Holy Hell's Angel Dollies, Batman!

We went to a couple school rummage sales this morning, and at the second stop I found this Mego Batcycle and Mego Joker too!

My intern helped me with today's photo-shoot whilst sipping her smoothie. It's how we roll.

Neither of these are in pristine condition, but they are in surprisingly good condition. The Batcycle has broken handlebars (the right handle is completely missing) and Joker's right hand is barely hanging on, not to mention his missing jacket and shoes. The batcycle has plenty of scuff marks but surprisingly many (if not all) of it's original stickers too. And while Joker is missing his jacket and shoes (which can be replaced via the aftermarket) his bodysuit is in very clean shape.

And the piece-du-resistance...they were only fifty cents each!

Did I mention that my intern helped me with the photo shoot?

It's actually pretty funny having a muscle-shirted Joker driving the Batcycle! I can imagine Joker tearing off his sleeves as he speeds away on his stolen vehicle! "HAHAHAHAHA Seeya later, cheesy rider!"

The details of this find are all a blur to me, I was so excited! It is very rare nowadays to find Mego in the wild, and even more rare to find them so cheap. The last time it happened for me was when I found a Mego Robin for five bucks, and that was nearly four years ago.

As for today's find, there was a corner of the school gymnasium 'dedicated' to toys, which is to say there was a space on the floor with toys spread about (read: dumped) and kids meandering (read: wallowing) within the pile. I don't remember if I spotted Joker first, or the Batcycle, but when I did I nearly plotzed! It wasn't until a few minutes of perusing the rest of the mess that I discovered the side-car too!I'm so ignorant of Mego I wouldn't have known (but should have known intuitively) that it even came with a sidecar, so thank the maker I found it and reunited the two halves.

I looked and looked, but could find no sign of any other Mego goodness.

My intern, ladies and gentlemen!

"Booorn freeeeeeeee!"

"Sleeves? Where we're going, we don't need sleeves."

"Hey Batsy! I left you a little gift in your sidecar HAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAAAA!"

Dolly lovers rejoice! Repro 8" Megos from Figures Toy Company coming soon!

ToyNewsInternational is reporting that the toy company Figures Toy Company will be releasing reproduction Batman, Robin, Joker and Riddler Mego dolly 'action figures.'

These dollies are currently available for pre-order with a scheduled release date of August 2013. $24.99 each - not a bad price considering what an original Mego version of any of these will set you back - unless you can luck out on a $5 Robin like I once did.

Go to their website - FiguresToyCompany.com - for more info!

Figures Toy Company has plans to re-release a whole slew of Mego Batman themed characters, as well as '66 Batman themed dolly action figures too! Okay, I admit, I'll be trying to get a Batgirl and Catwoman for sure!

Press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Figures Toy Company to Release Retro 8 and 12 inch Action Figures based on Batman TV Series, Retro Batman, Dukes of Hazzard, Evel Knievel, Conan The Barbarian, Tarzan, Dallas TV Series, Gilligan’s Island and a Talking Barack Obama figure

Tampa, Fl- 4-16-13

Figures Toy Company, after having success with KISS action figures is proud to be introducing the following new action figure lines: “Batman 1966 Classic TV Series”, “Retro 8 Inch Batman”, “Dukes of Hazzard”, “Evel Knievel”, “Conan The Barbarian”, “Tarzan”, “Dallas TV Series” and “Gilligan’s Island”. These figures will have cloth clothing, 16 points of articulation and accessories.  Figures Toy Company will also introduce a talking President Barack Obama 7 inch figure.

