A David Petersen cover! At BSCkids we love Mouse Guard so we are always excited to see any work by Petersen and the second issue of Muppet King Arthur delivers! Remember, we brought you the preview of #1 earlier this month!

The writing team of by Paul Benjamin and Patrick Storck are joined by artist James Silvani to bring us this story, which will be out in stores on February 24th

What’s it About?

The epic tale of King Arthur continues, as only the Muppets can tell it! Featuring covers by David Petersen (of MOUSE GUARD fame) and Amy Mebberson!

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More awesome Disney comics from our friends at strong>Boom! Studios. Today we have a special 6-page (and covers!) preview of Donald Duck and Friends#351, which will be at your favorite comic shops on February 24th!

Donald Duck and Friends is brought to us by the writing team of Fausto Vitaliano & Marco Bosco, and illustrated by Marco Mazzarello, and Francesco D’Ippolito.

What’s it about?

The action packed “Double Duck” series continues as the agency’s top undercover fowl takes the world of espionage by storm! This is Donald Duck like you’ve never seen him, as only BOOM Kids! can deliver.

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It really is his world. The Justin Bieber campaign to get him on NBC’s Saturday Night Live has succeeded…kind of. The young star will not be hosting the comedy sketch show, but according to him (via twitter) he will be performing on an episode that airs on April 10th.

This is the culmination of an online campaign – which among its weaponry is the twitter Bieberblast – to get the young star on the show. My World 2.0, Bieber’s second chapter to two-part album, is set for a March 23rd release. We posted the video for the single “Baby”, which featured Ludacris, last week.

Also on Twitter, Bieber talked about just coming from filming his cameo on Nick Cannon’s School Gyrls (also see the trailer).

Chicco was one of the last walk-throughs that we did when we went to Toy Fair, so I may have missed a few things. What I wanted to do is touch on some of the items that they were showing that caught my eye. Chicco is a well known name in gear for babies and toys for children so having two kids and one on the way we knew a bit what to expect from such a well respected brand.  The one thing I will say is that I wish in their press pack they had included a CD of images because I was too tired to take any pictures I think at that point.  That is not to say I did not see things I wanted to take pictures of, just that my camera never left my pocket.  I will hit on four of the  toys that they were showing at the toy fair.

Splashing Seas Horse & Sea Friends are bath time toys that float, stack and allow you do do some water squirting with the Sea Horse.  What I really liked about them is that they stack together as well they are put together with the reinforced stitching.  They are machine washable so you can actually keep them clean.  Bath toys take a bad rap at our house, but I think my wife would agree to these.

The 1 Two 3 Playhouse is a play house that can be folded flat against the wall, which helps eliminate the footprint it may be taking up in a room when you are not using it.  You can either fold it flat or as my wife suggested keep it up and hide toys in it.  I think that is the way it would work in our house.  The support for the playhouse on the wall is a cloud-shaped mount which not only holds the playhouse up, but also doubles as a clothes hanger.

The Magic Window Talking Farm – Bilingual was the toy that really caught my eye for babies to have fun with.  It helps improve language skills in both English and Spanish and teaches colors, animals, sounds and numbers.  The thing that sets it apart from any of those other talking farms is the LCD display that brings it all to life.  I like how the LCD screen did not over power the toy, but rather just complimented it.

Turbo Touch Speed Truck- I like these Turbo Touch toys because I think the younger kids can use them, no shaking or pulling back of the cars here, nope, all you have to do is just press the Turbo Touch vehicles on their back and let it go.  All of the Chicco Turbo Touch toys have soft curves and no angles to poke or hurt.  The cool thing about the Speed Truck set is that the truck turns into a three-foot long Turbo Touch car race track with lights and sounds where you can have an interactive race.

The Chicco walk-through was a whirlwind of toys everywhere and I do not even think that we got to see everything.  I am really in love with those Turbo Touch toys and can not wait to get them into my new babies hands when she is ready for them.

