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Toy OTD: Disney Store Plastic Cars Toys: Mater, Red, Sarge, 'Chewall' Tractor, Chick Hicks, Lightning McQueen (2006 - 2008)

2010-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

The movie Cars has proven to be a merchandising bonanza, spawning myriad lines of toys and other products. Like any other franchise, there's a range of quality within them - some items are excellent, some are fine, and others are functional but not much more. The primary line of Cars vehicles sold at the Disney Store are decent toys. They're mostly of a mid-range quality: in general the Mattel diecasts are far better, but this plastic, talking series is better than the smaller PVC cars, pullback items or plushes.

For one thing, they're fairly big - much bigger than any of the diecasts. If your kids need something larger to play with, this line is literally a better fit. The details aren't quite as lavish as those of the diecasts, but they're still good. Because of this, I'm assuming that these toys weren't cast from digital data but interpreted through traditional sculpting or other means (it's hard to know for certain). The construction is reasonably solid, but they do feel a little flimsy in places.

The biggest design detraction is the choice to make the pupils movable - they 'look' back and forth when pushed along a surface. In order to do this, the eyes are mounted on clear plastic stalks in front of an open 'windshield'. They're not all that intrusive on some of the cars, but on others it looks rather awkward and unattractive.

The other play feature included in the line is a motion-activated voice chip. This is a bit of a mixed blessing since they've got hair triggers, and chat away at the slightest movement. Other than that, the lines feel like dialogue from the film and have a decent feel for the characters' personalities (although it sounds to me like many of them were recorded by soundalikes).

The paint work here is minimal - the main body color is provided by the plastic itself. Most of the detailing is the cast plastic color as well, which in general I like as a cost-effective toy strategy. Colors tend to be a little more durable, and manufacturers don't have to be as precise about the few paint passes they do have.

The heaviest paint use is on the 'rusty' characters, and while the "Chewall" tractor looks significantly better than its diecast counterpart, Mater is only moderately successful - still looking more like paint than a rust texture.

Unfortunately, the other paint substitutes used here are decals - and they're another notable minus. They're particularly weak on heavily decorated characters like Wingo or Chick Hicks. I decided not to buy the Wingo from this series at all because I couldn't find one without stickers that weren't already bubbling up or tearing in the package. Chick's decals are better, but it doesn't look like it would take much play to badly damage them.

These toy cars by their very nature have no real posing capability or balance issues, so articulation and display stands are moot points here. Scale could be a display issue in the sense that collecting this line can eat up a sizable chunk of shelf estate. Fortunately, there's not nearly as many characters in this format as have been made in, say, the diecast line.

The packaging, on the other hand, is rather nice. The designers came up with a large clamshell, and turned it into an environment straight from the film! The branding is covered with the 'metal flake' base, and the toy itself rests on a short stretch of 'highway' backed with a rich panorama of Radiator Springs. The signs are built to create a 3D effect, and perform double duty describing play features. It's nice that there's so few stickers on the blister itself! On the other hand, it's a shame that they use so much plastic and take up so much space - but the shelf presence is pretty impressive considering the price point (originally $10-$15).

I imagine these toys are still available at the Disney Store, but since there's very few actual stores left, you'll probably need to get them online. You can get Doc Hudson and Sally on eBay for $23.74 + shipping, Lightning McQueen for $14.50 + shipping, Red for $27.63 + shipping, Luigi & Guido are packed together for $18.63 + shipping, Sarge is $12.93 + shipping, Fillmore is $17.63 + shipping, and Wingo goes for $14.50. There may be more toys in this line, but that's all I've been able to find. Compare prices, watch that shipping, and have fun!

Toy OTD: Nathan Jurevicius, Kid Robot's Scarygirl City Folk Figures: Crossing Guard, School Girl (2007)

2010-01-31T09:00:00.001-08:00

Nathan Jurevicius is not only a cool illustrator, but a prolific toy designer as well! TheScarygirl City Folk collection probably isn't his latest line, but it's certainly one of his more recent ones. It's a blind boxed mini-fig series with a wide variety of characters. I only bought a couple of them, so I'll review just those two here.

Kid Robot's toys are of a consistently high quality, and this line is equally good. The sculpts capture the playful, graphically strong designs and interpret them into three dimensions very well! They're planned to be cast in multiple parts, and the assembly seams are strategically chose to blend into the design without disrupting it. The construction itself is fine, making the characters look solid. The use of materials is clever, such as the transparent plastic for the Crossing Guard's staff, and the mounting of the book stack on the School Girl's head.

The paint work is also nice and clean - there's not a ton of detail on these designs, but the color borders are sharp, small paint areas are tidy, and the broader paint areas are smooth. Details like the School Girl's eyelashes are crisp. The color palette is limited by design, not budget.

Mini-figures rarely (if ever) have articulation, so it's a non-issue here.

Balance for both designs is fine: School Girl has a back wheel to steady her; and the Crossing Guard has a broad, flat base. Mr. Jurevicius is very conscious of this aspect of manufacturing and addresses it well, regardless of the figure scale. Either small stands are included, or the designs are well balanced on their own.

Packaging for this line is terrific, both in terms of the individual boxes and the larger case. Both are heavily decorated with Mr. Jurevicius' graphics, but they're not overwhelming. The color use here is tasteful, but punchy enough to attract attention. All of the boxes are unified with a similar palette of black, pink, green and white - it's easy to keep track of this series!

There's fifteen different characters in the set, and at least two paint variants (a black-faced School Girl, and a black Jelly Cat). You can get blind boxes for $9.73 + shipping each at overkillshop.com, and a few of the characters are on eBay right now: The School Girl chase and both Jelly Cats for $19.99 + shipping each, and the Doctor for $29.99 + shipping. These prices seem a bit high, so you may want to be patient and poke around at the next Vinyl Toy Network or something. Good luck!

Toy OTD: DC Direct Kingdom Come Figure Series 2: Shazam (2004)

2010-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

I remember Mark Waid's Kingdom Come being DC's answer to Marvels, ushering in an era of highly-polished 'event comics': sort of the comic-book equivalent of a summer 'tentpole' film. Since comic book characters have always been heavily merchandised, it wasn't much of a stretch to anticipate Kingdom Come action figures. DC Direct took on the challenge of making small versions of illustrator Alex Ross' re-imagined superheroes.

It's no small feat - Ross' style is quite detailed and realistic looking. While both this line and its companion series (the Justice action figures) produce mixed results, it's very impressive that any of these toys hit their target. This is a property that could only be done with the manufacturing technology and resources available today.

It may not be one of the best KC toys, but Shazam (aka Captain Marvel) is a nice one. As you probably already know, I'm primarily a purist - but I really like Waid/Ross' take on the character. A bit emotionally arrested, and there's an eerie djinn vibe about him now. He really is a being rooted in magic: he feels a lot less comforting, more unpredictable.

The sculpt is quite good - lots of subtle detail, but not too much. It evokes Ross' style nicely, right down to matching a pose from one of his paintings. The button-corner for the tunic may be a bit much, though, and the sculpt of the cape seems rather small and crumpled.

The paint work is pretty simple, as most of the figure is cast in the costume color. The overall effect is fine, but the facial detail struggles to support the sculpt and winds up looking a little like makeup. It might be as good as it can be, considering the sculpt and the scale. The only other problem is that the boots aren't painted (or cast) to match the metallic accents as they should.

