Toy Review: Spectre Callgrim and Stealth Order (Rawshark Studios/Glyos)

What better way to celebrate Halloween than with a review of a skeletal Glyos? Rawshark Studios produces a nifty Glyos-friendly line called "Callgrim". The title character is sort of a skull-faced Glyos anti-hero. Tragically, I missed the first run, which seemed to sell out in mere hours. But I stayed frosty and managed to pick up this run, which included a glow-in-the-dark Spectre Callgrim and a clear-plastic Stealth Order ("Order" is a character represented by the alt head). Let's check them out!

Toy Review: Ray Stantz (Mattel Ghostbusters)

The Mattel Ghostbusters line continues with Ray Stantz!  I thought the first figure in this line, Egon with Slimer, was pretty groovy.  But Mattel's habit of rehashing parts has been irritating me for quite a while.  The DC Universe Classics and MOTU Classics lines rely heavily on reused parts, which tends to make both lines generic and dull.  So how will Mattel's "new" Ray figure sit with me?

Retro Toy Review: Rappin' Mike (Playmates TMNT)

My obsession with classic TMNT figures has taken an unhealthy turn.  I actually bought Rappin' Mike from the RockN Rollin' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.  And not only did I buy it on purpose, but I actually like the figure!  How can I possibly justify that statement with any sort of logic?  Read on to find out!

Toy Pix: Jason's He-Man and TMNT Display

My friend Jason has a pretty sweet He-Man collection, so I thought I'd show his display in this episode of Toy Pix!  He dedicated a shelf to all the good guys in the vintage MOTU line. I like the dramatic lighting he uses for his displays. Fortunately Mekaneck, my most hated MOTU figure, is hidden in this shot behind He-Man. I don't think Jason included the movie figures but they don't count anyway, right?

Retro Toy Review: Casey Jones (Playmates TMNT)

Casey Jones has always been a hit or miss character for me.  In the Mirage comics, he had a certain maniacal charm.  I don't remember him at all in the classic cartoon (although he did make a couple of appearances), but Casey from the 1990 movie was nothing more than a doofy oaf, a characterization that was unfortunately continued into the 200x series and 2007's TMNT movie.  So let's see how this classic Casey Jones figure strikes me!

Retro Toy Review: Fugitoid (Playmates TMNT)

If you're a fan of the original Ninja Turtles comic from Mirage, then it's almost a prerequisite that you're also a fan of Fugitoid.  Fugitoid was first seen in his own Mirage comic (which I believe was a one-shot), then his path crossed with that of the Turtles in the now-classic Transmat story arc of TMNT #4-7.  I'm not sure if he was in the classic cartoon, but in the 200x cartoon he appeared in an adaptation of the Transmat arc, "Turtles in Space".  Throughout it all, Fugitoid remained my favorite auxiliary TMNT character. So, this classic Fugitoid figure from Playmates should be a no-brainer for me, right?  We'll see!

Toy Review: Hermi Odle (Hasbro Star Wars)

I was a huge Star Wars collector for about a decade but after Revenge of the Sith I took a much-needed Star Wars hiatus. I swore off Star Wars for a few years just to cleanse my collecting palate. I'm now dipping my feet a little back into the Star Wars pond (or, more appropriately, vast oceanic expanse), but only in that I'm trying to get the figures that I think I'll regret not getting later. One of those figures is Hermi Odle.

Retro Toy Review: Lavender Deanna Troi (Playmates Star Trek The Next Generation)

Deanna Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation was usually featured in either her burgundy or lavender jumpsuit. The burgundy outfit was her "serious" costume that was usually worn during scenes involving stuff like alien consciousness possession (which seemed to happen to her a lot). The lavender one was her "playful" outfit, worn when the scene was informal with comedic effects, like Data doing some socially awkward antics in Ten Forward. That's our Data!

Retro Toy Review: Slice 'N Dice Shredder (Playmates TMNT)

The classic Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line is full of surprises. When I saw this Slice 'N Dice Shredder on eBay, I was intrigued that it has a comparatively accurate color scheme (unlike the original Shredder). Sure, it has a goofy play feature, but even classic TMNT figures with play features often have a certain charm, like Pizza Tossin' Leo. The concept of a metallic Shredder was too enticing... this was a figure that I just had to check out. So let's see how old Shred-head fares!

October Poll: Your Favorite Monster Cereal, plus Favorite Summer Movie Results

In honor of Halloween, this month's poll asks which Monster Cereal is your favorite!  I'm pretty sure all the Monster Cereals are represented in the poll, including the old favorites that are no longer with us: Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy!