Toy OTD: Mezco 6" Talking Ozbourne Family Figure: Ozzy Osbourne (2002)

The flip side of meticulous accuracy is caricature, and I love both approaches in toys. In general, I gravitate toward caricature and stylization (especially in 3D) because it's always interesting for me to see which details were given prominence over others. While this toy may not be the zenith of this philosophy, I think it's appealing and has a sense of fun.

As you might imagine, this merchandise was a result of the popularity of The Osbournes reality television show. Mezco responded (like many other manufacturers) by acquiring the likeness rights and manufacturing figures of the family members. The toys are in scale with one another, and each features a base with a different voice chip.

I like the caricature here, even if it could be more exaggerated. It's silly, executed in the "bigfoot cartoon" style, and gently mocks Ozzy's outsized image. The pose is a little symmetrical, but there's just enough asymmetry in it to keep the character lively. The paintwork here is decent, and I like the use of assembling different layers of PVC, rather than sculpting the figure all of a piece. It gives the hair and clothing a little extra quality, feeling more separated from the figure itself. The glitter (or silver paint spatter) on his costume is a good textural touch.

There's little articulation to speak of - the figure seems intended primarily for display, and it works fine for that. Ozzy comes with 'his' talking base ("Rock and Roll!"), a pair of glasses and a standing microphone. I find most of the accessories somewhat extraneous, but the glasses add a lot to the character - they're difficult to keep on his head, but it adds a little more sculptural detail.

The original packaging is the standard plastic blister with cardboard backing. I don't find the overall impact appealing, though the fifties retro look is an appropriately ironic design approach.

Naturally, these figures are long gone from toy shelves, but Ozzy isn't terribly difficult to find. It's still selling at Amazon.com for $11.95 + shipping. Good luck!

PS - If you're thinking about collecting the whole family, you can get Kelly though Amazon.com for $6.00 + shipping. Jack and Sharon are both only $5.00 + shipping each at Extreme Collectibles. There's also an Ozzy "home clothes" variant you can buy for about € 12,00 + shipping at Muscara.com. Be sure to try thefind.com when toy hunting - it produces a lot of results that Google alone doesn't!

Photos and text ©2009 Jeff Pidgeon.

Toy OTD: Knickerbocker Hanna-Barbera Plush: Yogi Bear (1959)

Most of the time, I'm a fanatic about how similar a toy looks to its original source - the more "on-model", the better! Sometimes, though, "off-model" toys have a certain charm. There's few toys more oddly appealing than Hanna-Barbera merchandise from the late fifties and early sixties.

It's amazing that stuffed Yogi here still looks cute in spite of the fact that the entire head was molded in the muzzle color, making Yogi look as if he'd been shaved. In fact, there's not much fuzziness to be had anywhere - only the paws look fairly cuddly. While Yogi's usually brown, it's fairly safe to say that this toy wasn't, even if you account for fading. As crazy as this doll may look when you set it next to the cartoon character, this is nothing compared to other old H&B toys!

This toy is pretty sun-bleached, and who knows how much fur has worn off in the last fifty years. I'm pretty sure that it's complete, but just because it has all of the clothing that's featured in the drawing doesn't mean that something isn't missing! Toys from this period will be colored in crazy ways or sport clothing, accessories - even fur! - that they never had in the cartoons.

There is something really great about this toy, though, and that's simplicity. The shapes and colors of the plush may be way off, but overall the design's not much more complicated than the original artwork. There's four paint passes on the head - that's it. Grab the closest modern toy within reach, and unless it came from a party store, there's probably a lot more than four paint passes. There's just four fabric colors/types on the body, too.

I really like the use of vinyl heads atop plush bodies. That's pretty rare these days, as it probably doesn't pass muster under modern safety standards. Still, you get the design crispness of vinyl combined with the cuddliness of a plush, which I think is pretty cool.

I know that some Knickerbocker toys were packed in boxes, but I'm not sure if this particular item was - I think some may have simply been sold with a tag. The package designs weren't dazzling, if I remember right... mostly some red/blue text graphics on cardboard-colored boxes, similar to the old Fisher-Price containers from the same period. The tags weren't all that exciting either, but they had a boldness and simplicity to them.

This toy is old enough that you'll need to look at toy shows or on eBay to find one. I think I paid about $65 for mine, so you might have to pay more if you find something in even better shape. Still, a lot of people are cashing out their collections these days, so you may be able to find a deal. There's a great-looking 26" version on eBay right now, in fact! Here's another one starting at $6.00. There's several more for sale, but many are missing the tie, so be careful. Look sharp and happy bidding!

PS - Now that I've pored over some eBay photos, I'm a lot less certain that my Yogi plush was originally yellow.

Photo by Jeff Pidgeon.
Yogi title card art courtesy of Warner Brothers and this blog.

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!

Toy OTD: Mezco South Park Figure: Jesus (Series 3 - 2006)

The Mezco South Park line lasted long enough to include some great characters! Of course, it wouldn't really be complete without one of the stars of The Spirit Of Christmas - Jesus! Happily, Mezco did a terrific job.

The figure is as simply designed as its construction-paper counterpart. Generally, it's very accurate to the original design, but the head looks a little rounder - thought it's possible the design has changed over the run of the show, too. It's a really nice compromise between two- and three-dimensions! The paint work is also tight, which helps preserve the cutout look.

This character doesn't really lend itself to articulation, so big props to Mezco for thinking outside of the box and adding articulated eyebrows! It's a nifty way to customize your figure a little more, especially if you consider the facial variants that Mezco usually produce (I'm sure this toy has more than one). Other than that, we're talking the neck, shoulders, and maybe the wrists.

