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.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
2017 Preview - Astrodite and 4 More New Outer Space Men
Via the official Outer Space Men Instagram - the first news of the year for the 50th Anniversary of the Outer Space Men:
Monday, December 26, 2016
Review: Onell Design Outer Space Men Gemini Ulstriax - Fugitive from Algol
As far as bang for the buck goes, the amount of parts in the Onell Design crossover OSM Gemini Ulstriax - Fugitive from Algol
is pretty solid - and if you buy the matching companion Quallerran
figure, it's even better. Not only is this a nicely decorated figure
molded in light grey plastic, but Onell Design tossed in some bonus
parts - dark red clear weapons of Orbitron are thrown in the bag at no
extra charge. This is only the second heavily decorated version of
Gemini out of a grand total of seven releases. The main, classic
yellow one should be your first purchase and this Onell Design special
edition should be your next stop.[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Review: The Outer Space Men, LLC Outer Space Men Cosmic Radiation Cyclops Action Figure
Since its rebirth, it seems we're going to be getting a few new Outer Space Men figures like Cosmic Radiation Cyclops.
A complete glow in the dark lineup has been teased, but not confirmed -
so far this year alone, we've received 5 figures in glow plastic.
Interestingly, the non-vintage characters haven't made the transition,
nor have the first two years worth of character remakes - but teaser
mock-ups make me think we can expect them all next year. I'm kind of
glad they're working backwards, as these designs are a little more
complex and fun as stand-alone figures... plus they're massive masses of
glowing plastic.For those keeping track at home, the first few Cyclops figures came out in 2012 with the painted one hitting in 2013. It was a gorgeous figure, and the final of four Cyclops figures until now. There's this one, and in January we're told the White Star version will also go on sale.
[READ THE FULL REVIEW]
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Fugitive from Algol Revealed - OSM Gemini Ulstriax
Monday, December 12, 2016
White Star Officially Continues in January
They're coming! Orbitron, Cyclops, and Gemini White Star figures were previewed - where else? - on the official Outer Space Men Instagram. Here's the image, which will continue and conclude the set from SDCC and NYCC in 2013. Unless, of course, they're going to give us an Astrodite to go with it, and I sincerely hope if they do, we see her as a White Star first.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Cosmic Radiation Cyclops - Tonight!
Also don't forget that the first two Cosmic Radiation figures Gamma X and Colossus Rex are still in stock, along with Colossus Rex 2.0, if you want to snag those and save a few nickels on shipping.
Click here to see if Cyclops is currently available.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
White Star Cyclops - Will the Set Be Finsihed This Year?
Apparently we're not done yet - a White Star Cyclops was previewed on the Instagram page just a few hours ago. Presumably, Gemini and Orbitron can't be far behind which would finish the set.
Friday, December 9, 2016
And Gemini Makes Three - Cosmic Radiation Outer Space Men Continue
Seemingly revealing a release pattern, it would seem the entire The Outer Space Men class of 2012 will be released in glow in the coming week(s). Courtesy of their Instagram, here's a look at Gemini!
Assuming there is a next batch, it would seem reasonable to believe we'd see a full group of four - either the class of 2011 or 2010. I'd hope for 2010 first, I really would love to see Astro-Nautilus and Inferno in this format.
Assuming there is a next batch, it would seem reasonable to believe we'd see a full group of four - either the class of 2011 or 2010. I'd hope for 2010 first, I really would love to see Astro-Nautilus and Inferno in this format.
Cosmic Radiation Outer Space Men - Orbitron Incoming
Courtesy/stolen from the Official Outer Space Men Instagram, it's Orbitron! "Coming soon," we don't know when "soon" is but I'd wager it will be in the $20-$30 range.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
More Cosmic Radiation Outer Space Men with Cyclops
Onell Design Drops New Outer Space Men
Click here to see if it's still available at the new Onell Design store.
Also up for grabs are Gremlins-themed Nobotos and a Master Chief-inspired Glyan.
