Wrapping Up 2020: Kuiil from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

 As I'm wrapping up my 2020 Star Wars: The Black Series reviews I'm checking out another of the figures inspired by The Mandalorian from the last series of 2020: Kuiil! I'm actually wearing a Kuiil t-shirt as I'm writing this (it was a Christmas gift from my wife and it has an image of Kuiil with the text "I have spoken") so I guess that's a pretty good sign that I'm pretty fond of the character. Kuiil is played by actress Misty Rosas but voiced by actor Nick Nolte and, together, they created what I believe is one of the most memorable characters not just from The Mandalorian but from Star Wars overall. Kuiil's not one of my top 10 characters or anything but he definitely makes an impact during season 1 and helps set the tone for the series. It was really cool to see an Ugnaught in live action outside of Cloud City, too. Let's take a look at the guy who says what he means and says it directly, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Dorina Onoris from Mythic Legions by Four Horseman Studios

 

   On Friday I was surprised to receive a box on my porch which included the two newest Masters of the Universe inspired figures from the Four Horsemen's Mythic Legions line. I ordered these last January and while the Four Horsemen did offer a couple "pre-release" figures via PowerCon 2020, these are now officially out for collectors who pre-ordered them. Mythic Legions is a very expansive fantasy toyline but due to their history with and love for MOTU the Horsemen have found cool ways to pay tribute to the heroes and villains of Eternia and Etheria in the world of Mythoss. Today I'm looking at Dorina Onoris, a beloved folk hero known for her compassion and spirit who led a rebellion against the evil Lord Draguul. Yes, Dorina Onoris is inspired by She-Ra, Princess of Power, and she looks fantastic. Seriously, this might be one of the best "She-Ra" action figures ever released. Let's take a look at Dorina Onoris after the break and see if she has the power, too...

Wrapping Up 2020: Greef Karga from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Due to the weirdness of the way Hasbro and Disney work right now we're just getting a figure of Greef Karga from season 1 of The Mandalorian. Played by Carl Weathers, Greef Karga was no secret and one of the characters we knew about well in advance of the show's premiere. Why has it taken so long to get a season 1 Greef Karga? By now we should be getting Greef in his even cooler season 2 outfit. Who knows? At least we've got one now! The latest series of Star Wars: The Black Series figures started shipping in December so technically Greef is a 2020 release, though it's doubtful most folks found him before 2021. I stumbled upon him at a GameStop a few weeks back and thus he's now part of my ever growing Black Series collection. Let's take a look at Greef Karga after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Teela from World's Smallest: Masters of the Universe by Super Impulse

 

While I didn't get my hands on them until last month the World's Smallest: Masters of the Universe ended up being some of the stand out minifigures of 2020. These little figures are so tiny and they come with weapons and such! Crazy! Today I'm checking out Teela from the first series of these figures. Like the other figures in this line, Teela is based on the original 1982 action figure from Mattel's Masters of the Universe. She comes with everything the vintage figure had plus some reusable packaging. Let's take a look at a cool figure who's so small she's almost a microfigure...

Barbecue's Bonfire 1/29/2021: Games, Perspectives, and Scrambled Eggs Edition

 

   Welcome back to another installment of Barbecue's Bonfire, a chance for me to lazily chat about some of the stuff I've been up to this week without having to make a full post about each item. On February 1st I'm going to be starting back the monthly Masters of the Universe review spotlights. Remember Moss May? How about June Adventures? Trap Jaw-ly? A new one starts February 1st so check back to find out what it is! Also, I'm working on finishing up my annual Best of the Year awards where I'm looking back at some of my favorite action figures and toys of 2020. This week's installment of Barbecue's Bonfire seems a little busier than usual. Why's that? Well, first, there was a really cool Funko POP! reveal this week I wanted to show off...

 Frasier POP! vinyls from Funko. Yes, Frasier. My wife and I love Frasier. When it was on streaming we'd generally always be watching through it and whenever we'd watch the last episode we would go ahead and start the first episode immediately afterwards to begin the cycle again, kind of like Roland's quest for the Dark Tower, I guess. They look fantastic, especially Martin Crane with Eddie, but I'm a bit perplexed that they didn't make Daphne Moon. How could they pass her up? I can't think of any sitcom I own POP! vinyls from offhand but Frasier definitely encouraged us to preorder right away. I think they're scheduled for release in May.

More interesting (and uninteresting) stuff from this week after the break...

Action Figure Review: King Randor #42 from POP! Retro Toys by Funko

 

  

