Iron Man movie action figures

As the mega motion picture juggernaut that will not be stopped known as the Invincible Iron Man nears its summer release date, so do the tie-ins.

Straight from action figure manufacturer supreme Hasbro come these images of the action figures based on Marvel Comics‘ prize industrialist and knight in shining armor, Iron Man.

So far details are slim, but in addition to the Mark I and Mark III suits I have seen the two figures below (Mark II and Snap-On Armor Prototype) as well as the villain of the picture, Iron Monger (played by ‘The Dude’ Jeff Bridges in the film).

These action figures are of the high standard I’ve come to expect of the Marvel Legends line, although they do come complete with wacky missile-firing parts which always reduces the dignity of the character for me.

Enjoy the images:

The full set of toys are expected to hit the shelves around March, but you can pre-order the whole lot at Toy Rocket.

Tell them I sent you!

Missing line of Hulk Marvel action figures?

Looking around online, I spotted these pics from a line of Hulk Marvel Legends action figures that have yet to be released.

It’s always nice to dream of a Valkyrie action figure, isn’t it?

(the other two figures pictured are The Red King and Sakaar, Son of Hulk from the upcoming mini-series)

Mego 8 Inch Super Heroes World’s Greatest Toys

PRAISE FOR WORLD’S GREATEST TOYS!

“…a stunning visual experience that will leave you weeping like a nine-year old who just misplaced Robin’s removable mask.”
— Chip Kidd, author of Batman Collected

“I’ve waited thirty years for this magical, beautiful book. And now, Benjamin Holcomb has given it to us.”
— Brad Meltzer, author of NY Times Best-Selling The Book of Fate and DC’s Justice League of America

“This book, so full of fond memories both personal and professional, could be improved only if it included footy pajamas and a Christmas tree.”
— Ken Abrams, son of Marty Abrams and
grandson of Mego founder D. David Abrams

Available this week at your local comic shop, or look online!

For any of you who remember the joy of the Mego 8 Inch line of action dolls, this is a treasure trove of information and nostalgia. I’ve been following the development of this book on the official site for the past year or so and it’s just so heartening to see someone who has this much love for something get his work out there… and in quite an attractive book I might add!

Publisher TwoMorrows is also offering a special limited edition version only available for purchase on their website. The limited edition version is signed by the author, contains a postcard featuring the alternate cover and customers will also receive a full color 1978-1982 reproduction Mego catalog!

Oh, and TwoMorrows is having a 50% off sale until November 30th.

Recommended:

Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys!

Halloween 77-07

As Halloween slowly but surely approaches, I recall my childhood. More specifically, I recall that comforting plastic smell of my childhood. There is a kind of solace that I found in my youth from the factory fresh odor of an action figure that to this day I find comforting. And how much closer can you get to that smell than a vacu-form plastic mask?

When I was a kid, I was Batman… or Superman, or Spider-Man or James Bond or… uh… some other guy. It was the 70’s which means it was the age of proliferated mass marketing of comic book, TV and film characters.

As such, I was very confused.

I suppose I should be happy that I kept my confusion to ‘which character am I’ and did not extend to feeling that it was my duty to leave the home and fight crime in my Batman costume. That would be difficult to explain and if I escaped harm from the experience, there most certainly would have been a price to pay from my parents.

Nah, I just looked at these costumes as uniforms. Much in the same way that my GI Joe had separate outfits for different environments, so did I too have many different identities to choose from.

The costumes in question are ofcourse of the Ben Cooper of Collegeville variety.

Some of the kids in my neighborhood had fancy home-made costumes that I envied, but in truth, there was nothing quite like dressing up in a plastic Spider-Man smock that featured an illustrated Spider-Man himself leaping at you… his name above the cartoon image to remind anyone you met that you were indeed ‘Spider-Man.’ It was that kind of attention to detail that I am still amazed at.

