Pretty Fly for an Imaginext Guy Series 5

"Heeelp meeeee!"

Of the three Imaginext figures I picked up from Series 5, I am most excited about the Mutant Fly.

I can still remember the first time I saw the Jeff Goldblum version of The Fly, I loved it, and it led me to track down the original Vincent Price version, which I loved even more. Heck, I even remember liking The Fly 2, although I haven't seen any of them since the mid to late eighties.

Regardless, when I learned Imaginext had a mutated man-fly as part of their blind bagged Series 5 I was elated, and in hand this little buzzer does not disappoint!

Not-Baxter-Stockman comes with some sort of exterminating fumigator that clips to his back. It reminds me a lot of the Ghostbusters' proton pack, especially with the circle/slash on this guy's hat. The translucent wings look really nice and the paint applications are simple but well done and in all the right places.

Something odd I noticed, however, is that Fly Guy has three fingers and a thumb on his 'human' hand. Most (if not all) Imaginext 'human' figures have four fingers and a thumb. Weird.

Anyways, Series 5 is only showing up at Walmart (so far,) and the following embossed codes can be seen on the back upper corner of the packages:

63 - Chinese Warrior
66 - Genie
65 - Fly-Man
68 - Crash Test Dummy
70 - Cyclops
71 - Warrior Queen
74 - Werewolf
75 - Ghost

Honestly, the Ghost is great and the Werewolf is loads of fun, but if I could only have one from Series 5, it would be this (fly) guy!

Imaginext Series 5 Ghost

At first blush, the Imaginext blind bag series 5 ghost is a little dull. I mean, he's a white sheet. Yipee. He doesn't even come with an additional accessory like most other blind bagged figures. But then you discover his sheet glows in the dark, and that's a handful of points right there because glowing toys are awesome. Also, if you look closely at his 'face' he kind of looks like ghostface from Scream. I'm pretty sure that's intentional, since Fisher-Price could have just as easily left the face flat and lacking in detail.

And then you remove the sheet...

... the ghost is suddenly a ghostly translucent green skeleton and YOU KNOW YOU WANT THIS GUY! He's suddenly TWO awesome toys in one! My only gripe is that the sheet doesn't stand on it's own which would have made for a literal double-whammy.

Imaginext has released many skeletons over the years, but this is the first Kryptonite skeleton! he reminds me of Blight from Batman Beyond, and makes an incredibly versatile addition to any Imaginext sub-theme.

Even though the ghost sheet doesn't stand on it's own, it is a solid sculpt and can still pass as a ghostly apparition on it's own. It will also fit over many standard Imaginext figures. So you can consider this figure a 'two-in-one' if you wish, but even if he's just a one-in-one he's awesome and how can you possibly pass him up?

Here are the codes for Series 5, which is most likely a Wal-Mart exclusive wave:

63 - Chinese Warrior
66 - Genie
65 - Fly-Man
68 - Crash Test Dummy
70 - Cyclops
71 - Warrior Queen
74 - Werewolf
75 - Ghost

Imaginext Blind Bag Series 5 Werewolf (Plus Imaginext Blind Bag Series 5 Codes!)

On an out-of-town excursion I finally found the Imaginext Blind Bag Series 5 figures (at Wal-Mart). I'm about 99% positive the Imaginext Blind Bag Series 5 is a Wal-Mart exclusive series. No one has found them anywhere else (myself included.) If you can prove me wrong, let me know!

Anyways, I picked up my three absolute must-haves from this wave, and at the top of the list was The Wolfman!

Wolfman (or Werewolf) comes with a chain accessory to bind him, but you just know the villagers didn't take into consideration his increased strength once the moon is full! LUNCH TIIIIME! Yum, villagers!

Wolfman has a more sleek and hunched physique than the standard Imaginext figures, and canine-esque legs and feet too. He's simple but fun and while his expression isn't terribly sinister (perhaps he was just kicked in the nards?) he's hard to resist if you're an Imaginext fan.

Fans are in love with the classic horror figures Imaginext has released thus far; I'm on that bandwagon even though I never set out to do so. I didn't pick up Dracula when I had the chance and never found Frankenstein's Monster, so my squad is a bit lean, but I do have the Witch, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Zombie,and Mummy, not to mention a couple more from Series 5 to be reviewed soon!

If you're looking for Series 5 figures yourself, first off, you need to find a Wal-Mart. Then, you need the following codes. The numbers are embossed on the upper left back of the bags, so you have to look closely, but they're reliable and save you time over the tried-and-true squeeze method!