The articulation is fairly basic - joints at the neck, lower biceps, wrists, hips and mid-calves. This preserves the look of the sculpt effectively, and isn't awkward to pose. The lack of knee and ankle joints aid balance and stability, but limit play value. I'm fine with this since I feel it's more of a display piece.

Balance is a mixed bag. The figure does come with an elegant display base, but it's huge. In fact, it seems far too big for any of the KC toys, and also suffers from the typical DC Direct display base problem. A few holes cast into the base can be used to hold a tiny peg. The peg fits into a hole on one of the figure's feet - the other foot doesn't have one. This usually results in the peg getting stuck in the foot, and/or the toy falling over. This base-mounting design has rarely worked for me, and unfortunately almost all of the DCD figures use it.

The packaging is well thought out and attractive. Simple black boxes with the graphic novel's logo on them - the additional text uses a similar font to maintain the look. Quite clean on the front, with great Alex Ross box lining art to create a crowd effect. The hang tag on the back allows the toys to be displayed on retail shelves, or hung on pegs.

You can still buy this figure for a decent price, but you'll have to shop carefully. eCrater has one for sale for $18.99 + shipping, but they can go as high as $89.95 + shipping at toyglobe.com. Be patient and have fun!

Toy OTD: Anri Peanuts Music Box: Flying Ace Snoopy (1968)

2010-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Before there was Star Wars for me, there was Peanuts. I've been a huge fan of the strip for as long as I can remember, gobbling up the escapades of Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, and of course Snoopy.

Simply a cute puppy in the beginning, Snoopy came into his own in the late fifties/early sixties to become (arguably) the strip's most popular character. He transformed into a canine Walter Mitty; imagining himself as a vulture, a BMOC, a high-powered lawyer, and most famously a WWI flying ace.

I assume Schulz used his World War II experiences (or movies he grew up with) to inform Snoopy's adventures. They were purely imaginative in the comic, but occasionally visualized in the television specials. As they accumulated and grew ever more vivid, the fantasies began to inform the merchandising.

Anri began manufacturing many different Peanuts music boxes in the late sixties/early seventies, and naturally the flying ace was depicted in the series. One featured Snoopy flying on his doghouse, and this one (above) creates a more elaborate scene of him in a war-torn countryside. It's one of the most detailed environments of the line!

The Anri music boxes were crudely designed and constructed, but I still like them - there's an almost folk-art quality to the pieces. The simplicity does seem appropriate, even though they're far less sophisticated than the original artwork.

The elements seem to be made primarily from wood. What's interesting is they appear similar enough from one box to the next that they don't appear to be hand-carved. But how would you mass-produce something like this? Is some sort of wood pulp poured into a mold, like the '30s-era "Syroco" figures? Regardless, the shattered brick wall, the barbed wire, the helmet, the mushroom and Snoopy have a roughly-hewn charm.

The paint work is equally loose, feeling like rushed assembly-line work. Other than Snoopy's eyes, little of the paint on the box has much taste or care in its application. Most of the colors come across as overly layered and muddy. Still, it does contribute to the hand-crafted feel of the piece, which does have a certain warmth to it.

The song choice (It's a Long Way To Tipperary) is not only perfect for the era, but also because it was specifically featured in the strip. I can't remember if the box was wound with a side key or a rotating base, but it works fine and is well constructed. I'm assuming that a wooden base makes for a good resonator (which might make the mechanism sound better), but I'm not sure. Of course, it's worth mentioning that the base is nice and simple, with no unnecessary text or labeling on it.

Unfortunately, I don't have any packaging for this item (or any box photos that I can find online) to review.

These music boxes weren't made in huge numbers, and I imagine that many of them broke down over the years. As a result of that, and the strip's continuing popularity, these pieces can get quite pricey on the secondary market. This particular one ranges anywhere from $124.75 to $279.99 + shipping on eBay. Look the auction pictures/descriptions over carefully and make sure it's complete and in working order before you shell out the cash. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Wendy's Mighty Mouse - The New Adventures Premiums (1988)

2010-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Since I worked on Ralph Bakshi's The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse (and being my first job in animation), I was very excited about any merchandising tie-ins related with the show! Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot to be had (especially by today's standards), and most of it wasn't very good. The best of the lot - and the closest thing to action figures the show got - were the Wendy's kid's meal premiums.

I'm not sure I understand the play concept behind this line. Maybe the suction cups were simply intended to be bases - but it's not really used consistently, as you'll see. They're not exactly action figures, nor are they really window clings (like the enormously popular Garfield items were in the '80s), so the functionality of the toys is somewhat awkwardly conceived.

The character choices for the line make a lot of sense - since it was probably cooked up during the first season, all the toys are first season characters. Fortunately, they're all pretty prominent and popular. I wonder what Wendy's got to see from the show while creating the figures... partial episodes? Model sheets?

The sculpts are decent for a fast food premium. The characters are reasonably on-model, and some of the poses are asymmetrical. Unfortunately, the scale is all over the place: The Cow (the biggest character in the cartoon) is the smallest toy, and Scrappy's scale in the hierarchy is reversed, too. It's a shame, because individually the toys aren't too bad.

The paint work is pretty good, too - the colors are accurate and emphasize the sculpts' details well. The facial paint is reasonably clean and sharp. Mighty Mouse's eyelashes are fairly crisp, and bonus points for the highlight on Bat-Bat's sidekick, Tick.

There's no articulation at all, being the size the toys are, but at least the figures balance okay. I should say the standing figures balance well - which brings us to the bigger flaws.

All of the toys have a suction cup molded onto their feet, ostensibly to stick onto a surface like a dashboard or a window pane. The problem is that some of the figures are sculpted standing upright, while others are horizontal, in a flying pose. As a result, they don't display together well at all. Additionally, the suction cups don't stick very firmly, especially after prolonged use.

Like most fast-food premiums, the packaging is minimal and not all that compelling to look at. It's exactly what you'd expect - clear plastic bags decorated with some single-pass graphics. Inexpensive and practical, which makes sense for giveaways. Each toy did include a trading card of the character, which added a little more color.

Since these figures are over twenty years old, it may take a little while to get the whole set. You can get three of them (Bat-Bat, Pearl & Petey Pate still bagged) on eBay for $4.99 + shipping, and Mighty Mouse sells for $1.29 + shipping on eBid. At the moment, Scrappy isn't for sale online at all - odd, as I'd guess that he's the least popular of the characters. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Mezco Cinema Of Fear Action Figure: Leatherface (2008)

2010-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

And now for something completely different - a Leatherface action figure! I'm assuming this was manufactured as merchandising for the recent Chainsaw remake.

I'm sure you're wondering: why on earth did I buy this? Why do I own it? I'm not a particularly big horror film fan. I hadn't seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre until a couple of years ago, and I didn't really like it all that much (it was pretty creepy, though). I'm not really a Tobe Hooper booster either - the only film of his that I really like is (no surprise) Poltergeist. So what's the deal?

I do have some other horror toys, most of them from Sideshow's original Universal Monsters action figure line. Ultimately if the craft of a toy is good enough, it'll override how I feel (or don't feel) about the source material. In this particular case, stylization is key.