The available characters seemed endless. From Star Wars to Star Trek, even the Planet of the Apes characters were available… all in the form of smocks with plastic masks held to my sweaty face with a thin rubberized string which snapped at the slightest pull.

After adulthood inevitable caught up with me I became unsure of what to dress up as for Halloween. It’s tough, because your options are actually very limited. You could get a store bought costume that is very elaborate or create your own costume which can be… complicated.

This year I am once again at a loss as to what to do, but I one thing for sure. I won’t make the same mistake that I made in 78 when I let my mom buy me a ‘Star Wars’ costume.

The woman had no idea that a C-3PO outfit would surely get me egged in the street.

Click on the links below for some costume fun:

Gasoline Alley Antiques

Where The Toys Are

More silliness at PlaidStallions and Retrocrush

Rom The Spaceknight

The most enduring comic book character of the 1970’s,  Parker Brothers’ Rom the Spaceknight remains one of the stranger cross-promotional projects from Marvel Comics (next to Dazzler, originally conceived as a deal with Columbia Records).

The mainly stoic and immobile protector of the space-ways arrived with a set of noise making electronic sound producing instruments that would assist him in hos war against his enemies… not included. The story goes that Rom, a Lord of the Solstar Order, was on a life mission to seek out the shape changing wizards from another dimension, the Dire Wraiths. The trick was that the wizards were shape shifters capable of deceiving anyone of their true nature.

Luckily Rom had a device that could sniff them out with a gong sound, alerting him to quickly switch devices and zap the nasty wraith to nothingness.

Seeing as how there were no Dire Wraith action figures, it left Rom as a kind of exterminator sniffing out and hunting down your other toys as the devious shape shifting monsters they really were.

(many details about the Rom toy can be found here)

Rom sounds a little crazy, doesn’t he? Not a bad crazy, but… okay, maybe a bad crazy.

Created by Bing McCoy (interviewed here), the toy remains one of the most fascinating electronic action figures ever made. While the final product differs some from McCoy’s initial ideas, the Rom toy is something that I imagine many electronic music gurus had on their shelves at one point or another.

Marvel Comics, in participation with Parker Brothers, launched a long running comic book series that took Rom on deep space adventure. The series by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema remains one of the most commonly complete titles in any comic book fan’s collection. While you may meet a few fans with only a handful of Spider-Man or Batman comics, it usually falls that if a collector has one Rom comic book, he has all 75.

The fallout from Rom has not exactly been much. Marvel Comics assimilated the Dire Wraiths into their comics (they even appeared in Uncanny X-Men!) and attempted a relaunch of ‘the Spaceknights,’ but it didn’t really stick. Jim Krueger included an older distraught Rom in his Earth X trilogy where the one of Rom’s devices was revealed to be an important cosmic power device.

According to a recent interview with Johnny Darrell at Halfsquatch, Bing McCoy is in the process of acquiring the rights to his creation, perhaps for a relaunch. That might be something to see.

In the meantime, we have this video below to marvel at:

ROM 1979 Toyfare promo video

Vintage Toy ads from the 1960’s-70’s

Back when toys were made for children, the world was a different place. Toys came in all shapes and sizes, rarely a tie in for the newest blockbuster or flop in the cinema, they had entire worlds of vehicles, playsets and outfits to entertain kids for hours on end as their parents drank highballs and watched the Dean Martin show.

Vintage toy ad compendium- 1 hour long
(featuring Kung Fu GI Joe and the Great Garloo!!)

Toys actually taught kids something and often did things, like this 4 in 1 wood shop.

Mattel 4-in-1 Shop

Ofcourse, there were also the inexplicably strange toys as well.

The Thing Maker (Creepy Crawlers)

Witch Doctor Head Shrinking Kit

Space exploration used to be the ideal dream job for kids… before web designer in the 90’s and marketing or ad executive in the 00’s.

Back in the 60’s and 70’s, space was where it all happened… and little Billy Blastoff had a friend in Major Matt Mason.

