Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Schwag Brag: G.I. Joe is a Thing Again, Another Doom on the Pile, and SO MUCH MORE


I've amassed more THINGS, so it's time for another Schwag Brag!




So it's time for G.I. Joe again!  Honestly though, my energy for the toyline still hasn't picked back up, and these 50th Anniversary figures aren't helping much.  There's some new stuff here, but by "new" I mean yet more rehashes of older designs.  The days of redesigning old favorites appears to be over.  So, cool stuff like Spytroops Detsro will stay in that time period, and nobody is gona try anything new.

But hey, who am I to complain?  I bought the set with Destro BECAUSE of his rehash status!  I have to say, it is kinda neat that his helmet is based on the artwork on the front of his package.  And the above set with Porkchop Sandwiches Barbecue and a H.E.A.T. Viper was bought because of the Viper!  Another rehash, but at least he hasn't been done yet.

I guess I don't really have a good reason for the Joe slump I've been in; especially since I'm obviously still buying them.

....so, moving on!


WWWWIZARD DON!  Yes, that's Donatello dressed as a wizard.  It's from an episode of the toon where they all LARP it up.  I bought this guy for one purpose, and that purpose is this:


Well...okay, so not that specific thing, but the hat and beard are removable and I NEEDED THAT.  For things like this.  This brilliance.

Anyway, speaking of them Ninja Turts:


This is what Rahzar looks like in the new toon.  Quite different from the baby in Secret of the Ooze.  This guy is more of an...undead horror?  The filecard says who he is, but just in case you watch the toon and aren't caught up, I won't say.  He's neat, has the classic Playmates mid-walk pose so he falls over all the time, and his big claw hand is a flick-missile (in that it just loads in his arm and you flick the back of the missile to launch it).  The gist is this: All of Playmates monstrous figures are way too small, and this one is no exception, but he's still a fun toy.  He's a zombie wolf man!  What's not to love?


Oh boy, Imaginext.  You have a hold on me, I'll tell you h'what.  This is the third series of blind bagged Imaginext figures, which are so impressive that the Lego ones are interesting me less and less (even if they're still coming up with new ideas).  I just love the simplicity of these guys, but how they're still so TOY.  The arms move just enough to keep things action-figure-like, and they have tons of accessories to mix and match across any theme imaginable.  LOVE IT.

Also these guys are a Mattel joint, so they do cool shizz like this:


That's the bat Dracula is holding, and it's TOTALLY the bat that comes with MotUC Hordak.  I love their little homages to MotU!  You can find 'em all over the place in Imaginext.

Anyway, I got 'em all but one, after these two:


I'm still looking for this badass warrior Santa with two scimitars.


Another Doom for the Doom Collection!  I you aren't aware: I have a collection of Dr. Doom (mentioned in this post).  This one is from Hasbro's current line of what I like to call Inaction Figures, in that they are ready for no action whatsoever.  You can see Doom is quite ready to....stand.  If you put his arms out, then he's ready to, I dunno, look like a zombie?  Then you can push his legs out and make him look like a child pantomiming "driving a car".  His wrists turn as well, but that does nothing.  I mean, unless you want him to thrust out his fist for some fist-bump action.  Nevermind holding out his open palm.

I don't really understand the appeal of a standing toy that is too big to work with anything else, but EH, what do I know?  I'm just a 30 year old playin' with toys.



Ah, didn't think I was done with Tenkai Knights, did ya?  Found two more Titans (arguably my favorite things in this toyline) and some more single packed small guys in the form of a golden, super Bravenwolf and this rhino guy with an awesome axe/hammer.  I cannot stress enough how much I LOVE the team designing the look of these figures.  It's just great to see this japanese-like toyline make it here in the states.  At least, I hope it is.  I mean, I'm seeing enough new product!  I can only hope that means these are selling well enough.

Anyway, if you're buying nothing else in the Tenkai Knights line; at least get some Titans!  These ones are just as fun as the last.


Speaking of robots: Transformer!  This one is Tailgate, and I bought him because his color scheme is neat and he looks like he's sporting a CD player on his chest. 90's!


The Knights of the Budget Table!  These are from a Toys R Us exclusive toyline called True Legends.  It's their cheapo line, but the stuff has always been impressive even in it's simplicity.  The figures are usually only limited to shoulder, hip, and neck cuts, with the main draw being lots of accessories and big 'ol (detailed) beasts.

This new batch is surprisingly articulated, though!  They sport outwardly moving hips and shoulders, elbows, knees, and even wrist cuts!  The wide stance of the legs gives them this always-ready-for-action look (that Doom should have had) and they each have their own accessories that they hold well.  The only outlier is the wizard guy, who has a strange joint in his right shoulder, but otherwise follows the conventions of his predecessors and only has cut joints in his hips and left shoulder.

The set was ten bucks, which is a steal, considering how fun they are.  I will say that you are still getting ten bucks worth of quality, though, so some of them have kinda loose shoulders.  But hell, what to you want for ten bucks?  It's far better than most budget toys!


WHOA MAN!  NO!  NO DONKEY KONG, NOOOO!

...yeah, I'll probably do some pics in a review to match Bowser's.  He's from the same toyline, and they opted for DAT FACE.  I both love it and am terrified of it.  That is not the face of good intentions.  Awesome figure, though!


An SDCC exclusive item!  No, I didn't go to SDCC.  Who can afford that with so many toys to buy?  (and food and bills or whatever, I suppose).  This is Cyborg, from Mattel's DC Total Heroes toyline.  It "replaced" DC Universe, I guess.  I don't think it was really a replacement, though.  It's just what cropped up in it's absence.  And pissed everyone off.

Personally, I like it better.  Easier to find, cheaper (without sacrificing too much articulation), and I like the animated design more than the realistic design.  Anyway, this guy is exclusive 'cause he's chrome and comes with a nice batch of stuff!  Guns, a blade, a BIG GUN, and a backpack (even hands and an extra head!)  I'll probably cover him at some point.

He got me in the mood for more, so I got this three pack as well, from TRU:


Lex Luthor is using the same mold as Cyborg, and he and Batman are exclusive to the set (Superman is just the normal one sold singly).  Batman is obviously sporting his Keaton movie look (no accessories, though) and Luthor has a BIG 'OL GUN, that maybe shoots kryptonite.  The missiles on his other arm were added by me, though, from another figure.  It's a neat set, and goes for 25 on amazon and 30 at TRU.  I noticed some paint errors on a couple sets, so spending the extra five at TRU might be worth your while to pick the one you want.


It's the White Power Ranger!  Or maybe just White Ranger.  Yeah, sounds better.  Anyway, I got this guy on a whim when I missed out on another item.  I had my eye on him for while, but there was no rush, 'cause his price doesn't fluctuate, so I kept waiting.  He's neat, but doesn't really go above and beyond.  They made his shoulder armor move up so you can get more range with his arms...but if you actually use that feature, the armor looks dumb!  So you're still stuck with the limited movement, which, I'll be honest, isn't that bad.  Better than most White Ranger figures, anyway!  I'll focus on him a bit closer, at some point.

Now, when I said I got the White Ranger when I "missed out on another item", that item was THIS:


One of Hasbro's SDCC exclusives consisting of four Marvel Universe figures (the Joe sized ones) and THE INFINITY GAUNTLET.  In nerf form, of course.  I had missed out on it the first time, but a friend pointed out when it went on sale again and I jumped on it.  Somehow.  Hasbro SDCC exclusives are notoriously hard to get, 'cause they toss up the exclusives on their site at a random time and they're usually up for seconds as people fight over them.  I believe this is the first one I've been able to get!  Granted, I think this wasn't as popular, but whatever.


First thing I did was send this around to friends.  It's HUGE.  I had figured it was going to be human hand sized, but it's more Thanos hand sized.  Which is cool!  Plus, the Gems are squishy, and you can push them in like Reebok Pumps.  So remember, with the Infinity Gauntlet: YOU GOTTA PUUUUMP IT!

BUT...like many of the things in today's Schwag Brag, I'll go over this in better detail, later.

I have one final note before I wrap this up.  I don't normally announce the MotUC I get each month, since I plan on covering all of them at one point.  This month's was a milestone for me, though.


New Adventures Skeletor!  The top figure I had assumed we'd never get, especially not with all his original details intact.  I won't cover my love for New Adventures toys now, 'cause he'll have his day in the sun.  I just wanted you to share this moment with me and revel in his majesty.

Oooh, such majesty.

And with that, I bid you farewell!  New stuff is on the way, and if you couldn't tell, I'm trying to do Tuesday updates, for the most part, so I'll see you again next week!

32 comments:

  1. Give one of those True Legends guys a bow and we're totally exploring a dungeon in a co-op game. And by exploring I mean beating gold and power-ups out of every thing that dares to move, or you know, dares to be there and not be us.

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  2. Donkey Kong for best new toy of 2014?

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    1. That, and he'll be a great companion for that Revoltech Woody figure from Toy Story.

