Covering the modern era of the classic Colorforms Space Aliens action figures. Presented in association with 16bit.com. Not an official site. Visit TheOuterSpaceMen.com for more.
Continuing a holiday tradition (for two years now), Electron+ comes to you in a clear colorless plastic-- this is only the second completely "clear" figure in the line, the first being last year's Galactic Holiday Xodiac. This time around, the figure features painted eyes, bright blue accessories... and not much else. Arguably, he's the best of the bunch.
Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Beta Series Mystron Action FigureThe redder, the better! I expected the first clear release of the Outer Space Men Mystron, the Man from Hollow Earth to be red and the Horsemen surprised me by making it clear, smokey grey. Thankfully, they made the devilish being in a really nice clear red for the second release, more or less satisfying my demands for alternate color schemes until the real, painted version shipped.
He's an angel! Commander Comet, the Man from Venus comes from an era where women in the action toy aisle were far more unwelcome than they are now-- and that's saying something! Today it seems almost unthinkable that you'd have anything but a female delegate from Venus, but back in the 1960s it was determined that the line's chief hero would come from the somewhat but not really similar-to-Earth planet, playing off the cloud motif with an angel-like presence. This version of the figure-- the first release of the mold-- brings back most of what made the original so striking, save the paint. [ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Over at Store Horsemen are the Galactic Holiday 2011 Figures. They're up for pre-order now and, as previously reported, available with turquoise or lavender accessories-- or random! (I picked random.) A post on the Horsemen forum alluded to these going fast... which... well, you can still get the 2010 guys. But they did run out of the 2010 Infinity Series finally (for now) so you might not want to wait too much. A set of the 4 figures (not including both variants) will set you back about $63.
While no pricing has been listed just yet, the Four Horsemen posted shots of all 4 (technically 8) flavors of their new holiday figures, due to ship real soon. Mystron is green, Electron+ is clear colorless, Alpha 7 is blue, and Commander Comet is, oddly, red.
Your pal and mine Mel Birnkrant updated The Outer Space Men Return with tons of new photos, details, production notes, preproduction art, and all sorts of crazy things you'd stab your own mother in the eye to see. (Yes, it's that good.)
Due to ship in December, you can get a preview of the Outer Space Men 2011 packaging at FourHorsemen.biz. As always, they feature exceptional graphic design and awesome photography, so you should be glad to know (if you didn't already) the packaging is meant to come apart easily so you may re-insert the figures. As direct-to-consumer figures, they have no UPCs and aren't sealed-- you can slide the plastic bubble off the cardback and replace the figure as you see fit.
As the original Outer Space Men line was set for expansion, the creator Mel Birnkrant turned away from the planets and to other dimensions and-- surprisingly-- Hollow Earth. That's where the devilish Mystron, the Man from Hollow Earth comes from, and it's right there in the name. Clad in a space suit for presumably thematic reasons, the original bendable figure prototype included a helmet and a staff, but the Gargoyle-themed gun is new to this release. The nifty accessory is, according to Birnkrant on the Four Horsemen forums, a tribute to his wife and the events of their first date.
At 11:11 PM EST (or so we're assuming) the newest Outer Space Men should be going on sale. Get those browsers ready! Or... go do something else, come back, and THEN get your browsers ready!
Why the break? Well, after doing this for about a year it became apparent that October 2011 needed more prep work than I could handle-- I had a trip to two of the major US toy companies, a convention in New York, and I'm moving into a new office all within a 3-week period. So let's continue with Electron+, the second glow-in-the-dark release in the Outer Space Men line after Metamorpho in 2010. As the first action figure of Electron+, it's worth noting that while the arms, legs, and lower torso were recycled, the figure is actually shorter than other figures in the line. [ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
The final two reveals! Electron+ will be cast in a clear blue, while Alpha 7 is a little green man. Previously, he was a little blue-green man, so it's not a tremendous difference. But it's different.
The reveal continues! Today's New York Comic Con exclusive is Mystron, the Man from Hollow Earth in an appropriately devilish red color. Details as to which specific booth will sell it are unknown, but for now go here and check out the photos!
Yes Virginia, there will be New York Comic Con exclusive Outer Space Men this year! The first is Commander Comet in yellow, with orange plastic gear. Only 300 will be made, and figures will be sold via the Action Figure Xpress and Toy Tokyo booths in New York. More details will follow but for now, check out more on the Four Horsemen site!
When I first saw pictures of the original 1960s bendable figures, I never assumed that I'd own a version of Astro-Nautilus, let alone one in a low-cost action figure form. This translucent purple edition was the very first release of the mold, and legend has it that the edition size is about 300 pieces. It's a low-run figure, as low-run figures go... but since nobody seems to be collecting the line, well, maybe 300 pieces was the right size. [ READ MORE ]
Before Hasbro decided to make a number of figures painted to be on fire, Colorforms and Mel Birnkrant pioneered a concept for a space man made of flame. Made in a tiny run of about 300 (reportedly), the Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Alpha Phase Inferno the Flame Man of Mercury Comic-Con Exclusive Action Figure has an unreasonably long name. The very first release of this figure, this translucent red figure is really bright and one of the best figures in the line. Subsequent releases were many included a fully-painted release, clear blue and clear yellow figures were also cranked out. At this time there are no known plans for additional releases of this mold, so complete collections will have four (five if you count variations) in them.