Billy Blastoff

Major Matt Mason

In the end, the business went to the franchises, in this case comic books and sci-fi movies such as Planet of the Apes and Star Trek. It was really something to see so many characters that were loved by boydom in the 70’s transformed into one gigantic line of toys. To have Spider-Man and Dr Zaius in the room at the same time… it was magical.

Mego Superheroes

Mego Elastic Toys

(almost all of these great ads can be found on the “70’s toy explosion” DVD from PlaidStallions, my favorite website ever)

It’s strange to think that today toys and collectibles are mostly purchased by grown men, often in their mid to late 30’s, nostalgic for their lost childhood.

I recently bumped into a teenage kid at a Toys R Us, looking through their scant Star Wars display and traded tales of good finds and sad losses. In the end, I wanted to urge him to get a hobby, meet girls or turn to crime. This way lies a large basement full of labeled boxes, I would urge him… but kids don’t understand the siren song of plastic men.

He’ll figure it out one day.

10 Years 100 Toys

Wizard’s Toyfare just ran an article on the best toys of the past 10 years.

I’m more of a vintage toy collector, but nonetheless, it is nice to be reminded of some of the many triumphs in plastic from the past decade including the Four Horsemen’s much needed revamp of the Batman design and the inspired design of the Iron Man minimate.

Included in the long list are re-imaginings of many classic toys such as Optimus Prime (complete with the Matrix of Leadership and an actual moving ‘mouth’) and GI Joe’s Storm Shadow.

Click here to read the full article and let me know what you think should have made the cut.

Minimate Mayhem

As I have mentioned in the past, I’m an easy mark for almost any collectibles.

It’s true to say that after each post I write, I am assessing what I physically own in reference to the subject I just wrote about. I’m also short on cash right now, so I’m mentally building a ‘to buy’ list in my head.

It’s gotten to be quite the long list at this point.

One of my vices is action figures. More expensive than a drug habit and while quieter than tuning up vintage cars, it takes up more space. Even in this case where the figures are just so tiny and cute.

I’m of course talking about Minimates.

The miniature blockish figures released by Art Asylum, Minimates have been released for every franchise from comics to movies to TV series (including the new Battlestar Galactica).

To me, the secret to the Minimates is that on first glance they look silly and stupid and certainly not worth your time or money. Then you find that one Minimate based on a character that you love… and it’s too late. You’re hooked and your desk space becomes a veritable war zone of tiny block people.

Just this summer DC Comics got in the game with their characters and have been releasing two figure sets. The difference with the DC Comics Minimates has been scale. Brainiac is noticeably larger than Superman, Killer Croc is much bigger than Batman. It’s a minor detail, but one that is appreciated.

In addition, DC Comics has decided to delve into characters that have traditionally gotten less exposure in action figure form, such as Power Girl, Ambush Bug and The Blackhawks.

Marvel Comics has struck back with more detailed designs, including Thor, Dr Strange and the unexpected addition of Valkyrie. Their Minimate line has been going strong for many years now, they even made a movie!

X-Men: Darktide

However, the line has slowed down to a crawl the past few years. Apparently this was to build up momentum for the explosion of new characters I’ve just seen previewed online.

The Marvel Zombie comic book series opened up a whole new vista of commercial possibilities for Marvel. From action figures to T-Shirts and posters… I’m still surprised there isn’t a video-game. It seems like a perfect fit.

I was surprised at the announcement of Zombie Minimates simply because I couldn’t figure out what they would look like. Well… they look very disturbing.

From Captain America’s exposed brains to Spider-Man’s bite-ridden body, these figures are downright creepy… and therefore amazing.

Knowing a good thing when they see it, Marvel Comics continued to develop exclusive releases in the Marvel Zombie Minimate line, including Daredevil, Giant Man and my favorite the ‘light snack’ Black Panther and Iron Man set.

