In the 10+ years I have been doing this, I have very seldom been outright shocked at Toy Fair. Surprised, certainly. Enchanted, absolutely. Bowled over, undoubtedly. But as genuinely shocked as I was upon entering Wicked Cool Toys’ booth, not that I can remember. Why, you ask, was I so shocked? We’ll get to that in a minute. But first, a little exposition. I came to Wicked Cool Toys because I was contacted by a very nice woman named Janis Van Tyne about their new lines, including a 31″ WWE figure! That was enough to pique my curiosity, so I went there wondering how this could be done, what it would look like, and most importantly, who was responsible for such an INCREDIBLY IMPRACTICAL product. I found my answers, but ended with 20 extra questions. Because Wicked Cool was a new company born from the memories of the past. So, I’m going to begin the Wicked Cool Toys report with the revelation of their greatest secret, because it’s the only way to begin that feels right.

FIGURES AND MORE @ TOY FAIR 2014: WICKED COOL TOYS

Pictures by: Resse Rosenzweig

Wicked Cool Toys’ Toy Fair debut can best be summed up in 2 words………

HE’S BACK!!!!!

For those of you who have followed me for a few years, you may not recognize the face, but you will recognize the name. For those of you who did not know before reading this report, I can imagine what your faces look like. For those of you wondering what the heck I’m blathering on about, The man in the picture is Jeremy Padawer, and until last year, he was the VP of Boy’s Brands at Jakks Pacific. But to me, he will always be the man who introduced me to the crazy, magical world of Toy Fair. See, I started my career covering Jakks Pacific’s WWE line, and their press briefings “back in the day” were the stuff of legends. Thanks to those briefings, I can actually say I have met Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Bobby “the Brain” Heenan, Sensational Sherri, Captain Lou Albano and, even, “Smokin” Joe Frazier. Last Year, Jeremy decided to leave Jakks, with no announced plans as to his future. To me, the Toy Industry just wasn’t going to be the same without him. So, there was no way for me to control my elation and astonishment when I saw his instantly recognizable face upon entering the Wicked Cool Toys booth. It was then that I found out he had also hired his old Jakks’ colleague Genna Rosenberg’s newly founded PR firm GennComm,  so with Genna doing PR, and Jeremy back at the helm, this briefing truly felt like old times. Here’s what this exciting new company has planned for the future.

WWE: It comes as no surprise to me, now that Jeremy is “back in the game”, that he would want to have some involvement with WWE. What did surprise me, however, is the amount of product he had on display besides the aforementioned 31″ figure. But, let’s talk about that figure first. WHAT A FIGURE IT IS! The line is to be kicked off with John Cena. The Cena figure does indeed stand an impressive 31″ tall, and is attired in his trademark jean shorts and armbands, To my surprise however, it not only looks impressive, but sports 9 points of articulation. Should Cena do well, plans are in place for figures of the Rock, and, possibly, CM Punk. The figure is due for release in the Summer, with a projected retail price of $34.99. Wicked Cool is also bringing back Thumb Wrestlers as part of it’s WWE line, with a segment called Thumbpers, which will come in packs of 1 for $1.99-$2.99 and 4 for $9.99.  There also be themed rings, such as RAW and WrestleMania, which will be $9.99. There are also plans for a line of mini-bobbleheads, which will retail for $4.99 (3.5″) and $9.99 (6″), “Unchained” keychains which will retail for $3.99, Superstar wrist bands, which will retail for $1.49 and bust banks, which will retail for $6.99. There will also be some role play items. Two sets of microphones, an “echo” microphone, which will retail for $5.99, and a keychain mic with sound which will retail for $4.99. There will also be a larger mic with sound. But, the crown jewel of the WWE assortment, aside from the 31″ figure, is the return of a product very near and dear to my heart, and intimately associated with Jeremy, the “Authentic Scale Ring.” The very first version of this product ever done was done by Jeremy at Jakks, so it is great to see it come full circle. Like previous versions, this ring is 2′ x 2′, and features fabric ring skirts and ring mat, metal ring posts, and metal turnbuckle connectors, with fabric turnbuckle covers. It also comes with steel steps and holds up to 50 figures. It carries a suggested retail price of $79.99

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wicked Cool is coming out with a line of exciting an innovative toys based around Nickelodeon’s hit animated property. Products include: a series of “Ninja Knuckles”, hand worn accessories in the shape of the four turtles, which have an action feature activated by a hand grip, which retail for $4.99 each, a “Sticky Slinger”, which is a “slimy” grab hand which comes in a mutagen canister case for $2.99, “Wall Walkers”, which, as the name might suggest, crawl down walls, for $2.99, “Ninja Action Balls”, which are large, water filled rubber balls, with a figure floating inside them, for $4.99 each, bracelets called “Turtle Bands” in 1/2″ and 1″ thicknesses for $1.49 each, “Turtle Trick Boards”, which are finger skateboards, for $1.49 each in a single pack, there will also be a 4 pack, bust banks for $4.99 each, “Turtle Tags”, which are wearable plastic dog tags on a black plastic bead necklace, for $1.99 each, a “gift pack” assortment, containing 4 items, for $12.99 each, “Light Up Weapons” for $3.99 each, a “Ninja Flashlight” for $4.99, “Ninja Keys” for $5.99, a “Ninja Remote” for $4.99, a series of “Shell Phones” for $4.99 each and a “Ninja Camera” for $5.99.

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Hero Holders: Hero Holders are articulated holders for cell phones and tablets made in the shape of several popular licensed personalitites. They are a joint collaboration between Wicked Cool Toys and a company called Status Media, whose Chief Creative Officer is Gareb Shamus, who many will remember as the driving force behind Wizard Entertainment. For more information you can visit their website. Designs were shown for Batman, John Cena, Iron Man, Spongebob, Ninja Turtles and more. Also shown as part of Wicked Cool’s TechXtra segment were “Echo Speakers” which amplify sound, also designed in many of the licenses featured above. These are expected to sell for $7.99.No prices have been set for the Hero Holder stands yet, though you can order Spider-Man, their 1st edition, now for $24.99.

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Vrum: Finally from Wicked Cool, we have this extremely innovative product. Vrum is a licensed ride-on toy storage container. Licenses include DC, Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spongebob, Dora, Disney Princess and more. Suggested retail is $49.99.

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That does for Wicked Cool Toys for now, but you can expect much more coverage of them going forward, including what I hope is a very unique Special Feature. My thanks to Janis Van Tine, one of my new best friends in the industry, the always fantastic Genna Rosenberg and the incomparable Jeremy Padawer for their assistance with this report.

Toy Fair coverage continues with Playmobil