Seen at Toy Fair: The Loyal Subjects

    It's pretty nuts to see where The Loyal Subjects started and where they are today.  Their toys are all over the place and even made their way into a Super Bowl commercial.  I love visiting their booth at Toy Fair because it's like a melding of my childhood interests with my obsession with collecting toys now.  Wave 3 of their stylized Transformers line was on display, and it seems that with every incarnation they get more complex.

    Turtles fans will also have plenty of new figures to buy as the second series will be released soon.  There were also a few exclusive sets on display with different color ways of the original Turtle figures.  I believe the grey will be Hastings exclusives, while the black and the glow will be available at this year's San Diego Comic Con.  By the time I made it to their booth I was malnourished and going through withdrawal from not being able to buy anything, so I may have misheard.  Don't kill me.

    You can see more of our Toy Fair pictures by visiting www.facebook.com/TheToyViking

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The Loyal Subjects

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Figures from The Loyal Subjects

    I haven't seen the new Ninja Turtles movie, and to be honest, I most likely won't until it comes to DVD. We don't make it to the theater very often, partly because it's expensive, partly because they feel the need to let other people in there with us.  No matter how early in the morning we go, there's always some idiot trying to impress his date with his knowledge of what we're watching or just someone that has decided that with the price of admission you get a free pass to act like a moron.  Until they amend the law and allow me to punch people in the face, I'll be sticking with Netflix.

    I did love the Turtles when I was a kid and I like the fact that it's become something new for this generation.  Lots of toys have been released recently to celebrate the new film and their 30th anniversary, but these from The Loyal Subjects are by far my favorite.  I love the look that designer Joe Allard came up with, making them look completely different from anything other tribute line and giving them each a heavy dose of personality.  You can preorder these blind box figures right now from https://www.theloyalsubjects.com and they are expected to ship out the middle of next month.  

SDCC Exclusive Transformers Box Sets from The Loyal Subjects

    The best thing about having been a kid in the 80's and 90's is that everything I loved will always be reinvented in cool new ways.  The toys I played with and the shows I watched are constantly getting revamped for a new generation of folks and that makes it new for me again.  The Loyal Subjects are, in my not so humble opinion, the reigning kings of nostalgia.  They've taken so many classic franchises and put their own spin on them to make them fresh.  Just look at how amazing these Transformers 3 packs are.  They are exclusives to San Diego Comic Con, but being that they made 500 sets of each, you might be able to snag them afterwards.  Not that you should chance it if you have a ready and willing mule that can get them for you at the convention.  I've toy muled before and it's kinda fun.  You feel like you're doing something dangerous, like any minute the cops will show up and strip search you for contraband.  I'm living on the edge baby!!!

Toy Fair 2014: The Loyal Subjects

    The Loyal Subjects had a swanky booth at this year's Toy Fair and it was filled with all of the blind box series they have coming out this year.  Who would have ever thought to have Mr. Potato Head mini figures?  It sounds absurd, but when you see one in person the first thing you want to do is pick it up and move all the pieces around.  They are also making a Power Rangers blind box set that is articulated and features removable helmets, but I didn't get to see those as they didn't make it in shipping until the day after I was there.

    

   And of course they're continuing their ever popular GI Joe and Transformers lines with new blind boxes and blister carded figures.  The series look awesome and are actually a little bigger than the previous ones, so you're getting more toy for the money.

    I know you want this Ultra Magnus figure.  I can just tell.  And you're in luck because he is up for sale right now at https://www.theloyalsubjects.com/.

The Loyal Subject's Optimus Prime Custom Show at Toy Tokyo

    You wanna see some cool, custom Optimus Prime figures? You wanna buy some new Transformers toys before everyone else? You want free food? Well, you might be a little greedy (kidding, we all know free food tastes the best) but you are in luck because The Loyal Subjects and Toy Tokyo are gonna make all your dreams come true this Saturday. Look at all those details right in that picture. Could they make it any easier for you to have a good time? And you could be the first collectors anywhere to get your hands on the new 3 inch Ultra Magnus figure and make all your friends jealous.

    On a side note, I know there's a huge debate about designer toy companies making licensed toys. What I would love to see is a marriage of both worlds by having artists interpret these classic characters and release them as production figures. I know it's probably much harder to make it happen, what with the people that own the properties having to be convinced that it's cool for the brand, but I think it could be successful for everyone involved. What do you think?

