March 2014 Recap
Below is a recap of all the post we've covered in March 2014. If you missed any, or simply want to see them again, click on each "title" to be taken directly to that post. As always, thanks for reading.
Hellboy (AKA Hellboy Comic Book Figures)
The Walking Dead Series 3 - 5 (Television Series)
Milton Bradley Board Games of the 80's
The Walking Dead Series 2 (Comic Book Figure)
Star Wars Roleplaying Game
Sleepy Hollow
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End
Police Academy
2000 AD
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2000 AD (Re-Action Figures)
2000 AD
Re-Action Figures
1999
2000 AD was a Judge Dredd lover's dream come true. While the series wasn't dedicated to the character, it provided collectors with a great opportunity to pick up not only Dredd himself, but also his partner Anderson and the twisted Judge Death.
Of course Dredd wasn't the only offerings to come to the table in this amazing, yet short lived series. Also included were Durham Red and Johnny Alpha from the British series Strontium Dog, and the two pack of Slain and Ukko of the British comic book, 2000 AD.
The series of toys was a great opportunity for fans to pick up these great figures that otherwise would probably never have been produced, and if any fault lies within it, that would be that the series was too small.
Durham Red*Johnny Alpha*Judge Anderson
Judge Death*Judge Dredd*Slaine & Ukko
Join us next time when we take a look at...Well, you just have to see it to believe it!
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Police Academy (Kenner)
Police Academy
Kenner
1989 - 1990
Fun fact - We've seen every single Police Academy movie to date on the big screen. Who else out there can claim that? Who else out there would want to claim that?
Personally, we love the franchise. Sure, it's had its dud moments, but parts one through five are still very watchable for us. Six and Mission to Moscow - Not so much.
Between Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988) and Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989) came the cult classic animated series. Spanning two seasons and sixty-five episodes, the series would technically fall into place between the fourth and fifth films as the character Carey Mahoney is the main presence, and "leader" of the cops.
To coincide with the show, Kenner produced several action figures based on the cartoon versions of the characters. Each one came packed with zany accessories which made for very unique features of play. While some of the characters did come packed with guns or bladed weapons, for the most part, much like the animated series, the figures took a non lethal approach to fighting crime with weapons such as Tackleberry's Fistzooka.
SERIES 1
Carey Mahoney with Samson Dog*Claw with Mouser Cat*Eugene Tackleberry with Armed Flak Vest*Larvell Jone with Bullhorn
Moses Hightower with Meter Reader Scooter*Mr. Sleaze with Foofoo Dog*Numbskull with Smashing Helmets*Zed with Police Skateboard
SERIES 2
S.W.A.T. Eugene Tackleberry with Fistzooka*Flung High with Crazy Karate Gear (Orange Belt)*Flung High with Crazy Karate Gear (with Yellow Belt)
Karate Larvell Jones with Kicker Pack*Kingpin with Thief-Trap Safe*Stakeout Sweetchuck with Hide-Rant
Many people consider the Stakeout Sweetchuck with Hide-Rant to be a part of the Special Assignment Rookie subseries, however unlike those figures, his does not contain the banner for the series.
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT ROOKIES
Undercover Carey Mahoney with Hoodlum Disguise and Sonic Boom Box*Snack-Attack House with Hoagy Blaster*Sky Glidin' Zed with Hang Glider
MAIL AWAY FIGURES
Captain Harris
Several vehicles were planned for the series, but due to poor sales only two were actually produced. The remaining planned vehicles were; 4-Wheel Basher, Bruiser Cruiser, Crime Mulcher and Jailhouse Jalopy.
VEHICLES
Crash Cycle
Crazy Cruiser
There were two playsets planned for the series, the one produced below, and the smaller Copper Corner which was only released in Argentina by the company Josca.
PLAYSETS
The Precinct Police Station
Join us next time when we take a look at 2000 AD!
