Jack Kirby

 Jack Kirby

NECA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I never thought this would happen...A JACK KIRBY ACTION FIGURE!

I promised myself I wouldn't harp on the "legacy" of Stan Lee on this one...but it's beyond time "The King of Comics" got the treatment he deserves.  One action figure is a step in the right direction.  It's not much, but its something.

Shameful that it wasn't Marvel or DC that gave us this shot.  Many thanks to NECA on being completionists with their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic line.  And sending that "thanks" back in time to Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman for giving props to one of their idols.

The figure is going to look most at home with the Turtles.  All those harsh lines and bright colors and all.  He looks like he jumped straight from the pages of the Donatello one-shot.  If you don't get the homage, a common "man" action figure may not be all that appealing.  He did come with a little Black Horde imp figure to help push the sale to these folks.

For those that do get the homage that is "Kirby", you should be over the moon.  He scales well enough with "other" figure lines.  So if you want to recreate the scene from the books where the Fantastic Four meet "God", all systems go!  

Maybe there's hope a digital Jack Kirby might show up in the new FF movie?  It would be nice, but it not like Disney gives that much credit to Ub Iwerks, so...

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/jack-kirbys-son-neal-kirby-responds-to-stan-lee-disney-documentary/

"My father retired from comic books in the early 1980s and of course, passed away in 1994. Lee had over 35 years of uncontested publicity, much naturally, with the backing and blessing of Marvel as he boosted the Marvel brand as a side effect of boosting himself. The decades of Lee's self-promotion culminated with his cameo appearances in over 35 Marvel films starting with "X-Men" in 2000, thus cementing his status as the creator of all things Marvel to an otherwise unknowing movie audience of millions, unfamiliar with the true history of Marvel comics. My father's first screen credit didn't appear until the closing crawl at the end of the film adaptation of Iron Man in 2008, after Stan Lee, Don Heck, and Larry Lieber. The battle for creator's rights has been around since the first inscribed Babylonian tablet. It's way past time to at least get this one chapter of literary/art history right. 'Nuff said."

Odds and Ends

Odds and Ends

Trying to play catch up here.  It's been a busy spring, collecting toys across various lines:

The Disney Mirrorverse mobile game is still going somehow, and so is the toyline from McFarlane.  The scale offering shave always been confusing...some in 7 in, some more in the 4-5 inch range.  I had to buy a box set with a 7 inch Goofy and 5 inch Genie (already having the smaller Goofy and the larger Genie) just to get Scrooge McDuck (smaller scale).  The steampunk look is neat, and it looks like he flat out stole the Rocketeer's jetpack for this adventure!  He scales well with the PhatMojo and Disney Toy Box ducks.

The Outlaw skeleton cowboy from Boss Fight Studios is lots of fun, but I wish he were a smaller scale to work with my Dime Novel Legends cowboys.

McFarlane's Batman and Robin movie figures all look fantastic.  This is is first go at Poison Ivy period, and I think she is the stand out sculpt.  Too bad she's the weakest part of that film overall!  

Random McDonald's merch:  old cup, Funko burger and Speedee.  Again, hate Pops, but these actually look like the real deals.  Kirwin Frost McNugget Buddies stand in the back, still beloved spoils from the holiday season past.  My army of Changeables grows!  Just a few more to go, then they can join the Autobots and Decepticons in my Transformers collection.  Best Happy Meal toys ever.

A Disney Parks exclusive Indiana Mickey I picked up cheap at Planet Comicon Kansas City.  Hard to believe we arent that far past the newest Indy movie and we're back to scrounging for old relics....sad.  Oh, hey, and I broke down and got a Toony Terror Elvira since NECA refused to do a decent scale any other way.

Masters of the Universe Origins is dying down, but the Ninja Turtles have arrived to save the day.  I like this goofy mashup best of all the Turtles collaborations, and there have been some strange ones!  Mutated Ram Man is currently my favorite sculpt.

 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Fright Features, Ecto Collection, Goo Jitsu

Blame the 2020 pandemic all you want, but Hasbro did their fair share in judging the demand for new Ghostbusters products.  Several successful GB-related Haslab crowdfunds and one successful movie relaunch later, they are getting another chance with Frozen Empire heading toward theaters in March.  With only a couple month away, how has Hasbro done with the toy aisles?  Well, about as good as they did with Indiana Jones:  not much.  And what little there is out there is mainly available at Target and online retailers.  Sigh...post 2008 movie launches...

So far its all been geared toward younger audiences with the continuation of the Real Ghostbusters inspired "Fright Features" movie line.  I dig them for what they are:  toon representations of the actors along with their signature gear.  They do get away with some body reuse, but they have added a few more paint apps (name tags, undershirts, elbow pads).  Best part about these, just like the original RGB figures, you get a hero and a ghost in one pack.

Gone are the action feature ghost gimmick from last time.  Now we have hollow rubber ghosts intended to be stretched over our Busters.  I feel they cheaped out on this plastic-wise, but the sculpts on the ghosts are pretty good.  Slimer in particular.  He looks just like the real deal!  Ghostbusters prime, even!  Since he was omitted from the 6-inch figure line, he makes a great stand-in.

