Classic Articulation - Your Local Retro Classic Source

The Road To El Dorado

2011-11-25T15:57:00.000+08:00

My first encounter with the DC family of heroes was through two mediums (both television based); the Superman series of feature films and the Super Friends cartoons. Both were worthy in their portrayal of the DC mythology and represented well the super heroes we know and love today. There were so many things to love about the shows I mentioned that can never be replicated. For example, there will never be another real-life Superman like the one acted out by (Mr. Christopher Reeves). For another, Batman (of the Super Friends series) was actually voiced by Adam West, at one point in time.

Like I was saying, the Super Friends series of cartoons of the 1980s was one of the starting points towards my love of action figures, super heroes, and DC Comics in general - great story line complimented by great characters. However, it was unfortunate to note that some of the characters showcased in this cartoon series never really made it out alive (for lack of a better word). El Dorado is one example.

In 1981, before the release of the well-loved Disney animated movie of the same name, there was an ethic, obviously mocha-toned superhero named El Dorado.

El Dorado was created only for the Super Friends cartoons and has never appeared in a single DC Comic. The starring role that he played in was for Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show as a full-time member. El Dorado, a Latino, was added to the roster of characters in the cartoon for the sole purpose of injecting diversity into the show's overall theme. To say that his character appeared rather stereotypical was like saying you didn't realize we was different from the rest of the Super Friends. El Dorado spoke English with an accent, and was prone to replacing the word "yes" with "si".

It was later revealed through episodes that El Dorado was, in fact, Mexican. No official origin story was ever created to explain El Dorado's past or how he got his super powers, but it has been assumed that they're empowered by ancient magic and his people's warrior-spirit, from being the descendant of Ancient Aztec Sorcerers.

His most frequently used ability was teleportation, which he accomplished by wrapping his cape over his body and vanishing. Anyone or anything he wrapped his cape around could also be teleported with him and there appeared to be no limit to the distance he could travel. Another of his frequently used powers was the ability to generate illusions. These illusions were also capable of generating noise and could be touched. He also exhibited some degree of mental powers, including telepathy. Later episodes expanded to include super strength, flight, and the ability to make objects appear and disappear.

El Dorado was also know for his academic prowess in all things Pre-Columbian history and has assisted the Super Friends whenever they were forced to enter unfamiliar ruins or areas in Latin America

While many non-believers may have assumed that characters such as El Dorado may have faded into the recess of time and memory, some of us fan-boys never seem to truly forget or let go of the need to re-promote such images / icons of the classic past.

While El Dorado was scheduled to be one of the few Hanna-Barbara original heroes (along with Black Vulcan and the Wonder Twins) to receive an action figure after Samurai, the Super Powers Collection line was unfortunately canceled before the figures could be made. However, El Dorado was released in Series 18 of Mattel's DC Universe Classics along with several other Super-Friends/Super-Powers themed figures.

You can imagine my delight that knowing that the creative directors at Mattel and DC still see it fit to cast El Dorado in this, my most favorite line of action figures.

I guess we will never know what happened to El Dorado, whether he was taken back to be among his ancestors in the Aztec heavens or managing some Beverly Hills gardening-slash-pool cleaning company. The next time you open up a bag of Doritos, spare a second and a thought for the mighty El Dorado.

Spotted In Brunei

2011-11-24T23:42:00.000+08:00

Found on a casual walk around and noticed the revived 80s look immediately. Step two: notified Kal-el. Step three: smile in satisfaction of being a geek. Step four: tuck empty wallet into in between ass cheeks and walk away without purchasing.

Hummer vs Thunder Tank

2011-11-22T14:44:00.001+08:00

Few vehicles (real or fictional) kick ass. Let's take the over-bearing Hummer, for example; its about the size of teenage African elephant, wheels the width of tree trunks, and a back seat that you could film a hip-hop music video in. That's a big car. But sadly, it doesn't kick ass. The ThunderTank (or Thunder Tank) does.

The Thunder Tank was the kind of vehicle that you could run over people with and then blow up their dead carcasses with. Using missiles. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the Thunder Tank could eat a Hummer for breakfast and shit out little Toyota Echoes for good measure.

This menacing machine was built by the well-loved ThunderCats mechanic and all-round handyman, Panthro, by utilizing salvaged parts of the wrecked spaceship used to transport our band of heroes to Third Earth (referring to the second episode of the original 80s cartoon series). Throughout the cartoon's mythology, we saw the Thunder Tank maintain and use a range of ass-kicking arsenal to tackle each situation that befell the ThunderCats. The Tank's gadgetry ranged from a drill, working claws for scaling walls, a crushing mouth, missiles, underwater capabilities and further defense systems. A Gatling laser gun has also been included into the cabin of the Tank's rear compartment (against flying machines).

Scanning back through episodes of the original 80s show, the Thunder Tank can be seen as transporting all the ThunderCats in its rear cabin, with Cheetara running alongside. Predicaments have also occurred in instances where the Tank has run out of precious Thundrillium. And yet, the Tank (and Panthro) was always there to save the day.

Great 80s cartoons were almost always followed by great lines of toys. The ThunderCats line, produced by LJN, released 3 main series of figures, with many side action figure with a total of 37 different figures. To accompany this range of memorable character figures were vehicles to match, which included 2 playsets, 6 vehicles, 6 accessories & 2 monsters. Of these, the most famous pieces were the Thunder Tank and the Cat's Lair.

The Thunder Tank play-vehicle featured front seating enough for one figure (usually Panthro) with the ability to accommodate one more character in the Gatling gun during the Tank's attack mode. Attack mode was amazingly cartoon-like (meaning to say, it was true to the show's depiction) with the pounce-ready pose known and seen from the series - gaping mouth and raise claws revealing guns underneath.

It is unfortunate that we rarely see the detail and the sheer thought that went into this play-vehicle in today's sets. A true shame.

The Thunder Tank has now become a real collectible only for the dearest of fans with the perfect balance of Thunder-craziness and money to obtain. It is probably wrong to say few vehicles kick more ass than the Thunder Tank; in fact, it may be more correct to say few things even kick more ass than the goddamn Thunder Tank.

Poster-Size

2011-11-22T11:31:00.001+08:00

This entry was inspired by a picture. Not just any picture, in fact. It was a movie poster.

Movie posters aren't much to shout about really. They usually were character-less Hollywood mechanism that some times obscurely hinted a coming feature film, and then they were gone. Movie posters are still around but they pale in comparison to the tweets, rumors, forums, blogs and fan-sites around today that get movie news international faster than illegal migrant workers.

This blog entry was inspire by one of these movie posters. This movie poster was released in 1989 and wasn't just another PR plot - this one was simple, didn't have captions, no air-brush scenes and was the starting point for a fever that swept many nations, captured the imagination of superhero fans everywhere, and began a saga that promises (now) to carry on until The Dark Knight Rises in 2012.

To quote an unknown (yet fellow) article writer, this was the one that started it all....

A Retro Spider

2011-11-22T09:37:00.000+08:00

There were many close-to-feature Marvel characters that never really made it into the limelight as much as others had. Take, for example, Hawkeye, or Firestar, or the Sub-mariner (Namor). It a little like that situation when a friend ask you if you personally know that person walking in the distance, and you reply "I know 'em, but I don't really know 'em."

In the comics, Jessica Drew became Spider-Woman in 1977. She subsequently had her own cartoon show in 1979. And I'm sure, like myself, only a handful of Bruneians can remember it !

The series was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation, and aired until 1980 for only one season of sixteen episodes, on the ABC-TV network. It was DePatie-Freleng's final series before being reincorporation as Marvel Productions (info courtesy of Wikipedia)

According to the title sequence (of the cartoon), Jessica Drew was bitten by a poisonous spider as a child; her father (Alexander Drew) saved her life by injecting her with an experimental "spider serum," which also granted her superhuman powers. As an adult, Jessica is a magazine editor, but when trouble arises, Jessica slips away to change into Spider-Woman.

Pundits like to say that the Spider-Woman show was specifically created for the Spider-Man series (also of that era) to have a female / feminine-orientated counterpart - an idea formulated by Marvel long before any other comic companies thought of it. Just watching the title sequence is enough to give one the hint that the production of the show relates back to the Spider-Man ones.

Spider-Woman is yet another childhood cartoon show of the superhero vein that has come and gone so abruptly. I'm glad I got the chance to revisit the memory this sunny morning years down the line, especially when I should be working.

PS: Spider-Women is now a playable character in the Marvel Ultimate Alliance video game series.

In With The New...Review

2011-11-21T21:40:00.002+08:00

Almost everyone in Brunei remembers the Thundercats - practically no other morning cartoons was nearly as popular as it. It was well written, had great villains and an even better band of heroes, an annoying comic relief character in the form of Snarf, and a line of action figures and play-sets that could complete an entire museum exhibit. God-forbid that the writers of 2011 would dare to re-version this landmark series. But they did.

And television is all the better for it !

The new series that fan-boys heard of and has now been running past the middle of it's first season aired on July 2011 (this year) re-vamped the entire mythology - the Thundercats we knew are no longer, instead, they all living in a thriving kingdom called Thundera (still on Third Earth).Where Lion-O was a bikini-bottom wearing young man with a Jew-fro, the 2011 version is an even young teenage ego-ass learning the swords abilities slowly and from scratch. Each episode of the 2011 series contains an element where the young Lion-O learning something new about how to word the sword and this own temperament.

Tygra is Lion-O's brother, Cheetara is a member of the speedy royal clerics (priests of Thundera) and still has an out-of-my-mind cleavage, Jaga is more ghostly but doesn't wail as much as he did in the 80s, all the voices have changed from what they once were and the supporting characters (the Berbils, Slithe, and even Driller) are as wild as ever, in their own fashion. The themes are darker and more mature with a very Japanese anime feel.

Going deeper into the production semantics, this reboot is executive produced by Sam Register; who was also executive producer or producer for such action themed shows such as Teen Titans, Ben 10 and Transformers: Animated.

While it may not sound so enticing up front when foreshadowed by the children-orientated Teen Titans and Ben 10, the Thundercats 2011 series is worthy of a chance to getting your attention. Reviews from IMBD lay claims to the shows worthiness:

"The idea to make a remake was based on the idea that at the core there was a lot the original show could have offered still and this is what the remake does. It goes further much further into detail."

"To really enjoy Thundercats 2011 most will have to put aside the cartoon they fell in love with. This is a darker distinctly styled incarnation yet thankfully it stays true to the original spirit of the Thundercats."

"The original series may have been cheesy, but I think the teachings they gave to us kids back then, were valuable ones, that in today's world, you just don't see anymore. They barely had violence, and they sure didn't have blood or something that could cause little kids to freak out."

(By the way, there is a little bit of bloodless yet shameless killing in the new series)

If you loved the Thundercats of the 80s, you won't see many hints of its elements in this 2011 re-version. And perhaps that's what made it more than what meets the eye. Wait ! That's a Transformers alliteration.

Power Collection

2010-07-28T10:57:00.000+08:00

No one wanted to give away at the pedestrian crossing

In an earlier entry, we managed to have a look at the purchasing checklist for the ever-amazing Super Powers Collection that was produced right out of the 80's. It should be said, personally, that the Super Powers Collection is very close to my heart as I remember absolutely loving these figures when I had them.

