Toyriffic

Slash and Burn

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Even though I have gathered together a bunch of original TMNT toys over the last couple years, there was only one Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy that I purchased when the original run of action figures were clogging the stores. While I'm simply fascinated by the late eighties/early nineties Playmates Turtles toyline now, and have been lucky enough to acquire quite the collection of heroes and villains in my secondary market travels and trades, during the time the toys were hanging on toy store shelves they did little to interest me. I didn't care about any of them.

Except for Slash:

When I stumbled upon Slash on the pegs back in 1990 I just had to have him; his design was a little 'something extra' above and beyond the normal and relatively simple turtle and villain action figures of the time. He was a total bad-ass! He had some rather brutal (albeit hot pink...the nineties, ladies and gentlemen) weapons and he looked mean. He's like a Bizarro-turtle, complete with backwards 'S' on his belt buckle! In fact, now that I type that, I bet Bizarro was the inspiration for this guy, and is probably why I found (and still find) him so appealing!

Beyond his look, I knew and still know nothing about Slash except that he's a bad guy. He's like the Boba Fett of TMNT (pre-prequels of course!)

I displayed Slash in my room for years, a solo yet loved representative of a toyline I completely ignored for years. Yet somehow over the years and the many times I have boxed up my stuff and moved I have lost my original Slash. This is especially odd because I tend to keep pretty good track of my toys and if/when I get rid of one it remains rather memorable in my little mind; and to add to the mystery I have come across his weapons floating all alone in a baggie recently...yet still no sign of Slash himself.

I have no recollection of selling him or of giving him away, so maybe he's buried in some random box to be discovered again in the far off future. Until then, thanks to Jboypacman from Revenge from the Cosmic Ark, I have this one to rejoin my ranks and further ignite what originally grabbed me about these silly little toys in the first place.

My original Slash had a black belt and a darker shade of yellow on his chest-shell; this one is a lighter yellow and has a hot pink belt (nineties again) and apparently is considered a relatively hard to find 'variant.' He also came with "Nasty Nunchuku, Mutant Mace, Razor-spiked Gnarly Knife and a Psycho Sai (this Slash is missing the nunchucks and gnarly knife, but as I previously stated, I have my originals around here...somewhere!)

Thanks again Jboy! Slash rocks!

The truth is out there...

2012-01-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

NOTE: The following images were received by Toyriffic World Headquarters in an anonymous coded email. The authenticity of their content cannot be guaranteed by the editors of Toyriffic. The images and anonymous email have been forwarded on to our Government connections for a more thorough analysis. We will keep you informed as further details emerge.

In the meantime, it would behoove us as public servants to not publish these images; we do so without further comment and leave you to make up your own minds as to their authenticity.

Catwoman Purrrsday :: TDKR Catwoman from DC Direct

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

A closer look at the Dark Knight Rises Catwoman as portrayed by Anne Hathaway has recently hit the internet via the 2012 London Toy Fair.

Shown are some upcoming DC Direct products, including a mini bust, a 6" scale action figure pre-production design (what looks to be a CGI body scan,) and a 12" scale statue.

You can see the 90s era Catwoman influence in those gloves and boots, as well as the obvious sixties influence of pretty much the rest of the costume. I really really like what I am seeing so far!

CLASSIFIED

2012-01-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

Toyriffic just received an anonymous email with the preceding image attached, along with the promise of more to follow and the simple message 'The Truth is Out There...'

Stay tuned!

Harley Qwednesday :: Batman Legacy Arkham City Harley Quinn

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Reports are coming in from all over the blogosphere that Mattel's Batman Legacy Series 3 figures are starting to hit retail; included in this release is a First Appearance Batman, a Golden Age Catwoman, Arkham City Nightwing and most important to us on Harley Qwednesday: Arkham City Harley Quinn.

I've kind of cooled to the whole of Mattel's DC stuff, so I will have to wait and see this in person before I make any decisions about adding this version of Harley to my collection.

Upcoming Lego Themes!

2012-01-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

I've already reported about the upcoming Lord of the Rings themed Lego sets, and we all know about the Avengers themed sets due for release this summer (when the big blockbuster hits I assume,) but I was quite pleasantly surprised to learn about Universal Monsters themed sets coming soon!

EDIT: Actually, it appears these will be part of a new series called 'Monster Fighters,' and sound like they will be a Monster themed Ninjago-esque series. Cool!

And here's your first look at the Fellowship of the Ring. These look like so much fun!

Finally here's The Incredible Hulk and Captain America from the Avengers releases coming this year. The thought of Marvel vs. DC battles that can be created and waged in Lego form has me all giddy!

Info from London's Toy Fair 2012 via That Figures via ComicBookMovie.com

Sim sim sallabim!

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

I think the single most anticipated Lego Series 6 minifigureis the Genie. He's a blast!

