Chop chop!

Jitsu is another figure in the original MOTU line that I didn't own as a kid, although I think he did come out during my collecting timeframe. You can't own 'em all, right?

Jitsu's 'gimmick' is obvously that he knows Karate or some other Asian martial art. Jitsu has an extra large gold metallic karate hand that springs down in a karate chop when pulled up.

Little known fact, Jitsu started out as an Eternian Doctor. He lost a lot of patients because of his cold hand and had to turn to evil to make a living.

He's no Hong Kong Phooey, but he makes due.

Back to the Future in Hotwheels' future

We've already gotten a standard DeLoreon in the Hotwheels line-up, and recent news of Mattel obtaining the Back to the Future license pretty much made it a no-brainer, but this image found at the blog T-Hunted (via the Hot Wheels forums) makes it truly official.

Frankly this is all I want or need out of the Back to the Future toyline (even though I already have the Johnny Lightning version,) so I am a happy camper. I can't wait to send this puppy down some orange track!

Buy stuff by me at Zazzle!

Captain America in Entertainment Weekly

In case you haven't yet seen these online, here are a couple of my favorite images from the upcoming Entertainment Weekly issue featuring Chris Evans as Captain America on the cover. Looks cool, and it is VERY geek-tastic to see his original shield!


See more at SuperheroHype.com

Snakes on the Eternian Plain

Another late-comer to the MOTU toyline was Rattlor. A part of the Snake Men sub-sect, Rattlor was a minion of the snake skinned King Hiss.

Rattlor has a really cool and surprisingly detailed design. Unlike many MOTU figures there are no re-used parts, he's an entirely unique sculpt from head to toe. Also, unlike some other Snake Men, Rattlor actually has a snake tail!

Each of the Snake Men had a snake themed action feature. Sometimes these action features were relevant to the species of snake the individual Snake Man represented, as in the case of Kobra Khan.

Rattlor actually has two action features. First, he has beads inside his hollow body, so he 'rattles' like a real rattlesnake when you shake him!

Second, if you push a button hidden on his back behind his tail...

KA-CHA! Rattlor's head springs out for an evil Snake Man strike!

Push his head back in and it locks into place for more surprise striking fun.

It also helps Rattlor get onto roller coasters.

Harley Qwednesday

Our friends over at Under the Giant Penny recently did a post about a keen Batman: Animated Harley Quinn maquette released back in 2004. A beautiful piece beautifully photographed - go check it out!

And kicking around the internet looking for Harley themed images for today's Harley Qwednesday, I found this post at Craftster.org about a Harley Quinn inspired purse some brilliant gal made:


How insanely awesome is that?!?!

By the way, if you plan on going trick or treating as Harley Quinn this Halloween, send me some pics and I'll feature them on the next Harley Qwednesday! Heck, you might as well, because if the pictures end up online I'll probably use them anyways.

Reign of the Supermen

It took 18 years, two toy separate toylines (DC Superheroes and DC Universe Classics,) a HTF Walmart exclusive (Eradicator) and a re-release of an insanely HTF figure (Cyborg Superman) but after finally finding the DC Universe Classics Superboy the other day, I have now completed my Reign of the Supermen collection!

No moment in comic book history (save for the Knightfall series) stands out moreso for my generation of comic book fans than the death and resurrection of Superman. Say what you will about the gimmick of killing off a superhero, but it never held more gravitas than in 1992 when Superman died.

I'm stoked to finally have all these guys together, and it seems even more poignant given that my display is right next to my TV and I am also enjoying the last season of Smallville.

At heart I am an absolute Batman fan, but there's no denying the fact that the big red 'S' stands for something important, and it is and always will be an inspiration to me.

Countdown to Girl-oween on my art blog

Are you guys all checking out my art blog 'Art by Bubba Shelby' on a daily basis? Because all through October I am doing a new Countdown to Girl-oween post every day!

If you aren't checking it out you are missing some epic artwork. Just sayin'.

Sponsored Post :: 1001 Beer Steins

Do you like beer?

Who doesn’t?

Do you like to drink your beer from huge mugs with awesome bas relief scenes of Medieval Germany and ginormous pewter lids that if not properly handled could potentially gouge out an eye?

Again, who doesn’t?


Well, if you haven’t already gotten your fill of Brat and beer this October at any of your local Oktoberfest celebrations (or just out of your own fridge as the case may be,) Check out 1001BeerSteins.com for a wide selection of Beer Steins and Beer Mugs that are sure to make you shout ACH MEIN GOTT!

Being of German descent I and my family do have a few beer steins, but they are generally used more for display than for actual drinking. Although I have one in my kitchen right now which I use on occasion just because it’s fun to drink beer from a fancy vessel every now and then.

