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: Character Options Ltd. Doctor Who 12" Action Figure: Cyber Leader (2007)

Since I've been writing on Facebook about my long-delayed introduction to Doctor Who (some of the older episodes and some of the new ones), I thought I'd write here about one of the toys I bought two years ago, long before I'd ever seen a single episode! Of course I bought one of the robot characters, since I don't need to know anything about one to like it.

The Cybermen have been part of Doctor Who for quite a while, so it makes sense that they'd be revived when the show returned to the airwaves. It follows too that, if there were going to be any Who toys, that the Cybermen would be naturals for new merchandise. So they're here, and boy, do they look spiffy!

I haven't seen the re-design on the actual program yet, but I'm still impressed with the new look - updated with a richer sense of detail without losing the overall feel of the original. There's an odd taper in the leg pieces that lend a knock-kneed look, but otherwise it looks cool! The plastic pieces are well-sculpted/cast, and the manufacturers went the extra mile for quality.

Rather than simply sculpting the limbs as pieces that mimic the body shapes, the 'metal body' parts are made to be hollow and 'worn' on an inner figure like a costume. This also allows for articulation that's better concealed than a solid action figure, and for more posability than it would have if it were a hollow vinyl one. There's even a fabric leotard to boost the costume feel!

The 'metallic' finish on the outer shell looks nice, and there's some light airbrushing to add a bit more texture. Other than that, there's very few paint apps on the toy. The chest plate opens up to reveal some inner workings, and it also comes with a small hand device of some sort. I'm assuming both of these are accurate and relevant to the show, since most of the figure seems fairly meticulous in execution - the casting in particular is tight and clean.

Balance is a minor issue - the toy stands well on its own, and you can always buy a doll stand to increase stability. I'd love for the figure to be packaged with one, but at least it's not as critical here.

The packaging has most of the pluses and minuses of a typical toy box - there's plenty of viewing space to check for paint glitches or casting problems, but the design itself is somewhat cluttered and not all that compelling. At least the inner clamshell is sturdy enough to protect the figure from damage.

There's also a standard Cyberman figure, too - there's not a lot of difference between them, aside from the lack of a removable chestplate and black helmet accents. For whatever reason, they're almost ten dollars cheaper than the "Cyber Leader" version.

Since this isn't a particularly old toy, finding one for sale isn't hard at all. There's multiple eBay auctions for this figure right now, with a price range of $30-$40.00. Toywiz.com also has one for sale that'll set you back $31.99 + shipping. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Michael Lau x Fingercroxx Xlarge Figure: Fxbuster (2007)

I love Michael Lau's toy work, but since his figures are getting increasingly expensive, I try to prioritize and get the designs that really stand out to me. Some of his crazychildren characters tend to blur together for me a little bit, so happily I'm not driven to get every last one! The Xlarge figures, though, had some great toys that I couldn't ignore!

This one (both from its look and its name) seems to be inspired by Ghostbuster's Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man, which starts pushing nostalgia buttons in addition to the toy and design buttons. It has touches that definitely evoke the character without turning it into a parody or a rip-off. If I remember properly, there were more than a couple color variants - different cap colors and body colors, too!

The sculpt is really strong - the shapes are crisp and intriguing enough to work without much color. There's almost no paint passes at all, but what is there is nicely done - the eye work and logo are sharp and clean. I think the cap color is dyed vinyl (as opposed to more paint), but regardless it looks great!

The packaging may not have been the greenest thing around, but it certainly is sharp looking. It's an opaque plastic blister molded in the shape of the XLARGE logo. I seem to remember mine being black, so maybe even the packages had color variants! Aside from being as hard to get into as those sealed blister packs that hold electric razors from Wal-Mart, the toy is well protected. You get a little blind-box action concerning which variant you'll get - which is pretty common for Lau figures.

This line isn't completely sold out, but if you have a specific variant that you want, it'll be tough. It looks like you can still buy this orange-circus-peanut-colored version for £45 at dpmhi.com. That variant's also for sale here at 24-kts.net for 65.00 €. I can't find anything else online right now, so you'll have to bust out an eBay Favorite Search if you want one of the other colorways. Good luck!

As is common with art toys, there's only about six points of articulation - and that's counting the hat separation. There's almost no posability at all - I think the 'joints' are more a result of manufacturing than any real desire to give the figure play value. Since the character's seated, there's no balance concerns - it's about as stable as a figure gets!

Toy OTD: Upper Deck All Star Vinyl Figure: Brett Favre

I thought it might be interesting to post the only sports figure that I own as a Toy OTD! Generally, I find sports figures to be pretty dull - either they're poorly made, or technically impressive but not very imaginative. Fortunately, Upper Deck took notice of the designer toy movement and decided to incorporate that look into a line of sports vinyl! Sean Galloway is the artist behind the NFL toys.

His design work is certainly a breath of fresh air in the rather conservative world of sports toys - I'd say it's sort of a cross between Bruce Timm and Jack Davis. There's some nice stylization and exaggeration going on here, so it definitely made me want to support the brand!

Compared to current designer toys, this is still a pretty conservative approach, but it's a huge step in a new direction for the genre. The color work, stylization and posing are somewhat restrained, but the forms are getting sleeker and more dynamic. At eleven inches tall, the figure will definitely have a presence on your shelf, too!

The technical side is quite nice - the paint work is tight with some good subltety to set off the larger expanses. The 'grass stains' are a little half-hearted, but in general the color and paint apps are confidently executed.
The hand plants seem a bit awkward, but the construction overall is solid and clean, befitting the design. While a figure base would've been a nice bonus (green plastic with an astroturf texture?), the balance of the toy is good and makes this less of an issue than it might've been.

The packaging is slick and sturdy, though not particularly eye-catching. While it's great that the box design prominently features the original design turnaround and opens to reveal the actual figure, it still comes across as more cluttered than punchy.

This was one of the early figures released in this line (a limited edition of 1000), and now there's more variants available - there's a white jersey version limited to 1500 pieces (with a helmet), a black and gold edition of 250 pieces, and a retro uniform edition of 500. I think I originally paid sixty dollars for mine, which I think was pretty close to retail. It's long sold out from Upper Deck, unfortunately, but you can get this version on sale at imaginegate.com for $29.99 + shipping! The white jersey version goes for $29.39 at underbid.com, the retro variant sells for $74.95 at bigboyztoyz.com, and the black and gold colorway is on eBay right now for $90 + shipping. Bargain hunters can get the white and retro versions loose on eBay right now for $21.99 + $13.45 shipping. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Mindstyle, Cameron Tiede 13 Tomadachi Figures: Edgar, Oswald, Agatha

It's so great to see a new design aesthetic emerge in the world of art toys - granted, these figures debuted two years ago, but Cameron Tiede's style still feels fresh and new! He had the good sense to team up with Mindstyle, one of the best in the designer toy game. The results are really special!

The sculptor did a wonderful job of bringing Mr. Tiede's very flat graphics into three dimensions. The chunky shapes are drawn into bold relief, and emphasized still further with color - faux highlights and cast shadows both create more dimension, yet also call back to the 2-D feel of the source art. The colors are appealing and true to Mr. Tiede's palette. Parts are separated along color lines for easy assembly, and to make the overall figure even richer in dimension.

The paint work is a skillful blend of large paint areas, dyed vinyl and smaller apps, creating a striking effect. There's some bleed-over here and there, but nothing too significant.

The characters are good choices for vinyl figure work - all of them have sufficiently low centers of gravity to minimize balance problems (display bases really aren't needed here!). I do recall that at least one piece was broken off upon opening the box, but in general the toys ship well with minimal damage.

The packaging is sturdy and quite attractive - you'll be tempted to keep (or re-purpose) the brightly-decorated drums that protect each figure. If not, they're made of cardboard, so at least they recycle easily.

These toys had a pretty small run - only three hundred of each! It looks like you can still get them (including the dog Roofus, which I decided to pass on) here at artoyz.com for €39.90 each. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Yutaka (?) Robodatchi PVC Figure: Robo-Z (1996-8?)

This is another Kimono My House purchase that I (think I've) just identified. Like many of my Japanese toy purchases, the design caught my eye so I bought it without having any idea of what it was!

This figure is also based on a manga - this one's named Robodatchi, which (not surprisingly) features an extensive cast of robots... oh, and some humans, too! This little PVC appears to be a super-deformed (or SD) version of the Robo-Z character. Most of the Robodatchi websites I've found don't translate very well into English, so I still don't know very much about the manga (or Robo-Z). But like a lot of other manga, it has a ton of cool merchandising!

I dug around a bit and found some blister-packed, super deformed PVC figure sets that look an awful lot like the toy that I have. I'm thinking that li'l Robo-Z probably came from one of these sets - maybe it was opened up and they were all sold separately. Let me know if you run across another one of these sets that includes my character!

Anyway, there's not a lot to say about the piece itself - the design is cool, and the sculpt and paint work are decent. This isn't a high end toy or anything, so it's a good example of a figure in this quality/price range. I think I got it for about five dollars - a little higher than your average PVC toy would cost.

Needless to say, I haven't ever seen anything that looks exactly like my toy online. If you use Google, eBay or thefind.com, I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of stuff that's much better. Happy hunting!

Toy OTD: Billiken B19 Maboroshi Tantei (Phantom Detective) Vinyl Figure

Some time ago, Billiken released a retro-styled line of various manga characters, complete with old-school bags 'n' hang tags! I bought a few Astro Boy figures, and later on, this Maboroshi Tantei toy (aka Phantom Detective, or National Kid). 'He' looks to be the star of a late '50s/early '60s manga, as well as a live-action television series!

If you like this style of vinyl figure, it's a really sweet toy! The sculpt is very simple and streamlined, emphasizing the graphic qualities of the original manga art. The colors are great, too - a perfect match with the comic's palette. I think most of the toy is made from dyed vinyl, which really adds to the overall look!

The pose is asymmetrical, but not so pushed that it would cause stability problems. While a display stand is never completely unnecessary, it's not as critical here. If I remember correctly, the feet rotate at the ankles, which can be very useful to help adjust the figure and improve its balance.

Beyond the ankles, there's the usual amount of articulation for this type of toy - neck, wrists, shoulders, and waist. For the most part, though, none of these rotation points really improve on the original pose very much.

The bag-n-tag packaging is appropriate to the retro-toy concept, but aside from the nifty tag art, there's not much to it.

You can still get this figure online, although I think it's a little pricier these days. I think I paid about sixty dollars or so for it at Kimono My House, but it's selling on eBay right now for $112.99. A little more bargain hunting may be in order... good luck!

Toy OTD: Fewture Artstorm Hajime Ningen Gyatoruzu Vinyl Figures: Piko, The Hinemoguras

I was intrigued by these odd designs several years ago, and still haven't learned very much about the source manga (or anime), Gon the Stone Age Boy (aka はじめ人間　ゴン, Gyatoruzu, Giatrus The First Man or First Human Gon). The characters are very appealing - sort of a cross between The Simpsons and The Flintstones. At some point, I'd like to watch an episode or two, if there's any available with English subtitles!

Considering how stylized these drawings are, I think Fewture Artstorm did a fine job realizing them as toys. When I first bought the Hinemogura couple I assumed they were monkeys, but upon seeing the source drawings now, I'm not as sure. I'd like to see the sculpts get pushed even further, emphasizing the chubby limbs, wonky proportions and tilted feet. Still, they're good compromises, working well on their own!

There's only a few point of articulation (in fact the Hinemoguras have none at all), but the paint work is decent, and the colors are sharp-looking. The bright side of a more conservative sculpt is that there's fewer balance issues. Display stands are always a good idea, but they're hardly needed here.

It's been quite a while since I've seen the packaging for either of these figures. Here's a box for another toy in the line, and I seem to remember the box design being fairly similar. Nothing spectacular, but at least it's decorated with logos and drawings from the show!

I can't remember whether nor not these characters were packed together or not. Information about the manga/anime/merchandising (at least, info in English) is spotty and scattered all over the place. You may want to try searching here (at http://goods.ruten.com.tw/) periodically, as they do have a couple of other figures from this line for sale right now. I can't find much of anything else for sale online, so your best bets are an eBay favorite search, or a Japanese toy search service. I'd expect to pay at least $40-$60 for each toy. Good luck!

