Outer Space Men Galactic Holiday 2012 Arriving

The Outer Space Men Galactic Holiday 2012 are arriving now!   Mine was dropped off at 8:30 AM, which is, all things considered, pretty surprising.

In an interesting twist, this year the items come semi-packaged.  Each figure is packed in a sealed clear plastic bag, just like Onell Design Glyos figures have been for the bulk of the year.

The twist is that flat, unused packaging is also included.  Note 2 Zip bags, 2 Gemini/Orbitron header cards, 2 backer cards, and a flat, unfolded Cyclops box were also included in the order.  Interesting!  I'm interested in seeing if later shipments will come packaged normally, but I gotta say I hope the Four Horsemen keep doing it this way.  Flat, unused packaging is a fun collectible and I generally discard "used" packaging for most figure lines.

If you haven't ordered this set yet, they're in stock at Store Horsemen as I write this.  $50!

Galactic Holiday 2012 Shipping Now - Outer Space Men

Hey everybody!  I just got my ship notice for the Galactic Holiday 2012 editions of Cyclops, Gemini, and Orbitron figures.  No estimate for delivery yet, but I've got a FedEx tracking number and will post here as soon as they show up.    Last year it took about 4-5 days, so Happy Holidays and let's keep it vague if it'll be before or after Christmas for now!

As far as I know final figure photos with color accessories are not yet available, so big, big, big kudos on them for putting such a priority on getting the figures out the door!  I really appreciate it.  Now back to watching for the FedEx truck.

UPDATE: Our pal @JohnDoctorKent sent us our first-ever look of the final figures! Note Orbitron has white painted eyes and red gear.  Cyclops has green gear, as does Gemini, and so far we haven't seen if they have painted details yet.  The set we ordered should be here December 27, so more then... if not sooner!

UPDATE #2: Our pal @JohnDoctorKent sent us unhelmeted figures with the gear off!  Hooray!  Check it out.

Review: Outer Space Men Cosmic Creators Four Horsemen Xodiac Action Figure

By virtue of having one extra exclusive figure, Xodiac rules the roost as most-repainted Outer Space Man. Oddly, there's still room for more. As "Glowdiac," this metallic green version sports a purple head under his helmet, leaving the door wide open for more colors should anyone have the good sense to do banana yellow at some point. (Well, beyond customs, I saw an awesome yellow custom at Futuretro last February.) Like the others in this set, I appreciate that I can just look at the Four Horsemen Cosmic Creators series and go "Oh, these things are screamingly different." (Not that the Mel Birnkrant ones aren't nice, but nuance doesn't always translate in JPEGs. There's no nuance with neon.)
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men 2.0 Inferno Action Figure

The 2.0 edition of Inferno feels that it actually succeeds in the mission to make these figures as close to the 1960s bendable concepts as possible. While Xodiac has slightly different accessories and Astro-Nautilus is like 10% different, Inferno has undergone some interesting changes to give the figure non-electronic "light-up" properties, similar to Blazing Inferno from earlier in the year.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

Outer Space Men Galactic Holiday 2012 Revealed, Preorder, Free Shipping

Here's the skinny.
1. Store Horsemen is offering Free Shipping on everything through Tuesday November 27.  More here.
2. Galactic Holiday 2012 is coming! Gemini is clear, Cyclops is red, Orbitron is blue.  Accessories will be red, green, or random vac-metal and not silver as shown in the picture above. (I wish it were silver!)
3. These are expected to arrive in mid-December and shipped before Christmas.  Arrivals... well, maybe in time for Christmas.
4. The American-colored trio is unfinished and will have added paint details.

So, preorder by Tuesday and it's $50 delivered in the USA, which isn't bad at all.

Beta Wave Outer Space Men Arriving Now

THEY'RE HERE!  The latest batch of Outer Space Men are arriving in mailboxes, if you didn't pick yours up in person from New York.  They're available from Action Figure Xpress (where I ordered mine) as well as Store Horsemen.

