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AICNN News Special: 2025 Archie Award Winner Announcement
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Welcome to AICNN (Adventures in Collecting News Network) where toy news matters! This is your AIC NEWS brief. Give us a few minutes, and we'll give you the goods.
This week the AICNN anchors concludes the 5th Annual Archie tournament and crowns the best toy line of the year!
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Intro and other voices by Joe Azzari
https://www.instagram.com/voicesbyjoe/
Theme Music is "Game Boy Horror" by the Zombie Dandies
Proudly part of the Non-Productive Network
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast and Hosts
00:00:03
Speaker
Are you ready, kids? Get your parents' permission, check your mailbox, and grab your shopping cart. It's time for the Adventures in Collecting podcast. I'm Eric.
00:00:15
Speaker
And I'm Dave. Welcome to Adventures in Collecting, where we talk toy news, culture, and hauls. Along with our journeys as collectors.
00:00:32
Speaker
AICNN, where toy news matters.
Tournament Announcements and Giveaways
00:00:36
Speaker
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Adventures in Collecting and a special AIC News Bulletin. You are all here to find out who won this year's Archie tournament, and I promise you will not have to wait long to get your answer. But first, as is always the case, a little bit of housekeeping. So um it is almost the end of the month, which means that ah it's it's you're running out of time to enter to win ah our our big end of year or beginning of year contest, our giveaway. So um I'm going remind you again, ah you have until
00:01:19
Speaker
December 31st, 1159 p.m. Eastern time to get your entry in for the 2025 holiday giveaway. um Once again, lots of really, really cool stuff in here, including a $100 gift card donated by a friend of the pod and friend of the community, D. Blake makes um that ah that is included in this giveaway.
00:01:45
Speaker
instant holiday in a box, if you will. So you've got platinum editions from the DC multiverse. You've got G.I. Joe classified. You've got ringside exclusive elites. You've got fanatics exclusive Funko Pops, um a little bit of anime, a little bit of Marvel Legends, a little bit of wrestling, a little bit of soft our vinyl toys in there. Of course, we've got something from our our good friends at Handmade by Robots. Savage Crucible, one of the best releases of the year, if you ask me.
New Logo and Merchandise Unveiling
00:02:15
Speaker
um lots of really really cool stuff in here so the only way to enter this is to visit our instagram uh at aic underscore podcast and uh and throw your your name in the hat to win and uh bring all this stuff home jump start your collection spread the wealth um whatever whatever you feel is is best um But yeah, so Pinpost, you have just a couple days left if you're listening to this as it airs on Monday, December 29th. So um and and I can give you a hint to January's giveaway
00:02:53
Speaker
is really cool. That's all I'm going to say. We're starting off the year with a bang. So from that ah to some other news that we have, ah which is really exciting.
00:03:07
Speaker
um We recently announced that we have a new logo. So we have a new Archie i that is commissioned by one of our favorite artists and a huge huge member of the community, Plastic Vampire Art on on Instagram, but Chris Rameau, he is the packaging designer over at NECA, and he is an incredible artist.
00:03:29
Speaker
ah We loved his work before we even knew him personally, but ah we commissioned a new Archie ah from him, and we absolutely love it.
00:03:40
Speaker
We think he's finally... arrived in this new design, so much so that we decided to finally pull the trigger and open up our own TeePublic page, which you can find at AICpodcast.com forward slash links. You can find a link to the the store there and you can you can proudly emblazon your body with our logo. If that's something that you seem to see fit right now, the shirts are on sale as for just a few more days. So $16 a shirt.
00:04:15
Speaker
um Full disclosure, we get a dollar if you buy a shirt. So um if you if you enjoy listening to Adventures in Collective, you enjoy watching, you enjoy our content on Instagram um and you want to support us, this is a fun way to do that. i I already ordered one.
