Sunday, October 31, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Scareglow from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 
   
   It's Halloween and the 31st Day of 31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober and this year I've picked someone ultra spooky and incredibly cool to end the month: The Mattel Creations exclusive Scareglow from Masterverse! Based on his appearance in the first half of the Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series, this exclusive figure was put up for pre-sale on Mattel Creations on July 22nd, the day before the show premiered on Netflix. It was a quick sellout but I got mine and he arrived in the mail last month. I've been holding on to him for over a month just to save him as a special treat for Halloween! Oddly, the packaging calls him Scareglow but the official name has always been Scare Glow (with a space) so that's how I'm referring to him throughout the review. Voiced by horror star Tony Todd, Scare Glow appearing in his first animated appearance was a huge deal for most MOTU fans and I believe most would agree it was excellent! The episode "Land of the Dead" was fantastic and Scare Glow was an intimidating presence. I think we're going to have a great Halloween checking this guy out. Say "Trick or Treat" and join me after the break....

Saturday, October 30, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Franken Berry from General Mills by Jada Toys

 
   It's All Hallow's Eve eve and since it's also Saturday it's time for our final 31 Days of Toy Terror review that doesn't adhere to this year's Skeletober them: Franken Berry! Two weeks ago I reviewed Count Chocula from this same line and I'll briefly reiterate what I said there about these figures: In early Octiober my parents were traveling and called me to ask if I had seen the General Mills action figures of Count Chocula and Franken Berry. I was surprised that I somehow missed that these were a thing! Jada Toys has been on a roll lately with Universal Monsters line and now the General Mills cereal monsters mascots seems like a solid follow up Oddly, the only actual retailers I've heard of these being found at are Meijer (that's where mine were found) so that's kind of odd, right? You can order them through some e-tailers but hopefully the distribution improves on thee. Franken Berry was introduced 50 years ago in 1951, the same year as Count Chocula, and is still produced annually as a Halloween treat. Let's take a look at this strawberry loving monster after the break...

Friday, October 29, 2021

Action Figure Review: Faker from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel



    Mattel really focused on reusing molds in the vintage MOTU line (they continue to do so still) and one of the best examples of taking existing molds to make a new character is Faker. Just like the vintage toy, Faker is a simple repaint of He-Man with Skeletor's armor and a robotic sticker on his chest. Well, we now get a tampograph rather than a traditional sticker, but it's largely the same concept. Faker is a popular guy, though, and there's something about the color scheme that's really appealing. He's a repaint, yeah, but he's a new character for Masters of the Universe Origins as well. Faker is part of the fifth series of Origins figures and is the second to last figure we need to recreate the vintage 1983 lineup in the series (c'mon, Mekaneck! We need you soon!) Let's check out Faker after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Skeletor with Snake Mountain #23 from POP! Town: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 

"Hi, I'm Skeletor. Welcome to my crib."
 
  We're now heading into the weekend of Halloween and we've got another visit from the big, bad bone daddy of Skeletober himself! This time we're checking out not just Skeletor but also his home, Snake Mountain. This version of Skeletor is part of the POP! Town range of products which typically include a standard POP! figure along with a POP! styled building. Skeletor with Snake Mountain #23 is the first Masters of the Universe themed release in the line and it's been on shelves for a couple of months now. While not as iconic as Castle Grayskull, Snake Mountain is still a pretty iconic vintage playset which is absolutely what this POP! version is based on. Snake Mountain did appear in the Filmation animated series "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" but it was very different there, while this one is accurate to the vintage toy. Let's take a look at Skeletor and Snake Mountain after the break and see if this is a piece of real estate worth keeping our eyes on...

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Minifigure Review: Fisto and Stridor from Masters of the Universe: Revelation Eternia Minis by Mattel

 
  
 A couple weeks ago I reviewed the first of the figure and vehicle packs from the Masters of the Universe: Revelation Eternia Minis series and today I'm checking out the second: Fisto & Stridor. What's funny is that while this set is released under the MOTU: Revelation banner it could easily fit in the main Eternia Minis line as well as both of these are very vintage inspired toys. While Fisto does appear briefly in Revelation (this figure was also released in the single carded Revelation Eternia Minis line) Stridor does not. Well, not technically. At the beginning of the series Faker, disguised as He-Man, rides into Castle Grayskull on what appears to be Stridor. It turns out, though, that it's Night Stalker in disguise! So, yeah, Stridor doesn't even technically appear in the show. Still, this is a cool set and since I have great memories of receiving the vintage Fisto and Stridor set in my Easter basket as a little tyke I'm always partial to these two paired together. Let's check out Fisto and Stridor after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Gelatinous Cube #576 from POP! Games: Dungeons & Dragons by Funko

 

   Skeletober continues with a look at a... Gelatinous Cube? Wait, isn't a Gelatinous Cube like the complete opposite of a skeleton? Skeletons are hard, solid, and bony while Gelatinous Cubes are soft, squishy, viscous, and gelatinous. Wait! What's in the middle of this cube of ooze? A skull! Hey, it not fits out theme for October! We're big fans of Dungeons & Dragons and I bought the Gelatinous Cube as a little surprise for my wife last year. I love POP! vinyls that are kind of atypical and I thought she'd enjoy the cute, stylized take on one of the deadly creatures from the Monster Manual. The Gelatinous Cube has been sitting on our game shelf with the rest of our D7D books and since I pass by it so often I knew it would make a great review for this month. The Gelatinous Cube is a well known and feared creature in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons and it even made an appearance in last year's excellent Pixar film Onward. Let's take a look at the Funko POP! vinyl Gelatinous Cube #576 after the break...

