Secret Wars Triumvirate

When I was a kid I owned three Secret Wars action figures. I definitely wanted more, and remember looking at the cardbacks and Sears catalog for hours thinking how cool the other characters were. Especially Dr. Octopus. I really wanted him but never got him. I know, who ever thought Dr. Octopus was awesome? Probably just me.

Not sure who got me the three I owned, or how or why I even came about them - I don't know if they were Christmas presents or birthday presents or if I picked them out with my allowance or even if I got them all in one shot or if I got them on separate occasions. I just remember playing with them for hours and hours in my backyard and loving them all. The three I owned were the three characters heret: Iron-Man, Dr. Doom and Wolverine.

At the time, my comic book knowledge was rather limited, and my first exposure to each of these guys was through their Secret Wars action figures. I had no idea until many years later, for example, that Wolverine's claws were actually part of his body, I thought they just snapped on like the toy.

I finally have all three band members together again. Sadly I don't have Wolverine's claws or Doom's guns, but I can get over that since I got Wolverine from a thrift store and Doom from the flea market. I did buy Iron-Man a few years ago mint on card off eBay, so I do have his shield with the lenticular cards, but those were never anything I played with as a kid anyways so who really cares about those.

I love having these three together. They really bring me back to my childhood and the good times I had with these guys. If I were a comic book writer I would totally write an epic story that involved these three. And I would insist that the artist give Doom that garter belt!

Secret Wars Wolverine

As a kid I had a whopping three Secret Wars action figures and I loved them all: Wolverine, Iron-Man and Dr. Doom. I would play for hours on end in the woodpile in the back yard, where I could build caves and buildings and other strictures for my superheros to battle around and within.

I didn't hold on to those Secret Wars figures past childhood, but did pick up an Iron-Man a few years back, and do have a rough Dr. Doom as well. And now I have a really nice Wolverine thanks to a random bag-o-toys from a local thrift store!

Wolverine actually had some wear around his mask, but since it's black, I was able to sharpie it up and make it look much better.

Sadly he doesn't have his claws but I can live without them. When I was a kid, this Secret Wars figure was my only exposure to Wolverine, so I though his claws were just strapped on to his wrists in the comics the way they did so with the toy. It wasn't until years later that I discovered they came out of his hands!

Additionally, since my first exposure to Wolverine was this figure, I am overly fond of the brown costume and think it's his best look.

This is basically the best Wolverine action figure ever and I am beyond stoked to have found him again.

Wolverine was in a three dollar bag of random toys, mostly junk, but I would have paid three dollars for Wolvie alone! But I got some great other pieces too, including...

...a Secret Wars Captain America! I already have a cleaner version of this guy, so I've promised this one to a fellow collector. Side note: I HATE when action figures have that damn nose-rub missing paint sitch. One of my major toy pet peeves. Anyone have a cure? Skin-tone model paint or something?

Anyways, Cap is in pretty good shape, all things considered. And finding TWO Secret wars figs for three bucks is a pretty damn nice find.

But wait, there's more...

Super Powers Flash! And again with the damn nose-rub. ARRRGH! Wolvie had the nose rub too, but again, I had a black sharpie. Sadly I don't have a skin-tone sharpie!

Regardless, Flash is a pretty nice example and I dig him. His actin feature doesn't work well but who cares.

Even though I'm a DC fanboy now, I never owned any Super Powers figures as a kid. I have a handful today, and love finding them in the wild on the rare occasions that I do. Still need a Batman though!

What If...Peter Dinklage had become Weapon X?!?!

"It's alright to be little bitty!"

We've had this goofy little Mega Bloks Wolverine around for a while now. I picked him up at the flea market along with a similar Mega Bloks Captain America (no idea where he ended up, perhaps he ran off with Hydra).

"Say 'ello to my little fren'!"

I love this Wolverine despite the odd proportions that make him look even stumpier than, well, Wolverine. I only wish he were representin' his brown costume look, which is my favorite Wolverine costume.

Wolverine is compatible with Duplo sized building blocks. In my experience, Duplo blocks are pretty useless, as you can't really build anything intricate with them. But I'm not their target market.

"Who you callin' shorty, bub?"

Plastic Man BootLEGO by Sheng Yuan and Happy Memorial Day Weekend WOOHOO!

Memorial Day, in addition to the somber remembrance of those who have died in defense of our great nation, is considered by many the three day weekend launch of summertime. Which means BBQs!

So I built a LEGO BBQ. Just an unassuming (and terribly gaudy) BBQ, waiting quietly for someone to fire it up this Memorial Day weekend and slap some steaks on it's hot grill.