63 - Chinese Warrior
66 - Genie
65 - Fly-Man
68 - Crash Test Dummy
70 - Cyclops
71 - Warrior Queen
74 - Werewolf
75 - Ghost

Random Toy Pic :: Custom Lego Black Mask

I've always preferred the Batman villain Black Mask's original forties gangster look over his more recent Pacino Scarface representation. So I simply took my Lego Minifigures Series 5 Gangster and added skin colored hands and a black skull head, and voila! A Lego Black Mask!

Oh, I also gave him a BrickArms Tommy Gun. The Gangster minifigure came with the violin case, but his simple handgun just wasn't good enough for Black Mask!

Playmobil Fi?ures Series 5 REVEALED!

Playmobil Fi?ures Series 4 haven't even hit retail yet and Toy Fair 2013 has just revealed Fi?ures Series 5!

Pics courtesy AFi:

In the 'girls' sub-set we see:
Back Row: Fairy, Bicycleist, Princess, Indian
Middle Row: Violinist, Stylist, Mermaid, Tennis Pro
Front Row: Girl with soap-on-a-rope?!?! Princess, Robin Hoodess (Must have!) and American Indian

'Boys' sub-set includes:
Back Row: Viking, Knight, Samurai, Carpenter
Middle Row: Miner, Police SWAT Team member, Ninja, Superhero
Front Row: Astronaut, Cowboy, Snowboarder, and Spaceman

You can see Fi?ures Series 4 on the higher shelves behind Series 5 in Playmobil's Toy Fair display.

Fi?ures Series 4 are supposed to hit American retail outlets this month. No word yet on when Series 5 will hit, but you know we'll keep you posted!

Here there be Dragonman!

I modified my Lego Mini-Figure series five 'Lizard Man' ever so slightly...

I didn't particularly like the look of this figure with the 'eyes' peeking out from the mouth. I know the gimmick is that he's a guy in a costume, but I didn't want to display this guy in that manner. So I replaced the mini-figure head with a solid black one.

I also gave him some medieval weaponry. It's about time someone evened the playing field for poor oppressed dragons everywhere.

Now I just have your average run of the mill Dragonman, not a guy in a cheap Halloween suit! But either way, this guy is one of the gems of series five. If you are squeezing the packages to find these guys, he's easy to determine if you feel for his tail and the jagged scales on it and his 'head.'

Good luck!

You dirty rat!

At Toyriffic World Headquarters, whenever anyone picks up a Lego Mini-figure we like to build a little diorama around the figure's theme.

That's just how we roll at TWH.

So when I obtained the Gangster from Lego mini-figure series five I pondered all the wonderful possibilities until the future Mrs. BubbaShelby said 'why don't you have him tossing a guy in cement shoes off a pier?'

Gotta love a woman who suggests making a Lego mini-figure in cement shoes and getting tossed off a pier by a ruthless Mob Boss!

So I designed a little dockside pier with a lamppost (because if movies have taught me anything it is that this type of 'business' happens on the docks and usually at night) and put together a Construction Foreman in cement shoes who clearly wasn't willing to play along with the crooked union leader's plan.

I also designed the platform so that the Foreman can also be attached to a swivel-piece; when you lift the pier he swings down into the 'water.' The Gangster did not originally come with the Tommy-Gun, but every goog Gangster worth his salt needs a Tommy-Gun! He did come with a handgun and the violin case, which opens up and will hold the handgun inside.

So is this it? Is this the end? Is there no hope for the poor Foreman, a man whose only crime was to stand up for what is good and right in this world...?

Aw yeah JSA! The Golden Age Flash (aka Jay Garrick), in a blur of super speed is about to disarm that malicious mobster and will have the Foreman back in proper work boots before you can say 'Myeah, myeah!'

Random Toy Pic :: New Recruits

Word on the streets is that Lego Harley Quinn is looking to hire a new goon; these two gentlemen have arrived to compete for the sole position.

Lego Mini-Figures Series 5 at Toys R Us TODAY!

A slight detour in the middle of my day led me to Toys R Us for a quick walkthrough - which turned into a few minutes of squeezing mini-figure packages when I discovered the display of Lego Mini-Figures Series 5 up at the front of the store!

I will blog about what figures I found soon,I got exactly what I wanted and some for the kids too, but for now here's the checklist. Good luck and happy squeezing!

Want a hint as to the two figures I found for myself? Well, some people call me a gangster of love...