Action Figure Xpress just happens to have slightly cheaper shipping and they ship pretty quickly, so all things being equal you may just want to give them a shot first.  This round of Orbitron, Cyclops, and Gemini are reportedly limited to 300 sets, which, it turns out, may actually be too large of a run for the needs of the market these days, unfortunately.

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Alpha Phase Orbitron Action Figure

Taller than many of the other figures in this line, Orbitron is only second to the giants Colossus Rex and Cyclops in terms of size so far. This pink pre-paint stands at about 4 1/4-inches high, cast in a translucent pink plastic similar to the "Nonilla" color used for Glyos figures earlier this year. (Minus, of course, the glitter.) The striking figure has crisp sculpting and even a few painted details, with three pale blue dots making up his eyes and chest. A swell star pattern on his stomach pops when lit just right, and the overall look and feel is exquisite for an alien based at least loosely on the Metaluna Mutants of This Island Earth.  
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

Outer Space Men NYCC Beta Wave Preorders Up Now

Action Figure Xpress put up the Beta Wave Gemini, Cyclops, and Orbitron at $65 plus shipping, the same price they were sold for at the show (sans shipping, natch.)  

For those keeping track, the Alpha Wave was sold for $50 last July, and Store Horsemen has that series down to $25.00 for a limited time... so if you don't have any versions of these molds yet, as far as bang for the buck goes, it's probably mathematically impossible to beat $25.  It's the same figures with the same tooling, just different coloring at a hugely different price.  (Thanks for the tip, Seth!)

Store Horsemen Blows Out Most Old and New Outer Space Men for 50% Off

Not two months after some new items shipped out, Store Horsemen has a bunch of newer Outer Space Men figures for half price.  So if you preordered months in advance and waited patiently... well, I guess the tortoise beats the hare yet again.  Good deals, people!

This year's Comic-Con exclusive from San Diego? $25.

The 2.0 sets?  $25.

The 2011 Infinity figures?  $25.

If you've been dragging your feet, at least you'll get to feel super-smart when you get these bargain-priced figures.   Good on you for not being an early adopter!

Outer Space Men Jack Asteroid Sculpt Debuted at NYCC

ToyArk.com debuted an image showcasing new sculpts, well, some resculpts and one new sculpt.  Jack Asteroid, the first Earth human male concept we saw recently in the Outer Space Men line, was on display much to the surprise of people who are me.  I seriously wasn't expecting to see this one... but there he is!  Perhaps he'll debut in 2013 or 2014.

The figure, if you missed it, was designed as a refresh of Metamorpho reusing Terra Firma's accessories and a new head sculpt.   If you're at New York Comic Con this weekend, be sure to go check it out in person.

UPDATE: Tad Ghostal posted a much better photo of the two humans on the Fantastic Exclusive forums.

Mel Birnkrant Reveals the Outer Space Women Figure Concepts

Mel Birnkrant has proven what we've all known to be true: boobs make things interesting.  The Outer Space Women are a series of designs which take the Terra Firma body and adapt it to various planets in the solar system.  Will they ever get made as figures?  Nobody knows, but they're certainly memorable and distinctive.  

• Astrodite, the woman from Venus
• Ohpromatem, Evil Twin Sister of Metamorpho
• Poseida, the woman from Neptune
• Moltina, the molten woman of Mercury
• Horroscope, the sister of Xodiac
• Dezdemona, the sister of Mystron

Be sure to see all of these, and many other great designs, in Mel's Sketchbook.

Beta Phase NYCC Outer Space Men Revealed

The orange Gemini, smoke grey Cyclops, and purple Orbitron were revealed in a recent Action Figure Xpress newsletter!  These will be sold at New York Comic Con and, from what was relayed to me, the set will be sold via Shop AFX after the show.

More on the 2012 Beta Phase Outer Space Men as we have it!

