Hot Toys Reissues Chadwick Boseman 'Black Panther' 1:6th Figure///Warner Bros. Has Yet to Greenlight a Sequel to 'The Batman'

In anticipation of Marvel‘s upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Hot Toys is now reissuing its 1:6th take on late actor Chadwick Boseman‘s iconic character from the original Black Panther, celebrating his legacy. Standing 12.4 inches tall, the new reissue of King T’Challa boasts more than 30 points of articulation to allow the feline-like superhero to truly display his acrobatic skills in whatever pose you can imagine.

The suit itself is re-created with exceptional attention to detail, making it screen-accurate to complement the highly realistic head sculpt of Boseman himself. You’ll also be able to swap the head sculpt out with a helmeted option or put on a Wakanda warrior mask, which matches perfectly with the included Wakandan shield and spear. As usual, the figure also comes with a themed figure stand for easy display.

Priced at $285 USD, Hot Toys’ reissue of Boseman’s Black Panther will be available in the latter half of 2023.

A new report from Variety has now revealed that despite the success of the original film, a sequel for Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson‘s The Batman has yet to receive a greenlight over at Warner Bros. Discovery. The media giant recently reassured fans of the DCEU that the franchise now has a 10-year plan to flesh out its characters and plots in a similar manner as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but with multiple Batmans currently in the running, it seems there’s some confusion as to how things will progress.

Ben Affleck‘s Batman has already been confirmed to be returning from the Aquamansequel, while Pattinson’s take on the Caped Crusader has yet to earn approval from the company for a sequel despite raking in $770 million USD under Reeves, who has apparently already begun working on a follow-up already.

The future of The Flash is also up in the air. Sources have suggested recently that following lead actor Ezra Miller‘s latest arrest for burglary, Warner Bros. is now preparing for the worst and considering completely scrapping the film, just like it did with Batgirl after already sinking $90 million USD into its development.

KAWS to Re-Release 'CHUM' Figures To mark the character’s 20th anniversary.

KAWS recently took to Instagram to tease a series of CHUM figurines stacked on one another. For eager fans who may have missed the last drop, the acclaimed Brooklyn-based artist confirmed today that he will re-release the edition tomorrow morning.

“I can remember clearly packing and shipping the first CHUM release from my apartment in Brooklyn twenty years ago,” said the artist. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, CHUM will re-release tomorrow morning in black, white, pink, orange and yellow.

Taking a backseat to his more popular COMPANION and BFF characters, CHUM, whose name means ‘a close friend’, is noticeably inspired by the popular Michelin Man. Despite its less favorable status amongst collectors, CHUM appeared in some of KAWS most notable collaborations early on — including a series of skate deckswith Supreme in 2001, an ultra-rare low-top shoe with DC Shoes a year later and re-appearing as the poster child for his seminal WHAT PARTY exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum last year. 

All five CHUM variants will release tomorrow, August 9 at noon ET on KAWSONE.com.

TOYS: Fools Paradise Shows Off New Pieces at Hong Kong Exhibition

Toy manufacturer Fools Paradise is staging an exhibition of its products and digital paintings at Hong Kong’s SHOUT gallery.

Honmono Taiketsu, named after the brand’s panda character, opens today and features regular and oversized versions of Fools Paradise’s vinyl pieces – such as its Professional/Mario mash-ups and its watch-face Foolex characters.

The exhibition is being used to launch 25 new pieces inspired by characters from The Simpsons, Marvel, Batman, Power Rangers and Bomberman, including its new limited edition Reverse Panda toy which is available to pre-order now, priced $298 USD. The works are supported by printed digital artworks hanging on the gallery walls.

Honmono Taiketsu is being held at SHOUT’s Ocean Terminal gallery in Tsim Sea Tsui until August 17.

Elsewhere in Toys, Mattel announces Space X collection.

TOYS & FILM:

The November release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still some time away, but Hasbro is already beginning to help you plan out your cosplay for the premiere with its latest unveiling of the new Black Panther electronic helmet under its Legends Series. Designed as a 1:1 scale replica you can wear, the new helmet design carries detailed Wakandan markings that complement its purple light-up streaks running all the way from the top of the mask to the bottom.

It also features lenses that automatically flip up and down, and both features are easily accessible through the touch of a button. With a release date scheduled for this fall, it’ll arrive just in time to complete your vibranium suit as you head to the movies for Wakanda Forever.

