Review > Grizzlor (Masters of the Universe Classics)

December 9, 2010 | Poe

I never owned Grizzlor as a kid. I do recall thinking that, like Moss Man and Panthor, there was something uncool about the fact that he had fabric parts. Fur, flocking, and fabric clothes were always a turn-off to me as a kid, I think because it made the toy seem perishable. Flocking could wear off; fabric could tear or get filthy; fur could fall out. Plastic, on the other hand, was forever (or so it seemed to a kid, anyway).

And so I’m fairly sure I was never interested in Grizzlor, and though I recall seeing him in friends’ or cousins’ collections, I don’t have a lot of nostalgia attached to the character. However, I’ve re-familiarized myself with Grizzlor, as with many MOTU characters since the advent of the 200X line ten years ago (remember, the announcement came in 2000, even if the figures weren’t on shelves until 2002). And now I think he’s kind of cool.

That mostly comes from my love of monsters. Grizzlor is a big, hairy, classic-looking monster, and while the fur may have turned me off as a kid, as an adult I find it charming. Yes, on one level he’s a ridiculous furball with hair like Cher and the face she would have if hers weren’t 90% polypropylene, and if you can’t roll with that, you’re probably not going to like him.* But on another level, he’s a really fun addition to Masters of the Universe Classics (MOTUC).

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Poe’s Point > The Next Generation

December 8, 2010 | Poe

A few months back, my friends Dave and Jenn came over to our apartment with their three-year-old son, Aaron. Dave and Jenn both are geeks, though Jenn moreso than Dave. Aaron is just about that age where action figures start to get interesting, and in this era where videogames are slowly supplanting good old-fashioned toys, I consider it the solemn duty of all collectors to try and instill a love of toys in all children.

With that in mind, I brought Aaron into the computer room, a.k.a. the Toy Room. He was entranced by the shelves upon shelves of Masters of the Universe Classics, Ghostbusters, Ninja Turtles and assorted vintage toys on display. This, I thought, is what you get when you can spend your own money on whatever you want, as I thought back to the all the toys I might have gotten had I the disposable income available that I have now. (more…)

Toy Aisle Trolls > Maul Rat

December 7, 2010 | Poe

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Poester Ero sends me this latest, mystifying example.

Says Ero:

Saw this the other day and have been meaning to send it. Note the price above. A generic figure retailing for $1.99, and you swap it for a Darth Maul?? I’m thinking the gas on a return trip to Target cost more than that figure.

Are we seeing a bizarre surge of reverse-trollage? Are these trolls modern-day Robin Hoods, taking crappy figures and replacing them with much better ones? What is going on around here?

Of course, this sort of thing is never legal. And I’m not going to be impressed unless I see, say, a DCSH Two-Face and Catwoman in the Walmart 5-pack, or something like that. But still…weird.

“There can be only some.”

December 7, 2010 | googum


The old Mike Grell Warlord comics were great, even the issues after he left, and even though the Remco figures were straight-up Masters of the Universe rip-offs. But the revival series, that the DC Direct figure is based on, is just awful. Yet, that figure’s pretty sharp. Weird how that happens, sometimes.

Grell would come back to Warlord for a brief sixteen issue run, and did art for some of it. It was a vast improvement over the previous series, and a return to the original version and storylines; but didn’t catch on, sadly. Still, every so often, a movie version is rumored, so maybe someday Travis Morgan will return. I wouldn’t hold my breath or anything, but maybe…

Sword of Ages shipping error (Updated)

December 7, 2010 | Poe

It’s come to my attention that in my rush to get my Swords of Ages shipped out as quickly as possible, I neglected to combine shipping on multiple-item orders (I thought the website would do this automatically, but since it calculates shipping by weight, apparently not). If you think you overpaid for shipping and would like to discuss a refund, send me an email at poe AT poeghostal.com

UPDATE: I just looked through the orders and this seems to have happened only with orders of 3+ items. I went ahead and refunded those people the balance of the shipping. If you didn’t receive a refund and you think you were overcharged, shoot me an email and let me know.

A pair of Sword of Ages reviews

December 7, 2010 | Poe

First off, thanks to everyone who helped make the Sword of Ages such a success!

It looks like I won’t have the new Swords of Ages and Dread Axes until the New Year, as the Spy Monkey Creations folks are busy bringing you the Hammer of Chalybeus this Friday. (more…)

Four Horsemen no longer sculpting Ghostbusters Classics

December 7, 2010 | Poe

Did you buy the Ecto-1 subscription? Was the fact that the Four Horsemen were working on the line a major factor in your decision? Then Mattel has some bad news for you.

Hey TG,
Saw a response to another post where you listed various lines that the 4H are doing, but Ghostbusters wasn’t listed, probably just a simple oversight. But I gotta ask, are the Four Horsemen still on Ghostbusters? Or are future figures being done by Mattel in-house sculptors like the 12″ Figures?
Thanks!

While the Horsemen did some work on the original bodies for the 4 main Ghostbusters, the current 2011 figures are done by Mattel’s in-house sculpting department! The Horsemen are busy on DCUC and MOTUC and they can only sculpt so much at once!

Wow. I mean…look, I don’t think it’s geekish overreaction to say this is a pretty huge deal, and something Mattel should have made clear before the Ecto-1 subscription went on sale. (more…)