REVIEW: The Sea Ghost

The Sea Ghost was first seen in Jay Piscopo’s The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli. Created by Piscopo, who both authored and illustrated the comic, The Sea Ghost was last seen in his very own comic book - The Sea Ghost #1: Sea Ghost in the Machine. The 36-page comic retails for $3.99 at your favorite comic shop.

In addition to his return in The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli – Volume 3, which will be released in March 2015, The Sea Ghost is now available as a Mego-style action figure. That 8-inch tall action figure runs $20.00 and comes packaged in a plastic clamshell case. (Unfortunately…I wasn’t able to get a photo of that case before I ripped into it with my canine teeth).

The action figure is a good representation of The Sea Ghost character as shown in the comic book. He is a little bit limited by the Mego-ish body (I so dislike Mego wrists). For example, his feet resemble hooves in the comic, but the figure has regular human feet…albeit bleached white feet. Oh…and that white body is slightly visible underneath the stretched bodysuit. Thank goodness his name isn’t Anatomically Correct Sea Ghost.

I was going to comment on the color of Sea Ghost’s face…and by writing this, I obviously am commenting on it. While it looks blue-green on the action figure – a lot greener than seen throughout the comic book - it actually does match up with the version of The Sea Ghost as presented on the rear of The Sea Ghost #1 comic. [...]

REVIEW: Mutant Mania

Background

Mutant Mania is a new series of mix and match wrestler toys from Australia-based Moose Toys. The figure is made up of four pieces – the head, torso, legs, and a band that connects them together. Each figure features a funny name and is available in a solid or translucent version.

The Mutant Mania characters can fall into one of seven categories: Astro Mutants, Brutal Beasts, Evil Zomboidz, Insect-A-Zoids, Mutant Men, Reptiles of Rage, or Robo Mutants. Each class of characters has a slightly different look. And the Reptiles of Rage actually glow in the dark. Also, individual figures are rated Common, Rare, Ultra Rare, Special Edition, or Limited Edition. In all, the packaging claims “Over 120 to Collect” and the ability to “Build Millions of Combos”.

We received a Mutant Mania 8-pack to check out for this review.

The Facts  

Mutant Mania
Manufacturer: Moose Toys
Material: Plastic
Dimensions: About 1.5” tall
Points of Articulation: 2 (neck and waist)
Designs: Over 120 designs
Pricing: $7.77/8-pack

Packaging

While I wasn’t able to take a photo of the exterior packaging – my kids got ahold of it before I did – the 8-pack comes carded in a plastic bubble. Inside, there’s a nice little Mutantade soda can that opens up and acts as a storage container. And the packaging includes a checklist of all of the available figures and their names.

Our Opinion [...]

REVIEW: OYO – National Football League

Background

In addition to the NHL and MLB, OYO Sports has a series of officially licensed National Football League OYO minifigures from all 32 NFL teams. There are also approximately 43 NCAA teams represented by either players or team Endzone Sets.

The Endzone Set includes 64 total pieces, including a trio of figures (two team figures and a referee) and an 5-inch by 10-inch Endzone and 3.5-inch tall Field Goal. There’s also the Game Time Set, which includes eleven team figures, a referee, and a full size field. The OYOs are compatible with other notable building block toys like Lego, K'nex, Mega Blocks and more.

For purposes of this review, we were able to get our hands on the Philadelphia Eagles Endzone Set.

The Facts  

NFL OYO Minifigures Endzone Set
Manufacturer: OYO Sports
Material: ABS Plastic
Dimensions: About 2” tall
Points of Articulation: 11 (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, legs, and knees)
Designs: Players from all 32 NFL teams
Accessories: 64 total pieces – 2 OYO team character minifigures (with team helmets); OYO referee minifigure; Football; Water bottle; 59 blocks to build end zone
Pricing: $29.99

Packaging

The Philadelphia Eagles Endzone Set comes packaged in a large rectangular box. The front and back of the box feature images of the figures and the included end zone (completely put together). Inside, there are three bags with the field, field goal post, and figures. You’ll also get the all-important instructions in there.

Our Opinion [...]

REVIEW: T+CP Pocket Sideshow Series

Background

The T+CP venture, the collaboration between Tomenosuke and Circus Posterus, has produced some of the best sofubi vinyl figures of the past few years. Among those is a new series of pocket-sized sofubi figures that go by the name - Pocket Sideshow.

The Pocket Sideshow series features four figures, with each design from a different Circus Posterus artist. There’s Otto from Brandt Peters, Penelope from Kathie Olivas, Sproot from Chris Ryniak, and Snowshoe from Amanda Louise Spayd.

Thanks to Tomenosuke, we’ve been able to get our hands on the first Pocket Sideshow colorway. It’s soft black vinyl painted with shades of orange. Also, there’s a limited run of unpainted black figures…if that’s your thing.