Batman 1966 Classic TV Series
CFO Anthony Balasco states, “It has been my understanding that the collectors community would enjoy collecting retro 8 inch and 12 inch action figures based on the “Batman 1966 Classic TV Series”.  When we saw that the rights were settled between the involved party’s we immediately became interested in acquiring the license”. We are proud to say that the collectors will be able to enjoy a vast selection of characters that have never been available before.  Our head sculpts will look life like and the cloth costumes will be highly detailed.  Series 1 will include Batman, Robin, The Riddler & The Joker.  Future series will include The Penguin, Catwoman, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Egghead, King Tut, Mr. Freeze, Shame, Bookworm, Mad Hatter, Batman (with removable cowl), Robin (with removable mask), The Joker in prison baseball outfit, The Joker in opera outfit, & The Joker in grey suit.  All Batman 1966 Classic TV Series figures will be available in both 8 inch & 12 inch starting early Fall 2013.

Batman Retro Action Figures
These action figures are exact reproductions of the original ones that were produced by Mego Corp back in the 1970’s.  Series one will include Batman, Robin, The Riddler & The Joker.  Future series will include Penguin, Catwoman, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Batgirl and even more characters that Mego never released.  Available in 8 inch only.

Rejoice, dolly lovers, and raise a tiny cup of tea in honor of this news!

via Toynewsi and FiguresToyCompany.com

China Girl of Oz

My oldest daughter and I went to see Oz: The Great and Powerful last weekend, and we both really enjoyed it. It was a fun romp through a familiar world over the rainbow, with great effects (we saw the 2-D version because I prefer 2-D, but I can imagine some of the 3-D effects must have looked great!) and touching performances throughout. Not as clever as the original books, not as cheesy as the classic Wizard of Oz movie, and not as perfect as Return to Oz (a personal favorite) but a brilliant Oz outing nonetheless and one I hope re-ignites the franchise and allows us to return to Oz again and again in years to come.

And wouldn't you know it - as it turns out, my favorite character in the movie just happens to be a doll!

China Girl or China Doll - I don't remember how exactly they ever referenced her in the movie - is a precocious little doll made of China from the Land of Oz's, yup, you guessed it: China Town. Voiced by Joey King (who also played young Talia Al-Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises) China Girl joins up with our band of merry travelers in much the same vein as Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion do in the original story. And although she's made of porcelain and a little bit chipped and cracked, our little China Girl isn't nearly as helpless as she seems.

I won't give any of the story away, but I was holding back tears a few times; I think every father of girls feels like his daughters are fragile precious little China Dolls, so the character really hit me close to home.

Anyways, after the movie (and when my daughter wasn't around) I ran out and bought her the China Girl doll (by TollyTots, a division of Jakks Pacific) from Toys R Us to give her this Easter. The doll is plastic, not China, although there is a hundreds-of-dollars real China version out there in the world. This one retails for about $20 and is 'life size' and super cute, very well detailed with faux cracks and chips and looking like she stepped right off the movie screen.

My daughter and I had seen the doll in the store before the movie, so I know she'll like it. What I didn't know at the time was how sweet the character was and how much she'd touch my heart.

Go see the movie, you'll love it. Even if you just spend the time looking for little 'Sam Raimi' moments. I still don't know where he hid his Oldsmobile!

By the way, today is also said daughter's birthday, which is maybe why I'm being so mushy. Don't get used to it.

Finally, Happy birthday to my sweet little girl, who made me a daddy forever starting 11 years ago today.

Catwoman Purrrsday :: Sideshow Collecitbles 1:6 Scale Catwoman Figure

As reported here yesterday, Sideshow Collectibles revealed their new 1:6 scale expensive-dolly line-up at San Diego Comic Con this year, and soon Catwoman will be available for your dress-up and tea-party needs!

via MTV Geek

Harley Qwednesday :: Sideshow Collectibles Harley Quinn 1:6 Scale Figure

Sideshow Collectibles revealed their new 1:6 scale expensive-dolly line-up at San Diego Comic Con this year, and one of the first few to be released will be none other than Harley Quinn!