  Funko dropped a lot of Masters of the Universe product in Janaury 2020 and today I'm looking at the last standard figure from the most recent series of MOTU POP! Retro Toys and it's He-Man and She-Ra dad, King Randor! King Randor was a staple of the Filmation cartoon series and Mattel finally put him in the vintage MOTU line in 1987. King Randor was part of a set of 1987 figures (Ninjor, Scareglow, Clamp Champ) intended to rely on heavy parts reuse so the vintage figure combined a new head, crown, and cape with the standard He-Man body, the Castle Grayskull spear, and Jitsu's armor to deliver a brand new figure. I vividly recall getting King Randor for Christmas, though I was young enough to not remember the year. It may have been 1988, possibvly the same year I got the Slime Pit (I'm on the younger side of MOTU fandom and didn't get into the line until it was past its prime). Sadly, my vintage King Randor was one of the figures I sold in the mid 1990s to buy Star Wars stuff, so every King Randor item I get is just tiding me over until I can finally pick up a vintage Randor again. Let's check out King Randor #42 after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Rey (Dark Side Vision) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Hasbro launched Phase IV of Star Wars: The Black Series in mid-2020 and, so far out of over 30 releases, only one figure is based on one of the Disney Era films: Dark Side Vision Rey. There are some figures I really want to see from some of those films but this seems to be a sign about how Hasbro (and perhaps even Disney) will treat those films going forward. Despite the Dark Side Vision of Rey being fairly prominent in the trailers for The Rise of Skywalker she didn't factor into the movie much at all, getting only about as much screen time as Darth Vader with Luke's face under the helmet got on Dagobah. Still, this seemed like it had the potential to be a really cool figure. While I didn't ultimately love Rey's story arc, I do still like Rey and I absolutely think Daisy Ridley's portrayal of her is one of the high points of the Sequel Trilogy. Having a Sith version of Rey, even if it was just a "what if?" kind of thing seemed like it would make for a cool figure. How did she turn out? Let's find out after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Before the Sequel Trilogy I would have guessed that there would never be a more divisive and more disliked Star Wars character than Jar Jar Binks. Guess I was wrong, huh? I've said a few times in different places that The Phantom Menace is probably the Star Wars film that I've most changed my view on over the years. I went from trying to embrace it when it came out while I was in 9th grade to ragging and hating on it for years, to starting to reassess it while watching through The Clone Wars to coming to love it and feel nostalgic for it around the time of the 2012 3D rerelease. It's certainly not my favorite but it's probably in my upper half of Star Wars movies now. It's a flawed but fun film that I could honestly watch over and over again. Jar Jar Binks is a great example of the nature of the film: A great idea that could have been executed better. Visually, he's pretty interesting and I find it fascinating that Hasbro's The Black Series figure seems to lean in the direction of focusing on what a more "serious" Jar Jar could have been like. He has a fantastic design, he's not making an overly silly facial expression, and he comes with some of the weapons of the Gungan army. Interesting. Jar Jar Binks is part of The Black Series Phase IV and he's sold as a deluxe figure. His packaging is a bit wider and he typically costs around $10 dollars more than your average figure. Why's that? My guess is it's because he's a bit taller than your average figure and he has a few larger weapons that may not have fit in a standard Phase IV box. Whether you think he's worth being a deluxe figure or not  is definitely a mater of opinion but let's dive in and take a look at Jar Jar Binks after the break...

Action Figure Review: She-Ra (PowerCon Exclusive) from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   While a big part of the focus this week is on wrapping up 2020 reviews I couldn't help but take some time to show off the PowerCon 2020 exclusive She-Ra from Masters of the Universe Origins. PowerCon 2020 took place virtually last year so, like the Lords of Power set, this set was shipped to buyers either via PowerCon if you actually bought tickets for the show or via Big Bad Toy Store if you weren't planning to attend. I placed my orders through BBTS and my figure arrived in the mail last week. 2020 was the 35th anniversary of She-Ra: Princess of Power so Mattel created a brand new figure in vintage style Princess of Power packaging that fits in with the Masters of the Universe Origins line. While I think many fans would have loved to have had a vintage toy inspired She-Ra in the Masters of the Universe Classics line, Mattel's really pushing MOTU Origins right now. I'm glad we got She-Ra in Origins as early as we did (there's currently a mass market version of She-Ra released on the standard Origins card as well) and I really hope Mattel offers more PoP characters in the line than just She-Ra. Let's take a look at She-Ra after the break and see if she still has the power!

Wrapping Up 2020: Teela from Hot Wheels Character Cars: Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   I had to make a run to the store today and I was amazed by the amount of Hot Wheels Character Cars out there! This must be a pretty popular line! They had Reptar from Rugrats! Anyways, I found my Masters of the Universe Character Cars a few weeks ago at a local grocery store which was kind of cool. I've shopped there for about 13 years now and I don't know that I'd ever bought a toy there in all that time. I reviewed Man-At-Arms yesterday and today I'm checking out Teela. If you're not familiar with these, the gist is that they're not just cars painted with images of the characters on them but cars designs inspired by the characters. Man-At-Arms' car is pretty crazy and over the top but Teela's is a lot more subtle. Let's check her out after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Cobra Commander (Regal Variant) from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Since this is the last week of January I'm on a mad dash to wrap up my reviews of 2020 action figure releases and today I'm looking at the last G.I. Joe Classified Series figure I have for 2020: The Regal Variant of Cobra Commander. There's one other G.I. Joe Classified Series figure I haven't reviewed from 2020 yet, the Snake Supreme Cobra Commander HasCon exclusive, but my order for that is still coming. I got my order on the regular day of sale for the figure and thus I'm getting one of the second batch figures. This version of Cobra Commander is a straight up repaint of the standard series 2 Cobra Commander which I reviewed back in October. The Regal variant was sold as a Hasbro Pulse exclusive though a timed preorder and he started shipping out in December. Some folks are very tied to the more brightly colored blue outfit of the vintage Cobra Commander v1 figure so this was a chance to offer up a repaint that definitely has its fans. It's still a pretty fantastic looking figure, too, and while I really hope the Classified Series doesn't become flooded by repaints, this one struck my fancy. Let's check out the Regal variant of Cobra Commander after the break...

Action Figure Review: Terror Claws Skeletor #39 from POP! Retro Toys by Funko

 

   It's time for another Skeletor POP! review! Didn't I just review one yesterday? Well, yeah, but this one is different, isn't it? Funko has done quite a few Skeletor variants since the original POP! Skeletor back in 2013 but this one is based on one of the actual vintage variants: Terror Claws Skeletor! Terror Claws Skeletor was a 1986 release and was sold on a deluxe card like his counterpart, Flying Fists He-Man. I love that Funko is giving us more vintage toy accurate POP! vinyls under the Retro Toys banner and I have high hopes that they will someday recreate the entire vintage Masters of the Universe line in POP! form. You know, if they can get a Teela out, that is. Can you believe that it's been over 7 years and they haven't released a Teela yet? That's crazy! Anyways, this review is about Terror Claws Skeletor, so let's cut to the chase and check him out...

