MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull Revealed

As expected, Mattel announced the forthcoming Castle Grayskull playset for it's new Masters of the Universe Origins line, preorders for which sold out this weekend on Walmart.com. I was a little slow to catch onto this new retro line of MOTU, but was hooked after finding He-Man, Skeletor, & Battle Cat last month, soon thereafter finding Man-at-Arms and Beastman. I swooped in and picked mine up for $74.95 before I lost the chance, burned in the past by quick sellouts of other Origins toys listed. The cost is a little more than the $20.00 retail price of the original in '82, but that was almost 40 years ago, hard to believe as that is. Mattel has assured us that 2021 will see the end of Walmart's exclusivity with the line, which will be celebrated by many an MOTU fan disappointed by the first wave of Origins spotty distribution.

This new MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull is so faithful to my childhood playset that it was too much to resist! The throne-operated trapdoor, elevator, and weapons rack are so similar to the '82 Grayskull that it seems identical at first glance, but there are some upgrades to this new playset, including additional paint on the exterior, featuring an all new sculpt. An added value to this playset is a Sorceress figure- here, in her all-white deco, telling me we will get a single-carded Filmation version in blue and orange. The box art is fantastic, very much in the spirit of '82, and check out the giant cross-sell photo on the other side of the box featuring a large portion of the line that has already been announced...  

This has all been too much excitement for me to bear, having lived the excitement of Masters of the Universe's debut in '82! While the Filmation show was a classic, the initial MOTU drop had an air of mystery I'll never forget- the first mini-comics and our imaginations were all we had to go by, and I remember the thrill of discovering them. Read more about the genesis of this long loved line at the Battle Ram Blog!

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A Decade at the Super-DuperToyBox

It's hard for me to believe ten years went by so fast, but a decade ago today was my first post on the Super-DuperToyBox. In the summer of 2010 I was selling old toys on E-Bay, and soon found a listing for the 15" Kenner Darth Vader I had as a child. I bought him with the money I earned selling some of my wares, soon finding other toys that brought back childhood memories. Mattel's 8" D.C. Retro Action figures caught my eye quickly,  tapping my nostalgia for the old Mego World's Greatest Heroes line from the 70's. Shortly thereafter I discovered the 90's line of  Marvel Famous Covers 9" figures by ToyBiz that featured cloth outfits much like the old Megos. Before I knew it, I had bought more action figures and a glass curio case to hold them all. I became consumed!

Above: Table full of action figures I had collected in just the first couple months of toy blogging. (December 2010)

Along the way I befriended many a toy blogger I know to this day, and while many have abandoned this platform in favor of Instagram and YouTube, I keep the light on here. I like the long form personally, and after nearly 1,000 posts and well over 1.6 million page views, it's become a thing I'm somewhat proud of, visited by people worldwide every day. Cheers!

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MOTU Origins Beastman & Man-At-Arms

 I finally ran into more Mattel MOTU Origins at Walmart recently! If you are having a hard time finding these, fear not: according to the talking heads, Mattel will dump these into the rest of retail in 2021. There is a local Walmart tucked in a small neighborhood nearby that seems to get more of these than the other six or seven throughout the county, so I've taken to stopping in once in awhile to see what's new. Beastman and Man-At-Arms were two figures I had back in the early '80s, so I had to pick them up.

Mattel hasn't strayed far from the source material on these revitalized MOTU Origins- this newer Beastman has clenched teeth as opposed to his original open mouthed roar, but the rest is so close to the original in both sculpt detail and paint apps that it's identical at first glance. He even has the whip with it's oversized handle, a repurposed accessory from the 12" Jungle Jim figure line Mattel included with the first '82 Beastman. 

I absolutely love that Mattel had the foresight to make all the MOTU Origins modular, allowing one to swap the interchangeable parts across the line AND the Masters of the WWE figures! Below, Beastman wears the gauntlet and bottom half of my Masters of the WWE Roman Reigns...

Like Beastman, very little changed on the Origins Man-At-Arms Origins figure. Due to his newly articulated arms, the lower part of his armor on the left arm is now a separate piece, and cued by the famous Filmation animated show, Duncan now sports a mustache. Man-At-Arms was a childhood favorite, and holding him in my hands again is a nostalgia trip. 