Plus I wear glasses, so the threat of gouging out an eye is minimalized.

Go check out 1001BeerSteins.com today and peruse the plethora of ornate goblets in order to further authenticate your Oktoberfest celebrations – as for the lederhosen? Well, you’re going to have to go somewhere else to find a pair of those.

This post was sponsored by 1001BeerSteins.com

Do I make you 'orney?

Spikor came out late in the Masters of the Universe line, so he isn't a figure I had as a kid.

But he's so ridiculous that I couldn't pass him up when I found him (complete) at the swap meet a few months ago.

Covered in rubbery spikes like a living Koosh ball, Spikor's 'action feature' is a trident-hand that pops out about an inch when you swing his waist.


Basically, this guy is just a huge fellow who is anti-hugs.

With soldiers like this, Skeletor doesn't stand a chance.

Aliens really Chap Mei hide!

This here refugee from the Mos Eisley Cantina is a generic alien action figure made by Chap Mei in 2001 as part of the Space Quest Mission Squad series.

Chap Mei makes alot of the 'generic' action figure sets you find at stores like Rite-Aid, Walgreens and other drug stores with measly overpriced toy aisles. Most of the time they are army figures or police/firemen, but sometimes Chap Mei produce something unique and fun like space creatures or knights or fantasy creatures.

I'd never bought a Chap Mei set or figure new, (I got this guy at the swap meet,) so even though I have seen them around in stores and such I had never actually examined one close up until I found this guy. The quality is surprisingly good, and the figure's design and detail are really top notch for a 'no-name' toy.

Articulation is as simple as an original Star Wars figure; shoulders, hips and neck.

This guy seriously looks like an old-school Star Wars alien, complete with mismatched knee-pads and a pseudo space-suit with hoses, straps and other accouterments all over it. He even has a funky robotic hand! Cooooool!

Harley Qwednesday :: Hello Dollface!

Welcome to another Harley Qwednesday! YAY HARLEY!

Today we take a look at a Harley Quinn dolly. This is my daughter's Harley Quinn dolly. I swear!

Released during the Batman: Animated heyday (marked 1998,) this Harley Quinn doll is about the size of a regular Barbie and originally came with a couple plastic hyenas (which are around here somewhere.) My daughter isn't old enough to have gotten Harley new, I got this doll for her a couple years ago off eBay.

I also got her a Batgirl from the same Batman: Animated dolly line-up.

These are really great dollys - if you're into dollys that is. Well made, they look pretty accurate to their cartoon counterparts and they fit in well with other dollys their size; every little girl should have them in their collection!

Also, some old men. Like Reis, Brian A/Brian B and Chunky B, who are all really big dolly lovers and understand the joys of removing their toys' pants. Don't judge them!

More Decorating with BubbaShelby

I have this cool frame which just so happens to be three comics wide and two comics high. I used to have 6 Justice Society comics in it but I just rotated in some Batgirl: Year One because I simply adore Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) as a character and the artwork in said mini-series.

I picked my two favorite covers and two two-page spreads - one depicting the very fist appearance of Batgirl at the masquerade party where she first confronts Killer Moth and another where she has just run a gauntlet in the Bat Cave, yet has 'failed' due to use of excessive force; her interactions with Robin and Batman in those few panels are so perfectly on character for all three.

Cool cool stuff! If you haven't read Batgirl: Year One then you are dead to me until you do.

Decorating with BubbaShelby :: Generations

If there's one thing I love and can't get enough of it's Batmobiles.


On the left is a picture my Dad drew some time around 1977. On the right is one I drew in 2007.

I found my Dad's illustration in an old sketchbook of his years ago and have held onto it since. This is an original Batmobile design by Dad himself. Obviously he doodled all around it and never intended for it to be a stand alone piece, but he probably also never imagined his only son would love the Batmobile so much (I was only three when he drew this.) But those surrounding doodles only make the image that much more awesome (especially because one of them is Batman himself!)

Mine is a little less detailed (as is my style) and clearly the '66 Batman TV Futura/Barris based Batmobile (my absolute favorite Batmobile of all time.)

To quote the Joker: "I don't know if it's art, but I like it!"

The Secret Sisters

I just heard The Secret Sisters (Laura and Lydia Rogers) on NPR's World Cafe yesterday and I am in love. When they sing their voices literally give me chills. Now I know how Ulysses felt.


Their debut album (produced by T. Bone Burnett) was just released and is available wherever you get music. In addition I HIGHLY recommend you pick up their single release 'Big River' produced by Jack White (of White Stripes fame.)

Their cover of Johnny Cash's Big River (with White on guitar) is a-freakin-mazing! I'm going to be playing it, like, all day today. You can hear it streaming online HERE.