Wrapping Up 2020: Man-At-Arms from Hot Wheels Character Cars: Masters of the Universe by Mattel

   Mattel was all about getting the Masters of the Universe brand into stores on a wider variety of products in 2020 and today I'm checking out one of the odder releases from last year: Man-At-Arms from Hot Wheels Character Cars. Mattel has a long history of using the MOTU brand on Hot Wheels cars but this is a pretty different animal. Rather than just repainting a car with the character's image on it this is a car designed to look like Man-At-Arms. So, for example, if Man-At-Arms were included in the next installment of the Pixar film Cars or if there were a wacky MOTU kart racing game, this is probably what he'd look like. Intrigued? So was I. I actually stumbled upon these in the grocery store nearest to me on a couple recent trips, so that was nice as well. Let's take a look at Man-At-Arms in car form after the break...

Action Figure Review: Skeletor #17 from POP! Art Series by Funko

 

   Last year Funko started yet another series of POP! vinyls: The POP! Art Series you might think these would be POP! figures based on Mona Lisa, The Scream, or American Gothic but you'd be wrong. Instead, these are various pop culture characters like Batman, Mickey Mouse, Jack Skellington, and Scooby-Doo given a unique paint finish. I'm really not sure why Funko didn't just keep these in their respective POP! lines since they already do lots of paint variants and stuff but it is what it is, right? I'm actually kind of glad that He-Man and Skeletor made it into this line. I have no idea when or where He-Man is supposed to be released (he hasn't come out already, has he?) but Skeletor was placed on sale at the very end of December during a drop of Funko Shop exclusives. Skeletor is #17 in the series and he's painted with a purple and black color scheme that I suppose is intended to resemble Snake Mountain. Should we take a look at this Skeletor who is intended to be a conversation piece that all of your art critic friends will love and admire? Then let's take a look at Skeletor #17 after the break...

Action Figure Review: Firefly from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Ever since January 1st the hunt has been on for the newest set of the Cobra Island exclusive figures from Hasbro's G.I. Joe Classified Series. The Classified Series was absolutely the surprise action figure hit of 2020 and it looks to be going strong into 2021 despite the seemingly small number of releases. Oh, and the pain of finding these figures. Yes, pain. Whether Target under ordered, Hasbro undelivered, or both bare the blame, finding the Target exclusive G.I. Joe figures has been excruciating. Honestly, there isn't a Target too close to me and I just didn't feel like hunting for Firefly in the middle of a global pandemic so I went ahead and paid a bit more for him. Yeah, I hate it too, but when you have people lining up to buy these as soon as stores open and they're only getting a case or so, I'm sick of playing the game. Anyways, that being said let's move on with some positive stuff: Firefly is super cool. Hasbro's design team for the Classified Series has done a great job of mixing the classic A Real American Hero looks with some modern design aesthetics, giving the line a bit of a Metal Gear Solid feel which I love. For Firefly they've take his classic urban camo clad look and role as a saboteur and combined it with the armored look of an explosives expert. It's a cool way of not just doing the same thing as the vintage line while still make the character recognizable. Let's take a look at Firefly after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 1/22/2021: Classic TV Edition

 

   

   Hey hey hey! It's the end of another week and, for me, it's been a great week. I've actually found all of the new series of Star Wars: The Black Series figures and managed to finish acquiring the newest releases from Target's G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra Island exclusives. Reviews are all coming soon, of course, as I'm trying to cover all of the new stuff I've picked up as well as wrapping up the 2020 releases from the end of the year that I still have yet to cover. Starting in February I'll be putting out my "Best of 2020" lists weekly and returning to doing a monthly Masters of the Universe focus. I think I've got my character focus for January selected and I think you're going to love it! Anyways, why did I call this week's installment of Barbecue's Bonfire the Classic TV Edition? Because I've been watching some Classic TV shows along with the first two episodes of WandaVision, the new Disney+ series that kicks off the beginnings of Phase IV of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...

   Last Friday night my wife and I saw down and watched the first two episodes of WandaVision. We loved it! It's easily the most unique MCU project yet. In middle school and early high school I adored Nick at Nite and I loved how WandaVision payed homage to the classic 1950s and 1960s sitcoms like The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, and Bewitched. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are excellent and the show, thus far, is a charming mixture of classic sitcom antics and a very bizarre and somewhat sinister mystery show. I'm quite interested to see where this goes and how it ties into upcoming MCU projects. The show definitely benefits from being a weekly release (though the first two episodes were put out at the same time) as you get a chance to be in the weeds a bit and savor the mystery. I think the magic show from episode 2 was my favorite part. Paul Bettany was hilarious as Vision discombobulated by chewing gum in his internal gears while Elizabeth Olson was captivating as the "assistant" who has to take charge of the show, using her real powers to make Vison's tricks appear to be fake. I'm really looking forward to tonight's episode where Wanda and Vision apparently make their way into the 1970s.

Of course, I actually did watch some actual older TV shows after the break...

