Virtual reality may have been all the rage in the early 1990s, but I confess I was just too darn old to have been into the hit live action TV show VR Troopers when it aired from 1994 – 1996, so I didn't instantly recognise this vintage Ryan Steele action figure when I found him recently – I just assumed, mistakenly, that he was one of the Power Rangers. This is a forgiveable mistake for the uninitiated, though, given that VR Troopers was very much a sister show to the very similar Mighty Morphin … [Read more...]
Cowabunga! It’s Fightin’ Gear Michelangelo!
Check out the nunchakus on Mikey! When Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reappeared in 2003 in an all new animated TV show Playmates Toys picked up their old license and relaunched their TMNT action figures with series after series of clever and inventive toys. These solidly built 5-inch action figures have great articulation – I love the toes and fingers – and the attention to detail is impressive, as is the thorough array of armour and weapons. Accessories, of course, are easily lost, so I was … [Read more...]
Meet Raider, a diecast Shogun Warrior by Mattel
Happy New Year! Here's a great thrift market find I stumbled upon recently to kick off a new year of action figure blog posts. I don't usually collect vintage diecast figures, but when this 5-inch Shogun Warrior caught my eye I suddenly understood the popularity of these Japanese robots – the sheer weight of the metal when held in the hand lends a certain authority to the figure which is very appealing. There were four different Shogun Warriors action figures: Dragun, Mazinga, Poseidon and … [Read more...]
Luke Skywalker: Legally Blonde!
In many ways, vintage action figure collectors have toy giants Kenner to thank for first nurturing the collecting bug in kids when they launched the hugely popular 3 ¾ inch Star Wars action figures and thus set-off a chain reaction of film tie-in merchandising which is thriving even to this day. They also threw in a enough variations in paint work and molds on certain figures, that over thirty years later adult collectors are still kept extremely busy tracking them all down. Back in 1977, … [Read more...]
Thumbs up for Fonzie, the star of Mego’s Happy Days line!
Earlier this year I posted a series of articles taking a close and covetous look at my sister's childhood collection of vintage Mego 8-inch action figures that we had recently uncovered in our parents' loft in pristine condition. What a wonderful surprise, therefore, to unwrap my Christmas gift from my sister this year and discover another absolute classic from Mego – a vintage 8-inch Fonzie from their Happy Days line! Aaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!! Is this the coolest action figure ever made? Thanks sis! … [Read more...]
It must be Christmas…here comes Santa Yoda!
Okay, so I'll admit I'm cheating a bit with this Fabriche Santa Yoda from the Kurt Adler Star Wars line as this is a 5-inch figurine with zero points of articulation and technically not an action figure as such, but 'tis the season to be jolly, so I'm sure you'll forgive me if I share this bit of Star Wars Christmas Kitsch that put a huge smile on my face when I saw it online the other day! An officially licensed Star Wars product, the attention to detail and hand painted finish does Yoda … [Read more...]
Kenner Super Powers: Green Lantern!
Recent years have seen a huge escalation in the release of superhero movies and 2011 will be no exception with yet more additions to both the X-Men and Transformers franchises, not to mention Kenneth Branagh's Thor. The movie I'm most curious about, however, is Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell of Casino Royale fame. Ryan Reynolds will star as the DC Comics hero in the Hal Jordan version of Green Lantern and whilst the release of this blockbuster is slated for June 2011, the actor has … [Read more...]
Buzz-Off – Heroic Spy in the Sky!
Ever since the news was first announced at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con earlier this year that Mattel would be issuing a Buzz-Off figure in December as part of its Masters of the Universe Classics toy line, the buzz (ahem!) about this figure got louder and louder! It became immediately clear from online forums that the humanoid bee from the race of Bee People was an immensely popular character from the original MOTU line, so with release of the new figure now imminent, let's take a timely look … [Read more...]
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