The big plus of the sculpted robe is that there's no stability issues! While he may not balance on your dashboard, the toy will probably be well-centered on any other flat surface. Any possible branding or legal-ese is hidden away, which is also very cool!

Mezco's South Park blister packaging is deceptively basic. The show's simple, attractive graphics may seem like a gimme, but many toy companies don't always consider the source content. Mezco picked a snowy 'Colorado' background for the blister card, which is eye-catching and on-theme without becoming obnoxious or busy. Very nice!

Rather than bombard us with tiny, easily-lost accessories, Mezco gave us a 'God' mini-figure instead! It's also quite well-made, accurate right down the thin whisker-hairs on its head. Not only is it on-theme, but it's like getting two figures for the price of one!

This toy is three years old, but it's not terribly hard to get today. Unfortunately, it's gone up in price significantly - the cheapest it's going for right now is $49.99 + shipping at superherotoys.com. You may want to hunt around a bit more and comparison shop... good luck!

Toy OTD: Dark Horse, Yoe! Studio Classic Comic Characters Figurine #37: Eugene The Jeep

This line of figurines from classic comic strips is a jewel in the crown of Dark Horse's comics merchandising! Not only are the character choices great (most of them have not had a lot of spin-off products, or if they have, they're very expensive to collect today), but the style of figurine is dead-on-theme with the time when the strips were published.

The Eugene the Jeep statuette (from E.C. Segar's original run of the Popeye strip) is a labor of love to fans of the one-eyed sailor. It's a strong interpretation of the iconic Segar beastie into three dimensions! The design is preserved, even though the sculpt is deliberately rough to match the old-fashioned Syroco wood composition look.

The pose is spot-on for the character as well, while the color scheme has been darkened to support the retro feel (Syrocos actually have a much darker palette, but the Jeep sports an appealing compromise). I think the brush work is a little crude - the whiskers and belly patch look a little more like a stuffed toy's stitches rather than body hair - but that's also consistent with the period look. It's a questionable (but logical) trade-off in this particular case.

Since a base is sculpted as part of the figure, and having no articulation, there's no balance problems. It's also one of the few times that I don't mind the inclusion of the character's name on the base - the text is very small, and it's also consistent with how the original figures looked. Dark horse keeps all of its modern branding/edition information on the bottom of the base, which is very cool. The orchids lying at the Jeep's feet are another nice touch, since orchids are its favorite food!

The packaging for this line is really sharp! A foam-padded tin protects the figure well - it's one of the most tempting boxes to keep around (in the end, though, space issues forced me to recycle them). Also included inside are a pinback button and pamphlet with a summary of the character's origin and history.

This used to sell for $49.99, but unfortunately I can't find this statuette for sale online right now. Bust out your search engines and keep digging - good luck!

Toy OTD: Memory Lane Peanuts Figure: Pig Pen

Memory Lane has made some nice, affordable Peanuts swag recently - here's another good example. The company already gets points simply for making a tertiary character. There's a fair amount of Pig Pen merchandise out there, but a fair amount of time usually goes by before another piece shows up!

Like most Peanuts merchandise, this figure is based primarily on the character as he was drawn in the late eighties/early nineties. It looks good, and it's a style that the most shoppers will be familiar with, but I have to say, I am hankering for more retro-styled products. Fortunately, more seems to be on the way!

The appeal of this figure is still strong, but in general there's not as much effort here as I would like. The facial expression is a bit bland, especially when you consider how expressive Schulz's characters can be. The sculpt is so symmetrical that it drains more personality from the toy, as there's no pose of any kind to support it.

Still, there's some neat things about the figure, too. The plugged-in hair is one of the best ways to mimic Pigpen's fly-away 'do that I've seen in a toy. Dependable higher-end manufacturers like Dark Horse and Medicom have each interpreted in in their own manner, but I think they're less successful.

Another neat feature is the facial 'dirt' can be washed off, only to re-appear when dry. The downside is that it looks much fainter than the rest of the painted 'dirt', and makes Pigpen look far less grubby. I think that (in general) there could've been a lot more dirt applied.

Articulation is about standard - neck, shoulders, 'wrists' (actually elbow rotations) and possibly waist and hips. There's some minor balance issues that I think a pegged display base would've prevented. Thankfully, not many accessories - just a clear plastic 'dust cloud', which is a great enhancement to the figure's display. The blister card packaging isn't dazzling, but its colors and fonts are on-theme with the toy, and the blister allows for clear viewing.

You may want to do a fair amount of homework before you spend - not only are there multiple facial variants from this line, but there's also at least a couple of holiday versions as well. If you're set on this one, though, you can buy it at snoopn4pnuts.com for $19.95 + shipping. Enjoy!

Toy OTD: Creature Comforts Figurine: Frank The Tortoise

Aardman merchandise has never really taken off here in the states, but fortunately, it's all over the UK! If you're willing to brave the dollars-to-pounds exchange rate, you can get some really cool stuff based on Aardman's nifty television shows and movies!

A fairly extensive resin figure line sprang from the Creature Comforts TV series, inspired (of course) by the animated short. The British series, in turn, was the model for a show in the US as well! It's one of Aardman's best known properties outside of Wallace & Gromit, so it's a gimme as far as UK toys go.

Frank is a great character who (I think) has been in all of the incarnations of Comfort. Since he's a clay-mation piece to begin with, he's a natural for resin. The sculpt here is simple but quite good, although Frank's cranium looks a little low. Otherwise, it's a very accurate piece! There's just enough asymmetry to keep some life in the figure, and the color choices are fine. The biggest difference between the two is the treatment of the shell - it seems darker on the toy, and less convincing as 'the real thing'. The eyes are also a little less subtle than the original model, but overall it's appealing.

