Showing posts with label 80s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 80s. Show all posts

8/14/16

BOOM! Bring the NOISE!

In addition to all the two hundred and fifty or so other things I'm actively collecting, I've recently started a collection of Boomboxes, or Ghetto Blasters. I don't have anything terribly fancy or rare or otherwise incredible so far, because my prerequisite to adding it to my collection is that it has to be cheap and found in the wild. And have the cord. I ain't made of money and I am not about to spend fifty buck on D batteries!

Anyways, today I found a sweet Toshiba RT-8046 which is awesome in a handful of ways. First off, it's pink. PINK! Second, it's the exact model I had as a kid (albeit mine was black.) Third, it's complete with cable and battery cover (these are the two things generally missing from a boombox when you find them at a garage/yard/rummage sales.) It's in beautiful condition and works perfectly; and lastly, it cost me a dollar!

My collection started with this '85 Sanyo, which I found at the Goodwill last year. They announced over the loudspeaker '50% off electronics' and my wife said 'hey, go check the electronics section and see if there's anything we need' and dammit, I needed this thing! It was around $7 full price, so I got it for $3.50. It was then and there that I decided to make an effort to collect pre-1990 boomboxes. I have a third boombox that my parents picked up for me at a garage sale, but it's a 1990 model, so it doesn't count.

7/9/08

Double Header

Two headed monsters were all the rage in the eighties. Imperial released a couple two-headed dragons, there were a couple two-headed Transformers (a Monsterbot and a Terrorcon spring immediately to mind) and I am sure there were many many more from all those crazy toy lines spawned from half hour commercials...err I mean cartoons.

Probably the most famous of two-headed characters was Masters of the Universe's very own Two-Bad.



Two-Bad is a pretty unique figure for an original MOTU. As was tradition, most Master of the Universe figures shared parts (legs, arms, torsos) between characters. As far as I am aware, Two-Bad's only "shared" component is his belt/fuzzy drawers region. (Just don't ask who he shares them with. HAHAHHAAA! I made a funny!)

He looks as though two separate monsters were squished together to form one powerhouse of evil. I'm not aware of his character's original MOTU storyline, but I'm pretty sure this was exactly the case in the MOTU cartoon of the early 2000's.

His legs and arms are unique to each "side" and his torso, having to host two heads, is completely unique as well, with his armor/chest-plate being molded on instead of removable like most other MOTU.

His "action feature," another staple of the original Masters of the Universe line, is also unique and quite amusing.

"Mom liked me best."




POP!

When you pull back on either arm and release it, a spring action allows Two-Bad to punch his opposite head in the nose! HA! That's just genius toy design right there. I never had Two-Bad as a kid, but found this guy at a flea market recently and am glad I did. Every now and again you just want to pop someone in the nose, but sadly that behavior doesn't fly in polite society. I suggest you get a Two-Bad figure and stick him on your desk at work. He's cooler than a stress ball or that ugly squeezy guy with pop out eyes. He's a one man barroom brawl.

And since this is an article about two headed creatures, I figured it ought to contain two characters. Because I'm silly like that.

So let us go from the most famous 80s two-headed creature to the most infamous. The Go-Bot Rock Lord Sticks 'N Stones:


From Wikipedia:

Rock Type: Anthracite (aka coal) and Magnetite

Bio: "Sticks 'n Stones are living proof that two heads are worse than one. They're constantly at odds with each other. But give them a single purpose-destroying good rocks-and they become an awesome fighting force. The very sight of them charging into battle with their Cactus Club and Double Duty mace is enough to send enemies flying home!"

Okaaaay.

First, let me say that I loved the Rock Lords as a kid. But...wow...what a lame idea. Creatures (not always robots...some were robots, but some were humanoid, and some were monsters) that "transformed" into...rocks.

Rocks.

And rarely were they convincing rocks.

Often they looked less like a rock and more like a monster in a yoga pose. But somehow they were cool, and I had quite a few. None have survived to still be part of my collection to this day (unless they're disguised as rocks out back, but you won't find me digging them up even if they were.)

Okay, that last part is a lie. I love toys, even the corny ones.

But Sticks N' Stones (ugh - even his name is lame!) was also part of a flea market find and therefore he has somehow defied all odds, as well as good taste, to become one of Toyriffic's finest once again.


"Ewww....you almost stepped in it." "Dang it...you forgot to put Panthro out last night!!!" "Did not!" "Did too!""Did not!" "Did too" "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did not!" "Did too!"


1/9/08

Wait a minute, Doc. Ah... Are you telling me you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?




Johnny Lightning released this 1:64 scale Back to the Future DeLorean a few years back. One of the coolest movie cars of all time, and a spot on accurate casting! How cool is it to have a 1:64 die cast time machine? The playability is limitless! Park it next to your plastic dinosaurs or your Star Trek spaceships - it fits right in!


My only regret is that I didn't buy a dozen of these when they were released. I could customize one with white walls, one with train wheels, one with folded over flying wheels...


If I could only get my hands on a flying, time traveling train, I'd be in heaven.