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 The People's Pick Awards for 2004

Yes, the name has changed - I changed it last year after voting, since so many people were getting themselves with the People's Choice Awards.  Don't ask.  Anyhoo, this is the fifth year for the awards, and comparing the results is always interesting.  I'll be doing my picks for best and worst of the year after the poll closes, to avoid swaying any voters.

I'm going to combine a big giveaway with this year's voting as well.  Everyone who votes in the poll and provides a valid email address will be in the running to win one of five price packs!  They include:

- The Muppets Prize Pack.  This pack includes all four - yes, all four! - of the Series 4 Muppet Busts from Sideshow!  That's Fozzie Bear, Lew Zealand, Beauregard, and Zoot!

- The Super Hero Prize Pack.  This pack includes a MOMC Marvel Legends Deadpool, a MOMC Marvel Legends Apocalypse, a loose 10" Justice League Green Lanter, and a loose but complete Spider-man Classics Lizard!

- The Monster Prize Pack.  This pack has but one item, but it's a good one - the new Captive Alien Queen mini-bust from Palisades!

- The Mcfarlane Prize Pack - what would we have if we didn't have a McToys price pack?  This time there's a loose Infernal Parade Golem and Dr. Fetter's Family of Freaks, plus a MOMC Collector's Club exclusive i.98 from Spawn 24!

- The Chaos Comics Prize Pack - these are some oldies, but goodies.  They were produced by Moore Action Collectibles for Chaos. There's two versions of Evil Ernie (regular and Wizard exclusive glow in the dark), two versions of Lady Death (regular, and glow in the dark), Lady Demon and Purgatori.  That's six figures, all MOC!  The condition of the cards and bubbles vary though, as they've been hanging around here for quite awhile now.

Be sure to select which prize pack you're most interested in.  I can't guarantee that's the one you'll get, so the wise man selects more than one!  Thanks for voting, and watch for the results in early January!  I also reserve the right to add some things as the month progresses, so watch for new additions to the prizes!

Oh, and only one entry per email address.  I will delete any that are from a duplicate email address before pulling the winners, so it won't do you much good anyway.  Thanks - on to the voting!

 

[FrontPage Save Results Component]

Enter your email address:

Which prize pack would you prefer?  Select at least two for a backup:

Muppets Super Hero Monsters
McToys Chaos Comics

Best of 2004 Poll

NOTE - for categories like articulation, sculpting and packaging, I always think in terms of companies rather than lines.  That's why the suggestions are all companies, but feel free to use the Other box on any question to vote for your particular favorite.

Also be sure to read through ALL the choices before voting.  There were a lot of lines, companies, and figures this year, and you might forget something or someone from earlier in the year.  I tried to be relatively comprehensive, but the other box is always there for your specific needs.

I've also added some new categories this year, because both the quarter scale and mini figure market have gotten so big.  And of course, there's both best and worst for the new ones.

You'll also notice that many of the same figures or lines might end up in best or worst categories.  I know that folks have highly varying opinions on this stuff.  Also, my suggestions are meant not as the end all, be all list, but as a reminder of all the companies and lines that were out there in 2004.

Best Overall Company:

Art Asylum Hasbro Bandai Dragon
bbi Dog Soldiers McFarlane DC Direct
Playmates Sideshow Toy Mezco Toybiz
Playing Mantis Mattel Play Along Jakk's
Joyride Studios NECA Majestic Ignite
Toycom/Mirage Shocker Toys Toynami Hot Toys
Equity Palisades Disney Graphitti Designs
Diamond Select Dusty Trails Plan-B Toys SEG (Stevenson Entertainment Group
Takara BMA Toys SOTA Jazzwares
Vital Toys Yamato X-Plus USA

Other:

Best Overall Line (non-mini figures):