Since this piece is a figurine, there's no articulation at all. It's so low and wide that naturally there's no balance issues whatsoever. The packaging is pretty sharp - a creative variation on the plastic/cardboard box theme. Here, most of the box is plastic, allowing for maximum visibility of the item, while a printed cardboard base/back card allows for some disposable graphics and branding. It's also worth mentioning that the figure has no base or visible logos on it, which I think is consistent with the whole line. Very nice!

I can't find Frank for sale online anywhere exept the Aardman shop itself - you can get one there for £5.00+ shipping (and they do ship internationally). If you want one, get it quick!

Toy OTD: Enesco Here Comes Peter Cottontail Figurine: Peter With Colonel Bunny (2000)

Based on the success of their Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer figurines, Enesco ventured deeper into Rankin-Bass territory, producing a line of Here Comes Peter Cottontail merchandise. Whoever is sculpting these characters for the company, it's clear that there's deep love for these specials, as the design accuracy and posing are very strong. Peter's even got the ear droop that happens when he's caught in a lie!

Another great plus is that a matte finish is used in the paint work, which helps to keep the figures looking like the stop-motion puppets. The detailing is very nice, with the occasional wobbliness here and there. The base is worked into the scene well, with no logos or branding. The mono-filament whiskers are a cool touch, too!

The packaging for this line was not very exciting - an Easter grass motif with eggs and the logo. Since I usually wind up recycling most of my toy boxes, it's not a big deal, but these figurines would need to be unpacked to have good shelf presence.

I'm assuming that this line didn't sell well, as I don't think there's been any more Peter merchandise since these were released. In spite of the eight years since its production, you can still buy this item at goantiques.com for $20.50, or from eBay for $13.84. Easter will be here before you know it, so get your decorations today... good luck!

Toy OTD: Mezco Family Guy Figure: Brian (2004)

Mezco has done a nice job with the Family Guy action figures - most of the characters that you would want have been manufactured, and they've all been done quite well.

Brian here was naturally part of series one - Mezco was smart and knew that fans would want him right away! Like the rest of the line, he's well sculpted - if the pose is a little stiff, well, that's how the characters are on the show a great deal of the time. The default posing is pretty much straight-up-and-down, so it's an appropriate approach for the toys.

There's not a lot of articulation, but it'd be tougher to keep the characters on-model if more joints were added, so I don't really mind. Brian is evenly-proportioned enough that he doesn't have much in the way of balance issues, but a small pegged stand is always good to help with that. The paint work is extrememly minimal, but it's well done.

Like many other Mezco toys, Brian comes with a bunch of accessories - a newspaper, a fire hydrant, an issue of Doggie Style, a cup of coffee, and of course a martini glass. I don't need that many extras myself, but I'm sure it helps sell the toy.

The tricky part about Mezco figures is that almost every character they make is manufactured with one or two different facial expressions. While it's great to have a variety to choose from, it's not as great if you don't know how many there are, or can't find the one that you want. Fortunately, Brian's deadpan variant is the default one, and was pretty easy to get back in the day.

The packaging is the standard back card/blister combo that almost everyone uses. There's nothing startling about the design, but there's nothing wildly off-theme, either. Colors from the show's palatte, the logo, drawings of the character - pretty much the things you'd expect.

Now that the figures have been out for a while, Brian is tougher to find and still popular. That means his price has gone up - to get this early version of him now is going to cost you! Superherotoys.com has it for $44.95 + shipping, and toywiz.com has it for $49.99 + shipping. At those prices (if you don't mind a different facial expression), you'd be better off buying this series 1.5 boxed set (with six characters!) off eBay for $20.00 + shipping. Happy bargain hunting!

Toy OTD: McDonald's American Idol Happy Meal Toys

I have to give McDonald's credit for getting me to buy anything with the words "American Idol" on it. I've watched the show a little, but in general I think both franchises have plenty of money as it is!

The thing that I find the most interesting about this line is the evidence of the designer toy movement seeping into the mainstream. And the best thing about that is that more toy manufacturers are doing stylized work again! It's wonderful to see companies moving a bit back to the days of the 60's Fisher-Price Little People!

The Idol line consists of eight figures rendered in bright colors. Rather than making toys with stylized caricatures of past contestants (which might also have been interesting), each one represents a genre of popular music. The character designs are simple and appealing, with their facial details giving them a sense of unity. Since maintaining a rock-bottom price point is essential, the toys have a number of similar parts, but variety is preserved by casting them in many different colors.

It's a somewhat uneven line, with some characters working better than others. The bright colors are sometimes snappy and fun, but other times clash unattractively. The sculpting is simple and uniform, but is fine for the requirements of the designs. Ethnicity is skillfully avoided by using stylized color on all of the characters.

Many iconic pop styles are represented with their own toy, again a bit unevenly. You're probably the most aware of New Wave Nigel, the subject of a lawsuit from Devo. Indeed, Nigel evokes a Devo member with his uniformly-colored outfit and his very-energy-dome-like hat. The 80s slit-glasses top off the look.

Disco Dave is a very successful design, as a white leisure suit, pompadour, and neck chains evoke the Travolta era clearly and quickly. Additionally, each toy has a sound chip with a very simple musical loop (sometimes with a spoken word or phrase) activated by a switch on the back of the figure's head. If one of the arms is raised (I think it's generally the left one), the clip will sound until the arm is lowered again.

Punky Pete is also very good, sporting his studded belt, safety pin, 'leather' pants, and iconic mohawk. Indeed, the hairpiece is cleverly used as the sound button!

Country Clay is nice as well, though the designer went with more of a early Nashville look - a great choice, since it's a much clearer read than a lot of modern country singer wear. The colors are pretty harmonious on this toy!

Li'l Hip Hop is fairly successful, though most of the work is done by the medallion (it's too bad there couldn't have been some faux-gold-plating here) and the cap. If this was supposed to have been an '80s-era rapper, I think the outfit and shoes could've been made a little clearer.

