G.I. Joe Colorforms!

Ever since I posted about that Dungeons & Dragons Colorforms set that I scored a while back, I've been going a little Colorforms crazy. I mean, I've only really bought two more setsd, but I keep searching them on eBay and think I may have to pull the trigger on a few more. Maybe I have just found myself a little side collection. Great. That's all I need.

Anyway, to be honest, I'm not even sure if Colorforms counts as a toy, since it's sort of part playset, part craft set and even has hints of boardgame-ness to it. I guess since it's made to be be played with, and in such a way as to incite imagination and adventure, that's enough for it to be posted here on my toy blog.

But I digress...

Today, I'm talking about a recent acquisition that instantly transported me back to Christmas of 1982, when just a few weeks before I had discovered a new-found love for a new toy line called G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. By 1982, I was still deep in the throes of Empire Strikes Back love, but that had been somewhat diluted the previous Christmas by Masters of the Universe, and both of those franchises would take a major hit from my sudden lust for all things G.I. Joe.

I had discovered G.I. Joe completely on my own, which was a rarity, usually being influenced by one of my friends, or some kid at school or even a Saturday morning toy commercial. But the very first time I had seen a Joe figure was when I stumbled upon them at a Woolworth in Adrian, Michigan in early December of '82, with a wad of birthday money burning a hole in my pocket.

They were like nothing I had ever seen. They were a whole new departure from my Star Wars & MOTU figures, with their para-military look, their better articulation and their personal armories of deadly weapons. I had a cool $20 in my pocket (a fortune to a soon-to-be 10-year-old back then), so I picked up Stalker, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Rock-n-Roll and Grunt.

I then ran home and declared to my Mom that I was now an official flull-blown G.I. Joe fanatic and that's all I wanted for Christmas that year, which turned out to be a blessing for my Mom because she had been banging her head trying to figure out what I wanted that year, and quite frankly, I had no idea. Needless to say, that Christmas was all about G.I. Joe, but I'll save that story for another time.

But one toy that I got that Christmas that I do want to talk about right now was my G.I. Joe Colorforms action playset!

Colorforms were a weird toy. I remember getting a new set every Christmas, the only reason for which (because I never asked for one) was that they were probably easy to find and cheap, two aspects that parents love at Christmas.

Still, I always went "Oh! Yeeeaaahhhh!" every time I opened a set. Granted, they were the type of toy that got stacked in the I'll Get Around to Playing with This Later pile in my bedroom, while the next few days were completely sucked up by action figure adventures and hand-held LCD game tournaments. But eventually I'd end up cracking the Colorforms box open and spend a couple of hours carefully choosing where each piece would go and trying to come up with a halfway decent adventure scene. Once that was done, I'd then try to make a different yet equally adventurous scene, but the realization would set in that the pieces and the scenery pretty much worked one way.

Then the box would get sent away to the purgatory that was our cabinet full of board games, to be played with never again, but still, never quite truly forgotten...

Now I find myself with another G.I. Joe Colorforms set, just like the one I had all those years ago, and maybe it's the rosy glow of my nostalgia-goggles, but this set is 10 times as awesome as I remember it.

The set, like all Colorforms, comes with the usual static background, in this case involving some sort of '80s-style jungle warfare scene that for some reason required an exploding volcano.

The sets also came with several die-cut vinyl sticky thingies in the shapes of your favorite heroes such as Striker, Scarlett & Snake Eyes below....

The vinyl pieces that came with these sets were always very simply illustrated and colored, and always came on two different colored sheets, in this case green and yellow. To be honest, this is one of the things I find so charming about Colorforms nowadays. It's almost like looking back on a forgotten form of American folk art.

How random are some of the items included in this set? A shovel? A flying eagle? And of course, the obligatory monkey.

The funnest part of this particular set, which I scored on eBay, was that I had bought it without seeing the insides, but I was okay with that since the seller claimed it was complete and it was hella cheap. So imagine my surprise when I find these two extra sheets of vinyl play pieces inside. At first I was like, Oh cool! Sound effects and bad guys! But then I looked closer and I was like, Wait... is... is that... is that K.I.T.T.?!

Heck yeah it was K.I.T.T! A few of them actually, with a couple of little Michael Knights as well. Somehow, the seller (or the original owner ages ago) must have accidentally stuck these sheets from a Knight Rider set into the G.I. Joe set. Which is a bonus for me, because now I get to make such exciting scenes as this one...

Anyway, the nostalgia bomb hit pretty hard on this one when I opened it up that started playing with it. I began to build a little scene, jam-packed with over-the-top para-military action, with Scarlett almost being bitten by a snake, and a dude climbing a rope, and Zap getting some medical supplies, and Breaker doing something up in the hut tower, and a monkey, and some dudes flying with jet packs, and Stalker jumping up in the air with an American flag, going "Heck yeah, America!"

And then it hit me... I had made this very same scene almost 30 years ago.

Awesome.

Lego Minifig of the Week! #42

Zombie Desk Buddies!

So, I had come up with these sort of cute little zombie paper figures for a project I was working on, but the art style for that project has changed, which leaves these guys on the cutting room floor. But instead of seeing them go to waste, I thought I'd share them with everyone.

Just click on the image to view full size, save to your desktop or whatever, print them out (cardstock is best), cut them out along the light green line, fold their stands under at the light gray line and set them loose to attack things on your desk.

Enjoy!

Jumbo Whitman/Marvel Star Wars #2!

I picked this baby up a little while back for a whopping $4 at my favorite used book store, and had intended to put it in a frame and hang it in my office, because a) it's HUGE, and b) the cover art is sooooo dope. Well, I still haven't gotten around to framing it, so I thought I'd at least take some pics and share with the blogosphere.

Now, I don't have my origina;l issues of MArvel's Star Wars adaptation handy (they're boxed away right now, and I'm feeling too lazy to go dig them out), but I just don't remember the artwork being so epic and splash-pagey. This could be a side-effect of this comic being one of those jumbo, bigger-than-LIFE-magazine type of comics.

One of the things that struck me abut this book was how skillfully colored the artwork is. Much better rendering, and printing for that matter, than your usual comic from 1977. 

Of course, this was published way before ESB, so we still get treated to moments like this...

AWKWAAARRRD!

Anyway, I don't have much more to say about this comic because its sheer awesomeness is evident, so I'll just let the lushly illustrated back cover sum it up for me...

Random Toy Pic #42! Ewoks in the Forest...

(Special thanks to Colin. May the Force be with You.)

Mezco Mez-Itz Batman & Batmobile!

Wow... I never thought I'd dislike a Batman toy so much...

Today's featured toy is the Batman & Batmobile set from Mezco from their artsy, hipster Mez-Itz line, which is basically their mini version of Mighty Muggs or whatever. Now, I've been wanting one of these Batman Mez-Itz figures ever since I first saw the preview pics of them on the interwebs.

I almost bought one from the Mezco booth at SDCC, but the guy there was such a total jerk to me that I had to walk away before I punched him in his smug little nerd face (that's another story).

So, when I finally saw this set on Entertainment Earth, and for a markdown price due to what they called "dings and nicks", I pulled the trigger.

I guess the "dings and nicks" they're referring to is that teensy weensy little dent in the front plastic. Fine by me!

So, I ripped this box open and couldn't wait to get this guy on the Bat-shelf. As soon as I got him out and set him on the table next to his iconic car, I was immediately struck by how massively huge the Batmobile looks next to the figure. I mean, it looks more like a Bat-SUV. So, that's strike one.

I didn't let the size of the Bat-SUV bother me too much, because to be perfectly honest, I mostly wanted the figure, which I have to say is a-freakin'-dorable. His shape is cute, the paint aps are solid, his little cloth cape is nice and he's all-around a top-notch toy. I especially love that his little head is on a ball joint so he can sort of look all around. Super cute!