NYCC 2012 Outer Space Men (Sort Of) Revealed

While the reveal hasn't started, we did some digging and found out there was a small announcement.  Toy Tokyo will be selling Gemini & Orbitron Outer Space Men figures at NYCC, but specifics are not available.  As the figures will be going on sale in about two weeks, it is unknown if they will be shown (or even really officially announced) prior to then or if this was meant as a surprise.  Either way, click here to see the only info released thus far.

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Cosmic Creators Four Horsemen Metamorpho Action Figure

Yet another version of Metamorpho! Dubbed "Megamorpho," this figure takes a cue from the neon end of space which vaguely recalls the aliens of Major Matt Mason as well as numerous toys of the late 1980s and 1990s. A radical departure from the previous painted versions of this figure, Metamorpho is cast in a metallic pink with bright blues and greens that are arguably the very thing people are complaining about when they call something "too neon." This means, of course, that it is perfect.

With about 20 parts when fully disassembled, this figure is more or less the same thing you've come to love and expect. The key difference, of course, is the insanely awesome paint job that should do a fine job of blinding your friends when they walk in the room. This time around, the "alien" head is blue, the "ape" head is green, and the "reptile" head is pink. His "button" on his chest plus the knob on his helmet are clear green, with the accessories rendered in the same pink plastic with painted green elements.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]  
  

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Alpha Phase Gemini Action Figure

With rising costs across the globe, it's hard not to mutter that Gemini cost a little more than previous years' figures. From $40 for 4 to $50 for 3, the largely unpainted figures have changed in size quite a bit and include fewer shared parts than before. Aside from perhaps a couple of plugs and the arms, it seems Gemini is 100% new as are his companions. With more little pieces than ever before, I have no doubt that despite his 3 1/3-inch tall size Gemini looks like he cost a lot to make. Made from about 30 parts, it's clear to me that nobody cut any corners on this one.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ] 

 

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Cosmic Creators Mel Birnkrant Metamorpho Action Figure

I was pretty annoyed that this version of Metamorpho, in pictures, didn't look all that different from the regular painted release. Of course, I was dead wrong about it and in person it looks spectacular. Slathered in metallic paints, the figure really pops and they managed to make a $10 figure look more like a $30 figure, which is important because that's what it costs.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

Outer Space Men 2.0: Inferno Action Figure

Of the four 2.0 releases of the Outer Space Men figures, Inferno is unquestionably the most compelling.  Along with Metamorpho, these two look significantly different, particularly when compared to the original 2010 release.

Previously, Inferno was cast in silver plastic and painted in the colors you see, with an opaque flame, gun, and head.  This time around the figure is a mix of silver plastic and clear yellowish orange plastic.  Take note of the feet, hands, gun, chest, chest jewel, head, helmet, and flame as all of these are actually painted clear yellow, while the other body parts are opaque silver.  Because of the high quality paint job, it's actually really hard to tell these are different colored plastics unless you shine a bright light through them.  If a tiny little bit of light didn't peek out through the chest, I'd never notice!

If you ever get the chance to buy these individually, get Inferno first.  The clear red, plus the clear areas on the back of the torso and helmet allow light to shine through so even packaged collectors can enjoy the new lighting feature.   The set of four 2.0 figures is $50 at Store Horsemen.

Overall I'd say the set is an improvement, although perhaps not one enough to warrant another $50 on the set.  If you were dragging your feet before, or missed the first round, these are probably the best ones to get.

One final note-- series creator Mel Birnkrant himself posted a confirmation that the 2011 figures of Mystron, Electron+, Alpha 7, and Commander Comet would not get a 2.0 release as the originals were already more or less perfect.  (I agree.)

Bruce Jensen Designs New Custom Mystron Head

Amazing artist and nice fellow Bruce Jensen designed another head!  More are no doubt on the way, but check out his take on Mystron.  It's freaky, with three eyes and tons of spikes on the head.  It also seems more than a little Glyos-y, so here's hoping some of the designs eventually transition to the third dimension.

