Thanks to a post by @TouringPlans, we now have a look at the three Park Starz Variants. They were unveiled today at the Disney Moms Conference.
They include Copper Abe Lincoln, Gold Yeti and Figment with his yellow sweater. They are set to come out on June 29th along with a signing with artists Thomas Scott and Casey Jones at D-Street Orlando from 5p-7p.
Thomas Scott and Casey Jones will be signing on Friday, June 29 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at D-Street Orlando. As of right now, the only variant we know of is a bronze Abe Lincoln.
The 3″ Uncle Sam figure will be released on June 22nd. Disney’s events page lists this release only at Walt Disney World’s D-Street, but I would have to imagine a larger release is in store for this figure. It is designed by Thomas Scott and will retail for $16.95.
Update 3/2/12 After waking up a bit after my 24 hour visit to WDW and really taking a look at this figure, I have an update on my thoughts, partially in response to Rust’s comment below. Since Park Starz and Furry Friends, I think we have to come to realize that a ton of different vinyl collectible syles will be produced under the Vinylmation name. I have defended the fact that Vinylmation refers to the brand name and not a Mickey mold shape vinyl collectible. Yes, it is true that I said that the removal of Mickey ears means it is no longer Vinylmation, but because of what I described above, my opinion has changed and I no longer hold that to be true. All that being said, I do not think I will add this figure to my personal collection. I would however add an Oswald to my collection if it was in the same or similar shape. Reason being, and for the same reason I didn’t hesitate to add Park Starz, is that it is Disney themed. A figure like this Easter Bunny is not Disney themed and doesn’t have the Mickey ears… so it is so far removed from Disney, you could see this as a vinyl collectible by any other company.
Hopping down the bunny trail… and right into D-Streets… is a new open window limited release 3″ Easter Bunny Vinylmation.
Designed by Casey Jones, this otherwise plain looking bunny, does come with a purple hat and a tail like we’ve never seen before. It looks like a cotton ball bunny tail. Nice job Casey. DLR will see this bunny first, on March 2nd. O-town’s D-Street will have to wait a week later, March 9th, for the happy little fellow. $16.95 is the price tag. Your thoughts on this holiday vinyl?
Don, one of our awesome readers, sent in these photos of the Urban 8 Boxer by Casey Jones. When we talked to Casey at The Florida Project he had mentioned that the gloves would come off. Well here’s what it looks like with the gloves off!
Great details! Wonderful work Casey!
What do you think of the newly released 9″ LEs for Urban 8? We think they are some of the best 9″s ever!
Park Starz Series 1 Variants Explained
Release Dates: Summer 2012 (Various)
Where: D-Streets and Online
Price: $24.95
LE: Varies
Artists: Thomas Scott and Casey Jones
Details: Each variant is sold in a stand alone tin in which you know what figure you are getting. There will be a signing on June 29th at D-Street Orlando from 5p-7p with Thomas Scott and Casey Jones.
Update 5/25/12 Park Starz Squid variant announced. Possible Comic Con release. Online release on July 13. It will be LE 2000 and $24.95.
Update 5/29/12 Release date for Abe moved to June 15. Release date for Bride confirmed at June 8. LE for Bride confirmed at 999, while the others are still 2500. Also, a $24.95 price tag is confirmed.
The Vinylmation Blog posted this artwork today by Casey Jones:
Will this ghostly fisherman be in next year’s Haunted Mansion Vinylmation set? See what we know about this series here.
This figure is designed after the Fisherman that resides in the newly refurbished queue line at the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom.
Water can be seen pouring from the tomb and the fisherman “sneezes” on guests as they walk by. Water sprouts out of the tomb misting unsuspecting guests.
As you know, Park Starz, a brand new look at Vinylmation, was released today at D-Streets. (Check out my review and leave your comments here). Lead artists on the project Thomas Scott and Casey Jones met guests in Orlando today to sign figures from this latest set.
Guests had Casey and Thomas sign various figures and even the tins these figures were blindly packaged in.
The signing took place from 5p-7p and the line wasn’t too long. About 30 people deep at the start of the signing. Wristbands were handed out throughout the day as guest purchased Park Starz to ensure a place in line.
The Ice Gator, with it’s large blank spot on the back of head, seemed to be a popular choice to get signed.
Both Casey and Thomas collaborated on the designs and choice of characters in Park Starz, so no figure had an artist stamped onto the bottom. Some guests had both artists sign a single figure.
Here is Thomas Signing a Blizzard Beach Ice Gator. Guests in line were found trading Park Starz among themselves, trying to secure their favorites. No word yet from Disney on if Park Starz will be officially traded around the parks.
Is this a Hitchhiking Ghost? Nope, just a happy haunt named Cliff with his Park Starz. Myself and Austin (many of you know Austin from the release day lines) took Park Starz around WDW today for a photo shoot. I have to edit the photos and pick the best, but I can’t wait to show you. So here is a sneak peak at a couple photos:
I was never a huge fan of westerns, but for some reason Davy Crockett always intrigued me. As a kid, I would want to watch the Disney Davy Crockett movies over and over. So I was excited when I saw the blurry brown outline of a man with a hat on the side of a 9″ Park 6 box sometime last year and had the hopes it was really Davy. Well, it of course was.
This 9″ Park 6 Davy Crockett retails for $44.95 and was designed by Casey Jones. As simple as this figure is, every detail on Davy is done flawlessly. It really captures the look and feel of the old west and Davy Crockett.
By far, the biggest surprise was the hat. Not that it was there, or that it was removable. Both those facts we knew. But the detail went above and beyond what it needed to be to be acceptable. Instead of just tapering off, the tail is actually layered with the jigsaw pattern plastic.
The hat also has a decent weight to it. That is quickly evident when picking up the box at the store.
Again, the figure is simple, but every step designed by Casey seems like a natural and perfect fit. you can see the knife on Davy’s belt and the detail on his shoes..
On his other side is a drum. The colors and shading are done very well throughout the piece.
This Davy is certainly worth picking up for any Disney fan. As for me, this easily makes it into my top 5 favorite 9″ Vinylmation. Sam the Eagle, Space Mountain 35th, Tiki Room, Sully and now Davy Crockett. I was also lucky enough to pick up a signed version of this figure. Casey signed the window on the box with a bold gold pen. Thanks again for leaving those at D-Street. He’s not one of the more popular figures these days, but this Vinyl is a winner to me. What do you think about this one?
It looks like Thomas Scott and Casey Jones got bored during lunch, because they went over the D-Street Florida and sharpied up the whole place. Thomas Scott went crazy with his sharpie, signing everything in sight that he designed. Everywhere I turned I saw something signed by one of them. Thomas used a sleek looking silver color pen and Casey’s signatures stood out in bold gold. As far as I could tell, there’s about a case or two of signed Pirates 3″ blind boxes. There’s also about 10-15 signed 9″ Park 6 Davy Crocketts. Then there are about 3-5 of each of the other figures in the following photos.
We want to give a big thanks to both Thomas Scott and Casey Jones for going out of their way to give a little something extra to vinylmation fans. Thanks guys! – Nick
Now check out some photos from my trip.
