"Throw me the idol! I'll throw you the whip!" The Rest of My ROTLA Haul...

On Monday, I posted a video blog in which I revealed my new beloved, near-mint and complete 1982 Indiana Jones action figure. I also mentioned that I got him in a lot of four vintage ROTLA figures, and it's high time I showed them off (after all, this has turned into an impromptu "Indiana Jones Week" here on the blog). So, without further ado...

The fist figure in this lot, is the dreaded Cairo Swordsman! Made famous by his amazing sword twirling displays and his even more amazing getting shot abilities. I never had this one as a kid, and always wanted to re-enact the famous scene where Indy pops a cap in this chump, and now a life-long dream has come true.

Next up is the somewhat rare mail-away Belloq in Ceremonial Robes, from the infamous "I wouldn't open that if I were you" scene at the end of the movie. Looking at this figure, it strikes me that, for their time, these figures were astonishingly well made, with their cloth outfits and extra detailed accessories. Al of that, combined with a little extra articulation, made me wonder if the designers at Kenner had just a bit more love in their hearts for this line over the much more popular Star Wars figures.

Just look at Belloq bellow. For 1982, this was practically a work of art.

And the third, and most cherished, figure in this lot, is the lovely and courageous Marion Ravenwood. I had never even seen this figure in real life before, until it arrived in the mail last week. As a kid, desperate for ROTLA toys, which seemed to be impossible to find (despite many claims I have heard of these toys warming the pegs of toy stores all over the country and many being clearanced or destroyed due to low sales), I often wistfully gazed at a picture from a toy catalog of the Well of Souls playset, with Indy swinging on his whip, holding tight to Marion as they attempt their escape from the slithering floor of this musty tomb.

Alas, I never did get a Marion figure, and it's probably just as well. With her lacy dress and frilly panties (yes, I checked), this figure is dangerously close to a "doll" and having a doll-like girl figure back then could have been social suicide on my block.

But I have one now, and I don't care who knows it!

And of course, no Marion Ravenwood figure would be complete without her trusty (no he's not) and lively (not after eating that date) little monkey.

So, there they are; my budding collection of complete Raiders of the Lost Ark figures! I'm sure you will not be surprised to hear that I'm now considering getting the rest of the figures from this line. I mean, I've already got two of the hardest ones to find! So, now I have my own quest to go on. Which will probably call for far less tarantulas. I hope.

Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed "Indiana Jones Week!"

Lego Minifig of the Week! #4

Random Toy Pic #13

(So... it looks like this is going to be Indiana Jones week. Enjoy.)

3 Dimensional Boogorz!

A looooooooong while back, I posted a pic of some weird critters I came up with that I started to call "Boogorz", mostly because they were green and looked like something that would dwell inside a nose. Here they are again...

Well, I thought it would be fun to try and sculpt a few of them. I'm a crappy sculptor, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyhoodle, so after purchasing some cheap air-dry modeling clay and spending a half hour or so at the dining room table, this gruesome little bugger was born...

Isn't he cute? Like I said, my sculpting skills are rubbish, but they'll get better as I make more critters.

I'm thinking of a whole series of little uglies based on gross body stuff, all in little clans like the Boogorz, but made out of earwax and toejam and poo. Anyway. Just an idea. A very, very disgusting idea.

The Randomest Cheap-o eBay Haul EVER!

Some of you may not know this about me, but I like to buy toys on eBay. No, no... it's true. If I don't watch it, I can kill an entire afternoon trolling for cool action figure lots and hunting down good deals. And recently, I managed to win one of the most random assortments of toys I have ever seen, causing me to imagine some mom emptying out her grown son's old toy box and lumping together anything that was roughly humanoid in shape, made of plastic and under 4" tall and throwing them all up on eBay as one big bundle to see if anyone bites.

Well, I bit.

About $10 plush shipping later, I was the proud owner of a mish-mash of action figures from all walks of toydom. And here they are...

Look at that insane collection! Clearly some guy around my age is, at this very moment, saying to his mother, "You sold my WHAT?!" Sorry, dude.

First up are the figures that led me to this find, a Kenner Super Powers Flash and an Aquaman. As you all know, I scored some killer Super Powers dudes a while back and am now kind of on a kick about them. Seriously, I would have paid ten clams just for these two figures alone, so I figure that the rest of the haul is gravy. 

Next up we have some classic Fisher Price Adventure People. Despite there simplicity, I find these guys quite charming. Of course, these dudes, a swingin' swim instructor, a banana colored scuba guy and a motorcyclist with no motorcycle, may not be the best examples of the more shining characters in this line, but read on...

These are the most kick ass figures of the line! You all saw two of them the other day, such was my excitement of finally owning a Clawtron and X-ray lady again that I just had to post them. In the middle is one of my favorites from bygone years, the green headed space traveler who's name escapes me right now. I actually already have this guy and his classic one-man space fighter, thanks to Bubbashelby, but this one is in super duper condition and will get added to the mighty shelf of nostalgia. Now I just need to get an X-ray man!

Seriously, people... how pimp is Clawtron?

There were also other singular oddities in this bunch, like this vintage Mego Pocket Heroes Zod, who spends a lot of time ordering my other figures to kneel before him, a Planet of the Apes parachuting orangutan and some Star Trek dude. I don't know... Bones? No idea who he is, but he's sporting the same lovely shade of banana as the Fisher Price scuba instructor.

