The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror: Burnheart from Super Naturals by Tonka

 

   Holograms were all the rage in the 1980s and in 1987 Tonka combined holograms, horror, and action figures to create a very unique toyline that, unfortunately, didn't last very long. Tonka's Super Naturals used holograms to create toys of ghostly beings who escape from the Tomb of Doom and continue the battle beteen good and evil across the earth. While Hasbro's Visionaries line also came out in 1987 and used holograms, Tonka's Super Naturals line differed in that the holograms were used to represent actual characters. The Visionaries had holograms on their chest armor and on their staffs but the holograms on the Super Naturals were the characters' actual appearances. I remember having quite a few of these as a kid, as well as the Tomb of Doom, but sadly I don't know where they ended up (probably yard sale victims). The figures are a bit tougher to find complete but, fortunately, they're not very expensive. For this year's festivities I knew the Super Naturals needed to be represented so let's start by checking out Burnheart, one of the Warriors of Evil who has a thing for fire. I definitely had Burnheart as a kid as I remember having his gun for years after he disappeared. Let's get things heated up with a look at this flaming phantasm after the break...

Action Figure Review: Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV by Hasbro

 

 Back in 2017 Hasbro released a 2-pack of Admiral Ackbar and a First Order Officer as a Toys R Us exclusive based on the then upcoming The Last Jedi. It's been about three years but Hasbro has finally decided to give us a Return of the Jedi version of Admiral Ackbar (perhaps my favorite Star Wars character) in Star Wars: The Black Series Phase IV. Yes, we've now entered Phase IV of the Black Series. Phase I hit in early 2013 with the black and orange boxes followed by Phase II in mid 2014 with the black and blue boxes and Phase III in 2015 on Force Friday with black and red boxes which lasted through the Sequel Trilogy. Unlike the previous phases, Phases IV actually has unique packaging colors based on where the character is from (movie, cartoon series, etc.) This is clearly Admiral Gial Ackbar's most iconic look and it's a figure I've been waiting for since the line began. Ready for a look at one of the greatest Rebel heroes of them all? Then join me after the break...

The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror: #163 Mammothman from M.U.S.C.L.E. by Mattel

 

   When I think back to the monster toys I had as a kid I always think about Mattel's M.U.S.C.L.E. line of little rubber wrestlers from 1986. Based on Bandai's Kinnikuman line of Japanese keshi figures (Mattel literally just used the molds) these still stand out to me as the epitome of what a minifigure should be. While the M.U.S.C.L.E./ Kinnikuman cast are meant to be wrestlers there definitely are some monstrous designs in the line. Today I'm checking out figure #163, known in Kinnikuman as Mammothman. I know very little about the Kinnikuman anime and manga (though I'd love to be able to watch it/ read it) but what I've been able to learn is that Mammothman is from Siberia, he weights 882 pounds, and he's one of the chojin. He was also in the very first 4-pack of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures I got as a kid (Black Tomahawk was also in there, too) and this is my original Mammothman! Let's check him out after the break...

The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror: My Pet Monster from My Pet Monster: ReAction by Super7

   While the upcoming reviews for The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror are overwhelmingly going to be based on toys from before the year 2000, I'm definitely making sure to review some newer horror toys, particularly if they're based on nostalgic properties and such. Today I'm very excited to check out Super7's My Pet Monster ReAction figure! While I sadly no longer have my childhood My Pet Monster I have such fond memories of him. I really have no idea why I sold him as a kid, but I'd love to own one again. My Pet Monster was released in 1986 by American Greetings and was a huge hit! There was even a direct-to-video movie, which I still have on Betamax. My Pet Monster was recently acquired by Hasbro as part of their purchase of Saban's entertainment assets in 2018, so hopefully we'll see a re-release of the original doll in the near future. For now, though, I'm thrilled to have this ReAction figure of My Pet Monster (henceforth just referred to as Monster) to show off for 31 Days of Toy Terror 2020. Let's check him out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Man-At-Arms (Mondo Exclusive) from Masters of the Universe by Mondo

