The week of October 21-23 was the 2003 Fall Mass Market Toy Expo: an early preview of 2004 plans for mass retailers and buyers. Staffer blueduck37 visited Playmates at the event to look at the 2004 lineup.

Series 15 consists of Brandine, Handsome Moe, Comic Book Guy, Manjula, the Octoplets, and Deep Space Homer. The environment is the Power Plant Cafeteria with Frank Grimes. The mail-away will be a Stonecutter Wiggum figure.

Note: The octoplets will connect with playsets via a push-down tab similar to the one in Stephen Hawking's wheelchair.

Series 16 consists of Squishee-Bender Bart, Agnes Skinner, Devil Homer, Artie Ziff, Gary, and Benjamin & Doug. The environment is the Town Square with Jebediah Springfield. The mail-away is going to be a Stonecutter Lenny figure (not pictured).

Notes: This series marks the beginning of the mini-figure pack-ins (see info below). The Series 16 figures will be packed with the mini-figures seen accompanying them here. Also, in the Town Square, the head of the Jebediah statue will be removeable.

Series 17 consists of Ninja Bart, Richard & Lewis, Arnie Pie, Bigfoot Homer, Flying Hellfish Grampa, and Cecil Terwilliger. The environment is the Springfield Elementary School Playground with Janey.

Series 18 consists of Lindsey Naegle, Tuxedo Kang, Tuxedo Kodos, Uncle Moe, Sanjay, and Akira. The environment is the Flanders Rumpus Room with Maude Flanders.

Starting in Series 16, WoS collectors will get an added bonus in their figures. Each figure will have a mini pack-in figurine included. The mini-figure will be on a seperate, smaller blister card attached to the main blister card. See the sample card art for details. See the Series 16 section for the mini-figures for that series. These ones seen here are to be released with the Series 17 figures.

Playmates is tentatively planning to continue the rerelease program. Series 2 is set to consist of a Springfield Elementary diorama with resculpted Bart and Lisa and a Bowlarama diorama with resculpted Lenny and Carl.

Series 3 is set to consist of a Town Hall diorama with resculpted Kent Brockman and Mayor Quimby figures and a Moe's Tavern diorama with resculpted Moe and Barney figures.

Series 4 is set to consist of a Flanders Home diorama with resculpted Ned Flanders and Rod and Todd figures and a Frying Dutchman diorama with resculpted Captain MacCallister and Pimply Faced Teen figures.

Playmates is releasing a series of voice-response figures. You ask them certain questions and there a number of responses that they give. These will be in Toys R Us stores and other retailers later on. Homer is the first and he is shipping very soon. Bart will come out later. They should retail for about $14.99 each.

Playmates is releasing "Screamers"- medium sized dolls that scream or speak phrases when hit. The first two, Homer and Bart, are out in stores like Target now. The next set, Krusty and Apu, are due out later.