This articles
looks at the creativity behind the merchandise which survives like a
Skynet Terminator!
- Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines video game was released in 2003 and was based on the third film of the same name. Although the game was not well received it did try to allow players to break out of the confinement of the film and explore content created by the developers. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he very rarely voices characters in videogames but he felt the game did the movie justice.
- Terminator comics were first published in 1988 by Dark Horse comics, and since then the number of comics in circulation has grown and grown. Comic book powerhouse Marvel has published several, but independent publishers Dark Horse Comics have published the most. They have also created interesting crossovers such as the Terminator vs. Robocop, and Terminator vs. Superman. No doubt the new film will stir the creative juices in comic book creators.
- Terminator 2 Judgement Day board game came out not long after the film. Published by MB, the game roughly followed the plot of the movie and the objectives of the characters in T2. The second Terminator film was so successful that the merchandise started to come thick and fast.
- Betsafe's Terminator 2 slot machine game is a good example of how far the merchandising has come, and a good example of how casino sites have utilized the films to attract players. Some even developed their own videos to promote their games. Such is the power of the franchise.
- Terminator film posters have always caught the eye, and rare ones often generate interest and are awarded as prizes. Posters are always well received by fans. This site features a competition where one of the prizes was a rare Italian poster of the original 1984 film, Terminator. The poster was owned by Michael Biehn the hero that same film.
- Inevitably, Terminator action figures were going to happen. There have been several ranges of figures from various manufacturers, many of which are on sale today. As with all figures, boxed, good condition ones have become collectors' items and subsequently valuable.
- As well as comic book extensions of the Terminator universe, Terminator novels have also come thick and fast. Although they have received mixed reviews by fans, the authors' attempts to expand and fill in the gaps between films are admirable. They show us the Terminator universe is rich and deep.
- Terminator T-shirts are just one example of the array of fashion the film franchise has created. The shirts feature famous images from the films, or dazzling artwork created by artists inspired by the Terminator universe.
- The Terminator Factor diorama was developed just after Terminator Salvation showed rows and rows of T-700 Terminators being assembled. Now you can own your own 1:16th scale model of the same machine being built. Although smaller, it is just as unsettling.
- Sunglasses have been a big feature of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator since the first film. The brand he wore in 1984 to disguise his damaged eye were Gargoyle sunglasses a brand which still makes sunglasses today. No doubt their sales increase with every film.
Like all good
film franchises, the Terminator universe stays with us. Perhaps
unlike some of its contemporaries, it is the Terminator's dark,
gloomy, brooding vision of the future which sets it apart from the
competition, and continues to fuel our imagination.
The article above is a submission.