The Illusive Exclusives of Comic-Con

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Ahh, the illusive exclusives of Comic-Con…

If you’re interested in obtaining some of the most coveted exclusives that are being offered at this year’s Comic-Con, prepare to run (or safely jog) to your booth the second the doors to the hall open, because the unique or exclusive merchandise is the first to go. But hey, it’s better than paying 3 times the price on Ebay in a month, right?

There are a ton of exclusives this year, so what I thought we’d do is look at a conventional, if not convenient top ten list, to help you prioritize where your time and money should be directed.

Now, on to the list…

Number 10:

Gold So Analog 10-Doh! Figure

Where: Squid Kids Ink Booth #5137

You’re going to see some odd, eccentric stuff at Comic-Con, and we kick off the list with one of them. What is this thing? I guess it’s an anthropomorphized gold Nintendo cartridge figure. I’m not sure if this is a must have, but I’d be proud to have this little guy sitting on my desk, looking cool.

What SDCC says: "So Analog" 10-Doh! Gold Edition Designer Toy (Squid Kids Ink)- Buy now or cry later! 7" tall, limited edition of 300. First 100 sold receive an exclusive mini print.

Number 9: 

Exclusive 1st edition, artist signed Tick action figure

Where: Shocker Toys Booth #3351

Remember the Tick? He’s back, in action figure form. I grew up loving the big blue guy from his Saturday morning cartoon and later reading the hilarious comics. With a production run of only 250, he’s already going to be worth a lot more than 20 bucks, but if you go the extra mile and get this figure signed by Ben Edlund, then you’ll have a true, bonafide collectible on your hands!

What SDCC says: Get this Limited 1st Edition SDCC Exclusive signature Tick from Shocker Toys Booth #3351. Each action figure comes provided with a hand written number on back and a foil signature seal on the front which can be signed by artist/creator Ben Edlund at the New England Comic's booth # 1807 on Sunday July 24th. Makes a great gift for any Tick Fan - again These are limited and you must check with the New England Comic' s booth for the exact time and or confirmed date mentioned above that Ben Edlund will be appearing.

Number 8:

Empire of Style print by Alex Ross

Where: Acme Archives Ltd. Booth #5629

This gorgeous print by Alex Ross is part of a limited run of 300, signed by the artist. It’s only $50 and is sure to be worth plenty more than that once they’re all gone, and that will be quicker than you can say, “Dark side of the force.”

What SDCC says: Fine art lithograph on paper, 300 piece signed edition 18"x24", $50 retail. From the popular Star Wars: VISIONS book project. [pending final approval]

Number 7: 

Thundercats Mega Scale Lion-O Variant Figure

Where: Mezco Toys Booth #3445

With all this 80s nostalgia going around, you shouldn’t be surprised to see this guy here. The SDCC is your chance to get a variant of the coolest three-dimensional Lion-O representation to ever be forged! While this figure isn’t a numbered, it’s still a limited edition, so who knows how fast he’ll go.

What SDCC says: This mega-scale figure measures over 20 inches tall from the tip of his upraised, extended sword to the soles of his Thunderian boots. Featuring 7 points of articulation this mega figure is superbly detailed, perfectly capturing not only the iconic look of Lion-O as he appeared in the classic television series, but the essence, of Lion-O as he proudly raises the mystic Sword of Omens towards the heavens and roars out "Thundercats, Ho!" This special Summer Exclusive Variant Edition features: *Interchangeable glowing eyes head and open mouth heads *Both Sword of Omens and short sword of Omens *Alternate left hand Claw Shield Lion-O is packaged in a collector friendly window box that allows him to be displayed while remaining Mint In Box. This is a non-numbered limited edition item.

Number 6: 

Battlestar Galactica Cylon “Toaster” Necklace

Where: Her Universe Booth #2913-F

Her Universe is the brainchild of the adorable Ashley Eckstein, better known to Star Wars fans as Ahsoka Tano on the hit show The Clone Wars. She does a clothing and accessories line of sci-fi and other geekdom specifically for women and girls, as she felt they were underrepresented in the market. That is a sentiment I can get behind, and it’s nice to see something unique and exclusive to boot for the ladies of SDCC. Hell, I think I want this necklace for myself.