Action Figure Review: She-Ra #38 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 

      

   I've already looked at the POP! Pocket Keychain version of this She-Ra sculpt but today I'm checking out the actual POP! vinyl itself. She-Ra #38 is part of the recent POP! Retro Toys series and is inspired by the vintage Princess of Power She-Ra figure rather than than the Filmation cartoon depiction of the character. She-Ra #18 from POP! Television was released in 2013 and is one of the most expensive POP! vinyls out there. sadly, I don't have her so I was very excited to get a She-Ra for my MOTU POP! collection. I'm very perplexed as to why Funko never did any POP! vinyls from the Netflix series, as that seems like something that would have been right up their alley. Let's take a look at the toy based She-Ra we do have, however, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Han Solo (Hoth) from Star Wars: The Black Series Archive by Hasbro

 

   I will give Hasbro a lot of credit for how they've handled The Black Series  Archive line as it's been a great way to get highly desirable and pricey figures back into the hands of collectors. Most figures have a few changes as well so they're sometimes even worth picking up for those of us who have the original releases. That's why I grabbed Han Solo in his Hoth gear: Not only does he have the updated face printing but Hasbro actually changed the color of his coat from the previous release that came with the tauntaun. And if for some reason you've been living under a glacier for the past 40 years, yeah, the color of Han Solo's coat is a big deal. Long story short, the coat Han Solo wore in The Empire Strikes Back was brown but the lighting of the film made it blue (kind of like the Xenomorphs in Aliens). The vintage Kenner figure went with the blue color scheme so anyone who had that toy as a kid had that image burned into their memory. It wasn't until Kenner's POTF2 toyline that Han was released with a brown coat which seemed inaccurate at the time. It's a tricky issue but now, with the newest series of the Archive collection, Hasbro has given collectors both options. This guy is starting to show up on store shelves along with Luke Skywalker in Hoth Gear, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Commander Cody. Ready to check out this newest version of Han Solo? Then join me after the break...

Toy Review: She-Ra from POP! Pocket Keychain by Funko

 

   It's She-Ra! And she's not an exclusive or a limited release this time! This is a standard She-Ra release from a licensed company! I love that the world of She-Ra: Princess of Power is part of Masters of the Universe and while Mattel did an awesome job with including the denizens of Etheria in Masters of the Universe Classics most other toylines, especially those from companies other than Mattel tend to only give us She-Ra as an exclusive or chase variant or something similarly impossible to find. Funko has two regular She-Ra releases out right now and I'm starting things off with a look at the She-Ra POP! Pocket Keychain. She-Ra is the defender of Etheria and the Crystal Castle and now she can guard your keys, too. Let's take a look at this cool little POP! keychain after the break...

Action Figure Review: The Creep from Monstarz: Creepshow by Amok Time Toys

 

   1982's Creepshow is one of my favorite movies and while I don't pick up many 1/18th scale figures these days I do make exceptions for random additions to my horror collection. For my birthday last year I ended up getting a few of the Creepshow figures from the Monstarz line (The Crate, the "Something to Tide you Over" pack, and the "Father's Day" figure). It turns out that my family pre-ordered The Creep for me as well and he just showed up in the mail this past week. This is a new release and you can order this guy or a glow-in-the-dark version of The Creep from Amok Time as well. Let's take a look a trip into the macabre with the Creep, after the break...

Action Figure Review: Kobra Khan #41 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Funko

  

  It's time to check out another of the new Masters of the Universe POP! vinyls from the POP! Retro Toys range and this time it's a member of both the Evil Warriors and the Snake Men: Kobra Khan! I like the variety of figures Funko is offering in the MOTU POP! range and it's exciting to get a figure of Kobra Khan, a character who doesn't show up in every Masters of the Universe product line. Originally released in the 1984 series, Kobra Khan stated off as an Evil Warrior but eventually found his way to the Snake Men where he had more of a connection. The vintage figure had a water spraying feature (the figure was essentially an action figure built around a small spray bottle!) and I know a good number of us probably kept Kobra Khan around to give us a quick drink when we got thirsty while playing with our MOTU toys. Funko's Kobra Khan doesn't spray water, obviously, but it's quite cool and a good replica of the vintage toy in a very stylized form. Let's check out Kobra Khan, also know as Khan of the Kobra Clan, after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Phase I Clone Trooper Lieutenant from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   For a few years Walgreens was a happening place to find action figures. They seemed to have a decent stock of stuff and were always getting cool new exclusives that were fairly easy to find along with lots of seasonal goodies. Over the last year or so Walgreens has become pretty stagnant. They still get stuff but they seem to get one or two items at a time. They also hold on to older items for years (the Walgreens closest to me still has a Finn figure from 2015 and Cassian Andor from 2016.  Anyways, Walgreens got a new Star Wars: The Black Series exclusive at the end of 2020, the Phase I Clone Trooper Lieutenant, and I didn't see him at any of the Walgreens stores near me. Factor in that with it currently being not a good idea to go out and hunt for figures at multiple stores and I decided to just snag one off Ebay. Oddly enough, I basically got this guy for retail. That's bizarre, huh? Anyways, the Clone Trooper Lieutenants commanded platoons of 36 troopers and they first appeared in Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Let's take a look at the Phase I Clone Trooper Lieutenant after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: 332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Today I'm finishing up the 2020 Walmart exclusive set of The Black Series Phase IV figures based on the final four episodes of The Clone Wars season 7 by checking out the 332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper. The final season of The Clone Wars was excellent but the last four episodes were truly something to behold, both wrapping up the series and amazingly bridging the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The final episodes cover Ahsoka's involvement in the Siege of Mandalore and Order 66 but she's not alone; Ahsoka is joined by the troopers of the 332nd Company, part of the 332nd Division. Under the command of Captain Rex, the troopers paint their helmets as a sign of respect and loyalty to Ahsoka Tano, who returns to joint them in ending Darth Maul's control of Mandalore. You might have a lot of Clone Troopers on your shelf but this one is sure to stand out! Let's check out the 332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Skeletor from World's Smallest: Masters of the Universe by Super Impulse

 

   Since I've already reviewed the World's Smallest He-Man how about a World's Smallest Skeletor to go along with him? I was really impressed with He-Man. I thought these were going to be kind of a silly novelty toy but they're actually quite cool, kind of like a Micro Machines Action Fleet or TMNT Mini Mutants figure. The fact that the come with mock packaging which you can use again and again is one of the neatest things about these releases. Super Impulse has released lots of nostalgia toys in the World's Smallest line for years but in 2020 they really started getting into vintage action figures with releases from Transformes, TMNT, G.I. Joe, Power Rangers, and even Mego horror characters. Let's tale a look at a whole lot of evil in a small package after the break...