I don't know what that corset is all about, not sure I like it, but the face sculpt is pretty keen!

via MTV Geek

The bigger they are...the harder they Doll

This post goes out to my dolly lovin' bloggin' brethren. Specifically Reis, Colin, John, Jboy, and the MIA yet sorely missed Chunky B, Brian A and Brian B. I've given all these guys as much guff as humanly possible for their love of dollies and tea parties and the color pink. And they've all taken it pretty well. Although I often ponder whether or not Chunky B is still with us or if he was buried under an avalanche of Barbie Corvettes during a freak dollyvalanche in his dollroom in rural Texas.

I digress.

Gentlemen, this post is for you!

I bought a girl dolly:

I bought a girl dolly dressed in animal print.

I bought a Wonder Woman villain dolly.

I bought Cheetah.

"I bought a dolly, and I'm here to recruit you!"

I expect the comments section to light up with wit and hilarity; and maybe even some re-written song lyrics. Anything less will disappoint me greatly.

Come on, 'guys,' - let 'er rip!

Full genuine review to follow someday soon. I'll even include the best comments!

Poisunday Ivy :: Poison Barbie

I'm pretty sure my Mom owns this one. And probably so does John.

Catwoman Purrrsday :: Mego Catwoman Dolly

If you've never checked out The Mego Museum, you should. It is the greatest Mego resource on the internet! Go check it out and get yer dolly on!

Today I borrowed a handful of images of the Mego Catwoman that debuted in 1974 (hey, me too!)

* all pictures of Catwoman dollies courtesy The Mego Museum

This version of Catwoman's costume only briefly existed in the comics, premiering in '69 and running through to the mid seventies and not getting much (if any ) play since then; but it was apparently perfectly timed for Mego's designers to choose it for their dolly thereby cementing it's place in Catwoman history.

Although not a very recognizable costume to those outside the comic book world (or outside the dolly collecting circuit), this version of Catwoman's costume did appear briefly in a recent Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode, because that show is so goddamned awesome.

Catwoman Purrrsday :: DC Direct 1:6 Deluxe Catwoman on Sale!

Catwoman 1:6 Scale Deluxe Action Figure on sale at Entertainment Earth!*

Entertainment Earth now has DC Direct's 1:6 Catwoman on sale for only $56.90!

I know that's still a lot of money, more than I have to spend on a Catwoman dolly that's for sure, but it's a great savings over the original price of $84.99.

FYI: DC Direct's 1:6 Poison Ivy is also on sale for $56.90:

Poison Ivy 1:6 Scale Deluxe Action Figure on sale at Entertainment Earth!*

*Affiliate Links

New Monster High Classmates coming soon

My daughter is a huge fan of Monster High dollies.

Chances are, so are you.

Don't try to deny it!

Anyways, here are a couple upcoming releases and SDCC sneak peeks that look like fun for boys and girls of all ages:

Toralei the Werecat.

Abbey Bominable, the Yeti.

Spectra Vondergeist, the ghost.

I think Abbey and Spectra may be hitting stores now. Not sure about Toralei's status. 


There were also a few prototype dolls shown at SDCC 2011. Not sure if these are upcoming or set for release or if the line will be failed by Mattel fail before they get here, but here's a glimpse...EDIT: Thanks to Rouise for letting me know there was a vote at SDCC and online for the next Monster High doll to be released in 2012, and Scarah Screams won! I'm sure the others will make their way to shelves sometime later.

Scarah Screams, daughter of the Banshee. This one is a must have for me. There, I said it!

Daughter of Arachne. Cool.

Headless Headmistress BloodGood. Wednesday Addams' headless doll trend finally takes off!

I'm sure my daughter will want Toralei but I think Scarah Screams is the coolest of the bunch!

Under the Sea

Do not adjust your set. You are indeed seeing an honest to goodness dolly here on Toyriffic. Not a Mego dolly or a GI Dolly for boys; an honest to goodness Monster High dolly for girls!