Genie is super fun and unique. He comes with a magic lamp that he can sit on top of or hold in his hand (or another figure can hold with the genie on top!) He also has the unique 'legs' potion that emulates his mystical smoke self as he exits the lamp or just hangs around being magical.

More Than Meets the Eye...Literally

2012-01-23T17:18:00.000-08:00

What the hell is this?

And is there any reason anyone in the world should expect to find the following within?

No. No there is not.

In a marketing move that can only be summed up with the word 'Huh?!?!' Kre-o, the makers of the 'don't call 'em Legos' Transformers building sets and minifigures have stocked the local K-Mart shelves with...a red box.

The box is factory sealed shut, with no indication on what lies within.

Well okay, there's a picture of a Bumblebee minifigure, or Kreon, on the back; but within all ten of the boxes on the shelf (and yes, I peeked in all of them) Optimus Prime was the only figure inside. If they all contain Optimus Prime, why seal them shut in the first place? Okay, maybe I got there late, and there were other boxes containing other Kreons. But I doubt it.

Once you open the flap it does make a little more sense. Maybe. Looks like they are trying to push Kre-o sets by getting you interested in this little Optimus Prime first. Then why hide him behind a blank red flap?!?!

The box contains one Optimus Prime minifigure with his exposed (scandalous) matrix of leadership. And the block he's standing on. That's it. Big box, little bang. For $4.99.

Weird.

Oh, there is a booklet on the inside flap which shows all the Kre-o sets we've all already seen a million times. Yay.

I admit I bought this to have an Optimus Prime Kreon...and also to take one for the team. This package/presentation is truly terrible product marketing and I just had to share my thoughts. In fact, I bet a lot of folks out there have or would have walked right past these. I almost did.

One last thought: Is this set a mis-shelved Valentine's Day promotion? Possible, but it should still either contain more (ex: Valentine's cards) or be better marked on the outside of the package (ex: I love Kreons!)

The world may never know.

Releasing Kreons individually: smart. Releasing only one Kreon individually, in an unmarked blank red box and charging five bucks? Lame.

EDIT: A little internet sleuthing has revealed that this figure/packaging was a convention exclusive last year. So much for 'exclusive,' eh? Apparently there were a few leftovers and they hit my local K-Mart. Keep your eyes peeled if you too want to find this 'exclusive!'

Bullheaded

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Another outstanding entry in the Lego minifigure Series 6 collection is the Minotaur of Knossos.

This guy was on my short list of 'must-haves' from the moment I first saw the complete series 6 line-up. When I got him I immediately set up a labrynth for him to be photographed in so he'd feel at home.

He's pretty much awesome in every way.

I again used the 'squeeze/feel' method to find him; feel for the large headpiece and axe handle to confirm.

Poisunday Ivy :: Lego Comic book Poison Ivy

2012-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Lego version of Poison Ivy appears in this comic book insert appearing in the most recent issue of Lego Club Magazine, as a member of the new Injustice Gang!

The comic has a neat centerfold with stats on many of the new Lego Superhero characters. Although generally speaking, when I think 'Centerfold' and 'Poison Ivy' I'm not also thinking 'Lego.'

Drat, thwarted once again by that damnable weed killer...or was she? I'm not giving away the ending!

Ironically Poison Ivy doesn't appear on the cover, but Harley Quinn does (who herself is nowhere to be seen on the pages within.) However the comic ends with a cliffhanger, so we can probably safely assume Miss Quinn appears in the next issue.

Bat(girl)Mobile

2012-01-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

Fisher-Price has been putting out these cute 'Little People' DC Super Friends cars since last year. They have already released a Batman, Joker, Superman and Green Lantern version, and surprisingly even a Wonder Woman car (which I thought I had already blogged about but realize I haven't yet; so stay tuned!)

Anyways, I spotted this brand new Batgirl car the other day at Target and knew my daughter just had to have it, even though she's only a few months old.

She'll appreciate my efforts someday.

These little cars are sold separately for around five bucks. There are a few tracks and playsets that these cars run on, like a Bat Cave and others. But they are also awesome on their own.

BEEP BEEP!

Take me to your Leader

2012-01-20T11:47:00.000-08:00

Lego mini figures series 6 are hitting store shelves now! There are a lot of great ones this round, but one of the funnest is this 'Classic Alien,' with his unique melon and super cool space-gun (with removable laser beam!)

The same gun (in a different color) also comes with the pink spacesuit clad Intergalactic Girl, so maybe they're pals?

And it only took SEVENTY F-ING YEARS!!!!

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

THIS IS A REAL THING!

Okay maybe the Bat signal isn't exactly seventy years old. Let me look it up...

OMFG IT IS SEVENTY YEARS OLD!

According to Wikipedia, the source of all things true and accurate: "It made its first appearance in Detective Comics #60, February 1942."