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Action Figure Review: Evil-Lyn (200X) from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 



   Earlier this month I got my hands on the fifth series of Masters of the Universe Origins figures and I suppose it's about time to start reviewing them. Let's start out with Evil-Lyn, a figure who is mostly a repaint of last year's figure designed to look more like her counterpart from the 200x toyline. With so many characters still yet to be made I'm sure Mattel is releasing so many repaints in the line right now simply to control costs. Every time there is a new Masters of the Universe line I always wonder how deep the line will go, especially when it comes to characters with unique torsos and builds. We might get a 200x repaint of Evil-Lyn but what about Sssqueeze or Leech or Rio-Blast? Mattel has shown they're willing to do deluxe figures in this line so hopefully that clears the way for characters like Dragstor, Rotar, or Rio Blast. In the meantime Mattel is giving this line it's own blend of characters and variants and Evil-Lyn's appearance from the 200x toyline and Mike Young Productions animated series is a popular look for the character. In Masters of the Universe Classics the explanation for Evil-Lyn's gray skin as opposed to her  yellow skin is that she has been depowered. This variant doesn't really get a story or anything so you'll have to make up your own. Let's check out the 200x inspired Origins Evil-Lyn after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Skeletor (Plastic) from Geeki Tikis by Beeline Creative Inc.

 


   Need something skeletal and spooky to hold your pumpkin juice in? Why not a plastic Skeletor Tiki mug from Geeki Tikis? Earlier this year Beeline Creative Inc. released a set of six ceramic Masters of the Universe Tiki mugs, one of which was Skeletor. They're super cool and so far are some of my favorite MOTU products of 2021. Over the summer Walmart began carrying some more Geeki Tikis exclusives including a plastic He-Man Tiki mug, the set of four MOTU muglets, and a plastic Skeltor Tiki mug. Today I'm checking out the plastic Skeletor Tiki mug. Like the He-Man mug, this Skeletor mug is very similar to the ceramic version though the sculpt is sharper, there's no paint applications, and it's plastic so you won't break it when you inevitably have Skeletor battle your other Tiki mugs. I've probably said this a few times lately but isn't it crazy that everywhere you go now you can find Masters of the Universe product? I got back into collecting Masters of the Universe stuff around 2010 and for years it was pretty rare to find something MOTU in stores. Heck, even last year MOTU stuff wasn't that common. Over the weekend I was at an FYE and saw MOTU slippers, lots of T-shirts, a Power Sword plasma lamp, and plenty of other stuff. I never thought that as an adult I'd reach a point where there was too much MOTU stuff to keep up with! These Tiki mugs really appeal to me, though, and I had to have this one. Let's check out the plastic Skeletor mug after the break...

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Minifigure Review: Tri-Klops from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 


   It's time for the fifth and final review from the newest series of Masters of the Universe minifigures from Mega Construx and who are we looking at today? Tri-Klops! Tri-Klops was previously released in the Battle Ram set earlier this year in his classic look so to change things up a bit this single carded version features a color scheme for Tri-Klops that is similar to his appearance in the vintage minicomic "The Terror of Tri-Klops." Tri-Klops is sporting a pretty loud outfit with pink and neon green, so how did he turn out? Let's check him out after the break and see if this style works for him...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! King Hell from The Worst by Super7

 
   It's time for another entry of Skeletober and this time it's the second figure released in series 3 of Super7's The Worst line: King Hell, the DemonArachnid Emperor! I reviewed Killer Bat earlier this month as a special non-skeleton themed review but King Hell is absolutely on theme this year. He's a skeleton, he's all into spiders, he looks like Skeletor's twin brother; what's not to love about this guy? He's a super cool figure and it's time to get spooky and check him out. More terror after the break...

Monday, October 25, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Skeletor from Hallmark Ornaments by Hallmark

 
   It might sound crazy to bring this up during a Halloween countdown but guess what? Two months until Christmas! Since it's October 25th I'm doing a slightly Christmas themed review today with a look at the new Skeletor ornament from Hallmark. Earlier this month I reviewed the new He-Man ornament so now we've got a foe to battle with He-Man on your Christmas tree. Hallmark released a version of Skeletor in their Keepsake Collection in 2017 (which I own) but this version is a bit different and a bit smaller. He's also only $8 dollars and you can find him on the shelves of various retailers (mine came from Walmart). Ready for a look at one of the new stars of my Christmas tree this year? Then join me after the break...

Sunday, October 24, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Battle Damage Terminator from Terminator 2 by Kenner

 
   If you ask people who one of the most well known skeletons in film history is you're probably going to hear about the Terminator's endoskeleton. While it's not traditional bone like most of the skeletons we've looked at this month it definitely is kind of creepy with a creepy mixture of a human skeleton and a murderous robot. What a perfect time to check out one of Kenner's vintage Terminator figures, right? Last year I reviewed the Metal Mash Terminator endoskeleton so this year I decided to reveal one of the T-800 figures who reveals the endoskeleton inside. It's time for a look at Battle Damage Terminator! This version of the T-800 was part of the first series of figures from 1991 and I remember getting him along with a couple other figures for receiving an excellent report card in 2nd grade. He's not my favorite figure from the line but I always liked his shotgun and the fact that he truly looked like a regular human before you popped off his fleshy exterior. This isn't my original childhood figure but one I picked up a year or two ago to work towards completing my collection. Let's check this guy out after the break...

