{"id":3172,"date":"2010-01-04T02:17:19","date_gmt":"2010-01-04T08:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=3172"},"modified":"2010-01-04T02:41:26","modified_gmt":"2010-01-04T08:41:26","slug":"most-requested-year-end-poll-the-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=3172","title":{"rendered":"Most Requested Year-End Poll: The Winner"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year, we featured eighteen Most Requested articles asking for figures from all over the toy kingdom. The requests ranged from cancelled lines to current lines, from 2″ Minimates to 8″ Hellboy figures, and we even threw in a juice drink for good measure. At the end of the year, we decided to start our first annual tradition, a runoff between those requests to see which one was really the Most Requested Figure of 2009. We let our readers decide who deserved that top spot.<\/p>\n

After two rounds, and over a thousand votes cast, we have the results and are ready to announce our winner.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Top Ten<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/center> <\/p>\n

Tenth Place<\/strong>. We offered an “Other” category because we wanted our readers to be able to voice their opinions in case they didn’t find our requests to their liking. This proved to be a great decision with “Other” taking the tenth place spot. The write-ins ranged from the popular to the obscure with only one name standing out. Though disqualified, because he’s now listed in the Wal-Mart computers, a DC Classics Martian Manhunter was one of the few write-ins to gain support. After him, there were plenty of great selections that might be seen as upcoming MRQ columns in the coming year. And kudos to a few of you, who managed to stump the entire IAT staff and send us off to Google for the identity of the write-in request!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Ninth Place<\/strong>. We featured the 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe line back in August after Rise of Cobra had debuted. All of us at IAT were happy with this summer\u2019s Rise of Cobra line and are still<\/em> anxiously awaiting the product we saw when we attended JoeCon<\/a> last August. But that doesn’t mean we’re ready to let the wonderful 25th Anniversary\/Modern Era line go. The 25th Joes just hit the right spot. Sure, there’s been a few 25ths tossed in the ROC line, but we hope Hasbro will mix even more of the classics so that we can finally get updated figures of Covergirl, Dial-Tone, Gung Ho in his Dress Blues, Iceberg, Low Light, Lifeline… okay, we’ll stop. Techno Viper. No, really, we’re done. Zarana. Okay, okay… moving on.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Eighth Place<\/strong>. This spot goes to a line that is one of my very favorites despite its early death and heavy reliance on Hellboy facial expression variants. If you asked me to name some of the best toy lines of the last decade, I’d be hard pressed to not put this near, if not on, the top. While I loved this line, I don’t need it to come back forever, just long enough to give us the handful of remaining characters that it didn’t get to. Mezco still has the Hellboy license, so it’s theoretically possible, but admittedly very unlikely. Still, if Mezco has the money to make a Kate Corrigan (using Liz as a base) as an exclusive, I’ll be first in line. If there’s a way to make Ben Daimio, I’m for it. And I’m glad to see I’m not the only one. If Hellboy III gets off the ground and Mezco is still making the toys, let’s all cross our fingers that they’ll throw some comic merchandise in there somewhere. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Seventh Place<\/strong>. JLU is the line that won’t die. It’s been rescued from certain death twice and persisted under conditions that would kill a normal toy line. It may not be every fan’s ideal toy line, but the fans that love it are some of the most devoted I’ve seen. While the line has lasted for seven years and given those fans a couple hundred unique characters, there’s still a short list of characters that appeared on the various animated show that haven’t received a figure. For our article, we chose Toyman from that list. He first appeared early in the STAS series and continued through to JLU. Of all the animated villains, he is up there with Luthor and Joker for number of appearances. And yet he still doesn’t have a figure. Hopefully, 2010 will be kinder to Toyman fans. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Sixth Place<\/strong>. The Rocketeer received a lot of support for a character that Disney bought up, made one film, and then retired sixteen years ago. I think it’s because most comic fans are endeared to the idea of a pulp hero, that’s where comic books got their start after all, and the Rocketeer seems to capture that pulp feel effortlessly. The Rocketeer has also been getting some more attention since AFI’s Behind the Plastic Panel at SDCC 2008<\/A> when it was revealed that he could have been in the Legendary Comic Book Heroes line (had Disney not been obstinate and had it lasted a little longer). That might be the closest we’ll ever get, but I still hold out hope. Disney released a one-off Indiana Jones 6″ figure a few years back. Maybe someday they’ll be up for a Rocketeer too. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Fifth Place<\/strong>. Public polls always tend to be skewed by current happenings and Blackest Night is the biggest thing in comics right now, so that might<\/em> explain Arkillo’s popularity in our poll. But I wouldn’t bet on it. Whatever you might think about Blackest Night, one thing it’s done well has been to introduce new characters. Atrocitus, Arkillo, Kryb, Larfleeze, and Saint Walker are just some of the popular characters spinning out of the Green Lantern mythos. And while DC Direct has plans for most of these, many fans still want DCUC compatible versions. I’m looking forward to the DCD Arkillo coming soon (tongue necklace and all) and hoping that DCUC will get to him too. Secretly, I’m also hoping that Toy Guru’s new Green Lantern movie line will be used to get more comic-based DCUC figures out too!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Fourth Place<\/strong>. We ran a joke into the ground back in October about Bruce Wayne taking over ItsAllTrue.Net after we dissed Batman. During the week he was \u201cin charge\u201d, the most requested figure was naturally a DCUC Bruce Wayne. While we made the request as part of the joke, that doesn’t diminish the need for more Secret Identity figures in the DC line. I always wonder why toy companies don’t hit up retailers like JC Penney’s or Sears for exclusives anymore. Maybe things have changed so much that those companies can’t offer them anymore, but I think that might be a way to sell these Secret ID figures during the holiday season without fear of clogging pegs. Wayne led the poll at one point, so we know there are plenty of folks that would love to have a proper (i.e. no turn-to-Batman gimmick) figure of him.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Third Place<\/strong>. Many fans didn’t understand how Extendar could rank so high in this poll. I mean, the guy took out Bruce Wayne! How crazy is that? My best guess is that he was the highest profile MOTU character we featured and our MOTU readership used him as the focal point for their voice in the poll. He was catapulted into the final round, but once there he became the odd man out in a tight race. It was still a great finish for a lower-tier MOTU figure and we can only hope that Mattel will be ready to spend some of the money that has come from MOTUC exceeding expectations and turn it into more 100% new tools (unless the 4H have already cooked up some magical way to reuse the parts, it’s probably going to take an all-new sculpt to get this guy done). Personally, I want him and an Evil Horde counterpart. That way, Mattel can use the mold at least twice.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Some extra scrolling for dramatic effect…<\/p>\n


