Mattel Reveals SDCC 2011 Exclusives! I'm . . . Only Slighty Excited.

Last night G4's Attack of the Show program revealed most of Mattel's exclusive figures that will be on sale at this year's San Diego Comic-Con (no Masters of the Universe Classics were discussed, but in case you are wondering, apparently the line will be represented at SDCC by Queen Marlena and a Polly Pocket three-pack--no, I'm serious). Watch the video below for the full segment:

Game Trailers - E3 2011 - AOTS Exclusive

Brief thoughts:

*Why couldn't Kilowog and Swamp Thing be released to mass retail as Collect and Connect figures? They seem tailor-made for that approach.

*Not at all impressed with Swamp Thing. The sculpt is too bland and too "generic muscled superhero", as opposed to the potential offered by giving us something along the lines of Steve Bissette's hyper-detailed art on Alan Moore's classic Saga of the Swamp Thing tenure. Also, the bio-degradable life-sized mask is a pretty lame pack-in.

*I'm reasonably certain that Hasbro's Marvel Universe Galactus was bigger than that Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man.

*I'm more excited about that six-inch scale superposable Voltron robot figure than I thought I would be. I really haven't been this excited by Voltron since I was four.

X-Force Warpath & Professor X

X-Force Warpath, which is something I never thought I really wanted, but here he is, in my collection. Now to be fair I've never felt one way or the other on the character. Because seriously, never really interested in the Thunderbird legacy character. But on X-Force he... Actually I never read X-force. I sort of read X-Necrosha when the library got it, but uh, from what I can gather back when X-force was "the all trackers and characters with sharp weapons team" he was mostly used to fill the crowd. I don't even know if this is the 2nd or 3rd black ops X-force minimate I have. So clearly I don't really give a damn.

And look, he comes with 90's Xavier for no good reason other than they're both X-men. This isn't even a version of Xavier that shared a decade with this version of Warpath. The box mentions that they were on the same team when they went into space to kill Cyclops crazy space brother, but uh, neither was wearing these costumes. (And it fails to mention that Xavier asked Warpath to go with them because Warpath hated Xavier, just like Vulcan, so maybe he could anticipate the anti-Xavier strategies.)

And Xavier comes with what apparently Jim Lee thinks a wheelchair should look like. Okay, yes, this version of Xavier is the version that had already spent a lot of time married to the alien queen of an empire of planets, so him having access to a floating wheelchair sort of makes sense, but it's also during the period when they were pretending that they weren't the X-men to the world at large.  Still, he comes with a suit (boring) and more importantly, his X-men action jumpsuit (silly).

Incidentally, this is the 3rd Xavier minimate I have. And I'm not entirely sure why.

Leoben & Starbuck

I admit, I only got this because it was two minimates for $2.50 at Toys R' Us. I don't know anything about Leoben and the only thing I know about this Starbuck is that I've got a nerd crush on the actress for her performance on a Futurama episode. Okay, not entirely true, I've read synopsis of all the episodes, but I've only seen one.

Either way, the only comments I've got here are that the Leoben is a boring minimate and that the "half-on" flight suit sculpt kinda sucks since it means you don't get a proper "civilian clothes" minimate or a full "flight suit" minimate, just some weird hybrid.

Although, how hilarious is it that the level of detail on Leoben and Starbuck are so disparate? Minor character: Let's put so many lines and details on his face that he looks just like the actor. Main character: slap two eyes and a mouth on it. Done!

Articulated Monster Episode 05: Morgan Freeman Barbie

And BAM! Another episode of our podcast.

I've updated my prize for anyone who sends in a question and requests a prize from either Counter Fett, Mario, or myself. If you request the prize from me then I'll send you a minimate. I assume those still fit inside of an envelope I can send out for 47 cents.

Muppet Newscaster

Okay, you see this? This is why I'm hesitant to buy loose figures on eBay. Here I thought I was getting a good deal on a Muppet figure, and when it comes in the mail the dude's head is off, and you can tell that there's some very tell tale signs of it trying to be stuck back on with some weird modeling clay.

Don't get me wrong, the seller refunded my money, but damn shame. The accessories are pretty awesome, the news desk and phone look great. The background with the stickers is a bit off since the stickers are peeling off. (Originally came with a sheet of 8 you could choose yourself.) This would have been a great figure. The design was solid. The glasses had a certain molded shape to let them attach easily, and it could easily stand on its own.