The added hinged articulation on these figures are a welcome addition, notably the rocker joint ankles that plant the feet flat on the ground. Hinged wrists and swivels at the boot tops also make these so much more fun.

Below, Man-At-Arms and Beastman join Skeletor, He-Man, and Battle Cat in my fledgling MOTU Origins collection. There's a lot more to come from Mattel in the MOTU Origins, including a Castle Grayskull reissue I've heard! I may be able to squeeze that onto a shelf! I have so far loved this MOTU Origins line even more than I thought I would, and can't wait to see a few more. Recommended! Visit the Battle Ram Blog for a more in depth look at the vintage 1982-1988 Mattel  Masters of the Universe line. Great memories!

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Masters of the WWE Roman Reigns

While I'm not a follower of the WWE, I had been looking more closely at Mattel's Masters of the WWE line since realizing their articulation and construction are the same as the new MOTU Origins figures. I wasn't really even aware of Roman Reigns prior to seeing him in this first wave, frankly, but thought he would fit right in with my MOTU Origins.

Roman's oversized gauntlet is obviously a mash-up with Masters of the Universe character Fisto, and his chest armor and shield look right out of the MOTU aesthetic. Mattel did a fantastic job on his tattooed left arm! I love the all-black outfit, which has some great sculpt detail on the boot laces and on the figure's back. The facial portrait has a little more realistic look than the MOTU Origins characters, but they really kept the Masters of the Universe spirit in this figure especially.

Like the MOTU Origins figures, the Masters of the WWE figures come with a short mini-comic very much in the spirit of the original Masters of the Universe figures. Those first mini-comics illustrated by Alfred Alcala were much longer however, including a narrative and multiple pages of illustrated action that set my imagination alight.

Below, Roman battles my new MOTU Origins Skeletor ...!

I'm unsure how more of these Masters of the WWE figures I'd buy, but if you are into the MOTU Origins line, Roman Reigns plainly fits right into that. His fantasy-based accessories and chest armor blend well into the Masters of the Universe sword-and-sorcery vibe. Recommended!

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Octobriana 1976

In my ongoing search for great YouTube content on comic books, I came across Cartoonist Kafabe with Ed Piskor. and Jim Rugg, two cartoonists who have worked for larger publishers like Marvel, DC, and Image, but also have seen success as independent creators. Jim solicited his own Octobriana 1976 on Cartoonist Kafabe, published this year by Adhouse books, which bears the distinction of the world's first comic printed in fluorescent blacklight ink. It's raw graphic style and over the top action caught my attention, so I threw down for it.

Octobriana was appropriated from Check writer Petr Sadecky's 1971 book about a supposed comic book character he researched while dropping out in the '60s with the PPP (Progressive Political Pornography), who went on to appropriate the character as a symbol of anti-Soviet resistance. A pseudonym or two later, and Octobriana, Sadecky's completely fabricated character, slipped into public domain. Her different presentations brought cult status before Rugg brought his retro '70s exploitation presentation to us this year. This dynamic, colorful sprint alongside the ferocious Octobriana never stops moving, exploding with large panels and halting splash pages.

Rugg had me with the savage Octobriana, but cinched it with Robot Stalin, here a metallic Colossus whose train bound Terabomb must be stopped in pursuit of revolution for Mother Russia!

I love the style this book is drawn in, and Jim Rugg gives us a lot of big panels and splash pages that I looked at over and over again, even putting a blacklight to, where it really shined. The 2-page splash featuring Octobriana's battle with Robot Stalin was imaginative and fantastic!

I won't spoil any more of this very short 26 page issue, but the B-Movie vibe attributed in Tim Hayes review in the Comics Journal nails it on the head. I'm unsure if Jim Rugg plans to continue this series, but it has potential, even if in a limited basis. Beautiful to look at and fun! Recommended!

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DC Direct Justice League Supergirl

Produced in 2008, this Supergirl from the Justice League Series was modeled after artist Alex Ross' work, and a jewel wave by the recently dissolved collectibles company DC Direct. There has been a bit of despair among some of the action figure community regarding this development. DC Direct gave us figures faithfully rendered after the books we loved, and that's what made them special. I found this sample for twelve bucks shipped due to it's extremely distressed box.