PS - If you'd like to watch a(n annoyingly dubbed) episode of the anime, click here, then click on the "screening" link.

Toy OTD: DC Direct Action Figure: Metamorpho (2003)

I wasn't a big fan of DC Direct's action figures at first. The sculpts weren't all that great, the paint apps were sketchy, and much of the line consisted of comic characters from the '90s that didn't push my "spend" button. The toys must have sold well, though, because the line gradually improved as time passed.

One of the first "This is getting interesting" moments that I've had with this series was the appearance of the Metamorpho figure. As I remember it (though my chronology might be utterly wrong), the Element Man wasn't in any comics at that point, nor had Bruce Timm re-introduced him to new audiences. I was blown away that anyone would remember this character, much less want a toy of him! I'd only read one issue of his title myself. After the toy's release, though, his stock in the DC universe seemed to grow by the day.

I'm still not wild about this scale of figure, but this is a nicely made toy! The sculpt is great, the color uses a lot of dyed plastic rather than paint, and the articulation allows for some posing without being too intrusive. The packaging is straight-up Silver Age, complete with the classic logo and '60s checkerboard cover banner. You even get a few extra appendages, in case you want to depict Rex in mid-transformation! Nice.

As usual, there's no display base, though using the water column accessory may help the toy to stand better than on its 'regular' legs. Still, a base would've been a good idea here.

This figure has been sold out for some time, but you can still buy one online. There's a loose toy on eBay with all the extra pieces going for $15.99 + $5.20 shipping. I thinks that's cheaper than it was originally... good luck!

Toy OTD: Musical Banana Splits Plush: Snorky

Here's yet another late '60s Hanna-Barbera show that I don't like all that much, but still feel compelled to collect the merchandise! What can I say? I like Iwao Takamoto's character designs, like many of the other H-B programs.

The show was essentially Laugh-In for kids. The Splits (animal musician costumes created by Sid & Marty Krofft) would 'perform' songs, which were broken up with animated segments (The Three Musketeers), live-action serials (Danger Island) and various non sequitur comedy bits.

There was a fair amount of toys spun off from the series, but Splits figures haven't been made all that often. So when a set of eight-inch 'beanie' plushes surfaced in the UK, I snapped up the best-looking one: the drummer, Snorky!

As you can see, my love for these characters transcends my finicky nature - it's not very accurate to the later Snorky, much less the early version of the design. The trunk, hands and feet are inexplicably dark, and the eyes seem small and poorly mounted. Simply changing the eyes' pupils, lowering their position on the head, or maintaining better alignment would boost this toy's appeal in a big way! The polka dots on the ears seem too large and too close together, and the fur seems to be a bit too dark. The proportions are fine otherwise, and the plastic hat is a great touch.

Ideally, it'd be wonderful if this toy could stand or sit on its own - my biggest issue with plushes is that the majority of them can't - but that doesn't detract from things all that much.

There's also a musical feature - squeeze Snorky's tummy, and he (she?) plays the Banana Splits theme song. Kids will probably enjoy it, but the novelty wears off quickly. It's a nice detail, but personally I'd rather that the effort had gone into the plush itself.

I still can't find these for sale in the U.S, but you can get Snorky right now (not to mention the other band members) on eBay.uk starting at £2.99 + £2.00 shipping. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Sony Creative Time Capsule Figures - Charles Burns Monster Teens: Cob & Rae-Rae (2002)

This is one of the best capsule toy lines I've run across! Not only are the character designs awesome, but the capsules aren't fully opaque, so you can see which monster you're buying! Sweet.

Sony enlisted several incredible talents to showcase in this series, Mr. Burns being just one of them. Aside from his inimitable lighting, the figures are quite faithful to the original drawings.

The sculpts are strong for the scale, and reflect his design sense quite well. The paint apps support the look nicely, especially in the face. At first, the colors may seem a little cheery for Burns, but I think that's mainly due to the lack of brushwork and his often-used, pitch-black backgrounds. Regardless, the color choices are really cool!

These figures do come partially assembled, but they're easy to build. There may have been an occasional piece fitting problem, but overall that's not the issue it could have been.

One of the biggest minuses is the type of paint. The matte finish (while adding a graphic quality) attracts rub marks like nothing else. It's tricky to keep then clean, even (if I remember correctly) within their storage eggs. Also (as you might expect with Mr. Burns' oddly-proportioned characters), balance is frequently an issue, too. Some tiny pegged bases would've been a big help here.

The packaging is clever in concept (mimicking the capsule toys that have been around for at least thirty years), but in order to be true to their humble origins, the storage eggs are pretty bland looking. Only hard-core collectors will probably be tempted to hang onto them. On the bright side, the figures also come with tiny comic strips from Mr. Burns. Very nice, and a great way to perpetuate that "Bazooka Joe comic" feeling!

I'm not sure how much these figures originally cost - I think it was between eight and ten dollars each. I can't find them for sale anywhere online right now, so it's time for you to start 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: Monsters On Ice Toys: Smitty & Needleman Plushes

These plushes are some the rarest Monsters, Inc. toys that I have - I think they were only sold at the Monsters On Ice show that toured a while back, and I've never seen them again. Not at the theme parks, not on eBay... they just disappeared!

I really love Smitty and Needleman, so I bought these toys in spite of the fact that they're just okay, quality-wise. In a way, though, they feel a little like hand-crafted toys - they've got a naive charm to them!

The basic shapes and colors are there, and most of the simplified features look fine. The fabric 'hardhats' and Needleman's pinched upper lip are the most awkward details. I'm not sure Needleman really needed his chin hair, but it's an interesting touch. To their credit, the designers and manufacturers didn't add anything to the characters, either - at least they're not dressed with/holding extraneous clothing or props that the characters didn't own or wear in the film.

Neither of them stand up very well, there's no wire armature inside to make them posable, and there's no accessories (not that I really need any). Some plushes manage to balance on feet loaded with heavier plastic 'beans', but no such luck here.

I have no idea who manufactured these - the tag only has licensing information on it. These were sold loose at a handcart (or maybe a kiosk) outside of the show, and I think they were both less than ten dollars each.

I still can't find these toys for sale online anywhere - all I can say is keep that eBay favorite search running... 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: Gama-Go Tigerlily Vinyl Figure (2006)

I think this toy may have been Gama-Go's first foray into vinyl figures, but I'm not sure. Tigerlily is an early Tin Biskup design, named after (and I'm assuming inspired by) his then-tiny daughter. She's decorated many Gama-Go items, so it makes perfect sense that she'd be the first toy.

It's a really great figure! The 'costume' is flocked in order to distinguish it from the vinyl 'skin'. Interestingly, the proportions are more extreme than the original design, which is incredibly rare. I think it was a good call, as it makes her look more childlike.

The color work is very nice, but overall the toy is much yellower than the 2-D version. It looks fine, but I'm not sure why that change happened. Could it be they couldn't get the skin tone that they wanted? Unlikely, but possible. Otherwise, the paint and flocking apps are excellent!

The articulation is what you would expect from the source art: neck, shoulders, hips and tail. It's another display/design piece, so that's a reasonable number of joints if you take that into account. Tigerlily does come with her pistol as an accessory, so the weird cute/violent contrast isn't lost.

Even taking the tail into account, the toy does have balance issues. Perhaps with a bit of tweaking to the hip joints, she'll stay upright, but a pegged display base might have been a good idea here.

It's been a while since I purchased this figure, so I don't remember the package design all that well - I think it was a box with a cellophane window. Naturally, Gama-Go produces terrific graphics, so it was good-looking! I simply can't keep all the boxes and the toys too, so I recycle almost all of the packaging.

Unfortunately, this toy has been sold out for quite some time, and I can't find one for sale anywhere. You'll need to set up a favorite search on eBay to find it. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Kitchen Sink Press, Bowen Designs "The Girls Of R. Crumb Statue": Catholic Girl (2001)

I think this was a great idea - a series of limited-edition maquettes featuring some of Robert Crumb's fantasy women - but apparently it collapsed along with Kitchen Sink. Did poor sales scuttled future releases? I think this originally cost about $125, which is less than many of the current Bowen pieces, but maybe the higher-end statue market hadn't sufficiently emerged yet. Whatever the reason, Bowen never made another Crumb girl statue in this 11" scale.

It's a shame, because this is a real beauty! Kent Melton does his usual fantastic job, capturing Crumb's style perfectly. It's a simple pose, but Mr. Melton preserves the subtle attitudes and weight distribution from the source art.

The paint work is also well executed, especially the color choices. There's a nice retro feel to the whole piece, due to the muted palette - accurate to the original comics, yet not as bright. Of course, the face needs special care, and the work here supports the sculpt extremely well.

I do think the base could've been simpler, but Bowen/Melton get extra credit for designing the branding plaque in Crumb's handwriting. It performs the prerequisite labeling function, but supports the style of the statue very well!

Since this piece has been sold out for eight years, be prepared to shell out the big bucks! There's the unsigned version in an edition of 3,000, and a signed version in a much more limited edition of 100. The signed version is for sale on eBay right now for $515.00, and it looks like there might be an unsigned one for auction here. Otherwise, save your money and cast out those eBay search nets... good luck!

Toy OTD: Jada Toys Chub City Figures: Chub C. & Al

Here's another nice example of the designer toy aesthetic influencing the mainstream. This line of figures and vehicles began in 2005, when the art toy movement was already well underway. I suppose it's possible that the concept had been in the works for years, potentially predating urban vinyl, or that both were independently inspired by graffiti art and hip-hop culture. Regardless, it's an appealing solution, if you're okay with that culture being commodified at Wal-Mart.

Dub City focuses exclusively on customized vehicles, so I'm not sure why Chub City - which is targeted at a younger audience - added character figures into the mix. I'm assuming it's the Galactic Heroes or Super Hero Squad demographic, since they have a similar super-deformed design. I don't know if the character designer has roots in comics, graffiti art, or both, but I think these mini-figures are an improvement over their Hasbro counterparts!

These characters have nice source designs, and have been adapted into 3-D really well. Their sculpts have some good graphic forms, and occasionally a figure is put into a fun, lively pose. The paint apps are tight for the scale (particularly the clothing graphics) and the color choices are striking, adding another level of complexity to the line.

Since they're so flat-footed, balance isn't a problem, and there's rarely an accessory, apart from the odd microphone or boom box. Packaging consists of the usual hanging back card/blister pack - the graphics are okay, and there's some decent relief molding of the logo, but it's nothing unusual. The figures are packed by themselves, and can also be found packed with a small diecast vehicle. They aren't always to scale with each other, which is good for the price point but kind of a drag as far as play value goes.

I'm not sure that the Chub C. and Al figure/vehicle two-packs are still for sale in stores, but you can get Al and his Scion on eBay for $9.00 + $6.95 shipping, and Chub C. with his Chrysler 300C are starting at $0.99 + $7.00 shipping. Go for it!

Toy OTD: Quaker Cereal Mail-Order Premium: Cap'n Crunch Bank

Cap'n Crunch was the source of many cool ads, in-box prizes and mail-order premiums. This bank is one of my favorites!

I think this offer was from the late sixties or early seventies - for money and box tops, you could get either a bank in the shape of the Cap'n or his main nemesis, Jean La Foote. It's a simply made item, but it's fun and appealing.

The colors are accurate when you compare it to the cartoon character. Granted, the proportions are extremely tweaked in order to make the character work as a bank. There's not much of a pose here, either, but I think the original design still comes through and rescues the execution. The paint work is rather sketchy too, and to some degree the bank looks like an unauthorized bootleg. It really depends on how appealing you find early manufacturing and design - you either buy into its primitive vibe, or you don't.

These bank aren't terribly rare, so finding one shouldn't be all that difficult. In fact, there's a really nice-looking one up for auction on eBay starting at $24.99 + shipping. Enjoy!

