Sunday, May 31, 2020

Moss May: Moss Man from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    Today is the last day of Moss May and I'm going to wrap things up with a look at the Moss Man figure from Mattel's 200x Masters of the Universe toyline. Moss Man did appear in the Mike Young Productions cartoon that went along with the toyline and he had an incredible redesign that has never been fully captured in to form. Yes, this is the Moss Man from the 200x series, but his design his not based on his excellent cartoon appearance. Instead, his design is based on a mixture of the vintage toy and the 200x Beast Man as this Moss Man is again a Beast Man repaint with flocking added. While I would have loved a cartoon accurate Moss Man, I still do like this figure. Also, Moss Man was a mail away exclusive from Mattel. All you had to do was purchase three Masters of the Universe figures on one receipt and then send in the order form with $5 dollars shipping and the three proofs of purchase. That doesn't sound too bad but the problem was that the 200x series had some serious distribution issues after the first series, so finding three figures you needed at one time was reportedly more difficult. Also, requiring the proofs of purchase meant you had the destroy the packaging, and thus made this a more costly exclusive for fans who kept their action figures mint on card. Still, if you lucked out and found three figures you needed at one time Moss Man was a pretty nice prize. Let's take a look at Moss Man, the Heroic Guardian of Nature, after the break...

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Old School MOTU: Butthead from He-Man by Mattel

    I don't know if Butthead has the strangest name for a Masters of the Universe figure but he's definitely one of the characters whose name will make you giggle when you hear it. Butthead is another of the Space Mutants from The New Adventures of He-Man cartoon who received some major screen time on the show, although he was referred to as BH on the show so as not to offend the censors or parents. Butthead was part of the 3rd series of figures in Mattel's He-Man line and was released in 1991. Unlike many of the other 1991 figures, however, I never owned him as a kid. Honestly, I don't even remember him. Looking at Butthead now, though, there are definitely elements of the character that remind me of some of the early concept designs for vintage MOTU characters that appeared in tomes such as the Power and Honor Foundation's catalog. He's kind of like an evil version of Ram Man, isn't he? Let's take a look at Butthead after the break and see if he's a smashing success or a wet fart of a figure. More after the break...

Friday, May 29, 2020

Old School MOTU: Thunder Punch He-Man from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

   Ready for another He-Man review? Of course you are! If you weren't, why the heck would you come to Action Figure Barbecue, right? Today I'm checking out Thunder Punch He-Man, the heroic leader with a loud power punch! Thunder Punch He-Man is another of the vintage He-Man variants from Mattel's juggernaut of a toyline and Mattel worked to always keep He-Man himself on the shelves. While the original figure was re-released a couple of times, Mattel also put out some unique variants over the years to keep the main man fresh on shelves. Thunder Punch He-Man was released in the Masters of the Universe line in 1985 and was the third He-Man figure released (not counting Prince Adam). I never had this He-Man as a kid, though, and I'm speculating it is because I tended to go for more new characters rather than variants. I had the original and Battle Armor He-Man and Prince Adam, and that was enough for me at the time. Of course now, after 35 years, I finally managed to get my first vintage Battle Armor He-Man. Let's check him out after the break and see if he still packs a powerful punch!

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Moss May: Moss Man from Pint Size Heroes: Masters of the Universe by Funko

    There are only a few more days of Moss May left so I've decided to at least finish Funko's four Moss Man offerings thus far by checking out the Pint Size Heroes Moss Man! I've reviewed a few of the Pint Size Heroes over the past month or two and I really would like to see a second series of them. They're quite small but they display well when posed in front of other Masters of the Universe vinyl figures and such. Like the other three Funko Moss Man offerings, this Pint Size Heroes Moss Man has his own unique sculpt, meaning he isn't just a Beast Man repaint like the vintage toy and Mattel's other Moss Man offerings. Let's take a look at this little sprout of a Moss Man after the break...

