And Yet Another LEGO Itchy and Scratchy Pic

This Itchy and Scratchy pic is brought to you mostly by LEGO - the chainsaw is from one of the Kre-O Cityville Invasion blind bagged figures I found on clearance at Target a few months ago. I knew that chainsaw would come in handy eventually, and Itchy agrees.

More fun with Itchy and Scratchy LEGO minifigures

Oh boy! these Itchy and Scratchy Simpsons LEGO minifigures (along with all the red bricks I can find) are a blast. And I'm just getting started!

LEGO Itchy and Scratchy :: They fight and fight and fight and fight and fight...

KA-BLAAAM!!!!!!!!

During a long road trip yesterday I was able to check a couple Walgreens stores and procure the latest Simpsons LEGO minifigure series versions of both Itchy and Scratchy!

So here's a poorly lit quickie pic-ie for your viewing pleasure. More to come...I have a feeling these two are going to be all sorts of fun to photograph!

Now to start gathering together a pile of red LEGO bricks.

Upcoming Imaginext Bane Battle Sled from Fisher-Price

Fisher-Price's DC Superheroes Imaginext line-up consistently slips new product out to market with little to no advanced warning; and that's a good thing. It's fun to be surprised from time to time.

Case in point, this upcoming Bane Battle Sled figure and vehicle set. Currently listed online at Smyths in the UK, this Bane and Battle Sled has been confirmed for US (and presumably 'everywhere Fisher-Price Imaginext toys are sold') via FP's Facebook Page (according to the AFI thread I discovered this on.)

The Battle Sled looks great and is a nice unique vehicle - not a re-paint. I admit the vehicle might be nothing but a 'maybe I'll buy it eventually and maybe not' since I already have a Bane figure, but the Venom attachment on Bane himself makes this set an absolute 'must-have.'

No word yet on a US release date, but count on Toyriffic to keep you posted!

Fun with Simpsons LEGO minifigures!

The best part about the LEGO Simpsons minifigures is that they are yellow skinned - just like LEGO minifigures! Making the customizing fun absolutely endless.

To wit:

'Under da sea! Under da sea! Everything's hotta, under de wata, espeshly ME!'

The Little Homer-maid.

'I haaaave the powwwweeeerrrrrrrrrrr!'

Homer the Barbarian. Or perhaps Ho-Man.

'Freeze, boy! HAHHHAHAHAHA Get it? Freeze? HAHAHAH!'

Homer Freeze and Bartman.

Bartman. Sort of. My only dissapointment with the Simpsons LEGO series is that an actual Bartman is not an available figure. He'd be a pretty easy custom though, with an extra Bart head and some purple paint. I might attempt it if I find an extra Bart.

'I prefer a fair and balanced discourse over violence. But I hate snakes.'

Lisa-anna Jones.

'I prefer the more PC: Lisa of the peoples you do not yet understand, but that have an equally valuable and rich culture, if you would only take the time to get to know them better before raping and pillaging.'

Lisa the Barbarian.

'WHOAH, man!'

Figure Skater Bart.

'Eat my...shell?'

Teenage Mutant Ninja Simpson. Or Bartonardo (I know, he has Mikey's nunchucks...but Bartonardo sounds better than Bartelangelo.)

'Hey Homer, those aren't the 'rhoids you're looking for!'

Barttrooper.

'Margeriannn!'

Homer Balboa.

'This reminds me of a dream I had once.'

Lazy Sunday Homer.

Mmmm...dooonuts'

Officer Homer.

'Sigh. Another weapon? You didn't have an Emily Bronte minifigure to slap my head upon?'

Swashbuckler Lisa.

Slapping Simpsons heads on LEGO minifigures is a hoot. I look forward to doing more with the few I have, and hopefully I am able to find the rest of the family soon.

Stay tuned!

LEGO Simpsons minifigures are hitting stores NOW!

'Aww, this stupid show is on again?!?'

Thanks to a tip from Dan at The Toy Museum, I was able to find the latest LEGO The Simpsons minifigure series at a local Walgreens.

There were only about eight or ten packs laying alone on a shelf. I presume Walgreens stores are just getting a smattering of these sent in to begin with. I was in a hurry, so I used the 'squeeze method' and properly identified Bart Simpson via his skateboard wheels...

...and Homer Simpson via his cylindrical cranium.

As I said - I was in a hurry. So while I REALLY wanted to find Itchy and Scratchy, in my haste what I hoped was Scratchy turned out to be Lisa Simpson...

'You thought you were getting Itchy. HA HA!'

...and what I thought was Itchy turned out to be Nelson Muntz.

I'm not disappointed, mind you. I just like to get the 'must-haves' out of the way as soon as possible. But I'll keep hunting for Itchy and Scratchy, and Marge and Maggie, and maybe some others. Maybe all of them!

Now get out there and start canvasing your local Walgreens stores...and good luck!

