AFI’s “After Dark” Panel Series kick off at SDCC 2014

Have you always wanted to see Action Figure Insider’s toy industry panels, but couldn’t get away from the con floor and all of  other events of the day to see them? This year, after the show floor closes, get off your feet for a bit before heading out to your hotels and parties and come check out AFI’s “After Dark” Panel Series.  Come hear and see industry legends from across the spectrum of toy companies you know and love discuss a wide variety of fun and interesting topics about collecting, manufacturing, the past and the future with each other in panels that can only happen once a year at the “big show.”  There is always a surprise guest or two and maybe even some give-aways when you ask your own questions of the panel! Join moderator Daniel Pickett at two panels this year discussing  fresh topics with toy talent from many fan favorite toy companies “after dark.”

Action Figure Insider Presents: Everything Old Is New Again: the 90s Live On!

Thursday, 7/24/14, 7:00p.m. – 8:00p.m.  ROOM 29A

Vintage and retro are still hot with Boomers and Gen X, but millennial collectors are now coming into the marketplace looking for their childhood “new classics” toys of the 1990s!  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Batman Animated, and Aliens are all on the rise again and in demand (to say nothing of the My Little Pony renaissance!) Can Furby’s comeback be far behind? Come talk to creators and collectors of all generations about Total Justice, Street Sharks, and Dexter’s Lab among many other totally rad 90′s toys and find out what Clinton-Era toy-line is now the “new Star Wars” for collectors! Come join moderator Daniel Pickett (ActionFigureInsider.com, Geek Shall Inherit Podcast) discuss this and much more with a panel of toy industry experts including: Reis O’Brien (Funko), Jeff Trojan (Playmates Toys), Kevin Kiniry (DC Collectibles), Randy Falk (NECA), Phil Ramirez (Ramirez Studios), and Jeremy Sung (Spy Monkey Creations).  

Action Figure Insider Presents: Toy Collecting In the Modern Age: The High Price of Having Fun

Saturday, 7/26/14, 7:30p.m. – 8:30p.m.  ROOM 8

Are mass-market collector toys dying? The price of raw materials and the production process continue to skyrocket.  Action figures that were $7.99 five years ago are now in stores for over $20.  At that price can you still be a “completist”?  And will there even be a next generation of collectors if parents can’t afford more than one or two figures? How have collectors’ habits changed along with the economy and are toy companies doing anything to counteract price hikes and hold onto the collectors market?   Come join in the discussion with a panel of toy industry insiders and collectors on just what is going on today and where it’s all going in the future!

Come join moderator Daniel Pickett (ActionFigureInsider.com, Geek Shall Inherit Podcast) discuss this and much more with a panel of toy industry experts including: Jerry Macaluso (Pop Culture Shock Collectibles), Eric “Cornboy” Mayse (The Four Horsemen Design, Mattel MOTUC), Eric Treadaway (The Four Horsemen Design, Mattel MOTUC), Jean St. Jean (Jean St. Jean Studios, DST).

About Daniel Pickett and ActionFigureInsider.com

Daniel “Julius Marx” Pickett has been around toys his whole life. The first line he ever collected was Mego’s World’s Greatest Super Heroes line back in the 70s. He has been surrounded by collectables ever since. In 1999 he was confounded by a lack of information and news about some of his favorite toy lines he was collecting. Since he couldn’t find the information he decided to pursue it himself thinking other people might also be interested in the same news. He started writing a weekly column on the toy industry and action figure for a toy news site and in a years time he tripled the sites daily traffic with his updates, reviews and product features. He built relationships with every major toy manufacturer and many sculptors, painters and mold makers. He grew his hobby into a world wide expertise that the industry has embraced. In 2004 he teamed up with his toy buddy Jason “ToyOtter” Geyer and they created their own website www.ActionFigureInsider.com. Daniel has been quoted in both industry and mass media press outlets. Over the years Daniel and AFi have been sought out as experts in the field. Daniel was regularly featured on “Attack of the Show” on the G4 network as the primary contributor to their “Mint On Card” segment, and our front page has been linked to from USA Today’s “Pop Candy” Blog twice. Daniel’s content has also been featured on MSNBC.com, Wired.com, Fark.com, Boing-Boing, Gizmodo.com, Ain’t It Cool News, the Official Star Wars blog, Geekologie, G4, CNet and Toy Fare magazine, among many others. He has consulted on toy lines, books, documentaries and TV shows. In 2012 Daniel created and launched the weekly  Geek Shall Inherit podcast (www.geekshallinherit.com ) with BifBangPow toy maker Jason Lenzi.  They have created 100+ hours of pop culture discussion and fun.  But all of that really just sounds snooty and “tootin’ his own horn” – the long and short of it is that Daniel loves toys and pop culture and he LOVES talking about it.

For more information check out www.actionfigureinsider.com.