Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Trypticon

Trypticon was originally a robot dinosaur that transformed into a city. They've since made some versions where he's just a robot who transforms into a dinosaur, which is lame, but considering people mostly remember him as a robot dinosaur, it makes sense. Sadly the Kre-O Trypticon Kreon minifigure doesn't transform into a city, just a robot, but I'm slightly okay with that because tiny robot dinosaur.


The Kreons that have been released in anticipation of the Transformers 4 movie, what with the dinobots and such, have been pretty interesting. They actually get new sculpted parts to help in the transformation, and some of them actually look vaguely like the animals they're supposed to transform into. And even cooler, some of them actually use all the same pieces so the figures actually are transforming, not just putting on a new costume and being pushed onto their sides.


Monday, May 26, 2014

Marvel Labbits and Nog'nz

So this week I found myself picking up some interesting Marvel clearance items. First up was the Kid Robot series of Marvel Labbits.


As you can see, they're Marvel characters interpreted into rabbits. (Labbits is a design Kid Robot has used in the past, so they just superimposed the Marvel properties onto the existing template.) This is hilarious to me, because the Marvel characters are humans, not rabbits. So I decided to pick one up. And then I got another one. And a third. And then I was afraid I'd get a duplicate so I stopped.

I got a Red Skull, Doctor Octopus and Doctor Doom. I really like the Doc Ock with his arms which make it feel like a more substantial figure. The Doom design I like because, hey Doctor Doom. Red Skull I'm kinda meh about, and his Nazi uniform kinda creeps me out a bit. These figures are blind boxed, so even at Clearance I don't think I'll be picking up any more. (Unless they go down to around $2 a pop, which they won't because that's not how the store I got these from does clearance.)


The other thing I picked up were Marvel Nog'nz. I don't know how much these went for originally, but at 50 cents for a pack of two, I was willing to risk it. These are hard plastic, they're pretty much rip-offs of the GoGo's Crazy Bones, and are designed to be played with by chucking them at one another or rolled around like dice. Because they're such hard plastic, they make a very satisfying clinking noise when you shake them together or crash them into one another.

I got the last two bags in the store, and I'm pleased with the selection, mostly. I'd totally pick up a few more bags at the clearance price. Doctor Strange, Cyclops, and Ghost Rider all look ridiculous and adorable when their visages are smashed up and chibi-ized. But War Machine looks like a gray blob.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

AMP Episode 93: Mario Likes Rappers

Episode 93 of the Articulated Monster Podcast is up! This one was recorded by the other James! No other things I can remember to say about it!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Green Lantern Maxwell

This Green Lantern version of Maxwell from Scribblenauts looks too much like an actual Green Lantern I've seen in crowd shots to feel completely original.

But it's not horrible for a mini figure. 5 points if articulation, although his legs were warped when I pulled him from the package, so it was difficult getting him on the pega of his little base.


I got this because I had a gift card to gamestop and their video game prices are a little high for my comfort. These mini vinyl figures are blind packed, in boxes so even the pinch and feel method is out, so I doubt I'll get another one without a gift card. Because why would anyone spend real money to buy a blind item when they have an INSANELY EXCELLENT chance to end up paying for the same thing twice?

Only crazy people who don't have e-bay.


Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Harley Quinn



Okay, Sideshow 1:6 scale Harley Quinn figure.

I picked this up because 1) They're not going to make a Harley Quinn Hot Toys figure any time in the near future and 2) I'd like to collect a bunch of 1:6 scale Batman villains in "movie style." There's that Medicom 1:6 scale figure but that looks too stylized and cartoony. This Sideshow isn't as "photorealistic" as the Hot Toys sculpts tends to be, but it's close. The face is too smooth. It lacks the fine detail, although one could just say she's wearing a LOT of makeup.

Still, compared side by side next to a Hot Toys figure, the Uncanny Valley becomes a lot more obvious. The nose is too perfect and the eye paint isn't as "taxidermy" perfect as the Hot Toys figure.