Power Rangers Marvel Legends Marvel Select Muppets
Movie Maniacs 7  Universal Monsters (Sideshow) Modern Monsters (Sideshow Freddy, Jason, etc) Family Guy
Lord of the Rings Spawn 26 Infernal Parade Ren and Stimpy
Beast Wars Aliens Vs. Predator Sideshow Bond Justice League
Sports Picks Spider-man Classics Dragonball Z Transformers
Star Wars Living Dead Dolls Gundam Mattel Batman (comic based)
Simpsons TMNT Invader Zim Spider-man 2
Batman Hush Yu Gi O Monty Python (Diamond) Hellraiser 3
Dark Knight Returns Ghostbusters Star Trek Original Masters of the Universe
Conan Six Faces of Madness Peanuts Santa Coming to Town
Spawn 25 Ladder 49 Star Wars Unleashed Clerks
SpyTroops Special Forces (Plan-B) Kill Bill Halo
Blues Brothers Xevoz Crittaz Incredibles (Disney)
South Park Maximo The Batman Street Fighter (SOTA)
Megaman Astro Boy Incredibles (Hasbro) X-Files
Hellboy (8") Hellboy (12") Army of Darkness Timeline (12")
Barbarians (12") Buffy/Angel (12") Buffy/Angel (6") Microman
Pink Panther G.I. Joe (12") G.I. Joe Valor vs Venom Live by the Sword
Clone Wars X-men Classics DC First Appearances Teen Titans
Cy Girls Hulk Classics Contemporary Teen Titans Kingdom Come
Yamato Batman Final Fantasy Yellow Submarine Scarface
Jakk's Classics Chronicles of Riddick Nightmare Before Xmas First Appearances

Other:

Best Mini-figure line:

Mezitz Shockinis Marvel Minimates Palz
I-men Stikfas LOTR Minimates Kubricks
Smitis  Freakables Armies Middle Earth  DC C3 

Other:

Best Male Figure (18" or more):

Aragorn Spider-man Captain Jack Sparrow Crow
Legolas Hellboy Dracula Van Helsing
Freddy  Michael Myers Hellboy (Sideshow)   

Other:

Best Male Figure (12"):

LOTR Gandalf (DiD) Pershing Night Ops Jumper Jason
Goldeneye Bond Olaf Black Beard Spike
Vlad  Jean (Dragon)  Hellboy (Sideshow)  Mulder 
British 64th Regiment The Master Nazi Kroenen Batman (Mattel)
Leatherface (McToys) Spawn (Jazz Hands) Predator Alien

Other:

Best Male Figure (under 12"):

Microman Batman KC Shazam Contemporary Teen Titans Robin Robocop
Gamma Punch Hulk VOTC Fett Mirror Mirror Spock ML Apocalypse
10" Battle Troll  Celtic Predator  Captain Smollet Kermit  Hellboy (8" with jacket)
Stimpy Super Poseable Hulk Adventure Kermit ML Juggernaut
Brown Wolverine Slimer Super Poseable Spider-man KC Deadman
Frank Grimes Mecha Hulk Deep Space Homer Doc Ock (6")
Hush Batman Ultimate Rhino Elvis, 68 Comeback Show ML DeadPool
Attilla (6 Faces) Sagat Morgul Lord Witch King  Family Guy Peter
Bison Scarface Jack (NMBC) Riddick
Jim Henson Man-bat Jack the Ripper (Mezco) Spawn i.07
Sweetums

Other:

Best Female Figure (12"):

Scully Asuka (Cy-Girl) Buffy version 2
Jinx Xenia Onatopp  Anna Valorius
Vamp Willow

Other:

Best Female Figure (under 12"):

Chun-Li  Bethany Bled Mary Slaughter Catwoman Hush
Svadon Manjula  Armored Wonder Woman  JL Wonder Woman
Kill Bill Bride  Willow (DST) Hush Poison Ivy Microman Catwoman
SDCC She-Ra  ML6 Phoenix ML Invisible Woman Family Guy Lois
DKR Robin Eowyn Silver Age Catwoman Elizabeth Bathory
Gozer Ms. Bitters First Appearance Wonder Woman Hellraiser 3 Female
Sally (NMBC) Yuna (FFX) Kyra (Riddick) Microman Batgirl
April O'Neil Tiffany 3 Harley Hush Belit 

Other:

Best Articulation:

Art Asylum Hasbro Bandai Dragon
bbi Dog Soldiers McFarlane DC Direct
Playmates Sideshow Toy Mezco Toybiz
Playing Mantis Mattel Play Along Jakk's
Joyride Studios NECA Majestic Ignite
Toycom/Mirage Shocker Toys Toynami Hot Toys
Equity Palisades Disney Graphitti Designs
Diamond Select Dusty Trails Plan-B Toys SEG (Stevenson Entertainment Group
Takara BMA Toys SOTA Jazzwares
Vital Toys Yamato X Plus USA

Other:

Best Sculpting:

Art Asylum Hasbro Bandai Dragon
bbi Dog Soldiers McFarlane DC Direct
Playmates Sideshow Toy Mezco Toybiz
Playing Mantis Mattel Play Along Jakk's
Joyride Studios NECA Majestic Ignite
Toycom/Mirage Shocker Toys Toynami Hot Toys
Equity Palisades Disney Graphitti Designs
Diamond Select Dusty Trails Plan-B Toys SEG (Stevenson Entertainment Group
Takara BMA Toys SOTA Jazzwares
Vital Toys Yamato X Plus USA

Other:

Best Packaging:

Art Asylum Hasbro Bandai Dragon
bbi Dog Soldiers McFarlane DC Direct
Playmates Sideshow Toy Mezco Toybiz
Playing Mantis Mattel Play Along Jakk's
Joyride Studios NECA Majestic Ignite
Toycom/Mirage Shocker Toys Toynami Hot Toys
Equity Palisades Disney Graphitti Designs
Diamond Select Dusty Trails Plan-B Toys SEG (Stevenson Entertainment Group
Takara BMA Toys SOTA Jazzwares
Vital Toys Yamato X Plus USA

Other:

Best Vehicle, Deluxe Set or Playset:

Michael Myers/He Came Home Crow Reflections The Batman Batcave Muppets Backstage
JL Watchtower Freddy vs Jason The Batman Batmobile WOS Town Square
KISS Love Gun Dr. Channard Kluger Mail Truck Riddick Set 
ML Sinister Six DC C3 Batcave Spawn vs Cygor Sandcrawler

Other:

Best New Idea or Innovation:

Quarter scale mini Sports Picks VOTC Packaging
Cheap rotocast  Freakables Crittaz
Six Faces of Madness Accessory Pack

Other:

Worst Overall Company:

Art Asylum Hasbro Bandai Dragon
bbi Dog Soldiers McFarlane DC Direct
Playmates Sideshow Toy Mezco Toybiz
Playing Mantis Mattel Play Along Jakk's
Joyride Studios NECA Majestic Ignite
Toycom/Mirage Shocker Toys Toynami Hot Toys
Equity Palisades Disney Graphitti Designs
Diamond Select Dusty Trails Plan-B Toys SEG (Stevenson Entertainment Group
Takara BMA Toys SOTA Jazzwares
Vital Toys Yamato X Plus USA

Other:

Worst Line:

Power Rangers Marvel Legends Marvel Select Van Helsing (Jakks)
Movie Maniacs 7  Universal Monsters (Jakks) Modern Monsters (Sideshow Freddy, Jason, etc) Family Guy
Lord of the Rings Spawn 26 Infernal Parade Ren and Stimpy
Beast Wars Aliens Vs. Predator Sideshow Bond Justice League
Sports Picks Spider-man Classics Dragonball Z Transformers
Star Wars Living Dead Dolls Gundam Mattel Batman (comic based)
Simpsons TMNT Invader Zim Spider-man 2
Batman Hush Yu Gi O Monty Python (Diamond) Hellraiser 3
Dark Knight Returns Ghostbusters Star Trek Original Masters of the Universe
Conan Six Faces of Madness Peanuts Santa Coming to Town
Spawn 25 Ladder 49 Star Wars Unleashed Clerks
SpyTroops Special Forces (Plan-B) Kill Bill Halo
Blues Brothers Xevoz Crittaz Incredibles (Disney)
South Park Maximo The Batman House of 1000 Corpses (SEG)
Megaman Astro Boy Incredibles (Hasbro) X-Files
Haunted Mansion Hellboy (12") Army of Darkness Shrek 2
Harry Potter Buffy/Angel (12") Buffy/Angel (6") Microman
Pink Panther G.I. Joe (12") G.I. Joe Valor vs Venom Live by the Sword
Clone Wars X-men Classics DC First Appearances Teen Titans
Cy Girls Hulk Classics Contemporary Teen Titans Kingdom Come
Yamato Batman Final Fantasy Yellow Submarine Scarface
Thunderbirds

Other:

Worst Mini-figure line:

Mezitz Shockinis Marvel Minimates Palz
I-men Stikfas LOTR Minimates Kubricks
Smitis  Freakables Armies Middle Earth  DC C3 

Other:

Worst Male Figure (18" or more):

Aragorn Spider-man Captain Jack Sparrow Crow
Legolas Hellboy (Mezco) Dracula Van Helsing
Freddy  Michael Myers Hellboy (Sideshow)   

Other:

Worst Male Figure (12"):

