Toy Bender

If you plan on attending the Philadelphia Wizard World convention and you dig toys (and why would you even be on this site if you didn’t like toys?), the first ever ToyFare Hall of Fame Awards will be held there. For the first year’s inductees include Randy Falk of NECA, Clayburn Moore, and the Four Horsemen. For details on who each of these folks are, I’ve included the press release below.

I think this is a cool idea, although I’d think for the Hall of Fame that there might be a few inductees who contributed to the toy industry less recently. Where’s the guy who invented G.I. Joe? Or the one guy that… okay I really don’t know much about the people that created the toys that we collect (or play with) today, but there’s got to be some figures from the past that could get a nice nod. I asked Adam Tracy, Creative Director Wizard World Conventions, if this is possible and he said that the Hall of Fame includes all of toy history, so chances are that past legends can be recognized. The recognition could even be given posthumously, so toy creators who are either zombies or have turned into vampires or werewolves are eligible. Not directly his quote, mind you.

WIZARD WORLD PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION TO HOST
THE FIRST EVER TOYFARE HALL OF FAME AWARDS!

Toy Superstars Clayburn Moore, the Four Horsemen and
Randy Falk of NECA Will Be Inducted In The Inaugural Ceremony!

Congers, NY (April 15, 2008) – The Wizard World comic convention is coming to Philadelphia from May 30th to June 1st. The convention will host the 1st Annual ToyFare Hall of Fame Awards. ToyFare, America’s leading consumer toy publication, will be honoring three entities for their significant contributions and impact on the toy industry. This year’s inductees are Randy Falk, Clayburn Moore and the Four Horsemen.

As the Director of Product Development for NECA, Randy Falk has helped bring amazingly lifelike sculpts of pop culture’s most iconic figures to the masses. With their collector-friendly figures of Hellraiser, Harry Potter, John Lennon and the Pirates of the Caribbean, NECA has shown that toys aren’t just for kids. “I am an avid toy fan and collector and I feel very lucky to be working in the toy business and to be able to make a living doing something that I truly love,” Falk said. “To be recognized and honored for it goes far beyond my expectations.”

The man behind C.S. Moore Studio, Clayburn Moore, called his inclusion in the inaugural awards ceremony an “unexpected and very much appreciated surprise.” Moore has long been the sculptor of choice to create breathtaking statues of modern comic book legends—especially curvaceous heroines like Fathom and Witchblade. And through Moore Action Collectibles, he was a pioneer in bringing figures of many unfairly overlooked properties to life.

Instead of bringing about the apocalypse, Four Horsemen Studios have brought about wildly imaginative sculpts of He-Man, Batman and the rest of their respective universes through their work at Mattel and NECA. Factor in their entirely fan-decided Seventh Kingdom toy line and it’s obvious that the Four Horsemen have the fans in mind. “We’ve been big fans of ToyFare magazine since their very first special issues and they have always been very supportive of everything we’ve worked on,” said a spokesman for the group.

The ceremony for the 1st Annual ToyFare Hall of Fame Awards will be held on Friday, May 30th at 5 PM in the ToyFare Theatre. This is one awards show you’ll want to sit through to the end! You can purchase your tickets for Wizard World Philadelphia at www.wizardworld.com .