The Family that Busts Together

 The Family that Busts Together

Hasbro Ghostbusters - Target Exclusive

Yeah…unfortunate title.  In a world of committee think, no one spoke out against that one?  That’s the best they could come up with? Whatever, at least they are finally delivering Phoebe, the main character of Ghostbusters Afterlife.  They movie is already here and is doing quite well, so Hasbro may have “Baby Yoda-ed” yet another property by getting her out so late in the game.  Worse than that, they’ve gone the “exclusive” route, potentially making it difficult for fans and completists to nab her.  They’ve also doubled down on character exclusives with this as a two-pack…my long shot theory for Phoebe’s delivery was correct, for better or worse:  the ghost of Egon Spengler has materialized.  Sorry if you have not seen the movie yet, but what a major spoiler, right?  

This set was announced a week or two ago on a Hasbro Pulse fan video.  Coming November 28 to a Target near you…maybe…if your Target doesn’t completely suck, is poached by scalpers, or ignores street dates.  I did not have high hopes for this.  eBay already had a handful of listings for this ranging from $100-$250.  Sigh, I still had to try.

And it paid off.  Not initially, as I was greeted at store opening by empty, picked over shelves.  I had to ask an associate for them, presenting the DCPI # I had obtained from the interwebz.  I had to wait 25 minutes while they dug them out of the back, but I got em!

I’m not sure how Harold Ramis would feel about being featured in this movie so heavily, let alone showing up on toy shelves some seven years after his passing.  “For Harold” has been slapped on everything concerning this project…most of it is sincere, but at the same time, we’re talking about making money off an old film franchise.  Sony/Amy Pascal waited a whole month or two after he died to announce they were moving ahead with the turd concept that would be Ghostbusters Answer the Call.  As they were just chomping at the bit for one of those “old holdouts” to die, Im glad Egon gets to play a part in the righting of the ship.  I take greater offense to the exclusivity of this specific item.  Only at Target…or online at four times it’s retail price…”For Harold?”  Pfffffffft….

Anyway, the sculpts are great on both, even if the translucent nature of Egon shows off his inner toy components a bit.  Hasbro has thrown in a couple of nice accessories that make the set even more of a must have.  The “Spengler” proton pack has Egon’s extra mods:  gaff tape on the handle, shotgun grip, alternate connection hose.  The pack itself may not have all the detail of the screen model, but the cyclotron is removable, so you can view it’s innards.

You also get a sentimental chess piece, a jar of fungus, and a PKE meter with Afterlife taser mode.  Again, a couple of spoilers there if you haven’t yet seen the film.

Another spoiler:  terror dogs are back, and represented in this pack.  Vinz Clortho, the male dog with longer horns has technically been released twice in this line as a full figure.  First, he was a wave one Plasma series build-a-figure.  Then, he was offered in a two pack with Louis Tully as a convention exclusive.  Two terror dog bodies, sharing all the same details…including the head.  I assume this was an oversight by Hasbro.  They should have made the build-a-figure release the Gatekeeper, especially since it contained Dana Barrett.  They could have thrown in the alt head with the second release, but no…here it is, third time is the charm.  Apology?  Or their way of saying “here it is…we’re done now.”  

Two teams of Busters and a duo of baddies complete in one set…is Hasbro calling it quits?  At least until a sequel comes about, it sure feels that way.  Have I mentioned how happy I am to have that Ecto-1 popcorn bucket? 

 

Previously, on “The Quest for a Complete Ghostbusters Collection”:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2020/06/ghostbusters-plasma-series.html

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2020/11/louis-tullys-terrible-night.html

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2021/11/ghostbusters-afterlife.html

http://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2021/11/ecto-1-popcorn-container.html

The Rise of Evil

The Rise of Evil

Masters of the Universe Origins - Mattel

The Rise of Evil…fitting name for a Target exclusive!  As usual, distribution is uneven and spotty, region to region and store to store.  Target’s online stock comes and goes in the night.  Literally…you get once chance at the in-stock alert and you better be prepared to jump outta bed and fight armies of online bot buyers.  Having the worst Target that I have ever been to as my home Target, I gave up early in the game.  Gas prices are too high, and my time is better spent elsewhere.  E(vil)-Bay scalpers seemed to be the only other option, but I wasn’t ready to jump at prices starting at $60 and rising for a $30 set.

Considering all that, is it worth the headache for a goofy looking, pre-transformation Trap Jaw and the handsome, pre-acid burned Skeletor?  How often is one going to be playing out pre He-man scenarios in their Eternia? 

Kronis’ face is the worst of the line so far.  He looks like Horace from “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”, Billy Cole from “Fright Night”, or any terrifying human characters in Gumby’s world.  Neck down isn’t much better. 

 

He doesn’t have the skull and crossbones cummerbund, but does have a fuller shoulder harness.  The harness has slots for extra accessories like the bund does, but he gets nothing extra to store there.  Just weird foreshadowing for his extra claw attachments?  He does have a rather large rifle, but its too big to store.

Keldor is the big seller for this pack.  I’m sure he would have done just fine on his own, in a regular assortment, but nooooo…just had to go the exclusive route.  He looks great.  The purples are a bit darker than on Skelly, and I’m not sure why his future self would ditch the extra green paint detailing and awesome cape in the future.   I get the arm bands and boots, as he becomes a bit more monstrous in those areas…feet and forearms needed some room to grow, apparently.

He comes with his staff and sword, but with a unique, fading/translucent green and purple scheme.  I’m not sure if that is supposed to illustrate his magic powers, or his transformation from the acid wash/melding with Demo-man.  It looks cool, nonetheless!  

What’s more is he comes with a great Alfredo Alcala inspired alternate Skeletor head.  Gotta be honest, this is what drove me to keep pursuing this pack.  I love the old mini comics art.  I have one like it in the Masters of the Universe Classics line.  Where this one differs AND sets the bar higher, is they have given him some ruby, reflective eyes!  Way to amp up the creepy on this already awesome character!

How did I finally snag this set?  Well, Target didnt want my money any more than Mattel did, and I didnt pay an internet scalper.  I follow a fan page for the line on Facebook, where a kind fan was able to grab an armful for other collectors and was selling them at cost plus shipping.  Shipping is a bit high these days, so that’s about all the extra I paid out.  It’s great to be a part of such a giving fan community where there are others looking out for their fellow collectors.  Quite a contrast to the recently violent and greedy turn for the sports card community.  Out of control market speculation has lead to even more Target insanity.  Blind card packs are one thing, but they started limiting action figures to one per customer…with some not realizing that assortments contain different figures in a series AND some contain build-a-figure parts!  Target is the absolute worst in so, so many ways.  I am glad to be done with them…for now, at least.  The evil kingdom of Tar-get sinks back into the abyss, biding it’s time until another ludicrous exclusive is inexplicably given to them to bungle.

Plasma Series Ecto-1

 Plasma Series Ecto-1

1:18 scale vehicle - Hasbro

Hoo boy...where to start?  Well, how about thinking I’d never have the same sense of dread about my favorite property as I did back in the Mattel/Mattycollector days?  It’s too early to tell if Hasbro has Hasblown Ghostbusters just yet, but this new “toy” certainly rubs me the wrong way.

Mattel couldn’t (or wouldn’t) deliver the Ecto-1 for their 6-in figure line close to a decade ago.  Since taking over, Hasbro has given us hope with a slightly shorter than 6 inch line...short enough for a massive, in-scale car, perhaps?  Fast forward a few months into the pandemic...Ghostbusters Afterlife has been delayed, San Diego Comic-Con was canceled (please stay that way), and Hasbro Pluse-con (an online event featuring all of Hasbro’s properties) unveils this car in the hands of Jason Reitman.  It looked a bit on the small side in the video, but at the time, no one confirmed the scale.  They announced it as “Plasma Series”...so was this just a smaller mock up, or dost our eyes deceive us?

It would be “available” (ha) on Target.com a few days later.  Instant sell out, thanks to scalper-bots and Target’s piss-poor management of their stock.  The website showed the packaging in the same style as the 6in line...but then you get down to the fine print:  1:18th scale.  

Wait...what?  Does that mean there will be figures coming to fit this car?  Again, with the delay of the new GB movie (now pushed to November), maybe Hasbro is holding something back.  Then again, on closer inspection of this “toy”, maybe not...

First, let’s talk about the good.  It looks good.  No, phenomenal.  Inside and out.  The paint detail for this dilapidated, rusted version of the Ecto-1 is near perfect (save for maybe too much black on the front end). The sculpting on the roof rack, dashboard, and all gizmos in the back are superb.  And it was only $50.  That’s a steal for cars in this scale, let alone one that has some notoriously funky licensing deals.  