Just in case you think the non-comic book crowd is going to escape so easily, there are Minimates based on characters from Rocky, Lord of the Rings, Speed Racer, Street Fighter, 24, Back to the Future, Star Trek, Classic Battlestar Galactica and modern Battlestar Galactica.

I’m wondering why no one has called George Lucas just yet, but the moment Star Wars Minimates are on the shelves it’s all over and I’ll have to turn to a life of crime.

Minimates are available at most comic book shops, record stores (such as Newbury Comics and FYE) and online at BigBadToyStore.

Star Wars Legends Wave 3

Rebelscum just posted the info on Wave 3 of the Star Wars Saga Legends figures.

As a statement of my dependence on Star Wars collectibles, I’m posting this on July 4th (The United States’ Independence Day).

The ‘Saga Legends’ line consists of repacks and repaints of hard to find and popular figures (such as the #1 Fan Choice Dark Trooper).

Each figure comes with a coin to slot into your album (mine is getting full awfully fast) as a reference to the Power of the Force line back in 1985.

Imperial Officer (from A New Hope)- Originally offered in Power of the Jedi in 2000. An army builder, sure, but a well sculpted figure as well. I love the way he can hold a blaster or just casually stand at ease, arms folded behind his back.

The Pit Droids (The Phantom Menace)- Originally offered as a bonus packed in with other figures in 1999. The pesky and slapstick droids are a favorite amongst fans. Since many missed out on getting them when they were first out, it’s a great opportunity to grab a set now.

Dark Trooper (Expanded Universe)- A popular and very hard to find figure from way back in the day (1998’s Expanded Universe line). I wish they had resculpted this character as his blocky build makes him stand out next to his slim super articulated trooper brethren, but still it’s a real treat to finally add this guy to my collection.

Clone Commander- (Revenge of the Sith) As anyone who has ever visited my home will know, I’m a big fan of the troopers. This is probably the best version of the Episode III trooper that we got (originally in the Storm Troopers Evolution Set).

Clone Trooper (Attack of the Clones) - These guys always fly off the shelves. A well sculpted and ’super articulated’ figure, the Clone Trooper was originally only available as part of the Clone Trooper Builder set found online. This time around, the figure will be made available in blue, red and yellow colorations (no green?).

Sand Trooper (A New Hope)- A popular figure (given that this is the third time it’s been made available), the Sand Trooper is one of my favorites. A super-articulated version of the Stormtrooper with ’sand’ coloring added and a nasty electro-staff, you’d better help him find those droids he’s been looking for.

All of these figures will be available at your local Target and sometimes Walmart and rarely Toys ‘R’ Us, but you can also buy them at Big Bad Toystore.

Suggested reading/viewing:

Star Wars Vintage Action Figures: A Guide for Collectors
A Universe of Star Wars Collectibles
Star Wars - Clone Wars, Vol. 1 (Animated)
Star Wars - Clone Wars, Vol. 2

Star Wars Celebration Hasbro Preview

Looking online this evening, I spotted a few pics on Jedi Insider of the upcoming plastic offerings to our savior, George Lucas.

Ofcourse a plethora of Clone Troopers adorned the display cases… Must be a mind-trip to see a miniature trooper in a glass disply, then a life size version walks by.

Never drop acid at a Star Wars convention.

Some figures based on the troopers from the upcoming Star Wars video game were there are well!

Some very odd looking McQuarrie concept figures of Obi-Wan, Yoda…

a Snowtrooper (from Empire Strikes Back)

and Han Solo??!!

Are you like me, strapped for gift ideas for Father’s Day?

Why not surprise Dad with a gift that says ‘I know you want to destroy me or seduce me into your philosophy, but I’m a whiny son who will always forgive you… you dark lord of the Sith, you.’

Whodathunk that Star Wars would save your bacon with Dad?

Look for other recommended goodies at the Daily P.O.P. Store!