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  3. Man, that Nerfinity Guantlet IS huge!

    I really do love the face on that Donkey Kong, and I'm not even really a Donkey Kong fan. But I do want that figure.

    I've also had my eye on that Tailgate! I keep telling myself that I won't buy any more Transformers, but there's a few nice ones out right now.

    Anyway, keep braggin' about that schwag as it comes in!

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  4. Oh yeah, and I can't believe how tiny Hawk is in that first pic! I remember thinking of him as a good example of how big Joes are getting, but he's dwarfed by the other two!

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  5. Man, I keep thinking of more things to say. But this is the last one: That is a beautiful eyeball wizard. And I'm assuming his beard is made out of eyelashes?

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  6. That Tailgate is designed specifically as the Tailgate who appears in the current IDW "More than meets the eye" comics. He's the poster child for "breakout character" - Tailgate was originally made in 1986 but had barely any fiction at all until MTMTE, where he's a guy who accidentally slept through the entire Autobot/Decepticon war (bear in mind, this is MILLIONS OF YEARS) and ends up befriending the only Decepticon on a ship full of Autobots. (The Decepticon is Cyclonus, if you're familiar with the character, so if you look up Tailgate and see endless pictures of him with Cyclonus, that's why.)

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    1. Yeah, I remember seeing some fanfare for him from TF fans, so I figured he was somehow involved in the new comics. IS that a CD player on his chest? If so, that's awesome.

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    2. It might even be - I know of at least one G1 figure (Kup) who has floppy disk drives on his chest decal.

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  7. YES!!!! MORE PROOF I WILL GET PHOENIX (GOLD) BRAVENWOLF DAY AFTER TOMORROW!!!! BECAUSE YOU HAVE GRANOX AND PHOENIX BRAVENWOLF IT MEANS ITS EVEN MORE LIKELY THEY'LL HAVE IT!! GET IT AT TARGET? THANKS! :D

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    1. Actually, I got those two at Meijer, which is a grocery store that seems to be limited to Michigan. Target had the new Titans, though, so I imagine keeping a lookout wouldn't be a bad idea. Target has to stock the new smaller ones eventually.

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    2. Okay, so. I found Phoenix Bravenwolf after searching my nearby Target, a Toys R Us with the new three packs, and then I found it at the Target next to the Regal Cinema. I got the LAST ONE. There were no other Bravenwolfs. There was ONE Phoenix Tributon, which is for my friend Caleb's Birthday. I got One of Two Phoenix Lydendors they had for Andrew, his birthday is the same as Caleb's.At that target, all they have now are the old titans, and A Phoenix Lydendor and Slyger Figure. Toys R Us did have Zephyrus on the back of a package, which excited me cause I like Zephyrus. Keep an eye out! They should get some new single packs too! Also, the Rhino Is Granox, and the Gold Bravenwolf is Called "Phoenix Bravenwolf". The helmet is bigger because the old one was the one you got while they developed molds, same for Dromus.The Phoenix (Gold) Bravenwolf, has the anime-accurate Helmet sculpt, thus it is bigger. I am happy to FINALLY have him, as well as an anime-accurate helmet sculpt. Thanks! Oh and can you show more of the new Tenkai Titans, and maybe be Tenkai Dragon and the Phoenix Prodojet? Thanks! Please reply soon. :D

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    3. Thanks for the info! I'll certainly be calling them by name when I get around to reviewing said items.

      Kinda figured the new helmet design was to match the toon (though I kinda like the old helmet design better) but it works for the Phoenix version.

      Anyway, I'll certainly be covering the new stuff at some point, but I can't say when, at the moment. I've got two waves of blind bags and a few single packs to cover, along with those new TItans (and I never did get to the dropship). Point is: I've got a real PILE of this stuff, so rest assured, there will be more!

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    4. PILE? PICS PLZZ!!!! Also, why do you like the old one better? To me it looked snub nosed like Valorns helmet, Tributon's was inaccurate and too long, same for Lydendor. Phoenix Fixed this, and used the Japanese molds! Can you send pictures of the Pile? I'd love to see them! Also, stay tuned... New titan modes coming out, like way better! New colors, new ways of shape shifting, titan scorpion bricks!! And they will have insane armor. Oh and that Dromus you like, they will have an Elemental ( YES REALLY ) version AND titan elemental version of him coming out this fall! They also re-released him in a single pack, with the accurate head sculpt. Perhaps pics of that pile? If you seperated the pile, i would love to see each figure in package! There may be ones i didn't know about, so please send pics!! :D

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    5. Oh, the "pile" is more of a generalized pile of many things. I'd rather keep the ridiculous mess that is my toy room off the net, for now. Rest assured, though, you will see pics of the stuff when I get around to reviewing them. I don't believe I have too many new things that you wouldn't have seen, yet.

