October - December 2007

Gentle Giant to Offer Indiana Jones Desk Accessories and Bust-Ups
Message posted Dec. 30, 2007

Earlier this month Gentle Giant announced an Indiana Jones mini bust and Indiana Jones on horseback statue to be made available in July.

The current issue of Diamond Distributors' "Previews" catalog has a two-page spread advertising the bust and horse statue along with the announcement of Bust-Ups and desk accessories. The images are not final but looking at them they include a paperweight, pen and paperclip holders and a business card holder. Very cool.

Collection Update; Indiana Jones LEGOs
Message posted Dec. 22, 2007

Toys R Us had a sneak preview and sale of the Indiana Jones LEGO sets Dec. 21-22. I picked up the Motorcycle Chase and the Lost Tomb sets. The store had the Temple Escape but I needed to budget. I'll pick it up after Christmas along with Race for the Stolen Treasure. I didn't see the Race for the Stolen Treasure in Toys R Us though.

You can read a news release from LEGO announcing the sets here. I have also put a photo of the Motorcycle Chase set on the Last Crusade page and the Lost Tomb set on the Raiders of the Lost Ark collectibles page. I will also buy second sets of each one to put together and display. Pics of those will follow.

The year of the return Indiana Jones begins.

Indiana Jones Trading Card Signatures Revealed
Message posted Dec. 16, 2007

The official Star Wars site (I don't know why these announcements aren't made on the Indiana Jones site) has a follow-up article revealing the signers of the autograph cards for the 2008 Indiana Jones Heritage Trading Cards. Looks like none of the man himself.

The Art of Adventure: Indiana Jones Poster Retrospective
Message posted Dec. 11, 2007

With the recent release of the theatrical teaser poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Pete Vilmur, co-author of The Star Wars Vault has written an essay on the art and history of the Indiana Jones posters.

Indiana Jones Gift Guide 2007
Message posted Nov. 29, 2007

The holiday shopping season is upon us and we are six months away from the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Next year the stores will be flooded with all kinds of gifts and collectibles for the Indiana Jones fan. Until then the gift pickings of new items are slim but there are still things out there to put a name tag on or stuff in a stocking.

VIDEO GAMES - New Indiana Jones video games aren't available yet but two new games are scheduled for 2008: LEGO Indiana Jones and a new title for the next-gen systems. If you aren't current with your gaming systems now is the time to upgrade if you want to be able to play these new games. LEGO Indiana Jones should be available for the Playstation 3 PlayStation 3 (60GB), Xbox 360 Xbox 360 Pro Value Bundle and Nintendo Wii. Wii The untitled new adventure was originally announced for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. With the unexpected popularity of the Nintendo Wii, the game may be adapted for it as well but no official announcement has been made. The new LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga features an unlockable Indiana Jones in the game.

GIFT CARDS - Gift cards are a perennial favorite and can used be toward Indiana Jones items yet to be released. The first wave of LEGOS is scheduled for release in January so a gift card to the favorite store of an Indiana Jones fan is a great idea.

APPAREL - Star Wars Shop has hats and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull T-shirts for sale.

I HATE SNAKES GIFT SHOP - The IHS Gift Shop has items that the Indiana Jones fan would like. Things ranging from books, video games and DVDs.

I HATE SNAKES STORE - The IHS Store has exclusive IHS T-shirts, sticker and magnet with the release date of Raiders of the Lost Ark on it.

DVDS - With the Indiana Jones trilogy The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade) - Widescreen Edition still available on DVD and The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones - Vol. 1 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume One - The Early Years for sale, and Vol. 2 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Vol. Two - The War Years set for release Dec. 18, now is a great time to add these to your collection.

PHOTOS - Official Pix has many Indiana Jones photos for sale covering the first three films and the first image of Harrison Ford back as Indy for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Indiana Jones Now A Podcast
Message posted Nov. 18, 2007

In conjunction with TheForce.Net, Ed Dolista is now hosting a podcast dedicated to Indiana Jones. There is a short segment on collecting. It's a short podcast in general but when the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer hits and collectibles start arriving in stores it's sure to grow with more features.

Collection Update; The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Vol, 1 on DVD
Message posted Nov. 13, 2007

I have addedThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume One - The Early Years to my collection.

You can read my review of the set here at my blog. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Vol. Two - The War Years is also available for pre-order.

First Official Crystal Skull Pic Available
Message posted Nov. 4, 2007

Official Pix has the first official image of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull for sale. It's the picture of him that Steven Spielberg took that let us know he still fit the costume. The photo is hand numbered and limited to 250 prints.

