ISSUE NO. 2
FEATURES 31 | TOY FAIR NEW YORK 2019 A Sneak Peek at the Hottest New Collectibles Coming This Year
44 | BEYOND THE HUNT
Sometimes it’s not the price of a collectible that matters, but the story that comes with it.
46 | DON’T OPEN THAT PACKAGE! Why Leaving Collectibles in Original Packaging Actually Matters
86 | LEVEL UP
The Most-Anticipated Video Games of 2019
76 | MAKING THE TOYS THAT MADE US The creator behind the hit Netflix series gives a BTS look at producing the show.
92 | FLAUNT YOUR FANDOM
Fashionable Must-Haves to Rep Your Favorite Fandoms
80 | WINTER IS HERE
Game of Thrones comes to an end, but the consumer products live on.
96 | FROM BOOK TO BIG SCREEN These literary works will inspire film and TV adaptations in 2019 and 2020.
DEPARTMENTS 6 | EDITOR’S LETTER
20 | POP INTO THE PAST
Toys rule our world, and we’re here to play.
Toys That Changed Pop Culture
8 | NERDY NEWS
Walmart’s new collectibles section appeals to fans.
22 | ONE-STOP POP SHOP
She-Ra, Resident Evil, and—wait for it—a Blockbuster party game?
12
88 | COSPLAY CORNER:
10 | STAT SHOT
COSPLAYERS GETTING COFFEE
The Top-Performing Comic Books of 2018
»
INTRODUCING CAPTAIN MARVEL
Inside the YouTube Series Bringing Cosplayers Together
16 | CONQUERING COLLECTIBLES
90 | COSPLAY CORNER: THE
AND EMPLOYING FANS
KING OF PRINCESS COSPLAY
GameStop finds its niche in today’s video game marketplace.
Meet Chris Calfa, the gender-bend Disney Princess of NYC.
18 | MUST-HAVE MERCH
94 | ARTISTS ALLEY
The Hottest Merch on the Planet
DC Collectibles taps indie artists for limited-edition collectibles.
Get to know the MCU’s newest hero.
INTRODUCING
»
52 | NERDY NEWS
The Lego Movie World, a Hot Wheels Live-Action Movie, and More
54 | BABY SHARK DIVES INTO RETAIL
What’s next for the YouTube video with more than 2.2 billion views?
60 | TOY FAIR NEW YORK: KIDS’ SHOWCASE
The Hottest Toys of the Year Based on Kids’ Favorite Fandoms
72 | INTO THE NIGHT
How the PJ Masks Rocked Preschool TV
4 | Issue No. 2 | THE POP INSIDER
56 | HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD The third film in the trilogy inspires dragon merch that slays.
74 | HASBRO POWERS UP
Power Rangers gets a new home, episodes, and products.