Catwoman Purrrsday :: Shoe, Cat!

Catwoman Converse? I'd totally wear these if I was a chick!

Available at Journeys. Via Moongem Comics.

Harley Qwednesday :: Gotham Fatale Burlesque

If you are in Australia (I know it's a big place and covers a lot of ground but whathehey if I was in Australia I'd cover all the damn ground necessary) find out when the next Gotham Fatale Burlesque show is (via their Facebook page) and go see it.

Because 'Gotham Fatale' (Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy) and 'Burlesque.'

Need I say more?

Didn't think so.

Hollywood and Vine

When I picked up the Batman and Robin Bane action figure a few months back, I started looking a little more closely at other figures from that godawful movie. Fortunately some of the figures little reflected their film counterparts, and are actually pretty nice comic/realistic looks at some of the bat characters. They are also in my prefered scale and not being an articulationazi, they are more in tune with my current action figure preferences.

I have wanted Batgirl for a while, so when I spotted her in a lot on eBay for super cheap I jumped on it. I'll get to her later, but today let's look at another figure I received in the lot: Poison Ivy!

'Jungle Venom Poison Ivy' to be exact.

A nice figure, Ivy is modeled somewhat on Uma Thurman, but her costume design is far from the movie...

...and her hair-do is more comic accurate than Uma's atrocious beehives and such.

The costume...err...body paint...err...whatever...is pretty simple, but there are a few vines and leaves sculpted throughout the arms and legs..

Ivy comes with a couple cool accessories too. Surprising, as most accessories, especially for movie themed toys, are usually pretty lame. AND she can actually hold them!

She has a poison-gun that really squirts water...keen!

And these cool 'grasping vines' that attach to her wrist like they are shooting out spider-man style!

'Thwip thwip...I mean...stop Batman, or I'll release my pretties!'

Kre-o, Kreeee-o, Kre-o come and Mirage go home...

...with me!

I found the new Transformers Lego...err..I mean 'Kre-O' construction sets at Toys-R-Us yesterday. They had most of them (no Starscream though) with their Transformer movie display up front. The sets come in a few different sizes/price points, starting at about $8.99. I looked them all over for a while and decided to bite - settling on Mirage for $12.99.

I settled on Mirage for a couple reasons. One - the price. less than fifteen bucks for this set is a pretty good price and tough to complain about. I haven't seen these at Target or anywhere else, so I don't know how that price compares to other retail outlets, but I can't complain about paying $12.99 for a 119 piece construction set.

Second, his vehicle mode is pretty accurate to his cartoon counterpart. The other sets at this price point, namely Jazz and Bumblebee, have vehicle modes that don't accurately represent their cartoon modes; they are actually pretty blocky looking based on the box art/photos. Maybe they look better in person. I don't know, that's for some other toy blogger to find out.

But Mirage here sure is a cool looking F-1 racecar!

Of course a huge selling point for these sets are their G-1 cartoon counterpart mini-figures. There were a couple sets at a lower price point that did not include mini-figures (and some at higher price points which include a handful of them) but this price point quite fairly includes a Mirage mini-figure (with gun!)...

...and a racecar driver mini-figure too.

The figures are similar to Lego mini-figures but with different engineering to avoid copyright infringement. In my opinion, they are a little over engineered - ball jointed arms and hips aren't really necessary, and the helmet on the driver doesn't fit snug and his goggles don't line up perfectly, but oh well. They are still pretty darn neat!

I wasn't sure how the robot mode would work out but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. Mirage looks like Mirage, he is solid and stable and even has jointed elbows, shoulders, hips and ankles. Nice!

In addition, his head sculpt is pretty cool and will probably be used by customizers looking to make a Mirage out of some existing Transformer toy, or may even be used in the future by Hasbro for some repaint or other. Who knows?

I really like this set. The Kre-O pieces are Lego compatible and feel pretty solid and well made. You can sit Mirage inside Mirage for a neat display. Rubber wheels and a racecar driver figure add to the value. And the fact that one set turns into two things (robot and vehicle) makes up for one of my biggest issues with pre-fab Lego sets, the fact that you can only make one thing with each set!

The mini-figures are fun and a big selling point too. And they are the same size as Lego mini-figures, so they are compatible with those fellows too.

Catwoman Purrrsday :: Baby's First (cat)Burgler

My Imaginext Catwoman I ordered from Fisher-Price.com finally arrived last week, just in time for a special announcement and a place of honor in the hallowed halls of Toyriffic....

You see, last week I discovered that come October I will be the proud papa of a new baby girl!

"YEEEEHHHHAAAAAWWWW!"

Which makes Catwoman here my baby's first superhero(villain!)

Baby of course won't be old enough to play with Catwoman for a few years, but until then Catwoman can decorate her little corner of our little home. Ya gotta raise a kid right nowadays, ya know?

Of course I also bought myself one of these awesome toys; how could I resist?!?! I must say I am very impressed with this first ever female Imaginext DC Super Friend! I sure hope they make more - a Harley Quinn would be nice!

And although she would have been totally awesome on her own, Catwoman also comes with a super cool catcycle which converts from road bike...

...to sleek street-racer for quick getaways!

And much like my Imaginext Hawkman, the details on this toy are surprisingly great for such a 'simple' design. Catwoman's mask and goggles are very comic accurate, and she's got a cute mischevious smirk.

Along with the catcycle, Catwoman came with a whip and a little kitty too! All this for six bucks?!?! Gettouttatown!

Even her fingertips are 'clawed!' Nice touch, and surprising, considering Mattels' penchant for parts re-use. There isn't much that can be reconstituted from Catwoman to make future female Super friends.

I hope that isn't a sign that we won't get any more gals in this line. I'm really glad the Imaginext line finally expanded to include a female character, and am very surprised it was Catwoman and not Wonder Woman or some other more cliche female superhero. I hope the line continues (although I don't see much marketing push for them, so I don't hold out much hope) and if the line stays Bat-centric, well so be it: bring on Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy etc etc, because daddy needs a new bunch of female superhero toys for his new baby girl!

Harley Qwednesday :: Harley Quinn by me (and CB!)

I recently sketched this Harley Quinn, and Chunky B of Eclectorama digitally inked it for me. I then added colors, and am now seriously contemplating this as a tattoo.

That's when a bike was a bike...

...and crusin was cruisin!

I've posted about my '78 Schwinn Mag Scrambler before. My first bike, I still own and ride (and spin out, on occasion) to this day.

I recently stumbled onto this original Schwinn Scrambler ad somewhere online. When I got my bike secondhand in 1980 it had been stripped for racing, so it had no decals or chainguard or reflectors, and it had a reinforced custom seatpost. What I hadn't realized until I saw this ad was that my handlebars are different too. I'd have to see an original set in person to be sure, but I think mine were just reinforced (and chromed) and not full custom, but I could be wrong.

Anyways, here's to tank-strong Chicago steel and holding together for another 30+ years of hauling ass down streets and dirt tracks alike. If I was ever forced to whittle my possessions down to one single item, it'd be my Silver Bullet. I love my bike!

Imaginext Penguin Submarine

Another new addition to the Fisher-Price Imaginext Dc Super Friends toyline is this awesome Penguin Submarine!

There was a recolored Imaginext submarine released in the past as a set with the Penguin, but this one is all new and of course more in tune with the actual DC Comics Penguin than the previous Imaginext submarine - I mean, it is a penguin, for crying out loud! A penguin with portholes and a periscope?!?! Preposterous!

These new DC Super Friends releases are just now starting to hit retail, and can also be purchased from Fisher-Price.com

Random toy pic :: One hundred headed monster!

My kids decided to put together a mini-figure with 100 heads. At least they said it has 100 heads. I don't feel like counting.

At least the guy is wearing a helmet. Safety first!

Les Schtroumpfs Noirs at leToys R leUs

I was at Toys R Us yesterday and spotted their 'Decades' display - box sets of themed Smurfs throughout the decades since their first appearance on the toy shelves worldwide.

Much to my surprise, their sixties decade set includes the totally non-PC and totally cool black Smurf! WHOAH!

Unfortunately they were all out of this specific set, so I may have to order it online at ToysRus.com.

I've always wanted one of those black Smurfs, now I just might have the chance! GNAP!

Catwoman Purrrsday :: Lego my Catwoman!

I have recently been getting into Legos again, now that my kids are into them and I am discovering all the cool mini-figures and such. I wish I had been into them a few years back when they made all those keen Batman themed sets! Unfortunately they are pretty expensive on the secondary market nowadays. Maybe the new movie will spark up some re-releases in the near future!

My newfound Lego interest, coupled with my for-all-time Batman interest led me to buy a used version of the Lego Batman video game for xbox the other day, and I can't believe how much fun it is! You can not only play as Batman and Robin, but as you progress you get to play as the villians! Of course Catwoman is one of the villans you defeat while playing as Batman or play in villain mode once the character is unlocked. Fun stuff!

I know I'm pretty late to the game on these things, but better late than never, right?

Harley Qwednesday :: Suicide Squad and DCnU's 'new' Harley Quinn

By now you have surely heard the hype about DC comics mixing things up and scaring the hell out of fanboys everywhere by doing nothing new (ie renumbering, relaunching, retconning etc.)

Say what you will about all the latest DC news (and if you haven't already, you will,) but you gotta admit, the news is EVERYWHERE! So if nothing else, the hype machine will keep these goings on chugging along for a few months at least, before DC decides to go back to their old costumes and numberings and insanely convoluted Hawkman histories.

But I digress. It appears no one is safe from the action, including everyone's favorite mistress of mirth herself, Harley Quinn!

