Diamond Select Toys provided a major boost for the Annual Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive at this year's San Diego Comic-Con.  DST donated 500 limited edition Spike Action Figures to be given away to participants in the blood drive, an action that resulted in the collection of 596 pints of blood, a new record that blew away last year's previous record of 372 pints.

At San Diego Diamond Select Toys also showed off prototypes of its upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer Action Figure releases, Chosen Buffy, Lessons Dawn and Once More with Feeling Dawn.  The six-inch figures are based on digital scans and will feature 14-16 points of articulation as well as episode-specific accessories.

Chosen Buffy is based on Buffy's appearance in the very last episode of the series.  Lessons Dawn is the first Dawn Action Figure and is based on the first episode of the seventh season of BTVS, providing a glimpse at the older, more mature version of Buffy's kid sister.  The limited Once More With Feeling Dawn, featuring Dawn in an elegant dress, comes from the Emmy-nominated musical episode.  This core assortment of figures should be available in comic shops in December.

DST is also producing four exclusive Buffy variants, which will be released in December with the core assortment and will be sold through various exclusive retail outlets.  The exclusive Buffy variants include Cheerleader Buffy (from Season 1), Vampire Buffy (from 'Nightmares'), Primeval Buffy (from the finale of Season 4), and the Buffybot automoton Buffy from the fifth season episode 'Intervention.'