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Moss May: Moss Man from POP! + PEZ Dispensers: Masters of the Universe by Funko

   Today for Moss May I'm checking out the Moss Man POP! + PEZ dispenser Funko released last year. Moss Man was actually the first of the MOTU Pez dispensers I picked up since I adore Moss Man and I really like the wacky concept of these. Moss Man was a standard release and not an exclusive or anything, though I don't recall ever seeing him in the wild anywhere (mostly places like GameStop, FYE, and Hot Topic carried these). He's not flocked which is definitely unusual for a Moss Man toy, but I guess since he's a food dispenser that you might conceivably have to wash at some point flocking doesn't make sense. Let's take a brief look at this Moss Man Pez Dispenser after the break...

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Old School MOTU: Snake Busters Car from Hot Wheels by Mattel

 Ready for another kind of oddball Masters of the Universe review? How about a review of the Snake Busters Car from Hot Wheels? Originally released with the Hot Wheels Snake Mountain Challenge set it appears that the Snake Busters car was later sold in a baggie via the Mattel Toy Club. What exactly was the Mattel Toy Club? I'm not 100% sure, so if you can enlighten me I'd appreciate it. My guess is that it was a mail away program managed by Mattel to sell items directly to consumer (Kenner, Hasbro, and many other toy companies had similar programs). There are many sellers on Ebay who have a full box of these individually wrapped, so it really seems that these may have even been used as a promotional item or something. Let's take a look at the car itself after the break...

Monday, May 25, 2020

Old School MOTU: Quakke from He-Man by Mattel

    Of all the New Adventures of He-Man toys I had as a kid, Quakke was always my favorite. I really don't remember what happened to him (he was probably a victim of a yard sale) but I've recently been able to remedy a past error and he's now part of my collection. I love Quakke and I was thrilled that Super7 included him in Masters of the Universe Classics when they took over (he was one of my most wanted MOTUC figures for a long time) as he has such an interesting design and a pretty cool play feature. One of the Evil Space Mutants, Quakke hails from the planet Denebria and uses a massive mace to cause earthquakes. That's one heck of a power! Like may of the He-Man figures I've reviewed lately Quakke was from the third series of action figures and was another toy I picked up on my epic childhood excursion to the Gurnee Mills mall. Let's see if Quakke lives up to my childhood memories after the break...

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Old School MOTU: Flying Fists He-Man from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    I've recently been picking up some vintage Masters of the Universe figures I never owned as a kid and one of my latest acquisitions is Flying Fists He-Man. Released in the fifth series of figures in 1986, Flying Fists He-Man is the third He-Man variant figure in the vintage line (not counting Prince Adam). The packaging actually proclaims him as the "5th Anniversary Edition He-Man" which is kind of interesting. That's pretty cool and it's something I wasn't aware of until recently. I never had this guy as a kid though I was certainly aware of him due to his prevalence on a lot of promotional art. Flying Fists He-Man was a bit of a deluxe release with unique packaging due to his larger and more complex accessories. Having him in hand, I will admit that I'm a but underwhelmed by him, though. Let's take a look at Flying Fists He-Man after the break...

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Action Figure Review: Winston Zeddemore and Chomper Ghost from Ghostbusters Kenner Classics by Hasbro

  I love Ghostbusters. Love it. My favorite film of all time is either Raiders of the Lost or Ghostbusters (they're constantly vying for the top spot) and as a kid I collected The Real Ghostbusters toys with a passion, and I wish I'd kept them all, too. For some reason I sold all of my Ghostbusters. All of them. I really can't recall why, either, but going back and recollecting all of the original toys just hasn't been something I've ever considered doing. I have picked up a few here and there, mostly the various ghosts and such, but I've largely allowed the toys to live as simply memories for me. Well, Hasbro netted me back in with their quite nicely done Ghostbusters Kenner Classics line which are near exact recreations of Kenner's 1986 The Real Ghostbusters action figures. Hasbro clearly had big plans for the brand for 2020 due to the once planned release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife in July but now that the film has pushed back to March 2021 due to Covid-19 it seems like Hasbro is only going to be releasing toys based on the classic films. That's not a bad idea at all, though, as the first two Ghostbusters films have become perennial favorites and merchandise based on them is always a strong seller. The Ghostbusters Kenner Classics are exclusive to Walmart stores and I stumbled upon my first one a week or so ago while on a grocery run: Winston Zeddemore! Let's take a look at Winston Zeddemore and Chomper Ghost after the break...

