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

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

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!

Toy OTD: Enesco's Kermitage Collection: Miss Piggy As 'La Danseur' (1983)

I had no idea how far back Enesco existed as a company, since my first real awareness of them was only about eight or nine years ago, starting with their Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer figurine line. As it turns out, their history stretches back much further than that!

I'm still not sure how old the company is, but now I know they go back at least as far as the early eighties, when they made a couple of Muppet figurines based on famous works of art. I'd say that they're a spin-off of Miss Piggy's Treasury of Art Masterpieces from the Kermitage Collection, a published gathering of Muppet art parodies. This one in particular is a mash-up of Miss Piggy and Degas' bronze Petite Danseuse De Quatorze Ans. I'm not really a big fan of this sort of thing, but this is a decent example of this merchandising genre.

Overall, the sculpt could be better. I don't think it's capturing the essence of the pose as well as it could (though that's tricky, considering the completely different, um, physiques of the subjects), and it's not all that on-model in terms of Miss Piggy's likeness, either.

The color work is delicate and subdued, which seems appropriate for conveying a light, balletic feeling. Ideally, it would have been great to mimic the bronze's coloring and finish (not to mention the addition of a fabric tutu), but I'm sure that it would've alienated more potential buyers that it would've attracted. Too bad, as I think that would've heightened the contrast between the form and content, strengthening the joke.

It's fairly well executed, but while the softness of the sculpt and paint work are appealing and support the mood, it makes the overall effect a little fuzzier than I think was intended. Fortunately, the eyelashes are crisply painted and draw the viewer's eyes to the face.

The base is similarly tentative. It's virtually the same color as everything else, contributing little to the piece's look. The plaque's font doesn't feel all that pretentious, and the titling falls uncomfortably between the necessary brevity and a silly caption. Doubling up the articles is playful, and while I would've preferred a parody of the true title, it probably wouldn't have drawn in more potential customers.

The packaging is appropriate, striking the 'high art' tone in order to set the stage for Piggy's contrast. The colors are primarily deep reds and golds, and the fonts are more severe. There's a nice photo of the figure on the box face, and Miss Piggy's 'signature' is reworked by way of Van Gogh (I'm assuming his handwriting is more recognizeable as having a 'high art' feeling).

Unfortunately, there's none of these figurines available for sale online right now. Warm up another eBay favorite search... good luck!

The Greed Of Christmases Past: Wishbookweb.com

If you don't already take enough trips down memory lane, here's a site that's archived a bunch of the old Wish Books. If you're under thirty years old, your parents may not have ordered all (or any of) your presents from JC Penny or Sears!

I loved the ritual of the Christmas Wish Book arriving each year - poring through the toy section for weeks, carefully circling and meticulously listing the stuff I wanted.

At one point, I had everything on this page but the plush (before Star Wars, Peanuts was the thing for me)! It's wild to look through these catalogs now - just like today, some of the toys are great, and others are really awful. Check 'em out!

Toy OTD: Kurimu Panda (aka Cream Panda) Vinyl Figure

Here's another cast member from the Anpanman manga/anime series - I bought this figure when I was still living in southern California. Like many of the characters, he's based on a food or pastry. It's a really appealing, simple design - the sculpt preserves the cute proportions and the punchy color scheme makes it an eye-catcher! The paint work isn't perfect, but it is very good for such a mass-produced item. It's not an expensive toy - I'm sure this cost between ten and fifteen dollars.

I don't imagine you could find this exact figure today, but I know Apanman toys are still very cheap and plentiful. I can't find any for sale online right now, but it shouldn't be too hard to uncover a Kurimu Panda toy if you're persistent! Try checking with Super 7 - they usually have some of the characters in stock. Or drop a line to this Flickr group - I'm sure someone there can help you out. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Fisher-Price #444: Queen Busy/Buzzy Bee (1962-1985)

This isn't one of Fisher-Price's best toys necessarily, but I had one as a kid, so nostalgia demanded that I get a spiffy replacement from eBay!

Queen Busy Bee is nice and simple, with a cute noisemaker and plenty of charm. The designers get a lot of play value out of their simple materials, accenting the spinning wheels and wings with bouncing spring antennae. I wonder if the illustrator knew what the artwork was for - there's wings painted onto the 'thorax', even though the toy has wings as separate parts! It's very cute, regardless.