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Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End (NECA)
Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End
NECA
2007
What was then known to be the final chapter of a trilogy, At World's End wrapped up the story arc of Bootstrap Bill and his son Legol....Er...Will Turner. With over the top action scenes and CGI amassing the screen, confusion was certainly a big part of the film - for us anyway.
2007 marked the last line of Pirates of the Caribbean figures to date for NECA, and they sent the series off with kind of a "ho-hum". Yes, we did finally get Ragetti and Pintel figures, but the rest of the series seemed uninspired, to the point of almost being boring.
Eight figures hit store shelves in 2007, and were quickly moved to clearance isles over the course of the next few months.
SERIES 1
Captain Jack Sparrow*Pintel
Ragetti*Sao Feng
SERIES 2
Captain Jack Sparrow*Captain Teague
Elizabeth Swan*Tia Dalma
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Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (NECA)
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest
NECA
2006-2007
We loved the first Pirates movie, but the remaining sequels seemed to get more and more confusing and convoluted to the point that we didn't even know what was going on. Depp does a fantastic job as Jack Sparrow, and Geoffrey Rush is nothing to scoff at for Captain Barbosa. But, the story - That story is just so confusing. It seemed almost like nobody at Disney was expecting the movie to be that big of a success, so when it took off they were like, "Uh oh, someone grasp at some straws and write a sequel." Then when the sequel was no good they were like, "Uh oh, now we're stuck in the middle of this terrible story arc that we have to finish if we're going to make a third one." It's part of the reason we have little to no doubt that this is why the majority of the "main" cast suddenly disappeared from the fourth film. We don't see that one as a sequel so much as a non-advertised reboot.
This of course is all personal opinion, and if you like the movie, well, that's cool. In the long run, we really just want to talk about the toys.
Much like the first film, NECA was more than happy to produce a series of figures to coincide with its release in 2006. They produced three series in total which equated to twelve figures. The only real shame was that each series included an all new Jack Sparrow and we once again wouldn't be seeing Ragetti or Pintel figures (the true stars of the film - okay maybe not).
SERIES 1
Davy Jones*Jack Sparrow
Maccus*Will Turner
SERIES 2
Bootstrap Bill*Elizabeth Swann
Jack Sparrow*Paliffico
SERIES 3
Cannibal Jack Sparrow*Captain Norrington
Captain Barbossa*Clanker
The series concluded with the one and only exclusive, Cannibal Jack Sparrow.
EXCLUSIVES
Cannibal Jack Sparrow (SDCC)
Join us next time when we take a look at Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End!
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Sleepy Hollow (McFarlane Toys)
Sleepy Hollow
McFarlane Toys
1999
Sleepy Hollow which hit theaters in 1999 was met with average critical reviews which called the movie pretty, and praised Depp for his ability to disappear into the role of any character (Roger Ebert). Tim Burton certainly has a flair for the odd which translates well into his movies.
McFarlane Toys followed the release of the film with a very small series of figures. Three figures to be exact with two variant packages. The series included The Crone, Ichabod Crane with both an opened and closed bag, and The Headless Horseman, one with a skull head and one with Christopher Walken's head. It's key to note that if you're opening these items than these variants mean nothing as the bag packaged with Ichabod can be opened or closed no matter which version you buy, and The Headless Horseman comes with both heads that are interchangeable. In short, these variants will only be important to mint in package collectors.
The Crone*Ichabod Crane (Open Bag)*Ichabod Crane (Closed Bag)
The Headless Horseman (Christopher Walkin Head)*The Headless Horseman (Skull Head)
A unique item to the series was the deluxe The Headless Horseman which also came with his horse. The packaging itself was fantastic with the window box being given the impression of fog rolling through it.
The Headless Horseman 3 Piece Deluxe Box Set
These days you can hardly give the toys away let alone sell them. We've seen a ton of full sets of the carded figures priced at about fifteen dollars, and they don't get so much as a single bid. The only piece that does seem to sell is the deluxe boxed set which we've seen go for as much as $70.00.
Join us next time when we take a look at Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest!