The Super Powers Collection was obviously based on DC Comics superheroes and supervillains and was created by Kenner Products.

It was so in 1984 that DC Comics awarded the toy license of their characters to Kenner Products, following in the steps of Mattel's popular He-Man toy line. Winning the license away from Mego Corporation and Mattel, Kenner devised hidden mechanisms within the figures that would trigger an action when the figures legs or arms were squeezed. This emphasis on each figure's super power led to the naming of the line - The Super Powers Collection.

Brand from the past

When Marvel's Secret Wars toyline by Mattel came onto the retail toy scene, it was set up as direct competition for the Kenner line. These figures, similar in scale to the Super Powers Collection, introduced a competing marketing strategy between manufacturers of Marvel and DC action figures. This started the trend of Marvel and DC using competing toy manufacturers to produce their toys—a trend that continues to this day.

Superman is really this old !

Each figure in the first two series of The Super Powers Collection were also packaged with a mini-comic featuring that character's adventures.

Once the line was produced and shipping, DC Comics and Kenner went forward with a large merchandising campaign which included; DC Comics producing three comic book mini-series featuring characters from the toy-line, Hanna Barbera also produced two animated series, called Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians.

Our standards were lower when we were kids - but our imagination was better.

In all, three series of figures and accessories were released (in 1984, 1985, and 1986), but after three years of production the line collapsed. Coincidentally, Kenner's Star Wars line stopped shipping to stores the same year the Super Powers line ended.

Comic creator Jack Kirby received some of the only royalties of his long career for redesigning his characters for Kenner. Artist George Pérez also received royalties for his design of Cyborg and redesign of Lex Luthor and Brainiac. Most all other designs (and much of the packaging artwork) were based on José Luis García-López's classic DC Style Guides.

Needless to say, the collection is highly prized today. Certain figures such as Cyborg, Golden Pharaoh, and Plastic Man remain rare to this day while the Flash and Superman are easily found. Another reason the Super Powers Collection is so highly sought after is the inclusion of both popular and little-known characters throughout the line.

While the First Series featured well-known characters, the Second Series concentrated on figures from Kirby's New Gods Saga, and the Third Series mixed both DC Comics acquisitions from other companies and figures created solely for the line. Foreign cards, figures, and even characters add to the collectible appeal of the line.

Kenner's Super Powers Collection eventually released 34 figures, eight vehicles, one playset, and one carrying case.

Today, the Super Powers Collection is available from private collector-level resellers and can be found from time to time as vintage action figures. Mattel's current DC Universe Classics line draws inspiration from the Super Powers figures, with figures such as Mantis and Steppenwolf being re-cast in this line.

Classic Gets A New Look

2010-07-28T09:26:00.004+08:00

Change is a good thing !

I look a long hard look at the Classic Articulation site and one of the first things that popped into my mind was the A-Team and the 2010 remake of this classic television series. I though to myself, if Hannibal and his team of intrepid, colorful do-gooders could be remade in the image of a 2000 Hollywood blockbuster, then Classic Articulation could do with a change as well.

So we said goodbye to the format that we loved so well and decided to embrace the 2010 with a retro mod look that you just can't miss !

Have a great week in preparation for the fasting season.

Comic-Con Floor 2010

2010-07-21T23:47:00.005+08:00

[The roadie decided to pull the mysterious switch rather than move those damn boxes]

Do you know what the one thing that I really and very truly hate the most about Comic-Con 2010? I'm not there.

Friends Chart

2010-07-21T14:59:00.002+08:00

[The ultimate find-a-date in the DC Universe]

I love the whole Super Powers Collection and the cartoons that inspired them; as I was surfing around and reminiscing on this awesome line, I stumbled upon this checklist that shows how diverse and cool the line really was.

Rolling Out Again

2010-07-21T14:20:00.004+08:00

[Prime was searching New York for Dunkin Donuts]

Just when you thought the past was dead and gone, things start making heavy comebacks: G. I. Joe becomes a summer tent flick, writers and gamers starting remembering the original Ghostbusters quartet, TMNT commemorative figures are on the shelves - overall, life is good.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the sequel to the 2007 film, made its debut in theaters on June 24, 2009.

Consequently, Paramount and Dreamworks announced a July 1, 2011 release date for a third Transformers film before completion of Revenge of the Fallen.

On October 1, 2009, Michael Bay revealed that Transformers 3 had already gone into pre-production, and its planned release was back to its original date of July 1, 2011 instead of 2012. It was said that Shia LaBeouf would reprise his role as Sam.

Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, having written the first two movies, will not return for the third installment in the series.

Teddy

2010-07-21T10:02:00.009+08:00

[That's MISTER Ruxpin to you]

Murder, murder, death, death, kill, kill, kill...

Fine Art

2010-07-21T09:43:00.003+08:00

[Epic Cringer]

Everyone appreciates art that they can understand: some stray to impressionist art sometimes looks like kindergarten creations, others go European and tea-and-crumpets; whatever your fancy; art is purely up to the individual (read: always go with what you like).

Artist, Robert Burden, has been into pop-culture for a while.

His paintings are epic "portraits" of the small action figures from his boy-hood. He portrays the magnificence of these figures from the eyes of a child and a retro-fan - representing power, beauty, good and evil, and imagination.

If you were to read into it, Burden's paintings also represent more tangible ideals such as the nostalgia that many of us link to action figures of the classic era as well as the semblance of a a free childhood - "free from the politics of race and religion. It was free from the burdens of history. It was free from rhetoric and paranoia, bitterness and regret, cynicism and despair". I guess that's what the 80's was all about.

Burden's works include Mattel's Battle Cat Limited Edition Print (US$225) measuring 16" x 20" and limited to only 100 prints. In addition to Cringer, there's also a Hasbro's Serpentor Limited Edition Print and Toybiz' The Riddler Limited Edition Print.

Robert Burden's Toybox can be found here.

Buzz Kill

2010-07-21T09:05:00.003+08:00

[All evil leaders must learn how to point insistently and intently]

I would guess that being a Go-Bot must have sucked: for one thing, you're currently discontinued, and for another, you'd be constantly over-shadowed by those dastardly Transformers and their rampant public relations campaigns that bordered on presidential election proportions.

Retro-fans would well remember the era of the Go-Bots (although in snippets) - 1984 was the period when Go-Bots were released along side their Transformers counterparts.

Ages ago Classic Articulation did a character focus piece on the goodies leader, Leader-1. Today, right now, we should pay homage to Cy-Kill - the proverbial Megatron in the Go-Bots universe.

In Challenge of the Gobots, Cy-Kill was the leader of the evil Renegades. Cy-Kill was originally a member of the Guardians and friend of Leader-1. Through wanting to be the sole ruler of Gobotron and because he felt he was the mightiest guardian, this ideology came into complete conflict with the thoughts of Leader-1's democratic rule. This led Cy-Kill to break away from the Guardians and become the leader of the Renegades. Thus started the never ending desire to conquer the Gobot homeworld.

[Switches in wall always means trouble - or art deco]

Cy-Kill attempted to invade Earth with the help of crooked scientist Doctor Braxis, but his plans were thwarted by the Guardians. The Guardians were able to eventually capture him.
Through the aid of Fitor (one of Cy-Kill's lieutenants and also a former Guardian), Cy-Kill was able to escape and threaten Gobotron once again.

Notable appearances in the series were in episodes: "It's The Thought That Counts" , "Doppleganger" and "Battle of the Rock Lords" - the penultimate episode.

Cy-Kill was one of the earliest transforming figure ever manufactured in 1983. The toy mold of Cy-Kill was originally Bandai's Bike Robo from their Machine Robo toyline. Bike Robo was a heroic character in red, white, and blue colors. The Tonka company, however, decided to make this character a villain.

[Comes with leather jacket and Village People CD]

The Tonka version was originally released in the red, white, and blue, but in the final year of the toy line this was changed to a more black and green color scheme - reflecting the villainous nature of the character. The animated version, however, had already been drawn in the original colors and so he stayed that way on TV.

In facts that are of purely sidelining nature, back in 1984, when the Go-Bots were in their prime, Tonka Toys reported well over $100 million worth of orders for Cy-Kill and 29 other GoBots since they were introduced in January 1984. However, those days are long gone and we are left with these humble typed words of mine, and pictures.

[Remember how instructional packaging was back in the day?]

Bones

2010-07-07T08:20:00.014+08:00

[Skeletor sits atop his giant hamster and shows off his latest purchase from Knick Knacks]

Nothing beats the original villains of yester-years: they always had quirky idiosyncrasies, came with personalized evil laugh-styles, could seldom beat the protagonist hero in an actual fist fight, and are usually ugly as sin.

Skeletor is, luckily for us, all those things.

Skeletor has been a mainstay of the Masters of the Universe franchise, as arch-enemy and main antagonist since forever - perhaps since the creation of Eternia. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets, which would make him unstoppable and enable him to conquer and rule all of Eternia.

According to the classic 1983 Filmation brand of cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, little is known of Skeletor's early years. Skeletor is a former pupil of Hordak, leader of The Evil Horde. He was solely responsible for the knowledge used to build Snake Mountain; the command base for the Evil Horde as they attempted to conquer Eternia.

When Hordak and his Horde invaded Eternia and stormed the palace they were driven back and defeated by King Randor's armies, and the magic of Castle Grayskull. Hordak, however, had one final plan - he knew that the twins just born to King Randor were somewhow important, though he did not know exactly why. Hordak set off to kidnap the children, taking Skeletor along with him. Hordak managed to grab Randor and Marlena's daughter, Adora, and would have taken their son, Adam, as well, but was discovered by Man at Arms and Queen Marlena.

[Skeletor's lack of nipples was a concern for the crowd]

A fight broke out, during which Skeletor was overpowered, and Hordak abandoned him and retreated to Snake Mountain. Furious over having been betrayed by his mentor, Skeletor gave away the location of the Horde's secret base in exchange for his freedom.

Hordak had retreated to his base of operations Snake Mountain. When cornered, Hordak opened up a random dimensional portal (later revealed to have led to Etheria) and leaped through with the baby Princess Adora still in his possession.

Though Hordak would escape with Adora, Skeletor remained on Eternia, and set himself up in Snake Mountain. Skeletor remained on Eternia and raised an army of powerful minions of his own and took over as ruler of Snake Mountain. Skeletor's main goal is to conquer the mysterious fortress of Castle Grayskull, from which He-Man draws his powers. If he succeeds, Skeletor would be able to conquer not only Eternia, but the whole universe.

[The secret Horde way of saying 'oh puh-leez, girl warrior']

A later series, that was a re-engineering of the original, confirms that Skeletor was once a man named Keldor who was transformed into Skeletor after nearly dying.

Skeletor possesses an array of mystic powers and is an extremely powerful sorcerer with control over a vast range of dark magical powers. He also possesses considerable scientific skill, and is shown to have skill in creating various machines and devices in both the Filmation and New Adventures animated series.