If you’re interested in grabbing one yourself, pre-orders for the new helmet will be open today and cost $132 USD over on Hasbro Pulse’s website.For CinemaCon 2022, Disney offered a number of exciting updates and looks including the official title of the upcoming Avatar sequel — Avatar: The Way of Water, the opening 20 minutes of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the first footage from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Following the record-breaking debut of Black Panther in 2018, Marvel Studios immediately worked with director Ryan Coogler to begin developing the sequel.

Met with the tragic passing of the original Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, after his private four-year battle with colon cancer, the team took the necessary time needed to craft the film in a way that would honor Boseman’s legacy.

While the exclusive footage shown during CinemaCon has yet to be released to the public, descriptions reveal that Letitia Wright‘s Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o‘s Nakia, and Danai Gurira‘s Okoye will step in as the main characters in the sequel, leading Wakanda’s army in T’Challa’s absence. Fans are also widely speculating that Shuri will be Wakanda’s new ruler and the next person to wear the Black Panther suit, though that rumor has yet to be confirmed.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres on November 11, with the first trailer expected to release in the coming weeks.Early last year, New York-based artist Yoon Hyup reinterpreted one of his signature dot paintings in the form of a three-dimensional character called Juggler. The figure was released in two vibrant configurations that were each limited to an edition of 125. For those of who you missed out on the chance to purchase, Hyup will bring back Juggler in a new white-and-black iteration. 

Releasing exclusively through AISHONANZUKA gallery, the latest round of Jugglercharacters feature a pared back monochromatic color palette. “Someday, I started to find some faces in my paintings (random creatures). This new character’s name is ‘Juggler,’ which is created based on the faces that are hidden in my paintings,” the artist described in a past statement. Emblematic of his work, Hyup creates large stipple-like paintings that often depict various cities the artist has traveled to, along with imagined landscapes.

Similar to the first drop, the white-and-black Juggler figures possess the same dimensions (198 millimeters tall), are limited to an edition of 125 and arrive in a custom box with a price tag of $500 USD. However, in order to purchase, all customers must enter through a lottery system starting on July 1 at 11pm ET until July 3 at 11:59am ET. Winners will be announced by email after July 5. 

To enter, email shop@aishonanzuka.com with the subtitle “Application for Juggler (White/Black)” and provide your name, phone number, email and shipping address. 

TOYS: HARLEM'S FASHION ROW PARTNERS WITH BARBIE TO CELEBRATE BLACK DESIGNERS

Amplifying and championing Black voices in fashion, Harlem Fashion Row has partnered with Barbie to create bite-sized doll replicas of the designs from renowned fashion creatives Hanifa, Kimberly Goldson and Rich Fresh.

As Brandice Daniel, CEO and founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row and ICON360 explains in a press release, “Since its inception, Barbie has been a right of passage, an impression of self-awareness for young girls everywhere. Now, more than ever, Barbie celebrates our differences, and I’m excited that Harlem’s Fashion Row gets to play a part in widely diversifying their style too. With this Black History Month collaboration, black designers; Hanifa, Kimberly Goldson, and Rich Fresh, give Barbie fresh-off-the-runway appeal with their unique design aesthetics.”

Outfitting the miniature and aesthetically perfect models in the vibrant and one-of-a-kind garments, complete with Afros and braids is no doubt an inspiration to budding creatives of all ages. As Anifa Mvuemba, the founder and designer of Hanifa shares, “Who didn’t love Barbie as a little girl? I loved my Barbie Dream House with the most perfect elevator, it gave me the chance to dream in real life. I’m so thankful for this opportunity to connect to my childhood and I’m happy to see that little Black girls everywhere can see themselves starting with their favorite toy.” Presenting a look from her Fall/Winter 2021 collection, Hanifa’s doll is dressed in the bold Brooklyn Jacket, a bright blue windbreaker that’s as fashionable as it is functional.” The outerwear is “Hanifa’s dream coat and symbolizes the belief that dreams can become reality.”

Kimberly Goldson’s doll wears a multi-tiered Mari dress with “Lizzette” shorts in copper metallic, creating a vision of dreamy sunset-inspired colors. For those who want a life-size version, the dress is a staple from the sister-owned label’s Spring/Summer 2022 line. Taking a more casual route, Rich Fresh effortlessly elevated athleisure with an expertly tailored tracksuit, boasting vintage-style flared legs for extra oomph.

Take a look at Harlem Fashion Row’s collaboration with Barbie above. The editorial is also available for viewing on Barbie’s global Instagram platform on February 24th.

