Wizard (Wizard Entertainment)

Wizard
Wizard Entertainment
1991 - 2011

When Wizard Magazine launched in 1991, comic book collectors flocked to it as the ultimate resource for industry news. We anxiously awaited every issue to see which of our favorite characters would be granted the covetous cover spot, and eagerly flipped through page after page taking in every bit of information we could for upcoming new series, and sneak peaks at current ones.

Even if you felt that the price guide was nonsense, or that the articles were often construed as biased, one thing was for sure - There was no other place to get your monthly comic book news from. As such, Wizard took off like a blast from a cannon.

Interestingly enough, Wizard Zero (above left and middle) was published long after the first issue (above right and below left) hit newsstands.

Big changes occurred in the magazine with issue number seven which did away with its low quality black and white printed pages. Now each issue was presented in full color with glossy paper, and was backed by upcoming comic companies such as Image and Valiant who heavily promoted their releases through the magazine. Several of these "hot" artists even contributed cover art showcasing their all new characters and series.

Issue number six (above right and below left) would be the first of many issues to have multiple covers.

The infamous issue number 10 (above right) by artist Rob Liefeld sparked a bit of controversy in the comic world when it featured the Marvel character Cable alongside the Image character Shaft. Of course, Liefeld himself has been known to cause quite a bit of controversy in the industry as a whole.

Issue 16 (above) would be the first of many Wizard cover's to sport a gatefold image. Most gatefold covers were the equivalent of two pages, while others spanned as many as three (aka trifold).

Issue number 23 (above) was the first to feature a trifold cover.

Beginning with issue 31 (above and below left), multiple covers pretty much became the name of the game for Wizard. Several of the magazines had anywhere from two to four covers for each release - Something that collectors quickly found annoying.

Multiple covers and chase variants were quickly doing vast amounts of damage to the comic book industry as a whole during the mid 90's, turning the hobby into more of a cover gallery collection than that of collecting books that were actually good. As such, when Wizard started making it a mainstay feature with their magazine it became a problem for some readers. In a sense, Wizard was establishing themselves as a collectible - Something that many don't agree to be the case.

Issue 48 (above) was the last issue to feature a gatefold cover.

Issue 54 (above) was the last issue to feature a trifold cover.

A "problem" that was slowly coming to light, and would soon consume the whole magazine was the shift in which it was taking to be more of a pop culture magazine than the "Guide to Comics" Wizard original professed to be. This turned many readers off, but in turn brought in many more - A supposed acceptable loss as far as Wizard Entertainment was concerned.

Wizard hit issue 100 in January of 2000 (above right and below left). Sadly, the celebration was not as extravagant as readers had hoped it would be.

With the release of comic book based movies, Wizard only moved further and further towards reporting on television and films, and further and further away from reporting on comics. The decision to cover X-Men the movie pretty much cemented the direction in which the magazine would go in the future.

Stapled magazines replaced the "perfect bound" style in January 2006 with issue 171 (above left and middle). Issue 172 was a sneak peak at the upcoming Superman Returns movie starring Not Christopher Reeves (above right).

In January of 2006 the magazine did away with its "perfect bound" style of issues, and instead went with a traditionally stapled magazine. The decision for this was based on pages being added, which made each issue thicker than ever. It was probably also a cost saving measure as it's far easier to staple things than to binde them with glues and adhesives.



When Wizard began publishing articles about Lost (above right) and Horror Movie Heat (below middle), comic book fans pretty much knew that the guide to comics was long gone in place of a pop culture magazine. Though it wasn't the ultimate ending for press on the comic book industry, it was most assuredly less about the books, and more about what was on TV or in theaters.

2006 also brought with it heavy blows to top tier staff at Wizard as well as ten percent of its regular staff. Between 2006 and 2008 Editor-in-Chief and co-founder Pat McCullem, Editor Brian Cunningham and Editor/Former Staff Writer Mike Cotton were all fired from the magazine with no explanation given to the public. In February of 2007, Scott Gramling stepped in to take the role of Editor-in-Chief.

