Apparently Nerdzoic got some in, but just Ernie had sold out the last I had seen.

I’ve got B&E POed at BBTS. Will probably wait it out there. Unless they pop up in stock on Amazon.

I saw someone on the marvel select forum say that dimond was in trouble as early as last September so the newer preorders might have never entered manufacturing. I hope that's not the case but I don't know 

@jkpopculture I think Pepe and Deadly were originally supposed to come out in June 2024.  So, I assume DST's production/distribution/financial issues began earlier than September, although I think other products were making it out in the summer. Maybe there were other production issues with Deadly and Pepe.

Man, I really hope DST is able to keep making Muppet figures. I'll keep holding out hope until we hear something official.

For the record, the current scope of Diamond's woes go back to the earliest days of the pandemic. Sure, everyone and everything was in crisis, but Diamond did not handle the crisis well. They endangered hundreds of small shops, and angered the publishers. DC was the first to sever their relationship with Diamond, pulling their books from distribution and not renewing their license with Diamond Select. Other big publishers soon followed. The fact it's taken this long for Diamond to declare bankruptcy is a small miracle.

@casimir I didn't know much about Diamond Comic Distributors until I saw the reports about them and Diamond Select Toys each filing for ch. 11 bankruptcy. I assume much of DST's financial issues are connected to DCD's problems. Since both bankruptcies (plus 2 other affiliate companies) are being handled under the same case, and both filings have the same list of creditors, I assume the finances for the two companies are connected. Has DST been having distribution issues since the pandemic, worse than other companies? I'm new to collecting and have no idea how things were before 2022.

I hope DST is only having distribution issues and the rest of the company is profitable. Otherwise, I am not hopeful they'll find a buyer or have a successful restructure.

In the YouTube interview Zach did the Sunday before the bankruptcies were announced, he mentioned Link Hogthrob and Dr. Strangepork as potential figures after Lew and Lips, and possibly Beauregard, Pops, and the Newsman sometime down the road, plus Bobo and Walter as possibilities too. I will be happy if Pepe and Deadly come out, happier if Sweetums comes out, thrilled if Lips and Lew come out, and over the moon if any after that are made. The 7 new characters Zach mentioned would make my collection feel complete, though I'd certainly welcome more. Unfortunately, I'm guessing Sam and Rizzo were the last.

@bills-all-day DST is wholly-owned subsidiary of Diamond. Last I read Diamond was trying to sell it off as a unit unto itself.

Given that much of DST is comprised of other companies Diamond bought (such as Art Asylum and Gentle Giant), this could be a hard sell with all the competition out there. But maybe someone like NECA or Todd might acquire them just for the talent.

@casimir Thanks for the additional info. Do you know if licenses would transfer, if DST is purchased? I believe Marvel Select is a unique situation without an actual license that another company would get with their purchase, but I've read conflicting information about other licenses. I'm most curious about the Muppets license, but also curious about some of the others.

Posted by: @bills-all-day

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@casimir Thanks for the additional info. Do you know if licenses would transfer, if DST is purchased? I believe Marvel Select is a unique situation without an actual license that another company would get with their purchase, but I've read conflicting information about other licenses. I'm most curious about the Muppets license, but also curious about some of the others.

I don't know. I would imagine that has to do with not only how any purchased business is structured, but also each individual contract with a license holder. I'm sure it's a legal mess.

ULTRAZILLA just posted an unboxing video for DST products, and the new wave of the Best Of Nightmare Before Christmas figures were included. Those 3 figures are scheduled to ship in February, like Deadly and Pepe are now. I'm taking this as an indication Deadly and Pepe might actually be shipping soon. Hopefully, they are in the warehouse ready to go, too. It also makes me wonder if some of the delay is due to distribution issues instead of production issues. I think that is a better problem, as far as increasing the chances we'll get the figures solicited. I could be wrong.

Edit to add: I hope Lips and Lew go up for pre-order on February 20th because I think that's the only chance they could actually get made (and still probably not likely). The Diamond bankruptcy auction begins on March 24.

No Lips and Lew on the 21st, but we may have them on display at NY Toy Fair March 1. Waiting to hear when Deadly and Pepe will ship. 

Posted by: @msword

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No Lips and Lew on the 21st, but we may have them on display at NY Toy Fair March 1. Waiting to hear when Deadly and Pepe will ship. 

@msword I'm wishing you and all the other DST folks the best!

It's a bummer Lips and Lew are not going up for pre-order this month and that you don't know a date for when Pepe and Deadly will ship. But, it's awesome to hear DST will be at Toy Fair, and Lips and Lew may be on display. I'm so curious to see what they look like. The 3d renders look great, but I really want to see what the actual figures will look like.

Posted by: @msword

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No Lips and Lew on the 21st, but we may have them on display at NY Toy Fair March 1. Waiting to hear when Deadly and Pepe will ship. 

Thanks for the update. Im hoping for the best for you guys . I'm glad to hear that deadly and pepe are still probably coming out 

I'm extremely late to the party on Muppets, I didn't even know these existed (yes, it's a semi-large rock I hang out under...)

I found the re-releases from Diamond Select on BBTS, so I preordered literally everything they had. It was only afterward when I thought to ask myself, "are they any good?" So I figured I'd ask the experts here at the Fwoosh, what is everyone's honest opinion of these? Now, yes, I know - it's a Muppets thread, so everyone will say "if you like Muppets, buy them." But, I'm curious for honest reactions...are these good because they are good, or are they good because there is a severe lack of options in the 1/12 Muppets game? 

Also, taking a gander at these, they look like the Palisades Muppets from way back. Or at least, very similar. I wasn't collecting figures back then, so I don't have those either, but are these newer ones from Diamond re-releases of those Palisades figures? Similar to the early Super7 Thundercats using the Mattel molds? Or are these just taking inspiration? Diamond doesn't seem to have put out Swedish Chef's kitchen, but they did put out the same backstage playset, for example. 

Can anyone help a fella out? Thank you! I'm going to buy these even if they aren't great, because where else can I buy Muppets from my childhood, but I'm still curious of what to expect.