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Star Wars Roleplaying Game (Wizards of the Coast)
Star Wars Roleplaying Game
Wizards of the Coast
2000-2010
The Star Wars roleplaying game was an up and down roller coaster ride for fans, and unfortunately it seemed because Wizards of the Coast was selective on when and how it wanted to support it. Much like many Wizards products, the line launched with a strong backing, and book after book hit shelves. Then one day, also true to form with Wizards, products just stopped with no word why. As a result, out of print books started to become highly valuable to players, and prices on secondary markets soared.
Believe it or not, one of the more difficult items to track down was the basic gamemaster screen. It only got more scarce when revisions to the series occurred, yet no updated screen was released. It wouldn't be until the Saga Edition that a new screen would be produced.
ORIGINAL SERIES
Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook*Character Record Sheets*Invasion of Theed
Secrets of Naboo*Gamemaster Screen*Living Force Campaign Guide
ORIGINAL SERIES
Rebellion Era Sourcebook*Secrets of Tatooine*The Dark Side Sourcebook
Alien Anthology*Starships of the Galaxy*The New Jedi Order Sourcebook
ORIGINAL SERIES
Tempest Feud
Books stayed pretty consistent since the game was introduced in 2000 through 2002, and saw fairly regular releases of new books for the revised edition which ran from 2002 through 2004. Unfortunately, it was with the last book, Ultimate Adversaries that books would seem to stop being produced and published overnight.
Suddenly fans found a series with no new material, and books that were going out of print. As a result, those late to the game were met with outrageous secondary market prices which skyrocketed. Some of the more sought after books such as Starships of the Galaxy, The Dark Side Sourcebook and The New Jedi Order couldn't be found for under a hundred bucks each.
REVISED EDITION
Roleplaying Game Revised Core Rulebook*Power of the Jedi Sourcebook*Arms and Equipment Guide
Coruscant and the Core Worlds*Ultimate Alien Anthology*Hero's Guide
REVISED EDITION
Galactic Campaign Guide*Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds*Ultimate Adversaries
When Wizards announced a resurgence in the Star Wars roleplaying game with the Saga Edition which was released in 2007 it was met with little to no interest. Unfortunately many people who invested time and money in a Star Wars roleplaying game had moved on and had little to no desire to return.
The game remained popular enough to churn out eight different books, but sadly was never as popular among gamer's of the first generation of books. Wizards once again abandoned the series in 2010, and to date have made no announcements of any future installments or revisions. Secondary markets remain rather stagnant with most books selling for under ten dollars. That's pretty sad considering the majority of them have a thirty dollar or more retail price tag.
SAGA EDITION
Roleplaying Game - Saga Edition Core Rulebook*Starships of the Galaxy*Threats of the Galaxy
Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide*The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide*Scum and Villainy
SAGA EDITION
The Clone Wars Campaign Guide*Legacy Era Campaign Guide*Jedi Academy Training Manual
Rebellion Era Campaign Guide*Galaxy At War*Scavenger's Guide to Droids
SAGA EDITION
Galaxy to Intrigue*Galaxy Tiles*The Unknown Regions
Gamemaster Screen
The Star Wars roleplaying game had limitless potential, but sadly never seemed to find that strong niche that Wizard had with their mainstay product, Magic the Gathering. We personally think that the company doesn't really support its other products like it does the aforementioned product, and as a result when new items do emerge they're produced in mass quantity and then abandoned. We've seen this with the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, the Harry Potter TCG and countless other Wizards merchandise. It's a shame too, because both the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and Harry Potter TCG were a lot of fun to play.
Join us next time when we take a look at Sleepy Hollow!
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The Walking Dead Series 2 (Comic Book Figures) (McFarlane Toys)
The Walking Dead (AKA The Walking Dead Comic Book Figures) Series 2
McFarlane Toys
2013
When the success of the television series took off, it really overshadowed the original comic book concept of The Walking Dead, so much to the point that people didn't even know the comic came first. When McFarlane toys first started producing figures, the success of the comic book figures also fell behind that of the television series. As a result, while the television series of figures went on, the comic book versions lagged in limbo with a possible cancellation hanging over it.