This toy was made for so long, there's tons and tons of them out there - it'd almost be harder not to own one! Needless to say, there's some variations in the construction, but basically no one version is much more expensive to get than another (well, the '59 model will cost you, but in general it's not a pricey toy). A quick search on eBay revealed thirty-seven different auctions, so this is kind of a fish in a barrel unless you're looking for the box, or want to the toy to be in ultra-mint condition. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Charlie The Tuna Telephone (1987)

A friend of mine was cleaning out his house, so he sold this phone to me - I think I paid about $15 or $20 for it. It's about ten inches tall - one of the older phones that's contained all in one piece. It hangs up when you set it down, so I can see why this style of phone didn't really catch on! At least it looks like you can switch it from touch-tone to pulse-tone and back again.

The sculpt and paint work on it are quite good, nicely on-model. There's the strange touch of the light bulbs in the glasses (I assume that they blink when someone calls), but it doesn't detract from the overall design.

I don't know who manufactured this, so maybe it was a mail-order premium. At any rate, it's not terribly rare or expensive - there's an eBay auction for one right now starting at $9.99 + shipping.

Toy OTD: FUNimation Dragonball Z Figure Set: Boss Rabbit & Goku (2002)

These are the best Dragonball toys that I've seen to date - really terrific sculpts and paintwork! They capture the flavor of the original artwork very well. If I remember correctly, three two-figure sets were released - I bought two of the line at Toys 'R' Us originally.

As you might imagine, Boss Rabbit doesn't have a lot of articulation, but Goku has a good amount of poseable joints. I could imagine that some fans might want more, since Goku is such an active character, but I think it's a good compromise between poseability and preserving the sculpt.

You can still get this set for a very good price - thecardkid.com has it for $9.99 + shipping.

Toy OTD: Tomy Fraggle Rock Wind-Up Toy: Doozer

This is an item ripe for re-issue, now that Fraggle Rock is starting to come out on DVD! Tomy made a few different Doozer wind-ups back in the day, and they're still the best merchandise of those characters. They're really appealing - I love how they molded the parts out of six or seven different colors of plastic, rather than painting an all-green figure. I think it looks so much better that way!

Don't expect to find a working specimen - they seem to break pretty easily. If you can find them on eBay, they make great display pieces! Generally, they're pretty affordable - expect to pay between $5 - $35.00, depending on condition and location.

You Liked This When You Were Twelve. Shut Up And Like It Now.

ONION A.V. CLUB: More Hasbro products begging for the Michael Bay movie treatment
Reviewed by Tasha Robinson - July 10th, 2007
Transformers is inevitably dominating the American box office, and a sequel is already in the works. By combining '80s nostalgia, massive military-adventure violence, and lowbrow adolescent humor, director Michael Bay has tapped into a vast and eager market that unites modern teens looking for mindless action with adult viewers eagerly awaiting more $175 million big-screen updates of their childhood toyboxes. Here are a few more possible ways to satisfy that market:

Hasbro property: My Little Pony

Possible storyline: Bored to tears after decades of makeover parties and frolicking pointlessly in the sunshine, the Dream Valley ponies band together to annex the nearby Friendship Garden, planning to convert it to an anarcho-syndicalist commune. When the Garden ponies respond by assassinating Dream Valley visionary leader Pinkie Pie, internecine warfare breaks out, leading to carpet bombing of the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe and the Poof 'N Puff Perfume Palace.

Key scenes: Unicorn leader Sky Flier uses her "winking" power to teleport a cadre of specially trained Napalm Nuzzles ponies behind enemy lines for the explosive climax, filmed in alternating slow motion and a flurry of spastic quick-cuts of flying pony bodies. Meanwhile, in a bombed-out barn in Ponyville, Buttons comes of age in an awkward but touching liaison with Lickety-Split.

Film tagline: "They aren't your little ponies any more."

Hasbro property: Furby
Possible storyline: In 1999, Furbys were banned from NSA offices under the fear that they might record and repeat sensitive information. That fear becomes a reality in this gripping spy thriller, in which evil alien Furbys from the planet Furbish make contact with an Iraqi militant cleric and offer an alliance. Spying on American military outposts in the guise of popular, annoying toys, they sneak back to their contacts at night to reveal American military secrets and plans, leading to high American casualties in several critical, confusingly filmed, bombastic desert battles. The day is saved when National Guard commander Vin Diesel, home on a short leave for a solemn Christmas, encounters a race of good Furbys hiding out in American toy stores, and enlists their aid to save his threatened country.

