Hot "Dark Wolverine" Custom Action Figure

Some action figures look ugly. I mean, their faces: ugly ugly. One day I'll do a post on that, "Top Ten Ugliest Action Figure Faces," though I suspect Topless Robot has already done it.

But this custom Dark Wolverine figure, by "Cal's Customs," looks awesome and scrumptious.

Best of all, when you get sick of looking at Daken's mohawked-mug, you just pop the head off and...Ta-da!

What Action Figures Do You Think NEED To Be Made?

Robot 6 has an article up asking comic creators and other such folk what action figure based on a comic book character absolutely NEEDS to be made. Choices included Firestar, Guy Gardner, and Atomic Robo.

Personally, I think they should make a figure of these guys:


We already have a goat:What action figures do you think NEED to be made?

The Ultimate X-Men Toy Collection?

As a follow-up to yesterday's Ultimate Marvel Legends Action Figure Collection post, Phil has sent in a link to his own impressive X-Men toy collection (check out the rest of the photos at the link):

I would say that the two collections contrast in that the X-Men one is more mint-in-box oriented -- but impressive nonetheless.

The Best Marvel Action Figure Collection In Comics?

People who visit our home will immediately notice the focal point of the livingroom: a large built-in bookshelf filled with Marvel Legends action figures. My BF is close to completing his collection, missing about five figures. He has also recently taken to customizing action figures.

Recently, we have added a "wing" to house the spill-over.



Is my BF's collection the best Marvel action figure collection in the comic book industry? Or is there anyone out there who dare challenge his awesome accumulation of assorted action figures?

You decide.

Highlights:Mighty Avengers

New Avengers

Dark Avengers

X-Force New

X-Force Old

Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants

Hydra

Hulk Cast

Omega Flight

Marvel Knights

Exiles

Iron Man Baddies

more photos forthcoming...

Fake Superhero Toys Exposed!

I've long been fascinated by bootleg toys. They're usually crappy, but I like the crappy. I like when they get the color on Robin's outfit wrong. I like when some company overseas mixes disparate characters together in one package, offering us juxtapositions we might otherwise never see. I want to see Snoopy hanging out with Spongebob Squarepants, the two of them using iPods. I want to see that.

One of my first bootleg toys was a Mickey Mouse figural pencil sharpener. He looked like the Japanese icon of the "salary man," with sunglasses, a business suit, and briefcase. He was pretty obese. They had a geisha Minnie Mouse as well. Most certainly not licensed by Disney.

Then there was fake Voltron, which to this day I refer to as "Foltron."

Recently my interest in these fabulous fakes was reawakened upon the discovery of action figure multi-packs that feature some really strange bedfellows:


As you can see, in this set we have Superman, a Ninja Turtle, Buzz Lightyear, Batman, and Spider-Man. All for around 6-8 dollars. What a deal! And the colorful and unique packaging promise even more wonders: The Incredibles. The Fantastic Four. Maybe even Venom!

It's heart-warming how all the companies
got together to bring this unique toy set to light.

Of particular interest is the Superman figure, which boasts a large "Superman Returns" head on a much smaller, "Justice League Unlimited" body. And his chest lights up. And they have some part fused into his hand from when they stole the mold from Mattel.

"Collections Them All!"

In this next set, called "Superman Returns," we get an army of Supermen plus Metallo. Though cartoony, the Supermen look not so much like they were stolen from the "animated series" as they resemble the Ed McGuinness version. Were they stolen from the DC Direct figures and shrunk down? Is this an original sculpt? Who knows. The only thing I know for sure is that you get not only Superman but apparently Captain Atom and Shazam as well.

Superman, Shazam, and Captain Atom - - with light-up chest action!

And the chests all light up. Because you want that in your toys.

The capes in the "Superman Returns" collection are all frayed pieces of cloth glued sloppily on the back, and Metallo is widely out of proportion with the other figures. The packaging tells us to "Collections Them All!" And, also, "Let' s Fence Against The Earth!"

Finally, we have here a picture of two Iron Man figures. Can you guess which one is the fake?

One of these figures is a big liar

Unlike the superhero sets, the bootleg Iron Man figures seem to have been created with much more care -- the fake Prada of fake action figures. The intent to fool people into thinking they are the real Hasbro product is quite evident in the packaging, which are direct copies of the originals. The only way you could really tell a fake package and a real one apart, in fact, is in the luster of the paper used. Hasbro's packaging is crisper, with a bit of a gloss, while the fakes are matte and faded.

