…you’ll find a great AI.  Meet Cortana, the UNSC Artificial Intelligence that helped Master Chief throughout the Halo game series (although she did get herself into a spot of trouble for awhile there).  When DST first started looking at the Halo property, we thought of many of the normal categories, but I have to confess that my goal all along was to get Cortana for the Femme Fatales line of PVC statues.  I did it!  Microsoft had an image they called “Reaching to be Rescued” and I chose that for the basis of the pose.  I wanted something that showed the full form and strength of the character but also implied some vulnerability.  The base differs from that in the source image because, even though it is technically not game-accurate for the scene, I felt her chip was both the perfect setting for her AND the proportions are more in line with the rest of my Fatales.  Sadly, a lot of the tweaks that were done as this piece developed are not readily obvious unless you were in on every update, so trust me when I say that a HUGE pat on the back goes to sculptor Bill Mancuso for being so tolerant of all of my adjustments to the piece.  Painted images coming soon.

Afraid of a Covenant invasion?  Concerned about the Flood taking over your local financial institution?  Well worry no more, the Spartan Mark VI bust bank is here to solve your problems.  This iconic character from the Halo video game series was digitally sculpted by Oluf Hartvigson and painted by Ed Wires.  The best part is, with the entire multi-player spectrum at our fingertips, there will be no problem creating enough color variations over the next couple of years to help build a UNSC bank army.

We’ve got six all-new items in the November issue of Diamond Previews including two Minimates box sets, a time machine, Optimus Prime, the return of Battlestar Galactica action figures and a sneak peek at the Iron Man 2 Marvel Select Iron Man!  Check out the full list complete with images and details after the jump! (more…)

Spider-Man has met so many interesting characters in his many adventures. He has also had to battle many a nefarious villain along the way. Picking the all time favorites is a herculean task to say the least! To help you along the way and help expand your Minimates collection we are bringing you the Friends and Foes 4 pack. Featuring a battle-ravaged Spider-Man, and new version of Black Cat, the evil Doc Ock, and Vulture! Build your Marvel Minimates Universe to even greater heights!

Here are the new items from Diamond Select Toys & Art Asylum as featured in the October issue of PREVIEWS. Links to our online store, images and full descriptions of each item are featured after the jump so give in to your inner geek and check it out! (more…)