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Reis' Action Figures Blog

By Reis O'Brien, About.com Guide to Action Figures

Name That Action Figure! July 10, 2009

Friday July 10, 2009

So far, it seems I have my work cut out for me as we have two serious action figure fanatics that really know their stuff! Last week's mystery action figure was correctly guess by Bubbashelby (who wasn't exactly sure, but narrowed it down) and then confirmed by Charles as the Cyberwoman action figure from Torchwood. Congratulations again to you both!

But don't let their towering knowledge of action figures scare the rest of you away. All you have to do is check in every Friday to take a stab at being the first to guess at that week's mystery figure. Who will be the one to knock Bubbashelby and Charles off their thrones? It could be you! You hear that fellas? I'm calling out for a challenge, so prepare yourselves.

The Cyberwoman action figure was released in the first wave of Torchwood figures based on the hit British TV series of the same name. She stands at 5" tall and was joined by the releases of Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and the Weevil. The popularity of the show seems to have leaked over into the action figures as the Cyberwoman figure is sold out at most online stores. Of course, I'm sure it helps that traditionally, women partially covered in what amounts to a chrome swimsuit are officially considered in the sci-fi fan circles as "hot."

Now on to this week's mystery figure! Think you know who it is? Then get those fingers typing and take a swing at the latest installment of Name That Action Figure!

Awesome Wonder Twins 2 Pack Packaging!

Thursday July 9, 2009

You know you're a full-blown action figure geek when you get all excited about brilliant action figure packaging. MAtty Collector has released a video on YouTube showcasing their stunningly genius package design for the forthcoming San Diego Comic Con exclusive Wonder Twin 2-pack, complete with flashing lights and voices of the characters.

The box comes in two parts, hinged together that allows collectors to fold the two sections together, making Zan and Jayna bring their clenched fists together in their classic power igniting pose, thus triggering the lights and making the sound chips start projecting their voices to bellow things like, "Form of water!' and, "Form of an eagle!"

Most SDCC action figure exclusives (and there seems to be a ton of them this year) are already destined to be hot commodities, but add to this an astounding package design like this and collectors are going to be clawing over each other to get their mitts on one.

Matty Collector's YouTube page.

Fun with Action Figures, Just Add Chipmunk!

Wednesday July 8, 2009

In the world of collecting action figures, it's easy to get caught up in the whole these-are-precious-collectibles attitude, thus finding yourself handling every figure, still sealed within their pristine packaging, like a curator of the Smithsonian handles an ancient priceless artifact. While this may be the impressive habit of many collectors, it's still wonderful to see someone having fun with their action figures and no one drives that message home better than Canadian collector, Chris McVeigh.

Chris, a professional illustrator, took a whimsical view in a recent personal project where he posed various Star Wars action figures in a park and patiently waited until real live chipmunks approached the display and then, like a hunter sighting his prey, he snaps a hilarious picture and solidifies his place as an internet sensation and one of the greatest fun-loving action figure collectors in the world.

Courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk website and Barcroft Media, these pictures baffle the mind with the absurd, yet immensely enjoyable, juxtaposition of pop culture pieces of plastic and adorable woodland creatures. This is one of those moments where I find myself asking, "Now, why didn't I think of that?!" I honestly spent a good 15 minutes looking over each picture and laughing like a fool, while trying to discern if these photos were actually Photoshopped collages. I've come to the conclusion, with the help of some online buzz, that these are the real deal. Still, I'm amazed at how McVeigh managed to get a Biker Scout on the back of a wild chipmunk!

To see the whole seires, visit the Telegraph.co.uk website and prepare to be mystified.

Name That Action Figure! July 3rd, 2009

Friday July 3, 2009

Congratulations to Charles for not only being the first to take a guess and then guess correctly, but hitting the nail on the head by naming the correct edition of last week's mystery figure! This is an example of some serious action figure devotion, my friends. I bow down to Charles' deep well of toy knowledge.

Last week's figure was indeed the G.I. Joe 5 Pack Flint. I honestly thought I would have stumped you all with that one, but once again, I have been thwarted. Flint was the Joe's shotgun-carrying Warrant Officer. According to Wikipedia, Flint has had no less than 15 different 3 3/4" figures made of him and 2 12" dolls. He was first released in 1985 with the Series 4 line of G.I. Joe figures from Hasbro. He was never my personal favorite, but I blame that on my innate aversion to berets.

Now on to this week's mystery figure. I hate to say it, but I think I've got you guys this time! You better know your figures well if you're going to take a a stab at this week's installment of Name That Action Figure!

Who's Bad? Two New Michael Jackson Figures Coming in July

Tuesday June 30, 2009

In honor of the passing of the King of Pop, the one and only Micheal Jackson, I thought it would be nice to point our dear readers toward two upcoming releases from toy-makers Yamato USA showcasing Jacko as seen in both his Bad and Thriller videos.

Now, technically, these aren't action figures, as they possess no articulation whatsoever, making them actually "figurines," but for this one time I'll make an exception now that he's doing doing the moonwalk in the sky. It would be hard to find any American who grew up in the '70s and '80s who didn't tap their foot to the numerous Michael Jackson hits, so for those of a collectible bent, they may find these figures just the thing to honor the man with one glittering glove.

Yamato originally released a Micheal Jackson Thriller Zombie figure which fans will remember from the groundbreaking dance scene from the music video. That figure is now one of the hardest collectibles to find and is cold sold out at most retailers. So don't miss the boat on the next two!

For more information on either the Bad or the Thriller figure, visit EntertainmentEarth.com. Now we just have to pray for a figure of Jacko as the Scarecrow from The Wiz!