I'm assuming Rockin' Riley is supposed to be a Joan Jett-style rocker, but this character's a bit fuzzy. The leather and hair could be rock n' roll, or a diluted metal rocker. I think (though appealing) it's a bit wishy-washy.

Hippy Harmony goes for the long hair and peace medallion, but it still feels a bit tepid. A closed-eye (meditative) expression, a wavy-patterned sack dress, a daisy-crown and granny glasses might've helped to pull it together.

I'm not sure what costume elements iconically say "Soul". Soulful Selma is a very cute design (one of the first I saw that made me want to buy the figures), but it seems rather vague to me as well, aside from the big earrings and afro. It's a perfectly valid genre for the show, but a tough one to design clearly.

The paint work is passable, and can be a little dodgy on the odd figure. Articulation is naturally very minimal - I think just the arms move at each shoulder. There's no real packaging to speak of, just the usual plastic bag.

I'm sure you can still get all eight characters on eBay - they seem to range from about $2.00-$6.00 each, and some auctions have multiple figures as well. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Mindstyle Dark Crystal Vinyl Figure: UrRac The Scribe (2007)

Dark Crystal fans have waited a long time for character figures - twenty-five years - but MINDstyle has finally given us a toy that's worth the wait (no offense to Plan-B Toys, who has also produced some fantastic mini-busts). This recent Mystic figure is simply gorgeous!

Everything about this vinyl figure is top notch - the sculpt is beautiful and extremely accurate. The pose is straight out of the movie, and the paint apps are on-model and appropriately complex. If you want a vinyl version of this character, you simply couldn't ask for better!

Granted, there could be more articulation, but I think to maintain the design integrity, MINDstyle could have gone the jointed-figure-in-a-cloth-costume route, a la Hot Toys. To get hair that isn't sculpted, they could've gone the hard-core-clothed-resin-figure route, a la Sideshow, but both of those routes would make the figure much more expensive. Now you know I love both of those approaches, but to make a figure this accurate and this detailed for under a hundred dollars is really terrific!

And then there's the box. Even the box is incredible! Its design is on theme to the film's style, and it's covered with lovely photography and eye-catching foil passes. There's even a front-panel-door that allows you to check the figure out if you're one of those mint-in-box types. I think it had magnetic fasteners, but the may have been Velcro. Either way, the packaging is stand-alone great!

This toy sold a year ago for $70-$80, but you're in luck! It's available for sale at toynk.com at the lower price of $59.99 + shipping - grab one now, before they wise up!

Toy OTD: Colgate Soaky Toy: Dick Tracy

I think one of the main reasons I like older toys is that so many of them have to find an appealing solution within a multitude of material/technological/aesthetic limitations. Soaky toys are great example of how you can take something as boring and uniform as a bath soap bottle, and make it playful and fun. How do you capture the essence of an animated (or comic strip) character, and still fit it into the practical dimensions that you're given?

Naturally, taller bipedal characters work the best for Soaky toy designs, so Dick Tracy here works great. The pose is stiff, but it maintains as much of the bottle's volume as possible. I love the minimal color usage in the design - the plastic does most of the work, with black and a skin color filling in the rest.

I also like the head sculpt - it's a lot friendlier than the comic character's chiseled grimace (how cheerily he reaches for his gun!), but it still has some feel for Tracy. As drawn, the famous profile almost defies dimensionality, but the I think the sculptor found a solution that works. I'm not thrilled that Tracy's name is emblazoned on the base, but at least it's not emphasized with paint.

There's not much additional packaging to a Soaky - a paper label wrapping the base, and some cellophane - but since the bottle is toy and package in one, that makes sense. It's a great idea that's still around today (though not made by Colgate), and works even better in these conservation-minded times!

Dick Tracy is not a rare Soaky character, so you should be able to get one without much effort. There's a slightly damaged one for sale at timepassagesnostalgia.com for $19.99 + $5.50 shipping, and another on eBay for $22.00 + $6.50 shipping. Happy shopping!

Toy OTD: Artstorm Hajime Ningen Gyatoruzu Vinyl Figure: Kachan

I've owned more than a couple of these toys for some time, but it's taken me until now to figure out who they were (and what comic/animation they were from)!

This figure comes from the anime (and I presume, manga) series Hajime Ningen Gyatoruzu, aka Hajime Ningen Gon, aka Hajime Ningen Gyators, aka Gon, The Stone Age Boy. This character is Gon's mother, Kachan.

It may not be quite as stylized as some of the anime drawings, but it's still pretty faithful to the original design. The figure is appealing, with a nicely sculpted pose, and the paint work is also good, especially where it counts in the facial area.

There's hardly any articulation at all - just in the shoulders. Even for a vinyl toy, this is pretty minimal - it's just a step away from being a one-piece rubber-duckie-style figure. At least the toy balances well, especially considering the tippy-toe positioning of the feet!

I bought this quite some time ago, so it's sold out, unfortunately. I've had the toughest time digging up any infomation about this show/comic at all - you may want to set up several eBay searches for this one. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Toynami Futurama Figure: Robot Santa (SDCC 2008 Exclusive)

Happy Holidays! Nothing says Christmas like a murderous robot Santa Claus, I always say. I'll bet Futurama fans have been waiting quite a while for this one. Toynami knows what makes a nerd's heart beat faster, so once they got the license, this year's Comic-Con turned into Christmas in July!

This is another toy that's more for display than posing. It's nicely sculpted, but not very articulated - I think the head turns a little, and there's rotation in the shoulders... maybe in the waist, wrists and boots, I'm not sure. The paint work is quite clean, which helps make it feel even more artificial and manufactured (great for a robot). The color work is simple, but on-model and effective. There's a nice pink tint to the 'cheeks' that's pleasingly subtle. The toy balances decently on its own, but a display stand would've been nice, especially considering the $50 price tag!