Speaking of the 6-inch "Plasma Series" line...no word yet if we're getting anything new.  Maybe just because of the risk of spoiling the movie?  I would like to believe that, but we've seen how behind Hasbro gets in delivering demand waaaay into the cooling off period of a property (BABY YODA, anyone?).  Still holding out hope for some GB II in this scale.  Hope, but not my breath.

Beyond action figures, Hasbro has skipped the marshmallow goo gimmick and has gone with pure blind box gimmicks for their Slimer and mini-Puft Ecto Collection.  They are more substantial hunks of plastic than the previous pufts, but get off cheap by swapping out varying face plates, heads, and apps.  12 figures here, but really only 6 unique sculpts.  If they are your thing, there is a letter code faintly stamped on one side of the box to help you determine which figure you're getting. 

What else...a revamped play proton wand...redecoed car...some sort of interactive Slimer doll things...oh, and a stretchy Stay Puft.  Good for stress relief if anything else, especially while we wait to see if Hasbro, and the movie itself, drops the ball this time.

The Gobbledy Gooker

 The Gobbledy Gooker

Mattel WWE

    Mattel serves up quite a Thanksgiving feast with this "Jaw-Dropping Debuts" two-pack.  Of course, we get a great first-appearance Undertaker as the dressing, but the main course is the Gobbledy Gooker.    

It's a crime the likes of Johnny Knoxville, Zodiac, and the Shockmaster got figures before this one.  He's a 24/7 champ, for crying out loud!  And even a spectacular fail like this turkey is, he definitely stands out in memory. 

He's appropriately goofy and brightly colored.  Mattel did a great job on the rubbery overlaid costume pieces.  And just look at those feet!

The accessories really take it the extra mile.  Who would have expected his giant egg?  Or an alternate head featuring his modern look?

The Gooker is a welcomed obscurity on my WWE shelf.  He can also stick around and hang with my growing collection of holiday figures.

Boo Berry

Boo Berry

Monster Cereals - Jada Toys

He's a year behind his brethren, but he made it home in time for Halloween!  My favorite of the General Mills' Monster Cereals, Boo Berry is ready to "Monster Mash" a complete an balanced breakfast.

Naturally, he's smaller than Frankenberry and Count Chocula.  He's lighter in articulation as well.  Of course, he ain't got no legs!  He does have a flight stand that keeps him floating like a phantom and eye-level with the others.

Aside from the stand, he comes with his mini cereal box.  No additional head or hands like the other monsters.  Not that he needs them, but what about compared value?  

It's all in the paint.  He's got a nice, ghostly blue that fades into his special feature:  He glows in the dark!  I love glow in the dark figures!

Unfortunately, he doesn't hold his glow for very long before needing recharging at your nearest light source.  Still, it looks nice and spooky for the short time one should be sharing at toys in the dark.

It must be the paint blend that keeps the glow down, because look at the cereal box:

Wowsers!  You can see every detail, even the tiny "GM" logo.  It's bright, and it lasts quite a long time!  The box he came in (one I will save, like the rest) also comes with a healthy green glow.

The gangs all here...well...not really.  Frute Brute is a must, and I'm partial to Yummy Mummy.  Poor Mummy got left out of the cereal prize promos last time around.  And now Carmella Creeper is here to take their limelight!  

Wendy's DC Super Heroes

Wendy's DC Super Heroes

Kid's Meal Toys

I couldn't even venture to guess the last time we got a Wendy's kids meal toy that wasn't at least half comprised of cardboard and stickers.  This DC Super Heroes promotion takes us back to days of old in more way than one.  Aside from getting our money's worth in plastic, these figurines are reminiscent of 80s/90s properties we love.  MUSCLE, CUTIES, Monster in My Pocket...sure they are cheap to produce, unpainted minis, but they are so much fun to collect!

The exaggerated, toony sculpt are right up my alley.  Refreshing to see an original take not tied to a horrible movie promotion.  Though, that's probably why I only heard about these through word of mouth.  (Coincidently while reading a retro article on Monster in My Pocket.)

You get three figures per box...three!  Unheard of value there!  Each set is a themed group with six sets to collect.  Well, to be a completist, you would be collecting 24 sets, as each set comes in one of four colors: red, blue, green, and purple.  It is a bit strange having a purple Flash...who do I look like?  Geoff Johns?!

Wendy's did us a solid by not sticking to true the "mystery box" gimmick.  There is a sealed box involved, but there is also a number and color for the set inside on the bottom of the box.  As an added bonus, there are mini trading cards for each figure!

I would like to see this theme return in the future.  The villains are way outnumbered and some DC staples are noticeably absent.  How about a whole Batman promotion to get a good chunk of his rogues gallery in this style?  

I imagine this promotion will carry on through Halloween. Don't sleep on these if you are a DC fan and/or fan of 80s/90s toys.