What SDCC says: Galactica fans know the nickname the Colonials have for the Cylons is "Toaster" since they look like "walking chrome toasters." Her Universe is offering a SDCC exclusive necklace from it's brand new Syfy Gear line shaped like a small shiny silver toaster with the robotic Cylon face on the side. Only 300 of these unique Battlestar Galactica "insider" necklaces will be offered at SDCC!

Number 5:

Stan Lee Limited Edition Package SDCC Exclusive

Where: Gentle Giant Studios Booth #3513

If you want to have some of the most sought after collectibles of the con, you might want to just head straight over to the Gentle Giant Studios booth, because they have a whole lot of cool stuff that is going to be gone in a flash. This Stan Lee package, and the included bust (ltd. to 200) is nothing less than Excelsior. Read the fine print on this one to see how it all works.

What SDCC Says: Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man™, The Fantastic Four™, The X-Men™, The Avengers™, Iron Man™, The Hulk™, Thor™, Daredevil™, Doctor Strange™, and many more, has shaped imaginations and childhoods for generations. He helped revolutionize comic books as an art form by crafting epic, yet accessible, stories and populating them with profoundly complex and naturalistic characters and traits that are still evident in his work today at POW! Entertainment. He has left an indelible mark on our culture, with his co-creations transcending their original medium and branching out into television, films, clothes, toys, video games, trading cards, collectibles, and more. Stan Lee has authorized only two hundred mini busts to be created of his likeness. Each piece has been hand-crafted by Gentle Giant's top artisans at their studio in Burbank, CA using the highest quality polystone resin. Individually hand-numbered, each piece comes with a matching certificate of authenticity and is signed by Stan "The Man" Lee himself. This piece is absolutely a must-have for any serious fan or collector.

Number 4:

Comic-Con Exclusive Marvel Classic Character: Spider-Man

These Syroco-style figures from Dark Horse are highly collectible, and while this has a bit of a high production run at 1,000, you’d be surprised at how fast these guys go. Spider-Man fans and Marvel fans alike are going to be clamoring for this, so get there fast!

What SDCC says: Dark Horse Comics has teamed up with Marvel to produce this limited edition Spider-Man Syroco-style statuette exclusively for Comic-Con 2011. Based on primitive, but charming Syroco statuettes of the 1940's, this 5-1/2" tall figure comes numbered in a litho printed tin box, with pinback button and booklet.

Number 3: 

Marvel Universe Sentinel Figure

Where: TBA

Much like Gentle Giant, running over to the queue for the Hasbro booth isn’t a bad idea either, because they have some of the best items of the Con as well. Much like last year’s Galactus figure, this oversized Sentinel figure is carded, huge, and is sure to make your Marvel Universe figure display far more dynamic. He’s sure to be worth a ton, as will all the rest of Hasbro’s offerings this year.

Number 2: 

Revenge of the Jedi Collector 12-Pack Figure Set

Where: TBA

If you’re a Star Wars fan like me, you can’t go wrong with this bad boy. I can’t believe this thing even exists, but it literally makes my fanboy mouth water. The vintage collection figures are extremely popular and collectible, and this set sports exclusives and fan favorites like B-Wing pilot and even the giggling Muppet Salacious B. Crumb in his OWN packaging. There’s no word whether these figures will ever see an individual release, which means this is even more of a must-have. If you’re going to try and snag this thing at the Con, all I can say is, “May the Force be with you.”

AND the Number 1 Exclusive at Comic-Con 2011 is…

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man Figure

Where: Mattel Inc Booth #2945

That’s right. It’s the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. This 20” tall figure comes exclusively from Mattel, who brought us the fantastic Ghostbusters line last year—which is now completely gone and selling wildly on Ebay as we speak. You can expect the Stay Puft to disappear as fast as he appeared, but one nice thing for collectors is that he’ll be appearing briefly after the Con on MattyCollector.com for sale in limited quantities!

And that’s it for our top ten list. Good luck to you brave souls who are actually going to the Con and willing to try your luck at nabbing some of this stuff. And if you’re one of them, do you mind picking me up, oh, about 10 different things? I have a list around here somewhere…

Written by Chris Harder

Tags: Exclusives, SDCC, Comic-Con, Comic Book Conventions