Hey, Mr. Postman!

I am really behind on "Hey, Mr. Postman" because, well... toys (laughs) keep arriving in the mail! This will be coming to a halt due to three issues- #1. I am running over budget currently, and need to catch up, #2. I have more than enough to write about for quite awhile, and #3. I have had to reorganize to make room (which was probably needed anyway)! But now let me describe for you a pleasant visit from the mailman I recently experienced... it was a big one from Langes Sports, I get killer combined shipping from them...

*A couple more D.C. Direct New Frontier figures- Series 2 The Flash and Martian Manhunter. That's seven from this series- I obviously dig the retro vibe in my toys, and these guys have that... I just want Dr. Fate and I'll quit, honest...

*D.C. Direct First Appearance Series 4 Martian Manhunter and Blue Beetle, another "throwback series" I've really been getting into. I now have three Martian Manhunter figures, and I'm unsure why, other than he's one of the few guys in the D.C. Universe that can stand toe to toe with Superman- he's a badass. I knew nothing of Blue Beetle until that killer Batman, The Brave and The Bold show came out... that's enough reason to get him...

*D.C. Direct All Star Comics series Batman- I also like THIS very retro-looking series from D.C. Direct... see a pattern here?

*D.C. Direct ReActivated Series 1 Batman- they skipped the sloppy gold paint accents to his utility belt shown on the back of the card with my figure, Thank You :)

*Last but definitely NOT least, D.C. Direct SuperFriends Series 3 Superman! I love this- My brother and I used to watch SuperFriends every Saturday morning at 7am... he has a second pair of hands, cool...

Well that's all for now, Kids... oh, other than I finally saw Avatar  on Blu-Ray tonight which was REALLY FUN! Sleep tight!



12" Superman by Kenner

The articulation on this 12" Kenner Superman (1996)  is extremely limited, but he's pretty to look at- a nice, big and colorful toy for the case! I bought him because he reminded me of the 12" Mego Superman I had as a child, which had greater "playability"- many more points of articulation/greater pose-ability, removable boots. Like the Kenner Batman Vs. Catwoman set I reviewed earlier, the designers of this toy went for "flash and bang" more than play factor.

A K-Mart exclusive, the Kenner Superman has I really nice thick cape and colorful fabric outfit however, and a nice "S" insignia base on which to display the Man of Steel. I couldn't believe how much money some of these "limited edition" dolls were going for, some as high as $75.00, so I did okay grabbing him for $30.98 (price included shipping) but don't pay more for him if you find one... just sayin'...

In other news, I've decided to push this blog a little further and actually advertise it. I made up a postcard and ordered 100 of them online just today- since this is the Super-Duper ToyBox, I decided to use the 12" Kenner Superman for the image on the card. My plan is to spread these around town at some of the local comic shops, and perhaps mail some out to comic shops around the country to generate some traffic. In just about forty days I managed somehow to get 2,000 hits on here- while that's not astronomical by internet standards, it does tell me people are interested...

The second part of my plan is to use all these toys I've bought as inspiration for art, more specifically superhero art. As you may or may not know, I'm an artist. I've had my best year ever, selling over thirty paintings in 2010, but the local scene has started to bore me somewhat and I'd like to see what else is out there- I'd like to try something new. My unrealized childhood dream to be a comic book artist may not be possible, but I do believe I could create some unique superhero art in my own style. I don't know if it will fall flat, I don't know if anyone will like it, I don't know if anyone will buy any of it... but I want to try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say.

A painting of Batman I did, commissioned by a friend this past winter, long before I got back into comics- I think I can do way better than this, too. It was a quickie. I could even use some of my mixed media techniques on some of the characters...

As my good friend Cipriano used to tell me, "Dare to dream, Bro... Dare to dream!"  Maybe it's time I took that advice...

*Visit the Superman Homepage!
*Superman at Wikipedia
*Superman the motion picture (1978) at IMDB.Com- C'mon, Chris Reeve WAS Superman!
*Mattel 1:6 scale Superman coming this winter??

14" Cosmic Power Galactus by ToyBiz

This is a good time to talk about my 14" Galactus by ToyBiz (1997) because I'm in the middle of Marvel Essential Fantastic Four, Vol.3.  I purchased this hefty opus back in October because I was looking into learning more about Galactus' herald, the Silver Surfer, who first appeared in Fantasic Four issue #48 (included in this compilation). And of course, who is not far behind the Sentinel of the Spaceways? Galactus!

A Silver Age Marvel character, the god-like Galactus travels across the cosmos consuming all the energy out of planets, rendering them withered and lifeless. When Ben Grimm's girlfriend Alicia convinces The Silver Surfer that humankind is worth saving in the dramatic trilogy climaxing in Fantastic Four #50, Galactus' faithful servant betrays him. Unable to destroy his beloved fallen angel, Galactus relents and leaves Earth, but not before exiling The Silver Surfer to Earth forever.