The good news? It appears ole' Harl will be appearing as a team member in the new Suicide Squad comic. The bad news? Well, there's a lot bad about this costume...a little too off model for Harley Quinn in my opinion. My biggest gripe? NO DOMINO MASK!?!?!?!? That's just plain blasphemy. And is that a cape she's wearing? Really?

I do like the multi-colored hair though, so there's that.

Imaginext Catwoman UPDATE: Available online at Fisher-Price.com!

Don't pay those ridiculous eBay prices (I've seen her going for over $30 already!) - don't drive all over town (save gas and the environment!) - just go online to Fisher-Price.com today, because the Imaginext Catwoman and motorcycle (or is it Cat-orcycle?) is available NOW for $6 plus shipping!

No idea how long she'll be available, but if you are interested (as I am) I suggest you get on over there and order her immediately, before she's sold out.

And stay tuned to Toyriffic's newest weekly feature: Catwoman Purrrsday, because as soon as my Imaginext Catwoman arrives you know I'll be blogging about her!

P.S. the Imaginext Clayface is also available on Fisher-Price.com! Go go go!

P.P.S. I'm in no way affiliated with Fisher-Price, just a huge fan of their Imaginext DC Super Friends line, and of course Catwoman. I am affiliated with me, BubbaShelby, so click below and look at some of my stuff on Zazzle!

Catwoman Purrrsday :: Line-up

This isn't the entirety of my Catwoman collection, but it is some of my best.

Left to right we have: Catwoman from the Legends of Batman collection. A great comicbook accurate Catwoman figure which, thankfully for her back, is designed with less, umm, Catwoman up front than she appeared in the comics with at the time.

Next up is the Batman Returns Catwoman based on Michelle Pfeiffer's turn as the feline fatale. A fun and iconic design, this is a nice figure that walks the line between cartoony and movie accurate well.

Third from left is the Batman: Animated Catwoman as she first appeared in the cartoon. A nice late eighties comic accurate look, this Catwoman even came with her kitty Isis.

And finally, Catwoman from the final years of the Batman Animated series when the character designs took a more JLU esque turn. This Catwoman is obviously highly influenced by Batman Returns, but is very stylized and really stands out in any collection. Slinky and streamlined, I'm glad the toyline lasted long enough to get to her!

What's this? Is Harley jealous that there's now a Catwoman Purrrsday to compete with her Harley Qwednesday?

It's OK Harley. We're all friends here. There's room for everyone!

Harley Qwednesday :: Roll the Bones

The other day I won a set of custom dice made by Dice Creator via Heropress.net. They haven't arrived yet, (they're coming all the way from Spain!) but when they do I'll be blogging about how cool they are!

What does this have to do with Harley Qwednesday, you ask? Well, just yesterday on the dice makers Facebook page 'Unconventional Dice' I spotted this:

 Aw Yeah Harley Quinn dice!

You guessed it - I had to have them! I immediately contacted the maker, Abraham (who is a real nice guy!) and purchased two, which will be on their way soon along with the dice I won! Epic craps games to follow!

If you too want one (or a set,) get over to Dice Creator's eBay store now and get ready to rock and roll the bones!

Don't B'Dg - there's a Despotellis on your Dex-Starr!

Eww, the cat is puking again!

Actually this is Dex-Star, Despotellis and B'dg, from the recent DC Universe Classics Green Lantern Wave 2.

I initially had to have this three figure set because of B'Dg. How freaking cute is this little fellow? As soon as I saw the previews for this set of three figures I knew it would have to be mine for the space rodent alone!

But upon opening the toy I quickly fell in love with Dex-Starr. Dex-Starr is actually an Earth cat who watched as his owner was murderd and was then subject to cruelty before a red lantern ring found him and harnessed his rage. That's pretty cool, and I like how he wears his ring on his tail!

Now I'm no lantern color guard expert, having read only a few of the Blackest Coffee, Brightest Student comics, but it seems red lanterns are so full of rage they constantly barf red energy. Or cherry Kool-Aid. Not sure, but Dex-Starr has a removable translucent barf-wad which is also kind of fun and in keeping with the fact that he is a cat. RAGE HAIR BALL!

And B'Dg is pretty dang cute too! What a cute widdle gween wantern! Hi gween wantern! Want a peanut, gween wantern?

'Don't make me punch your nuts, sir!'

Finally the set comes with a yellow lantern named Despotellis. He looks like a...yeah...ahem. Anyways, he's pretty silly but let's face it, they made him and he's totally off the wall, so any Green lantern comic fan should be pretty stoked to get such a nutty character in toy form.

Even if he does look like a walking marital aide.

The set does come with a large piece of the Collect and Connect figure Stel, but I don't have any intentions of getting any more of these figures.

I just wanted the cute super pets! More super pets please, Mattel!