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12.01.06 by Widge @ 11:01 am  Neatorama points us to a gallery of...yes, you guessed it: monster toys. From the Aurora models of the 1960s to the more recent McFarlane's Movie Maniacs, this is pretty thorough. There's even stuff I've never known about before, like these kickass Universal Monster glasses, also from the 1960s. They're going for $400 on eBay right now. The cruelty of it all. Categorized as: Toys
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11.14.06 by Widge @ 1:44 am  In the realm of stuff that is cool for kids but pricey but damn cool for kids, Of course, the monster the kid there has created is a helluva lot better than I can draw--even today. Update: Sadly, it seems that this offering is gone--in fact, I can't figure out a way to even look at the FAO catalog on their site at the moment. Oh well. Categorized as: Toys
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08.13.06 by Widge @ 12:19 am  Well that's not something you see everyday: a five-foot tall remote controlled Gundam robot that has flashing eyes, sound effects, and is able to strike poses. And, as a bonus, I'm sure it will freak your dog right the fuck out. It's going to be available in December from Bandai for the low, low price of $3K in U.S. currency. So for the Gundam fan who has everything...now you know. Lonely males please note: girl on left not included. Categorized as: Toys
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08.04.06 by Widge @ 5:31 pm  Ah, nothing says devotion like rendering key movie scenes in Legos, like Cardinal Fang has done with Holy Grail. "Fetchez la vache," indeed. Categorized as: Toys
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07.28.06 by Widge @ 12:58 am    If you need some delightfully sick plush items to amuse and befuddle friends and relatives, then Toy Vault can hook you up. They recently sent us a box of goodness, so check these out. First up, they have a long line of Monty Python toys. These are the people who brought you the stuffed Killer Rabbit, after all. This time around it's the Black Knight. Just like the comeuppance he received in the Holy Grail, the joy with this toy is that you can just dismember him at will. He also comes with his sword so he can attempt to stop you, but of course it will (more than likely) come to naught. As with all toys associated with Python, the box the toy comes in is almost as much fun to read as the toy itself is to play with. The only trouble with that is people look at you weird when you have empty containers about your place. Categorized as: Toys
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07.19.06 by Widge @ 1:31 pm  Neatorama (click the link for the full pic) posted this Japanese toy from the 80s, which apparently worked a lot like an Eight Ball for answering questions, except...um, I don't know the God of Robots answered or...the robot smacked you with his cross...or...okay, we have no idea what this is all about. What few people know, though, is that this was a tie-in to God-Jesus and the Cyberama Seven, in which the second coming was a robot, and the cybertronic savior did battle with various flying killer tortoises and huge insects and resurrected dinosaurs, all of whom were trying to plant fossils in the ground to muck with the heads of scientists and make them think the Earth was older than six thousand years. An animated show, it ran only three episodes and aired only once. But goddamn, it was amazing. No pun intended. Categorized as: Toys
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06.07.06 by Widge @ 3:15 am  "Daddy, now I can play like I'm someone from the government, coming to steal E.T.!" "That's fine, son. But don't let me catching you vivisecting your sister like last time." Categorized as: Toys
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05.08.06 by Widge @ 3:44 pm  Apparently, it pays to be Vader's Fist. TheForce.net made mention of the fact a bit ago that our buddies in the 501st Stormtrooper Legion are getting a San-Diego Comic-Con exclusive action figure. This will be available at the Hasbro booth for $15 at the Con only. And, presumably, on eBay for jacked up prices afterwards.  Categorized as: Headsup and Toys
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05.06.06 by Widge @ 11:37 pm    Well, we talked about this first item's more visible cousin before. But as cool as having a foot-tall Predator figure is, it's even cooler to have a foot-tall Predator in full-on cloaked mode. Not only is the Pred cloaked, but all his gear is cloaked. So the shoulder cannon, the helmet, the spear/javelin/whatchamodoogie--they're all in the same semi-clear plastic. Now I want to see somebody hack this thing so it projects the triangle of three red dots. That would be truly bad ass. And this Aliens vs. Predator release is par for the course, since McFarlane can take films that nobody's excited about and at least make them tolerable just for the sheer goodness of tie-in products. Because this truly rocks. While we're on the subject of subpar films spawning sweet action figures, dig this: a two-pack of our buddy Vlad getting wolfed and...um, batted out from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Now, be warned, when it comes to action figures these, like some of McFarlane's output, are almost action statues than anything else--articulation factor is low. But I'm not sure who would want to do anything but plonk these down on a shelf and let them stay there. They wouldn't get along with my Muppets figures, for example. They each come with a base and the wolfman version has a plant as well--no doubt some spooked villager is meant to chuck it at his head. Categorized as: Toys
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05.05.06 by Widge @ 11:41 pm  The Minimates from Art Asylum are an interesting example of American consumer-driven miniaturization. Kind of like how mini-Ritz crackers are preferred by some to regular Ritz crackers, Minimates is apparently where somebody said, "Hey, let's make action figures, but smaller!" And an entire wave of toys was born. I've never really had any dealings with these little critters before, so I was surprised to see just how much articulation they've got: fourteen points (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles). So you're basically able to handle just about any pose you would want, although action poses appear to be the norm, since despite what the figures' facial features are on the box, they're all grimacing and/or growling. I was trying to figure out what they were all pissed about, but considering that when you take off Magneto and Juggernaut's respective helmets (and Cyclops' visor), they're bald--and there's only one spare hair piece to share among the three of them--I'd probably be a little pissed myself. Or it could be because none of them have noses. That would really piss me off. They get points, however, for having Cyclops' eyes be full-on red under the visor, and giving Juggernaut and Magneto full faces under their gear. Wolverine's hair comes off too, inexplicably. These are pretty slick for what they are, the costumes are from the Morrison days of the title, and well painted, except for the odd nit: Wolvie's claws have flesh paint on them in places, for example. But these things are tiny, so what the hell. This four-pack of characters comes with a DVD and a nine-plus minute CGI movie starring the X-Men in minimate mode. Along with the figures, there's also Archangel, Storm, Jean Grey and what all the press stuff calls "Ultimate Beast," which is crap, honestly, since it's the same old "new" Beast that appears in the regular comics. Not sure where that came from. Anyway, if you like the Minimates, you'll probably enjoy the short film, even though the dialogue is on a par with what's in the X-titles these days: i.e., no one in any universe could ever talk like this. Unless scripted by Claremont.  Basically, if you like the Minimates figures, you'll go for these. If not and you prefer your action figures more...well, action figure-sized, then you won't. Wolverine does look pretty amusing wearing Cyclops' hair and visor, though. Categorized as: Headsup and Toys
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