Galactus came with his box in very clean condition. Two AA batteries were already inserted for me, as well as two free issues of Fantastic Four (that's nice). For $32.90 (priced included shipping), I found this toy to be a good value- especially considering I've seen him go for anywhere from $50.00 to $150.00. Not bad...
I was SO EXCITED the day I got him that I couldn't stand it and opened him right there to play with him! He lights up and bellows "I HUNGER!"  I am entertained! I still take him out and push his button to listen to him talk to me almost every day, like a (laughs) little kid! I LOVE him- what a FUN toy!

*Galactus at Marvel.Com
*Video review of this toy on YouTube!

*Video review of a 19" Galactus by Hasbro!

*Marvel Legends Series 9 Build-a-Figure Galactus
*Review of my 10" Deluxe Edition Silver Surfer by ToyBiz

Hey, Mr. Postman! ...Marvel Legends Spidermen

I knew nothing about the two 6" Marvel Legends Spiderman action figures I scored on E-Bay a week ago, other than at the price of $5.99 and $6.99 they were pretty cheap- MOC they can go for upwards of twenty bucks or more apiece... sometimes a lot more. Frankly, I'm unsure of the Black Spidey's status as a Marvel Legends figure- he has neither a ToyBiz, nor a Hasbro stamp anywhere. With the way these character licences have been passed around, a fella can get confused! They came loose, so the play began immediately...

 They both came with stands: the "First Appearance" Spidey (2005, ToyBiz) has a really cool articulated stand that pegs into his back allowing him to "fly", and the Black Spidey (2001, Marvel Ent.) has a brick wall stand- both of these bases have a hole to affix to the wall with a nail, that's FUN.

They are spindly little guys with multiple points of articulation, the most incredible being in their tiny hands- Black Spidey can fold his two middle fingers into his palms, and all of First Appearance Spidey's fingers are moveable... never seen that before! I had a ball playing with them- these are FUN toys!

"C'mon Buddy, let's go play!"

Marvel Famous Covers Falcon by ToyBiz

Like Thomas Wheeler said in his Flashback Review, Falcon defied convention when as a relatively new Marvel character he was produced as Mego toy in 1974, and had only been Captain America's sidekick at the time of ToyBiz's production production of their toy in 1998. He first appeared in Captain America #117, 1969, was part of the Avengers, briefly joined the Defenders, and shared a title with Captain America, but only landed a four-part miniseries all to himself in 1983. Still, he has enjoyed employment and popularity through most of his career.  The man was also in The Secret Wars series that Mattel also produced an action figure for! Always around, this guy!

Born Sam Wilson, this son of a preacher man became a racketeer for the mob who ran by the name "Snap" after the traumatic murder of his mother. Essentially created by Red Skull after Snap's Caribbean plane crash, Falcon was given the ability to communicate telepathically with birds- a power Red Skull hoped to use against Captain America, who was currently hunting him down on the very island he found Snap. Now reverted to the noble Sam persona, Falcon teamed up with Captain America to defeat Red Skull instead- Hooray!! Black Panther later equipped Sam with his high-tech wings that allowed Falcon to fight crime flying in Harlem and across the world with Captain America.

Unique in the Famous Covers series by ToyBiz, Falcon's design features wings attached to his back that spread out when his arms are extended- pretty trick. This is a fun that Falcon's creators obviously worked on making as best as they could within the kind of production budgets constraints typical of a toy retailing at a lower price point. Ironically, he's pretty easy to land for pretty cheap on the internet- I lucked out grabbing him along with Captain America for twenty bucks MIB, but you can pick him up for $6.00 right now on Amazon.Com. My only criticism are the hard plastic arm bands encircling his wrist that attach to the wing: while part of the "wing-spread" mechanism, they are irremovable and restrict his movement somewhat. Otherwise, this is a colorful and fun toy!

*Falcon's wiki at Marvel.Com
*Review of Marvel Legends 6" Classic Falcon action figure at Marvel-Action-Figures.Blogspot.Com
*Falcon's return in Marvel's Heroes For Hire, December 2010!

Famous Covers Wolverine

I picked up my Famous Covers Wolverine (1999) at the end of this past September for $16.48 (price included shipping). Toybiz released a blue and yellow version, like the Hasbro Wolverine I picked up recently, that usually goes for more money. I liked the brown and yellow outfit, as it reminded me of the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller graphic novel I read as a youth.

I love many of the Famous Covers action figures, even with all their faults and inconsistent character designs throughout the line. I read some negative opinions concerning ToyBiz's decision to outfit this toy with a removable mask, resulting in a somewhat bulky head, though the overall exaggerated features of the doll don't make it seem that out of place. Taking the mask off is an ordeal however, and I felt I might pull his head off doing it! The mask also obscures the great clenched-teeth visage that lies beneath- a face known as well unmasked as masked. The soft rubber claws are also somewhat problematic- uncharacteristic of the character's rigid adamantium weapons they don't hold an erect position well. Still, he is a FUN toy that I really enjoyed photographing!

