In spite of its checkered career on US TV, Battle of the Planets was enormously influential. As one of the first science fiction anime titles to appear on American television, the character designs and costumes with all their avian allusions had a profound effect on viewers like Alex Ross, whose involvement in the Top Cow BOTP comic series derives directly from his enjoyment of the look of the original series. The heavy-handed 'Americanization' of the original Battle of the Planets series may have kept it from becoming a major hit on American TV -- though the Japanese series was clearly too violent for the tightly-controlled kids blocks on American networks during the 80s anyway -- but the design elements of the series still made a huge impression and the shows had patches of great style and verve along with the clunky moments (which often seem charming now), most of which were added by the American packager.
Never popular enough to merit an American toy line during the 1980s or 90s, Battle of the Planets has finally come into its own as a major property in today's retro-friendly climate (for a discussion of this mega-trend see 'Why Is Retro Better Than Ever'). The Top Cow comic debuted at the number 3 spot in pre-orders for July (see 'Retro Rules Again In July'), and Rhino has now issued six BOTP DVDs. Unlike the replicas of retro toys like the Micronauts or the Generation One Transformers (see 'Toys Has Exclusive on 3 Gen 1 Transformers'), the Diamond Select 7' BOTP figures are not copies of original toys, they are the first such figures ever produced in the world (the Japanese Gatchaman figures from Medicom were 12'). The first series of BOTP figures, which will hit stores on August 14, includes Mark, Princess, and Keyop. Each 7' figure comes complete with vehicle and accessories and has a suggested retail price of $10.99. Retailers must purchase Series I figures by the case, which includes four sets of the three figures. A second series of figures that includes Jason, Tiny, and Zoltar will be available several months after Series I ships.
In addition to Series I figures Diamond is also offering retailers a Civilian Keyop figure, available only through Previews. This version of Keyop features a new 'civilian' head as well as his recon dune buggy. Diamond has created two other exclusive versions of the BOTP figures, one for Toyfare Magazine and one for Electronic Boutique/Tower Records. Although some chain specialty retailers have shown interest in BOTP figures, the property is still flying under the radar of the big five mass-market toy sellers, including Wal-Mart, which is certainly good news for pop culture retailers.
The opportunities for cross merchandising with this property are numerous. In addition to the Top Cow comic and the Diamond Select action figures, Diamond is also offering a line of BOTP resin busts, which begins with the evil Zoltar, who should be available by August 14. Diamond also has BOTP calendars and wall scrolls, while retailers can also sell BOTP t-shirts and the Rhino BOTP DVDs (all available from Diamond Comic Distributors).
Retailers attending the San Diego International Comicon can purchase a specially painted version of the BOTP Mark figure (the 'Pearl White Mark') at the Diamond booth. This figure will only be sold to retailers, who must take their purchases with them -- but like the special foil cover edition of Transformers: Armada #1 that is also available to retailers at the Diamond San Diego booth -- selling the limited Pearl White Mark at a bit of a premium can help defray some of the expenses of attending the show.