ART: KAWS Launches “NEW FICTION” via Serpentine Galleries and Fortnite

From the Rockefeller Center to Singapore’s Marina Bay, you can add London and the metaverse as the latest places KAWS has left his imprint on. 

Made in conjunction with Acute Art, Epic Games and Serpentine Galleries, “NEW FICTION” is KAWS’s first solo exhibition in London and presents new and recent works in physical and augmented reality. Having partnered with Epic Games on a Halloween skin pack, the exhibition is the first time Fortnite has made a real-world art show accessible virtually to its millions of players around the world.

“Art and creative culture inspire our players on a daily basis,” said Nate Nanzer, VP of Global Partnerships at Epic Games. “We’re thrilled that this partnership will bring the work of KAWS to an even more diverse global audience. This is a space we plan to continue to invest in over the coming years,” he added.

With 400m Fortnite users, “NEW FICTION” will serve as a bridge to bringing art to an extraordinary amount of people. In an interview with the Guardian, Donnelly notes that the exhibition could be “the first time they walk around a space like that, experiencing painting and sculpture in the video game that they’re completely comfortable in and used to.” “NEW FICTION” is currently on view on Fortnite’s Discover page, the Acute Art app and at Serpentine’s North Gallery in London until January 25. 

Elsewhere in art, Attack on Titan: The Exhibition Heads to Marina Bay Sands.

Serpentine North Gallery
W Carriage Dr,
London W2 2AR,
United Kingdom

TOYS: Funko Pays Homage to the Members of Outkast and TLC

Funko has revealed a series of collectibles from their new Gold line: figures of the music legends that make up Outkast and TLC.

As Funko’s premium vinyl line, Gold pays tribute to some of the biggest names in the music and sports industries. Today’s drop introduces the second wave of musicians to be commemorated in line.

The figures of Outkast’s André 3000 and Big Boi arrive with two outfit options each. Andre is available either wearing a scarf and jeans or sporting plaid pants and holding a microphone. Big Boi, meanwhile, either dons a jersey or a full suit and top hat.

For TLC, the figures of the girl group’s Chili, Left Eye and T-Boz come with coordinating outfits.

The Gold line Outkast and TLC Funkos will be available at Walmart. Five-inch (127 mm) editions of the figures are priced at $10 USD and 12-inch (305 mm) figures go for $25 USD.

Gorillaz and Superplastic Announce Two Limited-Edition Toy Capsules AND NEW MUSIC

Global designer toy brand Superplastic has partnered with the legendary virtual band Gorillaz for two limited-edition toy capsules.

The Gorillaz Spacesuit Set features band members 2D, Murdoc, Russell, and Noodle dressed in neon space suits and jet packs, referencing the group’s 2020 space-faring episode “Strange Timez.” The 12-inch tall pieces are finished in soft vinyl and glowing LED eyes and are presented in a special gravity-defying display case.

“I’ve been making toys with Gorillaz since 2005, and the band’s twisted art and music remains a giant inspiration for me and everyone at Superplastic,” said Superplastic CEO & founder Paul Budnitz. “We’re always excited to collaborate with Jamie and the band to make some of the world’s most awesome collectible toys ever!”

Commemorating Gorillaz’s 20th-anniversary, the band’s debut blind box set features 18 different designs of recognizable characters from the virtual world in which the eclectic Gorillaz members roam. A select number of customers who pre-order the Spacesuit Set and Mini Blind Box toy collections will also receive exclusive pins.

The Spacesuit Set is priced at $110 for individual toys and $420 for the entire set, and is now available for pre-order at Superplastic.co and Gorillaz.com. The Blind Box Mini Series toys will be available for pre-order on November 18, retailing individually for $17 and $180 for a case of 12.

Gorillaz has released a brand new EP out of the blue entitled Meanwhile.

The short three-track project features all new songs, namely “Déjà Vu” with Alicaì Harley, “Jimmy Jimmy” with AJ Tracey and “Meanwhile” with Jelani Blackman and Barrington Levy. All of the songs were debuted live during their show at London’s O2 Arena earlier this August, with the EP serving as a celebration of Carnival and West London.

Meanwhile arrives almost a year after the group’s latest studio effort Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, which included appearances from Robert Smith, Beck, ScHoolboy Q, Elton John, 6LACK, Octavian, slowthai, Skepta, EarthGang and JPEGMAFIA.

Stream Gorillaz’s Meanwhile on Spotify and Apple Music.