It's not stylization in the sense of stripping away detail - this toy is tweaked in terms of proportion and structure. I like the squat, exaggerated look of this figure. It emphasizes the bulky creepiness of the character.

The sculpt is quite nice, having a great sense of texture. The hair could have been sculpted with more, but ultimately I think it works with the pushed look. There's nice touches, like the removable mask (even though I'm never going to take it off). The eyes peering through it create a nice eerie effect.

The paint work is strong, with plenty of 'blood', of course. The paint is great for helping bring out the detail of the sculpt, and there's an 'antiquing' sort of effect to help give a grubby, battered feeling to the character.

I'm also impressed with the cloth costume - it's a bit unusual for figures of this scale. Adding pants (which could easily have been sculpted) is a nice touch, separating the costume from the figure body without feeling too bulky. The 'stained' fabric adds still more to the overall look, giving more variety to the gore work on the toy.

The articulation is about average - I think there's about nine joints here. The arm joints aren't always naturally positioned, so they can look a little awkward when posed. Still, they do make it easier for the figure to hold the chainsaw - it facilitates the inevitable tweaking needed to make the prop fit into a pair of hands (and of course keeps the prop removable).

Since the joints are limited, and the figure is in a squat and well-planted pose, balance issues are very low. No display stand needed for this toy!

There's only a few accessories included, but that's plenty: a machete, a bucket of, well, human innards and the signature chainsaw. They allow for a decent amount of posing variety and are still large enough to keep track of. They're covered with 'blood' too in order to match the figure. Ugh!

The packaging is not all that interesting. It's the basic window-box set-up with a hangable back card, to open up display options for retailers. While all of the design choices make sense - the window border is cut into a ragged shape; the logo is quite close to the film's, there's a foliage strip at the bottom of the box, the graphics are appropriately blood-spattered and choppy - the overall effect is kind of bland. It seems that the designers deferred to the figure to generate the desired impact. That's fine, but it does come across as a bit of a missed opportunity.

This figure isn't terribly old or much in demand, so it isn't at all difficult to find. I bought mine about a year ago from Spencer Gifts for $30, but you can buy one at Amazon for $12.99 + shipping. Enjoy!

Toy OTD: Konami Wacky Races Vehicles, Vols. 1 & 2 (2003)

2010-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Doubtless I've written this several times before - the Wacky Races cartoon is a big guilty pleasure of mine. The scripts are beyond thin, and the animation is uninspired at best. The highlights of the show - like much of Hanna-Barbera's output for me - are the voices and the design work. I love those cars!

There hasn't been a lot of WR merchandise over the years, and most of it isn't all that good. Even the best of these - a few model kits and cereal premiums - have somewhat limited appeal, aside from nostalgia value. So it's great to see some super-cool versions of the Racers coming out after all this time!

Konami released some fantastic toys about seven years ago (merchandising seems to be cyclical). The best part is that they made all of the vehicles - usually, manufacturers seem to focus on the Mean Machine, the Compact Pussycat, and the Turbo Terrific. There's a few downsides to this line, but for right now, let's focus on the good news...

These toys are pretty small - smaller than your average discast. But for this scale, they do have great sculpts and detailing. All of the contestants and their sidekicks have been included, too. They're hard to see here, but even the Ant Hill Mob is inside the Bulletproof Bomb! Nice.

The paintwork is also strong considering the scale. The colors might be a little brighter than they were on the show, but in general they're accurate and fun-looking. We're not just talking one or two passes, here, either - all (or almost all) of the colors needed were applied. Most of the drivers have some facial detail, and the printed numbers/logos are sharp.

Okay, now for the drawbacks. The biggest one is that the line was released in two 'volumes' of blind-boxed toys. This type of thing is never cheap, either as individual purchases or as pre-gathered sets on the secondary market. Of course each series had a super-rare 'chase' item too, which can be kind of fun if you're excited by 'the hunt'. Unfortunately, the chase for volume one was Dick Dastardly's Double Zero - arguably the most popular car on the show! Ugh. This piece would have been popular in any case, so to make it a chase just seems cruel.

I believe Vol. 2's chase was a small figurine of Muttley, Dastardly's snickering canine companion. Muttley was so popular, he was also in Dick Dastardly and his Flying Machines, featured in many other H-B shows like Laff-A-Lympics, and starred in a cartoon of his own! Understandably, the Muttley figurine wasn't to scale with the cars.

The other big drawback is that the cars aren't free-wheeling - the wheels are cast or glued in place on their axles. It does allow for the wheels to be accurately sculpted as ovals (right off the model sheets), but I think almost anyone would want their toy car to roll around. A real shame, but I do appreciate the extra mile for accuracy.

The packaging is a little busy-looking, but is otherwise as great as the line itself. Volumes One and Two had similar box designs, but were different enough that shoppers could at least tell which group of cars they were trying to collect! Both are decorated with spiffy model-sheet graphics backed with a fun gear pattern. The box backs feature the cars included in each 'volume', as well as the chase toys.

There's no balance issues with any of the vehicles, but each one was packed with a labeled display base. Without a dust cover, the bases seem a little extraneous to me, but again I appreciate the extra effort!

As I mentioned earlier, blind-boxed toys can be expensive to collect, especially on the secondary market. Buying a set of even one volume (much less both) looks unlikely at this point. There's some individual auctions on eBay right now that range from 99¢ - $70.00 + shipping (for the Double Zero). Some of the cars are for sale at ycosplay.com - they range from $9.95 - $29.95 + shipping. Happy hunting!

Toy OTD: Presspop's Raymond Scott Figure (2008)

2010-01-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Presspop may not be as prolific as other toymakers, but their choices are delightfully idiosyncratic. Whether it's their Bob Moog figure, or their Kaufman brothers toy set, Presspop projects are always out of left field. And what a great field it is!

One of their more recent releases is a Raymond Scott box set, commemorating the electronic composer/pioneer's one-hundredth anniversary. Presspop's toys are always top drawer, and this one is just as true to the brand.

Archer Prewitt designed the Scott figure (like Moog and the Kaufmans before it), and it's an appealing likeness. There's a great retro quality to the sculpt that feels really appropriate for the subject. The paint work is simple, but it's all the toy needs - the hair, facial details and pant cuffs are nice and clean. The figure has a good center of gravity, so it balances just fine. Articulation is understandably low - three joints (at the neck and both shoulders), possibly four (I can't remember if the waist turns).

For some reason, though, Presspop didn't just stop with a great figure - the box is loaded with extras! First off, a miniature Clavivox is included with the Scott toy. The sculpt and paint work aren't quite as strong as they are on the figure, but it's still a great accessory. Another wonderful touch is the figure's fabric jacket - it's well-made, and further supports the old-fashioned-toy vibe. The set also includes a five-song CD, decorated with some snappy graphics and nested in a spiffy cardboard sleeve. Most purchasers will probably be Scott fans already, so Presspop wisely made sure that two of them had never been released before! Nice.

To top it all off? Prewitt also decorated the box, and it's gorgeous. Front and center is a limited-palette portrait of Scott at his keyboard, and the surrounding artwork is just as well thought out. What a set!

Even better news is that not only is the box set still available, but it's on sale! You can buy it for $49.99 + shipping at toystoreinc.com.

