Mezco Toys, the collector-oriented toy company responsible for Reservoir Dogs and Austin Powers action figures, has just signed a license to produce 18-inch and under articulated figures of the Osbourne family.

Viz Communications has announced its lineup for the American edition of Shonen Jump and there is a strong TV connection evident in the choice of material for the magazine, which makes sense given Viz's goal of attaining mass market success with a circulation of one million in two years.

The good news is that ToyBiz action figures are getting better and better thanks to new high tech imaging equipment and an increasing willingness to hire top sculptors, but the bad news is that the first wave of Spider-Man Movie Action Figures showed up in Wal-Mart (and reportedly, in Toys R Us) a month before other channels.

New products dominated the Top 10 Cool lists this month, as strong new releases timed for the holidays pushed aside older ones.

Marvel's dismal fourth quarter performance capped off a very bad year, which saw the company's net sales decline from $319 million to $231 million.