      As for the Bravenwofl helmet: I just liked how the original helmet was a bit smaller, and it reminded me of classic Gundam stuff, which I love. I don't dislike the new helmet; I just think it's a tad big. I saw the new Dromus with the bigger helmet the other day, and I think I'm happy with my original one.

      As for new things: I'm looking forward to them; especially new titans! A Dromus Titan would be pretty dang high on my list of wants, so I'm glad they're doing that.

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    6. Yeah, japan has it right now. As for america, we don't get normal titan dromus, But elemental!! :D I know its a bit big for the figs, but what's gundam anyways? XP Do you have titan hos? Oh and with the figs you have, can you make the robofusions? :D

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    7. I looked up this Elemental Dromus and I'm TOTALLY OKAY WITH THAT. He looks awesome! Very much looking forward to that; I'm glad the designers at Spinmaster are keeping things fresh with this toyline.

      As for Gundam, here's a link to what I've covered so far: http://toysandtomfoolery.blogspot.com/search/label/Gundam

      It's a Japanese series that has been going (in various forms) since the 70's. There is almost something for everyone, from serious wartime drama to just giant robots beating the crap out of each other. Good stuff.

      As for my own Tenkai Knights figures: I haven't tried any of the Robofusions yet, but I might have enough to do something. Honestly, I've been trying to keep all the parts together for future reviews, but I've toppled the pile so often that some things have gotten mixed. I'll have to see if I can create some of these mixes when I get to reviewing them....but, chances are, I'll end up just building my own stuff, like I did with the previous Titans I reviewed.

      Oh, and I've seen the Titan Hos, but haven't gotten it yet.

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    8. Oh, Bleh. XD With robofusions i am (quote with Elemental Dromus) TOTALLY OKAY WITH THAT. I loved your builds on Bravenwolf titan so much i copied them! :3 The hos is a very good titan, as the main brick is very useful. I have an idea. Try making a MASSIVE robofusion with the titan modes into one big beast with Bravenwolf as head! I saw one guy make it, and if you made one it'd be SUOERULTRAMEGAOPAMAZINGCOOLAWESOMEFANTASTICUNSTOPPABLE!! :D

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    9. Mr. Moriconi, I bestow upon you the title of Most Enthusastic Tenkai Knights Fan of All Universes. Bear it with honor.

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    10. :O OMG THANK YOU!!! I DECLARE YOU AWESOMENESS EPIC KING OF AWESOMENESS OF ALL UNIVERSES FOR THAT!! :D Thank you! :D Also, no need for big names. Just call me Bravenwolf. I have achieved Phoenix mode, so I am a gold version of my former self, and am nearly invincible. Thanks! :D (I am Bravenwolf Tenkai Phoenix mode on my Tenkai Knights club. Thanks! :D)

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    11. Alexx? I found The new Minifigure elemental Dromus for you. Its AMAZING. Reply and I'll send pics :D

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    12. kk, I've got three of His Basic Form. http://tenkaiknight.jp/products/ba_1_24.php You will LOVE THIS. SUCH AMAZE.

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    13. Ha! Can't believe I never thought of turning the capes into wings. Brilliant. And man, I LOVE that giant Titan version! I'm glad they're still putting work into those, I still believe the Titans are some of the best things in the line.

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    14. I like the idea for better feet but... i HATE The idea of a GRAY titan brick on ALL of them. It just makes it look... weird... i don't like it... The elemental Dromus goes SICK COOL with it but Bravenwolf and the others is a different Story. Gaia Valorn is Okay though with Titan mode... hmmmm Perhaps send some pics of Some CUSTOM Tenkai Knights you made? :D

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    15. I'll be here tomorrow, on the computer for some of the time.. My dad has to go to the doctor for wellness... he's nearly sixty, and if not lucky has to be rushed to the hospital... His heart and body have been acting up lately.. I may be eleven and having a sixty year old father may sound weird... but he may die soon, and that would break my heart... Not kidding about this, he's my best friend... Wish him luck... :(

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    16. Sorry to hear that man, I hope everything turns out alright.

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    17. It did, but now we got in a rage arguement and he's mad at me. ;~;

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    18. Elemental Figures have sloppy paint irl and also fall over WAY too easily without weapons. They are also really bad looking. :/

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    19. Ah man, that sucks. Well, i'll wait until I see 'em in person, I guess.

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