Minifigure Review: Series 2 from Kaiju Big Battel

 

   Back in 2019 I reviewed the first series of keshi from Kaiju Big Battel. They were a great line of wrestling inspired minfigures and I was very excited when Kaiju Big Battel offered up a second series via Kickstarter. They're very well done and fit in perfectly with M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. Mine arrived right at the beginning of January to kick 2021 off right! The second series includes 11 new figures and a building for your wrestlers to demolish. Ready to rumble with these little guys? Then join me after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: He-Man from World's Smallest: Masters of the Universe by Super Impulse

 

   He-Man has always been bigger and chunkier than most of his action figure counterparts but in 2020 Super Impulse went out of their way to make him as tiny as possible. Not wimpy, but absolutely small! Masters of the Universe has now been introduced into the novelty toyline World's Smallest and I have to say that these are way more impressive than I thought they would be. I had a hard time finding these but last week my set of these finally came in and they're very cool. Today I'm going to start things off with a review of He-Man! If you're unfamiliar with this line from Super Impulse, the gist is that they make super tiny versions of popular nostalgia toys. He-Man shows some real thought put into him and I think many collectors, especially minfigure lovers, will dig the results. Let's grab out microscopes and check out He-Man after the break...

Christmas Haul 2020: O.K.I.E.S.: Stay Gold Edition from O.K.I.E.S. by Flying Rabbit Studios/ ZICA Toys

 

   Today I'm showing off the last gift I received for Christmas 2020 and it's the O.K.I.E.S.: Stay Gold Edition of the O.K.I.E.S. minifigures from Flying Rabbit Studios and produced by ZICA Toys. What are O.K.I.E.S.? They're keshi minifigures inspired by the heroes and legends of Oklahoma! O.K.I.E.S. is a acronym for Oklahoma Keshi in Enjoyable Sizes and that's a great descriptive for this line. I love history, legends, and folktales and minifigures, so these are just perfect. I'm like 90% sure I've never been to Oklahoma (I drove with a group to Texas on a few occasions but I think we came in through Arkansas and never hit Oklahoma) but that doesn't seem to be a prerequisite for enjoying this line.  I saw these on the Minifigure Militia group and told my wife about them prior to Christmas. She ordered them for me but forgot to wrap them and set them out, so she gave them to me after Christmas. Still, it's a Christmas gift, right? It looks like Flying Rabbit Studios has been releasing resin versions of some of these figures since 2019 but this appears to be the first PVC set, so far as I can tell anyways. Let's take a look at this incredible set of PVC molded minifigures with a "gold" color scheme. Check out the O.K.I.E.S. after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Remnant Stormtrooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   Since Hasbro just released a brand new Imperial Stormtrooper in The Black Series Phase IV it makes sense that they'd give it a different paint variant and put it out as the Remnant Stormtrooper. While Moff Gideon's Imperial Remnant typically looks pretty much in-line with the Imperials we see in the Original Trilogy, the Remnant Stormtrooper seen here is based on the more weathered looking troopers who hang around with the Client on Nevarro. It's a simple variant of the standard Stormtrooper but these guys definitely made an impression in the first chapter of The Mandalorian and it's cool to have them on the shelf. The Remnant Stormtrooper is a Target exclusive, which sucks for two reasons. One, it's a troop builder, so being an exclusive is always a poor choice. Second, Target has been piss poor about stocking their exclusives this year (or Hasbro severely shorted them) so good luck finding this guy. Let's take a look at the Remnant Stormtrooper after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Mandalorian Super Commando from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   I've reviewed two of the Walmart exclusive Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV figures based on season 7 of The Clone Wars and today it's time to get to the third: The Mandalorian Super Commando! Take some Darth Maul, mix it with a Mandalorian, and what do you get? The Mandalorian Super Commando! Led by Gar Saxon in allegiance to Darth Maul's Shadow Collective, the Mandalorian Super Commandos have modified their armor in tribute to the Sith lord. Can you believe that Hasbro decided to take this army builder and make him an exclusive? That's crazy! This should have absolutely been a double packed figure in a standard case. I don't understand some of Hasbro's decisions these days! I had to resort to the secondary market for this guy, unfortunately, but thank goodness he's an excellent figure. Let's take a look at the Mandalorian Super Commando after the break...