The Santa-bot also comes with a "Santa-Bender" figure. It's also nicely made, but it's basically a repaint of the standard Bender with an extra hat prop. Bonus points for the fabric hat, but personally I'd rather have a cheaper, original exclusive figure than to get stuck with yet another costume variant. I guess I have to resist buying these sets if I want to send a message that I don't want the repaint figures!

Like I said earlier, the set originally sold for $50 last summer, and it's selling for $45.00 + shipping now on eBay (though it may be cheaper after the holidays, being Christmas-themed and all). It also looks like you may be able to build Robot Santa if you buy all six of the collection two Futurama figures (each one comes with an extra Robot Santa part), but I'm not sure which characters that entails. You can also get a loose figure right now (no Santa Bender!) for $29.69 + shipping on eBay. Enjoy the hunt, and have a happy holiday season!

Toy OTD: Monsters On Ice Toy: Mike's New Car

The Kenneth Feld Disney-themed ice shows are yet another source for Disney/Pixar merchandise. Some items have never been offered in any other venue!

For example, when the Monsters On Ice show was touring, a moderately-sized, plastic version of the vehicle featured in Mike's New Car was sold at the concession stand. As far as I know, this toy was exclusive to the event, although a much smaller version was made separately from the show and sold elsewhere.

This is a good toy, but its primary virtue is obscurity. The sculpt, paint work, and construction are above average, but not anything that would grab your eye if the subject were a more common vehicle. It's sturdy enough, but there's really no other special features or embellishments other than free-rolling wheels. I don't remember any packaging to speak of (maybe a tag for branding), but if you don't want this particular car as a toy in the first place, it probably isn't going to convince you otherwise.

This item isn't for sale online right now, so yet another eBay favorite search might in the cards for you. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Japanese Topo Gigio PVC Figure

Since my wife is a puppeteer, I'm sure that there's some cross-pollination involved, but I've always had a fondness for Topo Gigio! I'm too young to have watched him on the Ed Sullivan Show, but the skits are great to see on DVD (well, aside from the really-not-meant-to-be-watched-one-right-after-another thing).

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of domestic merchandise available - not surprising, I guess, for a character who hasn't been famous in the U.S. for about forty years! Like many faded stars, Little Topo does live on in Japan, as well as many Spanish-speaking countries.

I think this mini-figure was originally one of a blind-boxed series of Topo Gigio PVCs. There's a store in Sausolito, CA called The Sausolito Ferry Company that sells opened blind-box figures - you pay a little more for them, but at least you know exactly which figure you're getting! I'm pretty sure that I bought it there for $12-15. I'm not sure, though - maybe it was a Comic-Con purchase.

You don't get mini-figures like this for articulation or packaging, but the sculpt and paint work here are both very nice - there's an admirable level of subtlty, especially in the face. The character's on-model, the textures are strong, and check out that guitar - pretty tight for a mini-figure!

Unfortunately, there's nothing like this available online right now. I'd set up an eBay favorite search, or hook up with a Japanese auction service. Good luck!

Toy OTD: McFarlane Hanna-Barbera Figures, Series 2: The Flintstones - Fred & Dino

The McFarlane Hanna-Barbera action figure line, while in concept is something that I've been eagerly waiting for, in reality turned out to be a pretty uneven affair. The figure choices were repetitive, and the posing ranged from terrific to awkward at best. Still, series two did show marked improvement over series one, so it's a shame that series three never made it to toy shelves.

This figure is one of series two's highlights! It's a great situation from the original show, looking like it was lifted right from a frame grab (I'd like to think that I influenced the choice of this figure - I did submit this idea to McFarlane, but received no answer, so who knows?). The color choices are really nice, though the paint work itself is a little rough (I remember my figure being pretty discolored upon opening it - that matte finish stuff seems to rub off onto other parts mighty easily).

There's almost no articulation at all, aside from Fred's neck (to help align his face to Dino's) and his feet, which kick as you turn a small wheel on the back of the display base. It works, but it's clunky enough that you wonder if it was really worth the rise in price point to do. The base itself is simple - no branding or logos - and themed to the characters. Nice!

The blister packaging is pretty good, allowing a wide, clear view of the toy for those (like me) who like to check paint jobs. I wish the larger art were more retro-looking (like the figure itself), but it's still above average as far as domestic toy packaging goes.

Unfortunately, this line sold rather poorly, so this figure is still very easy to get - it costs $12.94 + shipping at animerpm.com. You might be able to find it for an even lower price on eBay. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Ideal Magilla Gorilla Plush ('60s)

You don't see this construction approach used often anymore, but I like it: a vinyl head or face attached to a plush body. You can play to the strengths of both materials, each to its advantage: the precision of vinyl to get a more on-model face, and the cuddliness of a plush. I'm assuming it's too hard to anchor down a vinyl head to meet today's safety standards - or maybe it's simply a lot more expensive.

For a plush, there's a lot of detail: the tie, pants, suspenders, differently-colored shoes, 'shoelaces', even the little bars on the suspenders! The colors may not be spot-on, but they're close enough to evoke the character properly. The head sculpt is appealing, and the paint work is pretty tight, considering the era that the toys was made. Of course, the 'airbrushed' highlights in the mouth and ears are particularly nice!

If you buy plushes, you're probably going to have balance issues, and sure enough this toy can't stand or sit on its own. It's a shame that the design couldn't commit to one or the other, but the looks is so fun and colorful (not to mention accurate) that it helps to make up for it.