Friday, May 22, 2020

Old School MOTU: Teela from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    After picking up the pieces to restore my original He-Man figure back to greatness I decided Teela was the next candidate. My Teela was fortunately in good shape and nearly complete so all I had to do was to find a new staff for her. Well, here she is! My original Teela! Teela was probably the first female action figure I ever owned and she was always a main character in my MOTU adventures. I've recently been watching Scott "ToyGuru" Neitlich's videos about the making of the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline and he has dropped some pretty interesting information about the characters, including the vintage Teela figure. While I've long known about Teela's connection with the never made Sorceress/ Godess figure, I don't think I realized that Mattel's intention was that Teela was intended to be two separate characters, allowing kids to only have to buy one figure to have two separate female figures. It certainly wasn't clear on the marketing for sure. Teela's unique snake motif definitely stood out and gave her a cool fantasy edge that worked so well in the early years of the line. Let's take a look at Teela and see how cool of an action figure she still is after the break...

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Moss May: Moss Man #568 from POP! Television: Masters of the Universe by Funko

    Moss May rolls right along with another look at a Moss Man product! Today I'm checking out the 2017 Moss Man POP! vinyl which was released as a Toys 'R Us exclusive back when Toys 'R Us was still with us. Please! A moment of silence!   ....

   While the original Masters of the Universe POP! vinyls came out in 2013, Funko didn't release any follow-up figures for a few years. They did release two Freddy Funko MOTU variants in 2016 but the next actual MOTU POP! vinyls came out in 2017, and Moss Man was part of a decently expanded roster of characters. Beast Man was also released (with a flocked variant) but Funko didn't have the characters share sculpts. Funko has treated Moss Man better than Mattel has in regards to always giving him a unqiue sculpt! Let's take a look at Funko's Moss Man POP! vinyl after the break and see how he turned out...

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Old School MOTU: Sssqueeze from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    Sssqueeze is the Evil Long-Armed Viper who was part of the 1987 series of Masters of the Universe figures released by Mattel and was one of the last two Snake Men offered in the vintage toyline. I never had Sssqueeze as a kid and it was only recently that I picked him up. He's an extremely bright, colorful figure with a pretty unique action feature that definitely causes him to stand out in the vintage toyline. It's kind of funny that I've been reviewing the Sssqueeze figures backwards: I reviewed the Masters of the Universe Classics Sssqueeze first (back when it first came out) and fairly recently I reviewed the NECA Sssqueeze staction figure. Now I'm all the way back at the vintage Sssqueeze! Originally referred to as Tanglor while in production, Sssqueeze functions as a villain who can trap other figures with his long, slithery arms. If you look at the many wonderful books of MOTU concept art for the toyline you'll find that there were many suggestions for figures who could "capture" other figures. Sssqueeze finally brought this play feature to life in the vintage toyline. Let's see if he's a worthwhile addition to the ranks of the Snake Men after the break...

Monday, May 18, 2020

Old School MOTU: Doomcopter/ Skullcopter from He-Man by Mattel

    Mattel's He-Man/ New Adventures toyline had some really cool vehicles and today I'm checking out one from the third series of figures from 1991: The Doomcopter! Also known as the Skullcopter for its European release, the Doomcopter was another one of the He-Man toys I picked up on the same incredible trip to Gurnee Mills that also netted me Sagitar. Of course, this isn't my original Doomcopter; well, not fully. A few months before picking this one up I actually found the Doomcopter's rotor blade in a box of random parts stuff from my parents' house. And when I found a Doomcopter for sale at a great price, guess what it was missing? The rotor blade! So this Doomcopter is like... 15% my original childhood toy, I guess? It's a great vehicle, especially if you like the idea of Skeletor flying around in a helicopter with a giant skull face on it! Let's check this one out after the break...