\n

<\/p>\n

First Runner-Up: Swamp Thing!<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/center> <\/p>\n

<\/a>Second Place<\/strong>. You saw this coming right? Swamp Thing as the first runner-up? Swamp Thing was definitely a poll heavy weight throughout the competition. He was never lower than second place in round one or two, even holding first place on and off throughout. The reason is simple. He’s a big name with a fair amount of media exposure. We’ve also been told that he’s absolutely not coming. He’s not licensed to Mattel since he’s a Vertigo character. That’s the important thing about this request. It seems that if DC Comics can be convinced to claim him from Vertigo for awhile, that things could be worked out for a DCUC Swamp Thing. Sadly, DC\u2019s powers-that-be are not willing to do that at this time. There’s always hope though and if fan demand is loud enough perhaps we can overcome the clerical error that’s standing between us and Swamp Thing.<\/p>\n


\n

<\/p>\n

The 2009 IAT Most Requested Figure: Mera!<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/center>
\nThe Winner<\/strong>. Mera and Swamp Thing were duking it out from the beginning of the poll. Mera won Round One by 5 votes and Round Two by 3. My reaction to seeing her win our poll was simply that it seemed appropriate. I can’t think of another character that had their popularity explode exponentially like Mera in 2009. Geoff Johns took a near fifty-year old character that was universally overlooked and brought her to the forefront in the grandest way possible, making her front and center in the biggest crossover since summer. But 2009 was definitely her year and I think her being elected as Most Requested is the icing on the cake.<\/p>\n

Despite her newfound popularity, we’re still not hearing any long-term plans that include her. We’ve seen DC Direct’s lineup through wave five and still no Mera. Hopefully, DCD will find a spot for her in waves six or seven (both are on the drawing board). But since she’s a normal sized character, I\u2019d prefer a DC Classics version myself. Mera wouldn’t be hard for Mattel to include. While she’s been portrayed with various textures to her costume, I’ll be perfectly content if Mattel goes with a standard female buck on a future Mera figure. The high collar piece is already available too. Mera is like most DCUC’s – she just needs a newly sculpted head. With the leaked lists running through the end of 2010, it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll get a Mera this year, but if Mattel is looking to work in some Blackest Night figures in early 2011 as they’ve promised, hopefully they’ll be considering Mera too. She’s in the spotlight. She’s won our poll. Who are they to say no? <\/p>\n

Again, we thank you for voting and encourage you to send any requests for the Most Requested column to us<\/a>! Check back on Fridays to see the latest Most Requested Figure! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year, we featured eighteen Most Requested articles asking for figures from all over the toy kingdom. The requests ranged from cancelled lines to current lines, from 2″ Minimates to 8″ Hellboy figures, and we even threw in a juice drink for good measure. At the end of the year, we decided to start our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[6,18,10],"tags":[111,2557,2568,38,16,2563,2560],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-Pa","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":255,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=255","url_meta":{"origin":3172,"position":0},"title":"Most Requested Figures: Hellboy Comic Line","date":"July 18, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Requests"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2890,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=2890","url_meta":{"origin":3172,"position":1},"title":"Most Requested Year-End Poll: Choose Your Own","date":"December 18, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"This year, we've featured eighteen Most Requested articles. And although we really wanted each and everything we asked for, we also want to know which of the Most Requested Figures really is the most requested. And the best part is, you get to decide. Before we get into the nominess,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Requests"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5700,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=5700","url_meta":{"origin":3172,"position":2},"title":"Most Requested Figures: DC Fan Poll Results","date":"May 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=60","url_meta":{"origin":3172,"position":3},"title":"Most Requested Figures: DCUC Martian Manhunter","date":"July 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1839,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=1839","url_meta":{"origin":3172,"position":4},"title":"Most Requested Figures: DCUC Swamp Thing","date":"October 9, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3271,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=3271","url_meta":{"origin":3172,"position":5},"title":"Most Requested Figures: DC’s Crimson Avenger","date":"January 8, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "DCClassics.Com"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3172"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3172"}],"version-history":[{"count":43,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3218,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3172\/revisions\/3218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}