00:04:34
Speaker
Frankly, i'm I'm excited to to have Archie on on my body. I'll probably wear it to conventions and things. That way, when I'm out and about, people see the logo maybe and recognize me. But yeah, I'm i'm really excited that um we're we're starting to get a little bit more out there. We've got new stickers coming, new pins. We've slowly started to replace the old logo wherever it it has been previously with art with our new updated Archie.
Housekeeping and Upcoming Episode Tease
00:05:03
Speaker
He looks heroic.
00:05:04
Speaker
He looks, as as people have have called out, he looks he looks yoked, as the kids say. um So yeah, just just really excited that we have a new logo and that we were able to partner with such a talented artist. Please check out his other work, Plastic Vampire Art, at Plastic Vampire Art on ah on Instagram, or at Plastic Vampire. ah Yeah, he is, Chris is fantastic. He does amazing work, especially if you love like Tiki and horror. There is a lot to dive in from him and
00:05:36
Speaker
Yeah, and he's always he's always doing new stuff. He's got a Roosevelt's collection out. So yeah, shouts to Chris. um we are We are big fans of his and we are excited that ah that we can be part of his ah his portfolio. we we love our We love our Archie and we love the new version of him. So thank you so much, Chris. And um yeah, again, AIC podcast dot com forward slash links. You can find the link to ah to the shop and ah you get yourself ah an Archie shirt. Or if you feel so in inclined, a pair of socks or a fanny pack or a mug um or a shirt for the kids.
00:06:13
Speaker
So yeah, uh, lots of, lots of fun stuff going on there.
Tournament Highlights and Recap
00:06:18
Speaker
Um, with that, that takes care of housekeeping. Uh, at least, uh, the majority of it. One last thing, top 10 list.
00:06:27
Speaker
It's coming. The next episode will be Dave and my, uh, top 10 from 2025. So, um, perfect way to kick off the new year by close out, closing out the, uh, the previous year with some top 10s.
00:06:39
Speaker
So, um, That one always seems to to be a popular one. And we're going see ah if we can get a special yes back with us. So stay tuned for that. um With that said, let's get into the the topic at hand, which is our Archie tournament winner. So rather than um ah You know what? I'll make the announcement. So let's make the announcement first. Of course, the final came down to um Marvel Legends and Joe Classified, both previous winners of of the tournament.
00:07:13
Speaker
um Both ah both juggernauts, Goliaths, if you will, in in the industry. um And both honestly deserved winners.
00:07:26
Speaker
So regardless of how it it turned out, either one would have been a solid pick. um Both cleaned up throughout the tournament ah with with wide margins of of victory.
00:07:38
Speaker
ah And yeah, they they both edged out some some pretty ah tough opponents too. So, um you know, shouts to some of the underdogs or upcomers that made it all the way to the semifinals. So we had Jada Street Fighter, um which fought its way through a pretty a pretty tough field. I mean, if we if we look at just Jada Street Fighter's trajectory through the tournament, right? So their first matchup, um I'm just scrolling through here to find it. There we go. So their first matchup was against Mezco 112. Super established line.
00:08:13
Speaker
Very, very big fan base. um Handedly beat them. So they beat them 71 to 29. ah They then had to fight off Mezco's five points, which again, handedly They beat, so 88-12. Then they went up against Star Wars The Vintage Collection and still managed to get past them, so with a sixty forty split.
00:08:34
Speaker
Then we had the Jada Street Fighter versus... Storm Arena, the 112 Street Fighter ah duel, and they took that, again, handedly. So 75-25 over Storm Arena, and ah that put them in the semifinals against Marvel Legends. And they while they lost 66 to 34%,
00:08:53
Speaker
thirty four percent um They still put up a hell of a fight. And then G.I. Joe Classified in the semifinals had to take on Mythic Legions. Again, a line with a tremendous following, a cult following, one one would even say. And Mythic Legions did not have necessarily an easy path through. um Their first round, they had ah they were up against Cosmic Legions, so their own like sister line.
00:09:16
Speaker
Then anime heroes, um both, you know, very popular, well-known lines. ah then ah Then they had to fight off DC Multiverse, and that was close. They just edged out McFarlane DC Multiverse 52 to 48%.