Outer Space Men 2.0: Astro-Nautilus

Of all the 2.0 releases, Astro-Nautilus is one that seems the least changed.  Go ahead, take a look.  That's the problem when something looks perfectly fantastic the first time.
 

On the left is the original 1.0 version, on the right is the new 2.0 version.  Can you tell the differences?  They're quite subtle, and unless you put them side-by-side you may not notice.  (Or I didn't notice, anyway.)  The original 1.0 version from 2010 has slightly pinker skin, the 2.0 is more purple.  The staffs seem basically the same at first glance, but it turns out the new one is a little more vibrant.  Also, the space suit is different as the metallic bronze color is much shinier and more glossy on the 2.0 release.

Since the packaging is identical and the figures are nearly so, get either. Or both.  2.0 seems to be just barely more in line with the original figure from Colorforms, but this is one of those differences that your wife will mock you for if you dare try to point it out.  (Maybe I speak from experience, maybe I don't.)  I like 2.0 best.

Outer Space Men 2.0: Xodiac

The Man from Saturn gets an update, and Xodiac has been given a minor tweak to his accessories.  The original figure was pretty fantastic and, I would've assumed, flawless.  Nothing really beats that metallic blue suit, but it turns out that the accessories were not quite the right shade relative to the original.

The revised 2.0 figure has candylike clear red accessories and a bright orange helmet.  The 1.0 release has pink accessories, and a yellowish green helmet.   The 2.0 figure more precisely matches the photography on the packaging, though, and it seems a smidgen less sparkly than the eye-catching original, although they may be 4% more vibrant.

Surprisingly, it seems the 1.0 accessories more closely match the original bendable figure while the 2.0 helmet seems to be closer in the pictures.  I say "seem to" because I've only seen the original Colorforms figures in person but once at Futuretro in New York last February.  I'd say the 2.0 is, overall, better but you might not notice the difference at first.

Outer Space Men 2.0: Metamorpho Action Figure

Here's one of the two most-changed figures in the Outer Space Men 2.0 lineup.   Metamorpho was originally sold in a very light grey color, while the intent was to have more of a white which helps the face pop and glow and all that jazz.  Also, the weapons have clear orbs at the end rather than opaque pink ones.  How did they pull it off?

Simple-- the entire figure is cast in clear colorless plastic, painted white and black as appropriate.  Even the head is clear plastic, with 2 of the 3 heads seeming to be more lively than the original.  The red ape-like face still looks great, but the eyes seem to shine and sparkle more on the 1.0 release.  There's also a weird sparkling quality on the 2.0 figure that's tough to describe, although I assume it comes from the painted clear plastic. 

The white really does make it look like a different figure more in line with the coloring on a Stormtrooper or Clone Trooper from Star Wars, while the light grey looks more or less like it's own thing.   Because I dig this line too much, I decided I needed both.  If you don't have either release, I'd say get whichever is cheaper for you.   (Unless, of course, you're buying these for kids, in which case go with 1.0.  If 2.0's paint scrapes off, the exposed plastic will be clear.)

Outer Space Men Cosmic Creators: Four Horsemen Edition

If you're looking for something new, the last couple of months have been fantastic for Outer Space Men fans!  Pictured above are the recently delivered Cosmic Creators Four Horsemen Edition figures which debuted at their show in New York last year... which I swear I never saw there.  From left to right are Neonautilus, Megamorpho, Glowdiac, and Phospherno in colors which, depending on whom you ask, recall Major Matt Mason's alien buddies or Transformers Generation 2.

Either way, I think they're pretty fantastic.  The clear green accessories are similar in color to the Alpha Phase 2012 figures, and while the previous Cosmic Creators and just-released 2.0 figures look great in person, these neon-ish releases are unquestionably different from the last ones.   You really won't see anything else like this out there right now.