And the real shame is that you can't find the guy on eBay for the same price. Although the seller allowed me to keep the toy, so I guess in theory I could try supergluing the head back on, resulting in a lack of head articulation... Or I could keep it headless and have an awesome story about it.

Mummy

Yeah, I've pretty much been trying to get all the classic monster minifigures as they've come out.

Pretty much the only reason I got this guy. I mean I've already got Lego mummies. And they have wings. (Although they also have 2 faces which require keeping them in helmets all the time.) I will say that I like his expression of bewildered disappointment. It's like he's thinking, "Aw man, now I'm a mummy. That sucks. I wonder if the Sphinx is still around."

Clearly I know how mummies think.

Christmas Adventure Set

So when they announced that they were going to make an Amy Pond figure dressed in her first appearance Police Woman costume, I was all, HELL YES I AM BUYING THAT. Then they revealed that she would be in a box set with the 11th Doctor and a non-electronic TARDIS and I was all, DAMN, I already have a TARDIS and a 11th Doctor. But I bought it anyway for $50. Then they revealed that they would also release Amy Pond in Police Woman Costume single card as a variant in the Pandorica Wave. And Then I was kinda pissed. Then I found out that it was being sold for $30 and I wasn't pissed off anymore. Because that means by buying this set I got another TARDIS and a 11th Doctor for $20, which is a pretty good deal... Especially since I have a friend who fricking loves the 11th Doctor so hey, instant birthday present! Let's go through these guys. 1st: 11th Doctor. Kinda meh. Very similar to the other one I have from the 11 Doctors set, although the coat is more stripey than mine. So very much something that I wouldn't mind giving to someone else as a present. TARDIS: It's the new design, the one that has the St Johns Hospital symbol like the TARDIS used to have during the Hartnell years. It's very similar to the other ones I have, except that the cardboard insert in the TARDIS meant to showcase the interior has the new TARDIS interior design on it. Pretty neat. But what is a man supposed to do with three TARDISes? Ah well, it's a better situation than having three 6th Doctors that all look alike... which I do. Amy Pond in Police Woman Costume: There are definately balance issues, and the miniskirt hampers the leg articulation a little, so that makes it even harder to stand her up. The costume is pretty spot on, although her expression is more bland than I would have liked. The number of joints remains the same from the other Amy figure, although the placement is altered slightly to account for the outfit design. For example: Instead of wrist joints there's a mid-forearm cut joint. And there is a cut neck joint, but because of the way the hair is sculpted it's made moot. Interestingly enough, they've also added a bit of paint along the back of Amy's leg to simulate the look of a stocking seam.

Civillian Thor & Asgardian Warrior

I'm not big on Minimates based on Marvel Movies, but I wanted to get this set for one reason: Hammer embedded in a stone accessory. It's rather a stupid reason to buy minimates, but there you go.

Civillian Thor, or "Donald Blake" as I've seen him called in some places" is pretty boring. It's Thor, in a t-shirt, which really could just be random bearded guy in casual wear.

The Asgardian Warrior was more impressive, until I realized that I don't give a crap about Asgardian Warriors. Don't get me wrong, sculpting is great, but I just can't make myself care. At all.

Revenge of the Cybermen

What do you do if a set you really want is only available in the UK with no signs of a North American release? If you're me, you buy it off e-bay. Fortunately the price ended up being what around what I'd end up paying for the set if it ever got releasedin the states, so all is well. I now have every Classic Cyberman figure ever released in this toy line (Except that B&W cyberman, but that sucks, so who cares.)

These are the Cyberleader and Cybermen from the story Revenge of the Cybermen. They don't have guns because these are the only Cybermen who shot pure death out of the bit where their head lamps should be. These action figures all use the same body, with the only difference being the Cyberleader's black handlebars. Their heads don't move, but if you try and turn them you can pop the head off (as seen in the picture above). It pops back on just as easily and is pretty secure otherwise.

These are also the only Cybermen I've seen with protruding back elements. It makes the Cybermen seem bulkier when seen in profile. I don't know how I feel about this, but it's show accurate, so whatever. Incidentally, I think the way they've designed the hands on these three guys looks kinda weird. Almost like they're about to summon a fireball.

The Cybermen also come with a Cybermat. If this looks weird, not how you remember, that's because they redesigned them.... into this slug like thing... Incidently, it looks like they're going back to the classic bug like design in the new season of Doctor Who, so hooray! This toy is... weird. No articulation and if you didn't know what it was you would be so damned confused.