I then wanted to put him in his giant Bat-SUV, so I... pulled... off... the entire... roof? Really?! That's how I'm supposed to put him in? They couldn't have come up with a little hinged cover or something? Damn, Mezco... that's weak. I mean, Fisher-Price could do that in the '70s. Ugh... Strike two.

I then got a good look at the inside of this thing and I was really happy to see how well-detailed the dashboard is, with all its little dials, buttons and gauges. I especially loved the little screen with Joker's grinning face on it. nice touch. That still doesn't excuse the whole roof coming off thing, though.

But, I have to admit, Batman does look pretty cute sitting in the seat.

Then I did what I always do when I get a new toy vehicle; I place it on the floor, give it a good push, and make vroooom! noises. Only, this vehicle didn't vroom. It didn't even budge. Why? Because the wheels wouldn't turn at all. I looked at the bottom of the car... Yep, there's a couple of axles in there, so it should roll. But mine didn't. Hmmm...

Then, it wasn't until I was looking over the packaging that I found this little scrap of paper, folded closed and taped down underneath the plastic piece that all of the toy parts were all attached to with twisty ties. I pulled out the plastic, peeled up the tape, opened the plastic sleeve that it was in, unfolded it and saw this...

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! Wow, Mezco... this is suckiness beyond all things that suck. What are horrendous folly of toy design. Yes, I know this is an "adult collectible" but Jesus Christ, toy cars always have wheels that roll! I could literally go into my garage right now and, with limited tools and things I find under my cabinets, make a toy car that may be ugly as hell, but would still have wheels that rolled.

I was stunned. What an astonishing piece of disappointing crap.

So, with all of that having been said; I love the figure, and it will take its rightful place on the Bat-shelf, but don't be surprised if you find that Batmobile in my $1 bin at my next toy show. I would give it to one of my nephews, but I wouldn't want to make them cry by giving them a toy car that doesn't roll.

Okay, rant over.

Lego Minifig of the Week! #41

Book Review: FANGBONE! Third Grade Barbarian! by Michael Rex

Fangbone! Third Grade Barbarian combines three things that I have always loved; graphic novels, stories about funny kids in school (the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, come to mind) and sword-swinging, helmet -denting barbarians. So imagine the sheer joy I felt while reading Mike Rex's book where he deftly rolls up all of these things into one single, hilarious, raucous, bellowing, zany, barbaric (and sometimes gross) package.

And he even signed it for me with a little sketch!

Fangbone is about a young barbarian warrior (named Fangbone, natch) who goes through the usual trials of trying to prove himself to his barbarian tribe, but never gets a chance because the rest of his uncouth brethren are too busy pointing out the fact that he is a runty little kid, despite the fact that Fangbone wears his courage on his chest like a set of plate armor.

The story kicks off as the army of Drool (the main bad dude) is about to attack Fangbone's clan in order to retrieve the severed big toe of said bad dude, which is the last remaining piece of his body that is needed to resurrect him. But Fangbone's clan isn't about to give that up, so while the warriors battle the evil horde, Fangbone is given the big toe and sent into another dimension by a sorcerer (ZORKO! GORKO! DORKO! DOO!) to keep it safe. And that other dimension happens to be our world.

After a valiant battle with an old truck in a dump heap, Fangbone finds himself in an elementary school, surrounded by a group of... shall we say... special... kids, who are all so odd enough in their own rights that they don't really give him too much grief about wearing fuzzy shorts to school.

Fangbone becomes quick friends with a kid named Bill, who's a little light on the confidence, but is nice enough to show Fangbone the ropes of living in our world, like how to flush a toilet.

I don't want to go too into the story, but suffice it to say that the evil army of Drool sends some nasties to get that big toe and Fangbone must enlist the help of his new cohorts in fighting them (doing wonders for Bill's confidence along the way).

My favorite scene is toward the end of the book when the go toe to toe (no pun intended) with Lord King Bat, who totally looked like the kind of creature I would have drawn all over my Trapper Keeper folders when I was in 3rd grade.

I also love the scene when a squirrel steals the big toe. But I digress.