Since I'm off doing convention coverage this week, we'll be posting some automated updates looking at the 2.0 releases starting tomorrow.   I gotta say, like the first batch of Cosmic Creators, these are more expensive and worth it.  If you love you some Outer Space Men, and I do, so I'm pretty happy right now!

2012 Alpha Phase Outer Space Men Arriving, Pheyden

 As Mel Birnkrant himself might say, "THEY'RE HERE!"  My very own box of 2012 Alpha Phase San Diego Comic-Con 2012 figures showed up on my doorstep Saturday, containing yellow Gemini, a pink (almost Nonilla Pink to you Glyos fans) Orbitron, and the massive blue Cyclops.  It's worth noting both Cyclops and Orbitron are much larger than the usual figures in this line, and the nearly $50 set is made a little less painful when you realize each figure has a high piece count and is nearly 100% new parts.  The Four Horsemen didn't skimp on these, Cyclops even comes in a box!  He's just that big.

I should note, in case some of you were wondering "So where are MY figures?"   I ordered the 2.0 figures and Four Horsemen Cosmic Creators series as well, neither of which have shipped to me, although a few people have reported getting 2.0 sets.  As such, sit tight, things are moving along still.

A big surprise to me was to finally see Cylcops up close, he has removable armor and a little surprise under it.  The head of Pheyden from Onell Design's Glyos line can be seen on his chest, and the real surprise is that this may not be a coincidence.

Mel Birnkrant has the only Outer Space Men page you should read (thank you for reading this one, by the way) and on it he has some interesting annotations on Cyclops which, I assume, you may have read.   Mel says:

"...Meanwhile, Matt [Doughty of Onell Design] called me one day, and we got into a conversation that lasted all afternoon.  We began to discuss the Cosmic Connection and the almost spooky affinity that he feels for the OSM.  And he pointed out something to me that I find rather uncanny!  THE EMBLEM ON CYCLOPS’ CHEST IS “PHEYDEN”!

"So, we agreed that to ask Eric [Treadway of The Four Horsemen] to be aware of that, and subtly bring the image out.  We went back and forth with sketches and discussion and both did drawings.  I soon realized that they were unnecessary!  In the end, I simply copied the photo of the emblem and in 2 minutes on Photoshop added two lines to represent the teeth and two dots to indicate small balls for eyes. Another solution was to just add the teeth lines and let the negative space and the shadow it creates, imply the eyes.  Subtle and more secretive; the more I looked at it, the more I liked it best.  It allows the viewer to see and experience what Matt saw.  The teeth alone are all it needs.  Eric agreed!  To the uninitiated, this will just look like part of the 45 year old design, which, indeed, it is!  But this really establishes a connection with Pheyden, originating somewhere, out there, beyond the Milky Way!"

So there you have it! Another Easter Egg in this great line.  We'll be reviewing the new guys in Figure of the Day on 16bit.com and posting them here as well, so stay tuned as we get to them in the coming weeks!  As always thanks for reading and for your patience on our getting to all the awesome new stuff.

New Outer Space Men Arriving, Shipping

A couple of weeks after Comic-Con, the Four Horsemen are now shipping 2.0 sets, Alpha 2012 sets, and Cosmic Creators sets. They write:

Three of the Outer Space Men sets have just arrived in our warehouse and we're preparing shipping now.  About 30 sets of the re-issued Infinity Edition waves 1&2 shipped out today and more are soon to follow (shipments leave the warehouse every Tuesday). The Cosmic Creators: Four Horsemen Edition and the Alpha Phase wave 5 and Alpha Phase Deluxe 1 are also now in stock and are soon to be packaged and/or signed so they can be shipped out soon as well.

 

I haven't got my notice yet-- have you?  Leave a comment! Also read the whole story.

