Mezco Toys is Bringing Bugs(y) Back!

Mezco Toyz - the maker of the greatest Popeye action figures in history - just announced their latest licencing agreement: Bugs Bunny! And I for one couldn't be more excited! If the Mezco Looney Tunes line is anything like their Popeye line I will buy every one of them!

Check out the press release below, and the teaser image above - which tickles me even more as Pismo Beach is right next to my old stomping grounds!

Everyone's favorite wascally wabbit is set to become immortalized by Mezco as part of a new licensing agreement.

Since his debut on screens in Porky's Hare Hunt in 1938, Bugs Bunny has appeared in over 200 cartoons and numerous films. He was the 1st cartoon character to appear on a postage stamp (sorry Mickey) and has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Bugs Bunny continues to delight children and adults with a fan base that that has been increasing for three quarters of a century. Since he first uttered the line "What's up, Doc?" in 1940's A Wild Hare, the catchphrase has grown exponentially along with his popularity. A 2013 Q survey showed 95% of people know Bugs Bunny, making him one of the four most popular cartoon stars in the world and more recognizable than Santa Claus.

Unless somebody misses that right turn in Albuquerque, Mezco will begin delighting fans of the wise-cracking wabbit starting in the third quarter of 2015.

2014 San Diego Comic Con :: Toys!

We don't call this blog 'Toyriffic' because we're into high-dollar sneakers, people!

Around here we love TOYS! And San Diego Comic Con was chock full of reveals and displays and toys toys toys!

Ironically, I came away from the con having only purchased one single O.M.F.G. minifigure for myself. No toys this trip, I focused my own limited purchases on comic books and art. Crazy, I know!

But enough about that - let's look at some toys, shall we?

Mattel had the Yvonne Craig 1966 Batman TV Series Batgirl on display, and in true Mattel fashion it will apparently be available in a 3-pack which includes figures you already own (Batman and the Joker if I recall correctly.) Seriously Mattel? Seriously? To get the most sought after character in all the 66 television show series I have to spend fifty bucks and get figures that Amazon couldn't get rid of at five dollars each just last fall? Sigh. You can tell it's Mattel!

The Yvonne Craig Batgirl action figure looks great though.

A huge display of Batman Automobilia Batmobiles. I love them all!

The Batman Unlimited display. Man-Bat looks awesome (expect him to be available in a twenty pack that includes neon Batman because MATTEL!)

Also Batman with a shark. If not for the '66 tv show that would be the most ridiculous thing ever. 

More Batman Unlimited action figures. Now with transforming vehicles!

DC Multiverse Arkham Knight Harley Quinn action figure. I need this. I do not need to buy a fifty-pack, so HOPEFULLY Mattel releases this as a single figure. I won't hold my breath.

More DC Multiverse action figures. All Arkham video game designs.

Giant Mecha-Batman at the Funko booth!

Fully functional Darth Vader-mobile by Hot Wheels.

Almost life sized '66 Batcycle made entirely out of LEGO bricks. It even had the side-car!

Full sized LEGO Shredder.

Full sized LEGO Spider-Man on a LEGO wall/window.

LEGO!

These things came out of left field and were a complete surprise. Mezco is making 1/12 scale (appx 6") Dark Knight Returns Batman action figures with interchangeable hands/heads etc and cloth costumes. They look GORGEOUS!

I don't know what the price-point on these will be but I need at least one of them!

Beautiful!

I don't remember who makes this MASSIVE Batmobile, maybe Sideshow or Hot Toys? Anyways, it was HUGE and did all the things the Batmobile did in the first two movies.

A shitload of Stormtroopers.

Mattel, never one to let a poor online shopping experience stop them, will soon be selling these oversized He-Man action figures. I think it was a couple feet tall, and there was also a Skeletor on display.

Toynami will soon release an updated version of the classic Shogun Warriors Godzilla! This is exciting, but probably also too expensive for my tastes.

Other modern Shogun Warriors were also on display at the Toynami booth.

Well, that's it for the toys I was able to get good photos of. Barely a fraction of all that was there on display at SDCC, but these are the things that really caught my attention.

Catwoman Purrrsday :: Mez-Itz Girls of Gotham

Some time around August of 2013 Mezco will be releasing Catwoman, along with Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Batgirl in a mini Mez-Itz pack called 'Girls of Gotham.'