LOTR Gandalf (DiD) Frank Laird (101st Market Garden) Dan Summers Jason part 2
Vampire Angel Christopher Arndt (Dragon) Incident Chinese Infantryman (Marco Polo) Spike
   Hellboy (Sideshow)   Mulder  

Other:

Worst Male Figure (under 12"):

Dracula (Jakks) Van Helsing (Jakks) Wolfman (Jakks) Shrek
Stewie Extreme Quidditch Harry Potter The Batman (10" rotoast) Syndrome (rotocast)
Brain Freeze Bart  Otis (SEG House of 1000 Corpses)  Hicks (MM7) Old Monty (MM7)

Other:

Worst Female Figure (12"):

Sigrid Von Thaler Faith  Vamp Willow
Halle Berry Catwoman (Barbie) Jinx Xenia Onatopp
Scully

Other:

Worst Female Figure (under 12"):

Haunted Mansion Bride Fiona  Anna Valorius (Jakks)
Kill Bill Go Go Family Guy Lois  ML Invisible Woman
DKR Robin Kill Bill Bride Attack of the Penguin Batgirl 
Kyra (Riddick) Microman Batgirl Microman Catwoman
Tiffany Elizabeth Bathory Hush Poison Ivy

Other:

Worst Articulation:

Art Asylum Hasbro Bandai Dragon
bbi Dog Soldiers McFarlane DC Direct
Playmates Sideshow Toy Mezco Toybiz
Playing Mantis Mattel Play Along Jakk's
Joyride Studios NECA Majestic Ignite
Toycom/Mirage Shocker Toys Toynami Hot Toys
Equity Palisades Disney Graphitti Designs
Diamond Select Dusty Trails Plan-B Toys SEG (Stevenson Entertainment Group
Takara BMA Toys SOTA Jazzwares
Vital Toys Yamato X Plus USA

Other:

Worst Sculpting:

Art Asylum Hasbro Bandai Dragon
bbi Dog Soldiers McFarlane DC Direct
Playmates Sideshow Toy Mezco Toybiz
Playing Mantis Mattel Play Along Jakk's
Joyride Studios NECA Majestic Ignite
Toycom/Mirage Shocker Toys Toynami Hot Toys
Equity Palisades Disney Graphitti Designs
Diamond Select Dusty Trails Plan-B Toys SEG (Stevenson Entertainment Group
Takara BMA Toys SOTA Jazzwares
Vital Toys Yamato X Plus USA

Other:

Worst Packaging:

Art Asylum Hasbro Bandai Dragon
bbi Dog Soldiers McFarlane DC Direct
Playmates Sideshow Toy Mezco Toybiz
Playing Mantis Mattel Play Along Jakk's
Joyride Studios NECA Majestic Ignite
Toycom/Mirage Shocker Toys Toynami Hot Toys
Equity Palisades Disney Graphitti Designs
Diamond Select Dusty Trails Plan-B Toys SEG (Stevenson Entertainment Group
Takara BMA Toys SOTA Jazzwares
Vital Toys Yamato X Plus USA

Other:

Worst Vehicle or Playset:

Michael Myers/He Came Home Crow Reflections The Batman Batcave Muppets Backstage
JL Watchtower Freddy vs Jason The Batman Batmobile WOS Town Square
KISS Love Gun Dr. Channard Kluger Mail Truck Riddick Set 
ML Sinister Six DC C3 Batcave Spawn vs Cygor Sandcrawler

Other:

Worst Idea:

Quarter Scale figures Freakables 'stylized' figures
Excessive convention exclusives Crittaz Mini Sports Picks
Mcfarlane's obsession with hooks and peg legs Marvel Legends chase figures Dwindling Retailers
Six Faces of Madness Accessory Pack

Other:

The line/figure in 2005 you're most looking forward to:

Marvel Legends Sideshow Buffy 1/4 scale horror
The Batman Mcfarlane Dragons Star Wars
King Kong Marvel minimates C3 DC minis
Spawn Pirates Mez-itz Family Guy
Fairly Odd Parents Muppets Mortal Kombat
Now Playing Movie Maniacs 8 Sin City
Pirates of the Caribbean Crisis/Infinite Earths First Appearances 3
The Warriors comic book Hellboy The Goon
Twisted Fairy Tales Batman Rogues Gallery Conan 2
Jim Lee Superman Alien vs Predator 2 1/4 scale Star Wars
Sesame Street

Other:

Please include any additional comments or suggestions:

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