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Old School MOTU: Series 3 Exclusive Micro-Busts from Masters of the Universe by NECA

   I really forgot just how much NECA supported the 2002 relaunch of Masters of the Universe, even after Mattel gave up on it. Heck, NECA actually released the first product based on the relaunch, a He-Man statue, in 2001. That was the year before Mattel ever put the toys out! When you think about it, NECA released product up until 2007, which means that a full fiscal year didn't go buy without MOTU product considering Masters of the Universe Classics started in 2008. They really kept the torch burning, didn't they? While Mattel made toys, though, NECA focused on statues and "stactions" that showed off the brilliance of the Four Horsemen's redesigns of our beloved denizens of Eternia.  One of the subsets NECA released during their time with the license was a series of micro-busts. Only nine micro-busts were released in the line with the third series of micro-busts released in 2006 as single boxed convention exclusive set. That set is what I'm reviewing today. The set contains micro-busts of Mekaneck, Teela, and Man-At-Arms, three of the main heroic warriors in the Mike Young Productions cartoon series. Ready for a look at some more fashionable busts from my Masters of the Universe collection? Then let's check this set out after the break...

Friday, May 15, 2020

Old School MOTU: He-Man from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    Today I'm going to review a toy that is very, very special to me: My original vintage He-Man figure! He-Man has been sitting on a special shelf in my Masters of the Universe collection, although he looked a bit different until recently. You see, at some point as a kid I lost his armor, the cardboard in his shield was dented, and the guard was broken on his sword. I had him wearing the black weapons pack armor though his weapons were a bit shabby. Earlier this year I began hunting parts to  restore He-Man to his original glory. After finding someone selling a beat up He-Man figure with a clean shield disc, an unbroken sword, and his power harness I was able to restore my He-Man to greatness! I will admit that I have no idea when I received this as a kid. I was born in 1983 so I probably got my He-Man around 1985 or 1986. He could be "The Original" He-Man or he could be an earlier one from a yard sale, as I know many of my early MOTU playsets were from yard sales. I'm not an expert on the minor vintage variants such as where different pieces were manufactured, etc. Feel free to chime in with any comments to help me fully identify this guy. Here he is, folks: The hero who launched a franchise! Let's take a look at the original He-Man from Masters of the Universe after the break...



Thursday, May 14, 2020

Moss May: Battle Armor Skeletor and Moss Man from Masters of the Universe Minis by Mattel

    Moss May returns with a look at Moss Man in yet another scale and style as I'm now checking out the 2014 Masters of the Universe Minis 2-pack of Battle Armor Skeletor and Moss Man. I've only talked about these briefly before but I'm sure we'll be looking at them again later this year as Mattel is preparing to restart this line. wit individually blind boxed figures. I'm thrilled about the blind boxed aspect but I do look forward to more figures being available at retail. The original figures were available in 2013 as a SDCC 2-pack of He-Man and Skeletor and the figures were actually a bit larger originally. When Mattel began releasing these 2-packs through MattyCollector in 2014 they dropped the size a bit but did pack a piece of a buildable Castle Grayskull. Battle Armor Skeletor and Moss Man were the second set in the series but they're the first one I'm checking out here. Let's take a look at this set after the break and see if these little guys back a big enough punch...

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Action Figure Review: Count Dooku from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   While my collecting focus has certainly narrowed to mostly focusing on Masters of the Universe I'm still collecting other stuff, including Star Wars: The Black Series. I haven't picked up every figure released over the past year but I'm certainly grabbing the ones that strike my fancy and Count Dooku is one I've been looking forward to for a very, very long time. It's still always a bit of a shock to me to think this line is as old as my daughter (she's now 6 and a 1/2 and the original Darth Maul figure arrived in the mail around the week she was born) and we're only now getting a major character like Count Dooku! A few months back I read Cavan Scott's Dooku: Jedi Lost and I was quite impressed with it. Count Dooku of Serenno is a fascinating character who was immensely intriguing in the films (thanks to the always mesmerizing performances of the late and beloved Christopher Lee) but who really has been explored and enhanced as a character in the various other media sources he has appeared in. Dooku has a long history of fantastic action figures and his first appearance in The Black Series is another winner. Let's check out Count Dooku after the break...