He is usually armed with a magical weapon called the Havoc Staff; a long pole crowned with a ram's skull (and in some depictions, a crystal ball embedded within). He can discharge bolts of mystic force from the head of the staff, or use it as a focus for more powerful forms of magic.

[1984 classic, featured on many episodes of Robot Chicken]

Skeletor has also displayed the ability to discharge energy from his own body, as is seen in the 1987 film (played by Frank Langella) where he casts lightning from his hands, and in the original animated series where he projects energy from his fingertips.

All versions portray Skeletor as being extremely cunning and intelligent

Of course, Skeletor is never without is evil feline companion Panthor; a giant purple panther who serves as an evil counterpart to Battle Cat. Panthor is portrayed as Skeletor's pet, being at the right of his throne. However, unlike Battle Cat, Panthor only appears in a handful of stories in the original series.

[Like Cringer but eats the flesh of children]

Fun sideline fact: a 94 metre unfinished highrise building in Kraków, Poland was nicknamed after Skeletor, the arch-villain in the cartoon which was popular in Poland in that decade. Spelled in Polish, Szkieletor.

See what you learn when you pay attention.

Sky High

2010-07-06T14:30:00.004+08:00

[What became of playsets such as these?]

I look at this scanned brochure of the very cool command center for the Sky Commanders and think back to what happened to action figures and play-sets today - they are almost non-existent. Play-sets from back in the day seems to follow the belief that the bigger they are the most worthwhile they were as play-sets, and their size complimented the awesomeness of their proportions in the cartoon. What happened to this concept? Where did it go? *sheds a tear*.

That's what made classic toys great.

Solid Snake

2010-07-06T09:42:00.002+08:00

[Every Joes to get one of these]

What good would a retro culture themed blog be without a bit of eye candy that didn't have anything to do with old toys and cartoons?

The Joes may have fought for truth and justice, but being bad is probably more fun.

*Apologies for the terrible title pun. It was painful to re-read even.

This is Cobraaaaaaaaaa !

2010-07-03T14:00:00.010+08:00

[He wants you (and not in a relationship way]

To be a leader means that one should be fair in judgment and just in dealing with people - and the best villains of the 80s totally reflect the exact opposite of this, and that's what's made them so memorable, so cool. You've got Skeletor, Mumm-ra, Megatron, Mon-starr and more.

However, none of them lead an army as huge and as domineering as Cobra Commander.

The title of Cobra Commander has been reused over the subsequent years, however, the best and most memorable holder of that title was the baddie from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero of 1982

Not much is known of the background of the man called the Cobra Commander. Cobra Commander is obsessed with creating political and social conflict in as many number of areas possible. He demands that his minions swear absolute loyalty to himself and Cobra. Being ruthless and totally obsessed, the Commander also likes to personally oversee vital projects himself, even engaging in military combat himself on occasion.

During the run course of the Sunbow animated series subtitled A Real American Hero, Chris Latta voiced the dramatic Commander - infamous exploits of this megalomaniac included a Cobra temple and an Arena of Sport for his amusement. He even had Destro build a MASS Device for him that enabled his men to capture a spy satellite for his own use.

Although only Cobra Commander's eyes are ever openly exposed, it is clear from this partial view that he is a blue-eyed Caucasian. His reason for wearing the mask was not expressly divulged, but in one episode, Destro interrupts his unmasked privacy during a meal and is repulsed at what he saw (which is not shown on-screen). Upon noticing Destro's presence the Commander so humourously muses, "It takes a strong stomach to watch me eat, eh, Destro?".

In G.I. Joe: The Movie it is revealed that he is in fact a many-eyed, blue-skinned snake-man from the ancient civilization of Cobra-La.

Cobra Commander frequently leads assaults of combat himself, but often falls into being a coward at heart whom is usually the first to retreat whenever the battle turns sour. Impatient and frequently hysterical, he was prone to fits of rage when things went badly, often launching into extended rants. He was also greedy and egotistical, often mistreating his own troops to the point of mutiny.

[A Commander is one who knows where to point]

The Cobra organization decides that, after Cobra Commander had repeatedly failed to bring them victory, they should literally create a new leader. Under the guidance of Dr. Mindbender, Cobra's scientists combine DNA samples retrieved from the tombs of history's most notorious despots (along with DNA from current G.I. Joe member Sgt. Slaughter) to genetically craft Cobra Commander's successor, Serpentor, who immediately assumes charge of Cobra and deposes the Commander to the status of a lackey.

Fortunately for the Commander, G.I. Joe managed to interfere with the gene collection to deny Serpentor the critical inclusion of Sun Tzu's essence and with only a little of Sgt. Slaughter's. The absence of that ancient military strategist's influence evidently makes Serpentor prone to impulsive foolhardiness. Cobra Commander, through an opportune moment, manages to save the life of Serpentor from a Joe attack and, thereafter, Cobra Commander seems to be employed as the organization's primary field commander.

[A Commander is someone who knows how to steal movie lines]

Cobra Commander spent most of Season 2 trying to reclaim his former glory from under Serpentor's domineering shadow, assembling his own secret society called The Coil to that end.

Following on from the movie, the DiC animated series re-starts with Cobra Commander left in a snake form, and being kept as a "pet" of Serpentor (who took great enjoyment in taunting and torturing the former leader and kept him in a cage). During this time, some members of Cobra were finding themselves disillusioned with Serpentor's leadership. In particular, The Baroness (recently rejected by Destro for Zarana), was finding herself no longer in Serpentor's good graces, and sought the means to oust him from power.

Opportunity presented itself in a scientific study she found suggesting the mutagenic properties of the Dragonfire energy. Seeing her chance, she, with the help of newly-joined Dreadnok Gnawgahide, released the captive Commander (still a snake) and took him into a cave believed to be a major source of Dragonfire power. Once there, the Baroness and Gnawgahide performed a ritual to unleash the Dragonfire. Their efforts bore fruit, as the Commander was returned to a more humanoid form (albeit green and reptilian in nature). After evading capture by the Joes, the Baroness and Gnawgahide provided Cobra Commander with an old battle suit of his and went about beginning the next phase in the Commander's plan to retake his organization.

Contacting Destro, Baroness surprised him by showing him the Commander in his new humanoid form. This caused Destro to immediately join their cause (and dump Zarana). As this was happening, Cobra Commander was also regaining the loyalty of some of his men, if not in some cases by force. Using the Dragonfire energy (again), he created a new fleet dubbed the Python Patrol, which he then used to overtake Serpentor and regain control of Cobra. In classic Cobra Commander fashion, he wasn't happy with simply defeating his usurper. In a final display of ruthlessness, he turned the Dragonfire energy against Serpentor, mutating him into a pig for Gnawgahide to keep as a pet.

A Real American Hero original figure line of 1982 featured Cobra Commander - fashioned with a light blue helmet with silver faceplate and red Cobra insignia on chest. This would probably be his most memorable representation.

This figures accessories included a small, black laser pistol with round, grilled muzzle.which could be stored in an impression in the figure's back.

The hooded version of Cobra Commander, released in 1984 used the same body mold as the 1982 original but with a new head and was on available as a mail-in direct-to-order.

Subsequent releases of Cobra Commander diverged from his original representation to be more functional themed - such as Battle Armor or the interesting Impostor character. A fun fact to add to your retro knowledge: over 40 versions of the Commander were released between 1982 to 2009 (inclusive of the movie line releases) making him one of the most re-issued and re-modeled characters of the Joe universe next to Snake Eyes.

[A Commander is someone who can stare at you for hours]

Another fact for you: the comics were very careful to differentiate between Cobra Commander's helmet and his hood which was only for ceremonial occasions, while the helmet was worn whenever he was in the field or in danger of facing combat.

See-cons

2010-06-30T16:01:00.006+08:00

[The perfect camouflage is you were hiding out in an 80s party]

Does anyone actually know how many Transformers were actually conceived in the entire Generation 1 spiral? It's more of a rhetorical question actually, but if you do happen to know, you're a larger fan than I am and deserve adoration.

But, in any case, an acceptable answer is: alot.

There were so many characters - Autobot and Decepticon - that its easy for one to lose track and totally forget about the existence of some. One bunch of characters I'm going to address in this entry have been out of original production for almost 20 years ! I can just barely remember playing with these awesome figures: the Seacons (pronounced See-cons).

The Seacons are a team of Decepticons named for their sea-animal alternate modes. The team is able to merge their bodies and minds to form the gigantic Piranacon. The team members are:

Snaptrap is the team leader. He rules the other Seacons through fear of force rather than any sort of inspirational leadership qualities. He is, however, very good at what he does - brutally and efficiently taking apart Autobots.

Nautilator possesses a rather unfortunate weakness - for supposedly an underwater specialist, he's no good at underwater operations whatsoever. Due to this, when formed as Piranacon the other Seacons let him form Piranacon's weapon rather than anything else in combined mode.

Overbite is interested in only one thing - hunting prey, be it Autobot or luckless human ships that happen to get in his way. Oddly for having a shark alternate mode, he possesses extra limbs to help function on land.

Seawing is the team's stealth specialist, gliding silently through the water and attacking without warning. He also has designs on being the leader of the group; likened to the Starscream of the group.

Skalor is disgusting even by Seacon standards: always leaking oil, lubricants and various other fluids is so disgusting that even the other Seacons try to avoid him. Skalor doesn't seem that bothered about getting it fixed - even when it causes him to seize up in battle.

[The most tentacle-est Decepticon ever]

Tentakil is the cruelest of all the Seacons. He'll lure opponents to their doom by complimenting them on their battle prowess, letting them think he is an honorable foe - then he'll strike and take them apart. He enjoys tricking them more than actually destroying them.

Although the Seacons' personalities are wildly disparate, their combined mode of Piranacon is a successful combination of their minds. But as all the Seacons love hunting their prey, Piranacon (known in Japan as King Poseidon) is also dedicated to this without the personality conflicts that paralyse other combiners.

[The awesome complete Piranacon]

As the incarnation of the six feuding Seacon personalities, Piranacon finds and destroys one hapless victim after another in great succession. He will continue this course of behavior until he runs out of fuel (which he inevitably will do since he never pauses to re-energize) or until he is stopped (which considering his awesome power, rarely happens).

Piranacon is so single-minded about his task that he will brush aside any Decepticon who tries to talk to him about anything else.

[The always cool Energon card]

Piranacon's strength is immense. He can hold up. to 4,000,000 tons, making him ideal for lifting freighters and various warships from the sea. He is fully operational up to a depth of 30,000 feet below sea level. He only walks at a maximum speed of 15 mph on land and 10 mph undersea, but since he is virtually impervious to weapons-fire, his need for speed in order to evade enemy attack is negligible. He wields a jawbreaker cannon (which is actually the weapons-base' mode of Overbite), which shoots powerful metal-eating, salt-based corrosives.

That being said, the group is known for possessing an extra ability not present in the other combiners – each 'limb' can also transform into a weapons emplacement, which can be wielded as a gun by Piranacon - which lends logic to the fact that the Seacons possess a sixth member).

When later packaged together as a giftset, however, Nautilator was not included, making him the rarest and most sought after of the group among collectors.

The composition of Piranacon's limbs differs from show to show. Seawing and Tentakil are the constants, always forming the left arm and leg, respectively. Piranacon's box art show Overbite as the right arm and Skalor as the right leg, while his instructions show Skalor as the right arm and Nautilator as the right leg.

A point of note is that the Seacons were released too late in the toyline to make an appearance in the US Transformers animated series: their Japanese counterparts, however made it to the small screen in 1988’s Japanese-exclusive series, Transformers: Super-God Masterforce, where they demonstrated a noticeable behavioral difference from their comic depictions.

Hasbro has exclusively release a Generation 1 Commemorative Seacons line in their original colors for the first since their initial release in 1988 - and they're amazing, just looking at them.

This limited edition set is only available in North America.

[True retro packaging]

The commemorative exclusive comes packaged in an awesome collector gift-box, includes collector cards, includes all 6 figures needed to form Piranacon, and each figure comes with individual weapons. This is the first time Piranacon has ever been reissued with the G1 color scheme.

Shipments from the Hasbro factory will arrive in two (2) batches, in Late July and in Late August.

Cartoon Ho !

2010-06-30T09:31:00.002+08:00

[Awesome representation]

In June 2010, Warner Bros. Animation has begun production on ThunderCats, an all-new re-engineering of the iconic 1980s action classic, for Cartoon Network. ThunderCats is the newest series from WBA, joining Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which was recently renewed for a third season.

“In addition to being Warner Bros. Animation’s first anime series, ThunderCats marks our most ambitious foray yet into fantasy,” said a Warner executive. “The realism and dynamic visual style we’ve achieved are sure to thrill viewers, and the cool weapons, vehicles and technology should help the show appeal to a diverse audience.”

The 21st century re-imagining of the series marks a creative collaboration between WBA and Studio4°C, one of the most vibrant animation studios in Japan, with credits including The Animatrix and Gotham Knights. WBA is working closely with Studio4°C, hoping to use their expertise to give the ThunderCats characters a new cutting-edge look while remaining true to the compelling storylines and mythology of the original series.

Roaring to life through WBA and Studio4°C’s use of the Japanese animated artistry of anime, ThunderCats characters Lion-O, Mumm-Ra, Panthro, Cheetara and others will have realistic cat-like characteristics inconceivable in previous incarnations.

It is hoped that the new ThunderCats will appeal to viewers who have loved the characters all their lives as well as young newcomers to the franchise. ThunderCats is executive produced by Sam Register (of Teen Titans, Ben 10 and Batman: The Brave and the Bold).

Uncle Ben

2010-06-30T08:51:00.003+08:00

[The Orlando Bloom of Third Earth]

Many a child-at-heart still draws fun-filled, action-packed memories when they recall the ThunderCats series - the "Hoooooooo!", the villains, the weapons and the play-sets and the characters.

We (meaning the classic geeks) are all familiar will the main protagonist group that made up the nuclear family of the ThunderCats. I've always been more curious as to the origins of the mysterious trio that were introduced to the cast later on in the series history. Rather than draw it out into one large entry, let's start at one of these curious cats: Ben-Gali.

Ben-Gali is one of the two younger new Thundereans among the trio, ideally named after the bengal tiger but more resembling a white tiger. He is a skilled blacksmith apparently like his father before him. This talent proves valuable after the Sword of Omens is once again brokenby Tug Mug in 'Mumm-Ra Lives!'.

Bengali was introduced in the "Thundercats Ho!" movie (aired as a five-part episode): a ship that escaped Thundera just prior to its destruction and wound up shipwrecked on Third Earth for a time before they were found and rescued by Lion-O and the rest of the Thundercats.

[A grumpy Ben-Gali]

Fast and agile like Tygra, Ben-Gali refers to him as 'brother' - but not in hip-hop way, mind you. It is unclear if they share a true blood bond or if the greeting is merely meant as a term of endearment (note: the new ThunderCats repeatedly call the originals 'Nobles' while referring to themselves as mere Thundereans).

In combat, Ben-Gali wields a weapon called the Hammer of Thundera. It can shoot energy blasts, and carries smoke pellets in its handle, to allow him to cause confusion and provide cover for withdrawal from a fight.

[Ben-retro-Gali]

Ben-Gali's figure is essentially a re-paint and molding of Tygra's body. As with his counterparts, Ben-Gali's action figure was issued in 1987 (Series III) with new Battle-matic Action: Using your forefinger, push down the battle-matic action lever on the back to move Bengali’s arm. It can be said that Bengali is considered one of the rarest and highly sought after ThunderCat figures - a rare jewel for any collector to have in their collection.

It's less than coincidental that this Classic Articulation entry comes along with the release of a Big Bad Toy Store Exclusive release: the Bengali 10” Cold Cast Porcelain Statue, sculpted by Paul Bennet. This statues is truly exclusive because only 350 were produced and set up for grabs.

[Speedos on top of leggings are cool]

This statue is packaged in a full-color collector’s box and depicts Ben-Gali in a combat-ready stance, with the Hammer of Thundera. If you're the rich and resourceful person I know you are, then point your browser towards BBTS and get one just for yourself.

A Pack Of Beasts

2010-06-29T08:20:00.004+08:00

[Love the detail of classic packaging]

Carrying on from Classic Articulation's recent posts on the re-realization of Battle Beasts in 2010, it would be a shame not to go into more detail on the production and scope of this awesome line.
A good place to start would probably be in their packaging style.

Battle Beasts came packaged differently depending on whether the import line was from North American or Japan - and have been found in individual boxes, 2-packs, 6-packs, 8-Packs, 10-Packs and big gift sets. The above picture is the back-card your common North American 2-pack.

Battle Beasts came out in the late 80's and like most toys of the era, had a gimmick to help sales. Each Battle Beast had a heat sensitive sticker on his chest which, when rubbed would reveal the warrior's strength. The symbols would represent either fire, wood or water and could be used in a rock, paper, scissors type game—fire beat wood, wood beat water, water beat fire.

Later a fourth emblem was added, the Sunburst, and it would beat all other types. The Sunburst was extremely rare, found in a ten pack in Japan, or Pirate Leo was available in America as a variant, despite claims that there were others of that affiliation.

Each Beast also carried his own distinctive weapon which could be identified based on a corresponding number.

In the U.S., Battle Beasts came in a packages of two, usually (but not always) in numerical order. It was impossible to tell which figure had a rub of fire, wood, or water until the package was opened. That came in handy with marketing, as their slogan was, "Fire! Wood! Or Water!... You'll never know until you own them!". Also listed on the packages starting with Series 2 was the possibility of getting the Sunburst Warrior. There was a total of three series adding up to 76 Battle Beasts beginning with #1, Pirate Lion and ending with #76, Ossified Orangutan.

Series 1 & 2 were released in Japan, Europe and North America while Series 3 was only released in Japan and the U.S.

Thundercats Are On The Loose !

2010-06-28T16:16:00.003+08:00

[Cheetara: the Megan Fox of Third Earth]

It's better late than never that Classic Articulation bring to the attention of retro fans out there the revival of the ThunderCats into their newest representation as purchasable porcelain cold-cast statues.

It was in May 2009 that Warner Brothers gave Hard Hero, a company specializing in highly detailed fantasy statues, the rights to produce a line of collectible statues based on the ThunderCats characters. In August 2009, the first statue Lion-O character became available for pre-order. Since then, Hard Hero has produced the following:

Cheetara
Bengali
Mumm-ra

Each of these highly-detailed statues stand at roughly 11" and are desktop testaments to your love of all things classic - and sure to be the envy of any of your geeky friends.

In June 2010, Bandai announced that new toylines will be released, based on both the classic and the 2011 series. This is a serious development in the re-engineering of the ThunderCats line and we can only sit and wait on what comes out of it.

Robo-gator Review

2010-06-28T15:46:00.004+08:00

[The father becomes the son; the son becomes the father]

*Follow-up from 'The Return of the Beasts'.

Inspired by the original Battle Beasts toy line, this Alligator is essentially a Minimates figure with special hands, feet, armor, and a hat. As mentioned in an earlier entry, this nameless figure was given away by Diamond Select Toys at New York Toy Fair, 2010.

This figure is the first (and so far only) release of Art Asylum/Diamond Select Toys' Battle Beasts line, and it's quite slick. The figure is just a basic Minimates body except the hands and feet are uniquely sculpted, the "head" is actually just a hat over a normal Minimates head, and the body is just a piece that fits over a standard torso. This is pretty brilliant toy engineering on the relatively cheap Minimates model frame; and remember, it's a Minimates figure so it will come apart if you touch it funny.

At press time (just following Toy Fair 2010) Diamond Select Toys made no plans known for the development of the Battle Beasts brand past this figure. In other words, if you have this figure, congratulations. You now own the entire line (possibly).

[The new line of flasher, pervert animal Minimates]

Despite being built over a standardized body, the figure itself is surprisingly robust and detailed. Just like the original, there's a ton of detailing on the armor and character skin, but unlike the original there are more than two colors of paint on the thing.

Described by many as a cross between RoboCop and an alligator, this swell figure manages to spin your average expectations for a Minimates figure. For starters, it isn't a flat surface with a face painted on it - there's an actual sculpted head here with quite a bit of paint detail. The interior of the mouth is painted red, the teeth are painted white, and the skin and eyes are also uniquely decorated.

Glad to see that Diamond Select didn't cheap out here, although it is worth noting that the articulation isn't as robust as a standard Minimates figure. The feet are boots that fit over the standard legs, so you can't rotate the ankles. It's quite similar to some of the Iron Man figures, and a huge improvement over vintage Battle Beasts.

Surprisingly, the figure is about the same size as the originals. This new one is just slightly larger than the original 'Gruesome Gator' figure (pictured at the top of the page), and sized just right to be largely compatible with the original vehicles and playsets - which, if you're lucky enough to still have the retro play-set, is a bonus.

The alligator head is actually a hat for the Minimates head. There's a peg inside the alligator cap, and it plugs into a hole in the cylinder head to complete the figure's construction. It should also be noted that the feet have LEGO-peg holes on the bottom, but the feet are so big that you won't be able to get to plug him straight onto a typical brick or plate.

This figure had an issue price of free - which was, of course, the best thing about going to Comic Cons. However, how does it stack up against the 1987 originals? It's totally on personal preference; upon review, this new nameless Robo-gator by Diamond Select is aptly made in the spirit of the original Battle Beasts but whether this progression in good manufacturing will continue - whether the line will even continue at all - is something Classic Articulation will just have to keep an eye out for.

Return Of The Beasts

2010-06-28T15:19:00.004+08:00

[Someone forgot to lock the zoo doors!]

Battle Beasts were probably the coolest anthropomorphic animal figures under 3" ever made - their sheer variety in characters was just boundless and their sculpting, finish and paint were vibrant. These figures, introduced in 1987, were far more interesting as collectibles than action figures.

If you remember or had these figures; stop, pat yourself on the back and continue on:

In the summer of 2009 at the San Diego Comic Con, it was announced that Diamond Select Toys, who produces Minimates, had acquired not only the license agreement to the Battle Beasts line, but ownership of the whole brand. They also displayed a play-set featuring a Minimates version of what is to become the new Battle Beast line. It was an Alligator named Gator Guard, and came with a human Minimates toy, as well as a cardboard play-set. The play-set was to become available for sale on December 31st 2009, but was then pushed back until March 2010, and has since been pushed back as far as possibly January 2011.

