Toy Stories: Nola Comic-Con 2010

You didn’t think I was done with posts about Nola Comic-Con, did you? Aside from meeting pros and fellow fans, the best thing about a comic convention is trying to get your hands on some sweet deals. In my case, that meant some miniature plastic buddies that I’d like to share with you guys now…

To boldly go... into three different time periods at once, evidently...

First up, I got my hands on three separate Star Trek Mini-Mates Series 4 packages, each with a couple of figures from three different time periods in the Star Trek universe. From the left you see a Borg Drone and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Admiral James T. Kirk and “Duty Uniform” Scotty from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Dr. Leonard McCoy and Nurse Christine Chapel circa Star Trek: The Original Series. These guys will look just dandy next to the Star Trek Mini-Mates I’ve already got.

But were those the only Mini-Mates I got? Don’t be ridiculous…

"So, guys, do you think they're gonna bust us?"

This creepy quartet comes courtesy of the Ghostbusters Mini-Mate line, and I believe the four ghosts you see here were all bad guys from the Real Ghostbusters cartoon show. Here we see Chef DeMassi, Alzetor, the Architect and a Black Slime Monster. These guys are just waiting for the boys to come in and bust ’em up.

"Just smile, boys. Nobody knows who we are now, but wait until May 7..."

These three guys, each sold separately, are part of the line for the upcoming Iron Man 2 film. In the center we have arms dealer Justin Hammer, bane of Tony Stark. To his left is a battle-damaged Hammer Drone, to the right a Tactical Assault Drone. Hammer is big on drones, you see.

"Slashie slashie!" "..."

And finally, for me at least, it’s our old pals Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, courtesy of the “Cinema of Fear” toy line. The line also features Leatherface, from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but as I’ve never really been a fan of that series, I passed on his figure. These two figures, in my beloved 3.75-inch scale, look really good, but they do illustrate something toymakers really need to consider. Accessories are awesome, but they have to be practical. Jason’s hands are unsuitable to hold either his axe or machete, and Freddy’s garbage can lid is just pointless.

Also at the con, I got some reading material. The entire run of the Power of the Atom series for a dollar each, several issues of Marvel’s old humor magazine Not Brand Ecch, Essential volumes of Marvel Two-In-One, Nova and X-Men, and a little goodie for Erin that I’m not prepared to show anybody yet, because her birthday is coming up. I did, however, get one thing for her that I am willing to share:

"Hiya, puddin'!"

Erin loves collecting original sketches from comic artists she likes, so she commissioned me to get a sketch for her from Chew artist Rob Guillory. As I didn’t know what character she wanted, I went with her favorite, Harley Quinn.

So the Nola-Comic Con was great. What’s next?

Why FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, of course! It’s the ninth annual Free Comic Book Day, tomorrow, May 1, and the 2 in 1 Showcase crew will be at BSI Comics in Metairie, Louisiana all day. If you’re in southern Louisiana, drop on by to chat with us, meet the rest of BSI’s awesome panel of guests, and get your hands on some free comics. If you’re not in southern Louisiana, then find a store in your own area that’s participating. Don’t know where any local comic shops are? We’ve got you covered. Go to www.freecomicbookday.com and use the free comic shop locator service. Just punch in your ZIP code and the locator will give you a list of participating stores in your area.

And one last plea, friends — the comic books are free to the reader, but not to the retailer. So while you’re out there tomorrow getting your goodies, please, find something to buy, too. It’s the least you can do.