The artwork in this book is simple, yet skilled, and the monochrome coloring scheme is brilliant, if you ask me. I think I've made it pretty clear that I loved this book and greatly hope that there will be more tales of Fangbone in the future, so I'll shut up now about its cover-to-cover epic-ness.

For those of you that have a child-like heart, or perhaps an actual adventure-loving child in your home, Fangbone is sure to be a major hit... like a beanball to the face (you'll have to read the book to know what that means).

For more about Mike Rex and Fangbone! visit is blog HERE.

Classic Monster Luchador Masks!

I did these for my boss for his birthday. Just thought I'd share. There's nothing like getting down to some good old fashioned drawing with markers on paper. Enjoy...

Random Toy Pic #41! A-Team Van New & Old!

Introducing... TEEFS!

I was doodling around with some new character designs and I came up with these little tooth-shaped folks that I thought were pretty cute. And because they are tooth-shaped, I'm calling 'em TEEFS! Get it?

Anyway, maybe I'll do more of these in the future. In fact, I owe a lot of you some original art and since I have little free time and these guys are pretty quick, easy and fun to make, maybe I'll switch over to this style for the Payback series. Unless you all think these suck.

Dig 'em...

How come every time I play around with a new style, I draw Batman? I think I need help.

Trading Cards! Superman II

I have to admit that when I was a kid, I liked Superman II way more than the first Superman. Don't get me wrong, despite my dislike for the character in the comics, I somehow managed to differentiate the moive version of the Man of Steel and thought the first movie was the bee's knees when I saw it with my dad, brother and grandpa on Christmas Eve of 1978. But it was the second movie that I watched over and over on HBO, even through the stupid moments like him peeling off his S symbol and throwing it like a sheet of red and yellow cling wrap. Maybe I can chalk most of my love for this movie up to Ursa. Yeah... it was all about Ursa.

Tim Mee Jumbo Galaxy Laser Team!

As some of you may know, I'm a complete nut-job over the vintage Star Wars knock-off line of Army-man-style plastic figures from Tim Mee called Galaxy Laser Team.

I had gotten a bag of these toys back in 1979 and played with them constantly, mixing them up with my Army men, and later with my figures from my Dragonriders of the Styx playsets, making some of the most epic time-traveling, UFO-landing, dimension portal-finding adventures to ever take place on my bedroom floor.

It took a while, but I finally managed to score some Galaxy Laser Team (sometimes called Star Patrol) figures on eBay a while back, and they have held a high place of honor on the Epic Shelf of Nostalgia ever since.

So imagine my joy at finding two of the very rare jumbo versions of two of the figures at a recent toy show...

Above, we see what I have always thought of as the Han Solo and Chewbacca of the Galaxy Laser Team universe, although the gunslinger clearly looks to be modeled off of an earlier Buck Rogers kind of vibe. A fun fact about them is that they appear to be carrying little molded replicas of actual toy guns also made by Tim Mee.

As you can see, the larger figures come in at about 5" tall, show above with a regular figure for comparison.

The truth is, I'm not exactly positive that these are actual Tim Mee productions or simply larger bootlegs. I do know that Tim Mee made larger figures (such as their line of 5" tall Army men), but I also know that this particular line of toys has been bootlegged quite a bit.

I'm not sure. They're pretty darn good sculpts, so I'm leaning towards them being official, but I've never seen silver ones before. Anyway, it was a hell of a find for me and now my Epic Shelf of Nostalgia is all that more laser-riffic.

There's a Monster at the End of this Book!

There are only a few beloved books from my childhood, but this Little Golden Book featuring my second favorite Sesame Street character, Grover, is a book that I will never forget for the rest of my life. My Mom and I used to sit and read this book together and we would laugh hysterically until tears rolled out.

The story itself is hilarious, the art is exquisite and the twist ending is like a 4-year-old's introduction into Hitchcockian-ism.

I found another copy recently and scanned it it for your enjoyment. So, enjoy... but whatever you, don't turn to the end of the book!