Toy OTD: Nostalgic Heroes Tetsujin-28 Vinyl Figure: Satan (Late '90s)

This toy is part of a great late-'90s line of old-school Tetsujin-28 characters, not surprisingly made by a company called Nostalgic Heroes. They really seem to understand what's appealing about Japanese vinyl from the '60s and '70s!

For starters, it's packed in a plastic bag with a hang card, just like the originals. Not much in terms of shelf presence, but NH stayed true to the roots of these toys. The color work is within a limited (but striking) palette - while there might have been only one or two passes back in the day, good use is made of the additional colors. The application is also nicely done, reflecting contemporary manufacturing techniques.

The sculpt is simple, but reflects the style of the original manga very well, and in an appealing way. There's a boldness to the shapes that makes it stand out, in spite of its muted color scheme.

There's only six points of articulation, but even that number is a little more than it might've been thirty or forty years ago. Most of the assemblage is fine, though the hip joints make it difficult for the figure to stand properly, the biggest detraction.

There's another colorway available in green, so you don't have to buy this color scheme if it doesn't appeal to you. It's always good to have choices!

I bought the robot pictured above at Super 7 some time ago for about $60. If you can read Japanese, and if they ship internationally, it looks like you should still be able to buy it directly from the NH website for $62.00 + shipping. The figure is also listed at coolstuffvideos.com, so you may want to try emailing the store owner to see if he can help track one down for you. Other than that, there's always the time-honored eBay favorite search, or a Japanese auction bidding service. Good luck!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: 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: 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: 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: Toycom/Alpha Okage: Shadow King Figure: Big Bull

I've had this figure for at least seven years, but since I'm not a big video game player, it took me forever to identify this character! As it turns out, he's part of the cast of a PlayStation 2 game called Okage: Shadow King.

Alpha did a great job, sculpting the character far better than he looks in the actual game! The pose is pretty symmetrical, but the shapes and forms are handled very well. The paint work is also very good - rather tight paint apps, and in a wide variety of colors.

Big Bull stands well by himself, but there are accessories packed with him - two of which might be display bases. If they are, I don't remember any anchoring pegs on them, so they were a little disappointing. Mr. Bull also comes with a Linda figure, amongst other extras (they probably make more sense if you know the game well).

The packaging itself isn't all that exciting - it's the usual blister/back card combo. It is on-theme with the promotional art for the game, but the blister covers most of the artwork, rendering it pretty murky. On the bright side, the figures are mounted front and center so shoppers can look over the paint jobs easily.

All of the other visual elements of the toys are so underutilized that Alpha seems to push all their chips onto the character designs - if you like them, you'll buy these toys, but there's not a lot of other convincing aspects in the presentation.

If you do like this set, you can still get it for £16.99 (+ £11.75 shipping) from amazon.co.uk. Have fun!

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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!

Search Engines: A Toy Hunting Tutorial

Every once in a while, I'll get an email from a Flickr pal or blog reader asking me to help them find a toy. While I don't mind helping folks out, I think the hunt is part of the fun of collecting - while it can be frustrating, it's a blast to finally run across that elusive gewgaw that you've been searching for. Many people are amazed at how quickly/easily I can usually find something, but the search method is really quite simple. Here's how I do it:

Search engines are your friend - you can find almost anything online if you want to (and sometimes when you don't). Here's my three best guides when thrashing through the undergrowth of information:

1) Google - I guess that's pretty obvious, but maybe it's not so obvious that I favor the Google Product Search over regular ol' Vanilla Google. It's called "Shopping" in the topmost menu. Not only might you find what you're looking for, but since you're using the product search, it's probably for sale, too!

2) thefind.com - I just discovered this one. It may not be as powerful as the almighty Google, but it does turn up stuff that Google doesn't, so it's worth keeping in your backpack as another option. I have found toys here that don't show up in either of the other two methods.

3) eBay - This is especially good if your toy isn't currently available. I'm sure you've read my advice that I've written constantly in my Toy OTD columns about saving eBay searches - if you can't find your toy right away, you can save your search for up to a year, and eBay will automatically send you the latest results every day without you having to do anything! Pretty cool, huh? I generally find that almost anything I want usually turns up within a year.

So those are the tools that I use, but how do I use them? It's not super-tricky to use search engines, but it is a bit of a skill - or at least a way of thinking. Here's how to enter search terms into an engine for the best results!

Let's say you're looking for a toy from the latest Transformers cartoon. Right now, you don't know anything else but that. You can enter "transformers toy" into a search engine, but you'll get tons and tons of results to wade through. How do you narrow it down? Well, first you need to find out what the new show is called - that will distinguish it from all of the other Transformers programs that have aired over the last twenty-five years or so!

Maybe you've just seen a clip, (but not the opening title sequence). You can drop "transformers" into Google's Image Search, and look at a bunch of robot pictures until you find one that looks like the clip you remember. Every picture has a link to the original page it came from, so chances are you'll be able to figure out which program was the source of the picture. Since you're looking for a brand new show, you'll probably find it more easily, since fans of a newer program will be much more likely to jump online right away and post a bunch of stuff about it.