Saturday, October 23, 2021

Action Figure Review: He-Man and Ground Ripper from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   Guess what? It's time to dive into a completely new Masters of the Universe line again with a review of the first figure I found from Mattel's new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line based on the new kid-targeted Netflix series. While Masters of the Universe is hot, hot, hot right now, most of what we've been getting is based heavily on what's come before: Origins is an upgrade of the vintage line, Revelation is a continuation of the Filmation series with elements of the Masters of the Universe Classics continuity added in, and most product is based on either the vintage toys or the Filmation comic series. The Netflix He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a completely new take on the MOTU story and since there's currently so much based on the classic stuff right now I'm completely OK with that. I've only watched the first four episodes so far and I have to say that I'm really enjoying the show. It's very different but it's good and it still feels like MOTU to me. Imagine MOTU in the style of a Dreamworks or Pixar film with a team focused vibe. I'll probably talk more about the show in each review but for now let's talk about the toys. These are 100% kid focused with minimal articulation, a "Power Attack" feature that functions like a modern upgrade to the spring swiveling waists of the vintage line, and a lower price point. The first thing from this line I stumbled upon was He-Man and Ground Ripper, which is He-Man on a giant green motorcycle. Does that gives you a better idea of what this line is about and who it's geared towards? The Ground Ripper is the name Mattel is currently using for the vintage Road Ripper (they're also using the name on the vintage inspired Eternia Minis version of the Road Ripper), by the way. Must be a trademark issue or something. Let's dive in and take a look at a new Masters of the Universe line after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Elvira from Toony Terrors by NECA

 

   It's another Saturday which means we're going off topic for today's installment of 31 Days of Toy Terror! No skeletons today! Instead we're checking out a new toy of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and the Queen of Halloween. This time it's Elvira in an animated style from NECAs Toony Terrors line! I found her at Target a week or two ago and have been pretty excited to show her off. 2021 is the 40th anniversary of Cassandra Peterson's development of the Elvira character and NECA is celebrating by including her in the Toony Terror line so she can take her place alongside of many other horror icons. This has been a fun line to cherry pick over the last two years as not every release is from a property I care about but the animated style makes the characters I love really stand out. Let's get ready to hang with the queen of Halloween after the break...

Friday, October 22, 2021

Minifigure Review: Trap Jaw from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   Let's take a look at Trap Jaw, another figure from the most recent series of Masters of the Universe Mega Construx minifigures. Mega Construx first released Trap Jaw in early 2021 in one of the Skeletor head sets where he was packed with the Castle Grayskull laser cannon. That version of the figure was based on his minicomic appearance, however, and is quite different than the Filmation inspired figure we have here. Trap Jaw is definitely a popular guy and I'm sure most collectors of this line are glad to have a more traditional Trap Jaw for their shelf, too. Let's take a look at this stalwart member of Skeletor's crew after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! David S. Pumpkins with Skeletons

 



"What's my name?"

   Yes, today we're once again joined by David S. Pumpkins, one of the members of Halloween royalty, and this time he's joined by the Skeletons. Yeah, they're part of it! Funko released David S. Pumpkins by himself in 2018 but they also released a Funko Shop exclusive 3-pack which includes David Pumpkins (David S. Pumpkins!) with the Skeletons. David S. Pumpkins was played by Tom Hanks and the Skeletons are Mikey Day and Bobby Moynihan. Do the Skeletons have names? According to Mikey Day, yes! At one point he was named Tommy Lee Bones and Moynihan was named Oprah, collectively known as the Skeletones. As if the David S. Pumpkins sketch couldn't get any weirder, right? We picked this POP! Saturday Night Live set up at a convention earlier this year and I've been holding on to it in anticipation of Halloween. Considering this year's skeleton theme it's a great fit, right? Let's check this trio out after the break...

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Action Figure Review: General Lando Calrissian from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 


   It's been really tough to find Star Wars: The Black Series figures this year and only in the past few weeks have I started finding traces of the newest series. The first figure I managed to get my hands on is General Lando Calrissian. This is my favorite look for Lando from the Original Trilogy (it's my favorite overall, too) and I'm thrilled that we finally got it. Hasbro released Lando in his classic ESB outfit in 2017 and in his Skiff Guard disguise in 2018 so now all we need is Lando wearing Han's clothes from the end of ESB to complete all of his outfits from the Original Trilogy. Lando Calrissian gets promoted to the rank of general thanks to a little maneuver at the Battle of Taanab which gives him another suave outfit to perfect with the addition of a cape. Let's take a look at General Lando Calrissian after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Skeletor and Roton from Masters of the Universe Eternia Minis by Mattel

 
   Skeletor is back and this time he's brought a friend! Well, a vehicle. But that vehicle has eyes and patches of reptilian skin so is it sentient? The more I think about it, the creepier Roton gets. I've always loved the Roton, though, and it's one of my two favorite vintage vehicles (Roton and Landshark!) so it's cool to see Mattel bring it into the Eternia Minis line. The Fisher-Price Imaginext line had a space vehicle called the Alpha Blade which seemed heavily inspired by the Roton so if you wanted the Roton to have a heroic counterpart in your Eternia Minis that piece could work. Today we're looking at Skeletor and this evil assault vehicle, though, so let's get in a villainous frame of mind and dive in after the break...

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Action Figure Review: Wind Raider from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   Mattel has introduced another vehicle into Masters of the Universe Origins and this time it's the Wind Raider! The Wind Raider was part of the original 1982 series of Masters of the Universe toys and was also the first vehicle introduced in Masters of the Universe Classics so it has a long history with the line and is extremely recognizable and chosen for most MOTU lines. While the Origins figures are about the same size as the vintage toys the Wind Raider is much larger and way more durable than the original toy. It also comes in a beautiful window box with amazing art. Ready to equip your Heroic Warriors with another tool to help them fight the forces of evil? Then join me after he break as we take off in the Wind Raider...
 

