The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: The Bride of Frankenstein from Tiny Nightmares by Just Play

 

   A few months ago I was at Target and found these really cool little blind-boxed minis, Tiny Nightmares from Just Play, that feature a couple Universal Monsters characters (the Bride of Frankenstein and the Creature from the Black Lagoon) as well as Michael Myers, Pennywise, Chuck and Tiffany, M3GAN, and the Nun. They seemed a bit pricy and I was really only interested in the Universal Monsters, Michael Myers, and maybe M3GAN, so I passed. Just a few weeks ago I was at Five Below and stumbled upon these little guys again, though now for $5 bucks. They were also packaged in foil bags instead of boxes and I thought I might have a better chance of pulling the figures I wanted most. The bagged set has fewer figures (Michael Myers, Tiffany, and Pennywise are absent) but it made it more likely I was going to get the one I want. After a good bit of feeling the packages and probably looking awfully suspicious I decided to check online and see if there was a code on the bags. Sure enough there was! To find the Bride of Frankenstein in the bagged set you'll look for a code "D" on the bag (it's the last letter in a series of numbers); for the boxed set you'll look for "E" for the Bride of Frankenstein. So far as I am aware, the blind bagged and blind boxed figures are the same figures, just with an adjustment to the assortment and codes. I'm glad to be able to pull the ones I wanted without getting duplicates or grabbing a mini I didn't care that much about (*cough* the Nun *cough*). Ready to once again spend some time with the Bride of Frankenstein? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Beach Head & Quick Kick (Night Force) from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   As it's getting dark earlier and earlier every day it's probably time to call on Night Force again! I have absolutely loved nearly every Night Force release in Hasbro's G.I. Joe: Classified Series and it's probably my favorite subset in the line at this point. I like Tiger Force (as I had most of them as a kid) but Hasbro has really changed up the figures more for Night Force, giving us some pretty cool variants. Beach Head always seems to have great figures and this one is based on the Retro carded version which, oddly, I didn't review. Quick Kick is incredibly different, though, getting not just a cool new portrait (for him) but also a completely different outfit from the prior release that feels more fitting for an elite military unit. This set is a Walmart exclusive and is still available online as of this review being published. I think this is one of the strongest release/ variant sets in this line to date as both figures are really solid and the accessories are insane. Ready to check out Beach Head and Quick Kick? Then join me after the break...

The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: Male Alien (They Live) from Universal Horror Classics Tiny Mights by CultureFly

 

   Ready for another true minifigure for The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror? Then let's check out another of CultureFly's Universal Horror Classics Tiny Mights from John Carpenter's 1988 classic They Live: The Male Alien. Yes, one of the male versions of the aliens or ghouls who have secretly invaded the earth this time. I reviewed the Female Alien and John Nada not long ago, so look back and check out those reviews for more details. Today I'm interested in talking a bit about how these are labeled as Universal Horror Classics. When I think of Universal horror classics, I think of the films of Universal during the silent period and from 1931 to 1960, but this line is based on films from the 1970s through the late 90s. Interesting. The classic Universal films did eventually lead to elements of a shared universe at times, though they also shared many of the same cast and crew members giving them a more cohesive feel. Do the post 1960s films have the same connective tissue as those classics, though? Apparently CultureFly and someone at Universal Pictures does. Let's take a closer look at this guy after the break...

Action Figure Review: Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   
   If you talk to some fans of G.I. Joe, especially folks who just jumped back in to collect the Classified Series, you'll often find that many really only collected the first few years of the A Real America Hero line. The A Real American Hero brand of G.I. Joe has been around for about 43 years now and, from 1982 through 2018, 1/18th scaled figures were released in every calendar year except for 1995, 1996, and 1999 (though other Joe product was available). There's also been an ever present cycle where the line tried to reintroduce characters and previous concepts and then goes and steps the brand forward. In 1991, G.I. Joe really began to push new takes on the most popular characters including Snake Eyes, who we're checking out today. This version is based on the 1991 "version 4" figure that changed Snake Eyes' traditionally all black look for a lot more grey and blue. I never had this version of Snake Eyes as a kid in the 1/18th scaled line though I did have the 1992 12-inch "Hall of Fame" figure of Snake Eyes in this outfit. This looks for Snake Eyes was used on most G.I. Joe licensing art and merchandise throughout the early 90s including video games and the DIC animated series. While we haven't received a figure based on Snake Eyes v3 yet (which was my Snake Eyes), this look is pretty unique and I was excited to get it in hand. How is he? A bit of a mixed bag, unfortunately, though mostly that has to do with accessories. Ready to check out the Classified Series take on the 1991 Snake Eyes? Then join me after the break...

The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: Gollum the Fisherman from Middle Earth Toys by Toy Vault

   Toy Vault's Middle Earth Toys line only ran from 1998 through 2000 and while they didn't get to many characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, they did release toys in multiple sizes. The line had some pretty good internal scaling and Toy Vault's takes on Gollum (and Smeagol) were suitably smaller than most other figures in the line. They also capture a very creepy depiction of Gollum! Toy Vault released four different versions of Gollum (or Smeagol) and while this one, Gollum the Fisherman, has a quote from The Two Towers on the package, it always makes me think of Gollum when Bilbo meets him in The Hobbit. Toy Vault only had the rights for The Lord of the Rings and not The Hobbit, though, but apparently they didn't realize that at first, so some lineups had to be changed. This past year I was able to accomplish one of the things I've most looked forward to which was reading the The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to my daughter and then watching the films with her, so now the series is even more special to me. It's a shame that Toy Vault never had the chance to really go far with this line as it was just a wonderfully unusual collection that emerged during the time when companies were realizing that collectors could support toylines and the direct market was becoming a legitimate means of distribution. Ready for a look at Gollum the Fisherman? Then keep a sharp look out, hold on to your precious, and join me after the break...

The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: Deadpool as Jacob Marley #1494 from POP! Plus by Funko

 

   

   Ready for a touch of Christmas leading up to Halloween? Then I've got you covered! Today I'm really excited to show off a very unusual Funko POP! that I found near the end of August at GameStop: Deadpool as Jacob Marley! Listen, I like Deadpool as much as the next guy, but I'm pretty sure this is the first Deadpool POP! vinyl that I've purchased. Now Jacob Marley? I've mentioned here before that A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite stories. I try to read Charles Dickens' book once every other year and I watch multiple film versions of it every year. I've also been able to amass a nice collection of action figures and toys based on the Christmas classic and Jacob Marley is my absolute favorite. So Deadpool as Jacob Marley? I'm down for it. A figure as Dead(pool) as a doornail? Sign me up! This is a weird, wacky figure and I'm completely ok with giving it a slot during spooky season. At just a bit over 4 inches, I think it fits our theme as well. Join me after the break...

The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: John Nada (They Live) from Universal Horror Classics Tiny Mights by CultureFly

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and review minifigures, and I'm all out of bubblegum."

   It's time for not just another minifigure from Culturefly's Universal Horror Classics Tiny Mights but another from John Carpenter's 1988 classic They Live as well: John Nada. Originally intended as a role for frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell, Russell's unavailability led to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper being cast in the role as the man who exposes an alien invasion to the world. I'm really glad that CultureFly picked They Live as one of the movies this series delivers characters from as it's one of my favorites and their isn't a ton of merchandise from the film. Ready to check out a miniature Nada to protect your desk? Then join me after the break...