As for the figures themselves, the originals have more joints, with crisper color. However, the fake apparently has War Machine's accessories -- and, of course, the friggin' light-up chest. Because you need that.

el fake-o

This post is not an endorsement of unlicensed superhero toys. Though many have theoretical suggested age ranges on the packaging, I would never give these toys to a child; most have sloppy production values and sometimes include sharp edges, tiny/loose pieces that could get swallowed, and even weird-smelling paint. And, in the case of the Iron Man figures, the intent was clearly to fool consumers into thinking they were buying the real thing, getting out of the realm of "camp" counterfeits completely and diving head-first into complete fraud.

However, even that cool Batman collectibles book by Chip Kidd several years ago offered us lovingly photographed images of bootleg toys. Their crappiness have seized our imagination.

Luke Cage As Thor

God bless the superhero action figure customizing community.
He even has a peg on his belt to hang his hammer from.

Black Canary Barbie

Okay, Black Canary Barbie: too titillating? offensive? is the controversy justified? etc.

Black Canary Barbie is a $40 collector's doll. I used to collect Barbies about six years ago. The expensive collector dolls are not meant for kids. They have all sorts of stuff -- from possible "adult" subject matter to little swallowable pieces -- that can effectively place them out of the realm of your standard eight-year-old.

Now, they did put out cheaper versions of DC heroines that were theoretically targeted towards younger fans. This Black Canary is not one of them. It's a $40 freaking doll. Mattel has these "jazz" inspired Barbies that are even more extreme, with fishnets and sexy poses.

That said, the only Barbies I'd give a little girl are the ones where she's a veterinarian, or a police woman, or a teacher, or a journalist for the school paper. Something constructive.

You know what's really not constructive? A Barbie dressed in a pink tutu called "Princess Foo-Foo Flower."

That said, no, I wouldn't give this Black Canary doll to a child. It's not appropriate. A teenager, sure. Not an eight-year-old. It's just too adult. Not adult in a bad way. Just too adult, with no context for a little girl.

The problem is, many people assume, when they hear "Barbie," that we are talking about strictly children's toys. Whereas, like a large segment of the action-figure buying public, what we are really talking about are adult collectors.

Kinda like...comics?

(with a hat tip to Paul Duggan for the link)

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 8: Horror Toys

This Exorcist figure is my favorite from NECA's
latest Cult Classics horror line. This goes on the work desk.

This is the last part of my action figure coverage from New York Comic Con, this time focusing on horror toys. After a major convention I used to always hunt down online pics of new figures and prototypes; this year, I figured I'd do it myself. :-)

A large Beetlejuice action figure from NECA.
There is also a version of him in his tuxedo.

Another version of The Crow from NECA -- shirtless

Michael Myers from that famous scene in 'Halloween,"
also from NECA's Cult Classics

There is nothing gentle about these "30 Days of Night"
action figures from Gentle Giant

Mezco Toys immortalizes the infamous bathtub scene
in "Nightmare On Elm Street"

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 7: Captain Action

There is a new Captain Action line coming out this year from Cast-A-Way Toys. Unlike the original 1960s version and the 1990s Playing Mantis reissues, these will be done similar in size and articulation to Megos. Captain Action & Dr. Evil are already available online, and the rest, including The Phantom, are in the works.

There is also a Captain Action statue coming out from Electric Tiki, designed & sculpted by Ruben Procopio -- also an artist for the new Captain Action comic book by Moonstone Books. This statue will be available later in the year and can be ordered from Sideshow Collectibles.

Ruben Procopio, sculptor/artist, with his
Captain Action statue and comic

NYCC '08 Action Figure Preview Part 6: DC Super Heroes from Mattel

DC Super Heroes Supergirl

I have to admit, when I first read about this new DC line from Mattel -- to my mind, an analogue to Hasbro's Marvel Legends -- I wasn't that impressed. It just seemed boring, with a bunch of starter heroes like Nightwing and Penguin that just made me go bleah.

But the DC Super Heroes display at New York Comic Con contained an intriguing assortment of characters, including the Cassandra Cain Batgirl and two different versions of Firestorm.

My only quibble? Blue Superman. Do we really need another figure of this version?

The DC Super Heroes display at New York Comic Con

DC Super Heroes Firestorm I

DC Super Heroes Firestorm II

DC Super Heroes Clark Kent/Superman

DC Super Heroes Batman/Bruce Wayne

DC Super Heroes Catwoman

DC Super Heroes Batgirl

DC Super Heroes Wonder Woman