REVIEW: April 2017 Loot Crate – Investigate

The April 2017 Loot Crate is all about the theme “Investigate”. We get our first glimpse of this with the themed investigative briefcase box. It features illustrations of everything you’ll need to start your very own forensic investigation. Also, the included Loot Crate magazine looks like it includes the silhouettes of Dana Scully from X-Files and Jim Hopper from Stranger Things. They might just be, since, inside, you get items from both licenses.

The t-shirt of the month in the April Loot Crate is a Stranger Things black tee featuring a homage to the cover of Uncanny X-Men #134. It features Eleven with the Demogorgon flaring up in the background and other characters in black and red on the sides.

Made by A Crowded Coop, the X-Files Pencils features four (maybe No. 2) pencils with various sayings from the show. There’s “That’s Why They Put The ‘I’ In FBI”, “I Want To Believe”, “The Truth Is Out There”, and “Trust No One”.

This month’s Loot Crate pin is basically a mini cassette recorder. I’m guessing most people under the age of 30(?) have no idea what one of these things are, but investigators used to take voice notes on these before iPhones were invented. Just ask Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks) who always spoke to Diane into one.

From The Dark Knight, who is a detective in his own right, the crate includes an Exclusive Batman Color-Changing Mug from Zak! Designs. Featuring the Gotham skyline, put a little hot beverage in this mug and witness the Joker’s gas and the Bat-Signal overtake the once peaceful cityscape.

Finally, there’s the collectible figure (some might say toy) that’s included in the Investigate Loot Crate. It’s the Exclusive Marvel’s Jessica Jones Q-Fig from QMx. The head of Alias Investigations is kicking down walls in the Q-Fig as she’s all dressed up in her trademark scarf, leather jacket, and boots.

The Loot Crate subscription runs $15.99 for a single month; $13.25/mo for 3 months; $12.95/mo for 6 months; $11.95/mo for 12 months. Each Crate features over $45.00 retail value of collectible goods and gear.

Kickstarter: OYOme Personalized Minifigures

The folks from OYO are looking to expand their OYOme line, which currently allows you to go online to personalize one of their MLB licensed minifigures. Their plan is to create and upload face/other features so you can build your own avatar. From there, you'll be able to pick your outfit from an ever-expanding list of creative outfit designs. Lastly, pick the style of your package and the messaging. On each package, the software will upload the image of your avatar and the messaging you created. Maybe you want to say Happy Birthday, Congratulations, or Funky Monkey Pink Unicorn. Its up to you, just have fun and inspire a smile.

So they've taken this project to Kickstarter. Currently, you can get a personalized OYO beginning at the $25.00 funding level. At the $100.00 early bird level, you'll be able to grab 5 personalized OYO minifigures as well as a Brick Cap (yes...you can display your figures on your head). Plus, there are many other funding levels and various goals (like $100k would allow tooling for lacrosse players).

This project will only be funded if it reaches its goal by Tuesday, May 30th 2017 at 5:00PM EDT.

Remember...this is not a pre-order. There are many instances of crowd funded projects that have been funded never making good on their promised goods. So back with caution.

REVIEW: OYOme MLB Minifigure

OYO Sports has introduced a new way to customize their OYO building block style minifigure. The OYOme minifigures are a new series of personalized Major League Baseball figures available for all 30 MLB teams.

OYOme is currently only available for the MLB license. So even though OYO has NHL, NBA, and NFL figures, you can only customize baseball figures.

The folks from OYO gave me a chance to customize my very own OYO figure, so I went all out. While I’m a lifelong Phillies fan, I decided to go with a Padres jersey. My excuse - I already have a handful of Phillies OYO figures and wanted to check out a different jersey for this review.

Let’s break down the process. Via the online OYOme Creator, you can select one of twenty-four faces (I went with beard and glasses). Next up, you select one of three skin tones (I went with the pastiest white available). Then you select one of the thirty MLB teams (I’ve already told you I went with the Padres). Finally, you enter in your Last Name (for the back of your jersey), your Jersey Number, your full name for the package, and your Position.

I went with Catcher, thinking maybe you get some extra gear, but catchers come with the same accessories as other players. I thought it was a little weird that they labeled catcher – CA. At first, I was reading it as California. Plus, even though I’m listed as a catcher, the illustrated picture on the front is the one OYO uses for infielders. But it’s cool that all of your selections are reflected on the packaging.