Action Figure Review: Skeletor on Panthor #98 (Flocked) from POP! Rides: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 

   Last year Funko gave us the POP! Rides He-Man on Battle Cat and now they've delivered the evil counterparts of that heroic duo. Here comes Skeletor on Panthor! I've always enjoyed the symmetry of Masters of the Universe so it's fun to have the heroic and evil versions of various characters and creatures. This version of Skeletor on Panthor features a flocked Panthor, just like the vintage toy. It was an exclusive from the Funko Shop that went on sale at the end of December but which shipped and arrived in early January. It's a new toy for a new year, baby! Let's take a peek at the Evil Lord of Destruction and ferocious feline mount after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 1/15/2021: Tune Up Your Interocitor Edition

   Hey everyone! Welcome back to Barbecue's Bonfire! I'm not sure if I could consider this week "busy" or not but I've definitely spent a lot of my free time catching up on 2020 reviews and beginning a new Lego project with my child. My wife's been bust re-reading and re-watching The Hunger Games, which for some reason has never interested me in the least, so I've had more time to work on reviews and stuff in the evenings after Adora is in bed. For the 2020 reviews I'm catching up on most of them were Star Wars: The Black Series figures and since there's so much newer stuff arriving I'm going to go ahead and skip some reviews of product from earlier in 2020 that I just got my hands on in the last month or so. I try to wrap up all of my 2020 reviews by the end of January since February is when I do my annual "Best of the Previous Year" awards and I'd like to have everything finished up. I've already been working on my lists, though. Of course, I've been doing some other stuff this week, too. What's been happening at the international headquarters of Action Figure Barbecue? 

   My daughter had never seen Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie so we fixed that over the weekend. Now we can't stop running around talking about interocitors, chanting "Normal view! Normal view!," or saying "I'm hiding in one of these boxes, come and fine me!" The movie came out in 1996 and is a "bigger" budget affair for MST3K featuring Mike, Crow, and Tom Servo riffing on the 1955 film This Island Earth. I remember renting this while staying with one of my uncles as a kid (maybe back in 1997 or 1998) but I think I was the only person impressed with it. I got the DVD for Christmas a few years back so now I can watch it whenever I want and laugh as loud as I want. It's funny that the MST3K movie is so much shorter than the regular episodes, though. How odd, right? I've been watching a ton of MST3K, RiffTrax, and the Film Crew on Pluto TV lately, which always puts me in a good mood. Pluto's MST3K channel shows Werewolf or The Pumaman almost every night around 11 or so, which is usually when I start watching MST3K, so I'm having to mix in my own new material for the time being. 

More stuff after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Mandalorian Loyalist from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   The Mandalorian Loyalist is another figure from the Walmart exclusive series of figures based on the seventh season of The Clone Wars that seemed to barely make it into stores last year. The Mandalorian Loyalists are part of the Mandalorian Resistance who fight alongside of Bo-Katan Kryze to free Mandalore from the rule of Darth maul and Gar Saxon. They're troop builders and with Mandalorians being more popular than they've ever been before, these guys should have been available in decent numbers. Too bad they weren't. That's a shame, too, because the Mandalorian Loyalist is a pretty solid figure. He's built mostly from the Phase III Jango Fett body in one of the fairly uncommon instances of a "franken-figure" or a kit-bashed" figure in the Black Series, which tends to favor new sculpts or repaints. Let's take a look at the Mandalorian Loyalist after the break...

Action Figure Review: He-Man #43 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 

   

   While January is usually spent finishing up my reviews of stuff I picked up in December I do work the new stuff released in there, too, and today I'm checking out another new Funko POP! Retro Toys release: The 10 inch jumbo sized He-Man #43 POP! vinyl. This is the fourth of the jumbo-sized Masters of the Universe POP! vinyls (they've also released two Skeletors and Beast Man) and, since he's a mass market release, you should have an easier time finding him. In fact, I've seen him on sale at a few e-tailers, so shop around a bit. He's quite cool and like most of the other recent Funko MOTU POP! vinyls he's clearly based on the vintage toyline rather than on the Filmation cartoon series. There really are some very recognizable differences between this version of He-Man and the previous releases that show how Funko really has some good attention to detail despite their toys having stylized, minimalist approach. Let's take a look at He-Man, the Most Powerful Man in the Universe, after the break...

Christmas Haul 2020: Mr. T from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

 

   While 2020 is universally regarded as one of the worst years ever, you do have to give it credit for being the year when Mattel introduced Mr. T into the Masters of the Universe line. Well, at least they introduced him into the Masters of the WWE Universe line, but that's close enough for me at this point. Mr. T, y'all. How amazing is that? I received him as a Christmas gift this year and I do think I spend the most time messing around with him on Christmas day. The Heroic Pitier of Fool, Mr. T is one of the heroes of WWEternia! It's truly amazing to have a figure of one of the coolest human beings on the planet to battle the evil forces of Skeletor and make them quit their jibber jabber. Let's check out Mr. T after the break...

Action Figure Review: Grizzlor #40 (Flocked) from POP! Retro Toys by Funko

 

   

   The flocked variant of Grizzlor #40 from POP! Retro Toys dropped on Funko Shop on December 21st, 2020 but they didn't ship out until 2021, so Grizzlor is another new review for 2021! Yes, I did review the standard Grizzlor earlier this week but this one is getting his own review since he's flocked! While the vintage Grizzlor wasn't flocked  but instead was covered with fur, the flocking really does a pretty nice job of selling the effect while still retaining the crispness of the sculpt. I've always loved Grizzlor and he's always been extra special to me because one of my uncles who died when I was in first grade (he was quite young and it was unexpected) bought him for me. It's funny how certain toys kind of connect your memories to certain people, places, or points in time, isn't it? I need to review my vintage Grizzlor at some point (I'm hoping to start back my themed Masters of the Universe months in February) but for now we'll check out the new POP! Retro Toys Grizzlor #40 (flocked) after the break...