Toy OTD: Fisher-Price Muppet Puppet #852: Rowlf (1977)

2010-01-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of Muppet fans aren't all that thrilled with Fisher-Price's '70s merchandise, but I have a fondness for it. I think their best offerings were the Animal (which I never had) and Rowlf (which I did) hand puppets. Maybe if I'd had one of the original Ideal Rowlf puppets, I'd feel differently!

Rowlf is a basic hand puppet done well. It's a good likeness - mainly due to the fabric used for the 'fur', and the accuracy of the face. It's designed a little more horizontally than the real character, but the eye/nose materials used still evoke him nicely.

The biggest difference between Fisher-Price's version and the actual puppet is that the operator's hand is inserted into the back of the toy's head; while the real puppet is manipulated from underneath. It's less accurate, but I like the fact that the toy has a full body. I do wish the belly had more volume, and that one (or both) of the arms could be operated. Still, I think it's nice that Rowlf could double as a plush in a pinch.

This toy doesn't have enough volume to sit up by itself. It's a shame, but considering it was primarily designed as a puppet first, it's not a big detraction from its play value.

The packaging is simple, appealing and on-theme for the character. Most of the box is decorated with backstage scenes from the Muppet Theater, complete with 'curtains' and 'footlights'. There's also some photos of play scenes with the puppet, ostensibly to pull in toy store shoppers. There must have been some confusion in the marketing surveys, as the toy also sports a tag making it clear that Rowlf is a hand puppet. It doesn't feel like an afterthought, though - the tag design is consistent with the box.

This toy isn't old enough to make finding one difficult, but there is one thing to keep in mind. This puppet was lined with sheets of foam to help give it some body without having to completely stuff the torso. As a result, twenty-three-year-old foam will probably be a crumbly mess. Be prepared to keep it as a display piece, do major re-lining work, or avoid it altogether. If you do decide to buy, there's three eBay auctions starting at $9.99 + shipping right now. Of course, if you want to be hard-core, there's one of the original Ideal Rowlf puppets on eBay for $500 + shipping. Hop to it!

Toy OTD: Rosko Toys Battery-Operated Charley Weaver Bartender (1962)

2010-01-23T09:00:00.001-08:00

Older toys based on television personalities tend to look a little creepy. Cartoon characters (being simple to begin with) translated well into toy form, but '60s manufacturing technology just wasn't up to the task of capturing a pleasing, realistic likeness.

Most internet dwellers probably don't remember radio/theater/tv personality Cliff Arquette, aka Charley Weaver - if you're in your mid-forties, chances are you caught the tail end of his career quipping on the '70s version of the Hollywood Squares show. While drinking wasn't as central to his comedy as Foster Brooks or Dean Martin, it was certainly part of his persona. Enough, at least, to inspire this mechanical toy.

What this battery-operated figure lacks in polish, it makes up for in activity. Switch it on, and "Charley" mixes a drink, quaffs it, then scrunches his face (flushing red) as smoke comes out his ears! Mine works pretty well, even after all this time (though I'm not sure the red bulb still lights up). Silly but amusing!

The figure doesn't have a lot of volume, and the head is disproportionately huge in order to accommodate the mechanism. Rosko did make an effort to duplicate Charley's costume, right down to his battered hat (my toy is missing its tie, but is otherwise complete). The complexion of a brand-new model is much closer to its flesh and blood counterpart, as mine has soaked in its share of UV rays.

I'm also impressed with the tin litho bar counter. It's an element that the designer could have easily painted a solid color, leaving Charley to be the centerpiece. Instead, it's decorated with lively textures, 'bar stools', and a reference to Elsie Krack, the ugliest girl in Mount Idy.

The packaging is pretty cool looking, too. While the fonts may be somewhat lackluster, the box was designed to compensate for the toy's visual shortcomings - shoppers got a full-blown illustration of Mr. Weaver behind the bar. It looks more like a model kit box than one for a battery-powered toy!

This isn't a particularly rare toy, but getting one in good shape (and in working order) can be pricey. They seem to range between $125.00 (not working and missing his shaker top) to $350 + shipping (complete and working). There's cheaper examples for sale, so be patient and read the item descriptions carefully. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Colgate Soaky Toys: The Chipmunks - Alvin, Simon, Theodore (1964)

2010-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'd like to hope that most viewers of the latest Alvin & The Chipmunks movie know that it's based on a series of hit novelty records (and a popular animated cartoon) from the sixties. Being a successful pop culture property, the Chipmunks naturally spawned a slew of merchandise and product endorsements.

A popular item at the time was a "Soaky" - a bath soap bottle shaped like a cartoon character. The idea was that children could play with the bottle while bathing, and keep it well after the soap was all used up. It's a simple but effective idea... the brand itself is long gone, but the concept has lasted forty years past the original toy! Naturally, Alvin and the gang were perfect candidates for "Soaky" immortality.

A big part of the "Soaky Secret" is that they're very cheap to make - some plastic, a couple of paint passes, and a touch of cardboard for packaging. Still, there was some thought (and taste) put into designing them.

The sculpts - taking into consideration that all of them needed to conform to the same basic bottle - are quite good. The head pieces (which cover the actual screw-on bottle cap) are pretty appealing interpretations of the very 2-D designs. Like many of the other Soakys, extra props are sometimes added in when the source character is too short to fit the bottle shape. Here, you can see the sculptor(s) added a stack of books for Alvin and a small pedestal for Theodore to help preserve the idea that the Chipmunks are different heights. The props themselves seem a little arbitrary, but they get points for preserving the designs. In light of this, it's a little odd that letters were added to Simon and Theodore's sweaters, since they're not on the source artwork. At least it's duplicating an existing motif rather than adding something that isn't part of any of their costumes - and it unifies the group, too.

As these bottles are intended for tub play (not to mention cost factors), the paint work is pretty minimal - just two passes per character. The manufacturers and designers wisely used the bottle plastic to add a third color to their palette. Casting the head in a different color of plastic sometimes added a fourth, as you can see with Alvin. While there are some less than intuitive paint choices - Simon's glasses and face detail could have been black like Alvin's, and Theodore's sweater is left white rather than painting it a more accurate blue - overall the colors are sharp and appealing.

(It also appears that the paint and plastic colors varied depending on what the manufacturers had on hand - check out John K.'s variants here. Alvin even had a bottle-cap-style cap at one point!)

Since Soakys have to stand upright by definition, there aren't any balance issues here. Because they're containers first and toys second, articulation is a moot point too. Think of them as being closer to a rubber squeak toy than an action figure.

Soaky packaging is also pretty minimal - a simple cardboard box covering the base. This took care of branding without having to add much to the toy itself. Interestingly, the designers didn't brand the characters themselves, as is done so often today. The boxes could also be changed easily, depending on what function/decoration they might need to do, as in the case of this Santa Claus Soaky. It's got a built-in gift tag!

Soakys were very popular and made in huge quantities. As with many other collectibles, some characters are rarer (and more expensive to buy) than others. Fortunately, the Chipmunk gang isn't particularly rare. Alvin can range anywhere from $6.99 to $34.99 + shipping. Simon costs anywhere between $20 and $36 + shipping. Theodore's range hovers right around $24 - $25 + shipping. Feel free to be picky, as there's plenty of them for sale out there. Happy hunting!