Toy OTD: Tyco Talking Looney Tunes Figure: Marvin The Martian (1993)

There's some minor curse hanging over Warner Brothers cartoon merchandise. Most of it (including the vintage stuff) just isn't all that great - not even in that wonky, Hanna-Barbera-toy way. So it's always nice to find a good specimen!

I'm not sure what motivated this toy line, since Space Jam was three years away. There were just three characters made in this format: Bugs Bunny, The Tazmanian Devil, and Marvin (above). I must not have like the other two figures very much at all, since they were released when I was much more of a completist than I am now!

This version of Marvin isn't perfect - his head's rather small when you compare it to the original design, and his body is heftier - but it's a good compromise with balance and safety issues. The early Marvin (left) has a radically different color scheme, but the toy is on-model with the current colors.

There isn't a lot of articulation - neck, shoulders and hips. Still, it's reasonably posable when you consider how few joints it has. the helmet's visor (of all things) is movable, so you can mimic how it drops down when Marvin gets "very angry indeed"!

The talking feature is good, with reasonable volume and clarity. I don't remember the voice all that well, but since there was no sound effects or music mixed in with the sound bites, I have to assume they were re-performed (and fairly well) by a sound-alike. Marvin says, "Ooh, that makes me so angry", "Prepare to be vaporized", and "Where's my space modulator?" There's also a disintegration pistol included as an accessory - it's very appropriate for the character, big enough that it won't get lost easily, and fits well in Marvin's hand.

The sculpt is nice and simple, and the figure is built with just a few colors of plastic. That keeps the paint to a minimum (only two or three colors), which is especially good in this case - the paint work is kind of shaky. Overall, though, it doesn't really detract too much.

The packaging consisted of a basic cardboard box with a cellophane window, decorated with the most perfunctory of style guide art. The box gets a small bonus for including a "try me" window in the back (so you can make sure the toy works before purchasing it), but other than that, it's pretty lackluster. At least you won't have much guilt over ripping it open and tossing it in the trash!

I don't see this figure for sale all that often, but you can bid on one right now through eBay. It's only up to $6.00 + shipping so far, with three days left to go. Get to it!

Toy OTD: Young Epoch Ltd. Disney Wind-Up Toy: Minnie Mouse

There's a lot of retro Disney toys coming out of Japan, and this plastic wind-up is another great example! This piece take the 20's stylization even further, removing flowers, bloomer frills, even fingers, yet it still retains the original's charm.

It's impressive how someone can make a simple wind-up toy look so good! Most of the black paint has a matte finish for that extra-classy touch, and there's an awesome mix of paint and dyed plastic to support it. The color palette is limited, and cheery but not too bright. There's the rare glitch, but in general the paint apps are excellent.

The sculpt is incredibly tight, especially considering how graphic the design is. It's tempting to believe that it was modeled on a computer, but I think a good sculptor could do it. The proportions have strayed from the cartoon, but it still looks nice.

The winding mechanics work great, and there's no real balance issues, since it's a walking toy.

It's been quite a while since I've seen the packaging, but I remember it being tasteful and suitably retro - a white and sepia design, like old-fashioned wallpaper. I think there was a clamshell interior, with a plastic window on one of the sides. Nice, but nothing you'd be tempted to keep.

I can't find one of these for sale online anywhere, so you'll have to set up an eBay favorite search, or contact your trusty toy hunting service. Good luck!

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: Jello Mail-Order Premium: Mr. Wiggle Puppet (1966)

I didn't actually see Mr. Wiggle ads when I was a kid (I was a year old when this promotion took place), but I love the design work! The graphics are nice and simple, and as a result the animation is quite good.

Mr. Wiggle was a spin-off brand of Jell-O - apparently it had no sugar, so the ads reminded kids that they could eat all they liked! Mr. Wiggle fed the cathode urchins plenty of gelatin while Sweet-Tooth Sam (Wiggle's Snidely-Whiplash-style arch-nemesis) would try to get some for himself.

General Foods had a mail-away premium offer - for fifty cents and two box tops, you could order a vinyl Mr. Wiggle puppet, a Sweet-Tooth Sam puppet (a vinyl head with the more traditional cloth body), or both!

This is a very cute toy - the proportions of the sculpt are squatter than the animated character, but I'm sure part of this is to create a better fit for a child's hand (plus, he changes shape constantly anyway). The paint work is nice and simple, just like the character's three-color design. It's made out of a good vinyl too, as they've held up really well over forty-three years!

I don't know if this toy ever had any packaging beyond a cardboard shipping box, so I can't really talk about that.

I'm assuming a lot of these puppets were made, because they aren't difficult to find at all - some puppets have warped, but it's still not too hard to get one that's in good shape. There's one for sale right now on eBay for about $60 + shipping, but the auction will have ended by the time you read this. There's also a Sweet Tooth Sam puppet (that I'm considering) on eBay as well for $80 + shipping (I'm assuming he's a little rarer). Good luck!

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: Robert Harrop's Roald Dahl Collection Figurine: Willy Wonka

I'm sure every toy fan has a favorite artist that they would love to see in toy form, but believe that the artist's drawing style is impossible to sculpt. That's how I felt about Quentin Blake. I love his drawings, but I didn't think you could really sculpt well from them. Case in point: here's Mr. Blake's version of Willy Wonka (left). There's not a lot of form there, right? Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome drawing, but at best there'd have to be a lot of interpretation by the sculptor in order to make it work:

It's always great to be proven wrong with a nice-looking statuette! Robert Harrop Designs, Ltd. is a large figurine concern in the UK, and their products run the gamut from tacky to wonderful. Some time ago, RHD produced a line of figurines based Mr. Blake's illustations from some of the Roald Dahl books. Check out what one of their sculptors has done with the Wonka drawings...

Great, huh? Granted, the hair is a little less bristly, and the colors are darker, but overall it really captures the flavor of the original artwork. The posing is lively, the paint work is quite tight for a ceramic piece, and the base is cleverly incorporated into the overall concept. No logos or branding, either!

It's been a while since I bought this figure, so I don't remember the packaging very well - I think it was a similar style to the Walt Disney Classics Collection boxes - good, but not much in the way of theming.

You can still buy this figurine at the the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Center's online store for £24.50 + shipping (about $36.35 + shipping USD). Happy shopping!

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: Tomy Sergeant Murphy Friction Toy (1995)

There was a period in the nineties when Tomy manufactured toys based on Richard Scarry's Busytown characters. It's not the only time that Scarry's animals have been merchandised, but it's one of the best! Sadly, the toy line wasn't all that big, but at least it happened. Highlights included friction vehicles - I seem to remember toys of Lowly Worm's apple car, Bananas Gorilla's Bananamobile, and of course, Officer Murphy and his motorcycle.

Toys like this one are so nice to see - the figure and motorcycle have been tweaked a little to meet safety standards and facilitate production, but both still evoke the warmth of the original drawings. Even though Scarry's machinery and uniforms were fairly detailed, the designer chose to simplify the entire toy significantly. Preserving the simple color scheme also keeps the charm level high!

There's not a lot of articulation, but it's about the maximum that you'd want for a children's toy - neck, shoulders and hips. Murphy is removable from the bike, which allows for even more play. I've never really rolled it about that much, so I can't tell you how good the motor is - only that the motor incorporates 'training wheels' so it can balance easily.

The biggest minus is that the friction motor isn't hidden all that well. It's very easy to see where it was added onto the original design - but at least color is used to make it less obvious. Generally, it doesn't disrupt the overall cheerful look of the toy.

There isn't a complete set available right now, but you can get a Sergeant Murphy figure by itself through eBay for $9.95 + $2.60 shipping. Keep looking with an eBay saved Favorite Search!

Toy OTD: Mattel DJ Rockin' Ride (2008)

There's another great line of Cars toys to collect, though I don't think many people do. I understand swearing off from them - these large, talking versions are real space gobblers and much more expensive than the standard diecasts. Plus, well, they're not diecast, which I'm sure is a deal-breaker for the majority of Cars collectors. Still, these are super-cool toys, especially when you get into the secondary characters!

DJ is a particularly good character for this format. He's a smaller vehicle, so he scales up well without becoming unmanageable. The big line's also good for tucking in plenty of nifty features!

Since DJ is a musical character in Cars, Mattel made the toy musical, too. As with all of the Mattel items, DJ is spot-on model - but they've integrated his play functions very nicely as well! You can choose between a variety of short beat-box loops that are triggered when you roll him across the floor. The beat selector is right were it should be - the huge knob in the middle of DJ's sound system. Nice!

There's some great lighting effects, too - undercarriage 'neon' and a glowing rear spoiler. The designers built part of the foil out of translucent plastic to make it look even cooler. The eyes move back and forth (I can't remember if the eyelids do) as DJ is pushed along. It's really neat in low light!

There's some speech clips as well, but I think it's just a couple of phrases. I don't think they're film-specific, but it's not a big minus for me.

The packaging is the half-box style that's currently common with these larger toys. Big points, though, go to Mattel for designing a special key-type pair of mounts to hold the toy in place. Rather than struggle with dozens of tough-to-cut, spun-a-million-times wire twist-ties, the key-mounts simply turn and unlock. Very cool!

This hasn't been out for all that long, and in general the larger toys are much easier to find than their diecast counterparts. You can get one for $14.99 + shipping at shop.com. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Horikawa Rotate-O-Matic Tin Robot (Mid-To-Late '60s)

This is another childhood toy - its back story isn't as involved as the one for my Snoopy music box, but it still sounds a little like something out of The Velveteen Rabbit. Well, if The Velveteen Rabbit were sealed in a tin space suit with machine guns on his chest, anyway.

One of my father's co-workers had a son of his own, and that little boy was this toy's original owner. It seems that the robot had stopped working at some point, but by the time that my dad's friend had repaired it, his son had outgrown the toy. So my dad's friend gave it to my dad, and my dad gave it to me. It's a little sad, thinking about this toy just sitting around waiting to be played with again. Still, it got a new owner, and I can only anthropomorphize toys so much before I start to realize that I have one the biggest toy jails in the country...

Regardless, this is a beautiful toy! There's a lot of bright, colorful detail in the lithos, and the bulk of the robot is solidly constructed. I like the nifty 'astronaut' illustration in the head, and the plastic visor really makes it feel like a helmet. The sunken 'gauges' along the beltline are also awesome-looking. The main body shapes are suitably blocky and mechanical - in fact, they were re-used on several other models!

The walking movement looks great, with the extra bonus of a periodic pause, the chest doors popping open (moving the inner weapons forward), and a body spin as the machine guns noisily open fire, blinking red all the while! Clearly not a great toy for cat owners.

It's not a particularly rare item, but it's old enough and popular enough that it won't be cheap to buy. Here's one for sale on eBay for $165.00 + $11.62 shipping. Enjoy!

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: Huckleberry Toys 1971 Grimace Figure (2007)

Anyone who grew up in the seventies can probably remember when the McDonaldland characters got severely cute-ified in the eighties. Some of the cast vanished altogether, while some were radically altered (the Hamburglar comes to mind). I'm assuming that it was due to a combination of the Sid & Marty Krofft lawsuit, and the rising influence of customer surveys and focus groups.

Before all of that, though, Grimace underwent some serious tweaks in the early stages of the ad campaign. Originally, he was a greedy, food-stealing villain like Hamburglar. I guess the character designer wanted to emphasize how gluttonous he was, so they gave Grimace four hands. Once he became a comic buddy for Ronald, though, Grimace got a little smarter, a lot nicer, and two of his hands abruptly disappeared.

Since this happened when I was six or seven years old, and because the ads didn't call any attention to the change, I was left with this odd feeling that something was different with Grimace somehow. Since there wasn't any way to record television commercials at that point, and because fast-food merchandise probably lasted as long in the toy box as it does now, there really wasn't much proof that the change had happened at all.

Until YouTube, anyhow, and until Huckleberry Toys decided to resurrect Remco's Mego-esque McDonaldland action figure line. Not only did Huckleberry revive the line, they also made several variants to needle completists! Most involved minor changes in costuming, but I think the best was clearly the four-handed "1971 Grimace" made as an exclusive for the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con. Lots of Baby Busters (or early Gen-Xers, take your pick) finally had proof that they weren't crazy - at least, not about Grimace!