If you want to get a Magilla of your own, you can buy one at gasolinealleyantiques.com for $95.00 + shipping. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Electric Tiki Teeny Weeny Mini-Maquette: Little Lotta

By now, I'm pretty sure it's clear that I'm a Harvey Comics fan. I read tons of them as a kid, and I just can't shake my fondness for that slick Warren Kremer art. But there just hasn't been a lot of really good Harvey swag - until Electric Tiki came along. Then, the floodgates opened!

Electric Tiki has created a fairly substantial line of moderately-sized-and-priced Harveytoon figurines over the years (most being around five inches tall or more, so not really "teeny-weeny"), and they've covered most of the characters that you'd want. Little Lotta may not be Richie Rich, but she's still up there on the visibility-meter!

Tracy M. Lee is the creative force behind Electric Tiki, drawing most (if not all) of the character pose/turnaround art himself. Ruben Procopio, Rich Vanover, Tony Cipriano, Steve Schumacher, James Lopez, William Paquet, Sam Greenwell and Jim McPherson are credited with sculpting some of the products, but it's unclear who sculpted Lotta (maybe the packaging has a sculpting credit).

Regardless, it's a great sculpt! Mr. Lee did a wonderful job preserving the original character design in his pre-pro drawings, and the pose feels like it's right off one of the old covers. The colors are spot-on model as well, and the paint work is fine. The base is very simple, with no unneccessary branding or detail, and it eliminates any stability issues.

The packaging is also attractive, graphically evoking the old cover layouts of the comic books. If you're interested in variants, there's the version I have (sporting a red bow in her hair), a green bow version, and a red dress version, too!

You can still get the first two versions easily at toynk.com for $24.99 + shipping. Since it's a smaller run (fifty pieces), the red dress variant goes for $50 + shipping at dustcatchers.com. Grab your favorite now!

Toy OTD: Princess Mononoke Image Collection Maquette: Ashitaka (2003)

Almost every bit of merchandise based on a Studio Ghibli film is amazing, and this piece is especially good! Princess Mononoke is one of my favorite Miyazaki films, and this is a beautiful sculpt of a possessed Ashitaka (one of my favorite sequences in the film, too!). The pose is really lively, and the well-applied paint work is spot-on model. Nice!

The figure is packaged separately from the base, but it's simply a matter of setting it up - that really helps minimize shipping damage (as opposed to molding the figure and base together). Ashitaka's sword is also packed as another piece for the same reason (I haven't included it here).

Japanese merchandise is generally limited and quickly 'retired', and this piece is no exception. There's a few for sale online, but they've gone up to $300 + shipping! Grit your teeth and get shopping - it'll probably only get worse if you wait (though you could try to dicker if one comes up in "or-best-offer" mode on eBay) - good luck!

Toy OTD: Boucher Associates Peanuts Pocket Doll: Flying Ace Snoopy (1966-7)

I've always loved this line of Peanuts merchandise, which was available in the late sixties/early seventies. They're primitive in terms of today's manufacturing techniques, but still very appealing! I like how simple the shapes and colors are on this toy. Nice use of materials, too - white vinyl with painted accents are a great 3-D equivalent of the original line drawings.

Snoopy's head is smaller, and his 'hands' still suggest a dog who still walks on all fours - an early incarnation of the character. The big win here is that balance isn't an issue - the big dog paws steady the toy well. I'm not sure if there was an unadorned version of Snoopy, but there was an astronaut variant available at about the same time - I used to own it, but it's one of the few childhood toys that I wrecked. Too bad - that version is worth big bucks today!

There's two of these toys for sale on eBay right now, but both are missing the scarf. I'd expect to pay at least $50 for one in good condition. Keep hunting!

PS - If you start digging for the astronaut version, keep in mind that it had a plastic helmet - none of the online auctions that I've run across include it. Caveat emptor!

Toy OTD: Playmates Toys Simpsons Figure (Celebrity Series 2, 2002): Brad Goodman (autographed)

Here's one character from my rather large Simpsons action figure collection! I was lucky enough to get it signed by Albert Brooks while Finding Nemo was in production. He's one of my favorite recurring guest voices!

This is a typical Playmates Simpsons toy, with the usual strengths and weaknesses. Of course, I love how many ancillary characters were included in the overall line, and Brad is a great character than many other toy companies might have overlooked. Big props to Playmates for including him!

The sculpt itself is a bit of a mixed bag - the face is nicely done, but the overall proportions are rather top-heavy and the pose is somewhat symmetrical and stiff. The paint work is simple but nice, and I always like it when colored plastic is used to broaden the palette (I think there's at least three different colors being used here).

You can also plug Brad into a variety of the playsets, which allows him to say some phrases from the show. While I'm a big Brooks booster, I don't really need my action figures to talk, and most of the playsets were little more than glorified bases. Personally, I would've preferred that the money had been put into making the figures themselves better, or enabling Playmates the likeness rights to even more of the guest stars.

Brad came with his coffee mug, book, motivational video, a sign, and a can of fortified wine. These were fine accessories, but in general, unless it's really critical to the character (Captain America's shield, Thor's hammer, etc), I mainly feel that it's just more stuff to lose, and it drives the price point up. Still, big props for the accessories coming right from the episode, and being dead-on model to boot!

Even though this figure is six years old, you can still get one very easily. Toyrocket.com has them marked down to $3.99 + shipping.

Toy OTD: 1:18 Scale Johnny Lightning Diecast: The Mystery Machine

It's always great to see a company move outside of its core audience to reach others. While I loved tiny die-cast cars as a kid (mainly Matchboxes), in general I've left that interest behind. Anyone who's trying to keep their Hot Wheels collection complete in the face of the latest enormous wave will know what I mean! Not that I have anything against them, there's just too damn many to collect, unless that's all you collect, and even then you're in for a rough ride.