Pigs in Space

There's no way I could afford one of the Palisades Muppet playsets... except this one. This is the one that goes cheap. Relatively cheap. So, as they say, hooray. The set comes with Miss Piggy as First Mate Piggy, which is good because there were only two time I really liked the Piggy character, during the Veterenarian Hospital skit and Muppet Babies. But I did like the Pigs in Space costume, a lot more than the other costumes they made action figures of her in. So if I'm going to try and complete the main quartet, this is the Piggy figure I like the most.

The playset itself is pretty cool. It looks very much like a 60's space ship interior. The image on the view screen in the back can be swapped out with other cardboard ovals that come with the set, everything from basic space backgrounds to planet surfaces to other Muppets flying/floating through space. The playset itself has a lot of moving parts, which I love in playsets.

The levers on the main console all move up and down, the doors have a mechanism that simulates the "swoosh" type opening movements, and the chairs are atached to the floor but in a manner that allows them to be pushed back so figures can sit in the chairs and then be scooted forward so their knees are under the console table. Also, the set itself folds out a bit to create a larger play area. The set also comes with a number of consoles that can be snapped together in various configurations. I'm not sure how they fit onto the playset itself as there isn't anywhere to attach them to the playset, so really they're like free standing sci-fi consoles. Which I guess is neat.

Articulated Monster, now on iTunes.

Oh, I guess the Articulated Monster is on iTunes too. I thought you had to have more episodes up before they listed you, but I GUESS NOT!

Here's the iTunes link.

Seriously, subscribe. Rate it. Leave a review. Whatever you're supposed to do on iTunes.

Yotsuba&!

Man, I really love the manga Yotsuba&!. It chronicles the adventures of a five year-old girl in suburbia who is constantly pleased by all the things around her. It is the least cynical thing I have ever read, which is doubly amazing because I also consider it one of the funniest and most nuanced things I've ever read. It's one of the few Manga that the author has stated will never be adapted into an anime, which is cool especially when you remember that his other manga, which was adapted into an anime, became an insanely popular anime series and probably netted him a lot of cash. This is a really roundabout way of saying I really like Yotsuba&! and I really wanted a toy to commemorate this.

And they released one, and then another, and then they became collector's items imported from Japan... which means they go for about $80 now. Unless you go to a convention where a vendor is selling one of the few domestically re-releases on sale! SCORE! Yotsuba Kowaii is a Revoltech figure, which means a crazy amount of articulation. (Ever want to see a figure clap? Now you can.) And just to let you do all you want with the high number of joints, the figure comes with a stand that will prop the figure up... also allowing for jumping simulations. Another great feature of this figure is the accessories, which come in the form of an ice cream bar, a squirt gun, and alternate heads/hands.

I love this. I shoudln't have waited when it first came out. (I was poor back then.) But even so, I have one now and I am happy. Until I walk away from the figure and my cynicism returns.

Autons

These guys are from the Auton 2-pack which must have pissed off people who bought the single pack Auton for the exact same price. I've always liked the Autons as Doctor Who monsters, but I haven't picked up any of their figures until now because the figures are kind of bland. Still... SALE! Okay, that'll get me into them. So I picked them up. They're rather bland figures, but I guess that's the point since they're supposed to be mannequins. Part of the hand comes off to reveal... Well not a blaster, just a hole where the peg goes in to keep the hand on. They're a welcome addition to my collection as I try to collect my favorite Doctor Who monsters, but again, kinda bland.

Prize Envelope.... COULD BE YOURS!!!

Hmm, still no listener questions... Guys, come on. If you listen to the Articulated Monster Podcast then you know we're letting the first person to send us a listener question select a prize envelope sent to them from either Mario, CounterFett, or me. (Actually I don't know if CounterFett is actually in on this or if he was joking around.)

Since we haven't had any listener questions I thought I'd show off what I'm throwing in my prize envelope. As you can see it's a pretty good mass of stuff. A few cards from the Star Trek Collectible Card Game, two Tiny Titans temporary tattoos, a mini claw, an ed Hardy temporary tattoo, a Goon button, a Vertigo button, a Superman button, a lenticular card that morphs from a ice cream cone into a golf tee, and a mystery prize, which I'm pretty sure has mini-policemen figures. You know like the plastic army men, except their police men, and half the size of regualr tiny army men, so they're like super-mini. And probably blue.