In February 2010 at the New York Toy Fair, Diamond Select Toys gave away a promotional Alligator Minimates Battle Beasts figure. It was the first toy in a probable relaunch of the Battle Beasts line. It is identical to the Gator Guard with the exception of the paint scheme, its armor is painted silver instead of gold, the eyes are green instead of red, and the claws are white instead of black. In April 2010, a second promotional Alligator Minimates Battle Beasts figure was released at the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo. It is identical to the previous release with the exception of the paint scheme, it features black armor, gray skin, and yellow claws. Both of these figures were released in sealed bags and have no specific names.

Let's hope that this re-issue / re-vision will receive as much acclaim as the original 80's line did. But of course, just like Colonel Sanders would say, nothing beats the original !

The Revival

2010-06-28T15:02:00.002+08:00

[Ya heard?!]

Whew ! The number of ups and downs Kal-El and myself had to go through to get to this point, it's amazing that we didn't just pack up our blogs and head on our merry way to senior citizenry. I guess our sheer egos and stubbornness would not allow us to kill a good thing.

Up to this point, we hope you've still been enjoying our blogs: Classic Articulation and The House Of El, as much as we've enjoyed bringing them to you. I don't think we're ready to give up on these just yet...work and personal obligations seemed to have gotten in the way of us keeping regular in our updating - hopefully, the 2010 is the period when we can find a balance for that.

But just so you know, kind Bruneian friends, Classic Articulation and The House Of El, although not regularly updated will not be shutting down. We're dedicated to keeping the hype going for as long as possible and in so much as we have time to keep you updated.

Thanks for sticking by us for so long in our long silences and lack of updates !

The Realistic Ghostbusters

2009-11-19T14:43:00.003+08:00

[Egon Spengler: comes with a peeing Slimer in 6"]

The enterprise that was the Ghostbusters, much like those annoying little entities that they are forced to deal with in each episode / movie on a regular basis, never really did die. That is more than evident today.

With the release of the high-definition Ghostbusters game of 2009 on multiple platform consoles, action figure manufacturers are planning to use that momentum to carry their business forward on the backs (read: wallets) of retro fans; an opportunistic pattern that we commonly see here in the action figure promotion medium.

So, without further delay, Classic Articulation would like to showcase Mattel's hot new line of Ghostbuster figure - that range from the common 6" to the almost DC Deluxe-styled 12" size. Note, however, that we still have not sighted a Peter Zenkman figure but, rest assured, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore have been sculpted and released into the market.

Obviously, to be logical to the price you would fork out the two difference sizes, strict differences will exist as well. The 6" almost appears like your run-of-the-mill Movie Masters line with stiff and angled points of articulation. Accessories associated with the 6" models are also limited.

The 12" - now that's a whole new ball-game: faces are sculpted to almost actor-ish likenesses, the uniforms are cloth to touch, down to the boots, and they come packed up to the barrel with accessories. For example, the 12" Egon Spengler will feature a walkie-talkie, ghost trap, PKE meter and a light-up proton pack. Also an extra set of gloved hands.

Which ever way you wish to live out your dream of owning the Ghostbusters again, I am sure that the only people you are gonna call (who you gon call?) is your credit card issuing company.

6" figures will average out around USD35 (or approx. BND45) and 12" figures will be going for USD90 (or approx. BND117).

Mini Ghost Busting

2009-06-22T00:30:00.004+08:00

[Minimates: I guess you could call Gozer's bust a mini-bust]

It really is a Ghostbusters revival period going on - it's pretty clear that alot of franchises from the past are making a coming in the '09 with merchandise to boot.

Take of example the ever-lovely stylings of Art Asylum Design & Sculpts' Minimates: collectors are snapping these little babies up as if they were Temburong crocodiles and the Minimates were members of a corporate team-building expedition wading through the river. In short, Minimates are doing really well for themselves.

Match that together with the times of retro-years coming back (see: G. I. Joe, Transformers, etc.), and you've a whole bunch of new merchandise to spending all that bonus money on.

Diamond Select and Art Asylum relive the classics with a line-up of two waves so far on this debuting Ghostbusters line. Wave One includes; Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Louis Tully as Gozer's dog and the possessed Dana Barrett.

The second Ghostbusters Minimates release features the rest of the Ghostbusters team plus two of the most dangerous paranormal beings you'll ever meet! They also come complete with removable Minimate proton packs, neutrino wands and ghost traps, this set includes Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, the all-powerful Gozer and the infamous Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man!

More things for your cat to swallow by accident.

PS: I thought the Gozer possessed female was super-hot

Each Minimate set ranges in price but they average out at USD14 (or around BND33). Wave Two was just released this month.

Mapping Eternia

2009-02-21T16:44:00.004+08:00

[Eternia: on 5 dollars a day]
Written by GL

Fun game: click and download the above map, print in full color, fly to Hong Kong, and start asking directions from passing strangers.

Keep it real retro fans.

Staying Puft

2009-02-21T16:36:00.003+08:00

[Stay-Puft: it's all about classic]
Written by GL

Did I not say that everything retro is making a come-back, everything from Transformers to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; and now it's time for Ghostbusters.

The good fellow as Diamond Select have just released the above. That's right, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is back for more in the form of this 8-inch vinyl piggy bank. Now you can keep your loose change in one of the starring characters of the Ghostbusters movie. Keep your mony protected inside one of the most destructive other-worldly apparitions ever to capture our imaginations.

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man bank is set for release in Summer of this year and retail price is going for USD$18 (or BND$25). Don't cross the streams.

It's A Prowl Bust

2009-02-16T21:35:00.002+08:00

[Prowl Bust: a bust of Prowl]
Written by GL

That's right. If you didn't already know, it's a bust of one of the coolest colored, designed and painted Transformers ever, Prowl. And it looks to be a fine, fine, fine addition to anyone's work desk, bust collection or as a kicky centerpiece for when the in-laws come in to question the validity of your relationship with their daughter.

But I'm going on a tangent.

The Exclusive Prowl bust stands 6” tall, and is limited to only 500 pieces. Prowl is posed atop a tiered base bearing the Autobot emblem. The coolest thing about this is that Prowl’s color scheme is based around his police markings. He’s symmetrically configured so that the headlights are aligned in the front, the wheels turned behind the shoulder plates, and the doors folded outwards to be like wings.

Prowl is equipped with shoulder-mounted rockets, and is armed with a rifle to give that threatening yet charming appeal.

A little background: Prowl was among the first wave of Autobot casualties in Transformers: The Movie. Joined by Brawn, Ratchet and Ironhide, Prowl was aboard a shuttle destined for Earth; this shuttle was destroyed by Megatron. Prowl was destroyed after suffering a direct blast from Scavenger.

Honor his memory by purchasing this from any good online reseller. Estimated going cost is about USD$65 (or roungly BND$90) and is currently in stock.

Classic Come To Life

2009-02-15T14:51:00.002+08:00

[Watchmen: who watches them?]
Written by GL

First Transformers, then G.I. Joe and more to come. Among those already planned or done is the vintage landmark graphic novel Watchmen.

I placed the above promotional photo purely so that you, dear retro fan, would look at it in awe of how far we've come. Remember the days when you'd just wish for an X-Men movie to be released?

It's a classic time !

Are You The Key Master?

2009-02-15T14:19:00.003+08:00

[A New Remix: who you gonna call?]
Written by GL

Ah, it's call coming back. Everything retro-classic is making a come back and it's a fine era to be alive to see it all.

The events of the game occur during 1991, two years after the events in Ghostbusters II. Players portray a new recruit hired to test Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz's new equipment, during a recent rise of paranormal activity. This paranormal activity begins to occur as the city is about to unveil a Gozer exhibit. The team is thus called to investigate. Along the way, you'll encounter several old baddies from the films, such as the library ghost, Vigo, Slimer, Gozer, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, as well as many mini bosses.

Atari will be releasing the game in June 2009 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first film's movie release. At the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony confirmed that the game will be released on June 16th in the US and June 19th in Europe, alongside home video re-releases of the Ghostbusters films.

Re-issue heaven !

Trakker Jumps Joe

2009-02-15T13:47:00.006+08:00

[Matt Trakker: it's not Photoshop]

Written by GL

Believe it or not, because I didn't when I first saw it, but the awesome leader of the M.A.S.K. team of do-gooders has been moved and absorbed into the 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe line !

The 25th Anniversary collection was the best overall toyline of 2007, with excellent sculpts, awesome articulation, and cool accessories.

Specialist Trakker leads a secret unit which develops ordinary-looking vehicles that convert into advanced combat vehicles. Joining forces with the G.I. Joe team, the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (M.A.S.K.) team battles V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem). The new spin on things is that V.E.N.O.M. was a unit formed by Cobra to construct its own converting vehicles. Specialist Trakker uses his next-gen technological devices to preserve peace throughout the world and stop the corrupt forces that are using the same technology to control the world.

Created by Kenner, M.A.S.K. was basically (some-say) a rip-off of competitor Hasbro's G.I. Joe and Transformers (read: figures and changing vehicles).

Obviously the original story had no connection to either G.I. Joe or Cobra, but otherwise the stuff on his filecard is still retro accurate: single father Matt Trakker was the multi-millionaire philanthropist whose money and technology kept the M.A.S.K. team going. Miles Mayhem really did steal half the M.A.S.K. masks, and used them to perform mercenary work, leading Trakker to assemble a team to counter him.

[Matt & Matt: you make the comparison]

Matt never had a codename (no one in M.A.S.K. did), which is why this figure is identified only as Specialist Trakker. Of course, they could have named him Thunderhawk (after his flying Camaro) or Spectrum (after his mask). Just calling him 'specialist' shows that this new Trakker's work is as an independant support role.

The figure's suit has been painted to look alot like the old M.A.S.K. figure: the gray of his flight suit, the flight harness, etc. It doesn't quite match the old toy, but it is fairly similar to the animation model.

[The new Spectrum: the Hasbro remix]

Matt also wears a helmet and it shares some stylistic elements with the original Spectrum mask, however, there has been no word on whether it can still fire a sonic blast or allow the wearer to see different visual spectrums.

He comes with a nice plain machine gun and a five-piece helicopter backpack that seems like Inspector Gadget run through a car compactor. In all honesty, with the green painting (seen in the photo), it looks darn close to Condor.

[Matt In Flight: so much for stealth coloring]

General consensus over the figure shows that there are some fans out there who think putting Matt Trakker in the G.I. Joe line is a show; some feel is a con to real Joe fans. Either way, the fact of the matter is Hasbro acquired a lot of licenses and original properties when it bought Kenner, and it's good to see they're willing to give all retro characters a chance.

Dark Storm Coming

2009-02-15T12:58:00.004+08:00

[Visionaries: you know it!]
Written by GL

It's time to cycle back through all that good stuff that be used to love. Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light was a true classic cartoon that just didn't last very long, sad enough to say. The show had a pretty solid premise, the characters were memorable, if not over-cliched to the fight between good and evil, and the action figures were pure class.