If you compare the new toy to Remco's version, I think Huckleberry's is a lot better - the materials seem more to scale, and it feels like a character, rather than a figure wearing a poorly-made costume. The embroidered face on the modern toy is a little cold, and I don't know if there's any articulation at all, but in general this doll is a big improvement!

If you want a toy that's closer to the 1976 version, a two-handed variant was made as well - it's a great compromise between the look of the older doll, and the nicer materials available today.

The packaging of Huckleberry's figure is all derived straight from Remco's backcard artwork, so it's really nice. It gives the collector a sense that they're buying a well-made replica, rather than a cheap knock-off that's cashing in on nostalgia.

Even though this toy was a convention exclusive, it's still not too hard to get. Megostore.com has one for $24.95 + shipping. You can buy the two-handed version there as well for $14.95. If you're a super-purist, you can get an in-blister Remco Grimace at tias.com for $38.00 + shipping. So many choices!

Toy OTD: Schylling Rover The Space Dog Wind-Up (Reproduction)

I love the original 50s Japanese tin toy, so it's great that Schylling released such a nice replica of it. If you're expecting an exact replica, though, be warned - there's a lot of differences in this design from the first version.

The replica has an antenna - it looks great, but the Yoshia toy doesn't have one. A lot of the new litho details seem bolder and simplified as well. Some vents on the Yoshia version seem to be die-cut, while the new dog's are replaced with lithos. The tail has been altered from a metal rod to a more flexible spring, and the chest now sports a "Rover" nameplate. I'm assuming that these tweaks are to help protect collectors from potential fraud - I suppose I'd be more of a purist if I'd grown up with Rover but, I think Schylling improved on the original!

The modern Rover comes in two colorways - red and silver. The new litho quality seems a little bit glitchy, and the flint element doesn't spark all that much when it's operating. Otherwise, it's a great toy!

The packaging is appropriately retro, with period box art and no cellophane window. Since it's a limited edition, it also comes with a certificate of authenticity.

I can't find the fifties version for sale, but the Schylling Rover is easy to get at a very reasonable price. Bonanzle.com sells it for $12.50 + 8.00 shipping. Snap it up!

Toy OTD: Fisher-Price Merry Mousewife #662 (1965)

I love old Fisher-Price toys, especially from the days when they were made out of wood. The illustrated paper labels used to decorate them have the charm of children's books, and the movements are always clever and fun!

It's an odd experience to see a toy of a non-licensed character today - while there were plenty of things spun off from Disney, Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbera and Walter Lantz characters in the sixties, there was also a sizable category of toys that were (among other things) simply animals, circus performers, or storybook characters.

This is a transition toy for Fisher-Price. The use of plastic has begun, but it's still quite limited and tasteful - the parts are only those with complex or delicate shapes. There's no paint on them, and they're all the same color, but the simplicity of the wheels (notice that they're still wooden) helps to pull everything together.

The paper decorations are nicely integrated into the simple wooden form, and there's a great solution to the choice of movement. The wheels' motion has been transformed into the sweeping function, and it's naturally accompanied by an appealing pre-chip noisemaker.

The packaging isn't complicated - most Fisher-Price toys simply came in mid-weight, decorated cardboard boxes - but the graphics on them are nicely done.

This isn't a terribly rare piece, so your main challenge will be finding one in the condition that will be satisfactory to you. The closer to mint (or perfect condition) that you want it to be, the harder it'll be to find, and the more it'll cost. Getting the toy in its original package compounds the value (and price) still further. There's a couple of auctions on eBay right now, including a nice-looking one for $55.00 + 9.70 shipping. Good luck!

PS - Remember, eBay sellers don't have to tell you everything if they don't want to. Try to find pictures of the complete toy before browsing, so you can make sure nothing's missing or snapped off. Make sure to ask if the movement and noisemaker work before bidding. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Bathing Ape Vinyl Figure: Baby Milo

This is an early find, back from when I first started collecting designer toys. I began by buying Michael Lau, Eric So, and Bathing Ape figures. I always liked Baby Milo, but I missed out on his initial release, and had to look around for a while. Eventually, I found him at Toy Tokyo (a great toy store and online shopping site) and picked him up there. I think he cost about eighty dollars at that point.

This is a really nice design - simple, streamlined shapes. Since that can be a real challenge to sculpt, it's executed in three dimensions very well. The color palette is also appealing and tasteful - the manufacturer used a combination of dyed vinyl and paint to achieve it. There isn't an excessive amount of paint here, which is always nice.

Since the figure is top-heavy, balance is a bit of an issue, but the sculpt is solid enough to minimize problems. Also helpful is the relative lack of articulation - the neck, shoulders, and possibly the waist, but there's no awkward hip or ankle joints to throw off the toy's center of gravity.

Packaging consisted of a sealed plastic bag decorated with text, and a looped cap on top for hanging. The bag graphics were nice, but otherwise things were pretty minimal in that department.

This toy has been out of print for quite a while, so I doubt you'll find one for sale easily or cheaply. I can't find one online at all, so brace yourself for a lengthy, pricey search if it's a must-have (expect to pay around $120 if you find one). Good luck!

Toy OTD: Dark Horse Deluxe, Disney's Gremlins Vinyl Figure: Fafinella (2006)

Toy licensing has exploded to such a degree in recent years, not only are companies reaching into increasingly distant corners of pop culture for inspiration, now they're merchandising properties that never reached the finish line!

Roald Dahl wrote and published a children's book called Gremlins (unrelated to Joe Dante's 1984 movie) in 1943. The rights were optioned by the Disney studio in the hopes of developing the story into a film, but for various reasons the project never went beyond the early stages. The book remained popular with Disney and Dahl fans, but was not reprinted again until two years ago.

Since the book features brightly colored fantasy characters, Dark Horse wisely got permission to make merchandise based on the story! Some of the best of these new spin-offs included a line of resin statues, pvc mini-figures and larger vinyl toys.

This is one of two of the large vinyls - Fafinella, or a female gremlin. It's really a wonderful figure - the sculpt has some nice touches to it that throw the symmetry off without making it difficult to cast. I really like how the extemely stylized helmet (especially the visor) is faithfully duplicated from the original artwork.

The paint work is a little loose, but the apps are tight enough to keep crisp borders between the punchy colors. The 'lipstick' and 'eye shadow/lashes' are nicely done, preserving the appeal of the design. The paint/vinyl colors are also faithful to the book.

There's no articulation at all - it's basically a vinyl statue made from a bunch of separately molded parts. There's some balance issues due to the top-heaviness of the character, but the casting is very well done, so it's not as precarious as it could be.

The packaging is simple, but reflects the source book exceptionally well - the cover colors are treated like a branding palette, so the box is decorated to look just like the reprinted edition! A wide plastic window lets you look the toys over before buying.

Fafinella and Widget (a male) are sold together as a set. It's still very easy to get - you can buy one for $24.49 at tfaw.com. Enjoy!

Toy OTD: Megahouse Kellogg's 10 Collection: Tony The Tiger & Boy

As nostalgic as America can be, it seems like Japan still trumps us in the race of disproportionate love for our own past. Thank heaven for that, or we wouldn't have all this cool retro merchandise!

As I've mentioned before, Megahouse made a series of blind-boxed mini-figures inspired by early '60s Kellogg's mascots. Here's another one from the set - an early version of the time-honored "'Frosted Flakes' helps you through your day" theme. Unfortunately, what reads as "friendly helper" in one era can read as "adult hugging kids too closely and licking his lips" in another. The set-up ages badly, at least from this less innocent perspective.

Anachronisms aside, it's a, well, great little piece. The sculpt is well-executed for its size, and while it's packaged in pieces, the figure is very simple to build. The colors and posing seem straight out of an old Kellogg's print ad, and the paint applications are pretty delicate - check out those whiskers!

The packaging is also terrific - each mini-fig is packed up in what looks to be a tiny Kellogg's cereal box! Very nice theming, right down to the counter-top display carton.

This figure line was released some time ago, but you can still get the full set of ten right now on eBay for $39.99 + shipping. Good luck!

Toy OTD: SEG Green Day Figure: Mike Dirnt (2004)

I'm a believer in the concept that quality can override one's default tastes. For example, I'm never been a particularly big Green Day fan. I don't hate them, but I have a couple of their songs on my iTunes, and that may be all I'll ever need. Yet these figures utterly won me over!

SEG (or Stevenson Entertainment Group) may or may not still be around, but their toy batting average was (and is) pretty stellar. I can't really say if this caricature of Mike Dirnt is all that accurate, but regardless it has a whiff of John K. about it, and holds up great as a stand-alone design. If anyone out there knows who drew up these caricatures, please let me know!

The color applications here are tight, with tricky stuff like round-the-arm tattoos and plaid pants handled very well. The design incorporates good color use too, especially around the eyes - nice subtle work there!

Again, I'm favoring design over articulation here, so there's not many joints in this figure. They're just in the typical places: the neck, shoulders, and maybe the waist. It's a simple pose, but there's just enough asymmetry and subtle touches to keep things interesting.

Happily, SEG focused on the figure (8" tall!) over accessories. I'm assuming the 'rubber chicken' is a prop well-associated with Mr. Dirnt in some way, otherwise why bother? It's interpreted in a simple stylized way, and fits nicely in the figure's hand.

The packaging is colorful, fun and eye-catching, almost to a fault. Still, it is a toy of a rock star, so some overkill seems appropriate. There's some great references to other clasic toy branding, too! A nice, big plastic window in the box front helps you to look over the paint job if you like.

Sadly, I guess the demand for these toys has never been huge, so getting them now is still easy and affordable. You can still get a Mike of your very own for $17.95 + shipping over at cmdstore.com. Happy shopping!

Toy OTD: Memory Lane Peanuts Figure: Marcie

Marcie is one of my favorite Peanuts characters, so it's always nice to see more toys made of her! Memory Lane did a great job making affordable, on-model figures for kids and adults. I say, 'did', because either they've turned into another company (Forever Fun), or the licensing rights were bought by another manufacturer. Keep that in mind when you go to look for newer Peanuts or Rankin-Bass toys!

These figures are simply made, which seems appropriate for Schulz' minimalist drawing style. The sculpt could stand a little more nuance - the pose is pretty symmetrical, and the facial expression is somewhat bland (even for Marcie). Memory Lane does get brownie points for offering a variety of facial expressions, so shoppers can opt for a more anxious/angry face instead of the more generic smiles.

As usual, there's not much articulation - the neck, shoulders, 'elbows' and maybe the waist. It would've been nice to have individual legs, but posing is so difficult that I'm not sure it would've been worth the rise in price.

The colors are fine - a nice combination of dyed vinyl and paint. Less paint means fewer chances for mistakes, and fortunately the paint work is good. The fused feet do offer better (though not perfect) balance. Ideally, either wider-set legs or a individual display base would've been more effective here.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure Marice was ever sold by herself. Not surprisingly, she was in a two-pack with Peppermint Patty - both featured as part of a baseball backstop playset. You can still buy it (if you don't mind the extra stuff - Patty's in uniform, which could be a problem if you want her in her regular outfit) at time-and-space-toys-llc.amazonwebstore.com for $69.95 + shipping. There's also one on eBay right now that's currently at $9.99. Good luck!

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: Spanky, Headlock Studios' Spunk Figure (2002)

Here's a great toy that I've had for a while (six years, but it seems longer than that). It was made by Headlock Studios, home of the Spanky vinyl figure.

These companies have a strong design sense, and Spanky-punk (or Spunk) is a clean example. Snappy colors, clean shapes, and as little extraneous detail as possible. As with other subculture/fringe movements, the shoes get a lot of attention - they have the most detail, but the color use keeps it from being distracting. The key chain-material (used here as a wallet chain) is a really nice touch.

The paint work is very good, though not as tight as the top companies. Still, it serves the design just fine, preserving the graphic intentions. Aside from the neck, shoulders, and possibly the hips or ankles, there's not much articulation or posing potential here. Otherwise, it's the typical amount for a designer figure. Spunk also comes with an extra head - it has a full top of spiky hair, just in case mohawks aren't your thing!