Though many claim that issue 200 (above left and above middle) was a shift towards better horizons for the magazine, others strongly disagree claiming that it was just more nails in the coffin.

With issue 200 came a stronger shift back to upcoming comics as well as industry related movies. Sections were done away with completely, such as Magic Words, which was replaced with Fan Mail.



Issue 228 (above left) would be the beginning of the end for Wizard Magazine.

Wizard Magazine was re-launched in August of 2010 with issue number 228. The magazine went back to its comic book roots, promising to focus strictly on relevant subject matter of comics, films and TV. Sadly by this time many readers had moved on, and Wizard was barely treading water.

On January 24, 2011, Wizard confirmed that it would end its run with issue 228 (above right). It was a decision that many saw inevitably coming for a long time. The magazine rose and fell several times during its (almost) twenty years. And though it didn't appeal to all of its readers all the time, and even lost as many as it gained on the way, it still stood the test of time to be a highly memorable magazine for so many comic book and pop culture fans.

But, what really killed Wizard Magazine? Industry experts such as Gary Dills of Laughing Ogre Comics says the internet was the biggest culprit. With the advancement of the internet, and a fair dose of industry insider leaks, up to the minute information became just a click away. By the time that Wizard hit newsstands, it was unfortunately reporting on old news.

Prices may have also played a huge part in its demise. By the end of its run, Wizard was costing readers in the US alone upwards of $5.99 per magazine (before tax). By 2011 the economy was pretty much taking a bite out of everyone's wallets as many struggled to stretch dollars as far as they could go. Things such as magazines quickly became something that people could do without - Especially going back to the first scenario of the internet being readily available to the majority of the world.

The above and below photos serve as an honorable mention for the numerous specials that Wizard released during its long run.

Join us next time when we take a look at Hardened!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Buck Rogers Dolls (Mego)

Buck Rogers Dolls
Mego
1979

We touched on Mego's Buck Rogers action figure line way, way, way, way, way back in the day "HERE", and while we always intended on following up with the larger dolls had the absolute hardest time finding mint condition ones. It's been a challenge four years in the making, and we're happy to say that we've finally done it.

These particular renditions of the characters are of course based off of the television series from 1979 which ran for two seasons encompassing thirty-seven episodes. The series launched after the highly successful film which was released in theaters on March 30, 1979. However, when the film aired on television as the more commonly known two part pilot episodes, several scenes were edited to remove adult themed dialog as well as the death scene of Tiger Man so that he could return as a recurring character in the series.

The Mego dolls have become cherished collectibles to many fans, and with all that great detail it's easy to see why. Each character is brilliantly captured in both sculpt and clothing. As we've often said before, our biggest disappointment is that there weren't more characters made.

Draconian Guard*Draco

 

Dr. Huer*Buck Rogers

 

Killer Kane*Tiger Man

 

A unique twist added to the Twiki figure was that Mego built in a walking feature. When you wound him up, the figure would walk across the surface, all while turning its head. Admittedly, the legs on this particular figure look rather goofy when compared to the rest of its body. While the top half of Twiki showcases great detail, and good mass, the lower half is essentially two skinny rod legs lacking in detail, and finished off with thick feet to accommodate the walking feature. We can't help but think that doing away with the feature and focusing more on a good sculpt would have been a better alternative.

 

Walking Twiki

Ranging anywhere from $50.00 to $200.00 for each doll, this isn't an easy series to obtain. It's even more so difficult if you're looking for great condition packaging - Which seems to be few and far between for this particular series.

Join us next time when we take a look at Wizard!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

James Bond Jr. (Hasbro)

James Bond Jr.
Hasbro
1991

James Bond Jr. was an animated cartoon series which was based on the beloved Ian Fleming master spy. In the series, Jr. is actually noted as the nephew of the famous spy of the same name, and not his son. The series ran for sixty-five episodes and regularly featured infamous villains from the live action Bond films such as Jaws, Oddball, Goldfinger, Nick Nack and Dr. No.

