Playing Mantis
Known for reviving Johnny Lightning die cast vehicles and Polar Light model kits, Playing Mantis has also reached into the two dimensional world. Fans of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band will want to find the Polar Light model kits featuring the Fab Four as their characters from the animated film. Each figure comes with an optional "Sgt. Pepper" disguise head. The George kit includes the "clown dog" figure and the Paul kit includes the logo drum.

Lovable and unforgettable are the Memory Lane Collectibles featuring action figures, key ring/ornaments and snow globes from the stop-motion classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Action figures will include Herbie, Calrice, Sam the Snowman, Santa, Yukon Cornelius and Rudolph with a nose that really lights up.

Based on the 1960s’ Hanna-Barbera adventure series, Playing Mantis introduces Hyper Action based on Jonny Quest. Collectors will want to find Jonny Quest, Dr. Quest and Race Bannon.

Kids will be able to bring home the adventures of Jonny Quest with the newest line of action figures from Playing Mantis. © 2000 Jacquie Kubin.

McFarlane Toys
McFarlane Toys (TMP) plans to release more than 100 figures based on sports, movies, music, children's fantasy, gaming and Japanese animation in 2000. Highlights include South Park characters Kenny, Cartman and Stan, The Beatles as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, figures based on Maurice Sendak's children's book Where the Wild Things Are and, of course, Spawn.

Fans of anime will want to watch for figures from the sci-fi animated thriller Akira, the television series Trigun and the Tenchi Muyo! empire of video and television fame.

Definitely not for the kiddies, and also from TMP, is one of the strangest animated toys I have ever seen -- Death Row Marv based on the Frank Miller Sin City comic book series. Marv is seated in an electric chair and when activated, one hears an electric buzz sound, Marv's eyes glow red and he says, "That's the best you can do, you pansies?" Articulated at the neck, shoulders, waist and wrists he comes to life, or should I say death, quite realistically.

Hasbro
In theaters this summer, Fox's Titan A.E. promises to be a spectacular animated film by award-winning producers Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. The action figures from this animated adventure movie promise to be highly collectible and fun with which to play. Electronic Quest ($7.99 each) allows children to join the Titan A.E. hero Cale and his compatriots as they journey to find the legendary Titan spacecraft. Figures will come packaged with vehicles complete with pulsating lights, firing missiles and working gear. Toys based on this new animated film will be available in May 2000.

Toy Biz
Highly anticipated are the new X-Men cartoon (fourth quarter) and summer's feature length movie starring Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin and Rebecca Romjin-Stamos. Toy Biz is adding to the excitement with 11 new action figures based on the characters from the movie and television shows. "X-Men is going to be the all time high for us," said Joann McLaughlin, Senior VP of Boys Toys for Toy Biz. "The movie characters, the comic books and the animated show are creating a huge fan base of all ages. The new show is going to be a sure success because it is going back to the origins of the X-Men, when they were teenagers."