If you have any respect for your ears, check out The Secret Sisters NOW!

TransFramers

I've been on a Transformer kick lately, so I decided to prop a few of them on my walls. These are some of my faves from many different eras of Transformer history.

There are more on another wall along with some GoBots too.

Pretty Pretty Princess Scarface

Scarface is ready for Halloween.

Shrek Forever After coming to DVD and Blu-Ray

‘Shrek Forever After’ was the 4th and (we are told, but these things are never final are they?) final sequel in the ‘Shrek’ movie series. A Dreamworks CGI animated movie, it was originally released in theatres here in the US on May 21st 2010 and is available soon on DVD and Blu-Ray. (Shrek Forever After DVD is available at Tesco.)

I admit I haven’t seen a Shrek movie since the second one. Both ‘Shrek’ and ‘Shrek 2’ were great movies, I just didn’t feel the need to get to theatres when ‘3’ and ‘4’ came out. So many other movies are in my ‘rent’ or ‘buy’ queue, so this is a series that has fallen by my radar. It is certainly the kind of movie I would have liked to have seen in the theatre and I honestly don’t know how I missed it, especially with kids. ‘Shrek Forever After’ was released in 3-D, which is of course all the rage right now and a bandwagon I still can’t get myself to jump on, but if any films are perfectly suited for the 3-D treatment it is any CGI animated film as they are created in a virtual 3-D space to begin with.


Me having not seen Shrek 3 or 4 isn’t to say they aren’t great movies. I’m sure the fourth installment: ‘Shrek Forever After’ is as fun and funny as the first couple flicks. With Eddie Murphy as Donkey, Mike Myers as ‘Shrek,’ Antonio Banderas as ‘Puss In Boots,’ and Cameron Diaz as ‘Princess Fiona,’ ‘Shrek Forever After’ finds our ugly Ogre hero going through a sort of mid-life crisis, which leads to Shrek and the rest of his fairyland pals romping along “a moving journey of suspense and big laughs as an unexpected encounter with the mischievous Rumpelstiltskin turns Shrek’s world upside down.”

Sounds like a good time for everyone, doesn't it? Except maybe Rumplestiltskin. You can be sure he gets his in the end!

This post was sponsored by Tesco Entertainment where you can buy DVDs.

Megatron who?

Megatron may be the best known robot who transforms into a gun, but he's not the only one:

I don't know anything about this guy. EDIT: I was lazy when I wrote this, but just took a minute to Google for this guy and apparently his name is Cap Pistol (original, I know.)

He's clearly branded as a Gobot and I know he's legit, but he's nothing like any of the better known Gobots of yesteryear. All plastic and super low-rent, the only marks I can find on him is 'Made in Hong Kong' inside one of his legs. *edit I take that back, it says 'Arco' in his left armpit.

He looks like he's wearing a dapper red cap over his hair and sideburns. Get it? a red cap - Cap Pistol! Hahaha them dudes at GoBots were cleverer(er er er) than I thought! /sarcasm

His face is just a decal, so I imagine that part of him takes a beating over the decades. I am surprised I found him in such good shape at the (you guessed it) swap meet.

Unlike Megatron who transforms into a realistic Walther P-38, Cap Pistol transforms into a spiffy space gun ala Flash Gordon. PEW PEW PEW! Take that Ming!

And he's a real working cap gun too. Fun!

This guy is super kooky and I'm glad I have him now, although I probably would have thought he was the lamest toy ever back in my Gobot collecting youth.

Wheeljack you up!

Transformers fans haven't had a decent Wheeljack since...well...the original Wheeljack. The closest we've gotten in modern times is Downshift, from the Energon line-up of a few years back.

Well hold on to your exhaust pipes, Wheeljack fans, and cast your optic sensors on THIS beauty:


This is a prototype of the Japanese 'Takara' version of the figure, which is up for pre-order at Big Bad Toy Store. But if you are patient, these always end up in Hasbro's hands and in our stores in the US.

So be on the lookout for a new Wheeljack coming soon! Or buy the Japanese version. Whatever your little G1 loving heart desires!

Jazz :: Now with 9,562,348% more WIN!

I recently discussed the upcoming Transformers 'United' (previously 'Classics') Jazz here on Toyriffic, of which I must own due to my love of the original G1 Jazz character.

New pictures have recently surfaced of the figure in robot and vehicle mode and a little surprise included has me as giddy as a school girl:

ZOMG! How insanely cool is that?!?!

Now I gotta own two of this sonofabitch just so I can have one in this mode on constant display!

via Seibertron.com

You can even display the speakers in robot mode. HOT DAMN!