ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected

Sideshow Toys completely blew my mind and budget yesterday as they revealed their second Iron Man maquette, scheduled for release in early 2009. It’s probably clear that I’m a sucker for many things superheroic, but when you mix in a guy in a red robot suit, I become almost comatose with joy. It’s really very disturbing. And lonely. And a little sticky.

Iron Maniacs might recall Sideshow’s first Iron Man maquette, based on the designs of Adi Granov (which were subsequently used in the Iron Man movie). Not only is was the original Iron Man tremendously beautiful,  expertly made and a little more attractive than I should find it, but the early, exclusive edition also quadrupled in value. This time, Sideshow’s kickin’ it oldschool with a classic Iron Man statue based on designs used prevalently between the 1960s and the 1980s. From toe to the tip of his flagpole (and that’s not a euphemism, ladies), he’s almost 3 feet tall, marking the figure itself at roughly 18″ tall.

Order now and you can still snag the exclusive edition, which includes a bonus Tony Stark unmasked head for an extra $25, which is interchangeable with with regular helmet. The edition size is undetermined at this time, but for about $300, I’ve already been sold. Even if you’re not into Iron Man, stop on by Sideshow’s site for a bit while they run their annual Spooktacular, where they often give away thousands of dollars worth of free prizes for vigilant browsers.