My kids loved Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Playhouse Disney and cries of “Oh Toodles” rang merrily throughout the house for many months.  I must also mention that the Playhouse Disney—Live on Stage!™ show at Disney World in Florida was a huge hit with both the boys when we went last year.

From the looks of it, this was the big deal toy of the season from Fisher Price and really when you mix Fisher Price and Disney can you really ever go wrong?  You can not help yourself by making comparisons to Tickle Me Elmo, but if that is the case call Dance Star Mickey the Tickle Me Elmo 2.0.  Mickey dances, walks, talks, and does the moonwalk all the while encouraging your kids to get up and dance as well.  He has multiple types of music you can boogie down to and do not miss his grand finale to one of his signature dances.  I was darn impressed with all that Mickey could do.

I have a my own video of Mickey below which I got on the first day of the Toy Fair, and you can check him out.  This little guy has some activities and has some jokes, in that wholesome Disney fashion.  I can probably take a guess and say this is going to be one hard toy to find when it comes out.

DANCE STAR MICKEY: It’s time for kids to get up and dance as their fun-loving pal Mickey Mouse comes to life right before their eyes! The new, innovative Dance Star Mickey walks and talks, and best of all, he dances his way into the limelight, topping off his skills with an “out of this world” grand finale to one of his signature dances.  With one press of Mickey’s foot, Dance Star Mickey comes to life for a fun interactive experience.  Dance Star Mickey grooves to five different songs with styles including Soul, Disco, Latin and Techno with that extra special finale.  But that’s not all – Dance Star Mickey is filled with interactive activities and silly humor, too.  Requires six AA alkaline batteries, included.

Sing-a-ma-jigs, what a relaxing toy, playing with one just makes you feel good.  While many toys are fun, how many can you say get you feeling just a bit better about your day and at the same time melting away the world around you.  Everyone that walked by the demo booth could not keep their hands off of them. 

I got to play with the red one while the booth demonstrator had one of the other colors, I forget exactly which one, but what is so cool is when you put two of them together and squeeze their bellies they harmonize.  I was actually surprised at how nice the sound was.  The harmonies and songs are just so addicting.  You want to squeeze just one more time.  Such a simple toy, but one with staying power for the kids and adults, and the more you collect the larger your chorus of Sing-a-ma-jigs gets.  Do not be surprised to want one sitting next to your computer monitor during the day to play with.  The also become a social toy since each of your children can have a different color and work (sing) together.

Expect when these things adorable plush characters are released they will fly off the shelves.  The look to be available come the Fall season.  They have it at age 3+, but I can already see myself with one and making our upcoming April baby laugh and smile.

SING-A-MA-JIGS!™: For kids and kids at heart, Sing-a-ma-jigs! are free-spirited, off-beat plush characters that set off unexpected laughter and excitement with each squeeze of their tummies! Their zany looks are unique, yet adorable.  When Sing-a-ma-jigs! sing, their little mouths open wide for each note, showing off their cute little teeth, creating a look and sound that is simply irresistible! 

Every Sing-a-ma-jig! features three modes of play.  First they chatter, then they each sing their own song, and when kids put them all together and squeeze their tummies one more time, they erupt into a harmonic chorus like none heard before.  As their motto says, “They Love Nothing Better, Than Singing Together,” and when they do, they sing together in perfect harmony each and every time.

Sing-a-ma-jigs! will debut in May with four characters, each featured in a different color and singing its own song, including:

• “Where Oh Where has My Little Dog Gone” (Red)
• “Skip to My Loo” (Pink)
• “When the Saints Go Marching In” (Teal)
• “Home on the Range” (Yellow)

Two additional characters: one in purple, who sings “Oh Suzanna” and another in green, who sings “On Top of Old Smoky” will follow later this fall. The more kids collect, the larger the chorus, the better the Sing-a-ma-jigs! sound!  Requires two AAA alkaline batteries, included.