Added new movie bonuses:  suicide door opens for pull out gunner’s seat!  The seat is on a swivel, and has some sort of weapon or support arm that lifts up on the right side.  Popping open the back door, you get the remote control ghost trap, ready to roll out.  We’ve all seen these gizmos in trailers/leaks, but are itching to see them in action.  My imagination will have to fill that gap for now.  Good thing I can play out...oh...wait...no figures...

Here’s where we get to the main concern.  The gunners seat has no real restraints.  The seatbelts are sculpted on.  If there are to be figures for this car, you have to precariously perch them on the seat?  Eh, big deal, Toyman, right?

Okay.  Try this one out.  I grabbed several 1:18th scale figures from my collection.  Clone Girl from Jurassic World is standing in for Mckenna Grace, Bespin Leia for Finn Wolfhard, and Rebel Fleet Officer for an adult Ghostbuster in uniform.  Clone girl sits and fits just fine in any seat in the car.  Even the driver’s seat.

Oh dear...the driver’s seat.  Princess Wolfhard’s legs just barely clear the gap between the seat and the car’s immense steering wheel.  This figure is pretty tiny (on par with the the diminutive, early-1980s Carrie Fisher) and she’s having trouble getting in the car.  I wish that last line was a Carrie/drug joke...

I picked the Rebel Fleet Trooper because, from the waist down, he’s close enough to a Ghostbusters jumpsuit:  tucked military boots, baggy pants with pockets.  He looks great scale-wise standing next to the car.  He can even fit the passenger seats.  But that steering wheel...

I can’t imagine a suited Ghostbuster figure in this scale, outside of the kid characters, being able to fit in the driver’s seat.  Maybe that’s the plan, right?  I mean, it’s about the next generation of Busters.  The trailers only show kids operating the Ecto-1.  Suck in the guts all you want, boys...maybe our beloved legacy characters never take it for another spin?  

Or maybe this “toy”, (despite the previous scale offerings, despite the similar packaging, despite having the same line title) was never intended for action figures at all?  Sadly, I am leaning towards this.  If this is the case, shame on Hasbro for not being more upfront about it from the get-go.  On one hand, it’s still a nice, working model in the 1:18th scale at a great price.  On the other, Ghostbusters fans have already been jerked around enough concerning a modern, detailed action figure line being cohesive with their signature vehicle.  

It’s not like we’re asking for a 6-inch scale firehouse. (Stay away from Ghostbusters, Haslab!)  If the number one toy company in the world can deliver a car this scale for $50, they could surely scale up for $50 more, right?  $100 for a 6-inch scale would be a dream.  Skip the lights and sound effects, looking nice and not costing you a months rent/mortgage would be nice.  Sigh, I would like to be less cynical and more excited about the future of this franchise...but I’ll never forget the folly of Mattycollector...and Jabba’s f*%#@&* sail barge...

Side note - These finally became available on Target.com recently.  Sort of.  The link was active and had a send to cart button, but you would get an error message trying to check out.  This went on for weeks.  Contacting Target customer service online, the representative said it was out of stock and they would be working to fix the error.  However, a friend of mine was able to order one through Google shopping working as a middleman for Target.  I followed suit.  Success, but how f*&#@^* up is that?  Using a middleman to sell stock you told me was out of stock and your site was broken?!  Target is the absolute worst.  As much as toy fans want to complain about Walmart, I have never had as much problem tracking down their exclusives.

Side-side note - My car came presumably repackaged by USPS.  The address portion of the original Target box was crappily taped to the outside.  Inside, my “Plasma Series” packaging was dented, damp, and crusty feeling.  There was water damage visible on the inside of the box too, and it left some visible moisture on the bottom of the car.  The car was just fine, as far as I can tell.  Maybe it’s lucky this is the aged, beat up version?  Though I doubt Egon or Ray ditched it at the bottom of a lake before putting it in the barn.  Great job, USPS!  Having weathered the Trump administration, it’s good to see you back at the same old level of service!