Chipmunk Fun Facts: Did you know that Alvin, Simon and Theodore were named after Liberty Records (their first label) executives? Did you also know that they started out as puppets on the Ed Sullivan Show? I didn't!

Toy OTD: Marx Porky Pig Tin Wind-Up (1938)

2010-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

I love old tin toys, and a tin toy of a classic cartoon character is just icing on the cake! Marx was one of the tin toy kings back in the day, and this wind-up is just one of the many great examples of their craft.

Porky here is similar to many wind-ups Marx produced - a simple mechanism enables it to waddle across the floor, while also producing a secondary motion. In this case, Porky twirls an umbrella as he strolls.

It's a decent likeness, as far as being on-model goes. The technology of the day limited the amount of 'sculpting' possible with the tin form, but it's still a reasonably complex shape. The character is buttressed by the lithographed artwork, which helps preserve the cartoon-drawing feel. There's some awkwardness with Porky's left arm, but otherwise the overall look is quite appealing. Happily, any necessary indicia is printed on the back - it keeps the front looking simple and clean!

There's no balance issues to deal with, as the toy's design (like almost all older toys) is solid and well-proportioned.

This toy also has a few interesting variations. A different version has Porky holding the umbrella and a top hat (on a separate arm), and another with completely different artwork - Porky as a cowboy, twirling a lariat! The top hat/umbrella version may have been the original design, as the addition of the left arm on the umbrella-only litho art looks very much like an afterthought.

The packaging is very attractive - it's a great range of colors, considering the limitations of the period. The artwork is a sweet (though a little awkward) scene. The branding is almost overpowering, but it's firmly separated from the rest of the art. There's even a hint toward one of the variants in the background! A great sense of style presented in a straightforward manner.

It's a lot easier to find a Marx Porky than to buy one. Due to its age and Porky's popularity, expect to pay around $150.00 (minimum) for this piece. Its value will vary depending on whether the box is included or not, and the toy's condition. Here's one selling through Bonanzle for $139.99 + shipping. Cowpuncher Porky is for sale here for $122.00 + shipping. Snap 'em up!

Toy OTD: Gentle Giant Clash Of The Titans Statue: Bubo (2007)

2010-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Nostalgia does strange things to people. I've never been a huge fan of Ray Harryhausen's last movie, Clash of the Titans (though it does have it moments), nor was I particularly enamored with Bubo, Perseus' mechanical sidekick/comedy relief. Yet when Gentle Giant announced a limited-edition resin Bubo statue, I was interested! I'm not sure how that works, unless you consider my long-running affection for robots.

Regardless of the sanity involved in purchasing a quasi-obscure character from a quasi-obscure '80s fantasy film, Gentle Giant did a terrific job here. The sculpt, paint work, metallic finish and branch perch all feel straight from the movie!

Since an open-winged pose would have been harder to manufacture and ship, Bubo's pose is fairly minimal here. Considering he's a mechanical character, it still feels appropriate. The head is a separate piece, which allows for a little extra pose variety.

The branch display stand is great - not only in helping to set the scene, but it's also subdued enough to support the character, not distract from him. Of course, the lack of branding is always appreciated!

The packaging is also really strong - the original film logo is used, and the new graphics are well art-directed to match to the tone and feel of the poster art. The back panel gets a little busy with text, but in general the box has great shelf presence. Rather than using a cellophane window, GG decided to use photos of the finished maquette. It still gives an accurate view of the product while integrating nicely with the new box art. You can see another side of the box here.

There were only five hundred of these statues made, so the edition is long sold out. Collectors can expect to pay between $150-$200 for Bubo on the secondary market. I paid $200 for mine at a toy show, but there might be one selling for $179.99 + shipping at Razor's Edge Collectibles (via kaboodle.com). Happy hunting!

Two post scripts. First: be careful looking up "Bubo" on Google Image Search. Two words: Bubonic Plague. Second: Mattel had originally planned to make a Bubo puppet-like toy back in the day, but poor response to the merchandising led to production being canceled. Wild!

Some images from gentlegiantcollectors.com and plaidstallions.com.

Toy OTD: Celluloid Wind-Up Dancing Couple (Occupied Japan, 1948)

2010-01-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

I was working on Toy Story when another toy-related movie came out: Barry Levinson's follow-up to his wildly successful Rain Man, Toys. The production design was wonderful, and that stylized world was filled with oversized replicas of classic toys from the late forties up through the mid-sixties. Gorgeous stuff!

One of the playthings that particularly stuck in my mind was a wind-up couple, dressed in formal wear and molded into a dancing pose. It was featured prominently in production stills, and eventually I realized that it was based on an actual toy. I started seeing it here and there at toy shows until my resistance (not generally robust to begin with) crumbled!

This is a very simple toy - a clockwork mechanism propels the couple (via wheels on the dress' base) in circles across the floor. The main body of the dancers is made of celluloid, one of the earliest forms of plastic. The production technology and execution are primitive by today's standards, yet I think this piece has considerable charm.

First, the dancers are young children dressed a bit beyond their years - there's a sweetness to this tiny couple. Maybe the simplicity of the sculpted pose and the babyish quality of the color palette helps reinforce the innocent feeling of the toy.

I know it's a bit of a contradiction of my usual taste, but I love the primitive quality of the paint here. The crisp areas seem appropriate for cleaner paint work (such as the suit, or the upper area of the dress), and the sprayed areas are great choices to convey a softer feeling (like the hair of the couple, or the train of the dress). These figures aren't trying to look 'real', and as a result are successful in a cute, doll-sort of way.

As you can see, I've found a couple of box designs for this toy. I suppose these could simply be different panels for the same package, but I'm going to stick with my assumption that these are different boxes. They're both good designs - the top view of the couple is an interesting idea, and the more traditional full-length drawing has a charming retro feeling. I imagine the interlocking circles are simply period motifs, but they unwittingly create a Lawrence Welk Show vibe!

This toy must have been either mass-produced in large numbers, or manufactured for quite some time (or both), since they're still not tough to find after sixty-two years. You can buy one right now at rubylane.com for $78.00 + shipping, which is about the same amount that I paid for mine. Since celluloid is thin and fragile, you may want to consider waiting until you can pick one up in person - note how the lady's neck is a bit crumpled on mine. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Vandor Horton Hears a Who Elephant Bird Lamp (2002)

2010-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Just as Vandor released merchandise to take advantage of the live-action Cat in the Hat movie, they also whipped up a batch of tie-ins to coincide with the computer-animated Horton Hears a Who! film. As before, the results were uneven, but there were some gems in the line. My favorite of these: probably the resin Horton elephant-bird lamp.

It's a small lamp, intended for a child's bedside. The design and execution are just about perfect - the sculpt is very true to the original drawings, and the eggshell is cleverly used as the base and shade. There's some small paint issues, as not all of the polka dots are painted, but in general it's a beautiful piece. Taking advantage of the resin's translucency in the shade is another great touch.

There's some significant practicality issues, too - a resin lamp wouldn't last long in a toddler's room, and the shade comes off very easily. Combine that with a hot lamp bulb, and you may want to think twice about keeping this in your child's room once they start crawling. Keep it out of reach in a baby's room, and it'll work just fine. Maybe it was only intended for collectors - it's difficult to tell.