The figure’s accessories include a team appropriate hat, baseball glove, baseball, baseball bat, a pair of headphones, and a stand shaped like home plate. I feel like OYO’s MLB figures include the largest number of accessories. That gives you a number of different display options (if you’re not throwing this to the wolves that are your children).

You can get some decent poses with the OYO minfigure, including one where it has both hands on the baseball bat. Or you can attempt to pose the little guy in a number of various pitching windups. The leg kick is optional.

As far as pricing goes, the OYOme figure runs $24.99. A regular OYO MLB figure will cost you $9.99. It’s not a huge upcharge to get a personalized figure. Imagine being a kid and getting your very own baseball player with your name on it. I know that would have blown my 7-year-old mind. Heck, it blows my thirty-something year old mind.

The Facts  

OYOme
Manufacturer: OYO Sports
Material: Plastic
Dimensions: 1.6 inches tall
Points of Articulation: 11 (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, legs, knees)
Accessories: Baseball hat; Baseball Glove; Baseball; Baseball bat; Headphones; Home plate stand
Pricing: $24.99

You can pick one up at the following:

OYOsports.com: $24.99

REVIEW: February 2017 Slam Crate

I was able to get my hands on the February 2017 Slam Crate thanks to the folks at Loot Crate. Their specialized Slam Crate is made for wrestling fans, specifically fans of the WWE. Since February was the last crate before Wrestlemania 33 in early April, there were plenty of reasons to want to nab that loot. One of those reasons being that the Slam Crate informational insert was also a poster of The Undertaker from what I believe was last year's Wrestlemania.

The Road To Wrestlemania Slam Crate included an Exclusive Seth Rollins Authentic T-shirt. The grey short sleeve tee shows off Rollins’ logo as well as having “The Architect” and “Seth Freakin’ Rollins” printed around it. Apparently, Rollins even sported this version on an episode of RAW.

There was also an Exclusive Topps Card Pack, which featured three full-color trading cards (John Cena, Kevin Owens, and Charlotte Flair) as well as a code card that unlocks something in the Topps WWE Slam Card Trader App.

And, as with all crates, you get an exclusive pin. This month, it’s the WWE Attitude Era Championship Belt Enamel Pin. You can celebrate the title runs of The Rock, The Undertaker, and Mankind with the replica of this 1990’s belt.

The big toy included in the February Slam Crate is an Exclusive The Rock Figure from Jada Toys. The figure is part of Jada’s Metals line, a die-cast series of hefty and solid collectibles. The 4-inch tall figure features a single point of articulation at the waist. It also comes with a small black stand base. I often test my 6 and 5 year olds on who a toy is supposed to be, based on its sculpt, and they got my fellow Freedom High School alum correct.

The final piece in the crate, and what will likely get the most use around my abode, is the Exclusive World Heavyweight Championship Belt Pouch. Think of it as a giant fanny pack in the shape of a WWE belt. But the great thing about it is that it can fit a not-so-svelte 39 year old as well as a 6 year old because it’s got some serious adjustability. My kids love that they can pretend to be a WWE champion, and my wife suggested I use it as a part of my next Halloween costume.

You can sign up for the bi-monthly Slam Crate with the following plans: 1 Crate - $29.99; 3 Crates - $28.99 ea.; 6 Crates - $27.99 ea.

REVIEW: Sideshow’s Beetlejuice Sixth Scale Figure

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who grew up being a little superstitious about saying Beetlejuice three times. Of course, the year was 1988 and I was only 10 years old at that point. But the Tim Burton film starring the likes of Michael Keaton, Wynona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Catherine O’Hara left an impacting mark upon my young mind.

The film spawned a children’s television cartoon that ran from 1989-1991. That opened the somewhat scary film up to licensed toy lines. And while there were several lines released throughout the 90’s, it wasn’t until this year that we’ve gotten a solid sixth scale Beetlejuice figure.

Sideshow Collectibles provided us with their recently released 1/6th scale Beetlejuice based on the likeness of Michael Keaton as the ghost with the most. This is the Sideshow Exclusive version, which includes the extra Handbook for the Recently Deceased.