Major Matt Mason Shows Up at SDCC 2012

With no new products planned, no new movie coming, and really nothing at all to report, Mattel devoted a surprisingly large amount of space to Major Matt Mason at San Diego's Comic-Con International last week.  Matt Mason, for those who don't know, is the line that came out as Mattel's Man in Space, which begat Mel Birnkrant and Colorforms to create and distribute the Outer Space Men as a compatible line of aliens.  (Mattel would eventually make an alien, but well, we know which ones are more fun.)

When I asked people at the booth, I was assured the items are basically just putting out feelers to fans, which is interesting as I assume the average Comic-Con goer would need Wikipedia to know who Major Matt Mason was, but you're good people and you know the connection to Outer Space Men already.

Numerous toys from the Mattel archives were out for the viewing, which is a real treat for someone like me who missed the Space Race and the toys it inspired.  This gallery at 16bit.com shows what Mattel had in their booth, but there was a surprise bonus item-- a Brawlin' Buddy of Major Matt Mason, presented as a fun concept with zero chance of coming out.  One was shown for He-Man as well.  These are mixed in with the WWE Wrestling coverage along with a few classic wrestlers which also won't be seeing production.

While you likely won't be seeing much more out of Major Matt Mason in the near future, it will get some coverage on this blog, especially if by some miracle Mattel hires The Four Horsemen to make the figures in a 3 3/4-inch compatible Glyos line.   I'd support the heck out of that, wouldn't you?

Cosmic Creators: Mel Birnkrant Edition, The Sequel

Here's a fun surprise!  The always fun Mel Birnkrant posted another batch of Outer Space Men "custom" figures which are a little bit more fancy than the original 2011 deco figures.  Needless to say, I love 'em.  (Also needless to say, I hope they aren't $125 for the set again.)

You can find them all here with tons of production notes and pictures.

The new figures are as follows:

Red Devil Mystron: Clear orange figure painted purple. Looks really nice, the face is also orange.  The weapon is gold, as are all the weapons in this subset.  The purple gargoyle gun looks particularly nice, too.

 Fire and Ice Electron+: At first glance it isn't super-different, but it is. The figure is made of translucent blue plastic with silver armor painted over it.  The head is clear blue, and there are some orange bits to be "fire."  It looks nice.

Alpha 11: Based on an unproduced concept for a refresh of Alpha 7 from the late 1960s. Does not include the little starhopper vehicle, but has a nifty new deco and a new "garment" painted over his head.  Gold gun, orange helmet.  I approve.

Blue Angel Commander Comet: Rounding out the set, this figure now has metallic blue armor plus a two-piece helmet which is purple in the front and blue in the back.  I really like it too.  The metallic, iridescent deco on the armor looks like it might be even cooler in person.

So there ya go!  Four more new guys.   Now go get a bigger shelf, because there will probably be some new Four Horsemen ones coming too.

SDCC 2012: Outer Space Men Coverage

Go to 16bit.com's SDCC 2012 Outer Space Men coverage for the full galleries and tidbits, but here's a summary of what you missed in San Diego this past weekend.

Terra Firma (pictured) was on display for the first time in 3D form, giving you a look at how this figure has a lot more going on. Not only are there numerous pleasing bulges, but the deco seems to be amped up quite a bit as well.

Numerous custom figures were on display, but no new characters (or colorways) beyond those previously announced were shown.  As such, there's no sign of the rumored-but-not-a-rumor Pheyden or hints as to other convention exclusives for the year.

Check it out!

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Cosmic Creators Mel Birnkrant Astro-Nautilus Action Figure

This is what $75 looks like.