Another way to go is to enter "transformers fan site" into Vanilla Google, and find out about the show that way. More than likely, a huge group of internet nerds have already done a lot of the work for you!

Okay, now you know that the show (and the toy line) is called Transformers Animated. Generally, that should narrow things down sufficiently to find the toy that you want. But let's say that it doesn't - let's just say (for the sake of argument, because this will happen in other searches) that the websites that you found didn't have much more information than the title. So now you'll need to narrow things down a little further. The more specific you can be, the less digging through search results you'll have to do.

Who makes the toys? This can be really helpful to learn, especially if you don't have a lot of other information (or if the toy is an older one). You'll need to use a search engine ("transformers animated manufacturer"?), ask your robot geek friends, or chat with some online at a Transformers fan site. Most internet folks love sharing information (aka showing off their knowledge), and will be happy to help you!

By now, you've figured out that Hasbro makes a lot of the Transformers Animated merchandise. Okay, now you need to figure out which toy you want. Let's say it's an action figure (as opposed to bedsheets or something). Now you need to know which character you want. Hopefully by using one of the methods I've already mentioned, you can figure out which robot you want - for instance, you find out that the character you like best is the one that turns into a police car, and that its name is Jazz. Great!

Now you can jump onto any of the search engines you want and have a really good chance of finding exactly the figure you want (or at least thinning the results down to an acceptable amount). Here's some other things to keep in mind:

How big is the toy? - many characters (oh, say Batman for example) come in a very wide variety of sizes.

Can the name be misspelled easily? - I missed out on a bunch of eBay auctions for Dr. Seuss items because a lot of eBay sellers spelled it 'Suess'. Enter a few variations in your saved searches!

Be specific, but not too specific - you may have learned more about the toy you want than the seller by this point! Try more generic terms too, just in case, but add one really specific word to keep the results manageable. Most engines pick out keywords for additional results, but it's good to keep in mind.

Is there anything else distinctive about the toy? - is it an exclusive? Does it have a special name? Was it featured at only one toy show/online shop/convention? Who designed it? Who customized it? Etc.

Don't hunt on a deadline - some toys can take months or years to uncover. Be patient and thorough!

Well, that's the thinking that I use when I'm toy hunting. I hope these tips help you to find some long-loved, long lost toy. 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: 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: 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: 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: Electric Tiki Teeny Weeny Mini-Maquette: Little Lotta

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

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

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

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

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

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

Toy OTD: 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: Applause Rover Dangerfield Plush (1991)

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

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

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

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

Toy OTD: '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!

Dylan Sisson's New Vinyl Toy!

Check out Idle Hands, a nifty ten-inch vinyl toy that'll be premiering at Comic-Con! It's the creation of Dylan Sisson, and you'll be able to get any one (or all) of three colorways at the Toy Tokyo booth (#5237). See you there!

Barbie Takes Bratz To Court

Apparently, the originator of the wildly successful Bratz doll line was still under contract with Mattel when Barbie's controversial rival was created. Naturally, with so much at stake, the claim is going to court:

"The tiny, fake fur was flying as the Barbie-Bratz court battle wrapped up Thursday, with toy industry giant Mattel Inc. and upstart MGA Entertainment Inc. both claiming ownership of the hugely successful Bratz line of dolls.

MGA, which seven years ago debuted the saucy Bratz doll, has maintained from the May 27 start of the trial that Mattel was trying to unfairly stomp out competition to its faltering Barbie empire.

"For 40 years Barbie was the only doll in town," Tom Nolan, lawyer for Van Nuys-based MGA, said in his closing argument. "And then Bratz came in and knocked her off her pedestal."

Mattel, headquartered in El Segundo, sued in 2004, claiming that Bratz -- known for hip-hugging outfits and bare midriffs that have given some parents fits -- were secretly created by one of its own Barbie designers, Carter Bryant, even though he had an exclusivity contract with the company."

Read the rest of David Colker's LA Times article here.

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: SEG, Tim Biskup's Alphabeast Figure: Red Pollard

I've heard that this is Tim Biskup's first vinyl figure, and that could well be true - I can't remember the timeline of his toy releases, but I think that it was the first Biskup toy that I bought.

Regardless, it's great - a small vinyl originally in a retro-kaiju bag with a header card (also designed by Biskup)! Also included was a 350-piece, limited edition mini-print, which was very nicely done.

The sculpt is simple but appealing - very much in the style of Mr. Biskup's 2-D work. This toy is clearly meant to be an art piece - there's only one point of articulation (at the neck). The color more than makes up for it, though - again, not very many colors, but very well coordinated and applied.

This version of the Pollard is four inches tall - keep in mind that there's many other colorways, not to mention a 10" version in still more colors. Do yourself a favor, and do some research so you can pick a favorite before you buy!

This toy has been out for a while, but there's one for sale right now on eBay - it's currently at $26.00 + $4.80 shipping. The auction's going for five more days, so keep a close eye on it if you really want one. Good luck!

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!