Beetlejuice comes dressed to impress in his black and white striped suit. He has a pair of black boots, a white dress shirt and a black tie. The figure features five sets of creepy hands plus an additional right hand with a fingernail file (because there was that one scene where Beetlejuice filed his nails…remember?).

Sideshow went with sculpted hair on this figure, which is an obviously good call. It’s wild, crazy and then there’s that mossy stuff that was sort of growing from Beetlejuice’s hair onto his face. That had to have been accomplished via sculpting. Although, the on-screen character had a little problem with thinning hair, which you don’t really get with the sculpted hair.

The face sculpt is a pretty good likeness of Keaton. Since he also portrayed Batman, we’ve seen some versions of the actor in sixth scale. I feel this one holds up to the others. Of course, Beetlejuice is covered up in makeup…so there’s an added element.

Thanks to companies like Sideshow, fans have been able to get their hands on an increasing number of 1980’s cult film collectibles. All of those toys we (meaning 30-40 somethings) wished we had as kids are now being made available in our adulthood. But that means they also have adult prices.

At first blush, $239.99 seems a little pricey for a figure with only a few accessories. Usually, that price point is reserved for sixth scale with loads of accessories or some type of LED lighting. But Beetlejuice does have a fairly complicated head sculpt. The figure’s also wearing an additional “fat suit” under its’ clothing, to give him that doughy middle-aged look.

The Facts  

Beetlejuice Sixth Scale Figure
Manufacturer: Sideshow Collectibles
Sculpted by: JPark
Authorized Likeness: Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice
Material: Plastic articulated figure
Dimensions: 1/6th scale (12 inches tall)
Points of Articulation: Multiple points (over 14)
Outfit: Finely tailored classic black and white striped suit, Watches
Accessories: Five pairs of hands; Nail file hand; Handbook for the Recently Deceased (Sideshow Exclusive Version)
Pricing: $239.99

You can pick one up at the following:

Sideshow Collectibles: $239.99
Amazon.com: $260.00

REVIEW: March 2017 Loot Crate – Primal

The March 2017 Loot Crate was designed to help you unleash the beast within. With the Primal theme, this month’s crate features exclusives items from Overwatch, Wolverine, Jurassic Park, and Predator. It includes the “Explore The World Of Primal” Loot Crate magazine.

That plain old black shipping box converts into a big green Tyrannosaurus Rex. It takes a little bit of work getting everything popped out and refolded, but you’ll get there.

Inside, there’s that March 2017 – Primal Exclusive Loot Pin. This month, it’s a circular, yellow happy face with what appears to be dinosaur claws and blood coming from the inside. And with every Loot Pin, there’s DLC you can unlock.

The Loot Crate Edition Jurassic World Warning Sign measures inches tall by inches wide. The metal sign is made by Factory Entertainment. It features the image of an electrified raptor with a nice little warning. The sign includes four zip ties, so you can put it right next to your Beware Of Dog sign on your chain link fence.

Every Loot Crate includes an exclusive t-shirt. For the Primal crate, they’ve included the Overwatch Winston Primal Rage T-shirt. Licensed by Blizzard and made by Loot Crate, the gray shirt features the Overwatch character Winston – a gorilla – with the phrase Primal Rage.

The crate includes an Exclusive Predator Bottle Opener, licensed by Fox and made by Loot Crate. This heavy metal bottle opener is available in one of two variants: the Jungle Hunter from Predator or Gort from the hunting party in Predator 2. I pulled the original Predator version, but have yet to use it to pop a bottle cap.

The big toy in this month’s Loot Crate is the 100% Die Cast Metal X-Men Logan Wolverine Figure made by Jada Toys. This exclusive toy is available in three different variants: Logan; Old Man Logan; Raw Adamantium Logan. We pulled the original Logan figure. Being die cast, it’s a hefty figure.

The Loot Crate subscription runs $15.99 for a single month; $13.25/mo for 3 months; $12.95/mo for 6 months; $11.95/mo for 12 months. Each Crate features over $45.00 retail value of collectible goods and gear.