Hot Toys Announce New 1/6 Scale Wolverine

Monday June 29, 2009

Word is spreading like wildfire around the various action figure blogs and forums about Hot Toys' announcement of their upcoming release of a beautifully detailed 1/6 scale Logan figure as depicted in the motion picture blockbuster, X-men Origins: Wolverine.

Like most of Hot Toys' figures, this one looks to be astonishingly detailed and movie-accurate, from the stitched, faux leather jacket complete with zippers all the way down to the four-day stubble on Hugh Jackman's chin!

Here's what Hot Toys had to say in their official announcement:

Watch out! He's jumping out from the big screen! The stocky and muscular man with shape claws, he is the X-men – Wolverine. Sculpted by Kojun and painted by JC Hong, Hot Toy proudly presents the most mouth-watering figure from the latest X-men movie franchise – "X-men Origins: Wolverine", starred Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine, this character is the most anticipated figure you have been waiting for! Let's take a little glimpse on this remarkable figure today! More pictures coming very soon...

For more information on this sure-to-sell-out figure, check back at the official Hot Toys website.

Name That Action Figure! June 26, 2009

Friday June 26, 2009

Congratulations to faithful reader and fellow action figure maniac (not to mention the #9 blogger in our Top 10 Action Figure Blogs), the one and only "Bubbashelby" for guessing correctly on last week's mystery figure. That figure was indeed Toy Biz's Xena action figure from the Hercules: Legendary Journeys line.

Xena, played by the butt-kicking Lucy Lawless, started out as a supporting character on the original Hercules television show, and became so popular in her own right, that she landed her very own show from 1995 - 2001.

We only got one guess last week, fortunately it was the right one, which makes me think that a.) last week's mystery figure was to hard, b.) you're all on Twitter or Facebook, or c.) all of you knew it was Xena and got so inspired that you ran out and bought every episode on DVD and haven't left your couches since. I'm going with the latter, as I like to think of myself as inspiring.

Now it's time for this week's mystery figure! I warn you, this one is going to be tough, and may require a little research. But I'm confident one of you action figure geniuses will get it. So take a look at the pic in the top right corner and get ready to Name That Action Figure!

Super Rare 1978 Star Wars Blue Snaggletooth Spotted

Tuesday June 23, 2009

A major part of action figure collecting is the victory of finding an ultra-rare figure. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's like the action figure gods have split open the heavens and rained down upon you the radiant light of collecting glory. Maybe I'm being over dramatic. Then again, maybe I'm not. Because it certainly felt like that when I spotted an original 1978 Blue Snaggletooth at a local comic book store.

As many of you may have read in a previous article I wrote on the Top 5 Most Valuable Star Wars Action Figures, the elusive Blue Snaggletooth is known to be one of the hardest figures to find and can command high prices, averaging a collectible market value upwards of $400. that seems like a lot of cabbage for a 3 3/4" tall piece of plastic, but in this case, it all boils down to rarity.

This particular figure looked to be in excellent shape, if not actually mint condition. There were a few scuffs, a little bit of paint loss, but overall a beautiful figure that has held up well in over the last 31 years. This is a prime example of how important it can be to do the proper research in order to spot a hot figure when you stumble on to it. I have had moments in the past when I passed up a rare figure, not knowing its true value, only to learn later that I was mere inches away from a great investment.

Sadly, I didn't quite have the $295 required to buy the figure right then and there, having to be satisfied with drooling all over the glass case in which the figure was safely locked. However, you can be sure that I'll keep my eye on it and as soon as I find myself with some spare cash, it will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine!

Batman vs. Clayface!

Sunday June 21, 2009

It's time for a battle royale between the Dark Knight of Gotham City and his dirtiest foe, Clayface! Regular readers of the Action Figure Guide Site know all too well that I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Batman fanatic, so this two-pack from the DC Universe Classics line has got me jumping up and down like a giddy little schoolgirl.

This two-pack comes with a freshly mud-spattered Batman, fists clenched and ready to rumble, along side the mountain of mud villain, Clayface, with his oozing grimace and hulking mound of a body, looking to give Bats the fight of his life. These 7" figures, like all of the figures in the DC universe Classics line, present the collector with a true-to-the-comics rendition of their favorite heroes. In this case, this is the kind of Batman that Dark Knight collectors love; grim, pensive and towering in his classic black and gray costume.

The line's other two-packs include Superman vs. Braniac (currently sold out) and a much anticipated Supergirl vs. Lex Luthor, which according to the Entertainment Earth website, will not be available until March, 2010. So you have plenty of time to save up for that set while hunting down the now hard to find Superman set. But Bats and Clayface are still available, so why are we sitting here talking about action figures? I've got a Batman two-pack to order!

For more information, visit www.entertainmentearth.com.

Name That Action Figure! June 19th, 2009

Friday June 19, 2009

I cannot believe how quickly you all can name a mystery action figure! Or perhaps I'm more impressed by how easily people can spot Lion-O's left boot. Who knew that action figure footwear was such an important subject? Anyway, big, monstrous applause goes out to all of the correct guessers, especially Action Figure Guide reader, simply known as "Louie", for getting in there first.

As mentioned, last week's mystery action figure was indeed Lion-O from the Thundercats line released by toy-makers LJN in 1985. Although I was a little too old for Thundercats in their initial release, I always watched the cartoon and would check out the action figures on the toy aisle shelves. Later, after my transition from "play to display," I managed to pick up several Thundercats figures at a garage sale for a steal. Today, the Thundercats action figures hold their own on the collectibles market with mint on card (usually labeled, "MOC") figures valued around $25-$60. Loose figures from this line are still rather inexpensive and can often be found for less than $10 each.

Now on to this week's mystery figure! I'm not sure if I've made this one hard enough for you action figure geniuses, but we'll see. So take a look and then make your guess on this week's Name That Action Figure!

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