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Scare Glow from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   How about today we check out a spooky Masters of the Universe skeleton who isn't Skeletor? Sounds like it's Scare Glow's time to shine! Mega Constux first released Scare Glow back in 2019 when the Masters of the Universe minifigures were still part of the Mega Construx Heroes series. The Heroes series featured characters from multiple different properties, some of which were solid sellers and some of which pegwarmed. Scareglow was part of the fifth series of figures (along with Stratos, Donatello, a grey alien and Mulder from the X-Files, and a blue Xenomorph) which showed up briefly in some Walmart stores and then disappeared as Walmart stopped carrying the Mega Construx Heroes figures for sometime, Fittingly, Scareglow became a victim of Phantom Series syndrome, only showing up at closeout stores like Bargain Hunt and Essex. Since he's so well loved and was so tough to find Mega Construx let collectors know that we would see him again and Scare Glow has finally returned as part of the newest series of MOTU Mega Construx figures. Ready for a ghastly glowing ghoul for a spooky October night? Then join me after the break...

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Action Figure Review: Ultron from Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro

 

   Ultron has been plaguing the Avengers for over 50 years and while both Toy Biz and Hasbro have released many different versions of the murderous synthezoid over the years this is the first time we've gotten a truly classic looking version in Marvel Legends. Ultron is definitely one of the most wanted figures from the Iron Man/ Ursa Major series of Marvel Legends so he might take a bit of effort to track down. He's worth it, though, as he's a truly worthy upgrade of the character. Let's check out this modern take on the classic character of Ultron after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Skelegod from Masters of the Universe Revelation: Eternia Minis by Mattel

 

   Skeletor is back again but this time he's wielding the Power of Grayskull for himself! Now we've got Skelegod on the scene! Appearing at the end of the fifth episode of the recent Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series Skelegod was a pretty big surprise. Well, he would have been if the action figure hadn't been on shelves nearly a month before the episodes released. Well, that's OK. Honestly, I'd rather have the best, most accurate action figures of the most desirable characters rather than do whatever the heck Hasbro has been doing with new Star Wars stuff since Disney took over. Remember how it took them about two years to give us a Luke Skywalker figure from The Force Awakens? Yeah, me too. Well Mattel ain't playing and they have managed to get us not one but two Skelegods ASAP. I reviewed the Masterverse figure back in July. This one is from the MOTU Revelation: Eternia Minis line so he's quite a bit smaller. Let's check him out after the break...

Monday, October 18, 2021

Toy Review: Stinkor from Vinyl SODA by Funko

 
   
   Regular readers know that I love Funko's Vinyl SODA Masters of the Universe figures so it shouldn't be any surprise that I'm getting ready to review Stinkor, the Evil Master of Odors. I was recently bummed that I didn't get the opportunity to grab the NYCC exclusive Roboto and Snake Face so at this point I'm waiting until more people get their commons in hand before I order mine. If you have some commons/ duplicates/ extras and want to help out let me know! Anyways, on to Stinkor! This guy is a standard release not tied to any convention or event with a release size of 8,000. 6,700 of those are standard figures, like I'm reviewing today, while the other 1,300 chase variants don't have the shield and are scented. I'm kind of bummed that Funko didn't make all of the figures scented. That's kind of Stinkor's thing and about the only distinctive element of the character. I've only pulled one chase variant so far out of all of the Vinyl SODA figures I have so maybe I'm due for pulling another chase variant soon? Let's check out this still cool but definitely non-stinky Stinkor after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Plutor from Trash Bag Bunch by Galoob

 

   It's been a little over 4 years since I last reviewed a Trash Bag Bunch figure on here but since Halloween is a magical time we're going to make some minifigure magic and review another of these amazing little wonders! Today, for Skeletober, I submit Plutor! He's a robot, yes, but check out those skulls he's using for shoulder pads and the nuclear yellow skull that's revealed behind a panel in his chest. Spooky stuff! This is another item that's my childhood original and I'm thrilled to be able to show him off. The Trash Bag Bunch has a few other spooky skeletal characters in it (Fuminoid and Junk Jackal come to mind) but I've already reviewed those so it's now Plutor's turn. Let's check out this menacing mechanical monstrosity after the break...

Sunday, October 17, 2021

Action Figure Review: Faker from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 

      He looks like He-Man, but he's not....
      He's really just Skeletor's evil robot!

   Faker played a significant part in the first episode of Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Mattel has delivered him as a deluxe release that is currently exclusive to Target (though I believe he'll have wider release next year). The Masterverse line has been really good so far and Faker is another fantastic figure that shows how cool the deluxe releases in this series can be. While the toy version of Faker is famously a blue repaint of He-Man, the Filmation version of the character simply looked like He-Man with a robotic voice and glowing eyes. MOTU: Revelation split the difference and made Faker a bluish robot covered by realistic looking skin, delivering a toy that does feel like it's offering up something quite new. Faker definitely is not just a repaint of the standard Masterverse He-Man! Let's check him out after the break...
 

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Skeletor from POP! + Pez by Funko

 

   I love that 31 Days of Toy Terror is such a potpourri of different toys and this year, even with the skeleton/ Skeletor theme, I'm still able to showcase a great variety of cool stuff. Today I've got another cool Skeletor item: The Funko POP! + Pez dispenser from 2019! I've reviewed many of the Masters of the Universe POP! + Pez dispensers in the past but I never got around to checking out Skeletor. Isn't a spooky skeleton who gives out candy about the most Halloween thing you can think of? Let's check him out after the break...

Saturday, October 16, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Count Chocula from General Mills by Jada Toys

 

   "I want to eat your cereal!"