And what jumble of random toys would be complete without two Gargamels and a Waldorf? I actually had the Gargamel in the middle, who originally came with a little Azrael (which I now have to find). And doesn't Waldorf look like he's going, "Oh, puh-leeeze!"

And, of course, one single random plastic cowboy. Why not.

Ahhh... Action figure lots like this bring me way too much joy. Something about kicking back and looking over them that sends me back to the days when I toted around my cherished cowboy boot box, filled to the top with a willy nilly collection of figures. As I would put them away at night, an Indiana Jones next to several Smurfs, a Snake Eyes next to one of the Duke boys, a Cyclon next to an R2D2, I would imagine that they would talk about today's earlier adventure, going back over the exciting parts, telling my Remco Wolfman that he'd get his chance next time and everyone keeping a wary eye on Warduke.

I wonder what these figures will talk about tonight? One thing is for sure, I imagine there will be a lot of, "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!"

Lego Minifig of the Week! #3

Random Toy Pic #12

Mystery Ninja Samurai Dudes!

Hi all! I'm absurdly busy with work this week and don't really have a lot of time to write up an in-depth post or anything, but I did get these cool ninja type figures in the mail yesterday and thought I'd show them off.

 

I have no idea who these guys are, what series they're from or anything. I have a sneaking suspicion that they're probably just some cheap-o knock off toy from the '80s. They're are no copyright marks on them whatsoever, so your guess is as good as mine.

Still, I saw them on eBay, won them for $1 and now they're mine!

 

The guy above is my favorite. He's like a ninja/superhero hybrid, and was the sole reason for me bidding on this lot.

 

This guy looks like he's the Master and has taught the ninja/superhero all he knows. I'd love to hear the story about how he lost the tip of his nose.

 

This guy reminds me of the type of dude who likes to hang out with ninja/superhero and yell stuff like "Get him, Carl! Kick him in the nuts!"

 

And this dude reminds me of the jealous fellow student of ninja/superhero who gets all jealous and eventually turns evil. He also looks like he's wearing that dude from Fat Albert's hat.

Anyway, back to work for me!

Lego Minifig of the Week! #2

Random Toy Pic #11

Step Right Up! If You Dare!

Not many of you know this about me, but I went through a period, back when I was studying magic and escapes, where I was obsessed with classic carnival sideshows and their human anomalies, often referred to as "freaks". In this PC world, it's not nice to call people freaks, but that's the name most people use when thinking of the living oddities that once graced the sideshow stages. I read every book and watched every documentary I could find on them. After a while, I started to develop a similar affinity to these performers as I would towards my favorite superheroes.

I would find myself drawn to people like Emmitt Bejano (the Aligator Man) and his wife Percilla (The Monkey Girl) or to the classics of the turn of the century like Jojo the Dog Faced Boy. To me, these were amazing people, stepping forward when many would have hidden. They said, Go ahead world, have good look. You're going to anyway, so I might as well get a dollar from you for it.

What does this have to do with toys? Well, thanks to my birthday shopping spree a few weeks back at Archie McPhee, I now have my very own carnival sideshow of living mysteries!

I had been wanting the full set of Accoutrements Sideshow Freaks figures since I first saw it a few years ago, but it was a bit expensive. Well, they must have had a ton left over in the factory because when I went for my shopping spree, they had bins filled with the loose pieces of each set (which came with a figure or two, a stage, some banner poles and a banner) marked at $2 per figure and 50¢ for the stage pieces. So for around $10 or so, I got three of the original four sets and managed to find the last set online for about $8.

Let's take a look, shall we...

Step right up! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

 

First up we have Guy Scraper, the world's tallest man! He's a 1:12 scale man in a 1:18 scale world! And next to him, rounding out this improbable partnership is Professor Peachpit, the world's tiniest man! These two best friends share just about everything... except clothes, of course!

 

Move along folks! Move along! Next up we have Heavy Harriet Hirsute, the world's fattest bearded lady, or the word's most bearded fat lady, depending on your point of view. She goes through 17 turkey pot pies and 11 razors a week!

 

Moving on we see Bernard Biceps, the world's strongest man, who can lift over a hundred Professor Peachpits or half of a Heavy Harriet! And let's face it folks, that's one heck of a mustache!

And finally we see something that is not for the faint of heart! Two living oddities so bizarre, so shocking, that we have to ask that any expecting mothers, young children or men of a weak constitution to please step out of the tent's side door, for your eyes will never be able to wash away the image of what you are about to see. Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you...

...the Amazing Frog Girl and Lobster Boy! These high school sweethearts grew up with horrendous ridicule in their communities until they met each other, and their true love at first sight pushed aside all of their former social hardships. Now, they are engaged to be married, right here on the Carnival grounds and I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I tell them WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T HAVE CHILDREN!

Now, keep it moving people. This way to the Egress! Don't miss the Egress!

Thanks for reading. ;)

Lego Minifig of the Week! #1

VROOM!

So, just for the hell of it, I collected all of my CARZ! drawings in this sort of "promotional poster" type of thing, with the thought of possibly getting a showing somewhere. I still have about 25 other cars to do. So if you don't see your favorite, It's probably on its way!

(Go clickety click to make it biggety big)

Random Toy Pic #10