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!