Hasbro released a series of toys based on the show in 1991, however when the show ended after one season, so too did the toys. As a result there wasn't much ground covered in terms of characters. Though twelve figures were produced, four were reserved for versions of Bond Jr.

Captain Walker D. Plank*Dr. Derange*Dr. No

Gordo Leiter*IQ*James Bond

 

Though most of the figures are pretty commonly found on secondary markets, the original James Bond Jr. with brown jacket and Dr. No seem to be the hardest to get your hands on. Despite this difficulty, prices have not peaked beyond $15.00 to $20.00 for either of them.

 

James Bond (Flight Gear)*James Bond (Ninja Gear)*James Bond (Scuba Gear)

Jaws*Mr. Buddy Mitchell*Odd Job

 



The series included a handful of vehicles that were produced to coincide with the figures. The most difficult to track down these days is the Sports Car.

S.C.U.M. Shark

Sports Car

 

The final item released for the series was the cos-play Hot Shot CD Player. What's interesting about this item is that it isn't a functioning CD player at all. Instead it's a cap gun, and the CD player works as the holster.

 

Subcucle

Hot Shot CD Player

It would be interesting to hear from some fans of the James Bond movies as to what their opinion is of this cartoon series. Do they love it, or is it considered an abomination to them? We wonder if it would considered to be what the Star Wars Holiday Special is to Star Wars fans.

Join us next time when we take a look at Buck Rogers Dolls!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Wizard Of Oz (Multi Toys)

Wizard of Oz
Multi Toys
1989

Somewhere  over the rainbow there's a toy line that does The Wizard of Oz the justice it deserves. Sadly it's not in Multi Toys 1989 half hearted attempt to cash in on the 50th anniversary of the iconic film.

The company released a lot of WoO merchandise in 1989 ranging from these figures to dolls, to clothing for the dolls, and a line of Munchkins. The dolls were a little more forgiving in terms of overall quality.

Dorothy

 

The Scarecrow

 

The quality lacking in the figures is somewhat made up for in the quality of the cardbacks which feature fantastic art, and a stream of film reel which showcases scenes from the film. It's a real shame that this amount of care wasn't put into the actual toys.

The Tin Man

 

The Cowardly Lion

 

Glenda the Good Witch

 

The Wicked Witch

 

If you really were on the hunt for these figures, or are now, a better solution to tracking them all down individually is the six pack as seen below. This may have also been a better route that Multi Toys should have taken when releasing the figures as opposed to banking on an action figure line.

 



Six Pack Collector's Set

For those looking for a better alternative to these Wizard of Oz based toys, we highly recommend considering investing in the original Mego dolls from 1974.

Join us next time when we take a look at James Bond Jr.!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

V The Resistance (Arco)

V The Resistance
Arco
1984

We touched on V in general back in 2012 in our post about LJN's toy line, quite honestly there isn't a whole lot more that we can say about the series in general that we didn't already touch on there.

In 1983, Arco toys produced a line of their own toys based on the series. Much like prior products before this particular series, the products were simply re-used molds of existing lines that the company had churned out in the past, and would use again many more times in the future. However, this doesn't mean it was of poor quality.

Arco was one of the well known toy companies for making toy guns, and they did a fantastic job on them. Mind you, this was back in the day when kids could play toy guns out in the middle of the street without fear of something going horribly wrong.

The first pistol was the P.38 rubber dart gun. It came packed with six darts, which could be loaded and fired one at a time...Which would then end up lost for years beyond the time that you actually owned the gun, and then one day you would mysteriously find them behind your parent's couch - Even though you looked there like a hundred times before giving up.

The sculpt of the gun is pretty spot on to that of a real Walther P.38 of the times - A gun very popular with the German's in World War II - Toys and history together! Fun!

The second gun was the 45'er. It had a fantastic gunfire and ricochet sound effects, and best of all didn't require batteries to use. This particular gun also came with its own holster which could be attached to your belt. It also came packaged with your own membership card for the Resistance.

A second version of the gun, known as the Action Set, was released the same year which included the weapon and holster as well a pair of binoculars and a grenade. It's the most difficult of the two versions to find, and sadly we couldn't locate one in time for this post.

