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Prolific toy and game inventor-engineer John Maxim died on February 6th at his home in Dallas, Texas, it was announced by his son, Michael. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer. John began his career in the early 70s at Mattel in Preliminary Design. After several years at Mattel, he left to become an independent inventor. Among John’s many licensed inventions were Bumble Ball (Ertl), The Cutter (Crayola), Guzzlers (Ideal Toys), SpectraColor Image Pad (Irwin), Wibbly Wobbly Egg Race game (Vivid Imagination), Power Command Hot Wheels (Mattel) and countless other playthings. John was awarded dozens of patents. Later in his career, he was a founding member of the Sunshine Santas, a tight knit group of independent inventors residing in south Florida. John came to his ingenuity naturally. It was in his DNA. His family tree includes Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim (1840-1916), an American-British inventor best known as the creator of the first automatic machine gun, the Maxim gun. He was knighted in 1901. Hiram Percy Maxim (1869-1936), an MIT graduate, invented the first commercially successful sound suppressor for firearms (the silencer). He also developed mufflers for internal combustion engines. John’s son, Michael, an engineer, spent eight years at Space X before leaving to follow in his dad’s footsteps as an independent inventor. In his final days, John enjoyed his lifelong passion for creating toys, communicating with colleagues around the country about projects in development. (written by Richard C. Levy)
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TBR Video of the Week
Artist George Lerner gave the world Mr. Potato Head. Since discovering them in 3,000 B.C. humans have found that potatoes can be boiled, baked, fried, mashed, steamed, whipped, and of course, adorned with human plastic body parts. This is the Mr. Potato Head Edition of Where's the Fun from? (WTFF). Thank you, Tim Walsh!
In this new “making of” Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar video, Prospero Hall creators discuss how they tapped into old issues of Scientific American, adventure magazines, and movie monster posters. The result was a game that has a distinct 1950s pulp fiction vibe. In addition to the inspiration from fictional materials, the game’s board is inspired by Hawaiian tourism pamphlets and maps from the same era – giving it an authentic and whimsical vintage charm. “We wanted the game to feel like a dead stock game from mid-century where it hadn’t been opened yet, but was printed back then,” explains Product Designer Jordan Chritenson. Every component of the game (board, stickers, cards) propels the player deeper into the experience. And, yet it’s the dinosaur miniatures that are sure to stun Jurassic World fans and board game geeks alike. The eye-catching miniatures of Jurassic World: Legacy of Isla Nublar aren’t just statues of dinosaurs – they are bursting from the movie screen and onto your living room table. Prospero Hall used the same models from Industrial Light & Magic, the famed Special FX studio that worked on the Jurassic World movies, to help craft the designs for these minis. Each of these dinosaur miniatures appear in their most iconic scenes from the films. The T. rex is breaking through the fence on a rainy night, the Velociraptors are bursting through the kitchen doors and the Brachiosaurus is lifting its head regally above the tree canopy. All 12 dinosaur miniatures feature the same attention to detail and promise to become collectibles and a delight to those who like paint and customize. Additional details on the inspiration for the making of Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar are revealed by the inventive creative team in this new video. One last behind-the-scenes video is set to be released next month to bookend previous videos – First Look and Gameplay Preview. Those interested in learning more about the game are encouraged to folow the Kickstarter page at funkogames.com/JWLKickstarter for updates and to be notified on launch day. About Prospero Hall Prospero Hall is a collaborative game design studio in Seattle, Washington. Each project starts with a vision – the kind of game we want to make, the vibe, the look and feel, the reason for it to exist. Today, all games developed by Prospero Hall are published by Funko Games and deliver inventive game mechanics and engaging stories for shared experiences that bring fans and families back to the table again and again. About the JURASSIC WORLD Franchise From Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Jurassic World immerses audiences of all ages in a new era of wonder and thrills where dinosaurs and humankind must learn to coexist. Jurassic World is more than a film franchise. At every turn, this $5 billion film series delivers a larger-than-life destination for exploration, discovery, and epic adventure. Dinosaurs live again and they live in Jurassic World. Jurassic World: Dominion debuts in theaters June 2022.
Yeah, us too! That’s why we created Cat® Trial 11: Hot Wheels®, where five cars driven by professional stunt drivers get to show off their skills in an epic playground created by NextGen Cat Wheel Loaders and other Cat gear. Not only did our team design and create the track for Trial 11, but each of the five cars featured highlight a different Cat service.
Duncan has a surprise for Skeletor. He-Man & The Masters of The Universe Season 2 premiered worldwide on Netflix beginning Mar 3, 2022.
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC)’s Fender Custom Shop™ (FCS) today announced the launch of a special collaboration with Mattel, Inc and Hot Wheels™, the global leader in car culture. Created by the Shop’s esteemed team of eleven master builders and five apprentice builders, the Fender Custom Shop Hot Wheels collection consists of 16 one-of-a-kind, bespoke designs inspired by the die-cast vehicles introduced by Mattel in 1968. Each guitar in the collection is designed with careful attention to unique designs, graphics and Hot Wheels color shades that stay true to the 1:64 scale cars that have inspired the challenger spirit for generations. In addition, each model comes with a Hot Wheels strap and pick set as well as a custom Hot Wheels Hardshell case, all adorned in the brand’s signature orange and blue as well as a Hot Wheels die-cast that its associated guitar is inspired by and certificate of authenticity.
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