Since Glyaxian Xodiac sold out (you did get your order in, didn't you?) you might need something new. Because you, like me, are impatient. To kick things off, THEGODBEAST made a special Bio-Jumper specially designed for the Alpha Phase Alpha 7 figure. (He sells the spider-like creature and others as Bio-Jumpers, read more about them here. At press time, this one can be found for sale here for a mere $15.00.) Bio-Jumpers don't plug in to the neck sockets like Glyos heads, but rather sit atop their heads sort of like a hat or a helmet. They're based on sketches from Matt Doughty, but sculpted, molded, and forged by the force of nature known as THEGODBEAST.
On the October Toys forum, user Ericso posted some crab add-ons that are some of the most amazing things I've seen as add-on part. (I gotta find a way to get the crab head and claw in pretty much any color.) His customized parts are colored to match Alpha 7 as well, plus the Beta Phase Inferno figure from last year's New York Comic Con set.
This fully-painted figure sports a blue head, a grey suit, a Relgost Wind Division (I think) symbol on his chest, and a trio of clear hard plastic accessories which just look friggin' fantastic on this and other figures. I believe Matt Doughty was more than a little responsible for the deco on this figure, and he did a fantastic job. [ READ MORE ]
You might have missed the update, but the pricing for the Xodiac special edition figure has also been confirmed at $12.00. You can see this on an updated post from earlier this week.
Previously known as "Glyaxian Xodiac," the Xodiac Glyaxia Command Special Edition is coming Friday! It will go on sale at 9:00 PM Eastern, along with new figures galore plus some new kits. The price of the new Xodiac is still unknown, but Matt from Onell Design writes:
Word is getting out-- the Glyaxian Xodiac is approaching! I got a sample a few weeks ago (you may have seen him sprinkled in some pictures) and this thread on the Fantastic Exclusive Forums shows others have too! It's a fully-painted figure with clear ABS plastic accessories, so you can have clear gear on a clear Xodiac if you're so inclined.
An amazing talent (and book cover illustrator) named Bruce Jensen has posted Outer Space Men custom head drawings so good, you'd swear they were real plastic. Or at least, I would. A post on his own blog highlights his latest entry, a modified crescent-inspired cyclops for the Xodiac body plus three other really nifty original designs for use on the painted bodies.
The Outer Space Men have some unusual names, but apparently they're not too unusual for another company to borrow. Senario makes a toy robot line called Zibits, and they're about $9.99 a pop. Each is a remote controller robot that's about two-inches tall. I saw these at Kmart earlier in the week and again at Toys R Us today, and felt obligated to share with you, the six or seven people who read this.
Reader Seth sent us a link to his blog, which features a series of revised Metamorpho figures. There's a nifty deep red version pictured, plus you can see some close-ups of his otherworldly head repaints on his blog The Man Purse.
While the first batch of 2010 Outer Space Men figures had only one figure with a helmet, the 2011 quartet is loaded with them. Alpha 7 is a translucent greenish/bluish figure capped off with an ABS plastic helmet and gun in matching clear purple. The accessory fits quite securely, removing it from his head for the first time may prove challenging so be careful-- but be prepared to apply some force to it. 
From 16bit.com: Here's a surprise from 16bit labs! We discovered new Clone Wars Mini-Vehicles have weapons which can connect to Glyos creations. if you have Buildmen or Pheyden or other similar releases, they can hold these weapons in their fists or can connect them to an arm or head joint. Due to the smaller fist size, Outer Space Men can use them as limbs, but not as handheld weapons. For more, click here for a gallery and additional information.
..in accordance of the bylaws of this site, the OSM News coverage is actually over at 16bit.com this time around. Of note: new figures, a rough timetable for a new shipdate, and a new, fully-painted Xodiac variant is on the horizon.
Orbitron was revealed at Comic-Con International today, bringing the man from Uranus to your... home. The figure uses the always-awesome Glyos construction, and we have other images to share too-- but I'm tired and have a lot of stuff to do, so have this for now.
Twitter user and all-around cool guy Paul Nicholasi posted the first-ever shot of the new Colossus Rex figure from the Four Horsemen's Outer Space Men line. Presumably, this figure will be sold next year. Click here for the image, and click here to follow him on Twitter.
Designer Mel Birnkrant added several new head concepts to his online sketchbook. I particularly love the idea of Matt Meteor (pictured), an alternate to Commander Comet based on the real-life head of the super-cool dude and Glyos patriarch Matt Doughty from Onell Designs. (Be sure to say hi to him at Comic-Con, I plan to. Nice guy, good talent.) Another really slick design is an inverted Electron+, where the head is basically a clear solid helmet with an empty place where the head goes. It's really mind-blowingly neat to consider and I can't imagine another line that pulled this off, it's a really great idea and I hope these-- and the other new designs-- see production.