  Listen, it's not everyday that I'm actually surprised by a toy found on a shelf at retail. With plenty of websites, Facebook pages, and blogs all dedicated to action figure and toy news it seems that we know about everything months to years in advance these days. A little over a week ago, though, my parents called me and asked if I had seen the General Mills action figures of Count Chocula and Franken Berry. I was shocked. How did I miss that these were a thing? Jada Toys definitely has started to market to collectors recently with their Universal Monsters line and the General Mills cereal monsters mascots seems like another cool, collector focused hit. I love these guys and I'm almost always down for them. So far Count Chocula and Franken Berry are the only two released but surely they won't deny us Fruit Brute, Boo Berry, and Fruity Yummy Mummy, right? Since Saturdays are my day during 31 Days of Toy Terror to go off theme let's spend today checking out the elder statesmen of the General Mills cereal monsters, Count Chocula. Join me after the break...

Friday, October 15, 2021

Action Figure Review: Leech #89 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 
   
   FYE carries lots of cool Masters of the Universe stuff like Beast Man's Ravenous Habanero hot sauce and exclusive POP! vinyls and a month or so ago they began shipping their exclusive Leech POP! vinyl. Leech is another member of the Evil Horde and along with Grizzlor, Mantenna, and Hordak he completes the four basic Horde members from 1985 in POP! form (Modulok was released a bit later though we still need him in POP! for). Leech is a creepy guy and a very memorable figure from the vintage line. To reflect his ability to drain energy from his foes the vintage Leech toy had a suction cup mouth that could stick to stuff (like skin!) via a pump activated by a button on his back. Funko didn't give this POP! vinyl an action feature but they did recreate his weird, flat front jaw. What do you think? Do you like when the oddities of the figure that existed because of the action feature are recreated or would you have rather had just had a regular mouth? Let's discuss this and more as we check out Leech after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Father's Day from Monstarz: Creepshow by Amok Time Toys

 


   31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober continues with what might be the most frightening figure on the countdown thus far: Nathan Grantham from the "Father's Day" segment of the 1982 horror anthology Creepshow. Creepshow is one of my favorite horror movies of all time and it's always a crowd please with its unique mixture of thrills, chills, and laughs. Amok Time Toys has released quite a few action figures from non A-list horror properties and in 2016 they releases this figure as the first Creepshow based figure under their Monstarz line. The figure is called Father's Day, after the segment of the film, but the character in the movie is the vengeful, skeletal corpse of Nathan Grantham, the cruel and abusive patriarch of the Grantham family. Murdered by his daughter, Nathan comes back for revenge and the Father's Day cake he was denied in life! If you've never seen Creepshow, you really need to check it out. Stephen King, George Romero, and Tom Savini team up with a fantastic cast to create a fun, atmospheric movie that pays tribute to the old EC Comics. I received this as a birthday gift last year and decided to save it for a future 31 Days of Toy Terror. Well, here we are! Let's check out the star of Father's Day after the break...

Thursday, October 14, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Skeletor (Pink and Black) from Hikari XS by Funko

 

   Guess what? Today you're getting two skeletons for the price of one! Yes, today I'm looking at two Skeletor sofubis from Funko's Hikari XS line. Released in November of 2017 this 2-pack came with two Skeletor sofubi styled figures each molded in a different color. This set has a pink Skeletor and a black Skeletor. Genuine sofubi toys can be quite pricey but this little set, which was limited to 1,000 units, was sold at $30 dollars as a Funko Shop exclusive. That wasn't too bad at all! There wasn't as much Masters of the Universe stuff coming out in 2017 so almost anything seemed exciting. I actually really like these and I have the six Skeletors from the three different sets all lined up on a shelf. Let's take a look at two super spooky Skeletors after the break...

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Crystal Skeleton with Throne from Indiana Jones by Hasbro

 

   Hasbro's 2008 Indiana Jones toyline has been featured in 31 Days of Toy Terror before and this year it's back for 31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! There were actually a couple figures from this line I considered choosing for this year's festivities but I ultimately decided to go with the mail-away exclusive Crystal Skeleton with Throne from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I loved the Crystal Skulls as a plot point in the film (though the ending of the film gets a bit too surreal for me) and I was thrilled that Hasbro released this figure back in 2008. The Crystal Skeleton was released as a mail-away exclusive which required you to attach six stickers from the 1/18th scaled Indiana Jones line to the "Ticket to Adventure" booklet so you could mail away for it. Those stickers and $5.99 for shipping and handling allowed you to acquire the Crystal Skeleton which arrived in a cool box that looked like a wooden crate addressed to Indiana Jones. While largely dismissed as being products of European creation from the mid-19th century created to profit from interest in ancient cultures, crystal skulls still are a popular part of popular culture with a role in the New Age movement and pseudoscience. They're just kind of bizarre and make for a fun MacGuffin for supernatural adventure stories. Let's take a look at this MacGuffin after the break...

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Minifigure Review: Beast Man & War Sled from Masters of the Universe Revelation: Eternia Minis by Mattel

 
   Recently Mattel has put out some vehicle and minifigure combination sets for the Eternia Minis line. There are currently two sets for the MOTU Revelation Eternia Minis and two for the standard Eternia Minis. Today I'm going to kick off my look at all four sets by checking out Beast Man from the MOTU Revelation series. Beast Man comes packaged with the very cool War Sled, which is essentially the Evil Warriors' version of the Jet Sled/ Sky Sled. These do show up during Skeletor's attack on Castle Grayskull in the first episode but it's kind of weird to pair this Beast Man with the vehicle since this is how Beast Man appears when he goes off on his own after Skeletor has seemingly been killed. Let's take a look at the set after the break...
 