Unfortunately, I didn't hang onto the lamp's packaging, but I remember it looking about average for this kind of licensed product - not awful, but not dazzling, either. It wasn't crowded with detail, and the colors seemed appropriate for the Seuss palette. There wasn't much in the way of artwork on the box - mainly the book logo and Seuss text in the expected fonts. The patterns were simple, but not nearly as striking as some of the book artwork would've been. Like the Enesco Rudolph pieces I reviewed earlier, I think the manufacturer expects retailers to unpack one for display, rather than making the box design do the work.

You can still get this lamp online for a decent price. It's for sale at dogwoodvalley.com for $75.00 (including shipping). Snap it up!

Toy OTD: Hasbro Mighty Mugg Figures: The Indiana Jones Line (2008)

2010-01-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I've already cited the Hasbro Mighty Muggs line of figures as another recent example of the artist-driven "Urban Vinyl" movement influencing mainstream toy design. Mighty Muggs have a uniform body shape decorated to look like a variety of characters, much like the Qee and Dunny figures that preceded them. Like these toys, Mugg designs are mass-produced or customizable - collectors can buy blank 'DIY' versions to decorate themselves.

Rather than hire popular underground artists to design the new line, Hasbro instead emphasized licensed properties and popular characters. Some were brands they owned outright (such as G.I. Joe or Transformers). Other lines were properties they were already merchandising, such as Marvel Comics superheroes, Star Wars, and characters from the Indiana Jones movies.

The Indy line of Muggs was doubtless intended to leverage the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, exposing a new generation to the characters from all four movies. There weren't a lot of toy figures made back in the day, so I was excited at the prospect of new Indy swag, and stylized swag to boot! Happily, I wasn't disappointed.

Hasbro picked iconic roles from all four films for three series of figures - Indy, Dr. Henry Jones, Sr; Short Round, the Cairo Swordsman, Sallah, Mola Ram, and so forth. While the designs are sometimes a bit busy for my taste (Sallah's is particularly cluttered), the majority of the toys look sharp. The use of color is strong, and the paint apps were consistently clean and tight. Very little paint checking needed for this line!

Mighty Muggs by their nature are constructed uniformly, so that keeps their build quality consistent too. Loose parts are rare, and the surface finish is always smooth and unmarred. Parts will be varied for specific figures without sacrificing much expense or uniformity - there's a solid form that's occasionally used instead of legs, which you'll see on 'cloaked' figures like the Cairo Swordsman. It's a nice touch that prevents the characters from being compromised by the original template form.

My only quibble is with the 'small body' template, designed for figures like Yoda or Short Round. As you can see, the solution here was to shorten the legs, leaving everything else the same. While this makes sense in terms of economy and tooling, the result makes the arms look a bit too long, and the character comes off looking a little like a gorilla. Personally I would've preferred shrinking the entire body a little bit (except for maybe the head), or shortening all the limbs.

Articulation and pose-ability are extremely limited, but these toys really aren't made for that, so I don't consider it a big flaw.
Balance problems are rarely an issue, though the figures do have a high center of gravity. An accessory can sometimes throw this off, but on the whole it's not a series that begs for display stands.

Accessories are very limited as well, but the choices have been intuitive and appropriate. Indy naturally has his whip, Monkey Man his monkey, and the Cairo Swordsman his sword. My vote for best accessory, though, goes to Mola Ram and his cute little detached heart. Adorable!

The packaging is simple, and also conforms to a template. The box graphics play to the line's strengths, using blow-ups of the character on the top panel and front right corner. There's a nice pattern composed of blank Muggs in the more open areas, and the fonts and logos are used in a stylish way. The Mighty Muggs logo itself is bit intrusive, but keeping it black & white helps prevent it from overpowering the overall look.

The saddest thing about this line is that it was canceled - I'm assuming it was due to poor sales. Unfortunately, none of these figures were hard to get at any point, unlike many of their Star Wars or Marvel contemporaries. Several new figures were announced but never released: Toht, Irina Spalko, a white-tuxedo Indy, young Indy, and Satipo. It's a shame because I loved the line, and was really looking forward to getting Marion and Toht Muggs. Enterprising DIY-ers can make their own, but I'm lazy enough to hope that eventually Hasbro will produce these as limited edition convention exclusives.

As I mentioned, it's still not difficult to find any of this line right now. Originally, these toys went for about $10-$15 each. Now, you can get the Cairo Swordsman for $5.99 + shipping on eBay, ditto Mola Ram, Short Round goes for $5.98 + shipping, Monkey Man is $4.95 + shipping, Sallah costs $8.00 + shipping, Dr. Henry Jones Sr. is $8.49 + shipping at Amazon, the Fertility Idol exclusive goes for $16.99 + shipping at ecrater.com, Mutt Williams costs $8.97 + shipping at moviepostersetc.com, and Indy himself goes for $12.97 + shipping at the same site. Watch those shipping charges, and happy shopping!

Cigarette Test For Kozik's Angry Beaver!

2010-01-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Greg Dykstra sculpted this cigarette accessory, which I've been poring over for the last few weeks. I'll be having it cast as part of Frank Kozik's Angry Beaver variant figure!

The thought is to have the vinyl drilled and add the cigarette during manufacturing so I won't have to make a special mold. I've tested it on a defective toy here - that's why the eyes look so odd.

I'm not sure whether I'll drill a hole in the final color master and add it there, or send this along with the CM to show how the vinyl should be drilled. Regardless, enjoy! More progress as it comes in...

Toy OTD: Galoob Inspector Gadget Figure (Straight Armed Version - 1983)

2010-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

I wasn't watching a lot of new cartoons in 1983 - I stuck with Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and Return of the Jedi. I just wasn't interested, so I never became (as I imagine many folks now in their mid-thirties did) an Inspector Gadget fan. Not surprisingly, I was blind to all of the merchandising as well. Of course, having little-to-no disposable income didn't help.

In fact, it wasn't until ToyFare did one of their 'best toy ever' lists that I finally noticed how cool this deluxe Gadget figure really was! Most of the time, I prefer accuracy over play value, but sometimes play value is just overwhelming.

The accuracy isn't bad on this toy, but even considering the original character design, the head seems overly large. The figure has a skinny, stiff feel to it, but since the character's a robot, it works. The head sculpt is nice, though, with an appealing expression. It goes a long way in adding to the overall charm.

There's little paint used here - most of the colors are the plastic colors themselves, which is nice. The colors aren't spot-on with the cartoon version, but they're close enough to get the idea across.

What this figure lacks in warmth, it makes up for in articulation. We're not talking Hot Toys or Sideshow here, but considering that it's a domestic toy from the '80s, you can pose it pretty well! And that's not even the best part...

Rather than include a bunch of replaceable, specialized limbs (or sculpt non-removable ones), Galoob decided instead to make arms and legs that were internally spring-loaded. They lock into place, but pop out at the press of a button. Cool!

There's a lot of nice touches - the fabric trenchcoat, the handcuffs (that really open) linked by a metal chain, and the poseable 'extra hand' accessory that can hold either an umbrella or the classic cartoon mallet. But the coup de grace is the iconic helicopter prop that can fit atop Gadget's hat - there's even metal handlebars for them, just like in the cartoon!

