One of the things I've been most happy about with McFarlane toys is the recent inclusion of more useful articulation points; from Legend of the Blade Hunters to Warriors of the Zodiac, there appears to be a trend here and I welcome the return of articulation.

All four figures can be found at most major toy retailers on-line.

all images can be clicked on for high resolution

Additionally from McFarlane Toys, their 7th Elvis figure. This time it's 'GOSPEL' ELVIS. He's in stores right now and ready to inspire your home or office cubical.

From the press release:

The King lives! Well, at least in action-figure form. Our seventh Elvis Presley figure re-creates one of the seminal moments in his amazing career. As the finale of the 1968 televised "Comeback" special, Elvis' performed "If I Can Dream." The song contained direct quotations from Martin Luther King, Jr., and was recorded two months after King's assassination. Although not technically gospel music, Presley performed the song with the intensity and intonations of southern gospel. McFarlane Toys' recaptures the greatness and emotion of "The King" as he sings in the white suit fans associate with the song.

Next, the first real mention of a company I've had my eyes on for some time: Cinemaquette.

For those of you asking what is Cinemaquette, the easiest explanation is it's a mixed media maquette (or statue) utilizing everything from silicone to rooted hair to metal and various resins to create a stunningly life-like figure. In the case of Cinemaquette, the figure is always from some iconic film, or based specifically on some icon film character, from the Predator to Indiana Jones.

Speaking of Indiana Jones, I'll be reviewing him in the coming weeks, so I'll have a ton of exclusive shots to share with you as well as an interview I did with the owner of Cinemaquette, George Sohn.

It should be noted that every Cinemaquette is handmade and very limited in quantity. These figures should not be confused with Sideshow's Premium Format figures, in that a Cinemaquette is generally a third larger than the average Sideshow Premium format figure, and about twice the price. Having said that, when you come face to face with one of these statues, you'll see it's worth every dime.

Finally, I'm debuting a new feature here at Toy Culture called the 'Info Page,' sort of a 'clip-able' fact page. The first info page goes to Hot Toys upcoming 'Joker' 12" figure.

That's it for this week. Check back next week for my overview of the Hot Toys Pirates of the Caribbean 12" line, complete with Davy Jones.

For more information on Cinemaquette: www.cinemaquette.com/cgi-bin/cinemaquette/index.html

For more information on Warriors of the Zodiac: www.spawn.com

For more information on Hot Toys Joker: www.hottoys.com.hk