Fortunately something changed someone's mind, and series two was put into development.
SERIES 2
Riot Gear Glenn*The Governor*Michonne's Pet Zombie Mike*Penny Blake
Two of the better figures from the series were the exclusive The Governor and Negan.
SERIES 2
SAN DIEGO COMIC CON EXCLUSIVE
The Governor
SERIES 2
THE WALKING DEAD DOT COM EXCLUSIVE
Negan*Negan (Black and White)
SERIES 2
PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE
Bloody Black and White The Governor Philip Blake and Zombie Daughter Penny Blake
Join us next time when we take a look at Star Wars Roleplaying Game!
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Milton Bradley Board Games Of The 80's
Chances are, if it was a successful franchise, companies like Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers capitalized on it by flooding the market with board games based on said hits. What kid wouldn't want a board game based on G.I. Joe or The Smurfs?
The games themselves didn't even need to be good. Most kids wanted them just because of the pictures on the box covers. In fact, most of the games played exactly the same as the next - I.E. place a player token at the start section of the board, role the dice, pick up cards when prompted, be the first to reach the end. It was brilliant marketing.
Though there were hundreds of games released in the 80's, below is a collection of some of our personal favorites. Please join us for a little trip down memory lane into the world of classic board games from Milton Bradley.
Those are some of our favorites, but what about you? Use the comment section to tell us about some of your favorite franchised games of the 80's from Milton Bradley.
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The Walking Dead Series 3 - 5 (Television Series) (McFarlane Toys)
The Walking Dead (AKA The Walking Dead Television Series) 3 - 5
McFarlane Toys
2013 - 2014
You can't swing a stick these days without hitting something The Walking Dead related. McFarlane Toys his struck gold with the release of these figures, and we'd wager that the success of the line is probably something the company hasn't seen since the first few series of original Spawn toys. If you don't nab them up when they're first released, chances are you just aren't going to find these on store shelves anywhere - At least not the main characters anyway.
Since our last post on series one and two, the line has grown considerably. Five series in total have been released with series six well into production, and most likely a series seven not far behind it.
SERIES 3
Michonne*Merle Dixon
SERIES 3
Autopsy Zombie*Michonne's Pet 1*Michonne's Pet 2
One of the things we've never personally been thrilled about with McFarlane Toys is its desire to produce variant figures. Much like the first waves of toys, the black and white trend continues in this all new three pack.
SERIES 3
Bloody 3 Pack Michonne with Zombie Pets
SERIES 4
Andrea*The Governor*Carl Grimes
SERIES 4
Riot Gear Zombie*Gas Mask Riot Gear Zombie
Walgreens of all people got into the act of exclusive figures with their own Rick Grimes figure.
SERIES 4
WALGREENS EXCLUSIVE
Rick Grimes
We're not fans of repacks, but we commend McFarlane Toys for realizing the supply vs. demand issue and re-releasing the original Daryl Dixon figure from series one, and more importantly, not altering its general appearance. Fans of the first series had tremendous issues tracking down this one particular figure. Meanwhile, secondary markets were cashing in at over a hundred bucks for it.
SERIES 4
Daryl and Merle Dixon
SERIES 5
Charred Zombie*Glenn Rhee*Maggie Greene
SERIES 5
Tyreese*Merle Zombie
SERIES 5
Daryl with Chopper (Motorcycle)
***Update***
Just when you think series five is done and over with, McFarlane Toys tosses out one more - Shane with his not so insane look.
SERIES 5
Shane Walsh
The Walking Dead went from that small unheard of comic to the most watched television drama in history. Though we've personally fizzled out on it, it appears that it's going to be around for a long time to come, and with that, we're sure that McFarlane Toys will continue to capitalize on its success as long as possible.
Join us next time when we take a look at another McFarlane Toys The Walking Dead Series!
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