Bootleg Batman / Secret Wars Captain America Mash-up Action Figure

At the San Jose Toy Show I attended a couple months back, I came across this terrible yet awesome bootleg Batman action figure. Obviously based on the Secret Wars Captain America action figure design (The pirate boots are a dead giveaway!), they added Bat-Ears...

...and even left behind the Captain's ears! Bootleg Batman is made of solid rubber and is smaller in scale that the original Secret Wars action figures. His paint is pretty terrible but honestly that's probably exactly how good it was the day this guy rolled out of the Mexican Bootleg Batman Factory. I'm actually shocked that he still has his cape and that it is in one piece, and not torn or missing, as it's a pretty flimsy piece of vinyl and could easily have torn at the neck or wrists in the however many years this guy has existed.

My Intern can't stand to look at this guy any longer. Show's over folks, nothing else to see here!

Hail Hydra! Hydra Captain America BootLEGO minifig

There was a bunch of nerdrage a couple months ago about a storyline wherein Captain America revealed himself to be a Hydra agent all along. Then people actually probably read the SECOND part of a multi-part storyline and realized their panties bunched up for nothing. At least I assume that's what happened, as it happens so often with nerdrage.

In the interim, those fine folks at BootLEGO Central (aka China) released a Hydra Captain America minifig!

I can't say for certain, but I believe this is an original design (?) not appearing in any specific canon? Correct me if I'm wrong. I know the bootLEGOers often steal...err..ahem...borrow liberally from fan made customs as well, so perhaps this design was from one of those. Anyways, as always it cost mere pennies on the dollar on eBay so yay me.

The shield with the Hydra symbol really sells this guy, and alone is worth the price of admission.

Hail Hydra!

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!

Block Tech Super Heroes Hulk and Falcon Cap

Can these be considered BootLEGO? They are 'block toy' minifigs, but they are engineered in a completely different fashion - I consider BootLEGOs to be rip-offs of the LEGO minifigure design aesthetic primarily, and secondarily rip-offs of the subject matter.

However you categorize them, these two superheroes are different enough from LEGO minifigs to be considered mere cheap block toy figures, but they are still bootlegs due to their blatant yet unlicensed subject matter: The Incredible Hulk and Captain America.

And not just any Captain America, but Captain America when Falcon had assumed the role (maybe he still is Captain America, I don't follow Captain America closely enough to HAIL HYDRA be certain.)

FalCap really sells this set. I'm perpetually fascinated by the decisions bootleggers make when they release stuff like this. One would assume the iconic Captain America everyone all over the world recognizes would have been their go-to during the design process, but they went with a very up-to-the-minute version instead. That fact alone is worth the one dollar asking price!

This set was found at a Target I visited on an out of town trip. It was in their dollar section with a few other Block Tech minifigure two packs. The rest were pretty generic: soldiers and police and whatnot. This set was the only superhero set they had (and the only licensed character rip-off set for that matter.)

The engineering design of the minifigs is similar to LEGO with the same parts make-up: removable hairpiece, head, torso, and hands, with legs jointed at the hip. The quality isn't too shabby, for fifty cents each there's nothing for me to complain about, that's for sure. They aren't as cute and charming as LEGO minifigs but having a bootleg FalCap trumps cute charm any day of the week. I suppose having a bootleg Hulk is pretty ginchy too.

Here's a size comparison with a standard sized LEGO (well, in this case, a bootLEGO) minifig. As you can see the Block Tech minifig is a bit taller in the torso, which makes the legs look stumpy.  I'm pretty sure there have been more of these Notvengers released by Block Tech, I seem to recall seeing a four pack online a year ago, but this is the first set I've ever seen in stores or in person.

They're perfectly corny just like a good bootleg toy should be, so if you can find them they're worth the Washington you'll drop on them.

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!

Captain Action plays Captain America dress-up. Frilly underpants sold seperately.

I know many Toyriffic readers are rabid dolly lovers (like Reis and Jboy and Colin and even the M.I.A. Chunky B who was probably buried under a Barbie Corvette avalanche.)

Let's face it, if these gentlemen lived in the same state they'd have tea parties and play dress-up and do each others' hair...I mean each others' dollies hair...and the like. And we all know Reis' Conan dolly could use some work on its hair!

So as a service to these fine feminine fellows I make this report:

I was at my local Toys R Us today buying manly toys like the Hotwheels K.I.T.T. when, as I glanced at manly action figures (this thing must have been mis-shelved - I wasn't in the Barbie aisle!) I stumbled upon the new Captain Action along with his Captain America dress-up kit.

