ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 5.01 - APRIL 2000

Toy Fair 2000: Keep Those Toons Comin'!
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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."

Toy highlights included the technologically-enhanced X-Men Grip TechMutants that incorporate Toy Biz's exclusive "Smart Sense" technology that allows children to become Wolverine or Sabretooth ($49.99).

Action figures will be 6-inch fully pose-able with a character dedicated action feature that mimics their mutant powers and an accessory. For example, Storm is equipped with a lightning base and Professor X will have his trademark motorized wheel chair and cerebra accessory. Action figures will be available in a trio of battle ready twin packs that spotlight three of the most thrilling confrontations from the movie -- Wolverine vs. Sabretooth, Logan vs. Magneto and Logan vs. Rogue ($5.99 individual figure/$12.99 twin pack).

All X-men toys will be available June 2000.

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