Toyriffic

Smurfs Up

2022-10-10T19:32:00.003-07:00

Some fun shots I took the other day of a Smurf and California Raisin catching some waves.

Spider-Rex

2022-10-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Spider-Rex, formerly mild mannered pterodactyl Pter Ptarker, is not only a real character in the Spiderverse and the comics that explore the spider themed multiverse, but he's also a toy!

Conceptually bonkers, I had to have this thing!

It's been noted that Hasbro apparently refurbished an old Jurassic World dinosaur toy from when they had that toy license. That said, there's enough 'new' on this guy to keep him from being a simple cash-grab repaint.

He makes a bunch of roaring and thwipping noises when you push his buttons, and when you push the legs down he launches a web missile from his mouth (not canonical, in the comics he shoots webs from his wrists like a proper Spider-Man.)

He's a bit expensive, running around $45 depending on where you get him, so you will have to really think about it before you decide how badly you need a Spider-Rex in your life. But he's a solid, fun looking toy and you can shoot the missiles at your kids or your cat, so it's probably worth it.

I'm a big fan of "Super Pets" and animal versions of superheroes, so I really love this guy. It's amazing that he exists, not only in the comics, but in toy form as well! Hopefully we see more of him as time marches on.

Now I need to figure out a decent way to hang him from the wall or ceiling.

Imaginext Bat Tech "The Batman" Batmobile

2022-09-23T11:14:00.001-07:00

I was on the fence about getting this Imaginext Batmobile for a few months. I saw it on Amazon and thought I'd make a commitment or not if/when I saw it at retail. Then I found out it's an Amazon exclusive, so I had to decide if I was willing to buy it sight unseen.

Well obviously I finally (bat)caved. And I'm happy I did!

This Imaginext Batmobile is obviously inspired by the new Batmobile appearing in the movie The Batman. It's not a straight riff, though, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's nice to see something with some originality, but I'd also like to see a cartoony yet more direct interpretation of The Batman Batmobile.

There are some design choices that make this Batmobile a bit of a mash-up. The turbine barreled front end is an obvious '89 Batmobile component and doesn't really fit this overall design. It does light up and fire a bat signal shaped projectile though, so if you're into that kind of thing then this might be a 'plus' in your book.

In fact, the more I look at this Batmobile, the more I feel like it's as if the '89 and The Batman Batmobiles had a baby.

The rear flame element also lights up, and spins when the Batmobile rolls.

I'm usually anti-noise when it comes to toys, as they're generally loud and obnoxious, but I will say that this Batmobile sounds GOOD! The beefy roar of the engine is like music to my ears and was obviously something they paid attention to when they pulled their inspiration from the sound design in The Batman.

This Batmobile comes with a Bat Tech Batman, whos chest lights up via a lightbulb in the driver's seat. I don't like this Bat Tech stuff but it's their current go-to feature so if it keeps the line alive I guess we'll suffer through it. It doesn't come with Spider-Man but his Spider-Buggy ran out of gas so Batman is giving him a ride back to Queens.

This Batmobile is larger than most Batmobiles Imaginext has made, but it's also a two seater and that's always good. It's around $31 on Amazon right now (there was a four dollar coupon that brought the price down a bit) so it's also not "cheap", and the price is probably due to the noise and lights, which I could do without but whatyagonnado?

All in all, I'm glad I have it. I don't buy every Batmobile Imaginext makes, but I really like the movie inspired Imaginext Batmobiles, so my collection would have been incomplete without this one.

Huge Jack-Jack, Man

2022-08-14T16:20:00.002-07:00

Sometimes a toy wins my heart by the sheer absurdity of it's existence.

I absolutely love The Incredibles. The best superhero movie ever. The sequel was enjoyable, but couldn't touch the original by a mile. And both movies (the first moreso) were terribly underserved in the toy department. So when I discovered that Mattel had recently released this Jack-Jack in his gargantuan form as he appeared briefly in I-2, I couldn't believe my eyes!

Jack-Jack of course has ALL THE POWERS, and a few examples have been made into toy form before, but to see his Kaiju-bloated self in plastic sent me straight to the PURCHASE NOW button.

This Jack-Jack is beyond ridiculous and really cracks me up. I never would have expected to see this in toy form in a million years.

Pig Man on Campus

2022-08-06T19:51:00.001-07:00

I found the Masters of the Universe Origins Pig-Head at Target today!

Pig-Head was originally a villain in the 80s Sun-Man toyline, which was not a Mattel creation and other than being similarly styled, had nothing to do with MOTU.

By the time of the Sun-Man line, I had moved on from MOTU and similarly styled toys, so while I may have had some awareness of their existence, they weren't anything I sought out as a kid.

I of course would love to have any of the original Sun-Man figures now, but somehow have never come across any in my decades long toy collecting career. Fortunately the creators of Sun-Man have teamed up with Mattel and they are now part of the MOTU, via these new Origins releases!

I have not seen Sun-Man at retail yet, but will grab him when I do. A few of his teammates are also in the pipeline, but Pig-Head is by far the best of the bunch. The neon colors and odd helmeted boar head, along with his medieval weaponry, really recall the wild west cobbled together feel of the 80s toylines that took their inspiration in equal measure from the likes of Conan, Star Wars, and "what pieces do we have left over in the shop that we can slap together and call a villain?"

Pig-Head is beautiful, surprising addition to the Origins toyline. Who could have ever predicted this collab between He-Man and Sun-Man would happen in the 2020s?

Now, if I could only find Sun-Man!

Thunder Rosa!

2022-08-05T21:07:00.002-07:00

Thunderrrrrrr Rosaaaaaaa!!!!

I've gotten into Professional Wrestling more in recent years than I have ever been in my entire life. AEW is a big reason, I really enjoy how they put on a show. One of my favorite wrestlers today is Thunder Rosa, and I'm happy to have found her debut (as far as I know) action figure at Target the other day!

I haven't opened this one yet but I intent to. The sculpt and face paint look incredible!

Ok, you may have noticed that I've been away from this blog for years. Or you didn't/don't care. Cool either way. But the internet, and how we interact with it, has changed in many ways since I started this blog, and while some of those changes have been flashy and fun for a while, most have been at best antithetical to the reason(s) I started doing this blog in the first place, and at worst completely lacking in any soul or emotional value whatsoever.

Since moving away from blogger, I've lost a lot of the comraderie and brotherhood that came from this format. Not that returning to this format now will ever bring back the glory days of old, but it's not going to be found on Instagram either, so what the heck. Might as well put my effort over here for a minute or two again, and if nothing else, someone might be able to use a search engine and actually find some real heartfelt toy loving content for a change.

My Little Pony Stranger Things Upside-Down Applejack

2019-06-30T21:56:00.002-07:00

Target has been in the reissued My Little Pony game for a while now. I've been paying them mild attention because my youngest daughter is getting into MLPs, but prefers the original styling. Luckily I find them pretty often at the flea market or garage sales for cheap so I've not yet had to actually buy one for more than a buck or two.

But then I found out that for some yet unknown reason (Season 3 drops this week) they made a Stranger Things Applejack, with the packaging and figure all 'Upside-down'-ized, literally and figuratively.

The pony and package are all blues and faded, and her cutie mark is printed upside-down too.

I love Stranger Things, and this level of left-field marketing hits all my buttons. I was able to find Upside-down Applejack at Target today, and even got her on sale because the retro ponies are a buck-fifty off! Sadly I only found one - I'll either give this to my daughter when she can appreciate keeping it in package or I'll buy a second one for her to open (if I find it again). But for now, I'm keeping Upside-down Applejack for myself.

FYI here is what Right-Side-Up Applejack looks like, which my daughter would probably prefer anyways:

IDENTIFIED:: Who is this guy? TOMY Die-cast/plastic Sweeping Garbage Can

2019-06-27T14:28:00.001-07:00

Update: IDENTIFIED at http://ghostofthedoll.co.uk/Forum/index.php?topic=5693.0 - it's a TOMY Whimsical Wheels from 1982.

Original post: I have no idea who/what this guy/gal is, and so far neither does anyone I've shown it to on every online source I have. I even, out of desperation, showed it to my wife!

He is die-cast and plastic, approximately the size of a Hotwheels/Matchbox car or most standard wind--up Tomy toys, but he is not a windup, he is just a rolling toy. Only marked "TOMY © Japan".

He's an anthropomorphic rolling Trashcan with arms, pushing a broom. When you roll him the oblong wheel under the broom makes it bob up and down.

Is he a character from a TV series, or something from a specific or random toyline?

There's one on eBay (not my auction) but the seller doesn't know anything about him either.

I have a feeling he must be a bit character from a preschool show like Thomas the Tank or Bob the Builder, but so far I've found nothing like him anywhere online. He doesn't look old or vintage, I'm sure he's less than ten years old at most.

Can anyone identify him, or lead me in the right direction? Maybe the wheels look familiar to something else TOMY made? Or the diecast/plastic combo reminds you of another TOMY toyline?

HELP!

Fisher-Price Little People Sesame Street SCORE!

2019-04-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

I scored so incredibly big time last weekend at the flea market, coming home with all the Sesame Street Fisher-Price Little People stuff you see here for ten bucks!

I've long wanted not only this playset (having never owned it as a kid...I had the non-canon Sesame Street clubhouse which I only learned in adulthood was a repainted western saloon which makes waaay more sense!) but also hard to find characters like Snuffleupagus and Herry Monster. I love Fisher-Price Little People but I reeeallyy loooove Fisher-Price Little People Sesame Street characters. They're so wonderfully toyetic and charming.

In getting this deal I scored better than I ever could have dreamed. Not only are Herry and Snuffy in mint condition, but I got two Cookie Monster figures, two Big Bird figures, two each of Bert and Ernie, Susan, Gordon (one is a bit beat up sadly), Oscar the Grouch, Roosevelt Franklin, and passable but play worn examples of Prairie Dawn, Grover, and Sherlock Hemlock.

Not to mention a lot of accessories including key pieces like the light post, Big Bird's nest, and Bert and Ernie's beds!

Roosevelt is in pretty good shape, Prairie's paint is pretty faded.

Two different Cookie Monster variations. Right is more aqua in color, and his eyes are part of the molded whole and painted, whereas left Cookie's eyes are a separately attached piece. Anyone know anything about Cookie Monster Little People variants?

I still can't believe my luck in getting not only this set but so many great characters and accessories too, and all for so cheap!

Transformers Bumblebee Movie Energon Igniters Cliffjumper

2019-01-30T21:48:00.000-08:00

Ok first things first, HaSBrO...this is NOT Cliffjumper! You gotta stop painting Bumblebee red and calling him Cliffjumper! STOP IT, STOP IT RIGHT NOW!

Cliffjumper was a Porsche voiced by the LEGENDARY Casey Kasem. Not a red rattle-canned Beetle! You might as well paint Bumblebee orange and call him Huffer or paint him blue and call him Seaspray!

That said, this Bumblebee Movie Energon Igniters "Cliffjumper" IS a red Bumblebee, which is a cool nod to the G1 red Bumblebee who, in the days before the internet, held a bit of a legendary status.

Like Bigfoot, few had seen it in person, but someone always claimed they knew someone who had one!

I think this guy is part of the second wave of Energon Igniters, but to be honest I haven't paid much attention to them.

I did see and love the Bumblebee movie (don't get me started on Cliffjumper's treatment THERE either!) and I do like this simple cute and inexpensive Transformer.

He has a really nice VW Beetle vehicle mode for this level of Transformer as well.

I was tempted to get this basic Bumblebee in yellow and might now go back for him now that I have him in red. I didn't even know this variant was coming/out there until I spotted him hanging on the toy aisle pegs at Target.

Bumblebee in red. NOT Cliffjumper!

Just a few easy steps to get Bumblebee from bot to vehicle and back again.

I like this basic level Transformer, one you can slip into your pocket and sneak into school where toys aren't allowed.

At least that's what I used to do when I was in school.

Now I sneak them into work but no one cares.

The Energon Igniters gimmick is similar to the old "Key cars", apparently you can get a trigger of some sort with another higher price-point bot (Sold Seperately!) and shoot them across the floor. I would have preferred a cleaner rear bumper without the gimmick but I suppose it could look worse. I'll just pretend he has a cooler full of beer strapped to the rear bumper and is off to drink his sorrows away for being a repainted Bumblebee and not a badass Porsche that sounds like Shaggy Rogers hosting the weekly Top 40.

Marvel Legends Fantastic Four Thing Walgreens Exclusive

2019-01-10T19:18:00.001-08:00

Walgreens has been releasing exclusive Fantastic Four Marvel Legends figures for a couple years now. Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and even Silver Surfer have all been released at Walgreens while Marvel comics themselves have ignored the first family of superheroes.

I'm only a casual Marvel Legends and Fantastic Four fan, so I didn't bother picking any of them up. I honestly figured they'd never complete the team anyways, so what's the point?

Well, they did complete the team, and they saved the best for last! Had they lead with Thing, I'd probably have bought them all!

I've always had a fondness for The Thing, even without his FF teammates. I loved his solo cartoon back when I was a wee lad, as ridiculous as it is now. I loved reading comics with him in them, I was always of the camp that Thing could beat Hulk. And I used to have the first Marvel Legends Thing from Toybiz, (I remember being so excited finding that one!) as well as a couple Michael Chiklis Thing figures after the movie came out. But I gave them up years ago. They were ok action figures, but they're nothing compared to this new release. I do still have the smaller scale Hasbro Thing from a few years back, who is cute but also pales in comparison.

This newest version of Thing comes with an alternate head and open/closed hands.

Thing has been thus far a bit difficult to find as there are a lot of collectors wanting him to complete their FF team, as well as casual collectors who just love a big massive orange rock of a lug. Ben Grimm is a massive solid figure and a gem in any superhero action figure collection.

If you see him grab him! This guy is so great, such a gorgeous and detailed sculpt! In all my toy travels, I've only seen him once and of course here he is. Now I just need to decide if I'm going to backtrack and try to collect his fellow Four. But even if I don't, no regrets!

Transformers BotBots Series 1 :: NOW WITH CODES!

2019-01-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

I found the new Transformers BotBots blind boxed individual figures at Target the other day and decided to take a chance on a few to see what they are like.

My favorite of the four I found, and probably the most Transformerish, is S.A. Cheez. He transforms from camera to robot and is part of the Techie Team. (BotBots are apparently divided into teams depending on what level or store in the mall they reside. Seriously.)

Their names are all pretty corny too, but S.A. Cheez looks great in both modes.

I also got Fun Gus. Yeah. So he's a fungus apparently.

Fun Gus's robot mode is kinda cute though. He's part of the Shed Heads faction, which includes plants and power tools. And useless fungi.

Fomo is a GoPro and also part of the Techie Team. But he's pretty boring looking in both modes.

They do all have pretty sturdy builds and don't feel terribly cheap, so that's a plus.

Last of my first four is Sergeant Scrubadub. He's a bar of soap. With an Autobot symbol! He's actually the only one I have with any symbol, and it's interesting they didn't put the Toilet Troop faction symbol on him. Yeah, Toilet Troop. Welcome to 2019.

As much as I want to hate on a bar of soap that transforms into a robot, I actually kind of love this guy. He has a great robot mode which makes up for his alt mode being a sudsy bar of soap. Also he's a Sgt. He's a soldier. And a bar of soap. HE'S SEEN THINGS!

These single packs are $2.99 each at Target, and there are 61 to collect in Series 1. They're fun and ridiculous, if you have three bucks to throw away you could do far worse.

UPDATE: Codes have been identified and were posted over at Seibertron.com (pic below) and I can confirm they work as I picked up a couple more using the code list and they were all the figure I expected to get! Codes are either printed or hand written (?!) on the lower right corner on the back of each pack as seen (17, which indeed contained Frostferatu) below.

Leatherhead New Year!

2018-12-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

I found the 200X Leatherhead at the flea market this past weekend, and am glad to finally add him in with my original and Nicktoons Leatherheads! Mutant gators IN THE HOUSE!

I remember when this Leatherhead hit toy shelves back around 2004. At the time I was only familiar with the OG Cajun version, and thought this guy was a plain boring design. I thought they were going for some sort of sumo look for him and felt he could really have used a fur coat and hat like his predecessor. It wasn't until later that I learned that this version was far more comic book accurate than the cartoon gator, which made me suddenly want him, but by then he wasn't anywhere to be found.

When the Nicktoons Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leatherhead came out, they also chose to stay truer to the simplified original comic book look of Leatherhead and not a goofy Cajun stereotype. A great sculpt (with cheap paint applications), I snapped him up as soon as I could find him and still think he's a great figure.

I have had this original Leatherhead for a few years now, having picked him up in my second hand hunts. I wasn't collecting TMNT when he was originally released, but I watched the cartoon on occasion and was fond of the Archie TMNT comics, so he'll always be how I envision Leatherhead. Cajun stereotype aside, he's a gorgeous sculpt and I especially love his animal like stance. He's just barely standing upright, like an alligator trying to be human, instead of a human who mutated into a gator.

I'm glad I finally have the 200X Leatherhead. I've wanted him for a long time. Second only to the original, he's definitely an all time great. He has a tail lashing action feature activated by a button on his side. He originally came with a mace that attached to the end of his tail, but I don't have that piece, nor am I yerriblt dissapointed as it doesn't take away at all from the figure to not have his accessory.

Albearto :: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2018-12-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

Say what you will about the new Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon (I've seen some good episodes and some really bad episodes), but it can't be denied that some clever and cool looking villains have been created for the show. And early into the toyline a couple have already made it to toy aisles. I really like Meat Sweats whom I recently posted about, and I absolutely adore Albearto!

I haven't seen the episode that introduces Albearto myself yet, but if you are a child of the eighties then the concept of animatronic animals shilling pizza is part of your DNA.

More recently the concept of said robots going mad has been the subject of the highly successful 'Five Nights at Freddy's' franchise.

Albearto is a beautiful action figure from a beautiful cartoon design. Very pre-war American animation meets Chuck E. Cheese meets Terminator. He comes with two accessories, a cooking mallet of some sort (I don't know my way around a kitchen) and a slice of pizza.

The sculpt is superb, you can even see a speaker at the back of his throat!

Albearto has good arm articulation at the shoulders, elbows and wrists, and basic hip articulation which is hindered by the sculpt of his feet which limits viable poses. His head also turns.

Albearto works on so many levels, even if you aren't into the latest iteration of TMNT, or TMNT at all, you might still want him in your collection.

Just don't ask him for pineapple on your pizza. That really pisses him off!

Meat Sweats the Tenderizer :: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Playmates Toys

2018-12-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

I recently won this Meat Sweats TMNT action figure on Instagram from @TMNTPlay via their #Shellheadoftheweek contest. I really like how well the cartoon design translated to action figure form and I really like this figure, the first Rise of the TMNT toy I've yet to own. I chose him specifically because mutant chef pigs are always awesome.

Meat Sweats was a celebrity chef who mutated into a pig monster with tendril arms (ala Durge from Star Wars) after being bitten by an ooze-infused mosquito. Eh, it could happen!

Meat Sweats can be found with two variations: his right "glove" hand is removable and you can get either a tiny pre-tendril proto hand or a longer tendril-arm attachment.

I don't know if one variant is scarcer than the other, but I got the proto hand. He definitely looks cooler with the glove attachment on!

Meat Sweats also comes with a tenderizer mallet accessory. Not a bad bunch of bits for your buck!

Of course costs had to be kept down somehow, so there's no paint applications around back. Which wouldn't really matter much or even be worth mentioning except the lack of blue below the waist makes it appear that Meat Sweats is flying commando behind his apron. I guess his meat was too sweaty and needed to breathe.

All in all I really dig this figure. I love the design and I like the fact that Playmates went the extra yard with the extra hand, and it's even cooler that they made a variant (even if that fact could potentially cause collectors some frustration trying to get the one they want most).

Meat Sweats may not be the next Rocksteady, but he's plenty weird and worhty of inclusion in your TMNT action figure rogues gallery.

Grossery Gang Time Wars

2018-11-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

I finally found the Grossery Gang Time Wars Powered Up Space Jump Pumpkin at retail! I've wanted this guy since he started showing up on toy ailes before Halloween, because no Halloween decorating is complete without a Cyborg Jack-o'-Lantern, but I guess that'll have to wait until next year.

I also picked up Powered Up Spewy Loo because...mutant toilet.

Also because they were only $4 each at Ross

The schtick is, I don't know, mutant food and appliances throughout time I guess.

They each cane with a flick-missile weapon. Loo's is coolest because it looks like a toilet.

It's been years since my intern assisted so I took over her tea party!

All the cool toys have mini squishy sidekicks nowadays, apparently, and these two are no exception. Included with each is a mini version of theirselves that can also pop on to their weapon and make friends with Shopkins.

Not a line I intend to collect be beyond these two, unless they can top a Cyborg Jack-o'-Lantern and/or a Mutant Toilet. But I'm glad I finally found the one I wanted, and finding him for cheaper than retail is even better.

Imaginext Man Ray Hot Rod

2018-11-21T13:30:00.000-08:00

The Imaginext Man Ray Hot Rod set is, for reasons I cannot begin to understand, something of a rarity. Few people ever saw it at retail (I did, once, about four years ago at a Barnes and Noble. I passed on it assuming I'd see it cheaper somewhere else and never saw it again anywhere.) It isn't particularly special (it isn't like Man Ray has a huge fan following or anything) but it's a fun nod to superheroes and supervillains and their cool cars. I don't particularly enjoy SpongeBob but I love the whole Mermaid-Man schtick.
Anyways, the set became a bit of a 'white whale' for many, myself included, as it was never widely distributed and rarely showed up on the secondary market.
And if it did appear on eBay on that rare occasion, the asking price was ridiculous.

But I kept my ear to the proverbial ground, hoping to someday at least stumble onto Man Ray himself at a garage sale or something (I mean some damn kid has GOT to have this in their toy box somewhere in this vast nation of ours, right?)
I even signed up on Fisher-Price's website to be alerted if it ever became available on a retailer's website.
Then suddenly the other day I got an email saying exactly that. It was available on Amazon FOR RETAIL PRICE! I couldn't believe it, but I placed an order in the hopes that miracles do happen. After placing my order it dawned on me that I should have bought two, but when I went back to do so it was sold out!
Meanwhile a few fellow crazy Imaginext collectors on a Facebook page I follow had been able to get an order in (many did not) and it has bounced in and out of stock a few times since then. They started to arrive for the lucky few who got an order in but I still didn't believe I'd get one. Until I did! It arrived a couple weeks ago and I honestly still can't bring myself to open it!
Of course now they're popping up on ebay for still ridiculous prices as people actually get them in their hands. There are more auctions for them today than I've ever seen in all the years I've been looking for this set combined. And I just can't imagine why the set was hard to find in the first place, and why it's just trickling onto Amazon now. But toy collectors know there are vast mysteries behind the scenes and we take what we can get when we can get it!
As for the set itself, it's great. Man Ray is a fun supervillain parody, especially with the Aquaman movie on the horizon which is sure to ignite all things superaquatic. Also included is Dirty Bubble which is a fun bonus and it's great to have two villains to go against Mermaid-Man and Barnacle-Boy. The car itself is cartoon perfect. It looks like it rolled right off the screen. And since we're likely never going to see an Invisible Boat (because it's invisible, natch) this Hot Rod is the next best thing.

DC Primal Age Batman and Ace the Bathound

2018-11-20T16:21:00.001-08:00

First post on the blog since August 2017. Thinking about getting it dusted off and fired up again. Anyone still out there?

Anyways, I picked up a few of the DC Primal Age figures from Funko and must say I'm really impressed! Absolutely in love with Ace, such a perfect blend of Bat-lore and MOTU 80s toy nostalgia!

Imaginext Darkseid, Parademon and Blind Bag Series 2 Kingdom Come Superman

2017-08-26T22:18:00.001-07:00

A recent trip to Wal-Mart yielded the Imaginext Darkseid/Parademon two pack and the DC Blind Bag Series 2 Kingdom Come Superman!

This new Darkseid release from Imaginext is their second Darkseid release and far superior to their first. Not only is the new release based on Darkseid's classic look (while the first release was based on the less awesome New 52 Darkseid design) but for reasons unknown to anyone who has ever read a DC comic book, their original Darkseid release was a bit on the Smallseid. In fact, I hated this guy so much based on scale alone that I completely dodged him at retail, and only own him because I found him for fifty cents at the flea market.

The new Darkseid is both classically designed and slightly oversized, which makes him formidable without being overly large.

Darkseid is anticipated to play a big part in the upcoming Justice League movie (or at least it's ongoing series) so Imaginext is getting ready by releasing this figure now, and they have also including a Parademon along with him (which have appeared in the Justice League trailers.)

The Parademon (called merely a 'minion' on the Imaginext packaging; perhaps ParaDEMONS aren't kosher kid toy fodder?) is also classically designed, based on his classic comic book appearances and not on the modern comics or movies. Sadly the quality control on this set is pretty low, I saw multiple sets with extremely shoddy paint apps on the Parademon before I finally nabbed this set. And even this one, the best I've seen, has major over-spray paint issues.

That said, he's a Parademon and ideally I'd like a handful of these army builders, so I'm ok with an imperfect version now in the hopes that I get a few more in the future.

Kingdom Come Superman is part of the DC Blind Bag Series 2 wave. The first wave was Batman-centric and has been hard to find in the US (mostly being found in K-Marts and Barnes and Nobles) while Series 2 has had a wider release (I've seen them at both Wal-Mart and Target.) At first I didn't think I needed another Imaginext Superman, but the Kingdom Come 'S' symbol coupled with the grey hair makes this one a must have! He's now my 'go-to' Imaginext Superman, replacing the battle damaged Superman that came with Doomsday.

As usual., Imaginext has an embossed number on the back of their blind bags, taking the guess(squeeze) work out of finding the figure you want.

The DC Blind Bags Series 2 codes are as follows:
Kingdom Come Superman: 90
Brainiac: 89
\Aquaman: 95
Unmasked Black Manta: 96
John Stewart Green Lantern: 92
Sinestro: 91

There was only one other in wave 2 that I couldn't live without, to be posted about later!

"What the hell are you supposed to be?"

Darla's Ducks

2017-08-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

My Intern Darla wanted me to take a picture of some of her ducks to share on the blog.

Which of course lead to a few other toys joining in on the photo opportunity.

And also lead to a picture of ducks with donuts. I'm not sure what her artistic message is, but I'm sure it's deep.

Bootleg Batman / Secret Wars Captain America Mash-up Action Figure

2017-07-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

At the San Jose Toy Show I attended a couple months back, I came across this terrible yet awesome bootleg Batman action figure. Obviously based on the Secret Wars Captain America action figure design (The pirate boots are a dead giveaway!), they added Bat-Ears...

...and even left behind the Captain's ears! Bootleg Batman is made of solid rubber and is smaller in scale that the original Secret Wars action figures. His paint is pretty terrible but honestly that's probably exactly how good it was the day this guy rolled out of the Mexican Bootleg Batman Factory. I'm actually shocked that he still has his cape and that it is in one piece, and not torn or missing, as it's a pretty flimsy piece of vinyl and could easily have torn at the neck or wrists in the however many years this guy has existed.

My Intern can't stand to look at this guy any longer. Show's over folks, nothing else to see here!

Teen Titans GO! Starfire by Imaginext

2017-07-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I reviewed the Imaginext Teen Titans GO! Raven, and today we look at Starfire!

Starfire is a single figure set, one of the basic releases and retails for $7.99 (at Toys R Us). These new Imaginext Teen titans GO! sets are being spotted at Toys R Us and K-Mart as of press time. They should be showing up everywhere Imaginext are sold any day now.

Starfire comes with a pizza flinging bumper car. I may have missed the episode wherein a pizza flinging bumper car is a thing, or maybe it isn't a thing and they just threw in a pizza flinging bumper car because reasons, but either way I'm ok with it. If nothing else, I can pawn the bumper car off on Harley Quinn or the Joker as it is within their interests.

Starfire also comes with a pizza launchign pizza box. It doesn't connect to anything nor is there any way for Starfire or any other figure to hold it. But hey, pizza launcher. Good times.

Starfire is more off-model from the toon than Raven. Her head just isn't large enough. I also take issue with her ears being part of her hair-piece (and therefore not flesh colored.) That said, I'm glad Fisher-Price released Starfire (and Raven) right off the line. It says a lot for how far toy manufacturers have come and for who the Imaginext toyline is aimed at. Ye olde 'girl action figures don't sell' mantra of past decades may finally have lost it's delusional steam.

Ain't no party like a crazy pizza party 'cuz a crazy pizza party got anchovies, son!

Starfire comes with three pizza disks, so your kids will lose them all in about 30 minutes or less.

The Teen Titans GO! cartoon is hilarious and absurd. I'm hoping to see many Imaginext variants based on ridiculous cartoon storylines and moments. I also hope we get a lot of villains and additional heroes too (Aqualad, Speedy, Kid Flash etc.) In the meantime, it's nice that rounding out the four primary team members won't require you to buy massive and/or exclusive playsets or jump through other ridiculous hoops to accomplish.

Imaginext Teen Titans GO! Raven Review :: Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!

2017-07-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

Imaginext is now in the Teen Titans GO! toy game, and they've jumped into the ring swinging!

The sets are hitting retail now, being spotted at K-Mart and Toys R Us so far. I found the single figure sets of Raven, Starfire and Cyborg at Toys R Us yesterday. No sign of the bigger sets though. I picked up the Raven and Starfire sets immediately, as I am both surprised and impressed that the girl characters were both released in the first wave of figures, and as single figure 'starter set' releases to boot!

Had you asked me to predict the release pattern of these figures, I would have said Raven would be in a later wave (or never released at all if the series wasn't popular enough for multiple waves) while Starfire will only be available if you buy a massive, possibly second-time-around-repainted playset. Times, are they a-changin', maybe? Or is the release of both Raven and Starfire right out the gate simply a toy collecting anomaly? I don't know, but I'm not complaining.

The sullen, grouchy, goth, half-demon Raven is a must have for any Teen Titans GO! fan. Who doesn't love her dead-pan delivery and God (Devil) like powers?

Raven's figure design is pretty accurate to the toon. The Imaginext Teen Titans GO! figures are, like the Imaginext SpongeBob series before them, stylized to match their cartoon counterparts. They don't fit seamlessly into the standard Imaginext superhero action figure line-up, (they're taller, and of course their heads are larger and more cartoony) but kids probably won't care. I know mine mix genres and characters all the time regardless of size or scale differences. Adult collectors will be split, many will be fine with the cartoon aesthetic, and many will probably complain, because many usually do no matter what a toy company does. I for one am happy to see the toys looking like they stepped right out of the cartoon. I would have preferred Raven to have her hood 'shadow' over her upper face, but...

...her hood is designed to be removable. So the shadow would not have worked with the hood off. Perhaps there will be a variant, or I'll get a second figure and paint her, as I imagine many collectors will consider doing. I'm just happy the hood is removable, as this fact opens the door for a Lady Legasus repaint! Of course that would also be a pretty simple custom, in the off chance I end up with multiple Ravens.

"Where is 'Hell', Alex?"

Hahaha, 'Mommy, where DID Raven get her tentacles from?' Speaking of the tentacles, they are an ingenious accessory, they make a nice base as well as a rolling 'vehicle': when you push Raven across a hard surface, the tentacles portion of the base rotates! So awesome.

And Raven's cape is not only removable, but it stands on it's own. Not positive if the cape has sentience like Dr. Strange's cape, but I think it does. Anyways, I like to imagine it has a life of it's own.

The full set of Imaginext Teen Titans GO! figures and playsets can be seen on the back of the package. You can get Raven, Cyborg and Starfire at the basic figure level, Beast Boy and Robin at the figure/small vehicle level, another Cyborg at a large vehicle level and another Robin and Mammoth at the Titans Tower playset level. I'm sure Robin will be the figure with the most releases and repaints, and I am optimistic we'll start to see some villains next wave if the theme proves popular. Personally, a Mallah/Brain set is on the top of my wish list! who do you want to see?

The basic figures (Starfire, Raven, Cyborg) retail around $7.99 each. I assume the Beast Boy and Robin w/jet sets are probably around $14.99. The Cyborg and large vehicle is probably around $24.99 and Titans Tower will probably retail for around forty bucks.

Tune in next week to read my Starfire review!

Teen Titans GO! Robin...UNMASKED!!!

2017-06-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

"Hello, ladies!"

Mattel recently released a line of Teen Titans GO! minifigures, which are a little bit 'super-deformed' and are also made up of interchangeable parts. They are being sold in multi packs as well as individually in blind bags. I'm not terribly impressed by them (I'm holding out for the Imaginext line of Teen Titans GO! figures and playsets!) and have ignored them up to now, but when I discovered this Robin was available as part of the blind bag Series 2, I knew I had to have him!

I mean JUST LOOK AT THAT MUG!

I watch Teen Titans GO! with my kids pretty often. It can really get my oldest daughter cracking up to the point of tears. I don't follow it episode to episode, but it has some hilarious moments and unlike a lot of children's programming, I can stand to watch it. I vaguely remember this episode, wherein Robin removes his mask to reveal he's super handsome underneath. I'm sure it'll pop up in a rerun soon as well, and I'll pay a little closer attention to the storyline next time.

But just the mere concept and execution are so silly and stupid that I couldn't pass up on a chance to own a figure of this Teen Titans GO! unmasked Robin. The blind bags have embossed number codes on the back, and Robin's bag ends in '09'. I found what appeared to be a fresh box, and went through every figure in the box, only to find one lone Robin. Not sure if that's the way every box is, but Handsome Robin may be shortpacked.

Regardless, I got one! Now I need a big stick to keep the ladies away!

Damian Wayne Batman BootLEGO minifig

2017-06-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

Batman Issue 666, cover date July 2007, introduced us to a dystopian future wherein Bruce Wayne's son and current Robin Damian Wayne had adopted the mantle of the Bat after his father's death. And now, then years later, those crazy Chinese BootLEGOers have made him into a minifigure!

Instead of wearing a cape, Damian Batman wears a trench-coat with a massive collar. Because DYSTOPIAN FUTURE!

This minifig also has a little cloth collar piece, and comes with your basic grapple-hook/gun. Damian Wayne Batman is a gorgeous minifigure, and a neat Batman AND Robin variant that I'm willing to bet the farm will never be a part of an official LEGO playset. I got him off eBay as usual, and I got him for less than a buck, shipped from China! Madness!