Minimates

From The Other Wiki: "Minimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a 2" tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 points of articulation, higher than average for block figures. Lines of Minimates have been released for numerous comic, TV series, movie and video game licenses and are primarily released to specialty retailers and aimed at adult collectors."

Works that have received the Minimate treatment include

• Marvel Comics
• DC Comics
• Star Trek
• Lord of the Rings
• Battlestar Galactica
• Ghostbusters
• Back to The Future
• Terminator 2
• Rocky
• The Dollars Trilogy
• Halo

... and many, many more.

A comprehensive list of almost every official Minimate ever produced can be found here.

Tropes demonstrated by this toyline include

• Alternate Company Equivalent: to Kubricks, by Japan-based company Medicom Toy.
• Art Evolution: The figures' height shift from the original 3-inch scale to the more familiar 2 inches.
• Cash Cow Franchise: the Marvel Comics line.
• Fun Size
• Kibbles and Bits: translating The Hulk to block form is harder than it sounds.
• Lego Genetics: Minimates lend themselves surprisingly well to quick customization.
• Long Runner: Again, the Marvel line. 34 waves and counting, and that's not even including the boxsets and exclusives...
• Massive Multiplayer Crossover: The line's unified scale means you can have the Justice League and The Avengers team up to fight Gozer and the Cylons, all while Rocky Balboa, the T-800 and the Man With No Name slug it out in the background. Or you can induct Marty McFly into Starfleet while Hannibal Lector and Sauron are plotting to... what?
• Offer Void in Nebraska: Due to Minimates being a US-based line, this makes some exclusives hard to find for overseas collectors.
• Older Than They Think: the line predates Superhero Squad by at least three years.
• Show Accuracy, Toy Accuracy
• Spell My Name with an "S": "Minimates" getting spelled as two words instead of one. Also with or without an S.
• Toyless Toyline Character: rattling off whole lists of these is practically the fandom's national sport. See Memetic Mutation for when this goes overboard.
  • Not just specific characters either... whole properties, even.
• The Unexpected: Ambush Bug and Ma Hunkel from DC Comics, not to mention Desperately Seeking Susan.
• What Could Have Been: Some of the non-starter sets, including Doctor Who, The Godfather, wave 2 of Street Fighter II and wave 3 of Lord of the Rings.
• Wolverine Publicity: The variations on main characters in the popular lines almost take this to Environment Specific Action Figure levels.
  • The Marvel line's three most prolific characters are Spider-Man, Iron Man and, well, Wolverine.
    • Iron Man is a borderline Justified case due to his wide variety of distinctive armors in both comic and movie canon.
  • Naturally, Batman from the currently-defunct DC line.
  • Kirk and Spock in the Star Trek line.
  • The T-800.
  • Even Ghostbusters isn't safe from this, if the number of versions of Peter, Egon and Ray are any indication..
• Word of God: The frequent fan Q&A sessions by Art Asylum/Diamond Select. Also the venue for many a Jossing, Shrug of God or Sure Why Not.