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Old School MOTU: Masters of the Universe Deluxe Play Set by Colorforms

    As a kid I loved Colorforms! I remember playing with them quite often and I know I had lots of the sets. I'd have to really look at an archive of vintage sets to remember all of the ones I had but I remember a few of my favorites being Bravestarr, the Real Ghostbusters, the TMNT Busy Builders Playset, the Marvel Super Heroes set, and this Masters of the Universe set which I'm checking out today. I don't know where my childhood sets went (probably a yard sale) but recently I picked up this Masters of the Universe Colorforms Adventure Set that was actually still sealed in the box. The price was incredible and the box condition was amazing, so I jumped on this thing like a Shadow Beast on some roast gooble. I have really fond memories of playing with this set. It's absolutely gorgeous and fantastically captures the early era of Masters of the Universe. Let's take a closer look at this set after the break...

Moss May: Moss Man and Beast Man 2 Pack from Dorbz: Masters of the Universe by Funko

   Ready for another installment in Moss May? Then let's check out the Funko Dorbz two-pack of Moss Man and Beast Man! Released in July 2017 this two-pack features a Dorbz figure of the two characters who infamously shared a body sculpt in the vintage Masters of the Universe line. That actually makes them a cool pairing although Funko gave them unique headsculpts here, so they're really quite different. Funko's sales pitch for the pairing seems to imply that they're both warriors with the power to control other things: Moss Man controls plants while Beast Man controls animal life (but not dragons!). The set was limited to 3,000 pieces but since the Dorbz line wasn't incredibly popular you can actually find this for less than the original retail price if you shop around a bit. Let's check out this cool pairing of a Heroic Warrior and an Evil Warrior after the break...

Monday, May 11, 2020

Old School MOTU: Mer-Man (Invisible) from Masters of the Universe ReAction by Super7

    Here's another quick look at one of the bizarre chase variants from Super7's blind boxed series of Masters of the Universe ReAction figures: Invisible Mer-Man! These are completely random variants that often make little to no sense for the characters involved but they're quite fun with some unusual color schemes. Mer-Man (Invisible) features the evil master of the deep molded in translucent plastic. It's kind of cool and makes for a fun Mer-Man variant. I mean, almost any figure would be fun if cast in translucent plastic, right? Let's take a quick peak at Mer-Man (Invisible) after the break and see what we can see...

Old School MOTU: Sssqueeze from Masters of the Universe by NECA

    How about another Staction review? Let's do it! Today I'm checking out the NECA staction of Sssqueeze from 2007, part of the fifth series of non-articulated "mini-statues" designed by the Four Horsemen to serve as a continuation of Mattel's 200x Masters of the Universe toyline. The Snake Men absolutely made an appearance in the Mike Young Productions cartoon series and Sssqueeze was among their ranks. While he didn't get a toy from Mattel, it sure is nice to have him represented in the 200x collection. The Masters of the Universe Classics version of Sssqueeze was released in 2015 and was the first figure of Sssqueeze I ever owned. Recently, however, I've acquired both the vintage Sssqueeze and the NECA version. Today let's check out this Evil Long-Armed Viper and see if he's another worthy addition to the collection...

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Old School MOTU: Beast Man (Ghost) from Masters of the Universe ReAction by Super7

   Ready for another Masters of the Universe ReAction Beast Man review? Well, this one is of the chase variants from the Snake Mountain blind boxed series, so he was only packed 1 per case and he features a funky color scheme that is referred to as Beast Man (Ghost). Yes! Ghost! I really like the bizarre color schemes Super7 has chosen for some of these variants and I recently picked up a lot of a few of these figures, so I've got at least one more review of a uniquely colored Super7 ReAction variant coming soon. Right now, though, we're checking out this spooky, ghostly Beast Man! Ooooh!! Let's check him out after the break...if you dare!

