Indiana Jones (Hasbro)

Indiana Jones
Hasbro
2008-2011

Indiana Jones has had long lasting staying power in the here today gone tomorrow world of Hollywood. The character had his forth outing in 2008, prompting this all new line from Hasbro which celebrated each film in the series.

There were a massive amount of figures released between 2008 and 2011, and one could argue this is the definitive collection of Indy based figures produced to date. Sure, other releases have come and gone such as Kenner's vintage line based on Raiders, and the very short lived Temple of Doom ones from LJN. However, if you're looking for a place to get everything under one roof, then Hasbor's line is definitely what you're looking for.

Each figure contained an array of movie accurate accessories as well as a fair amount of articulation. What makes the line all the more intriguing is the fairly descent sculpting and spot on clothing design - Granted sculpted and painted clothing.

 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

BASIC FIGURES

Cairo Swordsman*German Soldier*Indiana Jones (with Golden Relic)*Indiana Jones (Whip Cracking Action)

Marion Ravenwood*Monkey Man*Rene Belloq*Sallah

 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

DELUXE FIGURES

Cairo Thugs*German Soldiers

Marion Ravenwood and Cairo Henchman

 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

DELUXE FIGURES

Indiana Jones with Ark*Indiana Jones with Horse

Indiana Jones Temple Pitfall*Indiana Jones Temple Trap

 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

TARGET EXCLUSIVE BOX SET

Cairo Ambush

 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

VEHICLES

Cairo Truck*Troop Car

 THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

BASIC FIGURES

Chief Temple Guard*Indiana Jones*Mola Ram

Short Round*Temple Guard*Willie Scott

 THE LAST CRUSADE

BASIC FIGURES

Colonel Vogel*Dr. Henry Jones*Elsa Schneider

Grail Knight*Indiana Jones*Young Indy

 THE LAST CRUSADE

DELUXE FIGURES

German Solider with Motorcycle

THE LAST CRUSADE

 TARGET EXCLUISVE BOX SET

Tank Showdown

 KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

BASIC FIGURES

Cemetary Warrior*Colonel Dovchenko*Indiana Jones (with Rocket Launcher)

Indiana Jones (with Whip)*Irina Spalko

 KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

BASIC FIGURES

Mutt Williams (with Python)*Mutt Willaims (with Sword)

Russian Solider*Ugha Warrior

 KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

DELUXE FIGURES

Mutt Williams with Motorcycle

 KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

TARGET EXCLUSIVE BOX SET

Jungle Chase

 KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

COMMEMORATIVE DVD SET

Set 1*Set 2

 KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

MAIL AWAY

Crystal Skelleton with Throne

 KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

VEHICLES

Jungle Cutter

 KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

PLAYSETS

The Lost Temple of Akator Playset

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON LOST WAVE

Classic Indy*Marion (with Snakes and Torch)*Sapito

Toht*German Mechanic*Indiana Jones (in German Disguise)

Unfortunately at the end of the day, the demise of this line was over saturation during its four year run.While there's no denying Harrison Ford has helped to shape Indiana Jones into a pulp culture icon, Hasbro definitely over anticipated the demand for action figures. The line was popular. However there was simply too much product vs. demand (a problem we wish more toy lines would have). The end result was a line which most toy stores simply couldn't sell enough of, and eventually moved to clearance bins to quickly relieve themselves of overstock.

These days you can get mint on card figures for as little as a penny. Ouch.

Join us next time when we take a look at....Welll....Something different!

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Toonsylvania (Toy Island)

With the success of Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs in the early 1990's, Steven Spielberg tried his hand at yet another animated series; Toonsylvania. The show was not as successful as its predecessors, but managed to eek out two seasons, the first being shown on Saturday mornings typically during the "The No Yell Motel" block, and the second being aired on Tuesday afternoons. In total, there were only 19 episodes.

A typical episode for season one was split up into several segments. The first revolved around Dr. Vic Frankenstein, his assistant Igor, and Phil, their dim-witted Frankenstein monster. The second segment was more of an interlude which featured Igor and Phil on a couch trying to fix a TV remote. In every segment a new problem would ensue with said remote, and was a running gag akin to the couch gag on The Simpsons. The third segment was entitled "Night of the Living Fred," which was about a family of zombies. However this segment was sometimes replaced with parody versions of classic b-movie horror flicks. This was followed by "Igor's Science Minute" which involved the character Igor doing some form of science experiment which would end in disaster, and finally "Melissa Screetch's Morbid Morals". This sketch involved Phil doing something bad, and Igor teaching him a moral lesson by regaling a tale involving a bratty girl named Melissa Screetch.