REVIEW: TMNT (1990 Movie) – 1/4th Scale Raphael

The 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film holds a special place in the cockles of my heart. I was only 11 years old when it was released, and the film was the first that I was able to attend without parental interference. That’s a big moment for a youngster, and luckily it was a TMNT film and not something like The Rescuers Down Under (also released in 1990).

That year was also the peak of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoon series, which ran from 1987 to 1996. And there was also the classic Playmates TMNT action figure series. So it’s not a surprise that I still think fondly about the 1990 Ninja Turtles film.

Fast forward 27 years, and NECA has started releasing quarter-scale figures based on the film license. These are large, 16.5-inch tall beasts with a lot of heft and just as many points of articulation (they say about 30). To date, they’ve released Leonardo and – just recently – Raphael. Thanks to NECA, we’ll be featuring the Raphael figure in this review.

The first thing you notice is that this collectible likely weighs more than an actual live box turtle. It could definitely be the centerpiece of your TMNT collection. And it’s not just because the figure is the size of a two-year-old child. NECA has done an amazing job capturing the on-screen look of Raphael. If you remember, each turtle looked slightly different. And this is the spitting image of the film version of Raph.

Raphael includes three sets of interchangeable hands, a slice of pizza (of course), and his two sai. The sai can either be held in either hand or placed in the belt holster. And there’s enough articulation in the figure’s arms and legs that you can get all sorts of poses from the included accessories.

So let’s talk about the money. The suggested retail price of $99.99 seems like a lot, but it’s actually less than half of some comparable 1/6^th scale figures. Remember…this Raphael is a 1/4^th scale figure.

And it’s not like NECA is skimping on the quality. Both the sculpting and paintwork is top-notch. Raphael’s skin is sculpted with all sorts of texture, and he has random dark green splotches…just like he did in the movie.

It’s sad to type this, but the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is closing in on being 3 decades old. Hopefully the reboot hasn’t made people forget that original film. Although…we all hope we can forget that Ninja Rap scene from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.

The Facts  

1/4^th Scale Raphael
Series: 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie
Manufacturer: NECA
Material: Plastic
Dimensions: 1/4^th scale – 16.5 inches tall
Points of Articulation: 30 points
Accessories: Two Sai; Slice of Pizza; 3 sets of interchangeable hands
Pricing: $99.99

You can pick one up at the following:

Amazon.com: $169.99
Still available for pre-order at a number of online retailers.

REVIEW: February 2017 Loot Crate

February 2017 marked a major change for the folks at Loot Crate. They swapped out the box logo we’ve come to know so well for a new stylized LC (shaped sort of like a box). Personally, I’m liking this one better.

And with the shock of a new logo out of the way, I discovered that the theme of February’s Loot Crate was Build. The first thing I had to do was build the box the crate comes shipped in into the #LOOTBOT. The instructions were pretty easy, and my kids had fun with it for about 10 minutes before destroying it.

For some reason, I didn’t receive a Loot Crate magazine this month. I’m assuming it was just someone forgetting to put one in and it wasn’t one of my children swiping it out from underneath me. The Loot Crate magazine is always a fun read.

The Loot Pin for February 2017 features the Power Rangers in their assembled format. I watched a little Power Rangers, and realize they’re becoming popular again, but, age-wise, I sort of missed that craze.

There was a Loot Crate exclusive Batman Food Container from Zak! Well, it’s sort of LEGO Batman. And you unscrew his head and put some food or slime in there. Just beware of those spiked ears.

Also building on the Build theme is the Tetris Flexible Magnet Sheet. Featuring a number of Tetris shapes in various colors, basically, you can play a lo-fi version of the game on you refrigerator. You’ll likely need to provide the soundtrack.

Another LEGO themed figure is the LEGO Dimensions Cyborg Fun Pack. If you don’t have LEGO Dimensions, you should think about grabbing the game. It’s very entertaining and includes a lot of 1980’s film licenses. I guess the DC Comics stuff is cool…but they have Goonies, Gremlins, and Knight Rider.

Finally, the included t-shirt features a Power Rangers theme. Like the pin, it’s showing the Power Rangers assembling. Does that robot have a name? There’s a lot of Japanese words written on the shirt, but I have no idea what it says (if it actually says anything). But I love the grid/blueprint look to the dark blue and white t-shirt.