As promised, the pre-orders for the 2011 Comic-Con Alpha Wave figures are up now, complete with pictures of what they're calling "rough prototypes." I have to assume they're pretty darned close given you're going to pick them up in San Diego in about 3 weeks. As they have not immediately sold out, odds are they're not going to be quite the bear the 2010 series turned out to be, but you can order them now to skip the hassle of tracking them down at the convention (or going to the convention). The set is $40.00 before shipping.
If all that weren't enough for you, Onell Designs Glyos Transmission Web Log added more pictures showing the first look at plastic test shots of Mystron and Commander Comet figures. They look really great!
Over at The Four Horsemen Blog is a post showcasing test shots of Alpha-7 and Electron+, our first "final" looks at plastic product. According to the design sheets, Electron+ will be glow-in-the-dark while Alpha-7 seems to be a clear green.
Also exciting, toy design impressario Matt Doughty at Onell Design revealed even more figure add-on and repaint possibilities including a Cthuloid-inspired creature (pictured) and numerous other helmet and head variations. These are all pretty great, so naturally you'll want to check them out too.
Father of the Outer Space Men Mel Birnkrant added 8 swell original concepts based on the currently known action figures to his page. Each represents another being from the species we've seen, such as a man from Neptune with more tentacles or the swell Ohpromatem (pictured) who is an evil spin on Metamorpho. I'm particularly jazzed by these seemingly old-school spins on the line, so I suggest you check them out when you get a moment.
Rounding up the Infinity Edition series of reviews is Metamorpho, a space alien with a transforming face. According to some notes, the heads are inspired by such things as apes and reptiles, with a splash of 1960s graphic artistry mixed in. (Seriously, doesn't the red face look like something Shag might do? Maybe not the best example as timing goes, but you know what I'm getting at.) [ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Matt Doughty from Onell Design posted OSM Variant Concepts Part One showcasing several original concepts which expand on the existing Glyos-compatible figures. Really wonderful stuff here.
According to the Four Horsemen, Series 3 and 4 of the Outer Space Men are in production now and they're showing some early samples of the newly tooled parts to prove it! Check out new accessories and limbs, plus an idea of what's being used from the original series.
Now it's red-- and why not? Ocean life takes on all kinds of colors, so why not space-based sea-creature-people? The Holiday Edition Astro-Nautilus is quite similar to the existing figures, with one exception-- well, two actually. The first is that the figure is now cast in a deep, red, clear color. The second big difference is that his accessory is not clear, but rather, it's vac-metalized like those old Tomy drivers in Starriors or Zoids, or like some of the weapons on the original Transformers line. 
The great Mel Birnkrant updated his personal website with a section on the new Glyos Outer Space Men toys. In it, he relays stories of development as well as offers a ton of photos of the new toys, including a few as-of-yet unreleased ones. It's a great use of an afternoon if you like this line, and I know that you do!
I wanted the silver one, but that's life. The Holiday Edition Xodiac took the same mold you love and may have bought one, two, or even three additional times and casts it in clear, colorless plastic for your enjoyment. Unlike previous clear releases, this time around he has a little Saturn painted on his suit, plus he comes with opaque vac-metalized accessories. Depending on the luck of the draw, you got metallic silver or gold gear, meaning his helmet and blaster are nicely blinged out for a change. While I can take or leave clear colorless figures, with a predilection for "leave," I do think it was worth shelling out for the set just to get the nifty accessories. [ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Sometimes enthusiasm trumps common sense, which is why I own four different versions Metamorpho, the Man from Alpha Centauri. Proof positive that pre-paints work, I bought two versions of this figure before the regular "standard" edition came out-- and then got another one. This particular version was bright clear pink, and while I really can't knock it for being a bad figure it's not really as interesting as the first glow-in-the-dark release or the third "main line" Infinity Series release. It's merely OK. [ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
It's rare that a figure you see in a magazine makes an impression on you that lasts for years, but Astro-Nautilus, the Man from Neptune was just that kind of toy. The original figure from the 1960s was featured in Tomart's Action Figure Digest in the 1990s, a magazine which used to be one of the twin bibles of the hobby but is now really tough to find. But I digress. It showed Astro-Nautilus as this big, roughly 7-inch tall Gumby-style bendable figure with four tentacled arms and a staff... and a secondary market price in the very high hundreds-of-dollars range. In short, "See this figure? You can never have it." Skip ahead a few years, and in 2010 the very talented Mattel and Ex-McFarlane Toys sculptors The Four Horsemen announced they got the license, and they were going to make action figures out of them. Well, that's close enough for me! [ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Another review! Today it's NYCC Beta Phase Inferno which, at press time, finally seems to have sold through.
Yes, another review! This time it's Holiday Edition Inferno, today's Figure of the Day at 16bit.com!