Also, a little birdie told me to expect more from another outlet soon - stay tuned! (I'm not being coy, I genuinely don't know what it is that will be gong up for sale yet.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Review: The Outer Space Men, LLC Outer Space Men Cosmic Radiation Edition Colossus Rex Action Figure
I would be a hack to say this figure deserves glowing reviews. I'll do it anyway. While the mock-ups for this Outer Space Men figure were painted white plastic, this glowing Cosmic Radiation Edition Colossus Rex
is 5-inches-and-change of solid glow-in-the-dark plastic. If you
collect these guys, you're probably wondering how the glow plastic of
this convention exclusive (available this weekend in New York at NYCC)
stacks up against other Glyos figures. I can say that the 2010 glow
Metamorpho and the 2011 glow Electron+ are a little paler, a little more
boney in color than this guy. Glow Rex is a near-perfect match to the
many other Onell Design (and adjacent) glow Glyos figures like glow
Gobon, Leyden, and many many others. They all vary a tiny bit, but it's
superbly close. [ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Chrome Accessories Set
One of the very last releases for The Outer Space Men before its end - which, it turned out, would just be a 2 1/2-year hiatus - was a sack of Chrome Accessories
created to go with some customized figures for a Galactic Holiday Phase
just a few months prior. These were extras - so if you wanted some
silver weapons to outfit your figures for any custom reasons, here you
are. The weapons for Ohpromatem and Horroscope match those of
Metamorpho and Xodiac's 2010 Galactic Holiday figures, respectively - if
you got the silver ones. Gold ones were sold as well.[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Review: Onell Design Outer Space Men Alpha 7 Zekroyas
The gap between the first and second The Outer Space Men Onell Design specials was five years. Five years. Thankfully Alpha 7 Zekroyas
was only 3 months after the last one, bringing the man from the red
planet back as a figure that's not only red, but has a unique color
layout. It's not just a color-swap, but there are significant changes
to where you'll find paint this time around. If you've been collecting
this line for a while you may have six (or seven, if you dig variants)
and more or less know what to expect. This is the first wholly
original painted version to see release in quite some time, as the
original Alpha 7 [FOTD #388] was based on a toy from the 1960s, and Alpha 11 [FOTD #744]
was inspired of a contemporary - and ultimately unreleased - redeco.
The Zekroyas version from Onell Design is a match for the Crayboth and
Quallerran figures released at the same time, so they're siblings in a
way. I'm super keen on figures painted like the Outer Space Men so I picked those up, too.[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Review: Outer Space Men Cosmic Radiation Edition Gamma-X
When
the announcement of new glowing "Cosmic Radiation" figures came up, I
commented that these would be in addition to three existing glowing
figures. I was told that the first Gamma-X [FOTD #939] didn't glow, but it does - just not very well. Regardless of the confusion, it's telling because it proves that Cosmic Radiation Edition Gamma-X
100% needed to exist. The original 2014 figure was a top-notch update
of the original Colorforms prototype, matching the color and
everything. It just didn't match the original action feature - that is,
to glow in the dark. If you've bought both figures, you've got one
that looks right and one that looks right, and this new 2016 convention
exclusive is actually $1 cheaper than its dim-glowing
counterpart. I'm not saying it's 100% better, but it's different
enough that I think you've got reason to potentially buy both if you're
so inclined.[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Friday, September 9, 2016
Cosmic Radiation Gamma-X On Sale Online Now
A full review of this figure will go live next week, so come back for that. And then you'll probably never hear about this one here again.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
New Alpha 7 - Zekroyas Special Edition at Onell Design
Click here to order yours.
Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men Infinity Edition Colossus Rex 2.0 Action Figure
Since taking a nap in 2014, it seemed that the Outer Space Men toy line was done. Well, it seems that with Colossus Rex 2.0
the manufacturing duties are being handled by the licensors, rather
than the Four Horsemen, although the original packaging templates and
figure toolings are brought back to make a similar-but-different
release. If you bought the 2014 original, good on you - it got
expensive on eBay and Amazon if and when one showed up for sale. Based
on some rough numbers at least 1,000 are estimated to exist of the
original, and most fans ultimately just wanted the painted ones - so
thankfully Gary Schaeffer brought this one back with a bluish deco
variant. If you just want a painted Colossus Rex, either version of
this 5-inch-and-change titan should be just fine for your shelves.[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Friday, September 2, 2016
Gamma-X Glows Crazy at Star Trek Mission New York - On Sale Friday Online
If you're in New York City right now, the Outer Space Men team has a booth at Javits Center for Star Trek Mission New York. There, you can pick up the new Colossus Rex 2.0 ($30, review next week) and/or Cosmic Radiation Gamma-X ($25, review the following week). You might be asking "Well, is it worth it?"