REVIEW: Threezero’s Jaime Lannister

I’m sure folks are already counting down the days until Season 7 of Game of Thrones (it’s July 16th 2017). One of the most popular shows on television, the HBO series based on George R. R. Martin’s book series also has collectors’ interest piqued. And Threezero is producing the only 1/6th scale figure series (that we know of) based on characters from the show.

To date, they’ve released Eddard Stark, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and – now – Jaime Lannister. The Kingslayer comes dressed up in his highly detailed Kingsguard armor that’s removable and gives Jaime Lannister a totally different look.

Featuring the likeness of actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Lannister, the face sculpt does an admirable job recreating the look of the character from early in the series. Remember, this is a show that started in 2011, and the characters have been through a lot. Like losing hands…although this version of Lannister doesn’t include his golden hand.

The outfit is pretty impressive. All of the armor can be removed rather easily. That getup has a weathered cloak that clips on to the armor. It also includes a pair of “dressier” boots. Or you can then go with the tan leather-ish jacket (I believe they call it a robe) and the “casual” boots. For that more, laid-back look.

As far as weapons go, the Kingslayer is sporting his sword (I think it might be Oathkeeper) and a dagger. Each one can be secured on his belt in the accompanying sheath. And to hold those weapons, the figure includes an extra pair of hands specifically designed for that purpose.

Threezero doesn’t include display stands with most of their figures, which helps keep costs down. For example, the Jaime Lannister figure at $190.00 is about $20.00 less than your average 1/6th scale figure from competing high-end companies. Of course, this isn’t a Disney license…which might lend to some of those high costs.

And while there are some options for Game of Thrones collectors, since it’s not a show fit for kids (just watch some of the first few seasons), you don’t get the same number of lines a Marvel film would pull in. We’ve seen lines from Dark Horse, Funko, and McFarlane…but nothing that compares to the quality of what Threezero is putting out. And the proof is in the pudding…their Jaime Lannister figure is sold out in most spots.

The Facts  

Jaime Lannister
Series: Game of Thrones
Manufacturer: Threezero
Authorized Likeness: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Material: 1/6th scale plastic articulated figure
Dimensions: 12 inches tall
Points of Articulation: Very many
Outfit: Highly Detailed Kingsguard Armor; Shirt; Pants; Robe; Cloak; Boots; Belt; Metal Buttons
Accessories: Pair of relaxed hands; Pair of hands for holding weapons; Sword; Dagger
Pricing: $190.00

REVIEW: The Littles

The Littles are tiny creatures - so tiny they are rarely seen. Only when a Little is caught, gotten, or given can we really appreciate them - we could all use a Little. So if the opportunity presents itself, Give a Little, because you never know when you're going to Get a Little!

Okoner has a new series of 2.5-inch tall rotocast vinyl figures known as The Littles. There are six different characters, each one featuring a unique sculpt. You’ve got Peace, Luck, Love, Heart Broken, Happiness, and Wisdom.

Their tagline is “Give a Little. Get a Little.” For example…”Give a Little Peace. Get a Little Peace.” To help you remember which Little you’re looking at, each vinyl figure has its name printed backwards across its chest. And since The Littles come packaged with their own little mirror (it’s the backing card with a reflective oval printed on it), it’s fairly easy to read.

The underlying shape of The Littles is simple. But each one is slightly different. Wisdom has a little hat. Peace has an arm with a hand that’s giving the peace sign. Love has one extended arm and wings. Etc. So there ends up being a lot of sculptural variety throughout the six figures.

Also, the printing/paint application is really well done. One example of this is the mouth on the Broken Heart Little. There’s an old school cartoonish look to it. All of the characters have a fun feel to them.

It seems that vinyl toys have gone the route of either designer artist sofubi releases or licensed series. So it’s nice to see an artist released line of vinyl toys that’s original.

Then you get to the price. At $4.99 each, they’re extremely affordable (especially compared to other vinyl toys out there). You can pick up the set of 6 figures for $24.99.

The Facts  

The Littles
Artist: Okoner
Material: Rotocast Vinyl
Dimensions: 2.5 inches tall
Points of Articulation: Zero
Designs: Peace, Luck, Love, Heart Broken, Happiness, and Wisdom
Pricing: $4.99 each