All this and a one-of-a-kind painted envelope (designed and paitned by me) will be yours if you are the first person to send a listener question to articulatedmonster@yahoo.com and select James's envelope as your first prize. (Remember to rank your three choices in order of preference so we can send out a 2nd & 3rd prizes in case we have more than one listener question. Also, include your mailing address.)

Oh man, I can't believe I think this is enough of a draw to get a listener question. I mean... wow, great amazing prizes!

Success at last!

BREAKING NEWS:

I have finally obtained the last piece to finally assemble my DC Universe Classics Ultra-Humanite Collect & Connect figure. Review forthcoming.

Oh, they made new Nerf Dart Tag blasters...

You know what's sad? I have the Nerf Rapid fire, and that is almost exactly like the Nerf Quick 16 aside from some slight design issues, but I still want a Nerf Quick 16. It fires non-streamline darts! Quick loading! Want one so bad... but they're not around here yet.

Azrael Batman

This is the first Batman I've bought from the DCU Classics line. That may seem weird, but remember, I hate plastic capes and this is the first Batman to not have one. There's also a pretty big, "I can't believe they made that," factor at work here.

Also known as Knightfall Batman or "That stupid substitute Batman they did in the 90's." Although I guess Batman eXtreme or Power Armor Batman would also work. Oh comic books in the 90's. I love you for all your misguided goofiness and dedication to spectacle. Your willingness to shake things up no matter how stupid or silly is commendable. In hindsight.

And if you release toys devoted to the silliest looking part of this era I will flock to them... like moths to a really stupid looking flame. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the downside to nostalgia. When people start getting nostalgic for crap.

So yes, my big collection of the big 3 in this wave is "Mullet Superman," "Extreme Batman," and "Wonder Woman." Yes they made the 90's Substitute Wonder Woman, but that wasn't a silly design. Although if they want to do the 90's defrocked Diana in black hot pants, bikini, and stupid mid-drift baring jacket... I still probably would't buy it.

Knightfall Batman though? Wearing robot armor because why not? This is pure gold.

Aquaman & The Riddler

Man, I've really wanted an Aquaman DCUC figure for... I dunno... years. (2 still allows me to use the plural.)

So what is one to do if they want a hard to find action figure but don't want to pay high toy show prices?

Answer: Hope you have good luck on eBay. Which I did.



So just a bit later I've got me an Aquaman for what I consider a reasonable price. It doesn't come with a trident, but my version of Aquaman doesn't use a trident. Of course in my mind the definitive version of Aquaman is the ridiculously ineffective version that is made fun of on Superfriends parodies. Which is why I bypassed the gold shirt, long hair, and Ocean Warrior versions. Well everyone bypassed the Ocean Warrior version. That thing sucked. But hey! A toy of the most mocked superhero? You can check that off my list.



Also from ebay, the same company actually, but different auctions. (And coming in surprisingly fast for a shipment from China) it's the Riddler! My favorite supervillian of all time. I had the Wal-mart wave figure, but based on the theory that I might never see the one in the latest DCUC wave I ordered him online. He doesn't come with his cane but I have the one from the old figure.

Of course a week later I found the entire wave in a Target. But I still paid less for him on ebay, so I didn't feel too bad. It's not like I was trying to collect the build-a-figure.

Ending days: Transformers commercials from 1989 and 1990

Check out this compilation of Transformers commercials from the 1989 and 1990, the dying days of the toyline in the United States when Hasbro tried any gimmick it could to stimulate consumer interest (this included the creation of the Action Master subset, where the company just threw its hands up in frustration and figured it might as well just issue Transformers toys that didn't actually, you know, transform).



What's hilarious about seeing all these commercials back-to-back is that it really hammers home how awful the lyrics are to the accompanying jingles. It's the same groan-inducing effect you get from watching all those David Caruso opening scenes to CSI: Miami edited together. I imagine recording all the vocals in the studio in take after take must have been soul-crushing to whomever was singing on these things.

