Gigawatt

 Gigawatt

Transformers Back to the Future Mash-up - Hasbro

As I have said before, I’m not much of a gearhead.  However, my love of pop culture does extend to various rides, wheels, and random vehicles associated with my favorite properties.  Most of this bleed-over is satiated by smaller, cheaper Hot Wheels, but lately Hasbro has been delivering the goods in a larger scale with a twist:  Transformers masquerading as movie rides!  What would be on top of the list, after Ecto-1/Ectotron?  Why the Back to the Future Delorean time machine of course!

Instead of having these transform into mech versions of the movie characters, like the horrible Star Wars Transformers a decade and a half ago, these have been given unique/original Transformers identities.  Sure, Gigawatt is loaded with movie specific references/designs, but he’s not a Doc Brown mech: the goggles, the integration of the flux capacitor in the chest, lightning rod,  the Mr. Fusion canon...but without the weird hair!

The transformation to the car is much smoother than it was for Ectotron.  It’s fun, simple, and works with little frustration.  I didnt even need the instructions on the second go-round.  Of course the gull wings work and are integral to the switch!

The silver parts have a neat striation/grading texture to them to simulate the stainless steel body of the car.  The minimal paint is appropriate and applied well.  Little details, like the license plate and gizmos on the back end, are well defined.  The tires can be rotated downward for 2015 hover conversion.  Sadly, he does not sport BTTF III 1955 substitution parts or tires...that may be one variant I would pay for, if it came with a dusty, dirty paint deco throughout.

The bot’s gun can be stored within the body of the car...something that most Transformers are lacking.  Mr. Fusion can plug onto the gun on the top or back end, and the lightning rod makes a secondary hook weapon to Gigawatt.  I’m not sure what all these power ups do...maybe they explain in the comic book crossover from IDW?

Like Ectotron, Gigawatt came in a retro-Transformers packaging, complete with robot tech specs on the back.  This is of the few toy packages I plan on keeping.  He looks great with Ectotron.  I hope Hasbro continues to drop surprises like this in the future.  Spoiler warning:

In the meantime, take a look back at Ectotron in detail:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2019/07/ectotron-and-starscreams-ghost.html

Ron Swanson

Ron Swanson

Parks and Recreation - PhatMojo

Aside from Garfield, is there any better character to express your feelings toward Mondays?  How about work in general?  I like Parks and Rec, but I love Ron Swanson.  Knowing Greg Daniels’ work on King of the Hill, you can tell this character was cut from the same cloth.  Because of this, I felt he was more than worthy to join my plastic hall of fame.

I am glad to have stayed clear of the less-detailed Funko Pop version.  This mini figure hits all the right buttons:  a perfect carnival/fair artist caricature.  Funny how that seems to go with mini figures, Funko in general.  They always put more effort into the little guys.  PhatMojo, who made my excellent Ducktales figures, shows some great care for the properties they represent.

Sadly, PhatMojo couldn’t break away from the mystery box gimmick.  This lame marketing ploy is way past its expiration date.  In true Ron Swanson fashion, I stood defiantly in the entertainment section of Target, opening boxes and tearing open black baggies to be able to purchase the product I wanted:

So, if anyone wants a pile of Leslie Knopes, head to Target in Springfield, MO.  I’ve done all the work for you, but no thanks is required.  Bonus:  these checked out on clearance for $1.79!  Looking past the blind box chicanery, I would call that a steal of a deal.

Greef Karga, Grogu, and Zutton

 Greef Karga, Grogu, and Zutton

Star Wars - Hasbro Vintage Collection, Hot Wheels

Who would have thought that Apollo Creed and a Mogwai-cute version of Yoda would be the winning combination in bringing Star Wars back from the brink?  The Child has been marketed to death, but why so slow on my Greef Karga fix, Hasbro?!  After having to suffer through seeing a sub-par likeness on the 6-inch, Black Series figure, he’s here and ready to rumble!

It looks just like him...much better than the 6-inch figure.  This is my third Carl Weathers figure (having 2 versions of Apollo in the NECA Rocky line)...and I just can’t get enough of him.  I would have preferred Greef in his season one outfit, but his city administrator gear is a bit more flashy.  Maybe we’ll get season one before the slew of garbage Star Wars shows kill the franchise again?  (Hasn’t Cassian Andor peg-warmed enough already?)

The cape overlay is removable, but like most figures with plastic outfits, leaves him looking a bit long-necked.  The gun can be holstered, but looks a bit off...like it was supposed to fit a different model?  I would have to go back and look at reference photos to be sure.  In any case, it doesn’t hurt the overall presentation.

On the same run in finding this figure, I picked up a Hot Wheels version of Grogu in his pram.  I have a season two model in the form of the weird Mission Series (2-inch figures?!) line that I worked in a Grogu from a Walmart exclusive two pack, but this is the season one pod and it scales quite well with the Vintage line.  

The pod is die-cast metal, and has a nice, clear display stand to complete the hover effect.  It’s also just under $5...good enough compared to the close to $15 Vintage series.  Sure, Baby Yoda isn’t removable, but  he doesn’t necessarily need to be.  He can wield the force in a seated position just fine.  If you want to fast-forward and ruin him by giving him a lightsaber like they do all Jedi, you’re out of luck.

Also found on this run, another Cantina creep:  Zutton.  He’s not a particularly exciting looking alien...a person wearing a cow mask and a fake hunchback.  His “Snaggletooth” is very present in this sculpt, and he completes the Snivvian triad (along with Zutmore and brother, Takeel) in my collection.  

