N is for Nanoforce

Mentioned in the previous post; they aren't 'nano', nor even micro, or mini, but Britains 'standard' 54mm'ish!

A funny one this, coming after a discussion the other day on Brian Heiler's Faceplant Group page and Shawn's Fantasy Blog just posting the Star Trek figures (I have one; The Next Generation, but Original Series aren’t on UK Amazon yet) leading me to feel a look at EMCE, the common thread in a number of nice figure sets is in order.

The set here is designed by EMCE under a Nanoforce^TM brand-mark, and sold by Diamond Select Toys (operation behind the 888-comic-book shop locator portal, President & CEO; Steve Geppi) under a PX / Previews Exclusive brand mark, all four brands are on the header card! EMCE were/are a design team, originally set up by Paul “Dr Mego” Clarke (licensee, marketer?) with Joe Sena (sculptor) on board.

Joe Sena was already President of Spherewerx, another brand, and the EMCE connection was a partnership which has (temporarily?) ended, although it appears Joe now controls (or can still use) the EMCE branding. Now, for those who need to know more, there is tons out there, especially on Youtube, as the bigger story involves Mattel, Mego and huge licences for action-figures, about which I have little interest.

But they have produced quite a few "2-inch figures" (their words), or 51mm, under the umbrella brand Nanoforce, of which we have seen the WWII Zombies here already, are - here - looking at the Aliens figures, and have Fallout, Gears of War and the aforementioned Star Trek in the long queue!

Some of the newer stuff (Gears' and Fallout) is actually closer to the full 54/56mm (with their thicker bases), but 'Trek, Aliens (here) and the Zombies at War are closer to 50mm, this is as complete a list as I can muster, alphabetically;

• Aliens -vs- Colonial Marines (35 figures, out of production, but findable, getting a bit pricey - Diamond Select Toys / PX Previews Exclusive  / designed by Nanoforce by EMCE Toys) Licensor - 20th Century Fox.
• Fallout 76 (12 figures per bag, 3 sets, 4 boxed sets include a 4" figure and extra [blind pack] poses, still around, affordable - Bethesda / Toynk / Nanoforce by EMCE Toys / Forth castle) Licensors - Bethesda Softworks a Zenimax Media Co.
• Gears 5 (Gears of War), (5-figures + droid, bag, glow in the dark variation, still around, affordable - Nanoforce by EMCE Toys (a brand of) Forth Castle Macromedia) Licensors - The Coalition / XBox Games / Microsoft, UK retailer Toynk (?)
•  John Carpenter's Halloween (12 figures + 1 4" figure, very rare, limited edition of 2500 units, very expensive when found - Fright Rags / Nanoforce by EMCE Toys) Licensor - Compass International Pictures
• Night of the Living Dead (12 figures + 1 4" figure, very rare, limited edition, very expensive when found - Fright Rags / Nanoforce by EMCE Toys / Image Ten)
• Star Trek (12 figures + micro-ship model, 2 boxed-sets so far, newest, affordable - PX Previews Exclusive / Nanoforce by EMCE Toys / Fanwares a division of Fanwraps) Licensor - CBS Studios
• Universal Monsters (planned/cancelled? EMCE / Mego?)
• You Will Emerge (24 figure bag, Fallout expansion, still around, affordable - Bethesda / Nanoforce by EMCE Toys / Forth castle, no Toynk) Licensors - Bethesda Softworks a Zenimax Media Co.
• Zombies at War (35 figures, out of production, but findable, getting a bit pricey - PX Previews Exclusive / Brilliant Novelty Co. / Diamond Comic Distributors / EMCE Toys (a brand of) Forth Castle Macromedia, no 'Nanoforce')
•  Zombies -vs- Zombie Hunters (35 figures, out of production, but findable, getting a bit pricey - PX Previews Exclusive / Brilliant Novelty Co. / Diamond Comic Distributors / EMCE Toys (a brand of) Forth Castle Macromedia, no 'Nanoforce')

Glow in the dark versions of both the Aliens (not Colonial Marines) and Zombies (not Hunters) were available in glowing slime as blind-capsule purchases from shop-counter boxes, five sculpts each.

The figures are OK, but a bit clumpy, like the Zombies at War, not as polished as the current Gears'/Fallout/'Trek set's figures. You get 35 figures in total, with 5 sculpts for each 'side' and you are pretty much guaranteed to get at least three-each of all ten poses in a set.