So it only took seventy godforsaken years, but here it is, an actual Bat-Signal 'accessory/toy/whatever' in pretty good scale for your action figures. Maybe a little small but STOP COMPLAINING DAMMIT IT ONLY TOOK SEVENTY YEARS TO GET HERE!

The sunofabitch even lights up! I'd have taken one that didn't, I admit it. I just need the damn thing to sit next to a Batman action figure somewhere in my house. Maybe somewheres as I might just have to buy ten of these bastiches.

Okay, it may seem like I'm going a bit over the ledge here, but as a toy collector who has been primarily a Batman related toy collector since at least 1989, I have suffered countless idiotic action figure bat-accessories like luges and scuba gear, and I have continuously lamented the lack of Bat-signal add-on in any Batman related toyline ever. Oh wait, Mattel made one once and THEN MADE IT ONLY AVAILABLE IN EUROPE OR ZIMBABWE OR ANT-FUCKIN-ARCTICA or some bullshit like that.

breathe

breathe

Okay, well anyways, this damn godsend is available soon from Running Press and comes with a book that can fuck off, because all I want is that Bat-Signal.

Peace.

Out.

*drops mic

Catwoman Purrrsday :: Moves Like...Catwoman

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

This is a cute parody of Maroon 5's ubiquitous 'Moves Like Jagger' called 'Moves Like Batman:'

But it's Catwoman Purrrsday up in hrrr, so all we care about is Angie Griffin in that meowsmerizing Catwoman costume!

Meow.

Harley Qwednesday :: One more for the road

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Russian cosplayer Ryoko-demon has added a new Harley Quinn image to her deviantArt page. Check it out!

Poisunday Ivy

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've been considering adding a weekly Poison Ivy day to my ever popular Harley Qwednesdays and Catwoman Purrrsdays. Let's face it, we've already got the Blonde and the Brunette; it's about damn time the Redhead got her due!

Yikes, three femme fatales, each with her own day of the week. It's getting hot in here; let's hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew!

Welcome to Toyriffic's first Poisunday Ivy! Now a weekly feature!

Pic via Ivy Gotham Fatale (Evelyn Ellenor) on Facebook.

Jackpot!

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love this cover! Amazing Spider-Man #678: This is an example of a cover I would totally frame and hang on the wall. I don't even read Spider-Man but am tempted to get this one...obviously...just for the cover. Although a Mary Jane Venom? Yeah, that would be pretty cool!

It is of course a take on the first face to face meeting between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, from Amazing Spider-Man #42 (1966) by Stan Lee and John Romita.

Oh redheads.

Friday the 13th :: The OTHER guy in a hockey mask

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday the 13th!

I've been fond of the TMNT character Casey Jones since I was first introduced to him in the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. I absolutely loved his portrayal by Elias Koteas in that flick, still and always a classic of comic book cinema.

I've also been enjoying collecting classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures over the past few years, even though I payed them no heed when they were originally on toy store shelves. Nowadays I buy a lot of them loose/incomplete at yard sales and flea markets and I'm usually fine with that. Yet I've always avoided buying a loose Casey Jones.

Casey Jones' accessories...weapons, mind you...are critical to the character. So I avoided him even though I really really wanted him.

Well now, thanks to Jboypacman of Revenge From the Cosmic Ark - I have a complete Casey Jones in my collection!

Casey Jones comes with his old golf bag, a beat up old putter and two broken wooden bats. See, he just wouldn't have been the same without those!

Otherwise, what else is there to say about old Casey? He's an urban vigilante who dons a hockey mask and beats the living tar out of the bad guys each and every night. He also hangs out with turtles. What's not to love?

I've always lamented the fact that stupid 'Jason' hockey masks are a dime a dozen every Halloween, but there's never been a proper official Casey Jones Hockey Mask released for an adult (I use the term 'adult' loosely) like myself to wear.

So this past Halloween I modified my own:

In addition to carrying my baby around, I also carried a smashed-up old golf club. It was awesome.

Catwoman Purrrsday :: DC Universe Online Catwoman

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've never played DC Universe Online. I'm old school. I don't go 'online' to play video games with 14 year olds in Effin Ireland (that's a real place by the way.)

When I play video games I'm pretty much saying 'leave me alone.'

But kids these days like to wear their headsets and shoot at people across the globe. Fine.

From DC Universe Online...umm...online: "DC Universe Online is the only next-generation massive online action game for both the PC and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. Jump into unparalleled physics-powered combat and take the power of the DC Super Heroes and villains in the palm of your hands…The Next Legend Is You!"

"Real-time online multiplayer action"

"Dynamic, physics-powered combat"

"Customize your character as you fight for good or evil"

Okay okay, that does sound like fun, I suppose.

Plus: Catwoman!

If this were available on Xbox I'd probably be playing it right now. Alas it is only on PC and PS3. Lame.

Harley Qwednesday :: Warm Hands, Cold Heart

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Check out these awesome custom hand-knit Harley Quinn fingerless gloves:

These are made by Casey aka 'TinyBully' and are available at her Artfire shop now for $20!

It's getting even colder out there as winter trudges on, and it's rather difficult to pull a trigger or set a bomb with chilly palms!

I asked Casey for a few words regarding her cool geeky gloves: "My shop is proof you can do what you love and make things for your people! My fellow geeks and pixies have found me and can tell their goodies are coming from a person that gets them!"

Check out TinyBully's Artfire store for these Harley Quinn gloves and even more knit gloves and hats in many different superhero, Dr. Who, Star Wars, video game and...Rammstein...motifs. You can also follow TinyBully on Twitter to find out about new creations when they hit!

Legoland :: I Love New York

2012-01-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

In addition to all the cool Star Wars displays, Legoland also has a bunch of real cities depicted in Lego form.

Probably the most impressive was New York City:

The scale, just like the real city, is immense and impressive.

Here's a shot to give you an idea of the size of these Lego skyscrapers. They are massive!

And not to be outdone by mere size, the detail in these cityscapes is just incredible. People, signs, vehicles, light posts, everything. It's amazing!

Many of these displays had moving components, like buses or cars that drove along the streets, and in this case, a dancing Santa and Reindeers drawing a crowd in front of this apartment complex.

Awesome stuff.

Stay tuned for more, including Las Vegas and New Orleans!

Little Green Skater Men

2012-01-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

I recently spotted these cool new toy Skateboarders over at Dan's Toy Museum and simply had to get my hand on some of my own!

Little Green Army Men meets your local skate park. The Original AJ's Toy Boarders Skate Series One:

Each pack contains 24 little monochrome plastic skaters in eight different styles. If I was still in school I would totally be bringing these guys in my pockets and playing with them when I wasn't supposed to be.

Here's a look at all eight together.

The back of the card smartly informs you of who is who/who is doing what. Keen!

Let's look at each one individually, shall we?

'Smith'

'Tail Grab'

'Nose Grab'

'Cruising 2'

'Manual'

'Cruising 1'

'Ollie'

and last but not least: 'Pushing.'

"Whoahwoahwoah - LOOOOOOK OOOOUUUUUUT!"

CRASH!!!

Simple and fun and ready for your imagination to take over, these little green skater dudes are a great toy for anyone. Sometimes simple is better, and there's something just 'right' about the simple cast plastic figurine that kids today may be missing out on.

Get some of these to remind yourself and enlighten your kids.

My only complaint is that there are no girls in the series, but according to the creator of these guys, future series will include girl skaters!

There are also plans for future waves of surfers and snowboarders!

Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/AJsToyBoarders and get some of your own at http://www.toyboarders.com/

What I'm Reading

2012-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

I picked up The Golden Age Flash Archives Volume 1 from the local library and it's a hoot. I love the imperfect art and simple stories of the first Scarlet Speedster Jay Garrick. I especially love the fact that the accident that spawned his powers was caused when Jay took a smoke break and accidentally knocked over his experiment in 'hard water.' Look kids, smoking can lead to superpowers!

I'm also reading Tarzan and the Leopard Men, which I found at Goodwill. According to this volume this is #18 in Tarzan's adventures. I've read the first four or five Tarzan adventures and have always enjoyed Burroughs' iconic wild man, and while I prefer to read series' like this in order and don't generally like to jump ahead (even though they are written in a way that makes reading them in order relatively unnecessary) the plot of this one (Tarzan loses his memory and does battle with a secret tribe of cannibals called the Leopard Men) was irresistible.

Comic Book Zen :: It's not easy being green

2012-01-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

More end of the world prophesy, Alan Moore style, from DC Annual Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #2 (1986)

Proof of 'Venom' infused Bane in The Dark Knight Rises?

2012-01-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I'm not the first to notice this, but I haven't heard anyone mention it in internet land yet, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I did spot the obvious clue in the following image the other day...

Check out the back of Bane's neck: A surgical scar running all the way up his neck, from under his vest to under his headgear!

The scar is there in all the pics of Bane. Now that I've spotted it, it stands out like a sore...super-soldier medical procedure.

See, there it is again!

I was already sure that the vest plays a role in the transmission of 'venom' to Bane's brain/spine/muscles, but seeing this 'scar' cinches it for me. Of course an exposed tube is just stupid; Nolan et al would certainly have made the 'venom' transmission tubing internal.

It also ... SPOILER ...

...

...

...

...

...

...would help explain why Bane said that removing his mask would be 'extremely painful' in the prologue. Because it's connected to a tube in his spine!

I'm convinced, Bane will pump 'venom' in The Dark Knight Rises!