Christmas Haul 2020: Expansion Master Set (Green) from Mythos by HH Toys

 

      Over the past year or so the Mythos line has gone beyond just offering figures based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft and is now offering minifigures based on other writers of Weird Fiction who both inspired Lovecraft and who were inspired by him. While the line has only had two series released so far they have released multiple expansion sets of one or two figures molded in resin rather than the PVC of the regular figures. These drops have been extremely difficult to get a hold so it's quite welcome that HH Toys is offering a set of the released figures from the expansion packs molded in PVC. The set is filled with weird creatures from Lovecraft, Algernon Blackwood, Edgar Allan Poe, William Hope Hodgson, Crispin Burnham, E.P. Berglund, and Clark Ashton Smith! It's also available in green, blue, red, yellow, and glow in the dark. As you can see, I received a set in green for Christmas 2020. Let's delve into toe realm of the weird as we check out the Mythos Expansion Master Set after the break...

Toy Review: He-Man from POP! Pocket Keychain by Funko

 

How about we start this week out right with a new for 2021 review? Today I'm checking out the He-Man POP! Pocket Keychain from Funko! Two big boxes of new Funko stuff just showed up at my door last week and I'll be slowly working my way through it through the rest of the month. I've picked up a couple of the little POP! Pocket Keychains before as a novelty but I'm all about the Masters of the Universe ones. Funko has been handling the MOTU license 2013 but this is the first sculpt of He-Man that's truly based on the vintage toy. He's quite cool and allows you to carry the Power of Grayskull in your pocket. Ready to check him out? Then join me after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: The Brat from Fortnite: Legendary Series by Jazwares

 

   Jazwares kind of randomly releases their Fortnite: Legendary Series figures, often with little to no warning, and the Brat seems to be the last figure of 2020. He showed up on my porch on Christmas Eve as sort of an early Christmas gift from myself to myself and I'm pretty thrilled with him. The Fortnite: Legendary series line didn't have as many releases this year as I would have hoped but they did put out some cool figures and the Bart is one of the coolest. And most bizarre. Yes, most bizarre indeed. The Brat is one of the in-game skins released in 2019 and he's designed to look like a hip-hop hot dog. This line gets weirder by the minute and I love it. Let's sink our teeth into the Brat after the break...

Action Figure Review: Grizzlor #40 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Funko

     At the end of 2020 Funko shop had a drop of some new Masters of the Universe product, including a few exclusives. I'll be checking those out in the days to come but for my first review of a new product from 2021 I'm giving the honor to Grizzlor, the Hairy Henchman of the Evil Horde! Grizzlor was one of my favorite MOTU figures overall as a child and I'm thrilled that Funko has finally given him the POP! treatment. While Funko has been making POP! vinyls from MOTU since 2013 they've also released them under the POP! Television banner. Now, though, they're releasing them under the fairly new POP! Retro Toys banner alongside other toy icons like Barbie, G.I. Joe, Stretch Armstrong, Transformers, TMNT, My Little Pony, and even Polly Pocket. Think we'll get a Mighty Max? I do think the Retro Toys banner is way more fitting as many of the characters Funko has released never even appeared in the Filmation He-Man and She-Ra cartoons. Let's take a look at Grizzlor #40 who is absolutely based on the vintage toy (and not She-Ra: Princess of Power) after the break

Wrapping Up 2020: Range Trooper (Holiday Edition) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   I had hoped to get around to reviewing the Range Trooper (Holiday Edition) during the 12 Days of Christmas but I missed that by a couple of days. Oops. I actually didn't receive him until Christmas Eve, which was kind of cool. One of our mail carriers (true heroes, those folks!) delivered him in the early evening of Christmas Eve. So, yes, I did get a visit from Jolly Old Saint Range Trooper on Christmas Eve! While the other four troopers in the Star Wars: The Black Series Holiday Edition subset look like elves, the Target exclusive Range Trooper looks like Santa Claus himself. He's even got a reindeer! Let's take a look at one of the strangest Star Wars figures of .... well... ever, I guess. Hang your stockings and say your prayers because the Range Trooper (Holiday Edition) gets reviewed tonight!

Wrapping Up 2020: Speeder Bike, Scout Trooper, & The Child from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   It's time for another Star Wars: The Black Series review! As I'm spending January wrapping up reviews of the stuff that showed up near the end of December today I'll be checking out a set inspired by The Mandalorian: Speeder Bike, Scout Trooper, & The Child. Based on Chapter 8 of Season 1, this set features one of the two Scout Troopers with his speeder bike and Grogu in a satchel. It was an Amazon exclusive and my preorder surprised me, landing on my doorstep on Christmas Eve! Hasbro really seemed to have been blinded by the popularity of The Mandalorian (though Lucasfilm may have kept too tight of a lid on things) and so we're just now getting a decent array of product from season 1. This set features a lot of reuse since it's largely a repaint of the Biker Scout and Speeder Bike that was released back in 2014 although there are some new pieces that help elevate this set a good bit. Considering this Scout Trooper helped kill Kuiil and punched Grogu/ Baby Yoday/ the Child, he might be the most hated Star Wars character of all time! Who wouldn't want to have a go at this guy, huh? Let's take a look at the Speeder Bike, Scout Trooper, & The Child after the break...

Wrapping Up 2020: Heavy Infantry Mandalorian from Star Wars: The Credit Collection by Hasbro

 

   The Heavy Infantry Mandalorian, real name Paz Vizsla (voiced by John Favreau), is the fifth and final figure of Hasbro's 2020 Star Wars: The Credit Collection. He's a Best Buy exclusive and he just arrived in my mailbox less than a week ago even though I ordered him in early December. Interestingly, the standard Paz Vizsla was part of my wrap-up of 2019 who I reviewed in early 2020 as well. He was also a Best Buy exclusive. Hasbro has treated Paz Vizsla as a deluxe figure (which seems like they're really stretching the concept of a deluxe figure) and so this one comes on a vintage Kenner styled card, like the other figures in the set, but it's quite a bit wider. Paz Vizsla is really just a repaint of the previous figure and, oddly, he's not all that different from the first release. Still, I was up for another Mandalorian and I got a good deal on this guy from Best Buy.com since his package was damaged. Want to check him out? Then join me after the break...