No matter which of either of the guns above that you're after, it's important to be cautious when buying them loose. As we stated above, Arco utilized these same sculpts many times over for numerous toy lines, and it's very easy to be duped into thinking you're buying the V ones when instead you're buying a Rambo or A-Team one. Because each brand is only distinguishable with the stickers that were adhered to them, it's typically best to hold off for one in the package to ensure you're getting what you're looking for.

In addition to toy guns, Arco was also fond of producing Bop Bags. For those of you unfamiliar with these incredibly popular 80's toys, it was essentially an inflatable punching bag for kids. This particular version showcased a Visitor with most of his lizard face exposed under torn skin. Gruesome, yet so awesome at the same time!

If there was one drawback to any brand of Bop Bag from this era, it's that they're all incredibly fragile, and prone to puncture around the seams. As such be careful about how hard you slap yours around as you may inadvertently end up popping it - Which would just be a downer.

The last item was the Defender Rifle Target Game Set. This was a fantastic rifle for its time, featuring several projectile darts that you would fire into the cardboard target on the back of the box.

Toy guns were such a blast when we were growing up, and it's a real shame that a lot of kids these days are missing out on them. I guess we've reached that age where just like our parents, we can look back and say, "Sigh - Those were the good old days."

Join us next time when we take a look at Wizard of Oz!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Underdog (Mezco)

Underdog
Mezco
2007

Underdog got his start as a General Mills sponsored animated television series in 1964 which ran for 124 episodes through 1967, and continued in syndication until 1973. It featured the hero of the same name, who would take to the skies in a mock Superman fashion when his love interest Sweet Polly was in danger - Which apparently was all the time.

The show borrowed generously from the premise of Superman, which included Underdog having the alter ego persona of the timid Shoeshine Boy who showed no signs of bravery or being a hero. As Underdog, the character would often speak in rhymes, such as his catch phrase, "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!"

Since his initial inception, the character has been featured in numerous young reader picture books and comics. As of recent, Underdog has even been showcased in a full fledged feature film (2007) in an attempt to revitalize the character.

Also in 2007, Mezco released a handful of figures based on the original cartoon version - Though it was in very limited release, and came and went before most people even knew it was available.

Underdog (Serious Face)

 

Two versions of Underdog were made available. The first showcased a serious look on the characters face. The second had the character giving a big grin.

Underdog (Smile)

 

Sweet Polly Purebread

 

Simon Barsinister

 

Riff Raff

 

The 2007 Comic Con exclusive set is one of the more elusive pieces to track down, but despite this it doesn't typically sell for a lot of money. If you're patient enough, you can typically nab one for around $35.00 - However, be prepared to deal with sellers who are asking three to four times more than that for it.

Underdog 2007 Comic Con Exclusive

In general this is not an easy line of figures to track down. The most common one you'll find is Simon Barsinister. Unfortunately the rest of them are rarely found. Much like the Comic Con exclusive, this doesn't necessarily make the figures valuable. On average you can pick them up for $8.00 to $15.00 each mint on card. It's just a line that is going to take patience to track down.

Join us next time when we take a look at V The Resistance!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mutations (Playmates Toys)

New on shelves as of January 2015 is the all new sub series of Nickelodeon figures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mutations! Nine all "new" figures have been released which include Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Metal Head, Slash, Shredder, Splinter and Tiger Claw.

These figures honestly disappoint us. Mainly because it's nothing short of a rehash of what we've already gotten. Out of the nine figures, none of them are new. Though we do like the packaging, it's not enough to make us want to dive head long into this all new sub series. Quite honestly we've never really found ourselves sitting around saying, "Boy, wouldn't it be great if we could take our Turtle figures apart and swap the pieces of each body around?"

Side Note - We did end up picking up a Metal Head so that we could put his pieces in Donnie's workshop area in the Secret Sewer Lair. That turned out pretty cool in terms of adding to the look of the diorama.