This toy is probably long sold out by now. Originally, they went for around $65.00 + shipping, but I can't find it anywhere online these days. Another eBay favorite search is in order. Good luck!

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: Sekiguchi Moomin Vinyl Figure: Snufkin (2003)

I don't know very much about the Moomin stories or comic strip, but I was intrigued enough by the drawings to buy the books. I've read a little of the first one, and to my adult mind they seem really weird. I'll have to reach back into my inner six-year old so I can appreciate them more!

Regardless of how that ultimately sorts out, the drawings are pretty neat - sort of a cross between Crockett Johnson and James Thurber - and they've inspired a lot of merchandising. Like many overseas successes, it's not only popular in its home country (Finland), but in Japan as well. And if you've got Japan... there's going to be toys. And cool ones!

I'm not all that familiar with Sekiguchi as a company, but if the Moomin toys are a good indicator, they're a name to watch. Much like Medicom's figures, the sculpt here is very faithful to the source drawings, and the construction seems to favor dyed vinyl over paint. Not much articulation - the neck, and maybe the right wrist and boot-tops - but the execution is finessed more than enough to compensate in my book! The fishing line is an especially nice touch.

I've got two or three other Sekiguchi Moomin figures, and it looks like there's at least seven or eight in the line. I can't find this particular character for sale anywhere right now, so you'll have to hire an auction search service, or set up a favorite search (something along the lines of "sekiguchi moomin" or "sekiguchi snufkin", or both) on eBay. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Medicom, Disney Vinyl Collectible Doll: Ariel (2002)

I bought this toy for my wife Anita because she's such a big fan of the film. This is executed so well, though, that I don't mind having it in my collection one bit! It's really a wonderful 3-D execution of the 2-D design.

The sculpt is simply terrific, and the figure balances nicely thanks to the choice of a seated pose. It's a logical answer to balance a mermaid character, but you'd be surprised how many toys there are that don't choose the obvious solution!

Like many other VCD figures, this toy utilizes paint and dyed vinyl extremely well. The facial paint work is really tight and delicate, plus Medicom gets big points for making Ariel's waist fin translucent - just another example of how they go the extra mile in their products. There's no artiuculation here, but the pose is dynamic enough that you don't really need any.

The packaging isn't particularly imaginative or attractive, but at least the money is in the toy - plus credit is due for how well protected VCD figures are in their sturdy clamshell/box containers. Warping and pain rubs are extremely rare in this line!

There isn't one of these figures for sale online right now, so you'll need to warm up another eBay favorite search. Good hunting!

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: DC Direct First Appearance Figure: Robin The Boy Wonder

I don't think that this toy line lasted for very long, but it did generate some really cool figures! Robin was part of series two, which also included Hawkman, Green Lantern, and Superman.

Naturally, this Robin is from the Jerry Robinson cover for Detective Comics #38 - when he first appeared with Batman. The sculpt does a fine job of capturing the cheer of Robinson's artwork. The paint passes are nicely done, and the fabric cape is a nice touch - the scale is a little bulky, but overall it's just fine.

There's a good amount of articulation on this toy - there's at least nine points, and possibly more. This does lead to some balance issues - the knees aren't tight enough to really lock into a pose, so it's tough to keep the figure upright, even though a display stand's included. You'll need to weigh balance (would you be better off with a maquette?) against price (can your budget go over action-figure level?).

You also get a mini-comic of Detective #38, but if I were on the fence about buying this figure, it doesn't really tip the scales in any meaningful way. The packaging is eye-catching, but otherwise about average for a blister-pack - nothing you'd be tempted to keep unopened.

This is still an easily-found, affordable toy - you can buy one for as low as $12.99 + shipping on eBay, or dodge the auctions for $14.50 + shipping at cosmicclutter.com. Happy shopping!

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!

Toys OTD: Critterbox, Dave Cooper's Pip And Norton Vinyl Figures

The run of this set was a larger edition - 3,000 pieces. As usual, Critterbox has done a stellar job interpreting Dave Cooper's creepily cute designs. The sculpts are gorgeous, and the color work is extremely faithful to Mr. Cooper's artwork. The painting on both is quite tight, adding to the high level of finish on the toys.

Pip is beautifully packaged with his little friend Norton. The box is sturdy, and it's decorated so meticulously that you'll be tempted to keep it - if the art doesn't do it, consider the four vinyl leg accessories that transforms the package into a vehicle for them to ride! Wow! Very clever, and pure Cooper.

Critterbox saw their toys more as art pieces than playthings, so articulation is very low here. Pip's shoulders, neck and hips have joints, and I'm not sure that Norton has any at all (maybe his neck). Pip balances well considering his top-heavy design, and Norton is extremely well-planted.

Will we ever see more releases from Critterbox? There hasn't been anything in quite a while, so I have to assume the company went under some time ago.

If you're interested in buying this set, you can still get it at dolltv.com for $49.99 + shipping. Get to it!

Toy OTD: JUN Planning Corpse Bride Figure: Scraps

JUN Planning is still the king of Tim Burton merchandise - word has it that he was so happy with their Nightmare Before Christmas figures, that he personally requested them to make a Corpse Bride line. And they didn't disappoint!

It's another terrific figure - it looks like you snatched it right off the set. There's almost no paint work to speak of, and the articulation is pretty minimal. The sculpt and construction is so good, though, that it's still an awesome display piece (the loose, red-vinyl collar is a nice touch)!

I think the only minuses with this toy involve the base. I don't recall there being any instructions included with the figure, and setting it up isn't really intuitive. I improvised as best I could, but that leaves an awkward-looking hole in plain view, which I'm not sure is correct. Also, the base isn't really on theme with the movie - ideally, I would've preferred a cobblestone street, a wooden floor, or a patch of ground that would look more like an environment from the movie. This one strikes me as a bit generic and bland - like one you'd buy from an art supply store. Still, it's awesome that JUN included a base at all!

You can still get this figure easily and inexpensively - it costs $39.99 + shipping at wizardwebshop.com. Happy shopping!

Toy OTD: Mega House Panda-Z Figure: Hamugear (Yellow Version, 2004)

Here's another figure from Mega House's Panda-Z line - I've never seen the anime, but the character designs look great! I fell in love with the minute I first saw them. Cute animals driving cute-animal-robots! What more do you want?

Overall, these are great toys - the sculpts and paint work are very strong. The minimalistic details are captured well, and the execution doesn't compromise the design work one bit! There's not a lot of articulation here, but it's not a big deal to me - these designs can only pose so much to begin with, I imagine.

The packaging is a blister on a back card - functional but not exceptionally striking. The biggest minus of these toys is the construction - the legs often warp, which doesn't affect how they display in the blister, but can render the occasional figure wobbly (I have at least two or three from the line that aren't as stable as they could be).

As far as variants go, there's a gray version and a yellow one. The gray variant seems to be cheaper, so I'm assuming it's more common (or less desired, or both).

Originally, I think I bought this figures at Super 7 for less than $20. The price seems to have skyrocketed on eBay for some reason ($225!!), so you'll want to hunt around for better prices. Good luck and be patient - try giving Super 7 a call...

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!

Medicom VCD Modern Pets Mickey Mouse (2006)

There's been a lot of re-imagining of Mickey Mouse going on in the last few years, and this vinyl figure is one of the most successful examples. This toy is a nice merging of the Modern Pets style with classic Mickey - it still feels like the character, even though it's a significant departure from the current design.

It's very appealing, and like most Medicom toys, extremely well made! The sculpted pose is really strong, and the color work is a terrific combination of tight paint passes and different colors of vinyl. It all comes together to form an attractive 3-D version of stylized cartoon design.

I think I originally paid around $40 for this figure. It's been out for a couple of years now, so its price has climbed to $68.99 + shipping at yesasia.com. Get on it!

Toys OTD: Schylling's Electra Robot Girl, Proton Robot

These toys were given to us as a wedding gift! There's a lot of different tin wind-up robots (and still more reproductions of the older designs) so it can be really tough to identify one if you don't have the packaging to help you out. I did a lot of digging to discover their names!

These are both reproductions of older robot toys, though I'm not sure precisely which ones. The designs are appealing, and the body/innards are assembled in the classic, no-nonsense manner. The litho work is sharp, with no registration problems.

It's nice to see old-school robots with no plastic parts anywhere. Reproductions sometimes do this, either to save money or to acknowledge changes in safety guidelines. Thanks to Schylling, these new versions are intended for older audiences than their predecessors, so they look and work just fine! Wind them up, throw the switch, and off they wobble, grinding all the way.

These are still very affordable for a beginning collector or robot fan - Electra sells for $18.99 + shipping, while Proton Robot costs $12.50 + shipping. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Wonderwall, David Horvath Flatwoods Monster Figure

Wonderwall has made a great line of figures that's still going on - a series of kaiju characters created by some of the best designers in toys today! This character was designed by Uglydoll's co-creator, David Horvath. Some are inspired by movie monsters, while others by documented-but-unconfirmed-cryptids.

The Flatwoods Monster is the latter, a creature that was purportedly first spotted in West Virginia in the fifties. The described event seems closer to an alien encounter than a Bigfoot-esque zoological rarity. Regardless, this is David's interpretation of the being.

Like most of his work, this design is minimal in its shape and color use, but still describes the monster well. Between the pupil-less eyes and darker colors, it manages to be cute and somewhat ominous at the same time!

The construction is simple (with very few parts), but well-executed with no warping, bubbles, or irregularities. The paint work is similar - sparingly applied, but effective and neat. There's not much articulation here, but I don't think that's what this kind of design is about - you don't really get this kind of toy for posing.

(I think) that this is the first version of this figure, but there's a great many variants, both in paint and vinyl colors. Some even have pupils, if you prefer a slightly cuter look. There's even a cheaper version that's packaged with a Horvath Mothman (like those dime-store army men), if you want to save money.

I'd advise you to do a lot of homework before buying anything (so you can get the one that you like best), unless you're a completist and want to try and get them all! The pricing ranges from $15 - $150 each, depending on the variant, with the median price being around $60. Happy hunting!

Toy OTD: Funko McDonaldland Wacky Wobbler: Mayor McCheese

Here's another character from Funko's sprawling, nostalgia-soaked Wacky Wobbler line! Like the other McDonaldland character nodders, Mayor McCheese is very appealing - in some ways, more on-model than the Remco or Huckleberry action figures.

It's not perfect - the paint work is a little rough, and the sculpt is a little rigid. The biggest minus for me is the font on the base, or maybe the fact that the base has text on it at all. It seems unnecessary, and the base design could reflect the era (or the aesthetic) in a stronger way. Still, the color work is nice and there is some good asymmetry in the pose itself. It's a good bit of pop culture for Funko's traditionally low price.

You can still get this bobblehead very easily, and probably for less than when it was first released. It costs $9.99 + shipping at thumbsatplay.com. Snap it up!

Toy OTD: Medicom Star Wars Kubrick Figures: Max Rebo

In general, I much prefer Kubricks to the many other mini-figures that are now flooding the market. They were one of the first out of the gate, they're well designed and constructed - and you don't have to buy expensive construction sets to get them (like Lego mini-figs).

This is a nice example of what makes Kubrick figures so neat - it's just a great distillation of the character (though some are even more boiled down to their essence)! I really like breaking a design down to the fewest elements and seeing how far you can go and still get the jist of it across. Plus... well, they're just cute!

Max here was part of a larger Star Wars set that included few of the other band members. Unfortunately, it's been out for a while, so it'll cost you $275 big ones to get it from eBay complete and mint in the box (MIB)! Other sites go as high as $300 (before they sold out), so this set will take some serious cash or patience. Happy hunting!

Toy OTD: Dragon, Maru Maru's Hero Figure: Maggie Cheung / "Flying Snow" (2003)

Here's another of the rare spin-off figures released for the movie Hero. I really love this film, so I started digging for toys soon after I saw it!

I'm a little fuzzy on the origin of these figures. At first I thought they were licensed merchandise, then I heard that they were bootlegs. Dragon made them, though, so the bootleg theory doesn't really make a lot of sense - they seem like too big a company to make unlicensed toys.