The Facts  

Pocket Sideshow
Manufacturer: T+CP (Tomenosuke + Circus Posterus)
Artists: Amanda Louise Spayd, Brandt Peters, Chris Ryniak, and Kathie Olivas
Material: Sofubi (soft vinyl - Japan)
Dimensions: About 3” tall
Points of Articulation: One each (neck)
Designs: Otto (Brandt Peters); Penelope (Kathie Olivas); Sproot (Chris Ryniak); Snowshoe (Amanda Louise Spayd)
Edition Size: Painted – 100 pieces; Unpainted – 60 pieces
Pricing: ¥4,650 ($40.00) per 2-pack

Packaging

These came poly-bagged without being carded. That’s fine for me, as it’s not likely they would stay trapped in those baggy confines for very long. So there’s not much to talk about here.

Our Opinion [...]

REVIEW: OYO – National Hockey League

Background

We’re a little over one-quarter of the way through the 2014-15 National Hockey League season. It’s a season that generally runs from October into June. Since I live in a hockey town, I get out to a lot of games. But if you’ve been to a hockey game recently, you might have run into the NHL OYO Minifigures.

Featuring skaters, goalies, and Zambonis from all 30 NHL teams, OYO Sports has one of the most popular hockey collectibles. You’ll find OYO minifigures made of all of today’s top players. Heck, they even have some 3^rd Line and Checking Line guys. And not only are OYOs collectibles, but they’re are also compatible with other notable building block toys such as Lego, K'nex, Mega Bloks, and more…for added playability.

For this review, OYO Sports sent along three NHL OYO Minifigures: Claude Giroux, Jordan Staal, and Cam Ward (from the newly released Goalie Series).

The Facts  

NHL OYO Minifigures
Series: National Hockey League Generation 1
Manufacturer: OYO Sports
Material: ABS Plastic
Dimensions: About 2” tall
Points of Articulation: 11 (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, legs, and knees)
Designs: Players from all 30 NHL teams
Accessories: Skaters – Skates, Puck, Player Accurate Stick Configuration, Helmet with Removable Shield, Stand; Goalies – Leg Pads with built-in Skates, Blocker, Glove, Stick, Puck, Water Bottle, Helmet with Cage, Stand
Edition Size: Limited Edition
Pricing: Skaters - $12.99; Goalies - $14.99

Packaging

The packaging for the NHL OYO Minifigure series is similar to that of other OYO figures. It features an outer sleeve as well as a plastic tray where the figure and accessories are held. [...]

REVIEW: Asmus Toys’ 1/6th Scale Gothmog

Background

When you think of the greatest film trilogies, there are several that come to mind: the original Star Wars trilogy, Toy Story, the Godfather (the first two make up for number three), The Dark Knight, the Dollars Trilogy, and The Lord of the Rings. If part of your criteria is a solid number one through three, you could do a lot worse than Peter Jackson’s take on J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic.

The Lord of the Rings toy license is still going strong over a decade after the release of The Return of the King. There are few film-related toy licenses that continue to generate that type of interest. One of the newer toy companies to take a shot at The Lord of the Rings is Asmus Toys.

Asmus, which produces 1/6^th scale figures based on the license, recently released the Gothmog collectible figure. According to lotr.wikia.com, Gothmog was the lieutenant of the Witch-king in the Third Age, from Minas Morgul, notably present at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

The Facts  

Gothmog
Series: The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle Earth
Manufacturer: Asmus Toys
Material: Articulated figure
Dimensions: 1/6^th Scale (12” tall)
Points of Articulation: Over 36 points
Outfit: Full body armor; Black vest; Torn red sleeves; Pair of red pants; Brown/grey textured fur; Pair of black boots; Black Orc belt
Accessories: Right hand fist in armor; Right hand weapon holding hand in armor; Left hand Orc hand; Gondorian solider corpse; Spike mace; Orc sword; Custom base; Asmus Toys’ figure stand
Pricing: $159.99 [...]

REVIEW: OYO – Major League Baseball

Background

Late October/early November means the end of the Major League Baseball season. This year, if you’re not a San Francisco Giants fan, you’re in good company with fans of the 29 other teams that can wallow in a winter of disappointement. While most baseball fans will be pining for next season, toy collectors will be glad to know that there’s an officially licensed MLB block figure line from OYO Sports.

In addition to players from all 30 Major League Baseball teams, OYO produces their mini figures based on MLB team mascots, MLB Hall of Fame players, Minor League Baseball players and MiLB mascots, and Little League Baseball version of MLB players. There are also various team themed sets available for all of the MLB teams. They include a Starter Set, Infield Set, Outfield Set, and Game Time Set.

The Facts  

MLB Generation 3 OYO Minifigures
Series: Major League Baseball Generation 3 Series 5
Manufacturer: OYO Sports
Material: ABS plastic
Dimensions: 3" tall
Points of Articulation: 11 (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, legs, and knees)
Designs: Players from all 30 MLB teams
Accessories: Brown Bat; White Ball; Brown Glove; Primary Hat; Alternate Hat; Numbered White Home Plate Stand
Edition Size: Limited Edition
Pricing: $12.99 each

Packaging

The figures are packaged in a small, rectangular, plastic-wrapped box. There’s a small window area where you can see the OYO figure. That figure is in a tray, with separate trays for the accessories and the stand. Outside, the packaging sleeve features illustrations (one close-up and one action) of the figure on the front and back. You’ll also see the team’s logo and the back of the player’s jersey. [...]