So I need to narrow my focus when I collect diecast vehicles, and that generally means gathering up only the examples that jab at my animation/nostalgia lobes deeply enough to override my better judgement. I tend to stick with 1/18 scale too, as they gobble up space quickly enough to keep me from getting too carried away.

This is one of the first toy cars I bought, and it's a pip. It sports a great paint job - one that's nicely on-model, from the original awkwardly-drawn logo right down to the 'flower power' hubcaps. This toy is clearly made for younger children, as it doesn't have steerable wheels or opening doors. Minuses to be sure, but the thing that bothers me the most is that there's no characters riding inside at all.

I'm assuming that this is a taste thing with the majority of diecast car collectors - they want the car, dammit, and they don't want things ruined with the presence of some figurines symbolizing much of what they didn't like about the show anyway. I'm not one of those folks, but if the manufacturers aren't sufficiently motivated, I do prefer no passengers to badly-cast or -painted ones, so I'll give it a pass.

I picked this up some time ago, but it's still easy to get on eBay. The price seems to range between roughly twenty-five and fifty dollars. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Schmid Bros. Snoopy Music Box (1968)

This is a very special childhood toy with a lot of history.

When I was a kid, there was a drug store in Vermont called Campbell's Pharmacy - it was where I bought a lot of my comic books, and they also sold figurines, music boxes, and other gift items. Snoopy was prominently displayed in the main window, and being the huge Peanuts fan that I was, I immediately fell in love with it. I stopped to look at it every time we went by the shop. Or at least I did until it disappeared one day. I was heartbroken.

Of course, my parents had bought it for me, and it became one of my favorite possessions. I played it constantly, even though I had no idea what the song Over There was really about. I even took it into the bathroom with me at bath time, until one day it fell off the back of the toilet, landing on the floor. The fall rendered it silent.

I was very upset, but Dad patiently opened the doghouse up and repaired it. As an explanation for the damage, he painted bullet holes on the side, simulating an enemy attack! And so I've kept it to this very day. I've discarded and 'upgraded' many of my childhood playthings, but this one simply has too much love inside of it.

Of course, I think this music box is wonderful - the design is crude, even primitive, but that's part of its simple charm. In a way, it's just as elemental as the comic itself. An astronaut version that plays Fly Me To The Moon was also made at the time.

These music boxes weren't made in enormous quantities, so naturally they're sought-after collectibles today. There's one up for auction on eBay right now starting at $9.99 + shipping, but I'd be prepared to pay $100 or more for it. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Applause Rover Dangerfield Plush (1991)

It's obscure character time once again here at Toy of the Day! How many of you remember the 2-D animated feature gold rush that started to build in the late '80s with The Little Mermaid and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? And who also remembers that Rodney Dangerfield once starred in his own cartoon movie?

If you were working in the feature realm, and weren't on salary somewhere at that time, chances are you probably worked on it (I was still part of the Not-Ready-For-Feature-Length Players, so I didn't). Many of the the non-Disney films from this period quickly vanished into the mists, leaving only a few toys in their wake.

I'm a big Rodney Dangerfield fan, and I always liked how the design looked like him, so I'm still drawn to the toy even though I wasn't that fond of the movie. I think Applause did a nice job of capturing the design in a simple, even-more-streamlined plush form. The colors are striking, the construction is solid, and it has a cute, sad-sack quality to it.

This toy is long out of stores, but since there isn't a lot of demand for Rover merchandise, it'll be very affordable - in fact, there's one for sale on eBay right now for $24.95 + shipping. Snap it up!

Toy OTD: Funko Wacky Wobbler: Bazooka Joe

Funko always treats us to dozens of pop-culture bobbleheads, ranging from very high-profile characters to quite obscure ones. It's great for a couple of reasons - we get to have toys of ad mascots that have rarely seen the light of merchandising day, and we get to enjoy them they way they were when 'we' (i.e, forty-somethings and older) were kids!

Take Bazooka Joe, for example - he hasn't looked like the nodder in quite a while. Almost every advertising character you can think of has gotten a makeover in the eighties, the nineties, or both. Joe's all but disappeared from the Bazooka website, even though it's named after him. He's been utterly eclipsed by Tha Heights, a bubble-rap group singing an admittedly catchy jingle. But I digress.

Funko's Joe may not be spot-on - the proportions of a bobblehead makes that pretty much impossible - but it's still an appealing sculpt that sufficiently captures the spirit of old-school Joe. The paint job supports the comic-strip simplicity of his design. Ideally, I'd like the pose to be a little less symmetrical, but it's a minor quibble. For the most part, I'm just happy there's an affordable Bazooka Joe figure out in the world!

This nodder isn't very old, so it's very easy to get. You can buy one for $14.95 + shipping at collectorsparadisetoys.com, or bargain hunters can get a 'nick and dent' version for $5.99 + shipping at tfaw.com. Bubble gum! Ba-zooka-zooka bubble gum! Ba-zooka-zooka...

Cool View-Master Scans

Bob Logan has figured out how to scan old View-Master reels, and he's generously put many of my favorite images on his blog. Take a look!

I love these old 3-D set-ups - they're so charming! I hope someone at McFarlane Toys uses them as reference for their Hanna-Barbera figure line. Here's hoping...

Toy OTD: Indiana Jones Lego Set 7620: Motorcycle Chase

To celebrate the opening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I thought I'd post about one of the many new Lego tie-in sets! #7620 is called "Motorcycle Chase", and it's clearly spun off from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

As usual, Lego does a great job! Indy and Dr. Jones are both really cute, and the sidecar-motorcycle is nicely designed - everything's well-stripped down and simplified. The set comes with plenty of pieces, and not too many customized ones, so it'll contribute really well to whatever Lego collection you already have.

