Could it be....Gremlins?

A couple months ago I found this sweet simple 1984 3 POA LJN Gizmo at the flea market. A couple weeks ago I found the purple Tootsietoy Gremlin. Not sure of the date on the Tootsietoy, but it has to be mid to late seventies.

The AMC Gremlin is a car you either hate or hate. Actually, one of my 'holy grails' is a Gremlin with a 360 V-8. Because you know that S.O.B. hauls ass. I once drove a friend's AMX and damn near killed the both of us swo I can attenst to the power-to-weight ratio of these bad-boys.

Anyways, I don't collect a lot of toy cars, but my Dad does, so when I found this purple Tootsietoy Gremlin at the flea market for fifty cents I couldn't say 'no.' From the model itself to the color to that seventies sticker, this is a product of it's time and a toy that just won't get made today.

I love this thing so much I'm half tempted to keep it for myself. But seeing as how when my dad passes away I'm set to inherit the bulk of his toy car collection, well I suppose it can hang out at his house for now.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Warduke Action Figure by LJN.

I finally own a Warduke action figure!

He has a little wear but is in pretty good condition. And he only cost me a dollar! To top it off, I used to have his sword, which I got along with some random toy find. I need to dig into my stuff and see if I still have it.

After a little research, I discovered this version is the 'Battle-Matic' Warduke, because he has a lever on his back that makes his sword arm go up and down. Keen!

Probably the most iconic action figure of the entire 1980s LJN AD&D toyline, Warduke somehow evaded my grasp back when he was originally available.

I wasn't into Dungeons and Dragons at the time (I'm still not) but I did own a couple of the toys: namely the Fire Elemental and Bullywugs of the Bog. I was also into the Dragonriders of the Styx action figure line, and had the Wizard and Dragonman. So why didn't I ever get my hands on Warduke?

My only guess is that I never saw him on the rack, because if I had I would have grabbed him in a nano-second!

Warduke is pretty much the perfect Medieval Fantasy/Sci-fi amalgam that permeated toy store shelves in the early eighties. The mysterious glowing red eyes, the dragon-winged helm, the mix of equal parts barbarian and knight. What's not to love?

My intern also says he is a loving and attentive Manny!

"I'm so embarraaaAAAH DID YOU JUST PEE ON WARDUKE?!?! Sigh. Let's go get a nappy for your widdle bumcheeks."

Thundercats Week :: Mumm-Ra

Thundercats Week wraps up (haha get it?) with Mumm-Ra!

Mumm-Ra, a mummy with the power to not be a mummy sometimes, is the sworn enemy of the Thundercats. Why would a mummy be an enemy of cats, you ask? Have you ever seen what a cat can do to a roll of toilet paper? Now imagine being wrapped inside that roll of toilet paper!

As a child, Mumm-Ra watched as his parents (his daddy and...wait for it...his MOTHER...) were brutally torn apart by a pack of wild Siamese, and swore from that day forth to get angry and buff every time cats were around.

This Mumm-Ra action figure originally came with some weapons, a flashlight type thingamajig that lit up his eyes and his pet doggy named Mumm-Rover or Ma-Mutt or Ravage or something like that. I don't know, I barely remember that part of the cartoon either, but I know as well as Mr. Cool that every cartoon character of the eighties needed a pet sidekick. And since dogs hate cats (hey, they were finally on to something!) Mumm-Ra got a dog.

Well that does it for Thundercats Week. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed putting it together, which wasn't all that much to be honest.

Just kidding! It was good for me too.

Thundercats Week :: Cheetara

Somewhat appropriate for Catwoman Purrrsday, today's Thundercats Week entry is none other than the genuine cat woman herself: Cheetara!

Cheetara is the real reason I picked up the Thundercats lot I've been reviewing this week, because I've never actually seen a Cheetara action figure in person. And because they were cheap and gave me an excuse to create a themed week of entries on this here blog.

She's a little roughed up, and appears to have had her head re-attached with glue at some point in her illustrious career, or maybe it's just a little cracked. But hey, she's a leotard clad cheetah chick, so we can overlook the flaws, right?

Tune in tomorrow - same Thundercats Week time, same Thundercats Week channel.