Or is it...?

Oh Plastic Man! What mischief are you up to now?

"HAW HAW HAW How do you like your BBQ, Wolverine?!?! I heard you like it like you like your women: with a big wiener!!!! HAW HAW HAW!!!"

The primary reason I purchased my recent bootleg LEGO minifigure haul (which I first discussed on my Ant-Man post) was to get this Plastic Man minifigure. I missed out an official version which was given away at Gamestop when you pre-ordered LEGO Batman 3 (I still don't even have that game!) and while I have considered picking one up off the secondary market (and probably will someday) I couldn't resist this Sheng Yuan bootleg version because it is so unique.

Like the LEGO version, the minifigure represents Plas in his current comicbook costume. Unlike LEGO's official version, this Sheng Yuan version has elongated legs and arms! A detail that really sets this guy apart and made him a 'must own' for a Plastic Man fan like me!

Another reason owning a building-block version of Plastic Man is a necessity for me is - like Plastic Man himself - the morphing possibilities are endless (or at least only limited to the red, black and yellow LEGO bricks I own!)

I originally set out to build Plas a vehicle body or something uninspired like that, but when I glanced over at my LEGO BBQ (which has been sitting around here since last Labor Day) I decided to recreate it as closely as I could with a Plastic-Man twist!

Wolverine also comes from the latest Sheng Yuan batch I purchased. He's the brown-costume Wolverine I prefer and he's pretty cool looking in this Sheng Yuan bootleg form. He's somewhat unique - Sheng Yuan made their own cowl design for this guy and didn't directly copy LEGO  (unlike the Decool bootleg that is in fact a direct copy of LEGO's version.)

Like with Ant-Man, Wolverine is incredibly wall-eyed under that cowl. But it looks good on him and that's where it will remain.

I've not yet acquired any bootleg Superman minifigures, but from what I've seen and read online, these bootleg companies have a hard time getting Superman's hairpiece (which Plas shares) correct. But it seems perfect in this instance, so perhaps they've gotten better at making that piece, or I got lucky with mine.

Regardless, I can't recommend this guy enough to any Plastic Man fan, or any minifigure fan for that matter - even if it's not Plas in his classic and iconic costume. You know you're just going to stick his head on random red/yellow/black builds anyways!

Playmobil Wolverine

When I found a set of Playmobil mutton chops in my Playmobil acquisitions, my first thought was of course 'I need to make a Playmobile Wolverine!'

Or at least an unmasked Wolverine aka Logan.

So I did, and it was cool, but THEN I learned that Playmobil actually makes Wolverine claws!!!

I think they are supposed to be a ninja or samurai accessory...but WOLVERINE CLAWS!!!!

So I got my hands on some and now I have an unmasked Wolverine Playmobil figure - with claws.

"I'm the best at what I do, and what I do is provide hours of imaginative playtime fun for the under-ten set."

SNIKT!

Of course I had to do an unmasked Logan, since there's nothing in the Playmobil repertoire that even resembles a Wolverine mask, but I tried to mix together clothing colors reminiscent of Wolverine's costume colors as best I could.

If I had the wherewithal, I would 3D print custom superhero masks and other accessories for Playmobil figures. I'm surprised no one is doing so already.

Sheng Yuan Heroes Assemble BootLEGOs: Beast, Red Robin, Galactus, Ant-Man and MORE!

Check out some incredible and unexpected bootleg LEGO minifigures - Heroes Assemble by Sheng Yuan - coming soon to eBay for cheap (or if you can't wait and want to pay a little more or buy in bulk, available now on AliExpress.)

This first batch may seem a little 'meh', until you get to the lower right hand corner. Yes, kids, that's Red Robin in BootLEGO minifigure form! Also shown is movie Hawkeye, yellow Deadpool, and Phoenix. Not sure how these will be bundled when they come to eBay, but I'll take any Marvel also-ran to get my hands on that Red Robin!

This next batch shows Beast and Ant-Man, along with Green Arrow and a masked brown costume Wolverine! None of these are 'must-haves' for me (I already have the Decool brown costume Wolverine) but I wouldn't mind owning all of them, so I'll wait and see how I feel or how they are bundled when they hit eBay.

Here's a batch that I will definitely try to get: Comic book Hawkeye, Galactus (!!!), Cyborg and Nova. That Galactus is just incredible and probably will never be seen in an official LEGO set.