Barbecue's Bonfire 1/8/2020: First Snow Day of the Year Edition!

 

   Guess what, friends and neighbors? Today is my first snow day of the year! I've been sitting at home playing Assassins Creed: Valhalla this morning before my daughter woke up and while my wife is working but I figured I'd better jump in and do a quick Barbecue's Bonfire. Honestly, while I've been quite busy this week I don't have too much exciting to report. I received the first two High Republic era Star Wars books but I haven't gotten to read them yet and I know the G.I. Joe Classified Series Target exclusives are out there (Viper and Firefly) but considering how bad Covid is in our area and the fact that Target is about 30 minutes away I haven't even gotten to check for them. Plenty of good, though, as I've been getting to spend plenty of time with my family and enjoying lots of cool stuff, though none that I've finished this week (my wife and I are currently watching through the first series of The Black Adder, I'm still playing through AC: Valhalla and Little Nightmares), and I'm in the middle of Stephen King's Rose Madder). We did finish a room escape game, though!

    We actually started this one on New Year's Eve with my parents and then finished it later in the afternoon on New Year's Day. I talked about the first game in the Exit series I played last week and we liked this one even better. The Enchanted Forest is a fairy tale themed game with lots of clever, interactive puzzles. It doesn't feel like a traditional room escape game but that's not bad. Rather than looking for hidden objects, finding keys, etc, you're essentially solving a puzzle at each step. We actually made paper snowflakes, used a translucent leaf as a decoder, arranged little cardboard furniture cutouts, and built a bridge to find our way out of the woods. Technically these are one time play games (they involve a lot of cutting) but for the price of around $10-$15 dollars that might be worth it for around 2 hours of entertainment for your family. This one was quite nice and is definitely recommended if you have kids. The puzzles are mostly clever and logical and most of the time if we missed something we realized our mistake once we used a hit.

Just a bit more after the break today....

 

Wrapping Up 2020: Sith Trooper (Holiday Edition) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

   We're still technically in the 12 Days of Christmas so let's take a look at another of Hasbro's Holiday Edition Star Wars: The Black Series figures released in 2020: The Holiday Edition Sith Trooper! The Sith Trooper was released in 2019 to coincide with the release of The Rise of Skywalker and, like the film itself, it was kind of forgettable. The Sith Troopers had really cool designs, though, and the figure was fantastic. I'm glad to see the mold reused again as I love the sculpted detail on it. This version of the Sith Trooper is decked out in red and green with a festive scarf, a "NERF" blaster, and a little companion in the form of Babu Frik. The Sith Trooper (Holiday Edition) is exclusive to Best Buy and I was able to order mine online although he took forever to arrive. Let's take a look at the Sith Trooper (Holiday Edition) after the break and continue the celebrations...

Wrapping up 2020: Lords of Power from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   Like most other events last year Power-Con 2020 was canceled and, instead, was held as a virtual event. It was pretty cool and while I'm sure it wasn't the same as getting to attend Power-Con in person I certainly enjoyed it. The exclusives were still offered up as well and the main piece for Power-Con 2020 is what I'm checking out today: The Lords of Power 5-pack from Masters of the Universe Origins. What exactly is Lords of Power? Check out Battle Ram or one of the He-Man documentaries on Netflix like The Toys that Made us or The Power of Grayskull for a full run down but, to make a long story short, Lords of Power was the original working name for Masters of the Universe. Apparently the name was changed due to someone at Mattel thinking that it sounded "too religious" so Masters of the Universe was chosen. The "Lords of Power Collection" was displayed with an image of five prototype figures of He-Man, Skeletor, Beast Man, Mer-Man, and Man-At-Arms that showed more details from Mark Taylor's concept art which were eventually dropped for the final product. While ideally I would have wanted these figures as Masters of the Universe Classics releases but, considering that MOTU Origins is currently Mattel's main focus, it makes sense that they'd push it. All five figures come in a box that looks similar to one of the vintage MOTU carrying cases, so the presentation is pretty slick. The set was originally sold through Power-Con to folks who bought attendee tickets and was sold through Big Bad Toy Store for non-attendees. I'm going to go ahead and forewarn you that this set was quite pricey due to being a limited fan convention exclusive: Power-Con was charging $200 for attendees (who paid an extra attendance fee) who would pick up on site while BBTS was charging $270 for anyone who wanted one. Anyways, the price has been paid so let's check out the Lords of Power after the break...

Wrapping up 2020: Phase I Clone Trooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

      This intro might get a bit confusing as this figure is technically called a Phase I Clone Trooper, which refers to the Clone Troopers from Episode II: Attack of the Clones with the sleeker helmet designs with a more pronounced fin on top. Of course, the Black Series toyline itself has also used the label "Phase" to refer to the different iterations of the line. In mid-2020 Hasbro transitioned the Black Series into Phase IV with new packaging. Make sense? OK, good! Like the recently released Imperial Stormtrooper figure, the Phase I Clone Trooper is another figure from Phase I of the Black Series that Hasbro has completely created a new version of for Phase IV. The Black Series has really evolved over the past few years and it's nice to get some new and improved base bodies for troop builders who we know we'll see repainted and re-released multiple times. I never reviewed the original release of this guy from 2014 although I've reviewed multiple repaints of the original figure. Clone Troopers are a staple of the Star Wars galaxy now and it's actually nice that Hasbro went back to the drawing board to improve this guy. Let's take a look at the Phase I Clone Trooper after the break...