It looks like A-Bomb went off in here :: a Marvel Universe A-Bomb that is!

During the Red Hulk storyline, otherwise pointless teen sidekick to the Incredible Hulk Rick Jones was transformed into a Hulk/Abomination type character aptly dubbed A-Bomb. Which is a great name for a Gamma-irradiated beast with Abomination like powers. Rick Jones aka A-Bomb, like Abomination, was unable to transform back to his human counterpart but retained all of his original intelligence. Things may have changed since I last read a Hulk comic book, but that's at least how I remember it.

I thought the Red Hulk storyline was fun and of course Ed McGuinness' art is fantastic on these type of steroid infused characters, so after getting the Marvel Universe Abomination I knew I had to have the 50/50 variant A-Bomb figure too!

This Rick Jones aka A-Bomb action figure is officially Marvel Universe Series 23 figure #019. If these are still appearing at a retail location near you, keep your eyes peeled. I found mine at a local comic shop, but the 'must-have' fever has apparently passed for these; I was able to get him for a tiny bit over retail cost, and not the inflated eBay prices I had seen in the recent past.

Patience pays off, ladies and gentleman.

The most recent Marvel Universe Abomination, A-Bomb and Rhino all share the same body. The body was developed for Rhino, so it isn't the most perfect representation of A-Bomb or Abomination, but it works and it is very fun to have these guys in this scale to match wits...I mean 'fists'...with my Marvel Universe Red Hulk.

The head sculpts and the fist sculpts are unique to each Abomination/A-Bomb variant, and each has feet that are different from Rhino's. A-Bomb has the added feature of scalloped/armored wrists which also help him to stand out among his similarly sculpted counterparts.

I'm tempted to get Rhino as well, as he is an excellent looking figure. But my primary goal here was to gather together a handful of Hulk themed beasts for an epic battle to be photographed some time in the future (when I am able to track down my World War Hulk and Hulk Buster Iron-Man in the same scale!)

Until then, enjoy the card art of Abomination and A-Bomb duking it out.

Happy Easter from Every-Bunny at Toyriffic!

 

Happy Easter from Usagi Yojimbo, Usagi Yojimbo, (Space) Usagi Yojimbo and...Hare Razing Rabbit!

Ace the Bathound from Krypto the Superdog Animated and Fisher-Price

Constant Reader John aka Jboy asked on yesterday's post "Have they made a official Ace figure? I have seen Krypto but I don't remember seeing one of the Bathound."

The answer, John, is 'Yes!' There was one packaged with a Batman Beyond action figure, but that was the Ace of Batman Beyond continuity. There was also one packaged with a Golden Age Batgirl and Batwoman made by DC Direct. Then there was this one from the Krypto the Superdog cartoon. In fact, I believe there were a few versions of Ace the Bathound made back in 2006 for the Krypto the Superdog cartoon. The only one I picked up was this one, which also came with an 'Ace Racer' skate-type vehicle and Bud and Lou, Harley Quinn's Hyenas.

Unfortunately my Bud and Lou have been lost to time as I let my kids play with them back in the day. But I still have Ace and his Ace Racer!

This was the only toy I picked up from the short lived Krypto the Superdog cartoon, but looking back, I wish I had grabbed them all. Or at least a Krypto! But if I recall correctly, the series had lots of cumbersome action features, and this specific set was just the figures, clean and simple. Which is how I like my action figures.

Playmobil Ace the Bat-Hound

Months ago I picked up a bunch of Playmobil stuff from a garage sale, and included in the mix was a Playmobil German Shepherd. Of course I immediately made plans to make him into Ace the Bathound, but it took me a while to get around to it.

Ace first appeared in Batman #92 (June 1955). Unlike later iterations, Ace did not originally have a cape - he only wore a cowl and a collar with a batsymbol dog tag.

I painted the cowl on him with some automobile touch-up paint. I did the same thing with my LEGO Ace the Bathound.

Playmobil Ace the Bathound makes the perfect companion to my Playmobil unmasked Batman!

My intern felt Ace needed a friend, so she made me take this picture with his Bulldog buddy. Fighting crime, one bite to the buttocks at a time!

Duck Week, WooOOOooo! Darkwing Duck and Megavolt

Megavolt is peeved because Darkwing Duck (and even his Nintendo game) has already been featured on Toyriffic. But it isn't rat week, and I don't plan on having a rat week any time soon, so Megavolt will just have to tag along on this one.

Darkwing is a cool figure, but his action feature does get in the way a bit. His hat spins around comically when you push a button on his back, but that means he has a gaping hole in the top of his head when the hat is removed, and that the hat spins around and balances precariously when on his head.

Megavolt's action feature no longer operates on my figure. But he has a metal wheel on his back ala Bic lighters, and you are supposed to see sparks in his chest. A fun feature that I first remember seeing on the second wave of Blackstar action figures.