So, you had the Spectral Knights on one side of the fence, and the Darkling Lords on the other. And the circle of life continued on for just about a season.

[Darkling Lords: the 1987 line-up]

Being on the side of evil was never a good thing; you always had to face defeat, your morals were alway shoddy, you never got any good-natured chicks on your side and your boss was always usually an abusive dunce. This scenario was never any different for the Darkling Lords.

Rewarded for his cunning and ability to scale walls effortlessly (no arguing how that would make you a good head baddie), Darkstorm was the leader of the Darkling Lords.

[Darkstorm: wondering who un-tied his shoe laces]

Even before receiving his totem powers, he commanded the allegiance of Reekon and Mortredd; two of the in-waiting lackeys. In the pilot episode of the show, Darkstorm moved on to gain the further allegiance of the other members of his would-be Darkling Lords when finding them caught in a trap during the quest to Merklynn's shrine. In all his charm, Darkstorm made all those trapped swear loyalty to him in exchange for helping to freeing them. Because, if anything is right in this world, it's best to always kick people when they're down.

His bad mamma-jamma is so bad in fact that he even managed, in episode 7 to overthrow the great wizard Merklynn and assume the throne of Iron Mountain. Darkstorm is, without a doubt, a central character in every one of the shows - with his devious plot-brewing and dastardly schemes.

[Original Backcard: I miss these things]

He bears the totem of the mollusk and his power staff holds the Power of Decay. The cartoon showed he also had a secondary power to reverse his own Decay, a talent that is not commonly found in the other Visionaries collective.

To instigate the Power of Decay, one merely needed to recite: "By what creeps, what crawls, by what does not, Let all that grows recede and rot!" To reverse it (when you're in a good mood), utter: "Power of rot, obscuring truth, What once was old restore to youth!" On one note, this power to rot any substance was usually used by Darkstorm to wear down the armour of his foes.

[Original Action Figure: I had this !]

Release along with everyone else in in the 1987 action figure line, Darkstorm comes packed with his Decay power staff and a twin-bladed hand axe - all must-haves for the aspiring abusive head baddie.

Bring on the decay !

Know Your Joe Roots

2009-02-14T00:17:00.002+08:00

[Joe History: pay attenshun you scum-sucking maggots]
Written by GL

Taken straight out of the offical 1982 catalog of G.I. Joe, which happens to be the very first catalog of the line to be released, is the above history pamphlet that came with nearly all of the figure and accessories.

It is just a small slice of retro collectible information that was released as testament to the level of detail and heart that went into toys back then.

The Centurion Mantra

2009-02-13T23:56:00.002+08:00

[The Centurions: collectible x-treme]
Written by GL

I logged on to the internet a minute ago and went to on a total Centurions blow-out. It's just something that caught me at just the right moment. I mean, how could you deny how awesome the concept, creativity and selling-capability of the cartoons and action figure lines were.

The below is for you to memorize for the coming week - to repeat as and when need; during corporate presentations, appraisal hearings, even useful in encrypted e-mails to heads of departments.

"In the near future, Doc Terror and his cyborg companion Hacker unleash their forces to conquer Earth!

Only one force can stop this evil - a handful of brave men. In specially created exoframes, they can be transported anywhere, to fuse with incredible assault weapon systems. Beamed down from the space station Skyvault - becoming Man and Machine. PowerXTreme!

Max Ray - brilliant sea operations commander! Jake Rockwell - rugged land operations specialist! Ace McCloud - daring air operations expert!

Whatever the challenge, they are ready!

The Centurions!"

So, the next time the Board Of Directors asks your take on how you see the organization in the long term, take a page out of Classic Articulation and drop these bombing lines to amaze all.

Then pack up your gear and go home.

Still Cool-tle To Be Turtle

2009-02-11T20:22:00.003+08:00

[20th Anniversary: your first look]
Written by GL

Ain't that a thing of beauty ! Now, you know you're getting old when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are actually celebrating their 20th Anniversary ! But the great thing is, classic freaks such as myself can appreciate the gravity of how awesome these re-issues really are.

If you take a close look, you'll notice that almost everything (even down to the packaging) reflects the original release of the TMNT figure. This is just the first wave of the original TV issue and it features the super-main line up of; April, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Splinter and Bebop and Rocksteady.

This is purely the coolest action figure re-release since the Transformers Masterpiece line.

This line is currently in stock at all good figure re-sellers and is going for about US$79.99 (or roughly BND$110). Gotta have ! Just gotta !

Come With The Thunder

2009-02-07T02:16:00.002+08:00

[Blue Thunder: you can't tell if it's flying or not]
Written by GL

Some of you true classic fans out there may remember the 'other' helicopter' movie - the one right on par with Airwolf. It was one of the most recognizable retro vehicles of all time, and it has been (as of this quarter of the year) reproduced for your owning.

The Blue Thunder die-cast copter features; a nose Gatling gun that is mobile and movable (able to rotate up, down and side-to-side), a removable canopy and a detailed cockpit with all the panels.

Remember the old school one that was made out of plastic? Get it now in die-cast. This gem is set to be released in March 2009 and you're looking at a going price of USD$130 (or BND$195). To be found at all good online resellers.

Poster Joe

2009-02-05T22:28:00.002+08:00

[2009 G.I. Joes: it's on the way out]
Written by GL

Paramount Pictures has debuted six new character posters for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, coming to theaters on August 7 - look around the net for 'em. Be there or be square.

Directed by Stephen Sommers, the action-adventure stars a helluva lot of people: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid.

This is Paramount Pictures' tent-pole summer flick and alot of hype is going around this. The retro comes alive !

All Just A Mirage

2009-02-05T21:30:00.003+08:00

[Mirage: took this picture in mid-conversation]

Written by GL

Mirage was one of the earliest members of the Transformers universes. After Optimus Prime and Megatron, Mirage (as a name) is one of the most re-used names; which I guess leads on to the continuity of the character.

Mirage's character background is quite well documented, especially if you take into account that fact that he doesn't exist. On Cybertron, he was one of the planet’s upper class. And even though Mirage joined up with the Autobots, he's one of those fella who sometimes just doesn't know why he did, which leaves his fellow Autobots finding it hard to trust him. He often tries to avoid conflicts directly and, at times, has voiced a preference to return back to the good ole days on Cyberton.

Ironically enough, Mirage is excellent at hand-to-hand combatant as well as a skilled sharpshooter. He is armed with a rifle which fires explosive, armor-piercing darts, but the most important piece of his gadget base is his shoulder-mounted electro-disruptor, which can bend photons to make Mirage invisible, or appear to be where he is not, or even alter his physical appearance. All those whom eat their veggies will now understand why he's called Mirage.

Even though that is the character's persona, the animated series chose to shaped Mirage into a more gentle character, not the snob suggested by his profile. His actions immediately after the Transformers’ reactivation on Earth in 1984 were quite cool ones, which included working with Hound on a plan to dupe the Decepticons, and using his invisibility powers to sneak aboard the villains’ space cruiser as it launched, sabotaging it from within and forcing it to crash back to Earth.

However, Mirage’s role in the Autobots’ battles on Earth was kept at a minimum; of course, there were the odd spot-light roles such as when the Decepticons impersonated the Autobot to swipe some power-cubes, or when Mirage was among the team of five Autobots who disguised themselves as the Stunticons, impersonating Drag Strip.

[Death Scene: not for the faint of heart]

There have been many accounts and claims about what ever happened to Mirage when The Transformers: The Movie came out. You see him in the background from odds and ends. Some fans speculate that he was among the dead upon the Decepticons' onslaught. But you never know, with is ability to turn invisible, he still might be around in hiding.

Mirage as a G1 figure was part of the Transformers line from 1984 through to 1991. He was indeed part of the original Autobot car assortment. Mirage was originally designed by Koujin Ohno in 1982 and released as part of the Japanese Diaclone series by Takara.

[G1 Booklet: I love these]

Fun Fact: Mirage transforms into a Ligier JS11-Ford Formula 1 racing car, which is the origin for his Japanese name. He bears the racing number 26 – denoting the vehicle as that which was driven by Jacques Laffite in the 1980 season. See what you learn when you pay attention.

The toy was specifically designed to work with the launcher mechanism contained in the Optimus Prime / Battle Convoy trailer. And fans claim that the toy is easily broken when excessively used at the waist pivot.

If you didn't already know, the labels on the Mirage figure are references to several real-world companies. The largest name, Citanes, is a deliberate rip-off of Gitanes, a French cigarette company, with a Gitanes' logo of a dancing gypsy woman even on Mirage's belt (in robot form). Ligier is the name of the company that manufactured the JS-11 chassis, while elf is a direct reference to the French oil company that is now TotalFinaElf.

[Classic painting: I told you the stickers bit was true]

See what you learn when you just love vintage stuff.

In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in multiple offers. In Japan Mirage was also included in the 1986 Goodbye Convoy gift set. This was the final release of the mold, making Mirage the only one of the original Autobots not to have been reissued in some form.

[Retro Cool: bulky, ugly and lovable]

It was announced at Botcon 2005 by Hasbro and Takara that the mold for Mirage's original toy, first released in 1984, has been lost, meaning that the toy cannot be reissued like many others have - despite the fact that certain unnamed Chinese pirates have produced near-to-perfect reproductions of this awesome character.

Juicy gossip: I heard that, in China, they have re-created the mold by completely reverse-engineering the original Mirage mold to make close re-makes. Bless their piracy-filled hearts. See...the guy is still around, it's all just a Mirage.

He's Back !

2009-01-19T23:00:00.002+08:00

[Modern Skeletor: you know it !]
Written by GL

They are reviving everything nowadays - everything from Transformers and G. I. Joe to TMNT ! And now, lo and behold, the Masters Of The Universe are making a strict come-back as well.

Thanks to the big-wigs of Mattel, He-Man and his he-homies are getting new dimensions, new articulation and a whole new look to go with the New Year. And, judging from the above picture, I can't stay it's half-bad at all. Part of the MOTU Classics line, Skeletor is currently the latest in a 3 line figure release that has, to date, featured He-Man himself and Beastman - all with new garbs.

What I can't get over is how true these releases are to the original figures we used to play with, throw around and eventually burn with fireworks (or was that just me?).

All the MOTU Classics figures are going for a very affordable USD35 (or around BND50) and especially worthwhile for those collectors whom miss there original He-Man collection bad but not badly enough to shell of the hundreds and hundreds of dollar on mint vintage stuffs.

Note: all pre-orders for Skeletor are already out of stock !

Holy Half Shell !

2009-01-14T18:42:00.002+08:00

[Original Party Wagon: party on Wayne]
Written by GL

Following suit with the popularity of Transformers (thanks for the huge movie), the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) are making a come back with the announcement of their 25th Anniversary launching.

The first real product to me re-issued into the market is (awesome-ly enough) the Turtles Party Wagon, shown above. Now, I had this as a kid and it was one of the coolest vehicle additions to my spoilt-childhood collection of TMNT ever. It is totally refreshing to hear that a soft come-back is in the works.