 

    Mondo's 1/6th scale Masters of the Universe line has been one of the most exciting MOTU toy lines since the end of Masters of the Universe Classics. Rather than just remake previous toys, Mondo's interpretations of the Heroes and Villains of Eternia have featured a mixture of classic details, the best elements pulled from a variety of sources, and even some exciting new design features to truly make these some of the best interpretations of the MOTU mainstays you're going to find. Man-At-Arms is the 6th character to be released in the series and he finally gives He-Man someone to find alongside of during epic battles of epicness for control of Castle Grayskull. Scareglow was cool but Mer-Man seemed poised to be the standout figure in the line for 2020. Now that Man-At-Arms has arrived? That just may not be the case! This is without a doubt one of the best versions of Duncan we've ever received in toy form. Mondo. Mondo offered up two versions of the figure, both an exclusive and standard version. This is the exclusive version (long since sold out now) and he comes with an extra Snake Man-At-Arms portrait and a figure of Orko peeking out of a jar. Ready for a look at the heroic Man-At-Arms? Then join me after the break...

The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror: Silver Shamrock Trick-or-Treaters Three-Pack from Halloween 3: Season of the Witch by NECA

 

   While "The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror" is going to mostly focus on toys released before the year 2000 Saturdays are going to be a bit different as there are still some horror toys that have come out in 2020 that I gotta show off and there's no toy this year that has had me more excited for Halloween than this three-pack of the Silver Shamrock Trick-or-Treaters from Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Yes, Halloween III, which was released in 1982 (a year before I was born). What was once viewed as the bizarre outlier of the Halloween series has in recent years become a well loved horror classic. It's filled with some pretty cool imagery, too, and while I didn't see the film until about 15 years ago or so, seeing the box art definitely feels very nostalgic. The image of the silhouettes of the Trick-or-Treaters against that ominous red sky always stood out to me as a kid when I was at the video store. It seemed so terrifying and frightening, yet so evocative of Halloween night. I love the movie and I was thrilled when NECA revealed this boxed set. It's one of those dream toy sets for me and something I never imagined we would actually see. I've been sitting on these for quite a few months but I decided to hold them back for Halloween. Aren't you glad? Turn on the Silver Shamrock theme and tune in to this review....

Barbecue's Bonfire 10/2/2020: The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror Edition

 

   Hey everyone! Guess what? We are officially in October 2020 and The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror has started! Since 2020 has been absolutely crazy and unsettling I decided to go with something warm, nostalgic, and terrifying. That's why the focus of The Dawn of 31 Days of Toy Terror is on toys from prior to the year 2000 with a few cheats in there for fun. Yeah, I kicked things off with Peter Venkman from Hasbro's Ghostbusters Kenner Classics, a line that came out this year, but they're clearly just remakes of the old Kenner Ghostbusters I had as a kid. There are truly lots of vintage gems in there, though, and I really hope you enjoy the heck out of it! For more great stuff also check out the Countdown to Halloween blog! They're the hosts with the most, babe.

   I had the chance to watch a couple of spooky movies over the past week, one of which was Phantasm II. Don Coscarelli's 1988 sequel to the 1979 original has a bigger budget, more outrageous effects, faster pacing, and is actually a better movie than the original. It's not quite as surreal and dreamlike as the first film but it makes up for it with some pretty frightening stuff. Phantasm II also takes some cues from the splat-stick style of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series, even giving Raimi a shoutout in one scene. Angus Scrimm is back as the Tall Man and Reggie Banister is back as Reggie, the former ice cream man turned monster hunter who now uses a homemade quad-barreled shotgun. I really like how this movie puts Reggie and Mike on the offensive as they're tracking the Tall Man with their homemade weaponry through increasingly desolate small towns. It's a good sequel that keeps what works about the original but moves the story forward. The practical effects are excellent, too. There's some great, gruesome stuff here!

More after the break...