBR

If you need more Battle Beasts news, and yes, there's still more coming, check out this article at CBR. C2E2: Bobby Curnow Unleashes "Battle Beasts" at IDW has a neat design sheet of Vorin and lots of stuff about the comic, so do check it out. (And yeah, the Battle Beasts never had their own starring role in a TV show as stated in the article, but they did guest-star in a few episodes of Transformers: The Headmasters.)

Press Release Dump: Diamond Select Toys and IDW Publishing to Unleash the Battle Beasts at C2E2!

We got the press release, now we're going to share it with you.

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TImonium, MD (April 12, 2012) - Since 2010, Diamond Select Toys has been searching to find the right partner to introduce their Battle Beasts brand to a broader audience. Now the search is over, and DST and IDW Publishing have teamed up to immortalize a new breed of Beasts! At this year's Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), which runs from April 13-15, the two companies will offer a taste of what's to come: DST will give out an ashcan preview of IDW's upcoming BATTLE BEASTS comic-book mini-series, as well as an exclusive promo Minimate of one of the book's lead characters!

"We are thrilled to have found a partner in IDW, a company that understands toy fans just as well as they understand comic book fans," said director of Diamond Select Toys Chuck Terceira. "Their experience with licensed comic books -- and with the dedicated fan bases they write for on a monthly basis -- is proof that the Battle Beasts brand is in the right hands, and we look forward to working with them for this mini-series, and, hopefully, beyond!"

The mini-series is written by Bobby Curnow (Godzilla Legends, Night of 1000 Wolves) and penciled by Valerio Schiti (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Donatello, Dungeons & Dragons: Eberron). It focuses on a group of renegade Beasts who return to Earth to protect the ultimate weapon (and the human who activated it) from an armada of their violent brethren. The ashcan will reprint the first eight pages of issue #1 in full color, and fans will be able to get a free translucent Minimate of the ram Vorin while supplies last. Both will be given away during C2E2 by DST at booth #311.

"BATTLE BEASTS is a great fit for IDW", said writer Bobby Curnow. "What's so important about toys is they enable kids to build worlds in their imaginations, and create stories for those worlds. Since I never really grew up, getting the chance to help create the new Battle Beasts in comic form has been a fantastic and supremely fun experience. The world has been turned upside down with the arrival of the Battle Beasts, and we're going to have a great time showing just how crazy things get. IDW has a lot of experience finding riveting stories in toy-based licenses, and I hope BATTLE BEASTS is no exception. I know for a fact that Valerio is knocking it out of the park. His art is going to floor a lot of people."

And the excitement does not stop there -- at San Diego Comic-Con (July 11-15), IDW will launch the BATTLE BEASTS mini-series with issue #1, and DST will unveil the first full wave of Battle Beasts Minimates, which will be in stores in late fall of 2012! The first wave of two-packs will focus heavily on characters who appear in the comic, and will have a gameplay element, as well. DST will also have an exclusive two-pack of Battle Beasts for sale at the show.

Minimates are 2-inch minifigures created by Art Asylum in 2002. This year marks the brand's 10th anniversary, and in that time Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum have released over 1,000 Minimates for nearly 50 separate licenses. Highly detailed and highly poseable, each Minimate features 14 points of articulation and comes with plenty of interchangeable parts and accessories.



Visit BattleBeast.com for more information about the comic book and toy line.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to sign up for updates and learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

BATTLE BEASTS #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in July 2012. Diamond order code:


About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro's The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount's Star Trek; HBO's True Blood; the BBC's DOCTOR WHO; Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Toho's Godzilla; Wizards of the Coasts Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons; and the Eisner-Award winning Locke & Key series, created by best-selling author Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints, and Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

IDW's critically- and fan-acclaimed series are continually moving into new mediums. Currently, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney are creating a feature film based on World War Robot, while Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes and Sony are bringing Zombies vs. Robots to film.

About Diamond Select Toys
Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles, LLC, was founded in 1999 by sister company Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. Headquartered in Timonium, MD, Diamond Select Toys was envisioned to create unique and exciting collectibles for children and adults alike, and today the company licenses a wide range of pop culture properties from partners such as Marvel Enterprises, Microsoft, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Hasbro, MGM and Sony Pictures. In 2007, Diamond Select Toys acquired select assets of the New York based Art Asylum, creators of the global Minimates brand. Minimates have been recognized as the #1 selling block figure in the world and were the first toys ever to be inducted into the ToyFare Magazine Hall of Fame. In addition to Minimates, Diamond Select Toys manufactures a broad variety of products for the specialty and mass markets, including figures, statues, banks, role-play items, replicas and housewares.

New Diamond Battle Beasts Site Leaked/Launched Early?

It would seem there is no need to wait for the countdown as this new site is up now showcasing this weekend's announcements which, unfortunately, also include an announcement of an announcement. Obviously you'll want to explore the site, but here's the highlights of what you need to make sure that you see:


1. Comic Book. Digital version of the C2E2 comic giveaway introduces 3 of the characters. Comic is being given out at the C2E2, it seems.

2. C2E2-Exclusive Clear Vorin Figure. Vorin is a ram, and he's the show's free figure. The toys page shows him (bagged) as well as the 4 previous promo figures, all of which have no specific character name.

3. Character reveals. 3 characters are named - Vorin the Ram, Gruntos the Walrus, and Merk the Edie Falco.

4. Series 1 and 2 are mentioned by name but will not be revealed until later. Series 1 is said to be coming Fall 2012, and revealed at Comic-Con in San Diego this July.

There is no obvious connection to Beast Saga. Aside from the basic concept and what appears to be a flame symbol on Vorin's outfit, there's no real connection to the old Hasbro or Takara toys either. It looks fun. I'm in.