Let's just wait and see on what maybe the follow-up product that will make up the 25th Anniversary line.

The Turtles Party Wagon is currently on pre-order at most online selling sites and will cost roughly USD33 (or around BND46). Set release date is June 2009.

Don't It Make You Wanna Cringer

2009-01-14T00:47:00.003+08:00

[Masters Of The Universe: official movie poster]
Written by GL

The toys and cartoon reached their peak in 1987 - which was also the exact same year this tacky masterpiece was released. Everyone calls it 'rotten', I call it 'rantastic'. More on this to come.

Prime Pimped

2009-01-14T00:38:00.003+08:00

[MP Accessory Kit: roll out, like for real]
Written by GL

Everyone pretty much agrees that the Transformers Masterpiece line up is darn near to the coolest Transformers re-creations ever manufactured. However, the focus of today's entry is for your Masterpiece Optimus Prime and / or Ultra Magnus.

This custom accessory set for the MP-04 and MP-02 features an MP-scale Roller to complete your MP-04 trailer, and also a nifty rifle for your MP-02 Magnus.

We all know that the Masterpiece collection packaging is huge and awesome at the same time - let's hope that this kit doesn't come in that big a box. Complete your figure with this kit for about USD30 (or just about BND42). Now in stock at all good online dealers.

The Magical Light

2009-01-12T00:10:00.005+08:00

[Visionaries: totems are cool, except we're not Indians]
Written by GL

Here's another opening intro for everyone to reminisce on. I will be doing more on the Visionaries as time goes one, purely because I was a true Visionaries toy collector as a child: the holograms were just trippy.

Such a shame that it was so short-lived.

Raw !

2009-01-11T23:52:00.003+08:00

[The Hart Foundation: pink is the new black]
Written by GL

I'm pretty sure I'm going to draw some criticism from Kal-el on this one but I thought: why not, just for a little fun. Either way, wasn't that was the 80's were all about, just a little fun.

Let's talk about wrestling. It was the bomb back then - full stop.

It was all about the plots and subplots, characters, attitudes, moves, tights and freakin' awesome theme music. And I loved wrestling back then; friends would try to tell me it was all fake lights and fire-works - if I had a shovel then, I would have taken a swift blow to their solar plexus' and follow it on with a good DDT.

Now the fine folks at Jakks Pacific have, after a long line of wrestling figures, have decided to release some retro team exclusive two-packs. Features above are the awesome duo that made up The Hart Foundation, one of retro wrestling's most predominant families.

This two-pack features Bret 'Hitman' Hart and Jim 'the Anvil' Neidhart from Wrestlemania 7. Both figures come with removable jackets. Body oil and hair grease not included. Set to arrive next month (February), this exclusive two-pack is going for about USD35 (or just under BND50).

Celebrate your love of wrestling by either treating yourself to this exclusive team figure set or grabbing the nearest person to you now and busting out a Sharpshooter.

Cassette Set

2009-01-10T17:32:00.002+08:00

[Cassette Set: old school miniatures]
Written by GL

Takara has not stopped with their Encore series - as long as there are thankful collectors out there, the reissues are going to just keep coming and coming. It has reached the extent that Takara has started reissuing (in their Encore series) the above pictured cassette set.

It goes perfect with any true Soundwave figure and is totally reminiscent of the old-good days. In fact, I even remember having Ravage at one point.

This Encore cassette set features Eject, Rewind, Ravage and Laserbeak (suprisingly only one Autobot in the lot) and is due for release to stores by March 2009. Found at any good online buying and selling website, this pack will set you pack about USD50 (or about BND70); thus it is only for the serious collector.

Revoltech Pose Of The Week

2009-01-08T21:11:00.005+08:00

[Optimus Prime: like you didn't already know you sneaky peeks]
Written by GL

All I've got to say is that I've got to get my hands on these buggers - all of them.

Joes Online

2009-01-08T20:54:00.002+08:00

[Live Action Flint: don't worry, it's just the holster stabbing him in the groin]
Written by GL

As you may well know by now, G.I. Joe the movie is one the way out of the rectum of Hollywood this coming summer. Classic Articulation is well looking forward to finding out how this one will turn out.

And just because we're such media whores we thought we'd just let everyone know that the official G.I. Joe movie website is now online. There's not much there yet other than the logo and credits.

Click here to be a busy-body.

This summer tent flick is coming to theaters on August 7 2009 and stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Byung Hun Lee, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Said Taghmaoui, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid.

Speak The Magic Name !

2009-01-07T23:04:00.003+08:00

[Official 1981 Opening: longest cartoon intro ever]
Written by GL

Just because this big red cheese doesn't get enough play. Watch and reminisce.

Krang My Man

2009-01-07T21:40:00.005+08:00

[Krang & Shredder: best friends for life]

Written by GL

Say it loud and say it proud: we love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT). We love 'em to death. No other anthropomorphic animal character-based cartoon ever caught out attentions so damn blatantly. We went and bought the vehicles, the play-sets and the movies. Dammit, we taped the movies ! But to love the turtles mean to also love the villains they faced - even if they were oozing pus balls. Like Krang.

Krang first appeared in the 1987 TMNT cartoon and went on to make appearances in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic book, as well as most of the classic TMNT video games. However, Krang never made an appearance in any of the live action movies.

Krang is, despite his pus ball appearance, an extremely intelligent warlord from another world known as Dimension X. He somehow took command of an army of Rock Soldiers under the leadership of General Traag, and stole the Technodrome (that mother of a fortress he rides around in). One day, an unexplained incident occurred that caused Krang to be removed of his body and made to a brain-like, pus-like form, also resulting in his exile from Dimension X to Earth, along with his army and the Technodrome.

[Bachelor Krang: no fake]

On Earth, Krang and Shredder hit it off, who, along with his robotic Foot Soldier army, moved into the Technodrome. In exchange, the Shredder designed a new body for Krang, a human-shaped exo-suit. Shredder lived up to his part of the bargain since he was unable to deal with the turtles and needed Krang's help.

Krang's ultimate goal is to take over the Earth (just like every other super-villain). Every plan throughout the cartoon revolves around either taking over the world or powering-up the Technodrome to take over the world. However, it should be made clear that Krang doesn't really care much for the affairs between the TMNT and Shredder.

As the cartoon plot goes, Krang spent 8 seasons in the Technodrome scheming to take over the Earth. The TMNT finally destroy the Technodrome, trapping it in Dimension X for good and putting an end to Krang's plans.

There were several attempts made at various points in the cartoons story-line to revive the Technodrome and Krang - however, each time was met by trouble and failure. Each time Krang is left to rot in Dimension X.

[Krang & Chang: in the driver's seat]

If you didn't know, Krang's powerful mechanical body is named Chang. Krang rested inside the stomach area of Chang (which we can assume is the cockpit). Originally, the suit had a microchip installed that allowed both Krang and the robot to change his size to near Godzilla proportions. This chip was, however, destroyed in the very first episode the suit first appeared.

[Mega-Krang: the world's biggest baby]

Even without this microchip, Chang & Krang (even though sounding like a take-out place) was quite powerful. The hands could shapeshift into various weapons (like axes, maces and pinchers) and even a communication device.

[Original Krang: Playmates exclusive]

Krang was first released under the Playmates toy-line label in 1989. He was part of the second wave of TMNT figures - alongside Casey Jones and Usagi Yojimbo. Now, Krang was not packaged with Chang (his mechanical body) but rather sold as a detachable pus-ball joined to a bi-pod-like vehicle as transportation - think aquarium on wheels and you'll get the idea. It was actually a Mobile Life-Support System.

Krang also came with a brain-drain gun and mechanized arms that could be attached to the Mobile Life-Support System.

[Original Chang: nu skool transportation]

Chang was finally released in 1992 at roughly 11 inches tall. Now that's a figure !

How many times did I say pus-ball ?

Lifetime Achievement Award

2009-01-06T21:55:00.003+08:00

[Peter Cullen: wrinkles mean retro]
Written by GL

I was sitting here and thinking, like I usually do, and I thought about how many voice-over acts has the indomitable Peter Cullen taken part in. And the answer is really quite startling. Alright, the average nerd knowns that Peter Cullen voices the great Optimus Prime, as well as Ironhide. He's done way more than that; and he's done shows that you've probably seen and loved as a kid. Check it out:

Narrator of Transformers series
Narrator of Voltron series
Coran and King Alfor in the Voltron series
Ramrod in the Saber Rider And The Star Sheriffs series
Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh,
KARR in Knight Rider
Antor and Bomba, and Gunner in Dino-Riders
Mantus in The Pirates of Dark Water.
Captain Slaughter in Pound Puppies
My Little Pony
Filmation's Ghostbusters
The Smurfs
Venger in the Dungeons & Dragons series
DuckTales
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Challenge of the GoBots
Murky Dismal in the Rainbow Brite series
Scratch from The Biskitts series
Monterey Jack in the Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers series
Cindarr in the Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light series

Now that's a career to be proud of - even if I never really found out who voiced who until about 10 years later. Classic Articulation give props and respect to Peter Cullen: keep it real homie (I don't think he knows what that means).

Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dawg

2009-01-06T21:10:00.005+08:00

[Classic Autobots: Rodimus & Hound]
Written by GL

Ok, I agree that this is probably one of the crappiest titled blog entries I've ever produced. But there no judgement on quality. I chose to do this character focus purely because of the sheer coolest of this Autobot character represents and because a good and dear and very married friend of mine has this Autobot in his mini-Robot Heroes collection (which I managed to have a gander at over the weekend).

[Robot Heroes: cute as Hound]

The toy piece that was to become the Autobot known as Hound was originally released as part of the Japanese Diaclone series by Takara (one of the first robot lines that contributed to the birth of the Transformers as a line).

What makes Hound a classic is that he was a pure first generation Transformer. He was released in 1984 and was one of the smallest of the Autobot cars. Hound's alternate mode is that of a 4X4 military jeep, and comes with three different weapons - a missile launcher, a machine gun and a hologram gun. All this artillery more than makes up for his size. Message: midgets should just buy guns.

[Animated Hound: small but strong]

Fact to dazzle your girlfriend with: Hound is known as Dépisteur in Québec and Canguro in Italy.

As a 'person', Hound is known for his love of the planet Earth, his tracking skills, and the ability to project highly realistic holograms.

During the first season of the cartoon, Hound served as the Autobots' primary scout and reconnaissance soldier - this appeared to suit him well because he quickly grew to love the natural landscapes of planet Earth. Hound was also integral in the creation of the original 3 Dinobots, as he was the fella that captured holographic images which served as rough blueprints for construction of Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge.

[Animated Hound: loves football too]

After a spurt of early appearances, Hound became more and more absent from the show, showing up only when his holographic powers were needed. Autobots = petty? We'll never know.

He first appeared in 'More Than Meets the Eye', the three episode pilot that launched the toyline onto television. Funnily enough, for the earlier parts of the show Hound was Spike's prime companion before Bumblebee came along. Hound was the first to introduce Spike to the concept of transforming and also gave Spike a tour of the nearby desert while telling him tales of Cybertron. Hound would also end up being rescued by Spike once when this friendly Autobot was almost drowning. Hound was in the main cast of the pilot, almost playing as large of a role as Optimus Prime himself.

