DSTChuck has released a new Diamond Select Toys Q&A over on their
Art Asylum website for your viewing pleasure.
In this weeks edition focuses Minimate questions. Check out the entire Q&A below:
Jon Underwood
Long time fan, first time poster. I am a huge Marvel MiniMate fan, and have managed to collect most of the standard figures. But while I have tons of Spider-man, Iron Man, and Wolverine figures…there are hundreds of characters that have never been made. So what are the odds of some sets based on “classic” teams (Excalibur, Alpha Flight, The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants), or obscure characters (D-Man, Cardiac, The New Warriors)? With over 6400+ characters in the Marvel Universe, the possibilities are endless. And where’s my Aunt May & Uncle Ben 2-pack?
DSTChuck: Jon, I think we’ve done a pretty fair job of mixing in as we can what you might call obscure characters or some obscure versions of the heavy hitters. It’s always hard to find that mix and I am sure we’re not perfect but at least we’re thinking about it.
Full disclosure- we’ve had an Aunt May & Uncle Ben two pack on the line plan a few times but it’s just never worked out.
Parker McWatters
Where is alpha/omega flight?????
DSTChuck: Parker maybe you should hang out with Jon- or maybe you’re both the same guy?
Richard Wingo
Is it true there will be Friday the 13th Minimates pack featuring jason as a kid jason from part 3 and Mrs. Voorhees? if true when will there be a release date???
Richard Wingo
is there any plans for a nightmare on elm street remake Minimates movies pack or maybe a Friday the 13th one or maybe Halloween 2 ?
DSTChuck: Richard, seems like you might be a bit confused. Is it that you have some secret about us doing F13th or are you hoping to trick me? Either way neither are in our plans right now.
Josh Beckner
I don’t know if this has been asked but have you ever considered adding The Boondock Saints (Movie, not the cartoon) to your list of movie properties. You could have 2-packs with: the MacManus brothers, “Funny Man” Rocko and Agent Smecker, the Duke and The Fat Man, Doc and The big russian guy from the bar, VIncenzo and Don “Papa” Joe. You could do a chase version of the brothers (beaten up in their bathrobes from the alley fight). Just a thought.
DSTChuck: Josh, did you see the second movie?? No sorry nothing is planned right now.
Julian Dufresne
Hey, I am a huge fan of Minimates but there’s one problem for me, I am Canadian, the comic shop I used to go to had tons of minimates but it closed down. Wherever I go to and every other comic shop I went to had no minimates and did not plan on getting Minimates. I now heard that you will be selling the friend or foe box set and iron man 2 LCS wave in Toy’s R Us, and I have to say thank you!!!!!!I there any more waves planning to go to toy’s r us Canada? and is the toy’s r us exclusive wave coming to Canadian toy’s r us’ too?
DSTChuck: I am very sorry to hear you local shop closed down. We try to sell Miniamtes to pretty much anyone that will buy them. Up until now for some reason TRU Canada has been resistant to ordering the line. They are taking in a few right now so if they do well everyone here is expecting them to start talking the line in more consistently. If you can not find a local source I am sure you can find an online retailer.
Kevin Connelly
I have a couple of questions in regards to the Marvel Minimates… 1) With most of the 90s X-Men teams now done, do you think you might finish them off at some point since there’s only a few key team members missing? (90s Colossus, 90s Bishop {with mullet}, and Professor X {(in hoverchair}) I would love to be able to complete at least one incarnation of the X-Men and the 90s versions are the ones I grew up with mostly from watching the cartoon. You’re SO close. 2) Have you ever considered making any kind of stands for the figures maybe? Like how G.I.Joe toys have stands with their names on them and stuff or maybe some clear ones for people who like to set their minimates up in a display/diorama. 3) The 90s Jean Grey figure prototype was shown to have details on the sides of her legs and her lower torso was painted to match the blue and yellow arts of her costume, but the released version of her has an entirely blue lower torso and no leg details. Was this a factory error or were these things done to cut costs? 4) Will we ever see updated/larger versions of the Juggernaut and Rhino figures as they look like puny compared to the newer/better Hulks? 5) With the TRU exclusive WWH and Stretch Mr. Fantastic set, could we be seeing updated versions of the Fantastic Four in the future? More modern versions of Thing, Invisible Woman, and Human Torch would be great to go along with the recent Dr. Doom update we had got.
DSTChuck: We’re not going to go out and promise we’re going to finish every team we’ve started but we are aware of several of them and use that as part of the process when we do line planning. Not stands like GI Joe but we’ve started to use a flight stand more often and we’re looking at other similar ideas for the future to help fans displays look a little less “Static”. There are some changes made to all of our figures for production or costing reasons, that one is just a bit more obvious then usual. I think the chances of those figures getting updated is pretty good, but not in the plans at this moment. It is possible you will see more of the FF. It seems once we get something in our minds we work that track a little - coincidence or evil plan - you decide!
