Action Figure Review: Skeletor #998 (Disco) from POP! Television: Masters of the Universe by Funko

    Back on June 10th a friend email me to let me know that Funko was putting this 10 inch Disco Skeletor POP! vinyl on Funko-shop.com that day. Unfortunately, I didn't get home to check my email until late that night so I had to rely on someone from one of the Masters of the Universe groups I'm part of on Facebook to pick it up. This guy sold out quickly and his price has really jumped! Yes, I reviewed the standard 10 inch Skeletor last month but today I'm checking out the Disco Skeletor variant.  I've discussed the story behind Disco Skeletor before so today I'm just checking out this figure. Ready for an absolutely massive POP! vinyl of one of the gaudiest versions of Skeletor around? Then join me after the break...

Old School MOTU: Skeletor (Gray Skull) from Hikari: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 

    Today on old school MOTU I'm showing off the first Funko Hikari Skeletor I've reviewed in the site: Gray Skull Skeletor! I've talked about Japanese soft vinyl toys before when looking at Super7's Beast Man Japanese vinyl toy and Medicom's Sofubi Batgirl as well as some of Funko's Star Wars Hikari minis. Hikari is the Japanese word for "light" and often refers to figures that are translucent or clear. The sofubi toy style is definitely an art form with toys made in smaller batches and handpainted rather than being assembled in a standard factory. I don't know how true to these roots Funko's offerings stick (they are made in China) but they were far less expensive than most Japanese vinyl pieces when they were released. Funko released this Skeletor in seven different color schemes but today it's the "Gray Skull" variant we're focusing. That's kind of a punny name, isn't it? Gray Skull, as in Skeletor has a gray skull, but you've also got Castle Grayskull, the object of nearly all of Skeletor's schemes. Clever!

Trap Jaw-ly! Trap Jaw from POP! + Pez Dispensers by Funko

 It's time for another Trap Jaw-ly review and this time I'm checking out the standard POP! + Pez Trap Jaw dispenser. I reviewed the chase variant minicomic Trap Jaw Pez dispenser a couple week ago so let's take a look at what the main release looks like. He's definitely more faithful to the vintage toy or the Filmation design. He has a hook, a claw, a laser cannon, a fly swatter, and an energy bow, but did you also know that Trap Jaw can dispense candy? Find out more after the break...

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

    Despite all of the craziness going on with the Covid-19 pandemic there are still lots of new toys being released right now. My shelf of cool stuff to be reviewed is currently filled with Masters of the Universe POP! vinyls and G.I. Joe Classified Series figures but I'm always excited to go back and review a classic MOTU item. Today I'm checking out Stridor, the Heroic Armored War Horse! Stridor was released in 1984 as part of the third series of MOTU toys and was available on his own or available in a gift set with Fisto. I received my Stridor for Easter of 1987 in the gift set, though this isn't my original Stridor I'm reviewing here today (though the Fisto in one of the pictures is my original Fisto). Stridor was an incredibly cool toy that wonderfully merged the barbarian fantasy element (armored horse) with the sci-fi element (robot) of the property. I realized I was missing Stridor's helmet a week or so ago and so I ordered one to get him back to his original glory. Ready to ride with Stridor? Then let's check him out...

Action Figure Review: Luke Skywalker (Snowspeeder) from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Collection by Hasbro

    The second wave of the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary figures features a few new figures and I'm checking out another one of them today: Luke Skywalker  in his Snowspeeder pilot gear. Hasbro actually has a Snowspeeder released for the Black Series as well (it comes with Dak Ralter) so this isn't just a figure who is going to have to stand around without a craft to pilot! Luke Skywalker doesn't have a bad outfit in the Original Trilogy but his costume changes in The Empire Strikes Back are all pretty incredible (though nothing tops his "Bespin" fatigues). I have an attachment to his Snowspeeder pilot outfit because I remember a surprise gift from my parents of the Star Wars: The Power of the Force II Luke Skywalker in X-Wing Fighter Pilot Gear. That figure was misnamed as it actually turned out to be Luke in Snowspeeder Gear, so he went really well with the POTFII Snowspeeder. Here we are 25 years later and I'm still playing with a Luke Skywalker figure in this same gear! That's the power of Nostalgia, right? Let's check this guy out after the break...

Action Figure Review: He-Man on Battle Cat #84 from POP! Rides: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 
    The latest series of Masters of the Universe POP! vinyls from Funko not only includes multiple standard figures and the 10 inch Skeletor but it also includes a POP! Rides release: He-Man on Battle Cat! I don't know that there is a more iconic 1980s toy pairing than He-Man and Battle Cat so putting these two together makes perfect sense. While He-Man has understandably been a staple for Funko,  Battle Cat himself has also shown up in some of Funko's other lines including Dorbz Rides, Pint Size Heroes, and VYNL. This is a pretty decent sized POP! and it's been shipping for the last month or two. Do you need yet another Battle Cat and He-Man for your collection? Find out after the break...

Trap Jaw-ly! Trap Jaw from Masters of the Universe by Mattel

   I've been rearranging my photography area so I'm doing something a little different and using my lightbox for this review. Let me know what you think about the pictures. Do they look clearer or do they look a little too "bluish?" Let me know what you think!

    As Trap Jaw-ly continues on let's take a look at what may be my second favorite Masters of the Universe toyline: The 200x/2002 Masters of the Universe line. The 200x line retained the overall looks and colors of the vintage toys but they added some wicked cool details and designs that really brought the denizens of Eternia to life. One of the coolest new designs was Trap Jaw as the Four Horsemen really ran with the idea of Trap Jaw having been modified with multiple cybernetic parts. The Icons of Evil comic from MVCreations further explored the identity of Kronis, the leader of a group of bandits who wars against Skeletor and is destroyed in the process. Skeletor burns Kronis' face, causing it to take on a sickly green color, destroys his right arm, and finally rips off his lower jaw. Rebuilt by Tri-Klops, Trap Jaw becomes a formidable member of Skeletor's Evil Warrior and a regular part of the Mike Young Productions cartoon series. Trap Jaw was released in the third series of figures in early 2003 along with Teela, Orko, Tri-Klops, and some He-Man and Skeletor variants. Let's take a look at Trap Jaw after the break and see why he's one of the most popular 200x redesigns...