Dollar Store Visit

I always browse the aisles of the Dollar store for toys, because hey, they're a dollar. As long as you don't get too much you can usually absorb the impact of a couple purchases. On my last visit I picked up the following: Star Trek Trading Card Game Booster Pack: I used to love these in high school. In fact this is from the same edition that was available back then. I never got any rare cards, just generic crew dudes. And that streak did not end now. I love that Youth is considered a skill. Uh oh, this challenege can only be defeated by someone under the age of 30. Guess they're dealing with a lot of late night partying issues on Away Team missions. Also, how weird is it that the espionage guys all have skills in regular professions. I guess that was what they studied in Undergrad before deciding to enroll in the world of espionage. I also picked up this punching Frog Pen. It's a pen with a punching frog puppet on it, you know, like the punching Nun puppet that's so insinuated itself into pop culture. Kinda cool. Although I don't know why they put a pen on it. Who is actually going to use it for that?

Doctor Who Packaging Error

I just got my Revenge of the Cybermen set in the mail today (I'll get around to a review eventually) and one thing I noticed about the packaging is that it got some facts wrong. It's not unheard of, I counted three on the 11 Doctor's set, more if you include grammar and spelling errors. But I found this one amusing. They list Tom Baker's tenure as the Doctor incorrectly. Keep in mind that Tom Baker was the Doctor for 7 years, so no, he did not start in 1979 and leave in 1981. I mean, geez Character Options, it's not like you don't know this. You put the right years on the other side of the box. I guess it makes sense that maybe the guy putting together the packaging for this set didn't know the right dates but you'd think the graphic he put on the box declaring this story taking place in 1975 might have been a good hint that 1979 was wrong. I'm being kind of a dick about this.

Patrol Bear Fozzie

So I never bought any of the Muppet figures when they came out. I was buying toys here and there but I never picked them up, despite the fact that the Muppets were one of two seminal properties that essentially shaped my childhood. Why I didn't buy the toys... I dunno, I was pissed off about something, their lack of articulation or... I don't actually know. I've long since forgotten. The line ended back in 2005... which may have been during the period of my third toy buying rennaisance, so I really can't figure out why I never bought the damned things. But I didn't. And that brings us today. A while back, deciding I needed to get one DEFINITIVE Indiana Jones toy, I ended up buying the Adventure Kermit figure, essentially the Indiana Jones Kermit toy, off of e-bay. AND Damn it's an awesome figure. I've finally come to a point where I no longer demand insane amounts of articulation, paritcularly if the toys in question serve as good display pieces. And The Muppet Toys deliver that in spades, with just enough articulation to allow awesome poses. So now I'm searching for Muppet Action Figures that don't cost a lot. That last part is what makes things difficult. These aren't toys anymore, they're collector's items and that means the price gets driven up, especially on e-bay. So I'm on a quest to get all my favorite characters at prices that aren't hyper-inflated. Which through a very long introduction, leads me to today's toy. I got Patrol Bear Fozzie in an auction along with the normal Fozzie figure. Together the figures cost me around $20 after shipping costs, which is pretty good considering the normal Fozzie figure goes for around $40 on ebay. Which leads to a dilemma I have, if I'm paying that much for an action figure, do I want to open them? That's one of the reasons I only want to pay low dollars for these toys, I want to feel okay opening them. So Patrol Bear Fozzie, which goes for significantly less, I have no problem opening up and tossing away the packaging. It's going to be an odd dillemma as I start collecting this line. Which ones do I open? I think I'm going to try to collect my favorite characters, but their variant costumes which came out in later waves and tend to sell for less. To this end the Patrol Bear Fozzie is a good figure to start with (if you ignore Adventure Kermit, which is in a box so can be easily removed and put back in with no problems.) A bit on Patrol Bear Fozzie, I enjoyed the Patrol Bear skits on the Muppet Show, and I get a weird kick of pretending that Fozzie is the police authority when I stand him next to my DCU Classics figures. (They're roughly in scale.) This figure is a good representation of the sketch. The sculpt is amazing and the articulation is adequate to good, with 10 points of articulation. (Neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips.) The hat is held on with magnets, and he comes with an insane amount of accessories that all attach to his belt. He's got a flashlight, a pair of handcuffs that open and close, a walkie talkie, some random pouches, and a billy club. A billy club. I guess Fozzie is supposed to... No... Fozzie wouldn't beat the living crap out of the other Muppets. There's also a stand to help with the posing and the standing and whatnot. All in all, I WANT MORE FIGURES FROM THIS LINE!