I've seen the Mez-Itz minis before and think they're cool, but have not felt the need to own any. However with this group of Gotham gals as well as the '66 Batman mini Mez-It'z revealed at Toy Fair this year I may just break down and get some!

 pic via She's Fantastic

Deep Blu(to)

Yesterday we went over Deep Dive Popeye, so I figured today would be a great day to cover Scuba Bluto!



As mentioned yesterday, Scuba Bluto was released in 2004 in Mezco's Popeye line, specifically in series three.

Obviously they were going for a diving theme for the main characters here, and kudos to the design team for taking a more modern approach with Bluto as opposed to the more antiquated diving accouterments of Deep Dive Popeye. It makes for great contrast and really plays well with the characters' motivations.

Bluto's air tank is removable, but the mouthpiece leaves a large gap between his teeth. However from a playability standpoint the removable tank is certainly a plus. More kudos to the design team on all the Popeye figures because they never sacrificed playability or the fact that these are toys in their designs, yet somehow they managed not to sacrifice design either. Sounds simple enough, yet many toys suffer on one end of the spectrum or the other. Not Mezco's Popeye line.


His scuba mask is not removable, which is fine because it would probably be too easily lost or broken if it did. But you can see his eyes through the plastic lenses and you can tell the head and face were specifically sculpted with this scuba theme in mind. Even his hair is "wet" and matted down. Brilliant!

Bluto's knife sheath is removable but it is held on strongly with a velcro strap so it won't inadvertantly slip off. The strap allows you to resize it to fit his arm or leg, wherever his knife is most quickly reached I suppose.


The knife can be removed from the sheath as well. A knife is understandably a vital component to any diver's equipment, but it does add a certain level of menace to the figure. Maybe he'll only use it to innocently and cartoonily cut Popeye's airhose, and not try to gut him at the sea floor like a scene out of a James Bond flick.

Maybe.

Bluto also has a depth meter sculpted to his wrist. Just more great attention to detail.

Please Mezco, I'm begging you...start making Popeye toys again!

Diver Down

The final non re-paint Popeye in Mezco's Popeye toyline, and one of the last I procured to complete my set, is also one of the funnest.

Deep Dive Popeye:

Deep Dive Popeye came out with series three in 2004, and along with Scuba Bluto and Alice the Goon was the only other figure in the set that wasn't a mere re-paint. Series three was also the last series of Popeye action figures Mezco would produce, which is a terrible shame.

Deep Dive Popeye is a gorgeous figure with a super-awesome dive helmet that looks just like something he would wear in the cartoons.

There is some part re-use from earlier figures, but it's in all the right places and he in no way feels like a cobbled together figure. The torso and belt are original to this figure, and the suspenders and helmet base are molded directly to it.

The dive helmet is insanely neat, with rivets and hinges and little plastic "windows" that you can see through...

...and open! Yes Popeye has his pipe, even under water. My dad was a chain smoker when I was a kid, which is one of many reasons Popeye has always reminded me of me pappy.

The helmet has cool details too, like a piece of patch "metal" hammered to the back, presumably over a previous leak. Safety first!

All three windows open to reveal Popeye's pretty face...

...at least, I hope that's his face!

The helmet is also removable, as are the lead boots. The positioning of his head is a bit constricted by the collar, but who cares.

Also included with Deep Dive Popeye is a treasure chest, a buoy and a hose. The hose is supposed to attach to the top of the helmet but the small plastic tip broke the first time I tried it.

The treasure chest was also released with Poopdeck Pappy in series two.

Open it up to reveal Popeye's true treasure...gold dubloons, triploons, and quadrooploons!

Oh yeah, there's a removable can of spinach in there too.

The can has a small tab on the side...


...so you can pop the spinach up for healthy snackin' action!

Say goodnight Bluto, it's clobberin' time!

See: Hag

See Hag?


Si, Hag.



This beauty-school dropout is Popeye's arch nemesis, the Sea Hag! She was produced by Mezco in 2002 and was part of the second series of their oh so terribly short lived Popeye action figure line.



"I'll get you, my prett...sorry, wrong witch."



The Sea Hag came with her magic flute. I bet she plays a mean"Cross Eyed Mary."

Sea Hag also came with her pet vulture Bernard.

Bernard can be removed from his stand, and can also spread out his wings.

You go, Bernard!

As with all the Popeye figures, the cartoony sculpts are near perfect, and the detail is beautiful.

These figures were all clearly made with a true love for the source material, and continue to stand in my opinion as one of the greatest action figure sets of all time.


"Fly Bernard, and bring the one-eyed sailor to me!"