Thundercats Week :: Panthro

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Harley Qwednesday to bring you continued Thundercat Week coverage...starring Panthro!

I've owned Panthro in the past. Not as a kid, but as an adult. I am pretty sure I sold him off a while ago...now I have him again. Thus is the life of a toy collector.

Panthro was of course my favorite Thundercat back in the day. He looks like a badass wrestler (he even has the championship belt) and swings clawed nunchucks and doesn't wine like Lion-O. What's not to love?

There's more Thundercats Week tomorrow, kitties. Stay tuned.

Thundercats Week :: Vultureman

 Vultureman was a Thundercats villain, because as we all know...birds are natural enemies of cats?

Whatever. He's a pretty ugly cuss, as Vultures are apt to be. When I found him at the flea market I was worried he may be missing his wings, as my memory of Vulutreman was thin at best. But no, he has no wings. Maybe he should be called Manvulture instead, then? I don't know. I found him sans weaponry, but he does have that shiv molded onto his lapel, so I suppose that's enough blade to handle a bunch of Mancats, right?

Tune in tomorrow as Thundercats Week continues!

Thundercats Week :: Grune the Destroyer

Let's kick off Thundercats Week with the Thundercat figure/character I know the least about: Grune the Destroyer.

When Thundercats were new I watched the cartoon but did not pursue acquisition of any of the toys. Apparently I missed the episode with old Grune here, because he sparks zero awareness in my 'stuck at age ten' mind.

In fact, I know so 'nothing' about this guy that I have indeed seen him at the flea market in the past and have passed on him due to my total lack of knowledge of who he was.

I got him this time as part of the lot of old TC characters I picked up, even though he's a little rough and has no weapons. But lo and behold, I actually own one of his weapons already...a mace found along with this guy over a year ago. Now I just have to find his mace in my boxes of toys and accessories and reunite them!

Until then, Grune will have to just get by on looks alone.

I do know there's a swell new version of him out there in the new Bandai toyline, and I will probably seek him out someday.

Tune in tomorrow for another sweet Thundercats action figure!

Thunder Thunder Thundercats Weeeeeeek!

I had no intentions of going to the flea market this morning, with last night's heavy rains and looming clouds overhead this A.M. But I went anyways, and it was worth it as I found a handful of original Thundercats toys. In addition to my Thundercats nouveau Wileykit and Wileykat sent to me recently by Soundwave810 of Confessions of a Plastic Junkie, I now have a nice little collection of Thundercats on hand.

So I decided to make this week THUNDERCATS WEEK! Keen, right?

Stay tuned, ToyRuffians, for a week full of these guys you see right here.

Taken down by a twenty cent Tygra!

Alright, I'm an honest chap. So I have to admit I failed Meany B's stupid 28 Day Challenge yesterday.

I tried, I really really tried not to buy any toys for the whole month of February. But when I spotted this original Thundercat Tygra from 1985 at the swap meet, and the girl selling him said she'd take a quarter, I looked all around and couldn't see my girlfriend anywhere - you know, so she could buy him for me and I could stay true and honest to Chunky B's Challenge. Loophole? Maybe, but whatever.

I then dug in my pocket (an automatic reflex when at the swap meet) and dug out all my money - a dime and two nickels.

The chance to own a cheap Tygra AND haggle five cents off the asking price was just too much for my weak soul to bear. I asked if she'd take twenty cents for him and she said yes.

Totally worth it.

Tygra has a switch on his back that allows him to scratch the eyes out of his enemies. Or 'Seig Heil'. I'm not entirely sure of his political leanings, to be honest. He has a couple spots of paint wear but is otherwise in pretty good condition for a 25 year old Thundercat. And with an all new Thundercat cartoon and toyline coming soon, I'm glad to have one more original cat to add to my collection (the only other one I own being Panthro.)

Maybe I'll see if I can make it the rest of the month without buying another toy. I mean, I did only spend twenty cents - I should get some sort of pass or something! People lose more than twenty cents worth of change every time they sit on their couches, it's not like I bought a Shogun Warriors Stormtrooper or anything!

And besides, my most needed toy of the past couple weeks is already in my hands, but more on that tomorrow. Stay tuned, Toyruffians!