My initial reaction to the first-ever painted Astro-Nautilus redeco was an eyeroll and much complaining, as the black armor didn't do it for me and the metallic purple head seemed kinda bland. And I went to New York, bought it, and shrugged-- I wanted the set, so I got it. It looked OK. And then I got it home to compare it to the original painted release and it was painfully obvious that the "Deep Blue Ultra-Nautilus" was like a kajillion times better. This shows me that if I initially dislike something from Mel Birnkrant or the Four Horsemen, it's entirely possible I'm just wrong.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Cosmic Creators Mel Birnkrant Xodiac Action Figure

Yup, another one! The sixth Xodiac comes out at a much lower run at a much higher price, and hasn't quite sold out in a fast manner. And then, they announced they're doing more redecoes of this guy, so I'm not entirely sure how enthusiasm for the line can fly with higher prices and the same molds-- but I'm supporting the line for now, and this one (at a regular price) would've been really cool. Series creator Mel Birnkrant described this bearded redeco as Xodiac's dad, so I guess we have a new character here-- and of course, that's a good thing.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Infinity Edition Mystron Action Figure

While I sometimes complain that some Outer Space Men figures felt a little light in terms of value, Mystron is not one of them. He's packed with parts and pieces, and has a paint job that should knock your socks off. Just take a look at the head close-up shots. That gold paint looks better than pretty much any other gold action figure I've bought in years, including releases from Hasbro and Mattel. It's gorgeous. He wears an equally gorgeous silver and purple suit, with gold highlights. One of the three bolts on his chest is removable, too, a fine example of making the figure more customizable (and adding cost) when it clearly wasn't necessary.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

UPDATE: Outer Space Men 2012 Alpha Wave Preorders Monday

UPDATE: The preorder page has been posted and it seems that unless I'm misinterpreting this, they may not be as widely available at SDCC as they were previously. "A currently undetermined amount may be put aside to be sold at San Diego Comic Con. Once this series of figures is gone, it's GONE!"  Elsewhere in the copy it says the items will be sold at the show so... order accordingly.

Reportedly at 9:00 EST (the last few preorders have been delayed by one or more hours), the next alien invasion should take place on Monday, May 21!  Click here for full details and note some of the following highlights:

- Set of 3 figures will be $50
- Cyclops has removable armor and helmet, plus optional "open" hands
- Orbitron has a (currently) secret hidden feature to be revealed next week
- Gemini is covered in studs, which are attached by Glyos sockets. This may make for an incredibly customizable figure, provided you can get a lot of tentacles you may be in for a real treat.

So the bad news is they cost a lot more ($50 for 3 as opposed to $40 for 4 in 2010) but such is the breaks in the days of rising labor and materials costs in China. 

Me, I'm gambling to take my chances at SDCC in person. (Worked last year!) Happy hunting, everybody!

First Look: Comic-Con 2012 Alpha Phase Outer Space Men

Check it out!  The San Diego Comic-Con International Exclusive Outer Space Men for 2012 are shown at the Four Horsemen's site!

Orbitron is clear red, as promised, while Cyclops is light blue and Gemini is clear yellow.  They look fantastic, don't they?  I'm excited. Pricing and pre-orders should be up next week.

Store Horsemen Outer Space Men 2.0, Four Horsemen Editions Live

After a couple of hours of delays, Store Horsemen updated with the Cosmic Creators Four Horsemen and 2.0 editions of the Outer Space Men action figures.  I'm not exactly sure what time, as they weren't up a couple of hours after the original time, and the forums went down at some point in the evening as well.  Hurry, order now!

New Outer Space Men Pre-Orders Thursday, Pricing

They're coming! The new Cosmic Creators set (pictured) will be $65 plus shipping, and signed by all seven of the Four Horsemen.

The 2010 2.0 figures will be $50.

Find out more here.

Credit cards will be charged at the time of the preorder, and the product won't ship until after Comic-Con in July.  So, prepare to be patient!

Cosmic Creators Fully Revealed - Four Horsemen Edition

Behold! The Four Horsemen Cosmic Creators Edition of the Outer Space Men are here.

Mostly pink and green, the original four figures are coming back with snazzy new paint jobs and as of yet unknown pricing.  For now, though, go check 'em out again.  They first debuted in February and the first official photographs still look really slick!

Outer Space Men Waves 1 & 2 2.0 Revealed

They're better! Are they better enough?  The Four Horsemen revealed new takes on Astro-Nautilus, Metamorpho, Inferno, and Xodiac, and dang if they aren't all pretty neat. 