Official Pix reports that it will have approximately 100 official photos of Indiana Jones and the Indiana Jones universe for sale by mid-November.

Indiana Jones to Hit Bookshelves
Message posted Oct. 29, 2007

Spielbergfilms.com has a rundown of titles and release dates of upcoming Indiana Jones books, both fiction and nonfiction.

Current Toy Shop Issue Features Indiana Jones
Message posted Oct. 23, 2007

The December 2007 issue of Toy Shop has an article in it about regarding Indiana Jones' debut as one of Sideshow Collectibles' Premium Format action figures.

The story isn't available online so you'll have to check your local bookstore or newsstand for the issue. One interesting thing the article mentions is the facial stubble is most difficult thing about creating Indiana Jones as a Premium Format action figure.

One More Year Until Indiana Jones Hits Halloween
Message posted Oct. 18, 2007

Last year I wrote up a Halloween-themed Wish List featuring costume ideas that would make great Indiana Jones collectibles.

Well now we are one year away from Indiana Jones regaining his place as a popular Halloween costume. I have no doubt there will be Halloween items featuring the character. It's just a question of what. Hopefully there will be more than just a packaged costume.

Now that October is upon us and people are starting to think about their Halloween costumes and parties, it would be a great time to suggest the next Wish List item, an officially licensed Indiana Jones Halloween costume. What I have in mind isn't for the serious costuming enthusiast, but for the general public.

Indiana Jones has been a part of the holiday in the form of a Ben Cooper costume from the early 1980s and rubber masks of Indy and Dr. Henry Jones released in the 1990s. As far as I know, that's the extent of Indy's Halloween presence. Since Indiana Jones makes a great Halloween costume I have two ideas for it.

The first would be like the Zorro Adult costume. Many fictional characters come as a fancy costume pre-packaged. The "Indiana Jones Super Deluxe Adult" costume would include a faux fedora, faux leather jacket, faux bullwhip, a one-piece khaki pant/gray shirt outfit and shoulder bag. As with a lot of these pre-packaged costumes, many of the character's accessories are not included. This Indy costume would include the basics and encourage the buyer to pursue a gun, holster, etc. The costume could also be made to fit a child. Many fictional characters come as a fancy costume pre-packaged. The "Indiana Jones Super Deluxe Adult" costume would include a faux fedora, faux leather jacket, faux bullwhip, a one-piece khaki pant/gray shirt outfit and shoulder bag. As with a lot of these pre-packaged costumes, many of the character's accessories are not included. This Indy costume would include the basics and encourage the buyer to pursue a gun, holster, etc. The costume could also be made to fit a child.

The second approach to an Indiana Jones costume would be to package and brand Indy's accessories separately the way these Freddy Krueger items have been done. Freddy Fedora Adult Deluxe could easily be a model for an Indiana Jones officially licensed Halloween costume hat. Deluxe Freddy Metal Glove The Deluxe Freddy Metal Glove takes his signature weapon and makes it a great Halloween costume accessory and collectible. The same could be done with Indiana Jones' signature weapon, the bullwhip. There is also the Zorro Bullwhip with Sound There is no reason why there shouldn't be a brown, Indiana Jones-branded bullwhip that does the exact same thing. Finally, a faux leather jacket could be branded "Indiana Jones" and sold as a costume accessory the way Sweater Freddy's Sweater is sold. Indy's jacket is just as iconic as his hat and would be a necessary piece to a mass-marketed Halloween costume line.

An Indiana Jones officially licensed Halloween costume would make a great collectible, expand the brand, and give a man or boy a way to dress up as one of the most popular movie characters of all time.

As a regular feature at IHateSnakes.com I post Wish List items I think would make great Indiana Jones collectibles and merchandise. I welcome any suggestions from site visitors. Feel free to send me a description of an Indiana Jones collectible, along with your name, you'd like to see and I will make it one of the Wish List news items. Please keep your collectible suggestions reasonable and realistic. For example, a life-size, whip-cracking robot of Indiana Jones is just too far out. If I receive duplicate suggestions I'll credit each person with the Wish List item. Please send Wish List suggestions to lon@ihatesnakes.com.

Homeowners Create Temple of 'Boom'
Message posted Oct. 9, 2007

Electronic House magazine posted a story featuring Larry and Colleen Halliday's Indiana Jones-style home theater. This is a great way to incorporate collectibles and a theme in your home.