I did get tired as the day went on, so that meant fewer and fewer pictures as the hours flew by, that does mean you get a lot of Mattel pics.  I did want to give you a bit of a taste of the Toy Fair this year and you can see the gallery below of my pictures.  Most of the companies did have press pictures which I used for most of my articles, so consider this a personal gallery.  Normally the BSC Empire has a real photographer come to the conventions and trade shows, he was just not available for this one. 

I will have a full show wrap up, hopefully tomorrow where I talk about the show overall, as well mention some items that I did not break out into their own posts.  I will probably refer back to this gallery as well.  Do not worry though, I still have a few full blown posts coming tomorrow.  Also I heard that the Fraggle Rock plush dolls were not a go yet, they sure better be, I am looking forward to getting them myself.

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As a mother I do not like toys that kids grow out of too quickly, I also do not like toys that will not pack up for easy moving.  That is why I was quite intrigued by First Toddle which is a play and development system that has an age range of 3 months to 3+ years.  It reminds me a bit of the PhunZone outdoor jungle gym and slide that we bought for the boys a few years ago for Christmas, which we love.  

Back to the First Toddle, we got to see a few of the different configurations and they were all well thought out.  I liked the fact that it could be configured into so many different things.  It was something that a baby could use to stand and walk and it looks like I would not have to worry about any issues with our baby getting hurt, it seems safe.  It is all right there for the baby to have fun with and my husband was impressed with the basketball configuration, big surprise!    I also liked the Toddle Tent and Crawl-Thru configuration which will be nice as the baby get older.  This is something I would even think about taking on a week long vacation because it can be moved so easily.  We make the trip to Hilton Head every year in the summer and this would be a nice option to pack up and bring.

The people at the booth were very nice and hopefully you will be seeing a review at our site for this product soon.

First Toddle is a 5-in-1 play and development system that gives your baby a safer environment in which to learn to stand and walk.  Emphasizing Gross Motor Skills, First Toddle stimulates your baby’s creativity and improves Cognitive Development.  As your baby grows, First Toddle’s advanced play features and accessories expand and change to entertain for months and years to come — infant play, stable support for new toddlers, advanced toddler play, sports.  First Toddle also helps children with Special Needs.  Play-based growth and fun — all in one easy package. 

You just met Lotso, now here’s another new character to see via a poster from Disney/Pixar, that we are going to meet in Toy Story 3! We already introduced you to Mr. Pricklepants (voiced by Timothy Dalton) and Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton)–and now we have more!

Here is the official word on ButterCup:

Saddle up for fun and let Buttercup lead your child away on a magical adventure! This cuddly unicorn… features velvety-soft, snow-colored fur with sparkly gold and pink accents. He sports a signature mythical golden horn and a fun-to-comb mane and tail. Buttercup’s durable plastic eyes are both charming and scratch-resistant. Hypo-allergenic.

Like I told you in the post about Lotso,  we ‘ve brought you the latest trailer for Toy Story 3 a couple of weeks ago, and you can  add that to the teaser trailer, the international theatrical trailer and  a clip. We will meet Buttercup Lotso, and all the new characters and old friend on June 18th, when Toy Story 3 hits theaters in 3-D glory!

A new character poster from our friends (they just don’t know it yet!) at Disney/Pixar for Toy Story and it features the new character that perhaps is getting the most buzz! We broke down why in an earlier post (where you’ll also see that he shares the cover with Woody and Buzz on Random House’s, Ready, Set, Draw!).

Here is the official word on Lotso:

Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear is a jumbo, extra-soft teddy bear with a pink and white plush body and a velvet…y purple nose. This lovable bear stands fuzzy heads and shoulders above other teddy bears because he smells like sweet strawberries! With a smile that will light up your child’s face and a belly just asking to be hugged, Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear is sure to become a bedtime necessity. Stain-resistant. Spot clean plush surface with a damp cloth.

Earlier this month we brought you the latest trailer for Toy Story 3 (along with some more cool new character posters). You add that to the teaser trailer, the international theatrical trailer and  a clip–and that’s a whole lot of Pixar awesome to hold us over until June 18th!

UPDATE: We also introduced Buttercup today!