Inferno (pictured) now has clear plastic parts which look closer to the original prototype bendable figure.  Astro-Nautilus has a darker trident and newly-colored skin.  Xodiac's accessories are recolored... the figure was pretty much perfect before as it was.  And Metamorpho has a lot more clear plastic and a newly-colored sorta-translucent helmet, based on Mel Birnkrant's own customizations shown on his web site a year and change back.

All in all, interesting stuff.  Be sure to take a look!

Review: Outer Space Men Infinity Edition Alpha 7

The smallest member of the Outer Space Men, Alpha 7 also has the distinction of being one of few figures in the line whose appearance taps in to an existing cultural portrait of life on Mars, specifically "little green men." The painted version of the figure looks like he stepped right out of the earlier part of our time exploring space, before we had a better handle on what was (or sadly wasn't) out there.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

2012 Outer Space Men Test Shots, Alpha Phase Colors Confirmed

It's that time again! Comic-Con is just around the corner and the Four Horsemen have revealed the Alpha Phase Outer Space Men for 2012! Sort of. They're teasing us with some gorgeous test shots, and confirming that this year we're getting clear red Orbitron, clear yellow Gemini, and clear light blue Cyclops (and, interestingly, not the previously shown Colossus Rex.)  Well, I'm excited!  They say preorders will be soon on these and other new releases.

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Infinity Edition Electron+ Action Figure

My favorite overall design in this wave of Outer Space Men is probably Electron+. The execution, not so much-- the poor fellow can't sit down to to a chest piece hanging over his leg joints, so he's forced to stand for all eternity. Since his packaging mentions his race is made of energy and can return to that state at will, I'm assuming that means he probably won't be too uncomfortable hanging out on my shelf between now and the time I drop dead at 48, shortly after being featured on Hoarders.
[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]

Four Horsemen OSM News Round-Up: Convention Figures, Reissues

The Four Horsemen's site updated with a ton of new info. Some of which, frankly, is annoying. But here it is.

1. 2010 Figures Getting 2.0 Treatment. So you know those figures you bought in 2010 in like four different colors to support a small line, and then paid $125 for in February in a new paint job? Well, they're getting the "just different enough to make you mad" treatment in time for Comic-Con 2012. They say: "We've gone back in and made some minor tweaks and alterations to the paints that will bring these guys closer to Mel Birnkrant's original vision of the Outer Space Men. The changes will be minor, but sure to be appreciated by true OSM fans." To which I say: that is where you are wrong.

2. 3 Figures for SDCC. Orbitron and Gemini will be made, and Cyclops will be the first "deluxe" figure. Which probably means it'll cost 20% more. (But eh, it's cool, and it has some sweet, sweet gear.) As always, these are the "Alpha Phase" figures and will be sold at the show and online.

3. More Cosmic Creators Series: Four Horsemen Edition Outer Space Men are on the way. Odds are these are the same ones highlighted at the Futuretro exhibition, although no prices were alluded to so it's unknown if these will be priced like normal figures or at a triple markup just yet. As with the last batch, these will be a one-shot deal and signed.

In short: things are moving along nicely, but the honeymoon phase is definitely over.

Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Galactic Holiday Commander Comet Action Figure

I wasn't quite expecting Commander Comet, the Man from Venus to be the token clear red figure in Galactic Holiday 2011-- I was actually expecting it to be the man from the red planet, for obvious reasons. Commander Comet looks really good in red, but obviously a little devilish with his glowing eyes and firey skin.
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Terra Firma Revealed, Continued: Outer Space Men Sketches, Stories

Over on Mel Birnkrant's site is Terra Firma and Jack Asteroid, the Woman from Earth and the Guy You Probably Won't See Made. Ah well! She's a newly-tooled figure due in a few years, he's Metamorpho with a new head and awesome deco. Will they get along in the city? Find out! Read this.