It's a small complaint though. On the upside, I love the articulation, even her jester prongs on her hat can be moved around and posed. The cuffs and neck frill are soft plastic to maintain shape, which is a cool idea. Also, second head:



The main downside I see is that her hammer accessory is so heavy that if you put it in her hands it has a tendency to yank the hands out of their sockets. I'm half worried it will tear the arm out, or even worse, break the elbow joint. So that's a big worry.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

AMP: Episode 92: Mario is Ugly



Episode 92 of the Articulated Monster Podcast is up! I don't remember what made me commit to making every episode title leading up to Episode 100 a direct insult to Mario, but I'd say there's a 50/50 chance of the trend continuing... unless someone else takes over the recording and uploading duties... Or Mario starts linking to episodes on his blog.

Here's a picture of a horrifying thing I saw at Walgreens the other day!


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Got Milk?


I saw this on a book truck at the library today, it's the Doctor Doom card from a Got Milk promo insert. The back of the card implies that Doctor Doom will take over the world because milk makes him healthy and smart. 

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Tin Man


Let' get this out of the way, this figure looks good. It's a pretty damned nice interpretation of the MGM Wizard of Oz version of the Tin Man. I think they released this line of figures for the 75th anniversary of the movie and most of them look screen accurate. To the point that I would not be shocked if you told me these were made by Sideshow. (This only applies for the Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow. The female figures in this line look like Barbie dolls with surprisingly accurate face sculpts.) The use of plastic for the entire thing means it is head and tails above the older "cloth costume" version of the Tin Man that Barbie released a few years ago.

This would be an amazing figure except for one thing: The articulation is so horrible as to be non-existent. This is the worst case of impotent joints that I've ever seen. The sculpting of the plastic over the joints restricts articulation to the point that it might not even exist. Take a look at the knee articulation. Here's the knee straight.


And now here's the full extent that the knee can bend.


Wow. This means that the figure can pretty much stand straight up, and that's it. So that's the pose he has to stay because even with all his joints, the figure can't move. He is frozen into a pose. Seriously, might as well put in a sound chip where the figure murmurs "oilcan" because its just as frozen as the character in that moment. Unless there's some ridiculous solution where you have to put oil on the freaking figure.

And this is all a shame, because it really is a nice looking figure. Dig how good the likeness is: they simulated the way the make up was applied to the actor's face so that small bits of the human skin underneath broke through around the eyes.


Such a missed opportunity for a great figure.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Stitch as Elvis


I went to a Star Wars mini-con for May the Fourth and didn't buy any Star Wars merchandise in the vendors room. Instead I picked up this guy from some dude's box of cheap Happy Meal toys. Why? Well I'm amused by Elvis merch. Especially crossover Elvis stuff. What's great about this toy is that it's actually a bobble head type thing. You know those hula girls that shake around when they're put on a dashboard? It's one of those, which makes sense because of Lilo and Stitch's use of hula.

Love it. Especially since it cost less than a dollar.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Simpsons Lego Blind bags suck and why do they do this to us?

So, since the Simpsons Lego minifigures cost more than other Lego minifigures, are still blind packed, and have unique headsculpts that make them look not less like Lego minifigures and more like knock off block-figures, I am not excited about the Lego minifigures. (The sets I'm on the fence about.)

My problem is the same that I have with some of the newer minimate propeties, where they change the head sculpts so much that they lose some of the characteristics that are intrinsically unique to the minifigure design. If all Lego minifigures have certain elements that define them as a minifigure, then changes to that could drive away people who are attracted to those elements. (And apparently I am one of those people.)

And while the Legoized versions of the Simpsons from the Simpsons Lego special may not look as nice or accurate as the figures that were actually made, I sort of respect them more as being more representative of what a Simpson Lego figure should look like.

And that's my really long way of explaining that I'll probably skip over most of the Simpsons minifigures, although I will pick up a Homer and a Bart out of curiosity and Grandpa Simpson because I mistook the bags when I was trying to identify the figures while squeezing them. But heck, I'll take him if it means I have three generations of Simpson men.

I'm torn on whether I'll get any of the other minifigures (although I kinda want a marge for the sheer batshit insanity of the design) but I may have to wait for them to be on sale. (Although, Toys R Us charges the same $4 they've always charged for minifigures, Target has upped the price from the previous $3. But Toys R Us does buy 1 get 1 40% sometimes. Bleh. Numbers.)