Review: The Outer Space Men SDCC Beta Phase Xodiac

Xodiac, The Man from SaturnJust like the Alpha Wave figure, this green version of Xodiac, the Man from Saturn was sold as a convention exclusive and limited to around 300 pieces. While the Alpha Phase one was orange, sold in San Diego, and a huge hit, the Beta version is green, sold in New York, and didn't sell out-- it was actually available for months after the fact through Action Figure Xpress. A limited number of this set (Beta Phase Xodiac, Metamorpho, Astro-Nautilus, and Inferno) were offered through the Four Horsemen's site directly as a pre-order and literally sold through within minutes-- about four minutes, to be exact. Why the drop-off in popularity? Who knows? [ READ MORE ]

Old & New Outer Space Men Comparison Shots

Over on the Fantastic Exclusive Forums, you can get a glimpse of some great comparisons between the original bendable figures and the late 2010 action figure releases! What's more, you can also get a glimpse at Bruce Jensen's tiny customized bendable Alpha-7, the Man from Mars, who just happens to be in scale with the figures. Great work, Bruce!

Review: The Outer Space Men SDCC Alpha Phase Xodiac

Xodiac, The Man from SaturnA bizarre but increasingly common phenomenon in the toy business is the notion of the "pre-paint." The idea is that you release the figure's repaint or variant before the "real" release-- Xodiac, the Man from Saturn is one such figure as this clear orange "Alpha Phase" version came out nearly six months before the standard carded release. Heck, there was even a "Beta Phase" version in green released before the real deal, which is an ingenious way to recoup some costs before the toy finally comes out. This release sold out within a couple of days, and the edition size is supposedly somewhere around 300. [MORE]

Outer Space Men Class of 2010

The first year of the new line is wrapping up (calendar year, that is) and here's a quick pick of the first 16 action figures in the line-- minus a weapon variation or four.

2011 is still up in the air, but the Horsemen have confirmed Mystron and Commander Comet as the next two in production. We hope you've enjoyed our ramblings, and be sure to come back next year for more news as it comes up!

Mel Birnkrant's Outer Space Men 2010 Figure Fixes

Outer Space Men creator Mel Birnkrant got his figures recently, and shared some design notes from the 1960s and some ways to ruin the figure customization tips in making the toys slightly more like his original concept.


First up is Metamorpho. His original concept had the figure as having a translucent plastic helmet so more light would get in, but the 2010 release has an opaque grey costume. Solution? Swap in the glow-in-the-dark Alpha Phase Metamorpho helmet.


Next is Inferno. The original unproduced figure was to have light-up elements, specifically the head. Due to the enclosed helmet, this proves difficult. To give the figure a glow (after you swap in a translucent head, of course) he suggests you butcher customize the helmet with a small hole in the back, and he also explains how to do it.

Outer Space Men Holiday Edition Packaged & Loose

The Outer Space Men Holiday figures are arriving, and naturally, we ordered a set. Check 'em out.


As you know, there are gold and silver accessory variants of these figures. Rather than giving you gold or silver, the Four Horsemen mixed these so we got gold versions of Xodiac and Metamorpho with silver versions of Inferno and Astro-Nautilus.

As always for the clear figures, they come in the same bags with stapled header card. So if you picked up the Alpha or Beta Phases, you know what to expect.

If by any chance you have a silver Xodiac to sell, do let us know. And here's a loose shot of the group.

The Outer Space Men: The World of the Future

While not a huge surprise, the original 1960s series creator (and patron saint of toy fans) Mel Birnkrant has confirmed he is currently designing more new aliens for future series of the action figure line. Via the Fantastic Exclusive forums:

"Believe it or not, today, I’m working on sketches for OSM line extensions. Just getting started really, but I think I have some exciting ones in mind."

While not specific, it does confirm that the line will probably go beyond the initial 7 released figures and 6 proposed and unreleased ones. For his original 1960s sketches (of which that illustration is one), visit Mr. Mirnkrant's galleries on his web site.