Yes. Absolutely yes.
To the right, you'll see two Gamma-X figure. On the left is the bone-colored 2014 Infinity Edition version, sold carded by the Four Horsemen for $26. To the right, the 2016 convention bagged exclusive which glows like crazy.
I put both under a black light bulb to charge them up, and the difference is pretty striking. This is an unmodified photograph, with no adjustments to the brightness settings. If you love things that glow, get the new one this weekend and/or if/when it shows up for sale on TheOuterSpaceMen.com.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Outer Space Men Cosmic Radiation Gamma-X This Weekend in New York
At this time we don't know when he'll be sold online, so get it now when you can - unlike the 2014 release, this one is cast in glorious Onell Design-quality glow-in-the-dark plastic so it will turn your dark room green with envy.
And yes, we're gonna have a review up in a couple of days, because we love you and we love this toy. In theory. You'll have to read the review to know for sure.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Glow In the Dark Outer Space Men Cosmic Radiation Bonus Gear
Via the official Outer Space Men Instagram:
A note: at this time we don't know how/when/if these will be distributed online or outside the conventions. One may make assumptions but nothing was confirmed just yet that we have seen. Also, the only two Cosmic Radiation figures with dates are Gamma-X and Colossus Rex, both of which will be in the hands of New York-based convention-goers during the first two weeks of October.
An update (8/29/2016): some fans who ordered Colossus Rex 2.0 are reporting getting some of these accessories in the box. Spiffy!
A note: at this time we don't know how/when/if these will be distributed online or outside the conventions. One may make assumptions but nothing was confirmed just yet that we have seen. Also, the only two Cosmic Radiation figures with dates are Gamma-X and Colossus Rex, both of which will be in the hands of New York-based convention-goers during the first two weeks of October.
An update (8/29/2016): some fans who ordered Colossus Rex 2.0 are reporting getting some of these accessories in the box. Spiffy!
Thursday, August 25, 2016
New Outer Space Men Friday Night - Colossus Rex Returns
The official Outer Space Men account also teases a couple of other figures and word on them in 12 hours. I'm all ears. The guy to the right goes on sale Friday night at 9:00 PM Eastern over at TheOuterSpaceMen.com. Word has it he's $30 and if you saw the 1.0 version's going rate on eBay, $30 is quite a bargain. (If you've followed inflation on toy manufacturing in China over the last few years, it ain't bad either.)
Anyway. More are coming, this one's first, keep an eye on this space for more, don't ask why just buy buy buy, etc. I'll have a review up as soon as time and space permits.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
The Outer Space Men Continue - 3 More Figures by October
The Outer Space Men are returning! (Again!) The last new wave of painted figures was a huge hit, with the 2 classic characters - Colossus Rex and Gamma X - selling so well that they will now cost you a lot of money. (And that's assuming you can find them for sale. Good luck.)
The fine folks behind the line are reissuing them with some improvements, along with a glow-in-the-dark Colossus Rex for the very first time. Gary Schaffer was kind enough to reach out with some details... and unrequested commentary added by yours truly.
Colossus Rex 2.0 - this will debut on the official Outer Space Men web site, and will also be sold at Star Trek Mission New York (September 2-4) and also New York Comic Con (October 6-9). The figure is slightly closer in the rich color of the original Colorforms release nearly 50 years ago, but includes gold - rather than purple - accessories.
If you missed the original figure, this is a much cheaper alternative to the secondary market. If you didn't, it's different enough that you may wish to get one anyway. $30, carded - this figure will feature new graphic design and new logos on the packaging as the Four Horsemen are no longer selling these.