00:09:34
Speaker
um And then they had to take on Jada Scooby-Doo in these in the ah the fourth round. And that was also really, really close. You know, they won 59-41.
00:09:49
Speaker
And then, ah of course, you know, they caught the the buzzsaw that is Joe classified in the semifinals, um which they lost 79 to 21. So, of course, that brings us to Marvel Legends and G.I. Joe classified. And ah with um without further ado, let's hear from the winners themselves.
00:10:15
Speaker
Now. Hey everyone, BMAC here. I just wanted to say thank you for making GI Joe Classified your 2025 adventures in collecting Archie winner. If you thought 2025 was a good year, wait until you see what we have coming for you in 2026. Hey everyone, this is Tony from the GI Joe Classified team.
00:10:32
Speaker
Just jumping on to say thank you for making GI Joe Classified the 2025 Archie winner. Happy holidays and don't forget. Nobody beats GI Joe, real American hero.
00:10:45
Speaker
Hey everyone, this is Lenny from the G.I. i Joe Classified team. And I just wanted to say thank you. Winning the Archie Awards is a huge achievement, especially when there's so many other awesome action figure lines out there.
00:10:56
Speaker
So again, thank you and happy holidays. Also remember, Yo-Joe!
Sponsor Message and Surprise Winner Announcement
00:11:02
Speaker
And now, a word from our sponsors.
00:11:10
Speaker
This segment is brought to you by our friends at Chubsy Wubsy Toys. A traditional mom and pop toy store in Little Falls, New Jersey, Chubsy Wubsy Toys brings you the best new toys from the brands you love without the hassle of pounding the pavement searching for them at larger retail stores.
00:11:27
Speaker
Visit them in person at their brand new home at 101 Newark Pompton Turnpike Suite 1 in Little Falls, New Jersey, or online at chubzywubzy.com.
00:11:39
Speaker
That's
00:11:45
Speaker
And tell them Adventures in Collecting sent you.
00:11:52
Speaker
And now, back to the show. Congrats to the G.I. Joe classified team on another victory. um they They bested the Marvel Legends line, which I think surprised a lot of people because Marvel Legends had a really, really, really strong year, especially with their game reverse um and some of their MCU stuff that they did this year. Just just top stuff. um If I were voting in this tournament, I don't i we I don't disclose. I also don't vote in this for obvious reasons. But um this would be like a Sophie's Choice kind of situation for me. These are out of the three, my like three or four main lines that I that I really, really focus on.
00:12:39
Speaker
Both of these two ah are are chief among them. And I think they both had radically strong years. um And you know just that the the the figures that are in this picture alone. So pictured here from classified, you've got the snake eyes from the polar bear two pack.
00:12:58
Speaker
You've got retro cover girl and you've got crystal ball. Three incredible, incredible figures in their own right. um ah standing tall over the MCU Daredevil, the Gamerverse Juggernaut, and the Gamerverse Wolverine.
00:13:13
Speaker
um Again, three figures that are amazing, truly incredible releases. The all Hasbro final never disappoints, ah and the G.I. Joe fans just ah showed up, showed out, and um and took down and took down Marvel Legends.
00:13:29
Speaker
ah So they are once again the champions, And um just to kind of show you some additional ah results here. So, of course, they win with a perfect 6-0 record. Marvel Legends coming in second with a 5-1 record. And then our tie for third, as I mentioned, the Mythic Legions and Jada Street Fighter.
00:13:51
Speaker
um As we as we mentioned earlier in the tournament, ah as for the rules, so ah the team with that wins the tournament will be the first seed in next year's tournament.
00:14:06
Speaker
um And ah the the the toy lines that will be eliminated from next year's tournament um due to ah getting a first round vote less than 10 percent. um will be pro wrestling tees micro brawlers. They only got 7% in the first round.