Variant hunters - It's been noted that Playmates Toys is utilizing this new style of packaging for the basic line of figures as well. So far we've seen about a dozen of the older figures packaged on retail shelves, and it's speculated that a whole bunch more are coming down the pike. If you're in to package variations, this is going to be a big one for you.

In addition, the set of four Mystic Turtles are out on store shelves. We'll create a new post for those once we've obtained them.

Join us next time when we take a look at Elvira - Mistress of the Dark!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief (Jazwares)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief
Jazwares
2009

Percy Jackson - The Lightning Thief is the title of the first novel from writer Rick Riordan, and as such is the first installment in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The series became a massive success, and spawned a feature film of the same name. It is the film version that Jazwares licensed, and produced the based upon toys below.

We've never actually seen the film(s) or read the book(s), so our knowledge is unfortunately very limited on the subject of Percy Jackson. As such, we won't insult the fans of the series by talking out of our ears on the matter.

Four basic figures, one deluxe figures, and five two-packs encompass the entire line. However, there are differences between the various items. The basic figures stand at five inches tall, while the deluxe Hades figure stands at seven inches. The two packs are made up of two inch miniature figures.

Grover*Medusa

Percy Jackson*Zeus

 

Hades

 

Hades and Grover*Medusa and Fury*Percy and Minotaur

 

Poseidon and Fury*Zeus and Hellhound

 

Two final items produced for the series were the cosplay 24 inch plastic sword, and the very functional Lightning Bolt Pen.



24 Inch Sword*Lightning Bolt Pen

Join us next time when we take a look at Underdog!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Space: 1999 (Mattel)

Space: 1999
Mattel
1976

Space: 1999 was a sci-fi series which originally aired in the UK which ran for two seasons between 1975 and 1977. The series would eventually make its way across the ocean to US televisions, but was typically run on non network affiliated stations. Oddly enough, the series started Martin Landau and Barbara Bain - Both American actors. The series received very mixed reviews often times praising or condemning it for opposite items. For example, some praised it for its magnificant acting, while others claimed the acting was wooden and terrible. We suppose it's just going to be one of those things that each person has to decide for themselves.

In 1976, Mattel released a handful of items based on the series. Much like the highly popular Mego brand, the "dolls" stood eight inches high, and featured a variety of articulation. Each package was also specifically designed with wonderful artwork to showcase the character in question.

Commander Koenig

 

Doctor Russell

 

Professor Bergman

 

The series was rounded out with the Moon Base Alpha playset.

 

Moon Base Alpha Playset

 

An honorable mention to the series goes to the Eagle I Spaceship and Flying Eagle which were pieces that Mattel created that same year. Neither was designed to be incorporated into the 8 inch line of dolls.

 

The Eagle I Spaceship came packed in with a set of three smaller figures depicted in orange flight suits such as seen on the box art, and was a fun playset/vehicle combo.

 



Eagle I Spaceship

 

Dubbed as one of the rarest and most valuable items in the series, the Flying Eagle. It was essentially a launching station with a propeller based Eagle I Spaceship which you would launch off of the station. If you're looking to track one down, be prepared to spend about $300.00 to $400.00.

Flying Eagle

Join us next time when we take a look at Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Robin Hood (Mego)

Robin Hood
Mego
1974

In the 70's, Mego pretty much had its hands in every toy line that they could - Well, with the exception of that one mistake not to nab the Star Wars license when it was first offered to them. Monsters, super heroes, movie characters, and more - They pretty much left no stone unturned.

Though there was no license procured for these figures between Mego, Errol Flynn and/or Warner Bros. Pictures, the figure for Robin Hood himself has a striking resemblance to the actor who played the leading role of the character in the 1939 Warner Bros. movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood. Intended, or a fortunate coincidence? You be the judge.

The figures are more so popular among Mego collectors today than they appear to have been when first released in 1974. Though they can be found in abundance, they're not necessarily cheap. Empty boxes sell for around $20.00, and mint in package figures fluctuate between $50.00 and $150.00. Unfortunately there's no real rhyme or reason for the variance in pricing suffice to say that it appears to be based on who's looking for them, and when.

Join us next time when we take a look at Space: 1999!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.