WWE Slambulance

WWE Slambulance

Mattel

Mattel is taking a page from the Jakks Pacific days with a new, 7-inch scale vehicle/playset.  It has been a while since the Slam Mobile, so the Slambulance is a welcome addition.

It features opening/tear-off driver, passenger, and rear doors.

There is some nice detailing with the seats, dashboard, and center console.  The back bay has some nice stickers already applied.

The hood can be smashed in or ripped off to reveal the engine.

The roof can be smashed in or outward.

There is a large, breakaway portion on the side.

The other side has two removable storage compartment doors.  It looks like there are pegs and tabs inside that were meant for some extra gear that got cut?  In any case, you can store some goodies here.  Too bad the doors were only made to come apart, and not open for equipment access.

It comes with a stretcher accessory to be used with the main action feature.  When you press the license plate on the front, the stretcher shoots out the back doors and rolls a short distance.

Without the stretcher inside, there is a lot of room.  Heck, even with the stretcher, there is more than enough room for several figures.

Since the Ghostbusters are currently missing their iconic ride, they got the first spin in the Slambulance.  I might have to get another to customize into an Ecto-2 (IDW Comics’ RV unit) of sorts, and keep the other a plain ambulance.  At $40, here’s the question to Hasbro:  how much could the GB and Cadillac license possibly cost for you to make a profit and still keep the bottom line down for the consumer on a scale Ecto-1?  We heard the B.S. answer from Mattel back in the day...$250?!  Like I sad before, it doesn’t need all the bells and whistles, or be 100% accurate.  Just look at the Kenner classic!  The Plasma Series figures almost fit in that, for cryin’ out loud!

Slim Jim Macho Man

Slim Jim Macho Man

Mattel - SDCC Exclusive

Now this is one piece of 90s nostalgia I could not live without!  Slim Jim turned the already awesome Macho Man Randy Savage into a Kool-Aid Man ("Oh yeeeeah!") type spokesman, crashing through walls to dispense meat sticks and combat hunger at the drop of a hat.  The bonkers commercials were a great fit for Macho Madness.  So good, that if you watch a certain sequence of them together, it looks like a murderous decent into madness for the sake of snack treats. 


























Killing Shakespeare:

Terrorizing the elderly:

Beating on kids:

Finally brought to justice:

Alone with the madness:

And now we have a figure to commemorate it all!  This was a San Diego Comic Con exclusive (*throws up in anger), but was pre-sold on Entertainment Earth before the show.  I was lucky to get one before he sold out.  It comes in a snazzy Slim Jim replica box (another package I am forced to keep.)

The figure is a bunch of reused parts from other Macho releases, but features a new paint job and two plastic Slim Jim box accessories.  It's rare to get a MM fully decked out from head to toe with hat, glasses, and tassels galore.  Everything looks great, but I have one gripe with the hat.  It's a bit small on the head they used, which is one of the newer scans.  It's not terrible, but even looking at the picture on the back, that hat should be riding lower on his head. 

Even with reused parts and an ill-fitting hat, I won't pass up a Macho Man figure.  Yes...that goes for WCW era, too.  In fact, one MM I want the most:

If Mattel can get me that truck in figure form, all past SDCC transgressions will be forgiven.  Even the Gleek fiasco.

WWE Howard Finkel Wave

WWE Howard Finkel Wave

Mattel - Walmart Exclusive

We all need a little Fink in our lives...or at least on your WWE classics shelf.  One of the most popular in-ring announcers from yesteryear finally make it to plastic form with the help of Walmart and some notable companions.  Seeing as how poor Howard might pegwarm hard as a solo release, they chopped him up and distributed him piece by piece with a classic wrestler.  What's more, each wrestler is featuring a new outfit that had not been previously done by Mattel!

Not to undersell his career as a whole, but Cowboy Bob Orton was more or less remembered as an accessory to Rowdy Roddy Piper in the WWE.  This might single him out as the least exciting of this wave, but his first figure was waaay back in the early days of the Mattel line.  So, if you dont already have him, he's worth adding to the collection...you may never get another chance!  This one does come with a hat, which is great for me, as my Elite figure was purchased from Ebay missing his.

This is the third outing for Rick Rude in plastic, and only the second in long hair format.  While Elite Series 40 was perfection, ladies and sweat hogs collector's could always use more of the Ravishing One.  The purple tights are nice, but it's hard to do any of his signature posing with basic articulation.  C'mon...he at least needs an ab crunch for all that classic hip thrusting!

Finally!  The Million Dollar Man in green tux!  He might be better off with soft-goods clothing and Elite articulation (as he does look a tad bulky and stiff),  but it's not like he's gonna wrestle in it or anything.  For what it is, it's great for cutting all those classic promos.  More with Virgil later!

The most demanded figure of this wave has to be Iraqi-sympathizer Sargent Slaughter.   I mean, its really the only noticeable costume change for him, and quite an infamous one.   He gets more accessories than your standard basic, featuring removable sunglasses and headdress.  Now we're only missing Iron Sheik redressed as Colonel Mustafa...maybe in a two-pack with crazy Desert Storm Hulk Hogan?

The Howard Finkel figure is a great bonus to this wave.  A black tux may not be all that exciting, but you do get a fully, Elite-articulated figure with a microphone accessory.  And, as I said before, how can you collect this era and pass him up?  These figures do run a couple dollars more than your average basic ($12), but all-in-all its worth it.