When season two aired, the show was changed to a more sitcom motif with Igor, Dr. Vic and Phil interacting with a variety of new characters. The only other segment to appear sporadically during the final season was "The Melissa Screetch Show". Now instead of being a moral lesson for Phil, the segment revolved around Melissa hiding under her covers, pretending to be the host of her own show when she was upset with someone. Each segment involved the party she was upset with being a guest on her show, and her doing away with them in some manner.

Anticipating the series to be as big a hit as Spielberg's prior animated shows, Toy Island was brought in to help promote the series with a line of toys. However, when the show promptly failed, so too did the toy line, and it was cancelled.

Unlike the show itself, the figures weren't too bad. The characters were strange enough to draw attention to the toys, even if one had never heard of or didn't watch the show, and came packaged in eye catching blue packages with green and yellow labels scattered about the front. Each figure also included an impressive amount of accessories to accompany them as well as piece that doubled as a stand.


Along with the five figures produced there were also four playsets. Though each playset was small in nature, they could be shifted to combine together to make a single large one.

A small subset of wind up toys was also produced by Toy Island, but many collectors don't feel they incorporate into the series due to their design and overall quality when compared to the "regular" line.

All and all these figures and playsets are incredibly easy to come by on secondary markets, and they go for real cheap too. A typical figure will set you back about five bucks, while a playset will go for around fifteen. Mind you, these prices are for mint in package, sealed toys.

Join us next time when we take a look at Alpha Flight!

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The Goonies (Mezco)

Since its release in 1985, three of its stars; Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, and Corey Feldman have gone on to see major success in Hollywood. Of course, writers Steven Spielberg and director Richard Donner have managed to make fair careers as well since then (sarcasm, got to love it).

The film is a timeless classic, with a strong following. Even today rumblings of a sequel tickle out of various movie related sites, and the cast has made themselves available for several group photos, only adding to fan anticipation of a new film. Of course, to date there has been no said sequel, nor has there been any official announcement that we should expect one.


Much like the tease of a sequel, Mezco loves to tease fans and collector's alike by producing small series that have so much potential to soar, and then suddenly cease production and move on. Their 2007 line based on The Goonies fit this bill perfectly.

Five figures were produced in 2007 exciting fans of the film, and nostalgic collectors across the world - Mainly the USA. A major gripe about the series was that the sculpting was really hit or miss. While some of the figures were spot on renditions of the young characters, others were way off. While no official explanation as to why this was the case, it's possible that the licenses required to make accurate sculpts of the actors was too costly. Another issue that collectors had was that some of the heads seemed too big when compared to the body size of the figure.

Unlike a lot of toy lines, there are no known variants for the line. The five figures you see are all you get. Despite fan request, and the ability for Mezco to finish the series with the other characters from the film, the line has ceased with no official word that it has been canceled or not. While it's possible that a second series could be produced, we don't bet that one will - which is a real shame.

Join us next time when we take a look at Dragon's Lair 3D!

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The Adventures of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (Kenner)

For the toy collector, there is something to be said about a small line of figures and vehicles. They're a fun "side project" of sorts which usually can be easily obtained, and typically at a low price.

In 1982, Kenner released a small but mildly successful line of toys based off of the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. The series ran for two waves, and even offered an exclusive mail away figure, which was later released as a carded figure in wave 2.

A handful of playsets were released as well as a twelve inch doll of Indie. Though not as successful as the figures when they initially launched, they have since become highly collectible items on the secondary market.


TOP TO BOTTOM/LEFT TO RIGHT
Cairo Swordman, Indiana Jones, Marion Ravenwood
Toht, Card Back, Belloq in Ceremonial Robe (Mail Away), and 12 Inch Indiana Jones

TOP TO BOTTOM/LEFT TO RIGHT
Belloq, Belloq in Ceremonial Robe, German Mechanic
Sallah, Indiana Jones in German Outfit, Card Back

TOP TO BOTTOM/LEFT TO RIGHT
The Map Room Adventure Set, Well of the Souls Action Playset
Arabian Horse, Desert Convoy Truck, Streets of Cairo Adventure Set

The series ran until 1983 when it was dropped. LJN would later pick up the rights to produce figures based off of the second Indian Jones film - The Temple of Doom. Several other companies, including Disney and Hasbro have since tried their hand at creating a successful series based on the whip wielding hero, but none have found extensive success.

Join us next Monday for our look at Beavis and Butt-Head!

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