Gentle Giant reissues Kenner's 1979 18 inch Alien figure six inches taller.

[Werewolf]

I don't really get idea or appeal of re-issuing it at 24 inches, but, you know, here you go.

http://www.cooltoyreview.com/2013_sdcc/SDCC_2013_Gentle_Giant_Ltd_Wed/image82.asp

http://www.cooltoyreview.com/2013_sdcc/SDCC_2013_Gentle_Giant_Ltd_Wed/image78.asp

[ZICA]

I don't really get idea or appeal of re-issuing it at 24 inches, but, you know, here you go.

http://www.cooltoyreview.com/2013_sdcc/SDCC_2013_Gentle_Giant_Ltd_Wed/image82.asp

http://www.cooltoyreview.com/2013_sd...ed/image78.asp

I'd say it's probably to keep things cool with collectors of the original toy, who naturally wouldn't be happy with a direct reissue.

[Werewolf]

I'd say it's probably to keep things cool with collectors of the original toy, who naturally wouldn't be happy with a direct reissue.

But that would be such a tiny, tiny amount of potential buyers and hasn't the toy been re-issued a couple of times already by Japanese toy companies? If they didn't want to upset the few people that already have one and the even fewer that would actually care about another reissue why not release it in the more popular 12 inch scale? My point is, a six inch jump in size just seems odd.

But then Gentle Giant is releasing a 6 foot "life size" Kenner Stormtrooper. Btw: wouldn't a "life size" Kenner Stormtrooper toy actually be 3 3/4 inches tall? I mean it's a giant version of a toy not a life size version of actual person dressed as a Stormtrooper .

[rche]

But that would be such a tiny, tiny amount of potential buyers and hasn't the toy been re-issued a couple of times already by Japanese toy companies? If they didn't want to upset the few people that already have one and the even fewer that would actually care about another reissue why not release it in the more popular 12 inch scale? My point is, a six inch jump in size just seems odd.

But then Gentle Giant is releasing a 6 foot "life size" Kenner Stormtrooper. Btw: wouldn't a "life size" Kenner Stormtrooper toy actually be 3 3/4 inches tall? I mean it's a giant version of a toy not a life size version of actual person dressed as a Stormtrooper .

Wow. That is a BIG big chap. The original kenner item pretty much dominates a shelf. Not sure I am following the 'gant retro' trend. I guess it is for folks who have large display areas. If they copy the box, it is gonna be a shelf eater.

Tsukuda and Takara did some reissues of the Alien, but none had the ball jointed shoulders like the Kenner.

Did Hasbro let go of the Kenner brand logo? Interesting that several companies are apeing the font. Someone needs to reissue a 2 up of Milky the Cow.

[Gorn Captain]

I want one!

[cjefferys]

I want one too, he can fight my Shogun Warriors! But I'm kinda scared to see what the price will be on this, I'm sure it will be at least $200 if not more (probably more). Probably close to the same price I paid for a vintage 18" one.

[rche]

I want one too, he can fight my Shogun Warriors! But I'm kinda scared to see what the price will be on this, I'm sure it will be at least $200 if not more (probably more). Probably close to the same price I paid for a vintage 18" one.

That also seems to be a trend with the 'jumbo retro'. For the price of a GG jumbo SW figure, you can get a batch of vintage figures. Then again, the jumbo takes up all the space one would have to display the batch of vintage so I suppose it evens out.

[cjefferys]

True. I was just thinking that at the prices their jumbo SW figures retail for, a more complex toy, with more pieces, twice the size and involving more packaging will probably retail for over twice as much easy. And it's not just a trend for the jumbo stuff, those repro 12" KISS dolls were almost the same price as what you could get a boxed vintage Mego KISS doll for if one was patient. I guess when you are talking about small production runs done by a smaller company, manufacturing and licensing costs really make an impact on what they can retail for and still make enough of a profit to make it worthwhile.

[Saroyan]

I want one!

[ctc]

>If they didn't want to upset the few people that already have one and the even fewer that would actually care about another reissue why not release it in the more popular 12 inch scale? My point is, a six inch jump in size just seems odd.

It does seem kinda weird, but I could see them not wanting to cheese off even a small group 'cos of the internet's ability to blow the wailing and gnashing of the teeth of the few into a huge ordeal. Plus, the compnay may not see the pool as being particularly small.

On the up-side, he can now fight Mazinga.

Don C.

[johnmiic]

Maybe they should have down-sized it to fit with 12" figures instead. That would make it a better display piece to sit next to most 12" figures like Star Wars and Six Million Dollar Man figures.

[justzeg18]

Maybe they should have down-sized it to fit with 12" figures instead. That would make it a better display piece to sit next to most 12" figures like Star Wars and Six Million Dollar Man figures.

I was always under the impression that the OG 18" version was made at 18" to fit in scale w/ 12" figures...

The odd thing here, to me, is that Gentle Giant hasn't done either Alien, or 24" Jumbo while Super7 has done both.
Seems like this could be some brand confusion / intentional toe stepping.

I mean, regardless, I do want a 2ft kenner alien. If the price isn't ridiculous.

[SpaceCrawler]

Toy companies wouldn't care at all for the tiny number of guys who want to retain the value of their vintage Kenner Alien. Major companies do repros all the time for the biggest toy lines ever; Mattel (Barbie, Hotwheels, etc), Hasbro (GI Joe), Kenner/Hasbro (Star Wars), major model kit companies reissuing extremely rare kits, etc. So they care nothing about vintage value, and I'd argue against the idea that repros do effect vintage value in the first place, particularly with something like the Kenner Alien. This is just a trend- jumbo sized crap, which conveniently pushes the price really high and makes people think of it as a high end collectable rather than a toy (a toy that should have a lower price tag).

Personally I wish they'd just reissue a reproduction Alien in repro box. I would have bought that in an instant. This giant thing though, too big and probably too expensive, and not what appeals to me, which is vintage repro.

Sean

[mightyquinn]

Gonna need a bigger toyroom! I'm scared it's be too $$$$!

[raycastile]

I don't know much about Gentle Giant, but they strike me as a collector-oriented company. Why would they want to enrage collectors by making exact reproductions of vintage toys? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of adults who own loose Kenner Aliens and consider them showpieces in their collections. How many 24" Aliens can Gentle Giant sell? They are not going to move 50,000 of these. They are not even going to move 10,000. It's bound to be an expensive toy, at least $100, if not $200. How many can they sell at that price? They can't afford to upset hundreds of collectors in a market that small. I don't know the people who run Gentle Giant, but it is just conceivable that they are motivated by more than money. Perhaps they have a sense of integrity, and that might be a reason they don't want to make an exact reproduction. Personally, I am a more likely customer for a 24" Alien than an 18" one. I own a boxed 1979 Alien and my loose one from childhood. I don't need a reproduction. But a 24" version might be kind of cool. I'll see what I think when it comes out.