Don't trip over the hem of your dresses running out to Toys R Us to get yours, guys, and be sure to change out of those heels before you go; on my way out I passed a gaggle of fourth grade girls heading in, so you've got some competition!

Upcoming Lego Themes!

I've already reported about the upcoming Lord of the Rings themed Lego sets, and we all know about the Avengers themed sets due for release this summer (when the big blockbuster hits I assume,) but I was quite pleasantly surprised to learn about Universal Monsters themed sets coming soon!

EDIT: Actually, it appears these will be part of a new series called 'Monster Fighters,' and sound like they will be a Monster themed Ninjago-esque series. Cool!

And here's your first look at the Fellowship of the Ring. These look like so much fun!

Finally here's The Incredible Hulk and Captain America from the Avengers releases coming this year. The thought of Marvel vs. DC battles that can be created and waged in Lego form has me all giddy!

Info from London's Toy Fair 2012 via That Figures via ComicBookMovie.com

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."

Captains America

On last Friday's Friday Breakage at Articulated Discussion Wes called me out on my description of my recent Marx Marvel Superheroes finds, saying "There’s a part of me that strongly doubts the reported size of these things — size comparisons with modern 6″ figures would have been awesome — but they’re still pretty cool finds." 

You dare question the great and powerful BubbaShelby?!?!?! Haha just kidding, a size comparison would have been keen, right?

Right.

So here ya' go:

Here's the Marx Captain America and the Marvel Legends 1st appearance Captain America side by side!

I tried my best to pose Cap like Cap to show that yes, these guys are for all intents and purposes in the same scale.

No trick photography here folks. That's how big these things really are!

Would I lie to you?

Avengers Assemble!

The final bunch of stuff I hauled away from the swap meet this past Saturday literally gave me the shakes, I was so excited to find them!

6" Marvel superheroes by Marx! Thor, Iron Man and Captain America - Avengers Assemble!
Made of solid plastic and molded like your typical little green army man, these toys were originally manufactured by Marx in 1967. I believe the first run of these guys was a silver/grey plastic, and that these colorful guys were a later release from some time around 1971 or so.

There I was at the swap meet last Saturday when I spotted a pile of six colorful toys from a few feet away. I casually made my way towards them and walking up to them asked the vendor how much he wanted. He said "$3" and I said "for all of them?" He said "Yes" and I could barely contain my excitement! Now understand the pile had six figures in it, so without inspection or any delays whatsoever I grabbed them all and payed and skipped away like Gollum having just secured his precious. I later discovered three of them were in pretty sad shape, with their fingers chewed to the point that they look more like Arthritics than Avengers. I won't show them here because treating toys as such is blasphemy here at Toyriffic, but they would have been pretty sweet if they (2 Spider-Mans and a Daredevil) weren't used as a teething ring for some dumb kid. I hope he got lead poisoning, whoever he is!

But I digress. Let's turn our attention back to the three great examples I got - still more than worth the three bucks I paid for them! 

First up is Iron Man! Stark is showing off by breaking a chain in an awfully strange manner. Yeah that was impressive in 1938 when Superman did it first, dude.

Iron Man is a little roughed up around the head but is otherwise in great shape. It's fun to imagine this toy being one of the first toys of Iron Man back then, having been sculpted a mere four years after Iron Man was introduced in the comics! And what a sculpt - you can even see Tony Stark's eyes inside the mask's eye holes! What must kids have thought of this strange metal man, and what could they have foretold of his pop culture destiny at the time?

Next up is the good Captain America. The Cap gets a pretty sweet sculpt here too, with his shield being held out in front of him in a defensive posture instead of stationary at his side, which would have been a lot easier to pull off I imagine.

If I had an old car I'd cast this in chrome and make it my hood ornament.

The final of the big three and the figure that is surprisingly (given some dumb kid's penchant for sticking his toys in his mouth and all the nice chewable parts sticking out of this one) in the best shape of them all is the God of Thunder himself, THOR!

I love how all these guys are not overly musclebound, reflecting the art and aesthetics of the times the toys were were made. You will never see a skinny Thor in this day and age, that's for sure! Plus, whosoever holds that version of Mjolnir, be he worthy, is probably hanging a picture in his girlfriend's apartment or repairing a broken wheel on a small wooden toy duck, not calling down thunder from the heavens! I love it!

These Marx plastic superheroes have amazing sculpts and are a fun look at the type of toys kids of yesterday would have played and cemented their love for superhero lore with. They were before my time, but I know some of my readers are a little older than I am; I'd love to hear from those of you who had these or remember them from your youth!

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