REVIEW: Hot Toys’ The Lone Ranger – Tonto

Background

In Disney's The Lone Ranger, Johnny Depp gives a standout performance as the peculiar Native American, Tonto. Despite their initial differences, Tonto has partnered with his 'Kemo Sabe', the Lone Ranger, and together they ride on an adventure to bring justice to the Old West.

Released theatrically in the United States on July 3^rd 2013, The Lone Ranger was the big budget film the character had been waiting for since its inception in 1933. Teamed up with a number of collectibles for young and old alike, Hot Toys took a stab at producing a high-end 1/6^th scale figure based on The Lone Ranger’s somewhat trusted pal Tonto.

Sideshow Collectibles has provided us with the Tonto figure for review purposes.

The Facts  

Tonto
Series: The Lone Ranger
Manufacturer: Hot Toys
Authorized Likeness: Johnny Depp
Material: Sixth scale articulated plastic figure with fabric hair
Dimensions: 12” tall
Points of Articulation: TrueType body with over 30 points of articulation
Outfit: Crow and bandana; Black and bronze-colored tribal necklace; Brown and white tribal armband; White and bronze-colored bracelet; Bronze-colored bracelet; Faux-leather black belt; Multi-colored belt; Orange-colored belt; Brown pants with pouch and tribal decorations; Pair of brown moccasins
Accessories: Pair of fists; Pair of relaxed hands; Pair of hands for holding weapons; Left open hand for holding watch; Dagger with sheath; Two axes; Pistol; Two pocket watches; Figure stand with Tonto nameplate and The Lone Ranger logo
Pricing: $204.99

Packaging [...]

REVIEW: The Mythicals – Cthulhu

Background

Toronto-based Monster Factory started a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise funds to produce The Mythicals line of handmade plush toys. The Mythicals started as a series of three characters: Spencer the Dragon, Margot the Unicorn, and Louie the Cthulhu. Thanks to hitting a number of stretch goals, they’ve added some yet-to-be-named Mythical characters: Pegasus, Yeti, and Sea Monster.

The campaign has already reached its funding goal. However, on Thursday August 14th 2014 at 11:02 AM ET, the Kickstarter run will be finished. The plush line won’t be limited to only those who back it on Kickstarter, so if you miss out, The Mythicals will be available to purchase from Monster Factory.

For this review, we were able to get our hands on one of the first Louie the Cthulhu plush toys.

The Facts  

Louie the Cthulhu
Series: The Mythicals
Manufacturer: Monster Factory
Material: Micro polar fleece
Dimensions: Approximately 10" tall
Pricing: $47.00 CAD (about $42)

Tag

This was a pre-release version of the Cthulhu plush, which didn’t feature the swing tag. However, each Mythical plush will feature a special edition Kickstarter label and a hangtag displaying his or her name and hilarious personality. The tag will be signed by one of the creators.

Our Opinion [...]

REVIEW: Jade Stars – Year of the Horse

Background

To celebrate 2014 - the Year of the Horse – Mini Magellan has released the first of twelve limited edition plush toys from their book “Jade Stars: The Great Race”. The book is written by Charles Huang and Stacey Hirata and illustrated by Jerome Lu of Hyperactive Monkey. The Year of the Horse plush was designed by Jerome Lu and by Patty Variboa of Fat Rabbit Farm, and makes a great gift for anyone born in the Year of the Horse (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014).

In the Chinese lunar calendar, a different animal represents each year in a 12-year cycle. People born under a particular year identify with that animal’s personality traits, strengths, weaknesses and compatibility with the other animals.

The Year of the Horse comes seventh in the Chinese zodiac and people born under this sign are talkative, cheerful and love being the life of the party.

Mini Magellan has provided us with the Year of the Horse plush for this review.

The Facts

  Year of the Horse
Series: Jade Stars
Manufacturer: Mini Magellan
Artists: Jerome Lu and Patty Variboa of Fat Rabbit Farm
Material: Plush
Dimensions: 17” tall
Accessories: The Great Race book (sold separately)
Edition Size: “Limited Edition”
Pricing: $59.99

Tag

The mini hangtag features a pair of horse illustrations on it. On the inside, there’s information about the Year of the Horse as well as the Chinese lunar calendar (similar to what’s printed above). [...]

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Plastic and Plush

Designer Toy News and Reviews

REVIEW: The Sea Ghost

REVIEW: Mutant Mania

REVIEW: OYO – National Football League

REVIEW: T+CP Pocket Sideshow Series

REVIEW: OYO – National Hockey League

REVIEW: Asmus Toys’ 1/6th Scale Gothmog

REVIEW: OYO – Major League Baseball

REVIEW: Hot Toys’ The Lone Ranger – Tonto

REVIEW: The Mythicals – Cthulhu

REVIEW: Jade Stars – Year of the Horse