Key scene: In a lengthy comedy setpiece, Vin Diesel gets annoyed at the way one of the good Furbys repeats everything he says, leading to a hilariously circular "I know you are, but what am I?" situation.
Film tagline: "They can hear you. And our enemies can hear them."
Hasbro property: Mr. Potato Head

Possible storyline: With Sylvester Stallone returning to the big screen as a 60-year-old Rambo, the time seems right for the 55-year-old Mr. Potato Head to get his own action franchise. In this twist on a traditional monster movie, some vaguely Middle Eastern terrorists hijack an Army convoy carrying an experimental radioactive power source, in the process accidentally discharging it near an Idaho potato farm. The resultant sentient mutant potato is horrified to learn that his spudly brethren are destined to be mashed, fried, and boiled, and he launches a one-potato guerilla campaign of terror against the farming industry, ultimately stealing an experimental giant combine and heading to D.C. to thresh the city.

Key scene: After Mr. Potato Head is captured, farm mogul Jon Voight has him thrown into the processing bin at a potato processing plant. In a lengthy video-game-like sequence, he dodges vats of molten butter, automatic peelers, and giant mashers, and improvises a series of weapons to sabotage the plant from within, escaping just as it explodes.
Film tagline: "Many eyes. One big gun."

Hasbro properties: Weebles, PlaySkool
Possible storyline: When a series of Pretty Pretty Princesses fall victim to a serial killer in Los Angeles, rogue cop Winston Hobnobby and FBI agent Tommy are forced to work together to find the murderer, and in the process, bust an international coke ring, stop a shipment of illegal arms, recover a stolen laptop containing key military secrets, find a missing experimental jet, stop a runaway truck filled with explosives, rout out the crooked cop who's been taking payola to undermine operations in L.A., contain a prison outbreak, disarm a homemade tac-nuke, and at some random point, visit a strip club.

Key scene: The protagonists initially distrust and dislike each other, but eventually bond over the fact that neither of them actually has arms, which makes crime-fighting unusually difficult.
Film tagline: "This summer, these cops may wobble, but they won't. Fall. Down."
Hasbro property: G.I. Joe

Possible storyline: The G.I. Joe TV shows of the '80s featured a vast cast of marginally differentiated soldiers stopping improbably vast schemes enacted by a bunch of cartoonishly frothing bad guys, with frequent pauses for sloppy comedy. Any random five-episode G.I. Joe story arc is practically a Michael Bay movie already. Just grab one at random, CGI in some much, much bigger explosions and some swear words, and it's ready to go.

Key scene: Some stuff blows up.

Film tagline: "You liked this when you were 12. Shut up and like it now."

Illustrations by Misako Takashima.

Remake/Synergy OTD: Masters Of The Universe

VARIETY: He-Man returns to big screen
Joel Silver teams with WB for adaptation
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver are working with Mattel to turn "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" into a live-action film.

Justin Marks is set to write the script. Silver will produce.

Deal, which is contingent on Mattel formally approving an outline for the project, is another example of Hollywood culling a 1980s-era pop-culture touchstone in the hopes of seeding a tentpole pic. The sale comes just a few weeks before the July preem of DreamWorks' Michael Bay-directed "Transformers," which began as an '80s animated series and toy line.

He-Man was born as a Mattel action figure, and the toymaker created an animated series in hopes of selling dolls. The series became a cult favorite, spawning the 1987 pic "Masters of the Universe."

The new rendition was pitched to the studio and Mattel as a classic good vs. evil battle, using the kind of visual effects strategy employed in "300." A warrior is touted as the last hope of a magical land called Eternia, which is being ravaged by technology and a despotic ruler named Skeletor.

Many of the characters in the universe will be informed by the four different cartoon series done since the 1980s.

The story was hatched by Marks and Neil Ellice, the latter of whom will co-produce. Silver Pictures, which is turning the Japanese animated series "Speed Racer" into a live-action film with Larry and Andy Wachowski directing, sparked to the potential. Silver Pictures exec Navid McIlhargey brought it in and will be involved in a producing capacity.

The viability of the "He-Man" universe is evidenced by the traffic that has occurred since rumors of a screen resurrection hit the Internet. Contrary to Web rumor, the lead role has not yet been cast.

WMA-repped Marks is writing a number of scripts, including "One Free Murder," for producer Kevin Misher. In the fantasy-franchise realm, he's turning the animated series "Voltron" into a live-action film for producer Mark Gordon; he's developing a screen version of the vidgame "Street Fighter" for Hyde Park; and he's scripting a feature for Warners based on the DC Comics character the Green Arrow.