Another theory that I've heard is that they're limited-edition, promotional items to help advertise the film. It's certainly possible, but I haven't been able to confirm anything, even five years after they were released!

The main selling point of these toys is articulation - not top-flight for an overseas toy, but still far better than most domestic action figures. In most other regards, they're only average - the likenesses, costuming, and paint work are decent but not exceptional. Still, there's so little Hero stuff out there (a little surprising - I'd think the film would generate a larger line of swag) that I'm happy to have something to express my enthusiasm for the movie.

These toys are getting hard to find, now that some water's passed under the bridge. I can't track down this item online right now, so you'll have to start another favorite search on eBay, or get in touch with a Japanese auction service. 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: Jay Ward Figurine: Sherman

I think that this is the last of the Jay Ward ceramic figurines that I bought (yipe!) two years ago. I'm not precisely sure when this line was made - it might have been thirty years ago (for the Do-Right Emporium), or maybe only ten years ago (for the Universal Studios theme parks). It might be a rarer collectible, or it might not. I like it anyhow!

First off, it's a slightly less popular character - most manufacturers stick with Rocky, Bullwinkle, Boris and Natasha. Secondly, it's reasonably on model (especially considering the medium). Granted, the sculpt could be a lot tighter, and the paint work is pretty mushy too. Still, it's pretty faithful to the original design, the color choices are good, and the pose is nicely asymmetrical. Decent work for what looks to be a pretty inexpensively made figurine!

I'm not sure where you'd get one of these at this point - unless my latter theory was correct, and they're still being made for the Universal parks. The internet has turned up empty, so it's back to the ol' eBay favorite search. Good luck!

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: '90s Bandai (?) Shokupanman Vinyl Squeak Toy

I bought this toy fifteen years ago (easily), when I was still living in southern California. I can't remember where I picked it up down there - I bought it knowing nothing about the Anpanman manga or anime. I just thought it was funny to have a little superhero with a slice of bread for a head!

I still don't know much about the source material - I haven't been able to find any of the manga translated into English. It's mainly about the designs for me, anyway - they're very simple and super-cute!

The execution of this toy isn't spectacular, but it's just fine for what it needs to be: three points of articulation, a nice sculpt, and adequate paint work. I don't remember how much I paid for it - I think it was less than ten dollars, which makes the toy quality even better.

Since this is an older toy, you won't be able to go out and buy this exact item, but since Anpanman is still so popular, you'll probably be able to find a similar toy of this character cheaply and easily! Granted, I can't find anything online right now, but if you add favorite searches for "anpanman" and "shokupanman" to your eBay account, I'm sure something will turn up in short order... good luck!

UPDATE: Here's a set of figures on Amazon.jp that look very similar to the ones I own. You can buy them for ¥ 2,855 ($29.60 USD)+ tax and shipping. Thanks to my Flickr buddy HNishinomaru for the tip!

Toy OTD: RFX, John K.'s Political Toys: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton

I'm way overdue for another Toy OTD column, so I thought I'd come back with something special. After a long toy hiatus, John (Ren & Stimpy) Kricfalusi has designed some terrific new figures! I'm not exactly sure why, but John has graced us with cartoony versions of all three candidates from the primaries.

These are simply wonderful figures - the designs are really pushed and fun, the sculpts are great 3-D versions of John's drawings (a big shout-out to sculptors Chris Peterson and Arshak Nazarian), and the paint work is amazing as well!

There's a lot of imaginative, striking color choices to savor. Look at how many colors there are in Hillary's hair alone! Barack's face could've looked very uniform and dull, but there's some airbrushed accents here and there that really go the extra distance. The gold podium is unusual but eye-catching, and Hillary's flocked pantsuit is a great touch!

The toys are generously sized - up to nine inches tall! - so the $24.95 price is a great bargain, considering the quality of the figures.

The John McCain figure is the only disappointment. It's still a good toy, but for me, it's not as successful as the others.

Granted, he's a tough guy to caricature, but the body seems a little generic compared to the other designs. The color work on his face is low on contrast, so the viewer's eye tends to get pulled to the detail on his body instead. It's loaded up with props, which feels a little unecessary, considering how successful the other designs are without them.

Mr. Kricfalusi is a firm believer that toy packaging can be just as entertaining as the toy itself, and I heartily agree! While the boxes for these toys are nicely colored in the old-school style, and loaded with funny drawings and comments (check out the huge American flag with "MADE IN CHINA" printed beneath it!), the package design feels a bit scattershot in approach. The clubhouse and rocketship boxes were so strong in John's early toy work, that I came away feeling like I wanted a unifying theme to pull the current package designs together - like a campaign bandstand or a voting booth decorated with bunting - something that says "presidential election" more clearly.

Regardless, this is an awesome toy line! You can get Barack Obama or John McCain for $24.95 + shipping each, Hillary Clinton for $19.95 + shipping, or all three for $54.99 + shipping at the RFX toys website. Order yours today!


PS - John even had a Huckabee figure in mind... too bad it wasn't to be. Check out this, and a lot of other cool stuff in his interview with Meltdown Comics!

Toy OTD: Thinkway Wall-E Boxed Set: The Reject-Bots

As we continue into Wall-E's opening weekend, here's another cool tie-in from Thinkway Toys. I'm really impressed that Thinkway not only made their smaller figures so nicely, but that they made toys of the secondary characters! Unless George Lucas is involved somehow, peripheral characters are a rarity.

While the packaging isn't all that exciting, the proof is in the pudding - the figures themselves. The sculpts and paint work are extremely tight, with very few concessions made. It's great to see this level of faithfulness without creating safety or price point issues. The use of materials is also striking - check out Gopher's translucent head!

There's a surprising amount of articulation here, too. Paint-Bot and Massage-Bot are far more posable than you'd expect, and are jointed much like they are in the film. The character accuracy is so good, one might've forgiven less intricate figures, but Thinkway goes the extra mile, and meets the buyer more than halfway. Cool!

To top it all off, there's not just one, but two clear display stands for the hovering characters who can't stay upright on their own. Technically, Beautician-Bot floats too, but the figure sits upright just fine - Thinkway picked their battles well!

You can get this set for $20.00 + tax at Toys 'R' Us, or online for $20.00 + shipping at toysrus.com. Check in with disneystore.com if they're out of stock at TRU - The Disney Store doesn't seem to have any of the toys for sale right now, but they may become available again later (they have been on the site in the last week or so). Have fun collecting!

Toy OTD: Thinkway Toys' Wall-E Figures: Lift'N' Load Wall-E, Search And Protect Eve

To celebrate Wall-E's opening day, here's two examples of Thinkway's terrific toy line!

Lift 'N' Load Wall-E has tons of great detail, an intricate paint job, and plenty of articulation (right down to the hands!). The treads don't move, but there are larger versions where they do - hold out for the $30 Interaction Wall-E if that's critical to you.

The figure comes with two 'trash' cubes that you can make Wall-E 'compact'. Since the trash compartment is the same shape, you can put Play-Doh® in there and make Wall-E produce a cube of that, too!

You can get this figure at your local Toys 'R' Us® for $9.99 + tax, or online for $10.99 + shipping.

Search and Protect Eve is just as well designed and executed as Wall-E. Since her eyes are LED-type displays in the film, Thinkway added a clever feature - if you press her head, her eyes will click to one of six different expressions!

Her chest compartment pops open at the push of a button, and you can store some of her accessories - an old shoe, a light bulb - inside (these seemingly random items will make more sense when you see the film). Since Eve is a floating robot, a display stand has been provided when your kids (or you!) aren't zooming her through the air.

I think there's only three points of articulation, but it makes sense when you consider the design. The joints are closer to the ball-and-socket kind, so the most is made from the few options available.

You can get Eve at your local Toys 'R' Us® for $9.99 + tax, or online for $10.99 + shipping.

If they're out of stock, you can also get them at the Disney Store website, but they're more expensive there.

See you at the movies!

Toy OTD: Mezco Family Guy Figure: Chris Griffin

I know that Family Guy doesn't inspire at lot of love from many people, but I think Mezco's done a really good job with the toy line (I like watching the show, too).

The sculpt is nice, though it's a bit symmetrical. On the plus side, it does take advantage of the design's solidity to avoid balance problems. The paint work is fine - mostly quite tight with only a few loose spots. Only four point of articulation, but it's fine as a display piece.

I could probably do without the plethora of accessories that usually accompanies a Mezco toy, but the "Walkman" is well-made, and fits onto the figure easily. I'm usually happy with one accessory if it's really iconic (i.e, Indy's whip), and the figure can hold it tightly.

You'll need to look sharp at the online offerings, as there's a few variants, as well as different facial expressions for this figure. Make sure you get exactly the version that you want!

You can get this version of Chris for $19.95 + shipping at cmdstore.com. There's an 'exercise' version on sale for $10.39 + shipping at panikstoybox.com, and if you join Club Mez (Mezco's collectors' club), you can still get the 2005 Toy Fare exclusive Chris for $18.00 + shipping. Again, note the different paint job on the eyes. Have fun!

Toy OTD: Mega House Panda-Z Figure: Mogyu (2004)

This is a nifty line of toys - I've never seen the anime, but the character designs work great all on their own!

The sculpt is a nice adaptation of the original drawings (ironically it's a 2D show, even though the simple, geometric style looks like a natural for the computer), and the colors are really attractive. The paint work isn't as tight as many overseas toys are, but it's still quite nice.

The articulation is pretty basic - about seven points or so - it's a display piece more than anything. Here's where the biggest minus comes in... construction. This line of toys has an unusually weak track record for molding and fitting. Unfortunately, this tends to lead to awkwardly bent legs and feet, which can lead to balance problems. If you have the opportunity, look the toy over in its blister carefully before purchasing.

This figure has been sold out for a while, but you can buy one right now on eBay for $13.29 + $10.00 shipping. Hop to it if you want one!

Toy OTD: Berries Devil Novelty Figure, 1971

Some toys you just hang onto because you've had them for too long to imagine discarding them. I think this was a flea market purchase, one of those OCD-collector days where you want to bring something home with you. Then it becomes an entrenched, sentimental object, the toy version of a common-law marriage.

This is one of the few toys I went out of my way to alter - usually, I can't bring myself to change anything, even if it would be simple to do. It used to have an "I Love You This Much" decal on its belly. I couldn't deal with that, even ironically, so with a little scrubbing and a little Goo Gone®, off it came! The figure is so banged up by this point, that a few more scratches wouldn't make much difference.

Everything here is pretty much average - the pose is symmetrical, and the design isn't much to talk about. The proportions of the face are pretty even, and the eye treatment is pretty lifeless. That unfortunately dominoes, weakening everything else - even though the sculpt is decent, and the color choices are okay.

I can't imagine finding another one of these - it's not a licensed character, so there probably isn't much nostalgic demand for them. A cursory search on eBay turned up nothing, and looking deeper is probably more trouble than it's worth. The good news is, if you want one and manage to find it, it'll probably be very cheap. I'd pop "I Love You This Much" into a favorite search - that'll probably give you the most specific results to sift through. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Dell Mickey Mouse Squeak Toy

I've had this toy since I was a kid - I think my folks bought it for me at a flea market. The squeaker still works, and it still stands on its own, even though I'm assuming it's around forty years old.

In spite of my love for the improvements in production technology, there's a lot to be said for the charm of a limited paint palette and a little overspray. Black, white and red are a classic color combination, and the off-white helps keep the toy warm and friendly.

It's a curious pose for a figure - it feels like Mickey is waiting or reacting to another character, as if a Minnie Mouse had been made as part of a set. Still, there's a real sweetness to the sculpt, even though Mickey isn't on-model in the strictest sense. His look and clothing are not exactly what we expect when we picture a Mickey toy, but it has its own consistent design integrity.

I have no idea what was paid for this 'originally' (i.e, in the early '70s when my parents bought it for me - probably less than a dollar. I don't see these for sale all that often, but you can buy one at whatacharacter.com for $55 + shipping.