Finally, Sheng Yuan has bootlegged the recent GameStop exclusive Plastic Man, a minifigure I would love to own. This batch also includes Daredevil, Loki and Magneto. If bundled in this manner, I may pass and just try to get an official LEGO Plastic Man, since none of the others really appeal to me (and since I already own a Decool version of that Magneto.) EDIT: I just noticed Plastic Man has elongated arms and legs, unlike the LEGO version. Looks like I will have to pick this one up after all!

These should be popping up on eBay really soon, so keep your eyes peeled. In my experience Sheng Yuan makes some top quality bootleg LEGO minifigures, and while many of these may be available in official LEGO form, some aren't and probably never will be.

More Decool Superhero BootLEGOs available now!

I discovered another sweet lot of Decool brand superhero BootLEGOs the other day that includes another Batman of Zur-En-Arrh as well as an Anne Hathaway The Dark Knight Rises Catwoman! Also included in the lot is a masked brown costume Wolverine, Storm, Magneto and TDKR Batman.

I ordered my set off eBay and they just arrived (I will do a more in depth post soon.) They can also be purchased from Aliexpress.

Like all other BootLEGOs they are not 100% LEGO quality but they are pretty close. Both Decool and Sheng Yuan are good bootlegs and I recommend them if you are looking for cheap alternatives to impossible to find or insanely expensive LEGO minifigures.

I was primarily sold on this set because of the TDKR Catwoman, a minifig you can't get in any official LEGO release. But having a masked brown costume Wolverine and yes, a second Batman of Zur-En-Arrh (because let's face it, who ever expected one official LEGO version, let alone a bootleg, let alone a SECOND BOOTLEG!!!!) pushed me right over to the Buy It Now button. Storm and Magneto and a Bale Batman are just icing on the cake at this point. And I got them all plus shipping for less than an official brown costume Wolverine LEGO minifigure would cost me!

We live in wonderful, interesting times indeed.

Decool Bootleg LEGO Superheroes and Heath Ledger Joker

I picked up this lot of Decool LEGO Bootleg minifigures for less than forty-five cents each shipped (CHEAP!) and they arrived today!

They are all very cool, but the reason I needed this grouping in particular was to get my paws on a Heath Ledger Joker minifigure!

Since LEGO themselves haven't made (and it's a safe bet to say 'never will make') a Dark Knight Joker minifigure, this guy is a great addition to the bootleg ranks and my minifigure ranks AND my Batman collection and proves that just because you're a bootlegger doesn't mean you can't have a good original idea once in a while.

Joker comes with a laser gun - not entirely movie accurate, but I'm sure I have some LEGO knives and lint that I can loan him.

"You wanna know how I got these scars? I stepped on a goddamned LEGO in the middle of the night and as I flailed in pain I fell face first through the living-room window!"

This set also came with an Avengers Black Widow based on one of her many movie appearances...

...Captain America...this looks to be a movie version of the good Captain as well...

...Phoenix...I believe this Phoenix is a copy of an limited edition SDCC Exclusive Phoenix minifigure from a year or two ago...

...Spider-Man...who looks to be based on the recent Amazing Spider-Man film...

...and Wolverine! Not sure which costume variant Wolverine this is, but it looks legit.

Quality is damn good for less than fifty cents each. The plastic is lower quality than LEGO and the paint apps aren't as crisp on their bodies (but the faces seem pretty good) and so far with all the bootleg minifigures I've grabbed, I can't complain. They all have accessories and bases (all of the accessories make sense beyond the Joker's silly laser gun) and Wolverine, Phoenix and Black Widow even have alternate expressions on the backs of their heads.

So far in my experience with bootleg LEGO minifigures, the companies Decool and ShegYuan appear to produce some decent quality toys. They aren't perfect, but they are cheap, and if you can get a minifigure that isn't even a part of any official line-up? Well that's 'win-win' in my book.

Until I contract lead-poisoning!

On the first day of December, the Flea Market gave to me...

Oh, California. Gas prices are insane. Living costs are through the roof. Want to own a home? Sure thing, Dr. Rich Moneybags, Esquire, with your double income and life savings you qualify for a loan on this nice little studio apartment. 500 square feet of pure luxury!

But the weather. Ahhh the weather. Perfect Flea Market weather year round. So here I am on December 1st, sweating in a t-shirt in the 70 degree sunshine, digging through other peoples' junk and buying nostalgia for a quarter.

Life, it's full of trade-offs.

Anyways, here's what I scored today - some or all of it may or may not be looked at in detail in the future, because it's my blog and I'll do what I please. But all of it is fun and deserves to be mentioned here, because it's quite the eclectic pile of loot.