Old School MOTU: Clamp Champ from Masters of the Universe by NECA

    Want to take a look at another one of NECA's Masters of the Universe mini statues, also known as stactions? Then let's take a look at Clamp Champ, the Heroic Master of Capture! Back in 2013 when I reviewed the Masters of the Universe Classics Clamp Champ I mentioned that Clamp Champ was one of the vintage MOTU toys I specifically remember picking out at a store. That makes perfect sense as Clamp Champ was released in 1987 as part of the sixth series of figures, so by that point I would have been 4 (or close to it) and was definitely picking out my own stuff when at the toy store. Clamp Champ is a character that I've always felt could easily be promoted to the main cast and was intended to be in the 200x series but the series ended before he could be introduced (he would have been introduced to fill in for Man-At-Arms after he was turned into a Snake Man to help the heroes). The Four Horsemen's 200x redesign for the character at least was able to be released in the second series of NECA stactions in 2005 alongside of Grizzlor and Stinkor. Ready for a look at this incredibly cool (yet not at all articulated) Clamp Champ? Then join me after the break...

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Old School MOTU: Beast Man (Cartoon Colors) from Masters of the Universe ReAction by Super7

    I really like Super7's Masters of the Universe ReAction figures and I'm always looking for pieces to fill in gaps in my collection so when I stumbled upon a few releases from last year's series of blind-boxed ReAction figures. Beast Man here is obviously from the Snake Mountain series of figures and he's one of the standard that came boxed 2 per case. The standard figures in the blind boxes were designed to capture the Filmation appearances of the cast rather than the vintage toys so some of these are pretty desirable in that respect. Beast Man, however, comes out a bit less impressive than some of the others. Let's take a look and see whether this bumbling buffoon is worth adding to your shelf after the break...

Old School MOTU: Evil Lyn from Masters of the Universe by Tweeterhead

    On Masters of the Universe Day 2020 I reviewed Tweeterhead's Teela bust from 2016 and, in the review, I mentioned that I was still looking for Evil-Lyn. Well, I found her! I stumbled across one online and struck as soon as I could! Evil-Lyn (for some reason just labeled as Evil Lyn without the hyphen on the packaging) has become one of the mos popular Evil Warriors and she seems to be a shoe-in for any Masters of the Universe line now, especially the high end lines. Tweeterhead released Evil-Lyn as the fourth bust in their series of MOTU busts and she is definitely another stunning addition to the collection. She's very much an amalgamation of the vintage toy and the Filmation design, so hopefully everyone is getting something they want here! As I was looking back at the promotional material for this piece it appears that Tweeterhead offered a limited run of 50 of these busts, each which included a certificate. Other places offered the standard release (I don't know the number) but so far as I can tell there is no actual difference between the exclusive and the standard busts other than the numbered certificate. Can anyone clarify that for me? Let's check out this bust of Evil-Lyn, perfectly suited for the shelves of your arcane library, after the break...

Friday, May 8, 2020

Moss May: Moss Man (Un-Flocked Ears) from Masters of the Universe Classics by Mattel

   The Masters of the Universe Classics Moss Man was my first MOTUC figure. He's also probably responsible for the resurgence in my love for Masters of the Universe as a whole, so Moss May is as much a celebration of my love for the property as it is my love for ol' Moss Man (AKA Kreann'Ot N'Norosh). Moss Man was released on March 15th, 2010 as the March MOTUC figure on the late MattyCollector.com. I was well aware of the MOTUC line and the popularity it was amassing but I hadn't pulled the trigger on any figure yet until I learned about this amazing remake of Moss Man. I needed him. I attempted to order one but, alas, no luck. He was long since sold out. Fortunately, a kind soul on Facebook sold me one at cost and within days I had Moss Man in hand and a new collecting passion. Moss Man still remains one of my favorite MOTUC figures and I'm glad to finally be able to review him on here. Let's check him out after the break...

Toy Review: Disco Skeletor from Vinyl SODA by Funko

   In early April Funko released both of the planned WonderCon 2020 Masters of the Universe Vinyl SODA exclusives for sale online so that the masses could order them. I reviewed Faker a couple of days ago so today I'm reviewing Disco Skeletor. Yes! Disco Skeletor! While Disco Skeletor is simply a repaint of the previously released Vinyl SODA Skeletor he is in fact based on a well known and garish variant from the 200x Masters of the Universe line that has over the years become known as Disco Skeletor. Funko has utilized this color scheme before and I've previously talked about the history of the variant but I believe this is the first time it has been outright referred to as "Disco Skeletor" rather than Skeletor (Black Hood). That's kind of cool, right? Skeletor is such a pop culture icon that he looks good and is instantly recognizable in an array of color schemes. Let's check out this thirst-quenching groove thing Disco Skeletor after the break...