Toy OTD: Tomy Electronic Pokemon Toy: Bellossem (aka Kireihana)

Like almost everyone else on earth in the mid-nineties, I fell victim to the Pokemon craze. Fortunately, I limited my obsession to the more elaborate toys and a few of the PVC figures. This was NOT a good line for completists, for as far as I know, new characters are still being added to this day!

Tomy released a cute line of sound-activated, electronic toys that were eventually distributed domestically through Hasbro. Bellossem is one of my favorites, because it seems like such a iconic Japanese toy. When you make a sound, the flowers on its head spin, the body spins about, and it chirps happily (I don't know if it's a word, a phrase, or just a sound). Although I'm sure most parents wanted to smash it after about fifteen minutes on Christmas morning, everything other than the sound - the design, sculpt and paint job - are really appealing. The execution may not be as good as many Japanese toys, but it's solid and professional looking.

My version here got a little too much sun - the red flowers faded a bit, so I tweaked them in Photoshop.

This toy wasn't all that expensive originally - I think I paid twenty or thirty dollars for it (that was before they were distributed in the U.S.). Finding one of these would seem easy - one would think trillions of them were made - but I haven't found one online in well over a year. If there's still any Poko-nerds out there, feel free to drop me a line and let me know where one could get this toy! Otherwise, it's back to the eBay Favorite Search. Good luck!

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...

Toy OTD: Asunarosya 3age Figure: Hulk

To celebrate the release of The Incredible Hulk this weekend, here's a neat figure that came out in late 2006. It's part of a series of super-deformed Marvel heroes, and they all turned out really great (at least, if you like that kind of stylization in the first place)!

The sculpts are very simple, ditto the paint job, but everything supports the basic, childlike idea just fine. There's almost no articulation or posing, but the symmetry is appropriate for the Hello Kitty approach that's been taken with these toys. Wisely, Asunarosya included a display stand with each figure, and showed collectors mercy by not making this a blind-boxed line.

These are tough to get now, but the Hulk is one of the more affordable characters. They originally cost eight to ten dollars each, but I'd expect to spend at least fifteen to twenty-five for this Hulk now. Crank up that eBay Favorite Search, and good luck!

PS - If you missed out last time, series three is on its way! Collectors who have series one and two might not bite, as the 'new' figures are all repaints of those characters. So the trade-off is: a more expensive Hulk with purple pants, or a cheaper one with pink pants! You make the call.

Toy OTD: Nigo's Bape (Bathing Ape) Milo Vinyl Figure

This figure was created by fashion designer Nigo, a huge Planet of the Apes fan (he purportedly has one of the biggest Apes memorabilia collections in the world). He started his Bape ("BAPE-ee") clothing label in 1993, and later moved into toys. This figure is called Milo, named (I think) after a character in the Apes cycle. Wasn't Milo the talking baby chimp in one of the later films? Help me out here!

There were several colorways of this design, both with and without helmets. Most of the variations echoed other Apes characters, and were bagged similarly to the old Dakin vinyls of the seventies. The design, sculpt, and paint work are all terrific - the only minus being that the plastic soldier helmets are very fragile (you can see a small break in the helmet above). A softer vinyl would have been really helpful.

The original versions will probably be pretty hard to get these days. There's some camouflaged versions for sale on eBay right now, but they're so cheap ($15 each?), I have a feeling that they're bootlegs. There's some more camouflage variants for $60 + shipping each at eCrater, so maybe there are legit versions of this colorway. There's also a trio of figures co-designed with toy czar KAWS on eBay for $550 + shipping, to give you an idea of what you might be in for. A eBay favorite Search might help you to comparison shop a little. Good luck!

PS - Here's an article about how the Apes films have rippled though our culture - Bape gets mentioned briefly.

Here's a Bape fan site with more information about the label, its products, and designer.

Toy OTD: Fisher-Price Tick-Tock Clock #997 (1967)

This toy goes way back for me, though it isn't the original I had as a kid. It's a very simple idea - you wind it up, and it plays like a music box while the sun/moon disc rotates. Tiny scenes of a kid's day are revealed as the die-cut window on the disc rotates. Since I've heard the song since I was a tot, it's incredibly soothing, like watching an episode of Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood at any point in your life (If you're too young to remember watching it, just humor me).

Like most F-P toys of this period, it's mostly wood, with a little plastic used to its strengths (the plastic 'crystal' surrounding the clock face, for example. As with the Tooly Birds, this was made in an industry with far less licensing - there's references to Hickory Dickory Dock and Dick and Jane in the artwork, but that's basically it. The design is charming - maybe a touch bland - but it evokes storybooks from the early sixties very nicely. The only construction variation I've noticed is that some of the plastic handles are yellow and some are red, so keep an eye on that if it's important to you.

This toy is really tough - it took getting left outside in the sun and rain to ruin the one that we had, and even then the paper labeling got the worst of it!

Because the toy is so durable, it's not too difficult to track down a working one. The trickiest part is finding one with a nice-looking 'crystal', so it depends on how fussy you are, and how much you're willing to pay. There's two eBay auctions going right now, and the starting bids range from $7.50 to $14.99 + shipping. Make sure to ask if the music box works if it's not metioned in the product description - always approach eBay with a heaping spoonful of caveat emptor. Good luck!

PS - If you're a huge F-P nerd, you can buy a print of this toy's patent here.

Toy OTD: Bwana Spoons x Gargamel Sleeping Killer Vinyl Figure

I can't remember where I bought this toy - I think I got it at Double Punch. Regardless, it's a very cool vinyl - one of my favorite Bwana Spoons designs!

The toy came in bag-with-hang-tag packaging, decorated by the artist. I thinks it's appropriate, since the whole design evokes the kaiju-toy stylings of the sixties and seventies. There's at least six colorways - pink (above), yellow/green, 'dark chocolate', 'milk chocolate', a blue custom, and black/yellow.

I'm not sure that I see the 'killer' part of the equation, since the sculpt is such a cute, peaceful mix of whale and coelacanth, with just a pinch of Godzilla for good measure. It's a simple paint job, but the great color use really makes it stand out! There's no articulation at all, but it's more art piece than action figure, so that's fine with me.

This figure originally cost sixty-five dollars, but it's become hard to find these days - most of the colorways are long sold out. You can buy a pink one here at knunt.com for ninety dollars + shipping.

Toy OTD: Applause Jetsons Doll: Elroy (1990)

This is an older toy that I've had since my days at Tiny Toons (we're talking early nineties). Warner Brothers TV Animation was in the Imperial Bank building, right next to the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Naturally, we'd pop down there at lunchtime to shop and play video games. One of the neastest stores in the mall was part of a chain called Cartoon Junction.

Animated features and television shows were getting better again after a big dry period in the late sixties through to the mid-eighties. They also started to make money, and a new generation of cartoon geeks were growing up and began earning disposable income. The means to manufacture toys had improved drastically since the last peak in the late fifties/early sixties. The success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? inspired many studios to re-examine their classic licenses. The time was right for a new wave of animation-based merchandise, so chains like The Disney Store and Cartoon Junction began to emerge.

Anyway, this is one of the toys I bought at Cartoon Junction when merchandising began to pick up. Applause released a line of vinyl/plush Jetsons toys, and though the line was pretty uneven in terms of quality, I snapped up George and Elroy!

It's an appealing combination of materials, the vinyl allowing for a far more accurate facial sculpt. The plush body makes it a bit cuddlier, plus it gives the feeling of a cloth costume, since the extremities are vinyl, too. In the minus column, it's not all that posable, plus it doesn't balance very well. The plush collar is very thick, so it might have been better to cast it with the vinyl head, and then segue to the cloth body. Otherwise, it's a cute, affordable toy.

This figure isn't in big demand, so it shouldn't cost you a lot of money to buy. There's an auction for one on eBay right now starting at $9.95 + shipping, complete with its original tags. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Hasbro Transformers Real Gear Robots: Spy Shot 6, Longview

This is a recent line that was released with the Transformers movie. I like the concept of everyday belongings that are also secretly little robots! The design work is a bit uneven, but there are some really nice ones - here's two of them:

Sure Shot 6 transforms from a digital camera and back again. It looks cool - there's a small bit of translucent plastic in the top of the head that channels light to its eyes, making them appear lit. A simple trick, but really neat!

SS6 transforms well, and looks great in both its robot and camera forms. The biggest minus is the one I've had with the entire line since its inception - the toys look fine, but aren't very posable as action figures. I've never been much of an articulation guy, but the dynamic poses on the packaging are a pretty misleading tease!

This is design is so good, it makes me wish that Takara would run with it and make a working digital camera that could transform into a posable metal robot. It wouldn't be as affordable as these toys are, but c'mon - I'll bet there'd be plenty of older fans who'd snap it up!

Longview is an even better-looking design that turns into an even cooler robot! I love the colors and the shapes of both modes. Again, the articulation is somewhat skimpy, but it is a pretty good toy for the eight-dollar price point.

I would think that making the binoculars work would be easier than the camera, but maybe incorporating even a poor set of lenses would be prohibitively expensive. Again, I'll bet a higher-end version (camping binoculars - maybe with a camouflage pattern?) would sell well to older fans. Put a sound chip in there with the 'transforming' sound effect on it, and you're good to go!

Both of these toys are really easy to pick up - you can either get them at your local Toys 'R' Us or Target for about eight dollars each, or buy either of them at toysrus.com for $7.99 + shipping. Have fun!

Toy OTD: R&L Co. Tooly Bird Figurines: Turkey Tongs, Double-Headed Rook Wrench (1971)

Here's a couple of toys that I've have since I was a kid! These were packed in Kellogg's cereals in the early seventies, and were molded in a variety of colors. Their names varied depending on the distribution area (these were also called Percy Pincer and Slugsy Spanner in Australia - much better than the long-winded domestic monikers).

It's always cool to see cereal premiums made in the days before everything was a tie-in to a television show or movie. These little guys tried to appeal to kids on their own merits! I like the surreal quality of the designs - maybe they were inspired by Alice in Wonderland, or Dr. Seuss' drawings.

There were twelve Tooly Birds in one line, but there may have been more than one series, as this checklist doesn't include either of the characters that I have. This could be a nightmare for a completist, if you were compelled to figure out all the plastic colors and try to get one of each character in all of them. Fortunately for me, I don't go in for that anymore!

It looks like it'd be difficult to get individual Tooly Birds - the eBay auctions that I've found are usually lots of six or more. The going bids seem to range between ten and sixty dollars, so I'd say the figures can cost you at least five or six dollars each. Good luck!

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.

Toy OTD: Sony Creative Time Capsule Toys: Jim Woodring's Imperial Newts

I'm not sure exactly when or where I picked these up - I may have ordered them from KidRobot, or eBay. Regardless, someone at Sony had the great idea to ask themselves, "How cool would it be if we made toys that look like they should be dispensed from those quarter machines outside your local supermarket, but were actually designed by really talented artists?" Not only did they ask that question, but they answered it!

This series is comprised of six different newt designs, all created by comics great Jim Woodring. Each toy comes in its own little dime-store egg. Half of it is clear plastic, so you can even pick the figure that you want! Nice.

The sculpts are strong and detailed, very faithful to Woodring's designs. The paint work is a little shaky, but acceptable for the scale of the figures. They're sold disassembled, but building them is pretty trivial - the figures are reasonably well designed for post-purchase construction.

They've been sold out for at least a year, so buying them online might be tricky. There's three of them for sale on eBay for roughly $20.00 + shipping each, so you'll have to keep looking for the other three. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Kentucky Fried Chicken Colonel Sanders Premium

I picked this up at one of the San Jose toys shows (maybe back when it was called "The Humdinger") - I don't think it cost more than five dollars or so. I thought it was from Singapore originally, but the eBay auctions for these sets are based in the Philippines. There was a whole series of costumed Colonels, but I liked the closest-to-the-traditional outfit the best.

I'm a sucker for the chibi/Hello Kitty style, so this was a gimme! The sculpt and paint work aren't staggering, but it's still a really appealing figure. Not a lot of articulation - just the neck and both arms - but more joins would weaken the design more than it would strengthen the play value.