Back to the Future Time Machine

Remember when everyone went wild and bought themselves a Hot Wheels Delorean because it reminded them of the time machine from Back to the Future? Well, guess what suckers! Hot Wheels decided to make those obsolete by making a Back to the Future Hot Wheel. Wait, I bought that Hot Wheel. I'm a sucker! The title of this blog has never been more appropriate. The Back To The Future officially licensed Hot Wheels car has some pretty neat detail. It's got the OUTATIME license plate... sort of badly painted on. Although one thing I found rather neat is that it has a different looking dashboard than the Delorean car, so it's not just modifications to the body that have been done. The interior reflects Doc Brown's modifactions to the car.

Also, check out the car profile on the back.

The Fifth Doctor & The Master

Surprisingly I don't mind getting another 5th Doctor figure as much as I thought I would. I think it's the hat. I've already got a non-hatted 5th Doctor, (Actually I think I have two) but the hat makes him a variation I can live with. Which is to say, I really wanted the Master figure but was ambivalent about the Doctor figure in this set. This is the Anthony Ainley Master as he appeared in the serial Planet of Fire... Or it's how a robot forced to shape shift to look like the Master appeared when he was being mind-controlled. The actual Master had accidentally miniaturized himself and was almost killed by a shoe. This explains why the Master figure is wearing a suit instead of his iconic costume. Ah well, it's essentially the Master. The head sculpt is right on, producing a very good likeness. So you can pretend this is how the Master looks when he puts on a suit. I like the Master. I feel he's one of the BIG BADS of the Doctor Who series and deserves more respect than he's usually given. So I'm glad to collect the toys of him... although I'm on the fence about the version of him from the Deadly Assassin. I never thought that was a very good Master portrayal. Too over the top. Which if you saw any of the Anthony Ainley episodes is saying something since they intentionally tried to make his evil campy and over the top. But Anthony Ainley was the Master in the episodes of Doctor Who I watched growing up, so he's the Master I associate most with the role.

Articulated Monster Episode 4: South Africats

Here's episode 4 of our podcast, featuring myself, Mario from a Year of Toys & PJ from All things Fett. We talk about the Thundercats... and then stray off point. Hilariously so.

'08 Garbage Truck

Okay, so when it comes to the little die cast cars, I really enjoy the ones that aren't of racing cars but are instead of the dull mundane trucks that ensure the daily stability of our society. Your moving vans, your ice cream trucks... YOUR GARBAGE TRUCKS! I've always been weirded out... well not always, but lately, that Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels are made by the same company. You get the sense that they're supposed to be competing against one another, but instead they're just complementary. Hot Wheels is the slick and insane. Matchbox is the mundane and reliable. Which is why I like Matchbox. Because you get cars that I could conceivably see on the street. This Garbage Truck says its from the City Action series. Good enough for me! The Anapolis Maryland sign on the truck is painted on, no stickers for Matchbox. The plastic crusher on the back of the truck doesn't move, which disappointed me a little. Some of the Matchbox trucks have moving doors or panels, but this one sadly does not. Also, and even more sadly, so I guess sadlier, the width of the axels and the weight of the truck prevented it from being compatible with the Hot Wheels launcher. Instead it threw the truck into the air, causing it to tumble until it finally crashed to a halt.

C-4 Hamster

So I was walking away from Wondercon, my day essentially over, when there was this dude selling stuff on the street off a towel. All for $1 or $3. So I picked up his last C-4 Hamster... because dude, it's a Hamster with C-4 strapped to it.

It's from the Death JR. line of... I don't know. The box just has Death JR. prominently featured on it, and I remember that comic book and video game as something that almost took off back in the day. The box itself is pretty cool, it's designed to look like a crate and it has this warning sign on it.

That's pretty funny. Also funny, this is a toy of a hamster strapped to C-4 explosives.

Podcast Question Post

Mario, CounterFett, AJ, and I will be recording episode 4 of the Articulated Monster toy podcast this weekend. If anyone wants to send in a listener question for us to discuss, please leave it in the comments to this entry or e-mail us at articulatedmonster@yahoo.com If you're curious, the topic of the discussion for episode 4 is Batman Toys.

Hot Wheels: VW Bug, Dairy Delivery, Classic Caddy

Hey, Wondercon vendors were selling Hot Wheels, and then I bought some! Let's do a run down. VW Bug

Seriously, who doesn't want a Hot Wheel of a VW Bug? Especially one that looks like it was vandalized by a retro-80's discotech.