And NO, this is not my dolly! It belongs to my daughter. Really. According to my daughter she had been searching for Lagoona Blue for a long time. We spotted this 'daughter of the sea monster' this past weekend at Toys R Us, so I bought it for her 3rd grade graduation present. She then spent the evening on MonsterHigh.com, watching cartoons and discovering that there are actually Monster High novels, which she now wants to read! Now that she has Lagoona Blue she is looking forward to adding Clawdeen Wolf to her collection next.

Toyriffic totally supports monster themed dollies.

Action Figure or Doll?

The age old question that plagues toy collectors the world over reared it's ugly head again this evening. This time it was the girlfriend who posited the conundrum.

Actually she called an action figure a doll, and I had to school her on the finer points of toy definitions:

Doll: [dol] - noun: If the removal of pants is a component of a toy's play factor, said toy is a doll:  Hey Chunky B, did you see Brian's Lee Majors doll? It came with two pairs of sweat pants and one swanky leisure suit!

"Holy underwear - I don't even wear pants!"

Action Figure: [ak-shuhn fig-yer] - noun: A manly toy collected by manly toy collectors. Pants are non-removable. Often carries a weapon of some sort: Hey Bubba, your epic Batman action figure collection eclipses Reis' mere handful of Batmen, which are mostly bootlegs anyways. I'd wear a mask too if I were him!



"His Robin collection ain't nothin' to sneeze at either!"

The girlfriend then asked 'Who decided upon these definitions? Who is the authority?'

Well, moi, of course!

And now it is written, and so shall it be forevermore.

Amen.

(Oh yeah, toy collectors are also a fun group of folks who can really take a joke...I hope ;)  ) 

Harley Custom Qwednesday

People send me some of the coolest images for Harley Qwednesday. These custom dolls were made by a fellow named James Stevens, who used Bratz dolls to create a Gotham Sirens themed trio!

First up is our beloved woman of the hour Harley Quinn in a jack-in-the-box. Too cool!

Joining Harley on her misadventures is Poison Ivy.

And although this is Harley Qwednesday, I have to admit my favorite of the bunch is this Batman Returns Catwoman - there's just something about the simplicity of the design, and of course that wild hairdo depicting the last few scenes between Catwoman and Max Shreck.

Cool custom dollies, James! Thanks for sharing!

Happy Harley Qwednesday everybody!

I heart dollies :: I HATE DOLLIES

Do not adjust your monitors. It's true. I bought a dolly yesterday. NO I DIDN'T! Yes I did! NO! NO! I DID NOT!

I got a little birthday money this past weekend and had seen this Retro Action Two-Face at a local Toys R Us express last week. I seriously considered buying him at the time but didn't - I was lucky that he was still there when I returned. A lone Two-Face among a bunch of Batmans and Aquamans.

Apparently Black Manta is also part of this release, but there was no sign of him. And although I was tempted to get Batman, I could only get one and Two-Face is a way cooler toy - partly because he never actually appeared in the original Mego line this Retro-Action line is based upon.

He's also one of the best silver-age looking Two-Face toys ever made. Look at that suit!

Sweet tie, Dent. And look at that split face! So comic booky and awesome - I like the green! What a cool dolly.

I AM NOT A DOLLY! I AM AN ACTION FIGURE!

My pants are removable. I am a dolly. Case closed.

As many others have reported regarding these Retro Action dolls, my Two-Face dolly also has the hunched back and super loose hips these guys tend to suffer from. Fortunately for Two-Face, his clothes are thick enough to support the loose joints and cover the other physical maladies.

And I'm glad about that, because he's a very fun toy! Very old-school looking in both sculpt and toy design. Two-Face truly lives up to the 'Retro' moniker.

I am a changed man, people. NO I'M NOT! I love this dolly. IT'S CRAP! I really think Two-Face is a cool dolly toy and recommend him to everyone. I HATE HIM!

I will hug him and squeeze him and call him Harvey. I WILL KICK HIM AND STUFF FIRECRACKERS DOWN HIS PANTS AND CALL HIM AN AMBULANCE!