AMP Episode 39: Plastic Deodorant

The latest episode of the Articulated Monster Podcast is up. Download it from talkshoe, iTunes, or use this widget to listen to it!.

 

This week AJ and April join us as we talk about upcoming minimates, the just revealed Hot Toys Joker 2.0, and who we would cast as the bad guys in a theoretical He-Man live action movie. Also, hear AJ's reaction when he finds out we've renamed the news segment to "The News Orifice."

Oh, and we reference this Dark Knight coloring page I drew a long time ago with MSPaint.

Series 10 Minimates (TRU Exclusive)

Hey, Toys R Us Series 10 minimates are out. I didn't pick up the characters I already had, which is half the wave, but the two Toys R Us Exclusives were interesting and unique enough that I quickly picked them up.

Hey look, it's X-Force versions of Rictor and Boom-Boom! Since I've already got Shatterstar and Cannonball from that era, I wanted to fill out the team because I'm a collector and I'm insane. This was my favorite costume for Boom-Boom (also known as Boomer, Meltdown, Time Bomb, and Tabitha Smith). But, you know, I love a lot of costume from the 90's. I didn't even know Rictor was a character until well into my twenties. I mean, I like the character now that he's in X-factor, but I had no idea he ever wore a character like this. In fact if the package didn't tell me this was Rictor I would have assumed he was a generic 90's character from an X-men comic.

Next up is a two pack of Mirage and Magma, two New Mutants characters. Mirage completes the original team from New Mutants #1 and Magma is a well remembered New Mutants character than I'm not familiar with but has some sort of lava/fire powers. For some reason she comes with the Frankie Nova fire hair, but doesn't have the necessary socket in her hair or head for the peg on the hair to attach to. So I don't know what's going on there.

Incidentally I passed on all of the Amazing Spider-Man movie minimates because 1)the exclusives were kinda dulls and 2) they looked nothing like the actors. If I get a minimate of a character played by Emma Stone or Dennis Leary minimate, they better at least convey the essence of Emma Stone and Dennis Leary. If they're not comic based and don't look like the actors then they just look like random civilian minimates, and I'm not paying for that without the most amazing accessories in the world.

Astronaut

When the Astronaut was first shown, I wanted one. Forget that it's an action figure of the Impossible Astronaut from Doctor Who and it's still a really good action figure of an Astronaut. And considering Doctor Who figures' recent upgrades in articulation, that means something. (To me anyway. Ball joint shoulders!)

They even revealed that when you flip the visor up you get to see the head of the little girl inside the suit. I wanted one of these so bad.

But then they showed off another wave and an Astronaut variant! This time the visor flips up to reveal adult River Song, looking surprisingly happy. The close up shot makes her look like she has crazy eyes, but really, her head just looks really small... Totally not in scale, but they had to get her head into the same space they allocated for a child's head. Ah well, he head still looks better than the River Song that came with the Pandorica.

Wolverine's Chopper Showdown

I thought it was coll when they announced the Marvel Lego sets, but I was wary about buying any of them because licensed Lego sets are usually disappointing when you consider how much they cost. For $20 you get a couple figures, maybe one of which is a character you actually want, and some sort of vehicle which is less robust than the vehicles you get in the Lego City line. 

Fortunately the first X-men Lego set features a pretty nice looking helicopter. I could see this as something from a low cost Lego City vehicle. And it comes with two minifigures I wouldn't mind owning, Wolverine and Deadpool. I think Magneto's a little overused in comics and as a result he's not my favorite X-men character, but if you were going to do an X-men set I can see why he was included.

I like how they tried to simulate Magneto's magnetism powers by giving him a metal plate to float on, but dude, he doesn't need to stand on a metal plate in order to fly. Wolverine's claws are a bit, meh. I understand why they did it like this. And I've noticed they've reused the piece with the Lego Wolfman in the new Monster Hunters series.

But really, I only got this set for the minifigs, and I only wanted the minifigs for the same reason I get the weirder minifigs in the collector's line. To see them interact with disparate Lego creations. Hence: Wolverine in Space!

And since I recently picked up a Deadpool minimate, I though I would be interesting put it next to the Lego Deadpool for comparison. The minimate has more elaborate paint, better accessories and more articulation. The Lego is a Lego. The Lego stud on his head makes him look like he's wearing a beanie or a ski-cap. Which of the two is superior depends on what you prefer. Personally I give the advantage to the minimate. But I would.

AMP Episode 38: Mario Needs to Buy April Things

Hey everyone, the latest episode of the Articulated Monster Podcast is up. This week we our friend April, an artist out of San Jose, joins our conversation. We talk about SDCC exclusives, Hot Toys Black Widow, and throw around ideas for who should be cast in a He-Man movie. We only go over He-man and the Masters this week. Next week we'll come up with ideas for Skeletor and the Skeleteers.



And ignore the Techno Music if you can. It was an in-joke. Actually I'm not 100% sure how the background music is working. Should I drop it? Keep it? Feel free to give me your input.
And if you subscribe to us on iTunes, don't forget to leave us some feedback, won't you?

Avengers vs. X-men minimate fan poll

Can anyone else vote on the Toys R Us Avengers vs. X-men minimate fan poll? I can't, but I wonder if I should try again later in the day/week.

Unlike last year's Heralds of Galactus poll, I don't really have a horse in this race. Picking 4 out of 6 minimates for a box set is less exciting if I've already got minimates of most of the characters already. So the new costumes they're wearing better be impressive. I'll just vote for whatever looks cool. But first I need to see better pictures of the prototypes.

I feel like I'm probably going to pick the ridiculous anti-Phoenix Iron Man armor. Also the Phoenix powered X-men look like they might be groovy.

Joseph Stalin

There's something in my head that won't let me buy an action figure of a living historical figure if the atrocities they committed are recent enough that joking about them wouldn't get you a shout of, "Too Soon!" Joseph Stalin is not one of those people.

One of history's greatest monsters, and King's Toys made an action figure of him in the 1:6 scale. Then someone was selling a loose version for cheap on ebay and I picked it up even though it was nude. However that person was also selling the clothing in an alternate auction, so I picked up what I thought was his most iconic outfit. No shoes though, bastard can go barefoot.

I'm not certain how I want to pose this guy. Preferably in a way that takes the piss out of him. Because making fun of Stalin is hilarious.

Hello comrade, can you spare change so I can eat cupcakes?