Gamma X Cosmic Radiation - This will debut at Star Trek Mission New York (September 2-4). The original Infinity Gamma X was covered in a light layer of glowing paint, which didn't glow fairly well. It was colored similarly to the original prototype figure, but didn't glow well. The new Cosmic Radiation edition is cast in glow plastic and looks like it will brighten the night. It's a worthwhile upgrade. $25, bagged.
Colossus Rex Cosmic Radiation - The New York Comic Con exclusive for The Outer Space Men will bow October 6-9. This mock-up shows silver detailing added to the figure with silver accessories. (Silver accessories were previously made available with the Ni Stuff handmade Galactic Holiday 2013 figures, and also as a set from the Four Horsemen Store.) $25, bagged.
At press time the only figure we know will be sold online is Colossus Rex 2.0 - I'll post more as updates become available.
The fine folks behind the line are reissuing them with some improvements, along with a glow-in-the-dark Colossus Rex for the very first time. Gary Schaffer was kind enough to reach out with some details... and unrequested commentary added by yours truly.
Colossus Rex 2.0 - this will debut on the official Outer Space Men web site, and will also be sold at Star Trek Mission New York (September 2-4) and also New York Comic Con (October 6-9). The figure is slightly closer in the rich color of the original Colorforms release nearly 50 years ago, but includes gold - rather than purple - accessories.
If you missed the original figure, this is a much cheaper alternative to the secondary market. If you didn't, it's different enough that you may wish to get one anyway. $30, carded - this figure will feature new graphic design and new logos on the packaging as the Four Horsemen are no longer selling these.
Gamma X Cosmic Radiation - This will debut at Star Trek Mission New York (September 2-4). The original Infinity Gamma X was covered in a light layer of glowing paint, which didn't glow fairly well. It was colored similarly to the original prototype figure, but didn't glow well. The new Cosmic Radiation edition is cast in glow plastic and looks like it will brighten the night. It's a worthwhile upgrade. $25, bagged.
Colossus Rex Cosmic Radiation - The New York Comic Con exclusive for The Outer Space Men will bow October 6-9. This mock-up shows silver detailing added to the figure with silver accessories. (Silver accessories were previously made available with the Ni Stuff handmade Galactic Holiday 2013 figures, and also as a set from the Four Horsemen Store.) $25, bagged.
At press time the only figure we know will be sold online is Colossus Rex 2.0 - I'll post more as updates become available.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Review: Four Horsemen Outer Space Men White Star Mystron Action Figure
Did you know that The Outer Space Men
toy line turns 50 this year? It's true! The space race got people
really excited about space and space toys, until we landed on the moon
and everybody got bored. Because of that, the original prototype figure
that led to White Star Mystron was never produced - but we got
little versions of him now for a fairly nice price. If you've been
following these reviews - and I've only got a couple left to write - you
no doubt know that a lot of the early figures share a ton of parts,
which coincided with lower pricing. Everybody won! ...initially. This
Mystron was in a Comic-Con exclusive from 2013, after each figure had a
minimum of 4 or 5 releases in various colors. The higher prices and
reduced paint was sort of a slap in the face. I still bought it - and I
basically like it, even though it'd make a better custom base than a
play or display toy. Also I get to say that I own a White Devil action
figure. [ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Astrodite: Yup, Still Coming
Really, what else is there to say?
Monday, July 4, 2016
Cosmic Radiation Edition Outer Space Men Coming This Month
For the paranoid among us, three weeks from the post date would put it squarely during San Diego Comic-Con, thus being something of an issue for those otherwise occupied with travel and feat of fast sell-outs. Hopefully it won't be until after the show, but one can never predict these things.
This selection of 8 figures is the same as the first White Star box - Commander Comet, Xodiac, Metamorpho, Alpha 7, Electron+, Astro-Nautilus, Inferno, and Mystron.