First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #181, Wolverine has come a long way, Hugh Jackman's portrayal of the anti-hero in the recent 20th Century Fox's X-Men motion picture franchise skyrocketing this character to the height of his popularity. I understand that Jackman's casting upset some hardcore Wolverine fans- the actor is considerably taller than the character portrayed in the comics, who is hardly a sex-symbol either. The rough-and-tumble beserker who would unflinchingly kill anyone in his way was not as intensely present in the movie character. Personally, I thought Jackman did well making the character his own and beefing up as best he could training for the role- but it was a different Wolverine.

*Wolverine's history at Marvel.Com
*Thomas Wheeler's Flashback Review of the Toybiz Famous Cover's Series.
*Alex Teo's review of  the blue and yellow version of ToyBiz's Wolverine at ToyHaven- note the different belt and shoulderpad treatment.
*A up-close look at several Wolverine toys at ToyHaven!

Toys For Tots!

Something caught me off guard this morning- browsing through the internet I ran across a story about how some Mississippi county's Toys For Tots program in had been cancelled due to the lack of a coordinator. Unable to get through the lengthy screening/application process in time, Jaimie Farris quickly set up her own effort, "Christmas Elves for Kids", in partnership with the Coastal Family Health Center to help provide for children in both Jackson and George Counties.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I grabbed my keys and wallet heading for the door, and off to K-Mart to buy some toys. I have so much to be thankful for- a warm home, food in the pantry, and parents who loved me and bought me fun toys to play with at Christmas. I had been (laughs) buying all these toys for myself lately, and not thought about all the children that might not get a toy during the holidays- Friends, that didn't sit well with me at all. The Marines do so much for us and still take the time to help make sure all those children have a happy moment on Christmas morning- the very least I can do is get some toys to these men so they can accomplish their very special mission. I hope you will find it in your heart to help them too! Click on the Toys For Tots icon on the sidebar of this blog to find out where you can drop off some toys for these children in need, and put a smile on some sweet little person's face this holiday!

Check out the FUN toy haul I scored today...  not a one for myself, honest:

U.S. Marine Jim Marble takes a stuff animal from Samantha Stuber,2, to donate to Toys for Tots Saturday afternoon at the Toys for Tots drive, Dole Institute of Politics. Photo by Megan True, LJWorld.Com:

ToysForTots.Org

9" Origins Wolverine by Hasbro

Hasbro did a good job on their 9" line of dolls- I have a few, and I really like them. I already had a Famous Covers Wolverine from 1999, but I grabbed this Spiderman Origins Signature Series Edition by Hasbro (2006) on E-Bay as soon as I saw it for $19.99 (price included shipping) because I NEVER see it priced that low.

Marketed both to appeal to us children of the 70's and cash in on the Spiderman movie franchise, the dolls aren't the most detailed nor loaded with accessories- they tap into the nostalgia of the demographic that played with the old Mego World's Greatest Superhero line, buying toys for their children or themselves. There were ten or more in this Spiderman Series as best I can tell, all characters tied to WebHead in one way or another, friend or foe. Spidey has gotten in Wolvie's way more than twice in the past, once resulting in a pretty serious scrap detailed in Marvel's Spiderman Vs. Wolverine, 1987 (I read this again quite recently from my old comics stash- exciting!). I don't remember them getting along famously in the Secret Wars series either, so Spiderman and Wolverine are sometimes at odds.

This is a FUN toy! Some people prefer Hasbro's 9' figures to the ToyBiz line from the 90's, and I understand why- ToyBiz was all over the place in their designs of the different characters, a lot of them had somewhat cumbersome rubber gloves or mittens that hindered their ability to hold anything, and they had comically exaggerated features. Hasbro's figures look comparatively slimmed down, both in physique and styling, and their hands were always molded in the same color of plastic as their outfits, ridding the need for a separate glove and allowing the nifty hinge featured in their hands to grip (a nice detail). Personally, I like both the lines- I have seventeen of the Famous Covers, and seven 9" Hasbro figures!  I like their real fabric outfits and capes. Simple and somewhat clunky next to the super-sculpted 1:12 scale and hyper-realistic 1:6 scale action figures prevalent today, I actually enjoy the economy of design in these "throwback" dolls. They are FUN, like a good toy should be!

ToyBiz Famous Covers Wolverine next to Hasbro's Signature Series Wolverine...

In closing, I wanted to share a thought that's been running through my head as I've been buying all these toys the last couple of months...  Artist Brian Ashmore was recently admiring my willingness to open these toys, witnessing through this blog all my unbridled mirth in setting them free from their packaging, while lamenting all the unopened toys he has (I'd like to see THOSE).  So Brian: go ahead and open some of those toys, Buddy- life is too short to worry about "mint in box". You can't take them with you when you go, and if I got hit by a bus tomorrow I'd hate to think about all those fun TOYS I never got to hold in my hands.
G'Night, Sleep Tight!