Review > Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man Bank

August 10, 2009 | Poe

stay-puft-marshmallow-manAs a kid I had a few Real Ghostbusters toys, including the ‘Busters themselves, but I didn’t love any of them as much as I did Slimer (originally called “The Green Ghost”) and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man (SPMM).

The original Kenner Stay-Puft figure was about 7″ tall and made from rotocast white vinyl with a smooth finish. He felt a lot like a dog toy, but I think that was part of his appeal.

In 2004, NECA released a titanic, 18″ SPMM. I was lucky enough to get one of these as a Christmas present just a couple years ago. It was rotocast but made from solid material, with a stucco-like texture, a far more pissed-off expression than the Kenner version, and mildly more articulation, though his arms were still stuck jutting out to either side. (more…)

Review > Ghostbusters Minimates, Part I

August 5, 2009 | Poe

I am way late getting on board the Minimates bandwagon, and from what I can tell it seems I’m not alone–the Ghostbusters Minimates seem to be selling very well, which suggests to me that it’s attracting casual collectors as well as Minimate diehards (no doubt to their chagrin–I was lucky enough to score a the Ray/Marshmallow Man 2-pack shown in yesterday’s It Figures, while longtime Minimate fan Rustin Parr has yet to find one).

In general, I’ve never been very interested in “non-realistic” action figure lines–block figures, vinyl figures, and so forth. It was only my resurgent interest in Ghostbusters, along with a  strong recommendation from the aforementioned Mr. Parr, that got me to consider picking up a set. (more…)

NECA nabs Heroclix, Diamond gets Battle Beasts

August 4, 2009 | Poe

I thought I’d draw your attention to two fairly significant corporate acquisitions that may have been buried amongst the SDCC news.

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After months of rumors, it’s been pretty much confirmed (there hasn’t been an official announcement yet) that NECA has bought Wizkids from Topps. Wizkids’ biggest property, as I’m sure you know, is the tabletop miniatures game Heroclix, which features characters from DC, Marvel and Dark Horse, among others. There’s also the spinoff game Horrorclix, which features Jason, Freddy, and even Cthulhu himself.

I don’t have any sense of how well the Clix property has fared over the last couple of years. I imagine that once they’d gotten down to the third- and fourth-stringers in the DC and Marvel universes, there might have been a problem keeping up interest in the game. I also thought it was a mistake not to make Heroclix and Horrorclix fully compatible. In any event, it seems NECA will be taking the reigns, and we’ll have to see what they do with it.

In other news, Diamond Select now has Battle Beasts, the 1980s toy line featuring little manimals with weapons and stickers you rubbed to find out if their strength was wood, water, or fire. (more…)

Minimates Playset = Awesome

July 21, 2009 | Poe

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I’ve managed not to get into the whole Minimate thing thus far–I’m nearly broke paying for what I already collect–but Rustin Parr was pushing them hard when I met with him this past weekend (it was quite fun time, also attended by Poesters PrkftTear, Ed, and the soon-to-be-famous-author Red Kryptonite). I’ve even received emails from readers (well, one email from one reader) asking for more Minimate coverage here on the site. Anyway, when I came across this news, I had to post it. (more…)

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode)

June 15, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy Artemis reviews the Diamond Select Toys Star Trek Deep Space Nine Dr. Julian Bashir figure. Excerpt: “The face is where it falls apart …”

Dave Van Domelen reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe class Bumblebee and Soundwave figures. Excerpt: “(Re: Soundwave) … for the most part this is a toy you leave in robot mode.” (See also.)

Dave Van Domelen reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Fast Action Battlers Devastation Blast Long Haul figure. Excerpt: “A brutish mold for a brutish Decepticon …” (more…)

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode)

June 10, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy Monkey Boy reviews the NECA Terminator 2: Judgment Day T-800 (Pescadero Escape) figure. Excerpt: “Despite the dearth of accessories and the lack of mobility below the waist, this really is a fine figure.”

Poe Ghostal reviews the NECA Terminator 2: Judgment Day T-800 (Pescadero Escape) figure. Excerpt: “NECA’s Kyle Tankman’ Windrix once again proves he’s one of the best in the business when it comes to detailed sculpting and high-quality likenesses.”

yo go re reviews the Diamond Select Toys Marvel Minimates Punisher War Zone Punisher and Jigsaw Toys R’ Us exclusive two-pack. Excerpt: “We normally try not to gush in our reviews, but this time, I just can’t help it.” (more…)

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode)

June 3, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy Michael Crawford reviews the Hot Toys Hellboy II: The Golden Army Hellboy 1/6-scale figure. Excerpt: “Hot Toys is sort of like Pixar these days – it’s hard to judge them on the same scale as everyone else, because their work is so far above the competition.”

yo go re reviews the Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Scout class Ransack figure. Excerpt: “Forget the rehashed Ironhides, Starscreams or Bumblebees, and go for something new. Or, in this case, something old.”

yo go re reviews the Diamond Select Toys Marvel Minimates X-Men Origins Wolverine Weapon X Wolverine and Silver Fox Toys R’ Us exclusive two-pack. Excerpt: “… a nice value.” (more…)

Toy review roundup (via Fanmode)

June 1, 2009 | Poe

fanmode-copy Michael Crawford reviews the Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics Zodac Mattycollector.com exclusive figure. Excerpt: “… if Mattel could just produce mass market action figures with this level of build quality.”

Poe Ghostal reviews the Mattel DC Universe Classics Collect and Connect Giganta figure. Excerpt: “… she’s probably the hottest woman the Horsemen have sculpted so far.”

Poe Ghostal reviews the Mattel DC Universe Classics Vigilante figure. Excerpt: “He’s one of my favorite figures in my second-favorite DCUC wave this far …” (more…)