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Skeletor from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 
   The air is getting cooler, the leaves are getting crisper, and Halloween is ever approaching! Seriously, make the best of the spookiest days of the year! Today I'm hear to add another skeletal toy review to your Halloween season with a look at Skeletor from Mattel's Masterverse line. Based on his appearance in Masters of the Universe: Revelation this 7 inch Skeletor is definitely one of the best figures from series 1. Heck, series 1 was strong all around and by now some folks have series 2 (which started trickling out in early September but mine haven't arrived yet). I've had this guy since July but I decided to hold him back so that Skeletober was a mixture of old and toys to give you the most bang for your buck. Mark Hamill's casting as Skeletor was a pretty big deal and while I think he did a good job (though he did make Skeletor sound very similar to the Joker) he didn't get enough time to truly shine in the first five episodes. Of course, neither did He-Man. Hopefully the second half of the show will give us more focus on those two. Mattel released both this standard Skeletor and the Skelegod version of the character in series 1 but since I reviewed Skelegod back in July it's well past time to check out the standard version of the Evil Lord of Destruction. Join me after the break...

Monday, October 11, 2021

Ornament Review: He-Man from Hallmark Ornaments by Hallmark

 
   It's October and that means it's time for... Christmas decorations? Yes, indeed. My birthday was at the end of September and I ended up getting three Masters of the Universe Christmas tree ornaments as part of my gifts. When has there ever been that much MOTU stuff out at once? Seriously, 2021 seems to have as much MOTU product released as during the best years of the 1980s! Today I'm checking out one of the two standard Hallmark ornaments that are currently available at a variety of stores (mine was found at Walmart) and it's He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe! Hallmark released a He-Man ornament in their Hallmark Keepsake collection in 2016 which has gotten crazy expensive so it's nice they've put out another He-Man as a very affordable price. We're still about a month from putting up the Christmas tree but let's get things ready with a look at He-Man. Join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober! Red Skull from Marvel Legends Series: Super Villains by Hasbro

 

   For today's installment of 31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober how about we check out another skeletal influenced Marvel villain? This time it's the Red Skull from the Marvel Legends Super Villains series released over the summer. I reviewed all of those figures as they came out and the build-a-figure, Xemnu, but I held back on Johann Shmidt since I knew he was a perfect fit for the theme and I don't want the entire month to just be Skeletor toys. Hasbro has released a few different Red Skull figures over the years but this one looks to be the most "classic" figure yet. While the Johann Shmidt version of the Red Skull first appeared in Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Captain America #7 this one seems based on his Silver Age appearances as seen in Tales of Suspense #66, though this Red Skull is wearing a Hydra armband. He's one of the top tier Marvel villains and absolutely deserves a place on your shelf if you're a Legends collector. Ready to check out the fearsome visage of the Red Skull? Then join me after the break...

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Toy Review: Man-At-Arms, Power Sword He-Man, and Battle Cat from Masters of the Universe: Figural Bag Clips by Monogram International

 
   Back in 2020 I reviewed the full series of Masters of the Universe Figural Bag Clips from Monogram International. They're simple little rubbery bag clips with a cool style and while they were blind bagged, which was super frustrating, I really did like them. This past summer Walmart had an endcap filled with exclusive collectible items and two boxed sets of the bag clips were part of that display. The two sets each feature two new bag clips and one with an exclusive paint scheme. I'm going to be reviewing both of them but since this month is so heavy on the villains with Skeletor being the star of 31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober I decided to start with the Heroic Warriors. Let's check out this cool Walmart exclusive 3-pack of Man-At-Arms, Power Sword He-Man, and Battle Cat after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober! Skeletor from Masters of the Universe: Micro Collection by Mattel

 

   Who says you gotta be big to be terrifying? Today I'm checking out the minifigure Skeletor from Mattel's Masters of the Universe: Micro Collection which are Dollar Tree exclusives which can be yours for the low price of just $1! I reviewed the other four figures in this series over the summer but I kept Skeletor back for the Halloween festivities! It's always a lot of fun to figure out some different and unique "horror" themed toys for 31 Days of Toy Terror and while this year is overflowing with Skeletor figures it was definitely a theme I knew I had enough toys to follow through with. Ready for a look at a tiny tibial terror that will tuck into your trick or treat tote? Then join me after the very scary break...

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Action Figure Review: Captain Marvel & Rescue Armor from Marvel Legends Series: The Infinity Saga by Hasbro

 


   Most of the Marvel Legends figures I purchase are comic based figures. They just look better together, never really seem to get outdated, and there's a wider variety of characters offered. Still, when I see a figure or set I really like I still jump at it and this set definitely appealed to me. Hasbro's quite brilliant: A set of action figures with photo-real likenesses of Brie Larson and Gwyneth Paltrow? Instant buy! Since Endgame Hasbro has been going back and releasing figures from characters they missed out on during the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and this is from the newest series of The Infinity Saga sets. Captain Marvel and Pepper Potts in her Rescue armor are both from their appearances during the final battle against Thanos in Endgame. Captain Marvel didn't get a figure wearing this outfit when the movie came out but Rescue was previously released on her own. This version of Rescue (which the packaging oddly calls "Rescue Armor" instead of just Rescue, or Pepper Potts, or Pepper Pots in Rescue Armor) does have some unmasked portraits and a more sophisticated backpack, though, so she's not just a straight repack. The set is an Amazon exclusive and is still available as I'm writing this. Ready to check out a new set of MCU heroes? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror: Skeletober! Masters of the Universe 4pc Mini Muglets Set from Geeki Tikis by Beeline Creative Inc.