Take a look back at some other, not-6-inch-scale Ecto-1 cars in my collection:

1:24 die-cast - https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2019/01/ecto-1.html

1:64 die-cast - https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2020/03/johnny-lightning-ecto-1-proto-ecto-1.html

And don’t forget the “Real” Plasma Series Ghostbusters:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2020/06/ghostbusters-plasma-series.html

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2020/11/louis-tullys-terrible-night.html

BB Units

 BB Units

Galaxy’s Edge Trading Outpost

Target Exclusives - Hasbro

While I’m probably never going to get to visit Galaxy’s Edge at Disney World (due to admission price, travel time/distance, excessive crowds, TSA hassles, Coronavirus, etc) the overlords at the House of Mouse (Barf) have graciously allowed everyone’s favorite exclusive retailer, Target (Double barf), to bring park merchandise to their loyal subjects in the flyover states.  Now you can buy the same, 2008 large Millennium Falcon for over twice the original price!  Or maybe some BB Units?  If you can find them! I found all three two-packs of BB Units.  Missing in the same assortment were three Astromech Droids.  What does that tell you about the sequel trilogy?  

Anyhoo, more droids is more droids.  They’re cute, colorful, and non-offensive (that sass-bot from “Solo” is another story).  Also, 3.75” figures in this day and age are becoming more rare and rare...

There are apparently more body/ball designs than there are head models.  With heads you only get dome or cylinder.  Hey, sequel trilogy, what happened to the more triangular heads?  Disney was probably afraid sharp angles might be deemed too aggressive or something...

I wish there was more color variation among these six.  I mean, two share an orange deco, and two others share black and white.  They are made so you can swap heads, but that can only take you so far.  The old Droid Factory Astromechs had, what, five swapable parts?  Sigh...

That’s a lot of complaining for something that doesn’t quite break the bank.  Still, priced at $10 a set, I would have liked to have paid at least $2 less for what you get.  But, hey, more background fodder for play as I re-write the further adventures of Luke Skywalker and company with my action figures.

Mean Gene Okerlund, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Jake the Snake Roberts

Mean Gene Okerlund, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Jake the Snake Roberts

Mattel WWE - Flashback Series(Walmart), Hall of Fame (Target)

Three more WWE Legends immortalized in plastic!  Piper and Jake have had several Mattel renditions over the years, with differences in attire and articulation.  Do these have what it takes to make the collection?  Plus, everyone's favorite wrestling interviewer Mean Gene Okerlund finally joins the fray!

Jake is sporting tights from his feud with Ravishing Rick Rude, hence the giant rat in a robe on his left leg.  It was a decent feud, but pretty specific and frustrating for those looking for the definitive Roberts.  (The one that came closest was the All Stars two-pack with Randy Orton.)  It's still a good figure, but may have needed an accompanying Rude with Cheryl Roberts face painted on his tights to really sell it.  You do get two snakes for accessories, but it would have been nice of them to throw in a carrying bag.  C'mon, Mattel...you put a bag in the basic two-pack with Dean Ambrose!  There have been some complaints about the torso on this figure being more defined than the real Jake ever was (and I agree), but the weird body hair stubble paint job is too gross to make you want to look at it too long in scrutiny.

This may be the difinitive Piper for the time being.  It sports the longest hair of the releases so far, and the head sculpt looks pretty darn good.  The open mouth may not be everyone's cup of tea for display but, c'mon, Rowdy Roddy rarely kept his mouth shut for more than a second or two.  The cloth shirt is nothing new, but It's kind of puzzling that they didn't go the same route with the kilt.  The rubbery material cuts down on some of the leg movement when on and it can be difficult to fasten again once removed.  Still, all-in-all, this is my go-to for awesome backstage promo-cutting Piper.

Did someone say promos?  You can't cut a classic promo without Mean Gene Okerlund reigning it all in.  Like Howard Finkel, they originally planned to cut him up and distribute him as a build-a-figure some years back.  This wave made it out with limited distribution (maybe overseas), leaving a lot of fans in the cold.  Thankfully, we got another shot at him as a Walmart Exclusive...single packed...with accessories!  With additional arms and blazer (red), you get two different display choices.  He also comes with a big production light to help assemble your backstage area.  Oh, and of course he has his microphone to catch all that beautiful wrestling prose.

These are great figures of the greats of wrestling.  The only one I could see passing up is Jake because of the specific attire.  Though, to be safe, pick him up...you never know when it might be your last shot at this era.

RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper...RIP Mean Gene Okerlund.  Gone but never forgotten.