The packaging here is pretty standard, but at least there's lots of photos to show off all the accessories, not to mention a giant clear front panel that almost displays the entire toy! There's a flap on the left of the box that allows multiple boxes to be nested together, but still increases shelf presence. Considering how much love was put into the toy, I have no problem with the box being more functional.

Note - I just found another package design... if you're into collecting toy boxes, you should probably shoot for this version. I think this box looks much better - it keeps all of the pluses of the other box, but adds a little extra boldness by displaying the character as if 'bursting' through a wall! The telescoping neck may be another unique feature of this version, too.

You may want to keep your eyes peeled for a specific version of this figure - some versions have arms without elbow joints (like mine), while another variant has bendable arms. I can't imagine this change saving all that much money in production, so I'm not sure why it happened. Regardless, be sure to ask your seller which version they have - it's always good to know exactly what you want to avoid disappointments later on. Unfortunately, the box may always have bent-arm stills on it regardless of which figure it contains, so don't use package photos as proof!

Also, check to make sure the spring triggers are still working well... worn limbs may pop open very easily if they've been played with a lot.

I've also been advised that the plastics used to make this toy are very vulnerable to fading, so make sure to display it in an area that's not getting pounded by direct sunlight. Display cases and UV-proof glass can only do so much!

As you might expect with a toy loaded with accessories, it's expensive to find it complete, and still more to get one with its original packaging. There's a complete figure in its box at actiontoys.com for $279.99, and a loose/incomplete one (no helicopter handles) for $141.99. There's another incomplete one (no umbrella handle, one helicopter handle missing, but with box) for $75.00 at whatacharacter.com. You may want to set up an eBay favorite search if you're determined to get a complete set-up... most of these prices are really high. Good luck!

It's Mighty Mouse Drop Day!

2010-01-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

That's right, the day I thought would never come has arrived - Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures comes out on DVD! You can get it at Amazon.com for $28.99 + shipping, or at your local DVD retailer.

You'll get all the original episodes, plus a new documentary featuring interviews with lots of the show's creators (including me - it was my first job in animation way back in 1987)!

After twenty-two years of waiting, why wait any longer? Pick up a copy today!

Toy OTD: Gentle Giant Star Wars Mini-Busts: Dengar, Princess Leia (2007, 2008)

2010-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Since I was part of the first wave of kids blown away by Star Wars, it's tough not to buy every last bit of cool swag that comes my way - and there's more than ever these days! I had finally gotten to the point where I swore off from buying the smaller action figures, and tried to focus exclusively on the Sideshow quarter-scale statues. Well, it didn't quite turn out that way...

Gentle Giant started producing an amazing line of Star Wars mini-busts that deliver a lot of nerd love for a fairly low price... and just like that, I was hooked all over again! I've bought quite a few, but so far I've only photographed Princess Leia and the bounty hunter Dengar. I'll focus on them for now.

GG's products are generally of a high quality, and these mini-busts are no exception. Both of these sculpts have strong likenesses, and the poses feel like they're straight from the films. The costume/prop details feel similarly well-researched. The various depicted materials are given the appropriate textural treatments - as they should, cloth, leather, metal, wood, etc. all clearly differentiate from one another.

I'm also very impressed that the bases of the mini-busts are very minimal - almost no detail or texture, and painted an unassuming black. Even though it feels true to the films' overall look, they recede nicely into the background, allowing the featured character to dominate the viewer's attention. The lack of branding or labeling on them is another big plus - GG gets it!

Since all the busts have bases, balance issues are non-existent - if you live in earthquake country, you can use museum putty to anchor them down, but otherwise they're good to go.

The paint is very effective here, strongly boosting the effects of the sculpt. Check out the subtle detail on Leia's face, the antiquing of the weapons, or the wear on Dengar's armor. The color palettes feel very true to their film counterparts as well. It's really great work that does more than fulfill the promise of these pieces!

I like the line's packaging, even though it's not all that elaborate. Most (if not all) of the pieces are packed in glossy dark grey boxes with the Star Wars logo and character name on the front. There's a simple black shape to frame the text, and a small window to allow shoppers to check out the facial paint (of course, it's helpful for identifying the figure inside, too). The design evokes the feel of the movies in a strong way without adding a lot to the price point (though even fancy boxes usually don't cost a great deal).

Unless the character you're choosing is oversized, most of these busts cost $50 when they first drop. Once a popular figure sells out, they go up in price on the secondary market, but if the character isn't really in demand, they may actually go down in price (especially if they're still in stock a year or more after release).

Surprisingly, you can get Princess Leia for $24.99 + shipping right now at Amazon.com. Dengar also sells for $25 + shipping at the Toys 'R' Us website, which is even less than the $30 I paid for it at an Entertainment Earth sale. Great deals - grab 'em while you can!

Toy OTD: Michelle Valigura's Peter Pan Trinket Box (2008)

2010-01-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

It's really great to see Disney merchandising moving beyond the model sheets and allowing contemporary artists to interpret their characters! It's an inspired idea that feeds still another generation of fans and collectors.

Michelle Valigura has been producing adorable plush and sculptural work for quite some time now. It's easy to see why she was chosen to design limited edition pieces for the studio - her work has a friendly, childlike quality similar to old-school Disney concept artist Mary Blair.

This trinket box is a great example of her work. The simple shapes and bold colors feel like inspirational art, yet clearly evoke the original characters. The materials and paint treatment give the box a homemade charm, but it doesn't feel flimsy or awkwardly made. It's clearly a dimensional piece, but a strong graphic design, too!

The only somewhat disappointing aspect of this item would be the packaging - I don't have it any longer, but if memory serves it was a glossy black cardboard box. While this approach gets points for restraint, it strikes me as a missed opportunity for showcasing more of Ms. Valigura's artwork.

Created to commemorate Peter Pan's 55th birthday, this box is part of a run of three hundred pieces, and was only sold at Disneyland. Originally it cost $65, but I have seen the odd piece at Disney outlet sales for $30 or $40. These sales are pretty common in California, but I doubt they happen anywhere out of state (though Florida is a possibility).

Happily for collectors, this piece still isn't tough to find on the secondary market - you can buy one right now on eBay for $24.99 + shipping. Hop to it!

Toy OTD: Toy Factory Hägar The Horrible Plush: Helga (2004)

2010-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's more evidence of my weakness for obscure pop culture characters. I've hardly ever seen merchandise for the Hägar The Horrible comic strip: good, bad, or otherwise! Fortunately, this plush is pretty good.

Hägar isn't one of my favorite comic strips, but the designs are simple and appealing. Like Hanna-Barbera's Flintstones or Roman Holidays, it's essentially a sitcom moved to a different time period. Most of the comic deals with a Viking family: Dad (Hägar), Mom (Helga), teenage daughter (Honi), younger brother (Hamlet), pets (Qvack & Snert) and goofy best friend (Lucky Eddie). Since Hägar was created by cartoonist Dik Browne, co-creator of the suburban comic Hi and Lois, it makes sense that the strips have a common foundation.

Helga is a feisty Brunhilde matron, more than a match for the disheveled Hägar. She's simply constructed, with her hat, cloak, head and hair formed from elemental shapes. The plush captures the forms (and the design) pretty well. Her cloak is now colored a sort of lavender in the strip, but I do remember it being blue back in the day. I'm not sure about the belt detail, but the overall look (aside from the lack of the cloak's collar) seems quite faithful to the character's design.