For those keeping track, there have been three figures which boast glow-in-the-dark features previously. Metamorpho in 2010 was cast in a pale glow plastic with yellow clear accessories. Electron+ was made in the same glow colors but with purple accessories in 2011. In 2014, we got a Gamma-X with painted glow over its frame, but the quality of the glow was pretty rotten.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Review: Onell Design Outer Space Men Orbitron Diversus
Long pauses are as much a part of The Outer Space Men
as space itself. The original line took a nap after its 1966 debut
until 2010, and every year we'd see a surge of freshness around July
with the line usually being over and done with by January until the next
July. Selling out faster than you can say "give Uncle Scrotor a hug," Orbitron Diversus was the last new releases were the final "Infinity Edition" figures from February 2014. In that time, the rights to The Outer Space Men
reverted back to the brand's owners, which means you're probably not
going to see a heck of a lot of new sculpting but you might see more new
releases now that the ball is rolling again. I hope. I mean, it's
been 50 years - toy nostalgia usually peters out for most adults before
they turn 40. Onell Design's new crossover Orbitron takes cues from
its original inspiration - notably the Metaluna Mutant from This Island Earth.[ READ THE FULL REVIEW ]
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Overview: The Killer Xodiac
This is a remake of another figure from 1964, which was a bendable figure like Gumby and Major Matt Mason. The newer, smaller figures from The Four Horsemen (and the Glyos factory) can pop apart at each joint, allowing you to swap arms, legs, heads, and other pieces to your liking. It’s fun in practice, great for customizers, but if you’re just a guy with a lot of toys it isn’t terribly useful in the long run. But if you ever wanted to see what someone looks like with mismatched pants? It’s handy. It doesn’t hurt anything.
With 9 distinctive mass-produced versions (plus a weapon variant) Xodiac has more variation going on than pretty much everybody. At Comic-Con in 2010, he was one of the first four figures with his clear neon orange Alpha Phase release. I have a hard time picking a favorite, as there are so precious few action figures which include the planet Saturn impaled on a stick for my amusement.
Also
interesting, Xodiac’s weapon received a semi-late change before
production in 2010. The butt of the gun is actually a Glyos peg,
whereas the mechanicals for it (seen here with the PMS colors: http://database.glyos.com/2011/08/xodiac-glyaxia-command.html) show it rounded off.Now if you want my sentimental favorite, that’s Glyaxia Command Xodiac. The Glyos people were kind enough to give me an early look at it at SDCC 2011, and I was kinda ridiculously giddy to have it. The figure also sold out almost immediately - not unusual for an Onell Design drop, as they cultivated a fanbase who shows up on time to buy. Just tell them where to go, they’ll be there.
Anyway - Xodiac got a lady friend, the horrifying Horroscope, in 2013 and 2014. The head looks more like triple-eyed Cthulhu, with tremendous breasts and a booty to match - just like you want from the alien space creature of your nightmares, envisioned through the prism of Harvey Kurtzman’s cartooning. She only got three figures - a clear purple one, a White Star one, and the fully-painted one. I kind of hope they do more.
Want more Outer Space Men reviews? http://www.16bit.com/fotd/land-outerspacemen.asp
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Overview: Astro-Nautilus Thus Far
Each tentacle on the 3 3/4-inch scale alien is two pieces, and each leg is three. The pieces all rotate and allow for mixing and matching. The designer Mel Birnkrant incorporated a couple of loops on the staff, allowing a tentacle to slither through on the giant 1960s bendy figure as well as the modern action figures pictured above.
What’s really amazing was the price range on these guys. Most of them started at $10 - a bargain! As time went on, prices went up. The largely unadorned white one was part of a big boxed set of 8 figures for $115, which makes it a little over $14. The black suit one was sold first at a gallery show I was at for $125 with an art print and only 4 figures, or about $30 depending on what value you put on the art print.
Here’s a review of the White Star one: http://www.16bit.com/fotd/130801-white-star-astro-nautilus.asp
Here’s a review of the Cosmic Creators Four Horsemen edition in green: http://www.16bit.com/fotd/130124-osm-4h-cc-astro-nautilus-neonautilus.asp
If you want more reviews, here’s a list:
http://www.16bit.com/fotd/land-outerspacemen.asp
Monday, June 6, 2016
New Outer Space Men - Really! - Orbitron Diversus Special Edition
Click here to see if the shop is up, and if any are left.