You can buy this figure as part of a small set on eBay.ph for 250 PHP (Phillipine Pesos), or about $5.80 USD + shipping.

Toy OTD: West Kenji Booska, Chamegon OP Animation Completed Set (Monochrome Version - 2007)

I bought this set at my first Vinyl Toy Network show. I've always kind of liked Booska (even though I've never seen him in anything), but this stylized interpretation put me over the edge and finally got me to hit the 'spend' button. The pair cost me sixty dollars at the time.

I like the colors in Booska's design, the monochrome version was sufficiently attractive. I suspected that this might be the case, but I didn't know until just now that this set is designed to look like the opening animation of the program. Not to mention that I got his girlfriend (?) Chamegon in the bargain! Pretty cool.

The sculpts, color palette and paint jobs are great - the only real minus is that the interchangeable arms don't fit into the body as well as I'd like (see photo). The package design isn't mind-blowing, but I rarely keep that stuff anyway. Average-looking boxes are easier to recycle, so in a way it's a plus!

I can't find either set online right now, so set up a favorite search and keep casting that net. Be prepared to pay north of a hundred dollars, as they've been sold out for a while. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Span Of Sunset Cheshire Cat ('Disappearing' Version)

This is an amazing toy, made by Span of Sunset in Los Angeles. They've done several paint variations of the same great sculpt, but this is one of the early ones. I still think it's the best of the line - the Disney Cheshire Cat is painted as if he's already disappeared (a spiffy-looking matte black with glossy black stripes), and the eyes glow in the dark as if that's all that remains. Clever! The box is also great - it opens as if it's the cat's head (check out the photos on the SOS site). The execution is relatively simple - only a couple of paint passes and no articulation - but the thinking behind it is very strong.

Originally, this cost about a hundred dollars, but it's long sold out - I think there were only fifty of these made. Getting one now will probably cost you about $250 - $300 on eBay, so be prepared. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Medicom Vinyl Collectible Dolls: Fantasia Mickey

This one's just out of the park - it's one of my favorites and a bunch of categories: Medicom toys, Disney toys, Mickey toys. It's simply stunning - a fantastic sculpt of a terrific pose. It may not be spot on from the film, but it's been tweaked in a really good way to allow for a great figure!

Most of the color is in the vinyl rather than paint, which helps make it look gorgeous. It balances well, and the pose holds up great over time. The only bad thing about this toy is that you can't buy it on the primary market! You'll have to try to find it at a boutique toy website, or on eBay. I can't find it online anywhere, so I'd suggest cranking up the Favorite Search. Good luck!

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: '90s Doraemon Vinyl Squeeze Toy

Thanks to my buddy Bill Presing, I was finally able to read some of the Doraemon manga in English! He found some collections in San Francisco's Japantown - they're bilingual so that young Japanese-speaking children can learn English.

The drawings are really fun, and the stories are short and simple - Nobita will have a problem (doing his homework too slowly, wanting more toys, etc.), and Doraemon will produce something from his his fourth-dimensional pocket (like Felix the Cat's bag of tricks) to help out. The helper gadget usually comes with a rule that Nobita winds up breaking, and hilarity ensues. Gadgets might include pills to make you quicker or slower (!), a black belt that hurls anyone you touch away from you, animal picture books that produce real animals, and so on. Super cute stuff!

Anyway, I've been a big fan of Doraemon's design long before I knew anything about him. This isn't the most elaborate or well-executed toy, but it's pretty faithful to its source, and that goes a long way. Even though the pose is very symmetrical, the design is still charming because its intrinsic variety of shapes is strong.

It's a simple toy, but its one feature is also true to its source. Doraemon has a propeller that will pop out of his head so he can fly around (like Inspector Gadget). Thus toy has a hollow propeller with vents on the sides of the rotors (you can see one on the left rotor). If you squeeze the toy, air is forced out of the vents, and the prop spins. Very clever!

I bought this over ten years ago, so getting this exact toy might be very difficult. I can't find it on eBay or Google, but if you're stubborn and put a very open term like "doraemon" in one of those search engines and dig like crazy, it might turn up. If you can find it, at least it shouldn't be all that expensive - I think mine cost under twelve dollars. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Handcarved Anita & Jeff Wedding Figures, 2004/2005

Okay, it's not really a toy, but it seemed like the perfect entry for Valentine's Day! One of my good friends commissioned this for us as a wedding gift. It turns out that the guy who made Hardware Wars (Ernie Fosselius) is also a really great woodcarver, and whips up all kinds of cool, homemade automata.

I love the texture of this piece, and the likenesses and paint work are really good, too! Ernie knew Anita fairly well, but he didn't know me at all - he visited me at work a couple of times to figure out what I look like. I think he did a great job!

Naturally, this is a one-of-a-kind piece, so you can't get one just like it (I'm kind of assuming you really wouldn't want to, and I don't take it personally). I don't know how often he does commissions, but if you email him and ask politely (and generously), who knows what could happen?

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!

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.

Toy OTD: McDonald's Happy Meal Premium: Chibi-Style Jack Sparrow

It's interesting how fast-food premiums can manifest themselves. Of course, it's not at all surprising that the Pirates of the Caribbean films had tie-in items; but it is intriguing to see how the toys themselves sort out.

One idea that one would think was a 'gimme' would be to make Jack Sparrow action figures to sail the Happy Meal armada throughout America. If you'll forgive the oversimplification, a Jack action figure for the boys; and a cutesy Elizabeth Swan doll for the girls.

The surprise, then, is that the only Jack Sparrow toy in the line is a cute, Hello-Kitty-style plush doll. It's not as blatantly made for girls as many McDonald's toys, but it's not blatantly for boys, either. I realize that Cap'n Jack has a lot of appeal for young (and not-so-young) ladies, but it's unusual for Happy Meal toys to be (relatively) genderless.

All that aside, it's just a nice little toy. The design is really appealing, and it's a great simplification of the character (though the likeness to Depp has pretty much evaporated). I'm sure it's not the most durable item, but it seems solidly constructed for a free premium.

I suppose it's really not fair to expect stand-alone support from a free plush, but the biggest minus is that it can't stand up (and I don't think doll stands come that small). The only other fault is that there isn't a corresponding Elizabeth, Will Turner, or Barbossa toy. I would've loved to have seen how those characters would've been designed!

Even though this line of toys is long sold out, this toy isn't terribly hard to find. You can buy one on eBay (along with four other toys from different promotions) right now for $3.99 + 5.00 shipping. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Cartoon Network Powerpuff Girls Maquette: Blossom (Signed)

Originally, I bought the Trendmasters Powerpuff Girls action figures, but while they each had bases, stability was still a problem, so I upgraded to the maquettes (I think I bought the set at Comic-Con one year) after they were released. It's not a cheap solution, but they are well-mounted and stable.

The sculpting is fine - it's a great interpretation of the design, and the attitude is captured nicely, too. The paint work is a little rough, but not to a point where it really detracts. I'm just spoiled by the meticulous work on overseas toys!

I waited in a huge line to get Blossom signed by the show's creator, Craig McCracken. I couldn't help feeling like I shouldn't have had to - Hey, I'm not just another fan... I went to the same school, and I'm working on cool stuff, too, I thought - but I felt like I'd be an asshole if I cut to the front. So I waited for my autograph, and complimented him on the then-newly-released Powerpuff movie, which I enjoyed a great deal.

There's one for sale on eBay for $49.99 + $16.95 shipping. You can make an offer, and it might be worth a try, as I think the shipping charges are pretty steep!

Toy OTD: Mirage (2004) & Mezco's Big Gay Al Figures

It's always interesting to see what different companies will focus on when they make toys of the same character. Here's Mirage and Mezco's takes on South Park's Big Gay Al.

There's usually a clear winner, but in this case each figure has its merits, which is why I still own both of them. Because this design style is strongly stylized, there's lot of room for interesting interpretation as the character makes its way into the third dimension.

At first glance, Mezco wins a lot of battles right away - the details, color and line work are much more accurate (not that you could tell here, but it's also scaled better next to the kid characters). The sculptor took the approach of trying to preserve as much of the flat, 'primitive' aesthetic as possible - only adding dimension to the largest forms.

The Mirage figure isn't nearly as on-model, but they captured the attitude and pose better than the Mezco version, which looks less lively. Many of the props and details are missing, but the skin tone is better, and I like the overall proportions more, too. There's more going on in terms of form as well - the face is sculpted, and the legs have more definition.

It still looks pretty flat, but the sculptor wanted to take more advantage of the fact that it's a 3-D figure, and pop out more forms for the light to play with. I think that's more appealing in some ways (imagine what each figure would look like unpainted, and I think you'll see what I mean). The overall look is bolder, but lacks subtlety. So in my mind, each figure has its pluses and minuses.

Whatever your preference, you can still get either figure easily. The Mirage South Park line was discontinued, but the Al toys leaked onto the secondary market anyhow, never getting a formal retail release. The Mezco Al is for sale at Panik's Toy Box for $12.99 + shipping. The Mirage Al is much cheaper - you can buy it for $8.00 + shipping at superherotoys.com.

Toy OTD: Gargamel Vinyl Figure: Smogun

I don't have a lot of old-school Japanese vinyl - it was an acquired taste for me. Initially, I was turned off by the soft sculpting and airbrush over-spray painting style - they looked like toys you should be able to get at a gas station for five dollars or something. Little by little, I grew to like that aesthetic, and started to buy both vintage and modern pieces. This is an example of current artists echoing that retro style (I think Gargamel is a group of artists, but I'm not positive).

I'm pretty picky about this type of toy - they have to appeal specifically to me, because I don't have any nostalgia for the style or the characters. I like this one mainly for the character - I just think it's cool that someone designed a monster made of tires and garbage, with wrecked cars for its head and feet. The colors are striking to me, too, and the faux-naive sculpt/paint work combine with its diminutive size (six inches) to make it cute and charming - at least, in a kaiju sort of way!

I think I paid $40 for this at last spring's Vinyl Toy Network. It's available in several different colorways, but you can still get this one for $43.00 + shipping from giantrobot.com. You can get a green version at ningyoushi.com for $40 + shipping, and Super 7 has the green version, and a pink colorway as well, both for $40 each. Use Google Image Search if you want to know what other versions are out there!

Toy OTD: Avon Andy Capp Talc Bottle (1969)

You just don't see that much Andy Capp stuff around, so I had to pick this up. I can't imagine what motivated Avon to license one of pop culture's most famous alcoholic wife-beaters. Bizarre!

For a bottle, the sculpt's pretty on-model, but by necessity, the pose is symmetrical and stiff. On the bright side, the bottle stands well and has no balance issues. The colors and paint work are fine, though I think his nose should be redder. At least there's no logos or slogans, so that's nice.

I picked up mine at a toy show for around $30 or $40. You can pick up a nice example of this bottle (nicer than mine, really) for $57.16 at vectisdirect.co.uk. There's one for sale on eBay.co.uk, too, starting at £2.99 + shipping (or about $6.00 USD). Good luck!

Toy OTD: Funko Wacky Wobbler SDCC Exclusive: Scooby-Dum (2007)

I can feel your respect for me as a collector slipping away, and I'm not sure that I blame you. Scooby-Doo wasn't exactly Hanna-Barbera's creative zenith, and the show was wearing pretty thin by the time that Scooby-Dum came along. So why did I buy this?

I'm a big-time sucker for merchandise of obscure cartoon characters, and I do like how this was made. It's not perfect - the eye paint is a little weak, and it does have a(n arguably more necessary) label on it. But I like the fact that the pose is well-balanced, and that the base has been kept to a minimum (making it monochromatric - with the name sculpted on it, and not painted - might've been nice. Placing the nodder pivot at the collar is a good call, too.

This was an exclusive at the Funko booth last summer at San Diego Comic-Con. It's still for sale at toywiz.com for $69.99 + shipping (!!), a far cry from the under-$20 price that I paid. Surprisingly, eBay is the far saner option, selling there for $11.50 + $8.00 shipping. Phew! That's much better - Scooby-Dum's not that interesting a curio!