There's much more to the set than I'm picturing here - a guard booth with a crossing gate, and a Nazi soldier on his own motorcycle. Since space is at a premium here at the house, I've given that stuff away and kept "the essentials." It's great that Lego included them, though, as you can make a nice movie scene with the set and embellish it with your own collection, too!

Lego and Lucasfilm also deserve big brownie points for making sets from all of the Indiana Jones movies right away, rather than starting with Crystal Skull sets and holding back on the other films until much later. It's interesting that there isn't at least one set for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but maybe it's been determined that there isn't enough demand for one. I'm sure that someone's working on their own Temple diorama even as we speak - maybe a set of mini-figs is all that's needed.

These sets are still quite easy to get - you can buy this set in the Amazon used and new section for $8.89 + shipping, or pick it up from Target (or a variety of online retail sites) for $9.99 + shipping.

Gentle Giant Unveils Ratatouille And WALL-E Maquettes At New York Comic-Con

Check out the pictures at actionfigs.com! I've been waiting for this for a long time. Gentle Giant is a terrific company for these licenses, and I know they'll do a wonderful job!

They look great - I can't wait to snag 'em when they get released this fall! I'm hoping that Skinner and Anton Ego maquettes are on the way, too! Keep your fingers crossed...

Good News, Bad News

The good news is that there's some nicely made Ralph Bakshi shirt designs available now from Supreme. The bad news? Well, look at them - I can't wear these in public!

C'mon, Ralph! Where's the Heavy Traffic love? Or Wizards, or American Pop? Throw me a bone, here!

Anyway, the brass-balled among you can get these at supremenewyork.com for $88 + shipping each.

Toy OTD: Hasbro Monsters, Inc. C.D.A. Agent Figure W/Sound

The original Monsters, Inc. figure line is pretty nice - the toys aren't necessarily loaded with features or meticulous detail; but they are streamlined, appealing versions of the movie's characters.

The C.D.A. agents weren't an obvious choice for toys, so it's cool that one was included in the line-up. There's not a lot of articulation here, but the sculpt and colors work well, and the figure's solidly balanced. There's an extra feature, too - at the press of a button, an antenna pops up (with a sound clip from the film) from the top of the backpack.

These toys have been sold out for seven years, but they're still easily found on eBay. You can get one right now for $8.09 + $8.25 shipping.

Toy OTD: View Askew/Graphitti Designs Dogma Inaction Figures: Bartleby And Loki

Kevin Smith shows that George Lucas also inspired his marketing, as the "inaction figure" line includes characters that were never on the animated Clerks show. As usual, they're great!

The sculpts are strong - I never pictured either actor caricatured this way, but the likenesses read, and are fun. Great poses with lots of contrast, personality and asymmetry. It's a nice touch to make the 'clipped wing' version of Loki, and push the designs as far part from each other as possible.

The bloodied armor could've looked awful, but the paintwork really pulls the effect off nicely.

There's balance issues, but nothing a little museum putty can't fix. It might have been cool, though, to look at the figure bases available on the market, and try to make the line work with them (I know the members of C.L.I.T. from Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back have their own bases - and they're awesome - but they don't work quite as well as you might hope).

You can still get both of these figures for $9.37 + shipping each at Jay And Silent Bob's Secret Stash web store, or all of the Dogma figures as a set for $44.99 + shipping (coming to $9.00 each).

There haven't been any new additions to the line in a while, so here's hoping we'll see new figures at San Diego Comic-Con '08!

Toy OTD: Medicom Vinyl Collectible Dolls: Alice (In Wonderland)

Another toy touchdown from Medicom! Alice isn't one of my favorite Disney films, but it's hard to resist another wonderful sculpt. The pose is a bit symmetrical, but I love how simply the shapes are executed. They also do a great job of combining different colors of vinyl rather than painting, which looks really awesome (it inspired me when I was designing my toy).

Even though there's not much paint on this figure, the factory really did a nice job. Check out that face! Granted, the expression's a little cold, but it's very tight paint work.

It's not pictured here, but the figure does come with its own display stand. Big points (as usual) for that!

This figure's been out for a while, so it'll be a little tougher to get. You can buy one right now from eBay for $29.80 + $27.80 shipping. Usually, these toys cost around $20-$40, so that's not a lot of markup. Happy shopping!

Taters Of The Lost Ark

You knew this was coming. Sadly, I'll probably buy it. I couldn't find the Luke, Han or Boba Fett Potato Heads during my recent visit to Florida, but I've spotted them online, so I'm pondering them as well. I'm not a healthy person. Who would've thought a few well-executed genre pastiches could provoke such insanity over twenty-five years later? Not me!

Toy OTD: Electric Tiki World Of Harvey Jackie Jokers (Teeny Weeny) Mini-Maquette

Now, I know what you're thinking - Who in the hell is Jackie Jokers?

Every Harvey Comics character was more or less divvied up into two camps - crossovers notwithstanding, you were either Richie Rich's friend, or Casper's. In the early '70s, Harvey introduced a new character into its kiddie pantheon - Jackie Jokers, stand-up comedian, movie actor & television personality. Jackie, ill-suited for enchanted forests, was firmly in the Richie-verse. It never occurred to me before, but Jackie does resemble a young Johnny Carson in Dick Cavett's clothing.

Remember that post where I mentioned liking toys of really, really obscure characters? I wasn't kidding.

Anyway, this is a terrific maquette! The sculpt is awesome, the pose is strong, and it's bang on-model. The paint work is nice, and its base is built-in, so there's no balance issues. The box design is cool, too, evoking the cover designs of old JJ comics.

Originally, I think these sold for thirty dollars, but you can get one now at collectorsgateway.com for 19.99 + shipping.