Like a lot of DC Direct figures of this vintage, Supergirl doesn't have a great deal of articulation. but she more than makes up for it in sculpt and clean paint apps. Mine has some sort of manufacturing error in the form of a slightly extruded, unpainted peg outside her left elbow. It's minor but also idiosyncratic of the sort of issues seen from DC Direct back then. The face and hair sculpt are fantastic, though she can't move her head.  Like all the figures of this Justice League wave, Supergirl came with a deluxe base- my sample can stand without it, but this inclusion is welcome- I wish all action figures came with a base.

Below Supergirl with my other Alex Ross inspired DC Direct figure, the JSA Kingdom Come Superman. Kingdom Come (1996) was a fantastic book that really hooked me back into reading comics as an adult. Artist Alex Ross and author Mark Waid's deconstruction of the modern hero was certainly informed by Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore's Watchmen, but didn't feel as cynical. Superman retained his sense of humanity and overcame- that's important to me.

According to She's Fantastic, this '70s retro hot pants Supergirl may have been inspired by Supergirl #10 (1974). Her face doens't exactly capture Alex Ross' version, but I really like her, and have had my eye on her for quite some time. I don't know if DC Direct/DC Collectibles' demise will make all their figures increase in value, but I have picked a few up in the last year and wouldn't rule out future opportunities.

And finally, Supergirl with DC Direct Brightest Day Dove and Jade, DC Collectibles Justice League Wonder Woman, DC Direct Green Lantern Soranik Natu, and DC Collectibles Earth 2 Hawkgirl.

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Mattel MOTU Origins He Man, Skeletor & Battle Cat

Super 7 recently produced what appeared to be recasts of several of the original Masters of the Universe action figures from the '80s, but it was these new Mattel MOTU Origins figures that caught my eye. I had admired the 7" Classics line Mattel released a few years back, but their cost was prohibitive to the casual MOTU collector. With the Origins line, we get the look of the '80s figures with enhanced articulation at a far more attractive price. Check out the video:

Theses toys include all the accessories the original 1982 figures came with: He-Man with shield, battle axe, and sword, Skeletor with Havoc staff and sword. Like the original figures, He-Man and Skeletor's  swords snap together to form a single, complete Power Sword. Aside from slightly updated head sculpts, these figures are very true to the '82 MOTU, but with updated articulation. Even the packaging is directly revisited, Battle Cat's box brandished with great art in the spirit of '82. Visit the Battle Ram Blog for a more in depth look at the vintage 1982-1988 Mattel  Masters of the Universe line. Great memories!

Mattel has revealed a Panthor mount for Skeletor, Orko, Trapjaw, and Prince Adam with a Sky Sled, among much more forthcoming in the Origins line! I am definitely interested in getting a few more of these as they are released here in the fourth quarter, particularly a Man at Arms, Beast Man, and Scareglow! I couldn't deny the nostalgic appeal of this MOTU Origins line- recommended!

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NECA 8in. King Kong

I kept seeing this NECA classic Kong on Instagram, and bumped into one at a local Target over the weekend. As a child of the '70s, the remake starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange was certainly more of my era, but I was equally enthralled by the original 1933, which was groundbreaking in it's time, and possibly one of the best horror films in cinematic history. I've somehow avoided buying one of the many NECA Godzilla figures released recently, but could not pass on this Kong when the opportunity arose. And if NECA produces a '76 Kong, I'd buy that one as well. 

I don't own currently any other NECA figures, but the paint and sculpt detail on this Kong is fantastic- particularly in the mouth and teeth. Very realistic! He comes with and extra roaring head and set of hands, and has pretty good articulation. NECA's tight joints make me more than a little nervous, but he can hold a pose handily once you get him in position. Being a classic Kong, photos in black and white suit him quite well...

Above, Kong with one of my favorite action figures, my ToyBiz Marvel Legends Hulk, and below, Kong with my Playmates 10" Skull Island Kong. The Skull Island Kong is a much simpler toy, but satisfyingly large.

Kong is a great stand-alone figure for any horror fan or action figure collector- I'll enjoy pitting him against other figures in my collection, and you probably will too. Recommended!

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