The most this guy has going for him is the controversy of blue/red outfit colors in the original Star Wars line.  His belt has a makeshift holster loop in the back.  Sneaky Snaggletooth...the kid is off limits!

With the Mando show going on hiatus while Disney + attempts to kill the brand via over saturation with shows no one asked for, these may be some of the last Star Wars figures I pick up for some time.  Get ‘em while you can, because you never know if you’ll get another shot.  Despite what some may think, even Star Wars a shelf life.

More Carl Weathers and Baby Yoda goodness from blogs past:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2017/10/rocky.html

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-mandalorian.html

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2019/12/baby-yoda.html

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends

 Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends

Hasbro Marvel Legends

Took ‘em long enough!  The now defunct 3.75 in Marvel Universe figures teased me with a set like this way back when Toys R Us still lived and breathed.  2009, I think...a decade and some change?!  And we got two different versions of Dazzler before Firestar?!  Travesty!

Well, she’s here now, and she’s spectacular!  Bright colors?  Check.  High collar?  Check.  Flame effects?  Check.  And she has an extra head!  Granted, I’m not as excited by this one as the neutral head...the exposed forehead and “wings” on the mask don’t do it for me...but it’s still a bonus.

She has alternate hands for fire-casting, or closed fists for knuckle-dusting.  I need to look into the current-gen clear stands for characters like her.  I’m sure there are also many third party fire effects that would compliment this figure.  

I’m just as excited by the special, pack-in character:  Ms Lion!  Aunt May’s annoying cartoon dog has jumped into the third dimension with a more realistic look.  Mostly static, there is a ball joint on the head. It’s not like she needs articulated legs or anything.  An “ears up/growling” alternate head would have been nice, unless...unless they are saving that for the pack-in with an Aunt May figure!  

C’mon, Hasbro, Aunt May is way overdue.  Just check the stats on that Marvel Universe Card:  984 pies baked!  If that doesn’t put her in the heavy-hitter category, I don’t know what else will.  Maybe double-pack her with a wedding tux Doctor Octopus to make sure she sells?

Aunt May would complete the colorful camp that is Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends.  I threw in a couple of new baddie pick-ups:  Doctor Doom and the Green Goblin.  They both appear in the show credits, along with full episodes here and there.  I also have a new, default Spider-Man, if you hadn’t already noticed.

Just the right shade of classic red/blue.  He’s also got this more narrow-eyed alternate head that looks like he jumped right off the pages of the John Romita books.

Doom is a repaint from the recent Fantastic Four wave.  Classic colors, he sports a brighter, truer green.  He only has the “classic” head sculpt, which is fine by me...true Jack Kirby inspired awesomeness!  

He’s repacked with some textbooks (used by gray Beast, the Hellfire Club), green mystical energy effects, and some yellow booster jets.  The only new part is a cloth tunic piece that sits under the cape.  I like it more in-hand than I did in initial pictures, but it can be removed to suit one’s preference.  I wish he had an unmasked, burned headsculpt, or even a Doombot alternate head...but I’ll take Doom any way he’s offered.

Green Goblin does have an unmasked, Norman Osborn head.  This should fit fine on any on the many suit bodies in the Legends line if you want to go full civilian.  Like Doom, we get some brighter colors than previous releases.  

I believe the Goblin Glider is a new sculpt, but I could be wrong.  The only thing lacking here is maybe a pointed finger with energy shot.  Oh, I almost forgot to mention the eyes...I repainted them.  The original pupils were way too big.  Like, Mr. Burns’ “alien” too big.  I also gave him a black outline around the eyes to stand out better.

These figures should still be relatively easy to find, at least online.  Doom and Gobby should be must-haves for comic fans.  Firestar may not be a necessity for most but, aside from the obscure cartoon, who doesn’t need another X-Man (and to a lesser extent, New Warrior) on the roster?  I hope to see her in Legends again soon...this time, in a more modern costume.  Bring on a “Maximum Carnage” sub-line!  Spiderman sells, and it would be a window to get other missing characters like Shriek and Carrion in the mix!

The Easter Bunny

 The Easter Bunny

The Nightmare Before Christmas - Diamond Select Toys

I think this may be the only action figure ever made of the Easter Bunny.  Well, aside from the “pink nightmare” Christmas Story reference we took a look at a couple of Yuletides back.  That one was more of an “action” figure.  This poor guy, while he looks nice, is more or less a statue.

He does have a ball jointed head, but that’s it.  It looks like his arms would have a standard swivel, but they are either stuck or glued in place.  The colors are great, the textures on the fur well sculpted, and the sash is well done...and he gets an Easter basket accessory with colorful but non removable eggs.

Speaking of accessories...this “figure” is technically an accessory itself.  Diamond Select has a higher end “Nightmare Before Christmas” line that features characters with either dioramas or smaller character pack-ins.  They sometimes break these down with less accessories and a lower price-point for Walgreens exclusives.  While this works fine for characters like Jack and Sally, this one is a bit of a stretch.  $15?  I guess he was too large to work in any other way for this model.  At least they could have thrown in a sack for the better value Lock, Shock, and Barrel set to drag him around in.  Or a freaked-out alternate head?  

$10 would be better, but at the same time, how often do you get action figures for holiday displays?  Ultimately, that’s what led me to buy it.  DST’s Nightmare figures are great, but Hot Topic more than over saturated the market with that fandom for me to care at this point.  I don’t dislike the movie...but give it a rest, folks.