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Old School MOTU: Sagitar/ Tharkus from He-Man by Mattel

    Lately I've really been interested in the He-Man/ New Adventures of He-Man action figures and I've been filling in some gaps in my collection. Today I'm checking out Sagitar, who I believe is one of the most popular figures in the New Adventures toyline. Like Scare Glow from the vintage line, I believe that Sagitar, despite being a minor character, has a popularity that extends just beyond fans of Masters of the Universe simply because he's such a cool and strange action figure (though Sagitar is certainly nowhere as popular as Scare Glow). Sagitar was released in the 1991 series of figures and was know as Tharkus in his European release. He was a very prominent character in the Jetlag productions cartoon series, appearing in over 30 episodes, so I'm sure there were kids anxiously awaiting his appearance. I actually owned Sagitar as a child. During a trip to the Gurnee Mills mall which in the early 90s had quite a few discount toy stores, I stumbled upon a bunch of He-Man figures for cheap. Remember the deals you could find back in the day? I remember in one trip getting Sagitar, Quakke, Tuskador, the Skull Staff, Vizarr, the Shuttle Pod, the Battle Bird, the Doomcopter, and the Bolajet. Dang, that was a good day! Someone should write a song about it! Sadly at one point in the mid-90s I sold most of my New Adventures figures to buy Star Wars: The Power of the Force 2 stuff. I do love that line but I really wish I'd kept my He-Man toys. I'm slowly rectifying my childhood folly, and another step towards that goal is Sagitar here. Let's check him out after the break...

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Moss May: Eternia Pine Deodorant from Master of the Universe Classics by Mattel

   Back in the late 2000s and early 2010s Mattel owned SDCC! Not only did they have the hottest exclusives and the panels that generated the most excitement and press attention but they also had some of the coolest giveaways. In 2010 at SDCC they handed out something that it sounds like everyone there really needed: Eternia Pine Deodorant! Yes, this Masters of the Universe Classics promotional item is a small stick of deodorant with a Moss Man-ish smell to it and Moss Man's handsome mug emblazoned on the front. It was quite clever and really worked at the time, perhaps because of both the common assertion that conventions magnify body odor and the popularity of the Old Spice commercials and parodies. So yes, I've reviewed toothpaste, hummus, and hand soap, and now I'm reviewing deodorant. Moss Man deodorant. Truly Moss May is a wondrous month, right? Let's check out the ever so elegantly named Eternia Pine Deodorant after the break...

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Toy Review: Faker from Vinyl SODA by Funko

    Since WonderCon 2020 postponed/ cancelled, Funko ended up doing their own virtual con and offered up their WonderCon exclusives on Funko Shop.com. I made sure to be there the day the exclusives went on sale (April 10th, I think) in order to pick up a flocked Eevee for my daughter and the two Masters of the Universe Vinyl SODA exclusives for me. Today I'm checking out the first WonderCon MOTU exclusive: Faker! With a run of 4,000 pieces (and no chase variant) these are a bit less common than the standard releases, though still more common than the chase variants. Faker is always a popular choice to be released early in any MOTU line since he's both a fairly popular character and a shameless repaint. Would you be up for some Faker soda? Then let's pop open a can and see how it tastes after the break...

Monday, May 4, 2020

Old School MOTU: Staghorn from He-Man by Mattel

    Ready for another New Adventures of He-Man review? Great, because I've got one lined up for you! Let's check out another Space Mutant from Flogg's crew and take a look at Staghorn, the towering mutant tracker! Like Artilla/ Weaponstronic whom I reviewed last month, Staghorn is another Masters of the Universe character who has never appeared as a toy again since his original release. He never got a variant in the He-Man line nor did he make an appearance in Masters of the Universe Classics; if you like Staghorn this is the only figure of him out there! Staghorn appeared in the New Adventures of He-Man cartoon and was a fairly prominent character on the 1990 show. In the toyline he didn't appear until the third series in 1991, so I'm assuming he was in development as a toy while the show was in development, too. The toy looks a bit different in the cartoon but that's not unusual, especially of toys from that era. Let's take a look at Staghorn after the break and see if this guy is a worthy addition to a MOTU collection...

