Ahh, who can resist a 1980s blockbuster?! The 1981 version of Clash of the Titans, based very loosely on the Greek myth of Perseus, certainly had it all: epic special effects, Styrofoam sets, stop-motion monsters, and a cast boasting not only the cream of British theatre such as Laurence Olivier as Zeus and Maggie Smith as Thetis, but also a then relatively unknown young actor called Harry Hamlin in the starring role. A box office smash back in the day, it's a cult classic amongst fantasy film … [Read more...]
Another Warrior is on the Mesa: TRON Warrior by TOMY!
When Walt Disney released the science fiction movie TRON in 1982 its special-effects and computer animation were seen as ground-breaking. A moderate box office success on its release, TRON has since achieved cult status, and the film is often cited as being the inspiration behind the CGI effects and computer animation in today's blockbusters. Pixar boss John Lasseter has even claimed that “without TRON there would be no Toy Story.”TRON was, of course, the perfect movie for a tie-in marketing … [Read more...]
Popeye and Olive Oyl Bendees by Amscan
Before super-heroes donned their capes and took over the world of the comic books, another kind of hero inspired a generation - Popeye the Sailor! In fact, he recently celebrated his 84th birthday, having first graced the pages of the King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre way back in 1929. Over the years he has appeared, not only in print, but also in cartoon shorts and full length movies on the small and big screen, and his face has been used to endorse just about everything from oatmeal to … [Read more...]
Johnny Apollo Astronaut – the Movable Spaceman by Marx!
It's an amazing thought, yet when toy making giants Louis Marx & Co. first launched the Johnny Apollo action figure in 1968, man had yet to land on the moon! Astronauts, of course, were all the rage, with the Soviet Union and the US neck and neck in the Space Race, with our Johnny here named in honour of the US Apollo program which would succeed in putting the first humans on Earth's Moon the following year in 1969.Molded in heavy, highly detailed, white poly-plastic, Johnny Apollo was … [Read more...]
Armored Daredevil by Toy Biz!
In 1993 Marvel Comics decided to revamp Daredevil's costume and kit out Matt Murdock in a snazzy new armored costume in the “Fall From Grace” storyline. This wasn't such a bad idea in theory – Daredevil may be the “Man Without Fear”, but surely a little protective gear isn't cheating – nobody thinks any less of Batman because he wears a Batsuit after all! Daredevil fans loved the old look, however, and by October 1995 he was pictured on the cover of issue #345 back in his red leotard and holding … [Read more...]
Speed Surfing Silver Surfer by Toy Biz
Long before the name “Silver Surfer” was adopted as the Web's favourite nickname for elderly Internauts, this alien superhero graced the pages of Marvel Comics, first appearing in the Fantastic Four issue #48 in March 1966. Of course, the Silver Surfer never actually required anything as ordinary as waves in the ocean to surf, when with his cosmically powered flying surfboard-like spacecraft he could surf the universe faster than the speed of light!Before taking a brief blogging break in … [Read more...]
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Pink Ninja by Bandai!
Who can resist a ninja action figure?! Not me, evidently, as I knew I had to have this figure the second I saw it in a charity shop on a recent trip back to the UK to visit friends and family. I wasn't entirely sure who this character might be, but knew it probably wouldn't take much sleuthing to discover the identity of this dazzling pink net launching girl ninja!She may look like something out of Disney's Aladdin, but I soon discovered that this 5 ½ inch action figure is a Ninja Ranger … [Read more...]
Marvel Superheroes Thor by Toy Biz!
With no less than three Thor movies starring Chris Hemsworth appearing at the rate of one of year - last year's Thor, directed by Kenneth Brannagh, and the imaginatively titled sequel Thor 2 still to come in 2013, and of course, Joss Whedon's The Avengers presently smashing box office records all over the world - Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, has never been so popular. A veteran character from the Silver Age of Comic Books, Thor was created by the comics dream team Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, … [Read more...]