Dairy Delivery Won't lie to you, I only got this because it has "Got Milk" printed on the side. Who knew Hot Wheels was into a corporate sponsorship with the Milk Council? At least they put it on a milk truck, which makes sense. Although I would totally buy a Hot Wheel of a muscle car with "Got Milk" pinted on it. Classic Caddy Classy! I got this so I could send it down a Hot Wheels ramp and then do loops. Because damn, it looks like the car of a rich dude who comes from old money. And he's got a chauffer named "Bentley." So pretty much I'm saying an old rich guy from any movie made in the 80's.

Sarah Jane Smith and the Graske

Look what I found for $5! Man, I love conventions. This is a two pack of Doctor Who characters, but it's from the Sarah Jane Smith Adventures line. SJS Adventures is a kids show (a lot of it is on the level of Power Rangers) which is a spin-off of Doctor Who that follows Sarah Jane Smith and a bunch of local teenagers as they solve mysteries involving aliens. But unlike the Torchwood figures, all these figures are made by the same company that does the Doctor Who figures so they're actually in scale!

First up is Sarah Jane Smith, a companion of the 4th and 5th Doctors. (Edit: right, 3rd and 4th Doctros, ugh, gotta stop writing these when I'm exhausted.) She started hanging out every now and then with 10, and once met 11. This is her in her... I guess in her fifities or late forties. Either way she's got that more mature look that is different than her look from the 70's. Of the three different versions of Sarah this has the least garrish looking outfit. The articulation is almost identical to the Doctor Who figures and if you didn't know better, you'd swear it was from that toy line. The same could be said of the Graske. While a smaller figure, it is surprisingly articulate, with 14 points of articulation.

The Graske are... well I don't know. They've made minor cameo appearances in some Doctor Who episodes, but they weren't fully used until the Sarah Jane Adventures, which I don't watch because I'm a grown ass man and I don't watch shows where adults shove a bunch of teenagers into situtations so they can save the world and be identifiable with today's youth market. Both figures are awesome, and work 100% with my other Doctor Who figures, so I'm loving this set.

Although it would be nice to know how anyone is supposed to hold that weird mini-computer palm pilot accessory. Since the Sarah Jane Smith figure in the regular Doctor Who toyline is so hard to find, this was more than a great substitution, since it comes with a Graske, an alien not available to the regular toyline.

Lego Minifigures: Viking Frankenstein's Monster, Wolfman

Continuing on, these guys are pretty awesome.

Viking: Is a viking. Yeah. Good figure though.

Frankenstein's Monster: Why doesn't frankie get an accessory? His head thing doesn't count. They all have hair.

Wolfman: Really? Wolfman gets a bone? Because he's a wolfman, not a dog. And dogs are the ones obsessed with bones. I'm also a little disappointed that this doesn't use the classic wolfman Lego head piece, which was a piece molded to look like a wolf.

Lego Minifigures: Cavalier, Hockey Player, Punk Rocker

Cavalier: I was originally going to get 3 and try to do a 3 Musketeers thing, but I decided it was too expensive for what it was. However this is a really good figure. The hat is awesome.

Hockey Player: I don't like hockey, why did I get this? Other than the fact that by wearing a hockey uniform this dude looks like a low level flunky for a supervillian.

Punk Rocker: The guitar is pretty neat, but the gem of this figure is the mohawk. It fits onto the head piece, not using the traditional stud method but instead, since the punk hair is rubber, a circle is placed into the hollow crater atop the lego minifigure head. Also, for a punk guy, dude seems to be wearing way too much Ed Hardy.

Staff Strike Batman

Man you gotta love those pointless Batman toy variants. Fortunately once you take off the staff strikers, or whatever they're called, the toy becomes a straight Batman figure. With no silly colors or whatever added to his costume. Pure black and whatever color his utility belt is.

It's a good representation of the Dark Knight movie costume, with the bat insignia barely visible, what with it being black on black. It features a cloth cape (which is great since I hate plastic capes on toys) and also a hole in that cape. At first I thought I had ripped it when I was opening it. But based on the placement and symmetry of the cut, I deduced that it is a hole built into the figure in order to allow back pack accessories plug into the hole on the figure's back. Now whose the world's greatest detective? So what possessed me to buy a Dark Knight toy a good 3 years after the movie? Well it's because the 5 inch figures from this line are in almost perfect scale with the 5 inch Doctor Who toys. Which means... CROSSOVER!