I also can't believe they made Megavolt into an action figure. I mean this guy has plug prongs right there on the top of his head! Did anyone not expect kids to shove him into an outlet...and did kids not do so? If not, then kids aren't as dumb as toy companies would have us believe, or this one just slipped past the lawyers (who, in general, are as dumb as you would believe.)

Regardless, Megavolt is a fun looking action figure, and it is a shame the Darkwing Duck toyline didn't survive and thrive beyond the first wave, as many great characters were planned:

Duck Week, WooOOOooo! TMNT's Ace Duck

Duck Week continues with Ace Duck - fine feathered friend of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

If I remember correctly, Ace Duck was given to me years ago by Jboy of The Clawful Punch. (Thanks John!)

I later found the belt and single egg grenade at the flea market for a couple dimes or so. It completes his look nicely, and although it would be nice to have a full belt of egg bombs, at least I have one. And all you need is one well placed grenade, right?

I know nothing of Ace Duck's biography, but as a resource, I often use TMNTToys.com, where I discovered:

"Hungry for duck brain, Krang ordered Shredder to beam an Earthbound duck to Dimension X (there's a shortage of ducks in Dimension X). While transmuting the duck, famous test pilot, Ace Conrad, accidentally flew into the energy beam. The emerging plane was suddenly piloted by none other than Ace Duck, the aero-dynamic adventurer with a big bill. The plane plummeted into the inner city and slid nose-first into the sewer. Ace escaped without ruffling his feathers and found himself at the secret hideout of the Turtles. After realizing he wasn't just some quack off the streets, the Turtles decided to hire Ace to pilot their Turtle Blimp. Always looking for a good adventure, Ace isn't afraid to scramble the Foot with his hard-boiled Egg Grenades...as long as he gets paid on time. Even though he's employed by the Turtles, Ace is still their fearless, Flying friend."

I also know there are a couple versions of the action figure. The main difference is the hat: one has a peg and a corresponding hole in Ace's head to fit it into, and one is just a hat that sits on Ace's head. I have the latter. And, fortunately, I also have his hat...you can imagine those were easily lost!

Other than a couple more egg grenades, I am only missing Ace's .45. Although now that I think about it, I might have it in a bag of TMNT accessories. I'll have to look.

Released by Playmates in 1989 as part of the second wave of TMNT action figures, Ace is unique in that his shoulders have an extra bit of articulation. I suppose this was so they could spread to his side while he was in flight.

His wings are also removable, making them easily lost to time as well.

So while my Ace is a little rough around the edges, at least I have some his most important and most commonly missing accessories.

Duck Week, WooOOOooo! Stormtrooper Donald Duck :: Disney Vinylmation

Or: 'My wife and kid went to Disney World and all I got was this awesome Stormtrooper Donald Duck!'

A few weeks back Grandma took everyone but me to Disney World. I had to stay home and work! But that's ok, I also did not have to chase a toddler around Disney World, which does not sound like a vacation to me.

All I asked for was a cool Star Wars themed souvenir, and I got it in the form of a Disney Vinylmation Donald Duck in Stormtrooper armor!

Vinylmation is Disney's answer to the collectible vinyl craze, and each one is based on a standard Mickey Mouse body, head and ears. Of course that means everyone has Mickey Mouse ears, so in situations like Donald Duck in Stormtrooper armor, the designers have to get clever. In this case, they made the ears a field of stars against the blackness of space.

I originally intended to keep Donald in his box for display purposes, but when I was looking around online to see other Vinylmation figures, I discovered that Donald comes with a blaster! You couldn't see it in the box, as it was packaged behind Donald.

That cinched it...he's just GOT to be holding that blaster!

The blaster really adds that extra level of awesome to an already incredibly awesome concept: Donald Duck Stormtrooper.

Duck Week, WooOOOooo!

This week on Toyriffic: DUCKS. WooOOOooo!

Stay tuned all this week for a duckload of fun! Or: at least three, count 'em, THREE, duck themed posts. Because that's how we roll. Duckin'-A!

Accidental Rule 63 Spider-Woman

Don't get me wrong, I'm a progressive guy. You want to gender-swap your cosplay? Go for it, I say!

But this, this is absolutely HILARIOUS because I do not think it was a) intentional or b) the model has any idea he is cross-dressing.

What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall when this model is showing off his portfolio and someone catches on that he is neither a black suited Peter Parker nor any version of Venom, but he is in fact dressed as the Julia Carpenter version of Spider-Woman!

Like I said: HILARIOUS!

'Wait until I tell my friends that I played Venom professionally!'

'Sassy!'

'Spider-gender neutral, Spider-gender neutral, does whatever anyone of any gender wishes to do!'

'Hey LADIES!'

If you want your own Spider-WOMAN costume (I won't judge) you can find it here.

'I don't know, he looks good to me!'