The construction is average, though the belt's stitching is a bit sloppy. The shapes could be tighter (especially involving the 'helmet'), but it's not bad - the facial expression is cute, and the braids do a lot to add appeal. The bright colors help evoke a comic-strip feel, too.

Like most plushes, it has balance problems, but the right-sized doll stand (or leaning it against the back of your display case/shelf) might fix the problem. A small acrylic stand (like those sold at Office Depot) also might work.

I bought this plush loose at a convention, but I have a feeling this toy wasn't packaged, but rather sold tagged instead. Unless you're concerned about shelf presence, damage, or shipping ease, boxing a plush isn't all that necessary.

Since this toy isn't all that old, the ease of finding it depends mostly on how many were made. I found an auction for one right away on eBay - you can buy it for $7.00 + shipping, or start the bidding at $4.95 + shipping (which isn't all that much more than what I paid: $4.00 flat). There's also a Hägar plush up for auction on eBay, too. Happy bidding!

PS - If you're interested in reading a sample of Hägar The Horrible, there's a new compilation of the first year of the strip. You can buy it at Amazon.com for $10.83 + shipping.

Toy OTD: Suckadelic Micronugget Suckpeg: Time Straggler (2008)

2010-01-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Suckadelic has been producing pop culture mash-up figures for a while now, and this one is still my favorite!

Many of the first releases were riffs on old-school Kenner Star Wars figures. For this item's inspiration, however, Suckadelic reached a little further back in toy history, combining both Fisher-Price's Little People figures and Mego's Micronauts from the mid-seventies! It's a terrific retro combination.

The Straggler takes its overall shape from one of the male Little People figures. If it's a re-sculpt, it's great - the shapes are dead-on, right down to the "Ken doll" pompadour. Of course, it's possible that it's a combination of (impressive) casting from a vintage F-P figure and painting over vintage parts. Regardless, it's nicely executed. The paint work is smooth, and the body casting looks pretty clean.

The color palette, chest plate and name are riffs on the 1976 Mego Time Traveler figure. Since the F-P Little People have printed faces, Suckadelic made the right call and sculpted the F-P face design onto the head - a little more like the Mego approach. The body is cast in translucent blue plastic, just like one of the Time Traveler bodies, and a section is carved out to hold a Traveler-like 'chest plate'. Check out the clear Traveler and compare the detail - if it isn't an actual chest plate, it's an awesome duplication!

Suckadelic packaging usually varies between a simple blister pack, or a tagged bag. I think the Time Straggler was packed in the latter, so there's not a lot to talk about there. The bag protects a figure in the shipping process, and a tag does evoke a retro-toy aesthetic, but I don't recall the tag graphics being anything exciting. The toy does the talking in this case, and I think that's fair - the fanciest box won't make me buy a toy that I'm not all that excited about.

Unfortunately, Suckadelic items are usually produced in extremely low quantities, and can be a bit pricey, depending on your sticker shock tolerance. Time Straggler was originally $60 + shipping, and only forty figures were produced - as you might guess, they're long sold out. Keep your eyes peeled on eBay, and be ready to shell out some cash. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Mattel 1/24 Speed Racer Die-Cast: The Mach 6 (2008)

2010-01-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Despite the arguable quality of the Speed Racer movie (I enjoyed it even though it was talky and about twenty minutes too long), Mattel produced an impressive line of merchandising, both in breadth and quality. Racing helmets and tracks, action figures, Lego sets, and naturally a plethora of Mach Fives and Sixes hit stores concurrent with the film's release.

The Mach 6, like many movie toys, is based on a custom design for the film - the 'upgraded' version of Speed's car built for the climactic race. While I prefer the Mach 5 - it's hard to beat those classic lines! - I do like the Mach 6 design. It evokes the original car, but clearly reads as an updated, higher-tech version.

This mid-sized die-cast of the Mach 6 is nicely made. The level of detail is good, the use of materials is appropriate, and it's accurate compared to the digital (and practical) mock-ups in the film. The decal work and paint apps are crisp and smooth.

As far as functionality goes, it's free-rolling, but I can't remember if the steering wheel works. The 'shock absorbers' are fixed in place, but there is a lift-able cockpit cover under the windshield. There's no other action features with this model - any other gimmicks were installed in the larger, plastic Mach Sixes.

Personally, I would have liked to have a removable Speed for the driver's seat, but die-cast collectors tend to focus on the cars (and display value) rather than passengers and play functions. From this perspective, this Mach 6 offers a decent amount of spiffy for the money.

The packaging, while not offering nearly the amount of visual dazzle the film might suggest, does have some positive points. The toy is tilted up and toward the viewer to not only lend a sense of motion, but also to give shoppers a better angle to appreciate the detail. The graphics also support the feeling of movement, and also offer artwork based on scenes from the film. It might not jump off the shelf in the way that it might have, but it's simple and clear. Some die-casts include a display case right inside the box, and that would have been a great addition (especially for its original $30 price point).

Since the film underperformed in theaters, availability and pricing for this toy are still excellent. You can get a brand new one right now for $14.80 + shipping at Amazon.com. Happy shopping!

Toy OTD: McFarlane Hanna-Barbera Figures Series 2: Yogi Bear (2007)

2009-12-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

Hanna-Barbera characters were terrific ideas for a toy line, but the uneven quality made supporting the concept difficult. Ultimately, I'm not sure the demand was there either, which is a shame - there's not a lot of really great Hanna-Barbera toys to be had.

The Yogi Bear set-up is one of the nicer toys in McFarlane's shot at H-B merchandising. The situation depicted is classic - Ranger Smith chasing after Yogi and Boo Boo - and the posing is lively and fun. Most of the piece feels like it's right out of an old-school View-Master reel!

The grouping of the characters, though, feels a bit off - Ranger Smith feels further away than he might need to be. Boo Boo's expression seems somewhat dead-eyed as well. Granted, he's a deadpan sort of personality, but his face still feels static. Other than these minuses, the sculpting is quite strong. The base detail is kept simple, like the show's aesthetic, and it doesn't compete with the figures. The base is so big, balance issues (and branding) are happily nonexistent.

The paint work could be a touch tighter, but overall it's fine - the colors are well chosen and evoke the characters perfectly.

The gimmick of mounting the figures on short springs initially gave me some concern, since things like that tend to backfire over time. I fully expected to discover the trio had slumped over a few months after opening the package, but so far, so good. The springs seem to be strong enough to add a wobbling motion without sacrificing long-term display quality.

Generally, the packaging for this line was pretty sharp, and this blister/card combo is no exception. There's some nice artwork of Yogi with the old-school H-B logo nestled among spiffy retro graphics. The blister displays the figures well for paint scrutiny, and there's also a nice photo of the completed set-up (which I like to have, just in case the instructions don't quite work for me). It's a pretty straightforward approach, but you'd be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't) how often this can be screwed up. There's just enough art to support the toy's appeal without overwhelming it.

This item is only three years old, so it's still readily available, and it hasn't gone up in price all that much. You can get one right now at moviepostersetc.com for $14.97 + shipping. If you miss out, eBay has a couple for sale at about the same price. Keep an eye on the shipping, and have fun!