 

   It's Saturday and during the past few years of 31 Days of Toy Terror I've used that as a day to show off something that's a little outside of the regular theme. Well, today I'm kind of going with something that somewhat matches the theme and something that is a bit of a stretch. What do I have today? How about four mini Tiki muglets from Geeki Tikis! I reviewed the full sized Tiki mugs earlier this year but I was surprised with this cool set of Mini Muglets for my birthday last month. You get 2 oz mini Tiki glasses of Battle Cat, He-Man, Skeletor, and Beast Man all contained inside of a very cool Castle Grayskull shaped container. You're getting two skulls today (Grayskull and Skeletor) and a beast man named Beast Man for your Halloween horrors and I'm throwing in a He-Man and Battle Cat review because it's who I am. Both tricks and treats! These are Walmart exclusives and have been available on an endcap in electronics over the past few months along with other Masters of the Universe items and some other Geeki Tikis stuff. Let's check these cool little fellows out after the break...

Friday, October 8, 2021

Action Figure Review: Stealth Iron Man from Marvel Legends Series: Iron Man by Hasbro

 

   Who's sneaking in to steal all the candy this Halloween season? Why, it's Stealth Iron Man of course! The Iron Man/ Ursa Major series of Marvel Legends figures isn't the newest Marvel Legends series anymore. Heck, there have been three sets to have been released since this one: The second Age of Apocalypse series, the What If? series, and the Eternals set. I picked up Stealth Iron Man for two reasons, the first of which was I really wanted to build Ursa Major. The second reason, though, is that I loved the 1990s Toy Biz Iron Man toyline and Stealth Iron Man was released in that series as well. Ready for a blue Iron Man? Of course you are! Let's check him out after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober: Skeletor on Night Stalker #278 from POP! Rides by Funko

 

   I've always been a fan of Washington Irving's The Legends of Sleepy Hollow and its many film and television adaptations and I've reviewed some toys based on the story in the past. For today's installment of 31 Days of toy terror I'm checking out another spooky, supernatural rider: Skeletor on Night Stalker from Funko's POP! Rides series. OK, yeah, I'm stretching things a bit here, but since this year's 31 Days of Toy Terror celebration, Skeletober, is focusing on skeleton themed toys ol' Skeletor definitely has a place here. This set was released in July of this year and is the third riding Skeletor released in the POP! Rides line after both variants of Skeletor on Panthor #98. I think most MOTU fans probably associate Night Stalker with Jitsu but due to the vintage gift sets but Funko put Skeletor on here. I'm not going to ding them for it or anything but it is definitely less preferable to have Skeletor on here versus Jitsu but if we had gotten Jitsu we wouldn't have this skeletal rider as part of Skeletober, would we? Let's check this set out after the break...

Thursday, October 7, 2021

31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober! Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas Trading Figures by Jun Planning

 
   
   Skeletober continues with a popular skeleton who isn't Skeletor; It's Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King! One of the Halloween royals, Jack Skellington has become one of the most enduring and beloved icons of Halloween (and Christmas) and he often makes an appearance for 31 Days of Toy Terror. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorites and I'm always excited to review some of the various toys based on the film, especially in October. I've actually reviewed a couple of these figures from Jun Planning in the past (Oogie Boogie in 2017 and Dr. Finkelstein in 2018) so it's nice to get another one covered. These were released in 2010 and they came in little boxes (marked, not blind) so the set was fairly easy to get. The figures arrived in multiple pieces and you snapped them together like a simple model kit with no glue or paint required. We keep these and many other Nightmare Before Christmas items displayed in a china cabinet in our dining room year round! Let's check out Jack Skellington and his best pal Zero after the break...

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Action Figure Review: She-Hulk from Marvel Legends Series: She-Hulk by Hasbro

 

   
   Who's ready for She-Hulk? She-Hulk has been part of the Marvel Universe since 1980 and next year she's going to make her MCU debut in the Disney+ show She-Hulk. Tatiana Maslany will be starring as Jennifer Walters and we know that Mark Ruffalo and Tim Roth will return to the MCU as well, so expect She-Hulk to be pretty popular next year. I didn't purchase this figure just because She-Hulk is coming to the MCU but it is pretty exciting nonetheless. In early 2020 Hasbro released a gray version of She-Hulk (who was just called Hulk because of something from Civil War II that I'm not going to even pretend to understand) and this version uses the same sculpt but her skin is green, a far more recognizable look for her. She-Hulk is a Fan Channel exclusive so you'll find her at e-tailers and places like GameStop and Hasbro Pulse rather than your traditional retail stores. Ready to take a look at She-Hulk? Then join me after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober: Skeletor from Shogun Masters by Mattel

 

   Ready for what's sure to be the biggest review of 2021's 31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober? How about we get ready to check out the Shogun Masters Skeletor from Mattel's Mattel Creations initiative? On April 23rd Mattel placed this Shogun Warriors inspired Skeletor up for order, he arrived on my doorstep on June 27th, and I'm now reviewing a little over three months later! Designed by Ruben Martinez and Terrence Higuchi, this version of Skeletor is inspired by the various 24 inch robot toys Mattel licensed and released as Shogun Warriors in the late 1970s. Shogun Warriors are a bit before my time and I've never been very familiar with them but I love Japanese inspired toy designs and the fact that this was supposed to be a mech built by Skeletor really appealed to me. Seriously, it's not hard to encourage me to pick up a Skeletor toy. This guy is quite massive and I was excited when he arrived unannounced on my doorstep back in June. He really is quite huge! Of course, he was also quite pricey. I figured that if I ordered him and didn't like him I could surely resell him but if I skipped out on him and changed my mind he would probably cost a small fortune to acquire. I'm glad I picked him up although I have to admit that he seems like a super niche item where you're definitely paying for his exclusivity. Ready to check out what might be the Great Pumpkin of  Skeletober? Then let's summon the Shogun Masters Skeletor after the break...