  

Grimlock vs. Soundwave Two Pack from The Loyal Subjects

    Every time I see a Transformer I can hear in my head that weird sound that they make when they transform.  You know what it is, from the cartoon series.  I can't actually type what it sounds like, but I used to make it as a kid when I would change them back and forth from vehicles to robots.  It starts to make you light headed if you get one of those hard Transformers and you can't change him before you run out of breath.  Then you pass out and wake up face first on a pile of robots, which let me tell you is almost as bad as stepping on Legos barefoot.  

    The Loyal Subjects don't want you to worry about such nonsense, so their toys don't transform at all, but they don't really need to, because they're cool enough just as they are.  And look how fancy Soundwave and Grimlock look in black.  Do Transformers have their own version of GQ magazine, cause they would be on the cover.  This two pack will be available starting next Tuesday, January 21st and is an edition of 500 sets.  Pick one up from www.theloyalsubjects.com/.

Transformers Rainmakers Box Set from The Loyal Subjects

    In our world, "making it rain" involves a stack of one dollar bills being thrown at scantily clad women in businesses of ill repute.  In the world of the Transformers, it is a viable defense tactic used by the Decepticons when fighting the Autobots.  Not the most environmentally friendly thing they could have come up with, but they are the bad guys after all.

    The Loyal Subjects continues their successful line of Transformers toys with this Rainmaker 3 pack. These are on sale now for $45 and are an edition of 500.  Get yours from https://www.theloyalsubjects.com/.

New 8 Inch Transformers from The Loyal Subjects

    When I saw that The Loyal Subjects were doing a mini series of Transformers I was hoping they would make some bigger versions.  They had a few at San Diego Comic Con and now everyone will have there chance to snag one when these two are released next month.  First off, you have the classic Optimus Prime.  You can't go wrong with the original thing.  But what if you always wondered what old Optimus would look like painted up like a My Little Pony?  Well, that's kinda sick, so you should see someone, but if they deem you sane then your next step is to get the DIY figure.  

    Paint him up however you like, cover him in glitter, or rat skulls, or leave him blank.  The painted version of Optimus will be $55 while the DIY will be $40.  Both will be available at your favorite places to buy toys.

More SDCC Exclusives from The Loyal Subjects

    Optimus Prime obviously couldn't take how terrible the new Transformer movies were and decided to off himself.  Can't say I blame him, as I almost did so in a crowded theater while watching the first one. 

    The Loyal Subjects have released a pretty cool blind box series of Transformers earlier in the year and now they're jumping into the 8 inch realm for San Diego Comic Con.  300 of these Dead Prime figures were made and they will retail for $115 when they are released July 19th from 1-2pm.  This is gonna be another one of those instances where you're gonna wanna line up pretty early if you hope to score one.

    Continuing the theme of dead toys, they will also be releasing this Astro Zombie Bunny from Joe Ledbetter. Unlike owning a real dead bunny, your house won't smell weird and your friends won't try and have a mental health intervention with you.  Everyone will get a shot at one of these suckers, as 150 will be available at the convention, and 150 will be available online.  Which is how it should be done really.  Do you know how angry it makes me to see this stuff that will only be for sale 3,000 miles away and I'll never have the chance to buy it unless it's for some ridiculous price from some butt face that bought it just to sell it?  Pretty angry.  

Ghost Pirate Chaos Bunny from Joe Ledbetter x The Loyal Subjects

    You know what sucks about San Diego Comic Con?  Not being able to go to San Diego Comic Con.  But who wants to listen to me whine all day?  Certainly not my wife, and she's legally obligated to.  

    So I love when companies split up the amount of a release to give us geographically or financially challenged folks a shot at scoring a toy.  The Loyal Subjects are doing just that with this Ghost Pirate Chaos Bunny from Joe Ledbetter.  It's still not a viking, but a ghost pirate is pretty cool.  150 of these will be released at the convention July 18th from 1-2pm while another 150 will be release online at www.theloyalsubjects.com the same day at 2pm.  

GI Joe Custom Show from The Loyal Subjects x Tenacious Toys x Suburban Vinyl

    We all know the GI Joe movies were garbage.  It's not debatable, as the top scientists across the globe have confirmed it to be true.  Delaying the second one a year to redo it didn't even help.  The Loyal Subjects helped remove some of the tarnish by releasing a cool blind boxed series of vinyl figures that people went nuts over, and now you can see those reinterpreted by some of the best toy customizers out there.  Tenacious Toys teamed up with Suburban Vinyl to put together this custom show that will be happening this Friday, May 31st.  All the details you need are in the pictures, so you have no excuse not to go.  Unless you live, like, really far away or have surgery scheduled for that time.  Then its ok.