Brandon Clayton
You guys rock and your customer service is the best I’ve seen or dealt with! :D I know that the Street Fighter line is dead and buried from your minds, but I was curious to find out what happened to the Prototypes for the ones that were not released, in Particular Guile and Zangief. These are two of my favorite characters and would love to get my hands on the prototypes! Any chance you can send them or I can buy them off you?
DSTChuck: All Minimates prototypes are suppose to be locked away in our warehouse like the Ark in Raiders and until recently I thought that’s what had been done with all of them. DST does not sell prototypes sorry. Sometimes for a contest or charity auction you will see a factory sample but that’s about it.
Sean W
1) With the recent updates to Green Goblin and Doc Ock, are there any plans to upgrade Sandman and Rhino? The original Rhino MM is great but just looks a bit puny next to everyone else. I think just a bulkier torso would help. 2) As for Sandman, he could have better accessories than just the original longer arm. Maybe all the arms and the sand base of the movie Sandman MM, but just done in comic style instead of Thomas Haden Church likeness? Seems like it’d be a cost-effective re-use of existing parts. 3) You mentioned possibly reusing the Vulture wings for a Falcon figure. I just want to put my vote in for his classic 80’s sleeveless white vest look, as opposed to his contemporary costume. And Redwing. 4) Finally, to round out the Spidey villains, can we expect Beetle and Lizard anytime soon?
DSTChuck: There is no real “plan” here for re-doing figures but when we’re making a line plan if a character works or an idea works and it requires a character to come back , the design team will take it as a challenge to improve or change what has been done before. I don’t think we’ve done any real planning yet on how Falcon would be done but I trust DSTRobert and DSTUriel. Lizard soon! Beetle- not so soon.
Adam Pawlus
Hi! I’ve just recently started picking up Minimates as a collector and as such, I seem to have missed a lot of great stuff. I understand that a lot of items don’t make sense to reissue, but are there plans to keep a plain basic red and blue Spider-Man in circulation like an evergreen item? I’d like to pick one up. Maybe I just barely missed it, like the Marshmallow Man at TRU. Thanks!
DSTChuck: Adam what took you so long! Where you been all my life? We’ve looked at the idea of the core characters several times and I think you can trace back and see the Heroes and Villains sets as well as the series at TRU at the time as us making an attempt to get those characters in iconic looks into new fans’ hands, but give collectors something different if they choose to buy them. We’re going to try and do things like that more often…so many ideas so little time. We’ll have another iconic set out before the end of the year.
James LasagnaBoy
Will we get a non battle-damaged version of the Mk IV Iron Man Minimates with the triangular ARC Reactor?
DSTChuck: James I thing the armor with the triangle chest plate is considered the Mark 6 and yes we are making that part of our line, we could just not show it until the preview broke.
Justin Dean
Has the Godfather minimates set been officially, definitely, absolutely cancelled? Thanks for reading.
DSTChuck: The Godfather set swims with the fishes. SORRY!
Emortal Death
“but we DID at one point ask about Ben 10.” if they say yes do you mean the original or alien force…or both? (if you do get it please let wild mutt come with benwolf ! and big chill come with Rath!) hope you get them
DSTChuck: I think at the time it was the original. That’s my favorite of the two (soon to be three) shows.
Jason Yeung
1. In 2008 there were prototypes of Medicom’s Kubrick version of Ghostbusters. They had an idea of making the Ghostbusters logo into brick form. Did a similar idea occur to Art Asylum? I mean a Minimates form of the Ghostbusters logo ?
DSTChuck: I do not think that’s something we ever considered, but it’s a cool idea!
Jim Fink
Hey guys just wanted to say I picked up the friends and foes minimates and the spider-man came with 2 web lines and wanted to thank you for that, I’ve written in twice asking to pack more web lines with Spidey. A couple of questions will the minimates m.a.x. line be TRU exclusives or will all retailers carry them? In the future could you try to make a crossbones and sin Minimates? That’s all thanks for making minimates the best marvel toy line ever
DSTChuck: Hey Jim! No problem happy to include them, I know it had been a while. I do not see the MAX line as being exclusive to TRU but if I had my way the line would make some sort of exclusive debut there, followed by a wider release soon after. Glad you like the Marvel line, we’re pretty proud of all that’s been done when you look back.
Jessica Sentea
Ok so I have to say long time shopper of your BSG and ST Minimates line and have 2 quick questions 1. Well we see more mini fliers in the sets. Like the Raptors, you could have Racetrack and Skulls in one, A Raptor with the missile pod with use crash down and a marine. Plus there still a mark ii and I can not have a collection with out the mark ii. plus the blackbird and a heavy raider. 2. Will you finish the THG Figure set and possible do a flyer for them?
DSTChuck: The BSG flyers have not preformed as we had hoped they would, so while we never say never, I think it’s over. There are no plans for anymore flyers or Minimates, sorry.