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Minifigure Review: Roboto from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 
   I reviewed Man-E-Faces from the most recent series of Masters of the Universe Mega Construx figures a couple days ago and today I'm checking out the other Heroic Warrior in this set: Roboto! Interestingly, this version of Roboto isn't based on the standard toy version most of us had as kids but instead is based on the minicomic colors from his appearance in "The Battle of Roboto." It's entirely possible that the Mega Construx team has a classic colors Roboto planned for some point in the future as otherwise it seems strange to start with this version. On the other hand it is kind of cool that this is the first time we've gotten Roboto in this color scheme. Let's take a look at this very cool version of Roboto after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober! SkullMobile from Goosebumps by /Taco Bell

 



   Back in late July and early August everyone was talking about the Fear Street movies on Netflix. I'd never read any book in R.L. Stine's Fear Street series but I've long been a fan of Goosebumps. I got into Goosebumps sometime in the summer of 1994 right, right before 5th grade. I've always loved spooky stuff and Halloween as a kid and Goosebumps was one of my first real forays into horror fiction. Shortly after I got into the series Goosebumps really kicked into high gear with calendars, merchandising, and multiple books besides the main series, one of those being Tales to Give you GooseBumps which featured a cover with Curly the Skeleton on the front. Curly was the Goosebumps mascot for years and today I'm checking out a toy of him from the 1996 Taco Bell promotion. The toy is called the SkullMobile and it's essentially Curly's skull with a wheel on the bottom. Turn the wheel and his eyes bug in and out while his jaw goes up and down. It's something that wouldn't look out of place with Kenner's The Real Ghostbusters toys. I remember getting Curly on a weekend trip to Nashville, Tennessee only a few months before we moved there (I lived right outside of Nashville from 1996 until 2007 and I consider it my true hometown). That weekend was memorable because we went to Opryland for the Halloween festivities, I went in my first real haunted house there (Quarantine which terrified me but also really got me intrigued by zombies), and I found the deluxe Star Wars figures like Han Solo with giant smuggler's backpack. Crazy, huh? Also, I think our car got stolen or something if I remember correctly. Anyways, let's check out Curly's SkullMobile after the break before I spend too long reminiscing...

Monday, October 4, 2021

Action Figure Review: Mer-Man #88 from POP! Retro Toys: Masters of the Universe by Funko

 
   How about another POP! review to offset some of the earlier spookiness? Well, then again Mer-Man is kind of creepy, right? He's kind of like the Creature from the Black Lagoon but more powerful since he can actually command sea creatures. I love Filmation with all my heart but they definitely made the Evil Warriors largely seem pretty incompetent which seems at odds with how they're depicted as toys. These folks are Masters of the Universe. They're each at the top of their respective fields and are the best of the best in Eternia. While Funko is still cranking out lots of new characters in the POP! Retro Toys series of MOTU figures they're also redoing some of the characters released earlier in the POP! Television series. The Mer-Man released a few years ago was definitely based on his Filmation appearance but this guy is straight up based on the vintage toy. Let's check out this evil ocean warlord after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober: Battle Armor Skeletor from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

   One of the toughest parts of planning and preparing for Skeletober has been holding off on reviewing any Skeletor items after Skelegod so I'd have a nice mixture of new and classic stuff to review this month. Yeah, I'm not exclusively reviewing Skeletor stuff for October but, c'mon, you know he's showing up here pretty frequently. Today I'm checking out the Masters of the Universe Origins Battle Armor Skeletor who was released much earlier this year but who I didn't find until June. I've always loved the Battle Armor variants of He-Man and Skeletor and Mattel did a really nice job with these. While He-Man was plagued with multiple little QC issues Skeletor turned out with hardly any issues. Ready to check out the Battle Armor variant of Skeletor, the evil lord of destruction? Ready for another spooky Skeleton to celebrate 31 Days of Toy Terror-Skeletober? Then join me after the break...


Sunday, October 3, 2021

Minifigure Review: Man-E-Faces from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 
   A new series of the Masters of the Universe Mega Construx figures has started showing up recently and mine were delivered sometime last month. Interestingly, the five individually carded figures in this set (Scare Glow, Tri-Klops, Roboto, Trap Jaw, and Man-E-Faces) came shipped in a cardboard mailer designed to hold the five figures as one set. It seems that Mattel is definitely working to make selling some of their merchandise easier for e-tailers and that's a good thing. Lately it's been easier to get Mattel stuff online than it has been in the past. Man-E-Faces is one of two Heroic Warriors in this set, both of whom are new characters to the Mega Construx line. Let's take a look at this multi-faced master after the break...

31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober: Crossbones from Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro

 


    So 31 Days of Toy Terror- Skeletober isn't just going to be Skeletor reviews and it's not just actual skeletons, either! Sometimes you're going to get reviews of people in skeleton themed costumes! Today I'm checking out a bad guy whose name and costume definitely use skeletal imagery to intimidate his opponents: Crossbones! There have been a couple Marvel Legends Crossbones figures but this most recent version was released in 2020 as part of the Crimson Dynamo series that was intended to tie in with the Black Widow movie but that ended up getting released over a year before the film finally came out. Brock Rumlow has been a pretty major threat in the Marvel Universe since his appearance in 1989, serving as an assassin and mercenary for some of Marvel's most heinous villains, and he ended up being pretty significant in the MCU as well. This is a rather classic comic book look for Rumlow that definitely shows off why he goes by the name of Crossbones. There's just something kind of spooky about someone who uses the imagery of death on their costume, isn't there? Let's take a look at Crossbones after the break...