Heat-domes be damned! Summer is rolling on whether we want it to or not. Might as well take a break from the inevitable destruction of our planet via global warming to take a look at what the toy companies have on tap for San Diego Comic Con this year. My partner in crime, E.A. Henson has already highlighted some excellent exclusives from NECA, Marvel Legends and G.I. Joe Classified (I never thought I’d need another Cobra Commander, but Hasbro done did it again). This week, I’ve rounded up my best of the rest. We’ve got another Marvel Legend, a Canadian hero, a cheesy mascot, and what Figure Friday would be complete without an appearance from everyone’s favourite amphibious teens? Here’s all the toys my wallet is yearning for as it dreams of beautiful, breezy San Diego.
Marvel Legends 85th Anniversary Retro Card Venom
Walmart Collector Con is Thursday, July 25. While this isn’t an official SDCC tie in, it will feature a handful of Walmart exclusives available online. None more enticing than a certain Symbiote. Venom is enjoying a bit of a Marvel Legends resurgence, with the debut of Carnage from Sony Pictures’ Let There be Carnage as well as a Venom from the same film. For Collector Con, Hasbro is bringing Venom back on a Spider-Man retro card sans cell shading and with some updated articulation in the torso. This is the Venom figure that I’ve been waiting for and I’ll be online waiting to order when it goes live at 10 am EST.
Cheetos Chester Cheetah (Flamin’ Hot Glow-in-the-Dark Version)
I have yet to pick up Jada’s first release of Chester Cheetah and my wallet is grateful. Who would have thought that being cheesy could score you two action figures? Even more so, who would have thought you can make the Glow in the Dark gimmick work for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? How can we be living in both the best and worst timelines at the same time? You can grab your own Glow in the Dark Chester RIGHT NOW over at Entertainment Earth.
Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron X-Wing & Tie Fighter Game Console
Jazwares Star Wars Micro Galaxy line has always intrigued me. I enjoy the idea of building an armada of ships from across the Star Wars universe. However, the price points and access to some of the highly sought after chase vehicles is a bit of a sticking point. Case in point, this beauty. Currently only available at the Jazwares booth during San Diego Comic Con, this X-Wing and Tie Fighter 2 pack will be a tough get. Assuming you were in San Diego and had access to buy one, the $100 price tag for 2 vehicles that normally retail for $15-$20 is a tough ask. That being said, this one hits all the right nostalgia notes for me. Capturing the vector graphic aesthetic from the original Star Wars arcade game, this is a welcome repaint that would look great in an arcade/gaming collection just as easy as a Star Wars collection. If you’d like to grab one for yourself, booth 3513 is the place to be.
AEW Captain Canada Kenny Omega
Featuring gear he debuted at AEW Double or Nothing 2023, Kenny Omega arrives in figure form as Captain Canada. Andrew, before you flood my inbox with “Wouldn’t Captain Canada actually be Marvel’s Guardian?” Yes, it would. Go ask whoever designed the gear why they didn’t go red white and maple leafs all over it, ’cause I don’t have the answer. Limited to 1000, this is going to be elusive. Combine that with the fact you may only be able to get it at the convention and this could be a completionist’s nightmare. Regardless of availability, this is a fun homage and it hurts my heart we never got that She-Hulk or Storm Jade Cargill from Jazwares. Kenny can also be scored at booth 3513.
Jurassic World Hammond Collection Bubbles Up Jimmy Buffett
Last year we were treated to a 3.75 scale Steven Spielberg for our Jurassic Park displays. This year, Mattel Creations is serving up a Margaritaville Paradise in the form of Jimmy Buffet. Highlighting his “blink and you’ll miss it cameo” from Jurassic World, Little Jimmy (no relation), comes with everything you need to whip open a frozen concoction for the rest of your collection. Including the salt! Whether you’re a Parrot Head or just looking for more hapless victims for your dinos to digest, Little Jimmy fits the bill perfectly. You can grab your own Jimmy Buffet figure when he goes live on Mattel Creations July 25, 2024 at 9am PST.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles First Sketch Comic Black & White 4-Pack
There’s no shortage of Turtles on the market, and yet when you see something somewhat new and fresh, you still find yourself in a crisis of conscience as to whether or not you truly can justify buying those same four turtles yet again. This time around you can measure your FOMO with a four-pack of the original sketch turtles in black and white. The boys are looking cleaner than ever with minimal black sketch marks accenting the white turtles. The only colour in sight is the beautiful red on the masks. If you’d like to score a set for yourself hit up the Paramount booth at SDCC.
Special shoutout to Preternia. Jon is my go-to resource on Twitter and Instagram for all the toy announcements. You can check out his SDCC page to see if there’s anything that catches your fancy here.