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Old School MOTU: Power Sword from He-Man by Mattel

    Did you like last week's Masters of the Universe Day review of He-Man from The New Adventures of He-Man line? Then how about we check out the Power Sword toy from that same line? Today I'm looking at the "He-Man" Power Sword (which was actually the name of the toyline, not New Adventures), a kid-sized electronic Power Sword. The New Adventures' version of the Power Sword definitely looks more like a lightsaber than a traditional sword, but oddly it doesn't resemble either the toy version or the cartoon of He-Man's Power Sword. Instead, it seems to be based on the Laser Power He-Man sword and the "He-Man" minicomic version or, more likely, the minicomic versionwas based on the toy. There were a few dress-up items and sets available for sale during the years of the original Masters of the Universe line but this was the first time a dedicated Power Sword was sold at retail like this. Let's check this one out after the break...

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Moss May! Moss Man from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

   Let's kick off our first Moss May review with a look at the original Moss Man! I absolutely had Moss Man as a kid. In fact, I still do. This one isn't my original Moss Man, though, but one I picked up recently because he was in incredible shape. Moss Man is a tough figure to find in excellent condition due to his flocking often being rather nasty and covered with junk. His flocked fur is one of those things that really makes him stand out in the vintage Masters of the Universe line, however.  The 1985 series of figures (the fourth year of the line) was definitely heavily focused on the Horde, but Moss Man offered up one more Heroic Warrior to help take on their ranks. I wasn't born until 1983 but I had most of the 1985 releases as a child and have vivid memories of getting many of them, so I was probably getting into MOTU in later 1985 or early 1986 when the figures were still on shelves. I don't remember "getting" Moss Man but I do remember he was one of my favorites. Still is, too. To me he's such a great example of the craziness and creativity in the vintage MOTU line. Let's check out Moss Man and see what all the fuss is about after the break...

Friday, May 1, 2020

May 2020 is Moss May at Action Figure Barbecue!


  Moss Man is one of my favorite Masters of the Universe characters and May 2020 is going to be Moss May! Yes, you're going to get quite a few Moss Man reviews from many different eras of MOTU, so be ready! Read up on the history of Moss man at the excellent Battle Ram Blog and check out some of my previous Moss Man reviews here at Action Figure Barbecue:

M.U.S.C.L.E. Masters of the Universe by Super7 (2015)
Series 3: Packs A-F

Masters of the Universe: Mega Construx (2017)
Battle Bones
Moss Man

Old School MOTU: He-Man (Comic-Con Exclusive) from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    I hope you all had a wonderful Masters of the Universe Day earlier this week! Since there really isn't a lot of new stuff coming out (and since my interests have almost entirely shifted to Masters of the Universe) I've really been enjoying show off some older MOTU product. Some of it is stuff I have had for awhile while others are items I've newly acquired. I acquired this piece a few weeks ago from another collector and I'm thrilled to be able to show it off! It's the San Diego Comic Con Exclusive He-Man from the 200x Masters of the Universe line. While Masters of the Universe Classics is my favorite toyline of all time, when it comes to MOTU lines the 200x line is probably my second favorite. Ready for another crazy revelation? The standard 200x He-Man is one of my favorite He-Man figures of all time, if not my favorite. What? Yes, it's true! While he's not my childhood He-Man (I did have most of the vintage line as a child and still have my original childhood He-Man) I've always loved the sculpt, accessories, and overall playability of this guy. While I have the rest of the 200x exclusive figures I really didn't even know this guy existed until the last year or so. I managed to track one down at an excellent price that also just happens to be autographed by the Four Horsemen! This guy is a special variant of the standard 200x He-Man release with more paint applications and different paint applications on the accessories. Ready to check out this really cool Comic-Con Exclusive He-Man? Then let's get rolling after the break...