00:14:25
Speaker
um And i think there was only one other one. So Thrilljoy. Yeah, so Thrilljoy only got 6% in the first round. So they will be disqualified from next year's tournament. And then, of course, the... ah the The tournament will change based on, ah you know, based on availability and releases. Next year will likely be the last year that McFarlane's DC multiverse can can enter into the tournament, which will be um interesting to see how that turns out. And then we'll have two new at the very least two new toy lines coming into the tournament to replace the two that ah that scored less than 10%. So um those will be to to be determined.
00:15:08
Speaker
um A lot of thought goes into this tournament, a lot of work goes into it, and obviously a lot of voting goes into it. This was the largest voting turnout we have ever had. We tabulated, and I'm going to say we, I mean um Instagram's poll feature, tabulated thousands of votes um for this tournament, which is incredible.
00:15:29
Speaker
just blows my mind how many people turn out for this. The fact that the folks that won, so shouts to B McElhenney and Tony um for recording a little something and and accepting our our virtual award here as as multiple time winners, um they get to defend their title next year. So ah the if you love this tournament,
00:15:54
Speaker
um There's another one coming in March. So every year we do Marvel Legends March Madness as well. So that will be coming and that tournament, rather than ranking, that tournament will decide um which figure you as the community want to see most in the Marvel
Community Reflection and Engagement
00:16:15
Speaker
Legends line. So if you liked all of this voting and you liked ah the style of tournament, we do the same exact style of tournament. So um a March Madness style, 64,
00:16:26
Speaker
different ah Marvel characters that have either never had a Marvel Legends figure before or are like greatly, greatly in need of a redo. So like something that was maybe in those like first two or three waves of Marvel Legends. I'm looking at you, mole man.
00:16:43
Speaker
um But um yeah, so we'll take a look at the list that we put out last year um and any figures that got announced off of that list from from ah last year will be removed and ah and we'll have a set of 64 characters for you guys to vote on in single elimination tournament.
00:17:02
Speaker
um As always, this is a super fun way to to end the year for us. we We look forward to the Archie tournament and we look forward to um our top ten lists and sharing those with you guys.
00:17:14
Speaker
So thank you everyone who voted. um We're deeply sorry if your if your toy line did not make it to the end. There can only be one winner, but um it's always an opportunity to share those polls when they're when they're live in the stories and and rally rally your troops, you know, rally your battle cry and ah and and get people to turn out and vote for ah your team, your toy line.
00:17:39
Speaker
There's always next year and we're always excited to see what what toy lines crop up where and how far they make it into the tournament. there's There's always some fun surprises, some really, really heartbreaking matchups, especially in the first round this year. I mean, Transformers versus G.I. Joe in round one. um Broke a lot of hearts, I think, right at the end of the gate uh but yeah it's it's it's always a good time and and uh every year there's always more and more voting so um thank you again to everybody that that participated ah stay tuned until next week for our top 10 uh of 2025 that's you know again we we love doing that so um we're super excited to to get that in front of you guys um With that, this has been your extended AIC News Brief, ah your Archie Results Tournament.
00:18:31
Speaker
i Go buy a shirt, go enter our giveaway, and we will see you next week with our top 10 lists. On behalf of the entire AICNN News Team, this has been your AIC Special Bulletin.
00:18:48
Speaker
Thank you for hanging out with us today. Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast wherever you listen, and then tell your friends to do it. Thanks also to Joe Azari, the golden voice behind our intro.
00:18:59
Speaker
Learn more about him in the show notes. Our music is Game Boy Horror by The Zombie Names. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at Adventures in Collecting and on Twitter at AIC underscore podcast.
00:19:14
Speaker
Stop by and say hi. Show us your hauls and photos. Tell us your toy stories. Maybe we'll talk about it on a future episode.
00:19:26
Speaker
um try this at home void where prohibited and some assembly required each sold separately not a flying toy consult a physician if your toy run exceeds more than four hours
00:19:35
Speaker
This has been a non-productive media presentation. Executive producer, Frank Hablaui. This program and many others like it on the Non-Productive Network is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License. Please share it, but ask before trying to change it or sell it. For more information, visit non-productive.com.