Toy Fair Twisted

Just got back from Toy Fair. It was frantic as always, but at least this year I had the luxury of actually walking it instead of being chained to a booth. Being an exhibitor does have its perks though. I went to Javits early the first day to drop off some books to Mary Couzin at Discover Games, only to find out that I could not get in at 8:00am without an exhibitor badge. So there I stood with and hour to kill. Well at least a large scary clown came up to me blowing a whistle. Did I mention it was 8:00am? Did I mention he had a very loud band with him? Did I mention I don’t find clowns funny… at all? Remember that old game show where contestants tried to keep a straight face for cash while comedians tried to make them laugh? Put me up there with any clown in the world and I would be money.

ENOUGH! On with the show. Being locked out of the show for a bit allowed me to see what I could see outside of the exhibition hall and I found the National Toy Hall of Fame exhibit. Many cool toys where on display, including some professional Etch-A-Sketch art. Mind you that once inside with the exhibits, it was difficult to take pictures at the booths, as this practice is frowned upon. Is there anything more annoying than people taking pictures constantly? One of the big buzz products was the relaunched (rebirthed?) Cabbage Patch Kids and I did snap a few pics at the Lionel booth.

Speaking of trains, a few of us ventured to Ellen’s Stardust Diner on Broadway for breakfast one morning. It’s decked out in nostalgia and had an electric toy train which circled high above the singing waiters and waitresses.

Celebrities? Toy Fair had ‘em. My favorite was Jerry Maren, one of the original Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz. I got an autographed picture of him ($20) for my Oz-addicted sister. Now I ask you, where else but Toy Fair could you run into a founding member of The Lollipop Guild? Read more about him here.

I will post more about what new products I saw in a few days. I just had to get the clowns and munchkins off my mind (and out of my camera).

The Lost Voice...

I am not Wil Wheaton but like him, I am just a geek. I love toys (really?) and comic books and when you combine these two passions it can get really (no, really) geeky.

In 1971 my big brother left for college and handed me a stack of comics. Most of them were The Invincible Iron Man from Marvel. I was 7 years old at the time and a budding artist. Soon my room was littered with sketches of Iron Man. I watched the reruns of the Iron Man TV cartoon series after school and was a faithful reader of the comic books. I chickened out and stopped following the exploits of the Armored Avenger in high school when it was no longer “cool” to read comics and watch cartoons.

Five or six years later, I found myself in the back of a drug store in Hamilton, New York, spinning a comic rack in search of what ol’ Shell Head was up to. I’ve been hooked ever since. Much like The Playmakers, my obsession with Iron Man is merely an attempt to recapture my youth. It may be feeble, but it sure is fun.

So it is with a sad heart that I extend condolences to the family of veteran actor John Vernon, who died on February 1st. He was known best for his wonderfully smarmy portrayal of Dean Wormer in 1978’s Animal House, but I will always think of him as the baritone voice behind the man behind the mask of Iron Man. Vernon voiced the character of Tony Stark and Iron Man in the aforementioned TV cartoon series. The animation is so bad, it’s awesome (kids are so spoiled today). But it’s the sound effects, music and especially the voiceover talent that makes these videos a must-have. Download the wav. files below to hear John Vernon bring The Invincible Iron Man to life in the classic “The Hands of the Mandarin”

The walls! They’re closing in!

A long distance laser beam!

Sweet dreams little friends!

Buy John Vernon as Iron Man at Amazon in “The Invincible Iron Man - The Death of Tony Stark & The Crimson Dynamo”

Parents' Choice Profiles The Playmakers

The Parents’ Choice Foundation will be running some excerpts from The Playmakers. From their site:

As we finalize plans to preview the thousands of new product offerings at Toy Fair 2005, we can think of no better way to set the stage than to highlight a chapter from The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys — a celebration of classic toys and a tribute to the people who brought them to life. The Playmakers author, Tim Walsh, is no stranger to toys and games. Tim is the co-inventor of the boardgames TriBond and Blurt! The story of Radio Flyer is the first of three profiles Tim has generously agreed to let us reprint.

Read the first of three excerpts here.

Toy Fair Approaches

I am planning my Toy Fair week by scheduling meetings and planning dinners and get-togethers. This year I will not be exhibiting with The Playmakers since Andrews McMeel is poised to take over, and I am grateful for the extra time this will afford me. With no booth to man, I am free to walk about in search of new toys and old friends. This will be my 15th Toy Fair and over the years I have grown to enjoy the fun of catching up with good people much more than the wheeling and dealing. This crazy week in New York City has been happening for 102 years now. From The Playmakers:

This important trade event is officially called the American International Toy Fair and first took place in 1903. Since 1934, the show has been held annually in New York (except for 1945 when World War II caused its cancellation). Managed by the Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA), formerly known as Toy Manufacturers of America, Toy Fair welcomes thousands of hopeful toy inventors every year. All of the toys covered in The Playmakers have logged their share of time at this show, which has grown from a handful of salesmen gathering in a Manhattan hotel, to the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere.