Ubernerd, Beyond Loserdome

Kre-O G.I. Joe Battle Wagon

2025-01-05T16:50:00.001-05:00

G.I. Joe has always had amazing vehicles for your figures to interact with. As the line grew, so did the imaginations of the creators, as each year seemed to provide us with something bigger than the one before. After the U.S.S. Flagg and the Defiant, bigger was no longer an option but that didn't stop G.I. Joe from just going big and bold with their designs. The 1990s era of the line is not universally loved but they gave us plenty of big vehicles, including the Battle Wagon.

The Battle Wagon was heavily marketed as an essential item for Joe fans of the time, especially in the DIC cartoon.

Unfortunately, I never had it as a kid. It was a high price tag item and, honestly, I never remember seeing it in stores. When I was in college, my younger brother bought two of them on ebay. Being able to see them in person, I had to agree it was worth the hype that Hasbro put around it.

I've now moved away from collecting traditional Joes. I'm older and I want my nephews and nieces to discover and enjoy these toys. I do still have my Kre-O collection which I have kept up with over the years. I've made many customs of my own (figures, playsets, and vehicles) and I bought from GeeWunner whenever I could. GeeWunner didn't get too into the 90s era with his designs, so he never got around to this vehicle. And, sadly, he is no longer selling these days. So that meant that if I wanted this vehicle, I was going to have to do it myself.

I'm a big lego fan, so that's not an issue. I love creating and customizing. Honestly, however, I didn't plan on making this. Long story short, I had a lot of orange pieces and I found myself sitting around wondering what to do with them. So, I scrolled through YoJoe.com for ideas and stumbled back upon the Battle Wagon. And it was such a light bulb moment. I went right to work! A few days and a couple part purchases later, I completed my take on this amazing vehicle.

I'm very happy with this. I've been driving it around my home like a 5 year old with a dump truck! 😄 I did make some changes. I decided to have two computer stations in the back and have them accessible whenever. I also added an actual ladder in the back, whereas the toy had an implied one. And that, for me, is part of the joy of Legos.

And, now that I'm enjoying G.I. Joe and Kre-O again, that leaves me with the question: what will I make next? 🤔😉

Hasbro Marvel Legends Retro 375 Waves 1-6 and the Exclusive Phoenix/Wolverine two pack

2022-06-28T16:35:00.001-04:00

Admittedly, it took me awhile to warm up to this line but once I did, I was all in. Wow, these toys are great. They may not be super articulated or come with great accessories but these look and feel like actual toys. That might seem like a silly statement, but think about it. In modern years, we have moved ever forward into the adult collectible genre. Everything is hyper detailed, hyper articulated, hyper accurate, and hyper expensive. Excluding price, that is all really cool but as the pendulum swung ever more toward that direction, the other side, the toy side, seemed to be left in the past.

That has been a huge bummer for me. I don't know about anyone else, but as a kid, I always wished I was an adult with a job so that I can buy all the figures, vehicles, and playsets I wanted. Having adult money promised to remove the boundaries set on me by Christmas lists, Birthday surprises, and gift certificates. Then when I became an adult, toys shot up in price. Not all at once, mind you, but it's to the point now that finding 5 figures for $20 is a distant memory. In fact, finding 1 figure for $20 is now a stroke of luck. I know I have been kind of on a rant here, but these 3 3/4 figures from Hasbro not only look and feel like toys, they can be purchased like toys! I was able to get most of these figures for $9.99 each! That is definitely not 1995 Kenner Star Wars prices ($4.95) but it definitely feels like it and I absolutely love it!. The prices are so great that I was able to completely catch up on the line in less than a month with my adult money. I love that. But even more, I love the way these figures look.

These toys seem to jump right out of the comic books that I grew up reading and they evoke memories of finding Secret Wars and Toy Biz Marvel Super Heroes figures in stores. I love the imagery of the blister cards and I love the era being showcased with the figure designs. If I could have one main gripe, it would be the pose of the figures. Every figure has that 1978 Kenner Chewbacca pose. The 'waiting for the bus' pose. It is so static and boring. I don't mind the lower articulation but if these toys had the hunched, battle ready poses of Secret Wars or even some of the poses of the POTF2 figures, it would help bring just a little more life to these super heroes. Another complaint I have is that the female figures all share a high heeled boot sculpt. That is fine when appropriate, like Storm and Jean Grey but figures like Elektra and Sue Storm would have definitely benefited from a separate sculpt. However, if it keeps the prices at toy prices, I can totally look past it.

Okay, enough words for awhile, here are the toys!

The X-Men

Fantastic Four

The Avengers

Marvel Super Heroes

Anti Heroes and Villains

Whew! That's a lot of toys! And I bought them all with my adult money without having to miss a meal. This is what I want as a toy collector. More toys and at toy prices. And this line seems to be far from over. We already have the next wave teased along with a deluxe figure! Excelsior!

Star Wars Power of the Force Classic Edition 4 Pack

2022-03-12T14:03:00.000-05:00

I had no idea this 4 pack existed until a few weeks ago. As I've previously mentioned, my first Star Wars toys were hand me down vintage figures. Later on I would get Bend-ems and the Micro Machines sets, but the vintage figures were my Star Wars figures until Power of the Force 2 came out. Apparently, this pack was released ahead of their arrival in a way to both build anticipation and also create a neat throw back for classic fans. If I had known about this, I would have been ALL over it. I only had Hoth Han Solo and Bespin Luke in my collection at the time so having these versions of the two would have been amazing. I didn't even have a Chewbacca or a Darth Vader, so yeah. I would have bought this. I probably would have bought two, one to open and one to keep as a memento. Star Wars toys were just so rare at the time that the idea of having one complete in package would have been a piece of art for me.

I had been watching some of these on ebay for awhile but I finally found a very nice price listing for one. Until it arrived, I very much was undecided if I would open it or not. I felt like opening it would mentally force me to want to collect vintage along with the POTF and that isn't something I'm interested in doing. However, when it arrived this week, I just couldn't fight opening it and I am glad I did. These figures are just so great. The simplicity of the sculpts really took me back to those days of playing outside as a kid. I'll admit they are not perfect. I think Chewie suffers from uneven legs and it seems like Luke and Han both have a foot that is bent too far up but that might just be a byproduct from being in package too long. And Vader's head seems to be angled a little to the side. I do like that they went with the small Han head versus his balloon shaped head. In the end, though... these are great. Will I begin collecting vintage? I hope not. I do want to get a retro collection Leia to go with these guys but overall, I guess we'll see what happens.

Star Wars Power of the Force Deluxe Red Card Figures - Luke with Desert Sport Skiff, Han Solo with Smuggler Flight Pack, and Crowd Control Stormtrooper

2022-03-03T21:04:00.003-05:00

When it comes to the 1990's Kenner Star Wars relaunch, there are a lot of things people love and a lot of things people hate. The Deluxe assortment was something I absolutely loved. These kinds of figures showcased Star Wars as a toy line vs a collector's line. And Kenner wasn't new to these types of gimmicks. Just one look at their Batman line and these things make complete sense. Unfortunately, I don't think everyone else felt the same way. The first wave of these figures were brand new concepts that felt like they could belong in the universe. The second wave that would come with the Green cards gave us more things that actually existed in the films, save one. I can only imagine what a deluxe Chewbacca or Darth Vader could have come with. My only complaint about these toys is that all of the backpack accessories will only fit VERY few figures. This is because they were made to insert into a medium sized hole in their back. I'm absolutely sure that they could have devised a better solution that could be universal so I'm not sure why they took this route.

Luke with Desert Sport Skiff

Comparison with the basic figure.

While the skiff itself is very cool, even I will admit it seems a little out of place with farmboy Luke. I think it works better with some Mercenary or a Bounty Hunter.

Han with Smuggler Flight Pack

Crowd Control Stormtrooper

He has a better stance than the basic figure but you can tell that he has some slight sand specks throughout his armor, intending him to be on Tatooine.

He also makes a great Remnant Stormtrooper for Moff Gideon.

Star Wars Power of the Force Red Box Vehicles X-Wing, AT-ST, and Speeder Bike with Scout Trooper

2022-02-25T22:48:00.001-05:00

Speeder Bike with Scout Trooper

This was the only one of these three vehicles that my brother and I had as kids. We had two vintage scout troopers so finally having a speeder bike was a big deal. An added plus was that it was the same mold as the vintage line so our original scouts could finally feel the air fog up their goggles. The new scout figure introduced one of my least favorite things about the new Power of the Force line: wide stance, bending knee figures. They just look awkward off of their vehicles and besides the speeder bike, no one else could ride unless they had similar legs. Say what you will about the vintage vehicles and beasts but the trap door mechanism made it possible for most anyone to ride. Thankfully, like I mentioned, this was a vintage mold so we didn't face that issue YET.

AT-ST

My best friend had the AT-ST so I never felt the rush to go buy one. Though, if it had been in stores longer I probably would have. Return of the Jedi was my favorite Star Wars movie so recreating any part of that film was my thing. Also, this is the perfect time to talk about the AT-AT/@-@ debate. I never heard it referred to as an @-@ until I heard Kevin Smith talking about them. The @-@ name doesn't click for me, especially knowing there are AT-STs. Would you call them @-'stis'? Either way, I always referred to AT-STs as Chicken Walkers. I'm not sure where that term originated or where I first learned it. Maybe from old Star Wars resource books? I used to get every Star Wars book that I could from the Library in that time before the Star Wars renaissance so it's very likely that that is where I picked it up. Anyways, I love this vehicle. The stomping action feature is neat but I never used it. My only complaint is that it can't hold two figures.

Sorry, Chewie

X-Wing

Holding this toy gave me real joy. Seriously. Like a 5 year old on Christmas. I never even expected the rush of emotions that came over me when I wooshed this thing through the air. And when I say woosh, I mean woosh. It was almost a guttural reaction. I was making sound effects and everything. It just felt natural to do so. I'm not sure if it is just the overall design of the toy or the way X-Wings have been implanted in my brain over the years but it was an amazing feeling. Bear in mind that I had a POTF2 Snowspeeder, a Tie Fighter, a vintage Falcon and a vintage B-Wing previously. None of those ever gave me this rush and I was never a huge X-Wing person! Just an amazing feeling and I'm so happy to have experienced it.

Star Wars Power of the Force Shadows of the Empire Vehicles Outrider and Slave One

2022-02-20T21:48:00.000-05:00

Shadows the Empire was an amazing period in Star Wars history. It's sad that the overall story was just tossed to the side like it was meaningless. I could understand a reworking of certain story elements but just treating it like it never existed was such a blow for me. Thankfully, I will always have the memories and, for now, I have the toys.

I didn't have either of these vehicles growing up. I've mentioned in previous blogs how I favored getting multiple figures over a single vehicle when visiting the toy store but that did not mean that I did not want them. Being able to have them now as an adult is still pretty cool.

Slave One

We are all well aware of how cool this ship is and the toy is pretty sweet as well. I think my favorite feature is the open up cargo area that helps this ship tread the line between vehicle and playset. Toy Polloi has even designed an insert that you can stick in this area that gives Boba some things to fiddle with. I also love that it comes with Carbonite Han as well as gives you a place to stick the slab. Just a really stellar toy. Kenner did an amazing job with these in the vintage line and I am definitely glad that Hasbro reused the many molds that they did.

The Outrider

I've written previously about my love for Dash Rendar. Having his ship was always a goal of mine. I love the details and the attack mode action feature. My only complaint is that they turned a smuggler's ship into a fighter. Even as a kid seeing the toy, I wished that they had made it similar to the Falcon with the open area in the back. The Outrider should have been able to carry many people on special missions or at least have a second seat for the eventual Leebo figure. Oh well, something is always better than nothing.

Star Wars Power of the Force Wave 6 Collection

2022-02-19T13:27:00.005-05:00

Here they are, the final wave of single figures from the Red Lightsaber Power of the Force 2 collection. It feels weird to know that I have the complete set and that I got them all brand new. As I've mentioned previously, this series was my Star Wars and they arrived in the aisle at the perfect time for my fandom. And being able to grow up with many vintage figures only raised my excitement for the Star Wars relaunch in 1995. My nine to eleven year old self is feeling an incredible sense of satisfaction. And the only thing that had made this collection even more gratifying has been the prices. I know a lot of people bought multiples of figures way back when, expecting to have a giant pay off in the future. I do have some pity for them but, moreso, I'm thankful that their efforts made the prices on these figures fantastic and what we could only wish all of our favorite toy lines still enjoyed.

Greedo

As much as I love this line, even I can admit that they made some errors. For me, the most important thing about a basic articulation figure has to be the figure's stance. Dynamic posing is this lines greatest blessing and curse but Greedo here is the perfect example of how to do it correctly. He can easily look perfectly at ease to stand in the background of a Cantina or Smuggler's Den while also look ready for action with his weapon drawn. It's a shame Greedo had a such a quick exit from the franchise because the figure has such a fantastic look. As a kid, my Greedo always survived the Solo encounter and harbored a long standing grudge against Solo. For me, he was more of Han's enemy than Boba Fett. The latter was just doing a job but Greedo is out for blood.

Death Star Gunner

I didn't have this guy as a kid. As a Return of the Jedi fan, I mainly purchased Jabba's guys. That, however, has nothing to do with this toy. It's a great sculpt and the glossy black on his helmet, gloves, and boots really make him so much more than a background character in your Imperial army. The only shame here is that they never made a Death Star gunner station to use him with. Maybe if the later Green Card gunner stations had performed better, this would have been in the next wave. What might have been.

Tatooine Stormtrooper

The Sandtrooper was a great figure. Unfortunately, it's a commander and we wouldn't get single card versions with the white pauldrons. You either had to paint your own or buy a lot of Dewbacks. Luckily, you didn't have a large area to paint. I love the sand effect on this figure, I only wish that Hasbro/Kenner would have reigned that in with later releases. Some figures would cross the line between giving a toy a nice wash versus a classically clean look.

If you've enjoyed this look back through the single cards, don't worry, I'm not done. I've been collecting the Green Card releases too, however, I haven't been too picky on whether they were loose or carded. I also have the deluxe figures and many of the vehicles too look back on as well. Thanks for following my nostalgic journey thus far.

Star Wars Power of the Force Wave 5 Collection

2022-02-07T20:18:00.001-05:00

Wave 5 was the second biggest wave of the Red Card collection but it was a pretty odd grouping of figures. Instead of continuing on with Return of the Jedi, it went back to A New Hope. And, honestly, being in Episode IV is the only connection these figures have. They don't even all show up in the same scene. We get two army builder figures of what could be considered tribes of Tatooine (however, The Mandalorian has shifted my mindset on Jawas being local to the planet), two figures that have a merchandise/owner relationship, a background character from the Cantina, and a main character from a completely different setting.

Momaw Nadon

Momaw Nadon was one of my favorite figures when this wave came out. His file card listed him as a member of the Rebellion and he came with a huge gun. In my mind, this guy was a deep Rebel spy sowing the seeds of their cause on Tatooine. Later I found out he was an exiled gardener. I mean, the two don't have to be mutually exclusive. And learning about their war throats from Clone Wars makes him even cooler!

R5-D4

I did not have this toy back in the day and I did not want it. My best friend Jon owned it and I was disgusted with the whole pop out missile gimmick. I would have been much more happy with a simple R2 like design. However, as I look back on it, it was a pretty creative way to add some playability to R5's bad motivator. It's one thing to have a droid that blows up, it's another thing to have a droid that can kill everything in the area!

Jawas

The Jawas came in a 2 pack and had light tube eyes. What more needs to be said? So cool!

Tusken Raider

The Tusken Raider has definitely risen in popularity these days thanks to the Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Both series have done a great job in presenting these nomads as far more than grumpy desert dwellers or inhumane beasts. We now see them as noble and proud though it is hinted that not all tribes share the same values. I'll definitely be adding more Tuskens to my collection, especially since they can claim a familial relationship with Boba Fett.

Stormtrooper Disguise Luke

Stormtrooper Han was my first 'modern' Star Wars figure so getting this Luke just completes the package. Running around the Death Star was my second favorite sequence of A New Hope so being able to recreate these scenes was a lot of fun!

Star Wars Power of the Force Wave 4 Collection

2022-02-05T15:50:00.001-05:00

Wave 4 of the Power of the Force line picked up right after Shadows of the Empire. SotE gave us our first Return of the Jedi character with Leia in her Boushh disguise and this wave would give us our final two RotJ figures before the Red Card retired.

Jedi Knight Luke

This was a monumental figure because it represented Luke in his "final form". If you wanted to imagine adventures that followed episode 6, this would be the figure you needed. Plus, this figure gave us the green lightsaber! Before green and blue would saturate the Star Wars landscape with the prequels, the green lightsaber was a big deal. To our knowledge, there had not been a green one before. Obi Wan had a blue one, Anakin had a blue one, it was like Star Wars was completely blue versus red. And then when the green lightsaber popped out on the skiff above the Pit of Carkoon, there was a paradigm shift.

Carbonite Han Solo

Return of the Jedi was always my favorite Star Wars episode and getting more figures to recreate those moments was an amazing feeling. I remember visiting vintage toy shops in the mall and reading toy guides about the vintage line and wondering what it would be like to recreate Jabba's Palace. I had a lot of the 'denizens' thanks to my cousins passing on their classic figures to my brother and I, but my Han was the vintage Hoth figure until 1995. Getting this guy for my Birthday was a good day!

Star Wars Power of the Force Wave 3 Collection

2022-02-04T18:22:00.005-05:00

Wave 3 kind of feels more like Wave 2.5. We received 3 more figures from the Empire Strikes Back and 1 from both Episodes IV and V. The time for the Red Lightsaber backing card was almost over as we were inching closer to Shadows of the Empire which introduced the new Lightsaber color packaging refresh for the line. It feels weird that we didn't get more figures with Red Cards. The majority of this line was going to happen with Green Cards, through either Power of the Force or Power of the Jedi. Looking back, it feels odd that Power of the Jedi didn't just refresh the Lightsaber again with blue. Oh well, here are the figures!

Hoth Gear Han Solo

My first Han Solo was the vintage Hoth Han Solo so it was cool seeing this figure released. These days, you will see a lot of discussion online about the coloring of Han's jacket (is it brown or blue?) or why he was wearing a cap that we didn't see in the film. Neither of these issues struck me when he came out, I was just happy to have him.

Dagobah Luke Skywalker

This was my second new Luke after my pal stole my pilot version. I love this Luke head sculpt that we see throughout the Red Card line. In my opinion, it is only bested by the Expanded Universe Dark Empire Luke headsculpt. This figure was strange in that he was obviously designed to stand with Yoda attached to his back. Without the Jedi Master you have to resort to some interesting leg poses.

Yoda

This was my first Yoda figure. He was fun to have when sending Luke to train as a Jedi but after that... you kind of had to be creative. Yoda used to spend a lot of time in Rebel briefing rooms or being held prisoner. With the Prequels in hindsight, I realize that I missed a lot of opportunities for more adventure with Yoda.

Tie Fighter Pilot

Our second army building figure. However, you really needed to have a lot of Tie Fighters to justify having a lot of pilots and I was never a big vehicle purchaser as a kid. When you have $25 in your hand, you can buy a vehicle or 5 figures. I almost always chose to get 5 more figures but I did have a Tie Fighter.

Star Wars Vintage The Mandalorian Wave 1

2022-02-04T14:20:00.001-05:00

I don't need to tell anyone reading this anything about the Mandalorian, so let's get to the toys. As a fan of the Vintage and Power of the Force 2 era style of toys, I was pretty excited to find out about the Retro style figures being made. Wave 1 is pretty great, I only wish that we had more characters. Wave 2 will be here soon but it also is focusing on big names. As a fan of B list Star Wars characters, I'm slightly nervous that some figures won't make it into this line. Despite that, I plan on getting everyone that I can. I have spoken.

Greef Karga

Carl Weathers was a great bit of casting. Not only because he is such a great actor but because many of us know him from the late 70's and 80's, the same era that gave us Star Wars. In a show that is trying to bring us back to the Original Trilogy timeline, Weathers becomes a bridge of nostalgia.

Cara Dune

Cara was my favorite secondary character in this series. As someone who always identified more with the cause of the Rebellion versus the story of the Jedi, her backstory had strong appeal for me. The loss of Alderaan was one of the first evils we saw the Empire perpetrate. Cara takes us right back to that point when a million voices cried out and were suddenly silenced.

IG-11

Wow, this show set out to devastate us emotionally. IG's new programming and eventual sacrifice was powerful but not as powerful as that of his master's.

Kuiil

Kuiil. Sigh. This Nick Nolte voiced puppet worked his way quickly into our hearts with his straightforward nature and value system. His death taught us to live second by second in the world of the Mandalorian.

Moff Gideon

Our big bad. Calm, suave, and assured, Moff Gideon is our final proof that the Empire is not as dead as we thought. He not only serves as our source of agitation, he is the connective tissue to all of our eventual Mando allies. His service as an ISB officer gives him intimate knowledge on all of our heroes. He even named the Mandalorian for us. His role in the Great Purge that we finally saw a glimpse of in The Book of Boba Fett shows just how ruthless our enemy will prove to be. He might currently be imprisoned, I have little doubt that his threat is far from removed.

The Mandalorian

Our nameless, faceless, emotionless space cowboy has sure grown on us. The journey into discovering just who our hero truly is has been amazing and emotional. We now know who he is and what he was but the true journey will be discovering what he will be. The Book of Boba Fett has shown us a reflection of the Mandalorian with Boba himself. He was the original best of the best Bounty Hunter and now we see him on his journey to become something better/more. If Boba can move from bounty hunter to, what I assume will be, ruler of Tatooine, I can only imagine what our story has in store for Din Djarin.

The Child

The money maker. The mascot. The fuel for change in the life of the Mandalorian. This little guy has worked his way into all of our hearts and wallets. Honestly, he probably changed the fortunes for Disney Star Wars in ways they could only have hoped. And it's not for nothing. This Gizmo the Gremlin inspired green guy can melt the hardest of hearts. And he may have started as just a plot device, we now have seen him becoming very much a character in his own right with his own choices to make. And wow, what a choice he has been tasked with (as of this writing).

Some final photos for fun and comparison :)

Star Wars Power of the Force Wave 2 Collection

2022-02-03T22:40:00.001-05:00

Star Wars Power of the Force. I'm so very glad I jumped back in this line when I did this past summer. For one reason, prices are starting to go up, thanks Disney+ shows ;). But the main reason is just how pivotal this line was for me as a child and a lover of toys. This was my main toy line for a long time, especially in a world without G.I.Joe and Masters of the Universe. One of my collecting goals has been to get the entire Red/Orange card collection, new. Looking at a backlog of pictures I've taken, I realized that I am very close to completing that goal.

Wave 2 of this series was short but impressive. It was our first step into the Empire Strikes Back and two of the main additions made their appearance in this wave of three, Boba Fett and Lando Calrissian. The third figure is a pilot Luke. The card refers to him as being an X-Wing pilot but his outfit is actually closer to his snowspeeder gear. Either way, he could fill both voids. Pilot Luke was actually my first brand new Luke Skywalker. Before that, I had the vintage Dagobah Luke. This was a big step for me. It was also my first lightsaber as I didn't have any of the vintage accessories. On a sadder note, my pilot Luke was stolen by one of my best friends at Summer Day Care. We used to bring our figures everyday to play with on the playground. He confessed to me a few years later that he had taken it but only because he had by then lost it himself and knew that he wouldn't have to face the shame of giving it back. The hardships of childhood... anyway, let's see some pictures.

Pilot Luke

Boba Fett

Lando Calrissian

Figures Toy Company Robin

2022-01-22T20:47:00.000-05:00

After finding a Mego-esque Batman, I, of course, needed a Robin. There were a lot of choices available. Mego had their original version as well as their latest figure and Figures Toy Company had a few of their own, one of which proved to be exactly what I wanted. Again, my huge inspiration for most things Batman comes from the Jorge Luis Garcia Lopez Style Guide pictures.

As far as the head and costume went, I loved it, but I found the legs to be lacking. So I switched those items onto a DC Retro Action body and it turned out pretty well.

Just being athletically toned really helps this figure to stand out. The more of these figures I get, the more I love them. And being someone who loves to customize, the possibilities can at times feel limitless. I look forward to adding to my Gotham City collection.

Mega Bloks Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Updated pics + Custom Tiger Zord

2022-01-10T21:34:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, I came across the Mega Bloks Mighty Morphin Power Rangers line on Amazon and went all in. The result was this blog and even my twitter account @BeyondUbernerd. Over the years, though, there was still one zord that I was missing, the Tigerzord. Using an extra Saber Tooth Tiger, I finally filled that void.

And since I was already taking pictures, I decided to go ahead and take new pictures of the rest of the zords.

And then, of course a shot of the bad guys. I'd still like to make an Ivan Ooze and a Scorpina at some point. I still have the Megazord, my stand in for Titanus, and my custom Serpentera but they were too large for camera shots I was doing at the time. I'll work on getting new pictures of them in the future.

Mattel DC Retro Action Batman

2022-01-08T17:22:00.000-05:00

Late in 2020, I went back through The Toys That Made Us series on Netflix and the Star Trek episode took some time to really dig into the history of Mego. Many of the toys I played with growing up or have collected are technically before my time but Mego was WAY before my time. I always kind of had a general idea of the toys, mainly thanks to Robot Chicken, but something about the presentation of the episode really gave me an itch to try this type of toyline out.

I decided to get just one figure, to try it out. If I didn't like them, no big deal, not a lot of time/money wasted. My favorite superhero is Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern/Ion) and I remembered that Matty Collector had a Mego-like brand for a few years. A google search later and I found a Kyle Rayner figure for $10! Perfect. I could hardly ask for a better price for making a trial run. A week later, the figure arrived and I loved it. They had an entire sub series of GL's that I bought and some other items but that is for a different blog. However, this was my entry into Megoish figures.

I decided to go back into Mego to find a Batman. This was pretty tricky because I wanted to find a Batman that would be my 'definitive' version of the character. For me, Batman exists somewhere between the way he was reimagined by Dennis O'neal and Neal Adams, the Filmation Cartoon, and the 1966 Batman series. Specifically, the Batman we see in the Jose Luis Garcia Lopez style guide.

Looking around at choices of Batman, the answer was pretty tricky. Mego, recently returned, has produced a Batman, but it reflects the modern style.

Figures Toy Company produced a few Batmans. They remade the original Mego Batman and produced versions for the Superfriends, the New Adventures of Batman, the 1966 Batman, and even their take on the Neal Adams Batman.

None of these really called to me. The closest had to be the Neal Adams inspired FTC figure but it still didn't really resonate. Then I remembered the DC Retro Action line from Matty Collector. This was exactly the figure I wanted but the first run of this line had floppy waists and the rest of the run had slightly floppy legs. Then I also remembered that ClassicTVToys.com was selling a new S Type body. The body used actual plastic articulation joints instead of bands. I decided to buy Batman and the S Type body. If I couldn't get the Mattel body to work, I could just throw it all on the S Type body.

As soon as Batman arrived, I popped him apart and rebanded him. It worked, and he was not longer floppy! However, the S Typy body had also arrived and it offered better points of articulation.

The Mattel body had way better muscle definition but the S type offered bicep swivel. I went with the S Type. I ended up giving the rebanded body to my Kyle Rayner, who is happy to no longer have floppy legs.

Judge for yourselves if I made the right decision.

You can find the DC Retro Action Batman on Ebay in the $20 price range.

You can buy the S Type body from Classic TV Toys

Look for some more 8" figure posts from me soon!

Kre-O G.I. Joe Custom Overlord and Dictator

2021-12-11T16:26:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, I lost more than my fair share of G.I. Joes. Two however, have stuck in my memory because of how much I enjoyed playing with them.

The first wasn't even truly a G.I. Joe. He was from the U.S. Forces line by Remco: Tigerclaw.

The second, wasn't a G.I. Joe either, he was a Cobra: Overlord.

Obviously, I had a thing for masked characters with claws.

Anyway, I'd been wanting to add Overlord to my Kre-O collection. I tried making his original look but every combination of parts I tried just didn't appeal to me like the original figure. However, something happened today as I stared at my piles of spare parts. I still wasn't sure what I had in mind as my hands instinctively connected pieces but once they were finished I realized what I had done.

I had combined Overlord and Tigerclaw together.

Once that happened, my brain caught fire with ideas for who this version of Overlord was to be. Instead of being some random soldier making a play for the lead of Cobra, Overlord is now Cobra's lead jungle agent and has a similar standing to that of Major Bludd.

Whether cutting deals and sealing ties with third world dictators or protecting deep jungle science labs, Overlord will be there to further Cobra's interests.

Shadows of the Empire Wave 1

2021-07-10T15:09:00.000-04:00

The arrival of Shadows of the Empire was huge and I was the perfect age for it. My friends and I started a Star Wars Club at school that year and we brought our newest figures to play with at recess. We all shared any new information we could with each other about the story whether from the comics, the book (which was a BIT outside of our reading level), or the video game. We loved it. I loved it. Especially the new characters. I really liked the idea of a Wookie Bounty Hunter and the specialized Coruscant troopers but what really resonated with me was seeing somebody who looked like me in Star Wars. Dash Rendar.

Now, in my almost mid 30's, my hair has settled into more of a strawberry blonde but as a kid, I had dark red hair. And as you could guess, I was teased about it all the time. Seeing someone with hair like me be a hero in Star Wars and look so cool doing it was a huge lift to my self esteem as I began to approach double digits.

I was also a fan of Prince Xizor. The seedy underside of the galaxy has always appealed to me in Star Wars. Learning about this high and mighty crime boss was thrilling.

And of course, everyone loved getting to see more of the awe inspiring Boba Fett.

I didn't have all of the figures as kid, but I definitely had the big three. Boba was in an earlier wave and I picked up Dash and Prince Xizor on the same trip to the store. I picked up what would be my first Leia figure not much later. Now, I'm more than happy to have the entire wave.

Star Wars Power of the Force Wave 1 Collection

2021-07-08T18:10:00.001-04:00

I've always loved Star Wars. It was something that just always seemed to be a part of my life. I have mentioned before how I was able to benefit greatly from having older cousins who grew out of their need for toys and passed them down to my brother and I. With Star Wars, it was no different. We were given a good 30ish vintage figures as well as a well used Millenium Falcon that was missing quite a few pieces and we loved them.

Just like we did with Masters of the Universe and other toy lines, whenever my brother and I had a chance to visit a garage sale or an antique shop, we looked for more Star Wars stuff to add to our collections. It was the late 80's and early 90's so there weren't really any other options.

Eventually, the Justoys Bend-Ems came out. We bought many of these but preferred the figures that were closer to the 3 3/4 scale. That Leia, 3PO, Yoda and R2-D2 filled some nice holes in my collection. The included Topps cards were very cool too.

Not long after, Galoob began releasing their Star Wars Micro Machines line. We gobbled this up as well but the 3.75 line was still the main toys for us when we wanted to play Star Wars. Then one summer, my Mom surprised me with a mail away figure that I had no idea was a thing: a brand new Han Solo as a Stormtrooper from Kenner. The day this thing arrived changed my life forever as it signaled to me that there were NEW Star Wars toys out there to buy and I didn't even have to scour antique shops to find them! And buy them we did. From 1995-1999, the Power of the Force Star Wars line was pretty much all I bought, besides the new G.I. Joes that popped up and a summer collecting the Lost World line.

As the line began to focus more on the newly arrived Prequels and the figure sculpts began to "improve", I began to shift towards other things. Eventually, I passed my entire collection on to my younger brothers and was able to enjoy watching them experience Star Wars. Now, that we are all adults, our Star Wars toys are safely tucked away in my parent's basement awaiting the day that my niece and nephews discover them.

Recently, I became aware of how inexpensive the Power of the Force line was on the secondary market. I didn't just dip my toes in, I dove head first. I now have the entire first wave of figures and then some. I didn't stop there either as I also now have many vehicles I never owned like the X-Wing and the A-Wing. In fact, I've even begun building my own playsets out of cardboard like I used to when I was a kid! This has been a pretty fun ride this summer. In a way, I feel like I have reconnected with a part of me that I've missed for a long time. So let's see where this goes!

As soon as I opened Leia, her shoulder crumbled! I was able to super glue some parts back into place for the pictures but I will be purchasing another one. Why not? They're cheap!

And of course, the one that started it all.

Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis Grayskull, Snake Mountain, and Slime Pit Diorama/Displays

2021-05-16T16:51:00.000-04:00

Obligatory opening lines about how I love Masters of the Universe. You probably get that at this point. Anyway, I remember when the Minis first debuted during the Matty Collector days. I thought they were neat at the time but collecting the Classics figures was expensive enough, so I passed on them. Fast forward to 2021, where I've sold off my Classics collection (except the Laser Light Figures), I've left my vintage collection at my parent's house where future generations can discover them, and I'm only really collecting the Mega Construx brand. The only issue here is that the breaks seem to be HUGE in between releases of Waves.

So during this 'in between' period, I've rediscovered the Minis. I LOVE the boxed displays and how the figures look like they jumped right out of the Most Powerful Game in the Universe mobile app. Also, as an uncle of three 0-4 year olds, I want to have something MOTU at my place that they get into when visiting. Alright, enough words, let's check these out.

The Grayskull and Snake Mountain sets share the same outer box

with art on the front and back depicting either location.

The Slime Pit has a different outer box.

The same He-Man that was in the Grayskull set.

Comparison shot.

Masters of the Universe Mega Construx Large Update - Battle Ram, Roton, Point Dread, Skeletor Heads, Battle Armor Faker, Stinkor, Fisto, updated Grayskull Throne, etc.

2021-05-01T19:35:00.000-04:00

A little over a year ago, I felt that I was done with collecting toys. I had a reached a point where nothing really appealed to me anymore. It just no longer brought me joy. Maybe I just needed some time away because last month I found myself being pulled back into it. Especially for the Mega Construx MOTU line.

I had already begun the process of selling off a lot of my collection. Thankfully, I had not sold these. So, I jumped back in with both feet and made some huge Amazon/Ebay orders! Not counting a few Evil Lyn's, a Teela, unflocked Moss Man, and a Skeletor, I think I'm currently uptodate on the line.

And without any more backstory, here's the goods:

Point Dread, Talon Fighter, and Panthor

I'm in the group that prefers to keep Point Dread separate from Castle Grayskull so here is mine atop the Mystic Mountains. The mountain bases came from a Mega Bloks Pyrate set and the little rocks on the side are from one of the Skeletor Head sets. I plan on getting more of these bases to make the mountains a bit more mountainy.

You'll notice the Cliff Climber attached to the back of the console.

I figured this was the best place to store it... mountains and all.

I decided to move the computer console over to the side so that

Point Dread could actually be a usable space.

LOVE the vinyl Easter Egg.

There's SO much more room for activities!

FYI, my Zodak had VERY stiff plastic and had a tough time connecting to the waist.

In fact, his back began to crack. Luckily, the harness covers it.

All the weapon racks so far (I've mixed and matched some weapons too).

Yes, the chickens have large talons.

I had not planned on using the Panthor helmet but mine came with an odd paint rub. Oh well, now I have an excuse to get the Flocked Panthor.

Fisto and Skeletor Head Fisto with Cliff Climber

I decided to mix and match my Fistos because the single card version had 'crazy eyes'.

I also chose to give Fisto a mace instead of his sword.

I never really felt a guy like him would use a sword anyway.

He's a brawler.

The Cliff Climber is pretty neat and if I were 5-12, I'd really love using it.

Point Dread also came with the Temple of Darkness Sorceress and the Cliff Climber came with another Crystal Orb. I decided to have two orbs, one at the top of Grayskull and one below. Also, my TOD Sorceress (in my head cannon) is actually a prior Sorceress of Grayskull who now goes by the name 'the Guardian'. She and the Goddess aide and advise the current Sorceress Force Ghost style.

Battle Ram

This thing is so small yet so perfectly scaled at the same time. It's hard to explain but I think a lot of it has to do with adjusting to these from Lego. Everything in Lego feels so oversized and bulky in comparison, it's crazy.

Lots of places for the homies.

This is how they rode MY Battle Ram as a kid.

I'm glad it still looks good in this scale.

Yep, here is where Fisto's sword wound up.

Roton and Battle Cat

I was disappointed at first when he wasn't blue but that sea green really pops.

I moved the 'face' forward a row to create more leg room in the cockpit.

Skeletor Head Trap Jaw and He-Man, Stinkor, and Battle Armor Faker

All the current Fakers. I think the SDCC one is my favorite so far. I love the neon pink.

Battle Armor Bros

All the current He-mans

All of the Skeletors that I have so far.

I hated how the Sorceress couldn't sit in her throne so I made some changes. Looks a bit more Filmation-y now. Also, I added a place for the Powersword a la the 80's movie.

All the current Heroic Warriors/Masters

All the current Evil Warriors

Honestly, we still need more Evil vehicles. I'm trying to stock up on Rotons and I gave them the Battle Bones but we definitely need some more. I'd LOVE to see the following:

Flash Gordon

2021-04-18T19:46:00.004-04:00

Flash Gordon. For many of us, seeing that name evokes the imagery, sounds, and energy of the fantastically over the top 1980 film. The bright colors. The Queen Soundtrack. Brian Blessed's Vultan's booming and jovial voice.

This was my introduction to the franchise as well. It's an amazing film that still entertains as much today as it hoped to do back then. In fact, the film stuck with me so much that it pushed me to look further back into the history of Flash Gordon. "If this was the 'campy version', what was it really like?"

Digging deeper, I found the 1970's Filmation series AND their hidden film. I say hidden because it has yet to be re released outside of a Japanese Laserdisc copy that some kind soul uploaded to Youtube. This was a great series that included more of the Flash Gordon world than the 1980's film. I especially love this incarnation of Thun, the Prince of the Lion Men. And of of course, Bob Ridgely's voice stands way out with his portrayal of our hero.

There was also, of course, Defenders of the Earth. This short lived 1980's cartoon pulled Flash into a team with other King Features characters like the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and his ally Lothar. I never really cared for this show as it tried to shoehorn in 'legacy characters', the children of each hero.

At this point, I was thoroughly caught up in this world of adventure and desired to know the REAL story. I began reading the collected editions of Alex Raymond's Sunday comic strip. Honestly, for a series that began in 1934, it sucked me right in. From week to week, it was hard to tell if Raymond was making this up as he went along or not because an elaborate backstory began to unfold behind what was otherwise just a weekly cliffhanger. Characters that started out as fairly one dimensional all began to have strong motivations behind their actions. This was a soap opera in adventure clothing and I loved it.

After this, I chose to look into the Universal Serials from the 1930's and 40's. While the dialogue can be cringeworthy and some of the plot stretched thin to create the next cliffhanger, they really did a nice job with this. From sets and costumes to their models and miniatures, you could tell that Universal really wanted this to succeed. The first serial especially, originally titled as just Flash Gordon, does an amazing job building Alex Raymond's world.

A few years ago, I had the idea to try and create my 'ideal' Flash Gordon films. Taking the soundtrack from the 1980's film, I began the journey of editing the 4+ hours of the first Serial down into a much more streamlined and cohesive story. Because I was changing the soundtrack, I had to accept the fact that I would have to cut out the dialogue too. This was now going to be a silent film, which was fine with me. Not only would this cut out some of the wooden line delivery but it allowed me to actually script the film myself.

The long process finally reached its end this year. The edited film now is just over two and half hours and split into 3 sections. I'm really proud of this. While there were some errors along the way, I learned a lot in the process and am now three chapters into my edit of the second Serial, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars!

Below are the links to each part. I hope you enjoy it and maybe they will help you discover the deep and engrossing world of Flash Gordon that exists beyond the 1980's extravaganza. Without a doubt, Gordon's Alive!

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2020-04-28T01:04:00.001-04:00

I don't think I need to spend any time letting readers know anything about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And that is to the franchise's compliment. Like EVERYONE else in the late 80's/early 90's I loved them and had many of their toys. As I got older, these were quickly passed on to my younger brothers who continue to love them as well. A few years ago, I was gearing up to lead my next session of Comic Book Club at my school and was eyeing TMNT as the focus. During the preparations for the upcoming sessions, I got that old toy hunting itch and started rebuilding my own collection. I'm by no means done as I'm still missing some vitals like April and Splinter and I've always wanted to build my own Triceraton army. However, with all of this extended free time during Quarantine, I decided to get these out and finally add them to my blog.

All my heroes and villains. You'll notice that I have Toxic Crusaders and Dick Tracy in the mix. In my head cannon, they are all connected. Tracy could easily be working the beat that mixes in with the Foot and Dr. Killemoff, for me, hails from Dimension X.

I got this Technodrome for my Silverhawks collection, but it has proven pretty versatile. And obviously, it looks great with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Krang enlists some old allies to help defeat those pesky Turtles.

Uncovering the Technodrome's underground hiding spot.

Raising some shell.

Some tubular team ups

Back alley podiatrist's convention gone bad.

My favorite TMNT vehicle has always been the Turtle Blimp. This most recent version, while not as iconic as the original, can carry more than one person. It also has zip lines to drop down quickly for action.

Never realized until I got older exactly why Shredder was posed the way he was. Now I have nothing but respect for this figure.

Cowabunga!

Gamerztek 8-Bit HD and Gaming Relics custom cases

2020-04-24T18:59:00.001-04:00

I'm still a fan of retro video games which probably doesn't surprise anyone since I still collect retro toys. When I play, I normally use the Retron 5 as my console because I love being able to save my progress at any point while using my cartridges. However, Retron 5 doesn't recognize a lot of multicarts and it also can't load game cheats for homebrews or game hacks. To compensate, I had been using Retro Bit's Retro Trio with an upscaler for HDMI. Its a great system and worked well but I decided it was time to upgrade to a console with a better HDMI output. After doing my online research, I decided to go with the 8-Bit HD.

These are not the best screenshots as it is just me using my phone but I was blown away by the difference this made. Everything was very crisp. The console itself is very cheap. I bought it on Amazon for $30. It appears that I got the last one but I'm sharing the link for when they restock. Its also available in a lot of other places. Just make sure you get the latest make of the console because they fixed some errors with their sound chip. https://www.amazon.com/8-Bit-HD-Entertainment-System-Nintendo/dp/B01MYXNB7G

Running the 150 in 1 cart through a Game Genie. I love retro frankenstein towers.

Size comparison to the Retron 5

Something I love to buy are custom game cases. The glossy pictures and the snap cases remind me of renting games from Phar-Mor back in the day. Nostalgia. I've tried a lot of different companies out but recently I have fallen in love https://gamingrelics.com/. Here are some of my recent pick ups.

Just beautiful work and really cheap prices. Check them out.

Transformers Legends Scale Jazz, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Starscream, and Thundercracker

2020-04-21T03:11:00.001-04:00

Around the end of the G1 line, Transformers made the Pretenders which produced some smaller versions of some popular bots like Jazz and Starscream that would fit in different shells/skins. In 1989, they re-released these figures without the shells and just called them Legends.

In the 2000s, Hasbro decided to bring this scale back with their Robots in Disguise, Transformers Universe, Reveal the Shield and various other lines. Over time, the scale has continuously fluctuated so that it is tough to understand just how different figures will line up. This proved particularly challenging for me when I was searching for an appropriately sized Optimus Prime for my GoBots. Well, now I have added some more Transformers to my collection, Jazz, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Starscream, and Thundercracker.

They are all about the same size. This bothers me a little bit when it comes to Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, but when I put them with Optimus or the GoBots, it all works out pretty well.

Never really noticed the color similarities between Cy-Kill and Starscream until now.

GoBots Leader 1, Fitor, Cy-Kill, Transformers Generations Optimus Prime, and Power Warrior Courageous

2020-04-13T21:37:00.001-04:00

It was a busy mail day as I add on to my GoBots collection. Today I was able to add Leader 1, Cy-Kill, and Fitor. Pretty neat to get three heavy hitters in one day. They are all in pretty good condition too. Cy-Kill's wheels are a little loose but beyond that they seem great!

Leader 1

He came with a hologram sticker of Turbo from the Animated Series

Jet mode comparison with one of the Aerialbots.

Taking charge in the Command Center

Fitor

This picture doesn't do his vehicle mode justice. He's a cool ship.

Cy-Kill

Cy-Kill is a ridiculously expensive figure but I was lucky to find him at a reasonable price. I hope others are able to do the same because he's pretty cool.

A much more harmonious relationship than Megatron and Starscream.

The big three. Just need Coptur to complete the top level of the Renegades.

Comparison with G2 Decepticons.

Forever foes.

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I've also been working on getting more A list Transformers who keep close to the GoBots scale. I had some trial and error until I stumbled across Generations Chilling 30 Optimus Prime. He is supposed to come with Roller as a minicon and his gun but this one was cheaper. And as I was still trying check the scale, I didn't want to overpay for a figure that might not work the way I want. However, I'm very pleased with this Optimus Prime.

Comparison with G2 Turbofire

Old college buddies before they were the number 1 and 2 draft pick for different leagues in '84.

Even though Leader 1 is the main GoBots guy, Optimus' personality requires him to be a bit taller than his peers. He's the guy that EVERYONE looks up to.

"One shall stand, one shall fall, Cy-Kill."

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To put a bow on the day's deliveries, I was able to get all four Power Suits, new, and the Courageous Spaceship complete in box, used but looking great. I used to have one of the Power Suits as a kid so it's cool, to not only have one again, but to have the whole thing. I did have one rain cloud appear with this set. While transforming Courageous, the plastic on his leg snapped. The legs used metal teeth to lock into position and for some reason, the right leg no longer wanted to move. I had to take it apart and remove a lot of the plastic from the area. The leg still works, just not the way it was intended. It was a bummer but I'm thankful that it wasn't ruined.

The card backs on the Power Suits are much cooler than the main line. Love that black background.

The back of the cards also list which GoBot fits in which Power Suit. Unfortunately, I have found that even though a figure may be listed, they don't fit that well. I kind of wish that they had designed these to be one size fits all so I don't have to be scared about breaking anything.

Notice the side doors stick out on Sparky and Leader 1. Also notice that Power Glide joined in on the Power Suit fun. It's good to know that some Autobots will fit.

The back of the legs open up to hold the hands when not in robot form. A cool touch.

Check out that right hip : \

Chest piece opens up to hold some of the slimmer GoBots. Leader 1 does NOT** fit. I used Pathfinder but I think other figures the size of Turbo would fit as well.

The Guardians finally get an emblem.

**After persisting a bit more, I DID get Leader 1 one to fit!

"We need Courageous Zord power, Now!"

Courageous is about 13" tall so not too big and not too small. I think it would look great to see him go up against Trypticon or Scorponok.