Starting in the back we have a little Tomy wind-up toddler on a wagon. I remember these from when I was a kid, it's late seventies or early eighties. I'll have to look into it further.

Then there's Megavolt, a Darkwing Duck villain. He's supposed to have 'sparking' action - on his back is a wheel like a lighter with an internal flint. It's jammed, but I might be able to clean it up and make it work. Regardless, I do have a Darkwing Duck action figure already, so it's nice to have a villain for him to battle.

Next is a Funko 'Where the Wild Things Are' monster. Yay, another Funko! See, I told you I'd end up with more Funko! I'm sure this monster has a name, but that will require more research.

Next to him is 'Killer Bee', a TMNT original series ride-on figure/vehicle. He's missing all his accessories, and the headpiece to his electric chair, but is otherwise in excellent condition and is the first of these larger TMNT mutant rides that I have owned (of which I think there were two - this guy and a mosquito.) He's very cool, and will definitely get his own post soon.

In the middle is a Mega Bloks Wolverine and Captain America. These are Duplo sized and fit with those types of toddler sized blocks. I got these for my intern.

Next to those guys is a Skeleton Warrior, another first for my collection. He has one accessory, a knife and scabbard on his left leg. Otherwise he's in great shape minus all the other accessories he would have come with. I will have to look up his name too.

Lastly, in the front row is a Super Hero Squad Spider-Man and a little green plastic Aquaman from the eighties. I know I have seen him online before but I will have to do some research again to figure out his provenance.

Well, there you have it. A ridiculous pile of random ridiculousness, all costing less than one single new action figure. That's how I spent my December 1st. You can keep your white Christmas, but I am jealous of your reasonable cost of living!

The Captain and Tennille Wolverine

"Hey Wolvie, check it out...I'm wearing America's hat...aka Canada! HAHAHA!"

Another set of figures I bought myself for my birthday are these Playskool Captain America and Wolverine figures. These figures are Hasbro/Playskool's answer to Mattel/Fisher-Price's Imaginext line, and sadly they just don't live up to Imaginext.

I really wanted Cap and Wolvie here after picking up Spidey and Gobby a while back. While I'm glad I have them, Imaginext has set the bar high enough for me to be mildly disappointed too. First off: scale. Cap is much smaller, proportionally, than Wolverine. That ain't right! I could get over the height issue, though, if it weren't for the fact that Wolvie's head and feet are also scaled differently than Cap's. It's like they were sculpted by different people in different rooms.

Wolverine is the best of the two, although the paint apps are slightly shoddy. Minor issues, but Imaginext figures are so clean and shiny, so it's pretty obvious these Playskool heroes are a little sub par in comparison.

Cap is really bad, paint-wise. His cheeks and right eye are just plain sloppy. None of the lines/breaks in paint/plastic are clean or straight. He is a cute little figure though, and the fact that Playskool has sculpted details like his chain-mail and stripes etc is cool, as some of these details could have just been painted on or ignored entirely. His shield is sculpted on, which is okay and understandable for a pre-school action figure.

I'm loving all the Imaginext super hero themed figures, and will gladly chase after third and fourth tier characters and costume re-paints of guys like Batman if they keep it up. But I doubt I'll get too excited about more Playskool Heroes now that I have the big guns (Cap, Wolvie and Spidey) if the QC doesn't improve immensely.

"Nice claws."

Random Toy Pic: Plastic Man vs. Wolverine

"Come at me, bro!"

Of course we all know Plastic Man wins.

Feels Like the First Time

Other than needing to someday re-acquire a Secret Wars Wolverine action figure, I was pretty sure I had all the Wolverines I needed in my life. Then I saw this Marvel Universe First Appearance Wolverine and just had to add him to the collection!

I'm no big fan of his yellow and blue costume, preferring Wolverine's brown costume over any other. But I have to admit I do prefer the look of his original cowl over the hyper-exaggerated ears of subsequent cowls. The nose and whiskers are a neat touch as well.

Not much else to say about the figure; you either love this look or can do without it. I'm pretty sure all of the figure besides the head are previously released Wolverine parts, and he comes with nothing more than a base (which is nice...ARE YOU LISTENING MATTEL?!?!) He's as good if not better than most Marvel Universe figures quality wise and looks good on my desk at work.

One final note, his lips also look sort of Michael Keaton-esque to me. Imagine if Tim Burton had made a Wolverine movie in '89 instead of Batman? I'd like to visit that alternate universe someday!