Invader ZiM figures

[Squishee Slinger]

I finally got my 1st wave of these toys in today from Palisades as a special thank you for contributing to the project. They are fabulous looking, the accessories, and the bases look outstanding. I wished I could have picked up the hot topic versions, but alas there is not a Hot Topic store within 200 miles from me. I'd buy them on ebay but they have been getting prices higher that Runeslayer and Firedrake on there.

I can't decide whetehr to keep these clamshelled or open them. Usually, I'm very willing to bust out my toys and play with them but this is one case that really has me embroyed in a tug of war of wills. You see Palisades not only sent me a free sets of these toys they also credited me with a special thanks on the back of the packages. I love this show big time and it's really a treat me see my name on the back of any merchandise associated with Invader ZiM.

Is anyone else buying these and are you planning on picking up series 2 of doom in 2005?

~SS~

[HighXevolutionary]

If your still interested in the Hot Topic figs hit me up with a PM I have a Hot topic not too far from me and will check it out for ya.

[Lobsterman]

I picked up Zim and Gir, and, as with all of the Palisades toys I've purchased, I've very pleased. They have some very talented sculptors working for them, and I'm always impressed with their ability to convincingly translate 2d into 3d. My only irk with the figures is Zim's spider pack. The pieces are obviously for display, but the spider pack's joints and plastic composition aren't sturdy enough to bear the weight of Zim's gigantic head for an extended period of time. I had to build a stand for the figure to keep the weight off of the spider legs...

I'll probably pick up the robot parents from series two. I wasn't into the series enough to really crave a complete set, but I do feel the need to support Palisades lest this line go the way of Ren and Stimpy. (I really, REALLY wanted a Powdered Toast Man figure.... )

Out of curiousity, how were you involved in the project, squishee?

[Squishee Slinger]

I more or less supplied the support campaign by having a bunch of ZiM fans come in and show their alligence for such a line. Ken Lilly just offhandedly mentioned some lines they had thought about accquiring in a Muppet thread on the Palisades MB. Ken wasn't convinced that there was enough interest to make the line a success.

I pretty much went to the major ZiM sites and pitched them that toys could be a success. This wasn't an easy task given the fact that most of the fans at the time didn't even think that we'd ever see DVDs or any ZiM related merchandise other than T-shirts or buttons; many were very negative that anything like this could be done. However I was able to marshal enough support to show Ken that the toys were a good investment and they pitched the idea to Nick. Nick was shocked that anyone would want to make ZiM figures because like Hasbro they had their collective heads up their ass when it came to the growing fan market of the show (if it wasn't a success to the 6-12 crowd it was a failure to them) and they got the lisence pretty cheaply. It's been a great thing for the fans and it's sold pretty strong for Palisades.

I also should be getting package credit on Palisades' Fairly Oddparents line for giving them DVD source material on the show from all the episodes I encoded and screenshots on ideas for all the accessories I came up with in that line.

~SS~

[Lobsterman]

Cool, man. So you're like the freelance action figure fan commando...