This changed however when the show moved into its regular season. Bumblebee became Spike's companion, and Hound took a backseat. However he still did have some notable appearances.

[Animated Hound: no one messes with you when you have a gun on your shoulder]

Hound made a brief cameo appearance in the Transformers: The Movie where he, along with Sunstreaker, stood next to Optimus Prime before Prime confronted the Decepticon forces. We can assume that Hound did not survive the two attacks on Autobot city, as he did not make any further movie appearances. This might have been due in part to the fact that they were discontinuing the 1984 toyline and thus needed to kill off some characters to move along.

[G1 Hound: stubby as he was]

When Hound was released in 1984, he came with a hologram gun, a machine gun, a missile launcher, 3 missiles, a spare tire (!) as well as a gas can (!). He was a practical yet deadly fella.

As mentioned, Hound was released as part of the initial Autobot assortment in, transforming into a Mitsubishi J59 Jeep. Mounted on the back of the vehicle mode is a large, silver machine gun turret.

[Vintage Package: all the accessories were true]

In robot mode, Hound is armed with a large, silver holographic rifle and a shoulder-mounted, spring-loaded, firing rocket launcher with three silver projectiles. The US version of this launcher had severely weakened springs for safety reasons.

He was reissued in 2004 by Takara in their collection reissue series, and this mold was used to make the e-Hobby exclusive Detritus figure (whom is a Junkion, if you didn't know) during that same year.

Hound was yet another greatly designed and personalized character that just didn't pull through into the modern age. But, he will alway be remembered. Just like Wheeljack. Let us bow our heads.

Kids Never Die

2009-01-05T21:31:00.004+08:00

[The Block Meets Hugo Boss: crazy]
Written by GL

You wanna talk classic, you can't get more classic that the NKOTB. It's the worlds crappiest acronym cos you can't even say it in a sentence, but it stands for one of the biggest boy-band acts of our life-time.

Look at the above picture in amazement at how old you really are if you can actually make the comparison. Give yourself a hippie kiss if you can actually name the above fellows right now, off the top of your head.

Rumor has it that they actually have a 2008 album and that it went platinum. Now that it true power.

Cats

2009-01-05T21:04:00.005+08:00

[Panthor: vintage feline right here]

Written by GL

Cringer was everything Prince Adam (or anyone, for that matter) would want in a pet. Cringer was rather big, house-broken, could crack petty wisecracks, was green with stripes and could morph into the outrageous Battle Cat. Cringer was such a great sidekick that Skeletor (or rather, the creators of Skeletor) felt that he need a big cat for a pet as well. Don't we all ?

Panthor was Skeletor's penultimate evil feline companion; a giant purple panther who serves as an evil reflection to He-Man's Battle Cat. Panthor usually also portrayed as Skeletor's pet, being at the right of his throne. His furry confidant if you will.

In battle, Panthor dons armour that allows Skeletor to ride him - which includes a saddle. Being the true wannabe that any enemy would be, this armor is physically identical to that worn by Battle Cat. Sometimes Skeletor acts cruelly towards Panthor, but when compared with Skeletor's behavior to his other henchmen, Panthor is relatively well treated.

Unlike his Battle Cat or Cringer, Panthor is never shown to have the ability to speak, throughout the entirety of the series. Even in the 2002 version of the TV series, Panthor is still non-verbal; more animal than knowledgeable.

[The Classic Mold: like Velvet Underground but really velvet and on a cat]

There is little room for doubt that Panthor is the exact same mold as Battle Cat but, upon manufacture, flocked in purple velvet. Both Battle Cat and Panthor were actually reused from the black panther mold from a Tarzan figure line by toy giant, Mattel (the first Mattel figure with a Big Jim body) in 1971.

Panthor of the classic Masters of the Universe line was part of the second prototype wave of figures released, where Battle Cat was launched with the first wave. Released in 1983, Panthor was available along side other dastardly creatures, such as Zoar and Screech. However, later that year, Panthor was made available in a gift-set package with his oh-so-skinny master, Skeletor.

[Un-mint Packaging: a thousand buck right here]

Key fact: a lose Panthor figure with saddle (on eBay) may go for about USD12 to USD14. But the mentioned gift-set in near mint condition can fetch around USD1,300. That's roughly BND1,800. Companionship is expensive, especially with villains.

Just Because, Even In 2009, It Never Gets Old

2009-01-04T21:42:00.007+08:00

[True Classic Music: we're saving our own lives]
Written by GL

I just decided to surf around today and happened on this awesome retro music clip depicting a great line up of classic artists. Hope it makes your day and, forthwith, your year.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

2009-01-04T13:14:00.007+08:00

[The Watchmen: 2008-2009 trailer lookin' good]
Written by GL

For your watching pleasure and for your sheer astonishment at how far graphic novels, animation and movies have come since we were kids.

I Like Little Michael

2009-01-04T10:55:00.006+08:00

[Smooth Criminal: the world's best and most well known lean - ever]

Written by GL

Since it's still the dawn of the New Year, it's confession time. And Kal-el and I would like to confess that we are true blood Michael Jackson fans. Not all out cry our eyes out and faint in joy kinda fans, but lovers of the groove and lovers of the music of Michael Jackson. Still even.

If you were raised in the retro years like Kal-el and I were, then you have got to pay respect and homage to the great (and maybe, late) Michael Jackson - the only King of Pop. And if you're still a fan, then you might just remember Moonwalker.

We're not talking about the movie. We're talking about the game.

[The Genesis Case: awesome-ness]

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker was actually released on several platform by Sega in 1990, that were co-developed by the awesome Michael Jackson himself. The arcade version and home console versions are drastically different in terms of gameplay, but the story and concept remain pretty much the same.

The story, taken from the Moonwalker film (re-educate yourself if you don't know of it), follows Michael, on a quest to save kidnapped children from the hands of the evil Mr. Big.

Although the adversaries you fight; crooks, mobsters, gang bangers, and thugs, pack all kinds of heat, Michael chooses to face his enemies with a far greater power in hand: the power of dance. Michael's sheer power to dance is enough to topple almost any foe (even zombies). So next time, forget guns, kick-boxing and heat vision, destroy any challenges with smooth moves and damn-near perfect rhythm.

[Dance Moves: thugs love guns and the walk-in-place]

You travel through primarily horizontal stages, looking inside trap doors, dumpsters, and car trunks looking for the captured girls. Each stage requires a bit of exploration to find everyone, but once you do, Bubbles the Chimp runs out, sits on your shoulder, and points the path to the level boss. Before you get to that far, many, many enemies will try to mess with your progress, and to combat them, Michael has an arsenal of tricks up his sleeve.

Pressing the attack button makes Michael perform a single dance move. Each move he performs throws out some 'dance magic' ( like sparkles), which blows his enemies away as if they were made of paper. Michael can also do various other stylish techniques in certain situations, like sliding down banisters and other slanted rails, moonwalking along precarious surfaces, and dodging enemy fire by spinning.

[Dance Magic: sparkling in action]

Michael has a single meter that indicates both his health and his special power. Pressing the dance button makes Michael spin. Just lightly tapping it does not use up any power, but you have to have a really itchy trigger finger to tap the button lightly enough. Pressing the button for too long makes Michael lose power, just like in the case for any special move. Press it longer and Michael throws his hat once he's done spinning, which instantly destroys anything in its path, in flames of destruction (violent no?).

Finally, we have Michael's greatest power. Hold down the button long enough and suddenly, the entire game stops. The enemies will stop and gather around Michael, and then, it happens ! A beautifully choreographed and synchronized dance number begins, at the end of which, Michael no longer needs his gathering of foes, and they die, instantly. It's the coolest thing ever, and the enemies are more than happy to give their lives for a moment to dance with the King of Pop. Not even the dogs can resist Michael's dance. Not even dogs ! You remember the dogs ?

[Canine Cabaret: who let the dogs out? This caption sucks]

Logically, every little girl you find restores your health, and each stage has a quite a few girls. Basically, you can play the game safely and not use any powers, but get your health restored every few seconds.

When you gain a certain number of points, something very awesome happens; a shooting star flies across the screen. If you manage to catch it, Michael will suddenly turn into a giant robot. However, you only have about a second to get to it, and unless you watch your points, you won't be able to see it coming.

[The Giant Robot: the rarest Transformer of all]

Michael also turns into a car and drives himself between stages. But during the last stage, everything gets weirder when Michael boards a spaceship in order to have his final showdown with Mr. Big, who also has a spaceship (why not). This battle is done from a cockpit first person shooter perspective, with a complicated HUD dashboard.

[Final Battle: against Mr. Big aka Joe Pesci]

The most awesome aspect of Moonwalker is its music, without a doubt. Most of Michael Jackson's greatest songs from the 80s are played during every stage of Moonwalker. Every song you could possibly ask for. Aside from Smooth Criminal, which is the game's centerpiece, you have Billie Jean, Bad, Another Part of Me, Thriller (which is delightfully subtle here), as well as, Beat It. Despite the fact that the music here is digitized, it's still every dough-nut of awesome.

Moonwalker looks amazing if you consider the fact that it came out before the SNES. I remember, Michael's sprite was realistic and amazing for it's time and shows incredible animation. In terms of sound effects, Moonwalker was more than most average Sega Genesis games, with some very crisp voice samples of Michael himself.

It was one of my quintessential 16-bit games; and I hope it was one of your's too.

[The Genesis: block-rockin games]

The game has reached cult status now; and it probably marks the best time in Michael's huge career - when he ruled practically the entire popular music limelight.

Astro Look

2009-01-04T02:33:00.004+08:00

[Astro Boy: or Sonic's metro-sexual partner]

Written by GL

Imagi (the production studio) has posted new artwork for Astro Boy on their official website. Summit Entertainment will release the big screen adaptation, directed by David Bowers, on October 23. Voices featured are Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, and Eugene Levy.

Link their website to view more.

One Found

2009-01-04T02:21:00.004+08:00

[The PS One: ain't she beautiful]

Written by GL

Ladies and gentlemen of the retro-age, I would like to formally announce to one and all vintage stuff-hunters that the PS One can be found for sale in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The place you should look for is the Centrepoint mall complex.

Hunt for it there. Expect to pay around RM320 (or BND134).

However, drawbacks were that the packaging was not proper (in terms of styrofoam cushioning) and the ability of the laser to read data is still debatable as, when I saw it, it wasn't fully tested.

But at least you know your kindly GL looks out for you.

The Lost Spirit

2009-01-04T01:39:00.006+08:00

[Gabriel Macht as The Spirit]

Written by GL

The new year has been ushered in and it's time to expect a whole new line up of developments from toy-lines, movie studios, merchandising outfits and television premieres. And, without a doubt, previous years have had they're share of blunders. But we ain't talking about that.

Tonight we're talking about a current blunder that is of almost Catwoman-like proportions. Let's talk about The Spirit.

The gross for the opening four-days was a disappointing $10.3 million only. And a general criticism that came out of this was that many felt Frank Miller (the director and, on top of that, one of the greatest comic writers to have ever lived) was too obsessed with the visuals and not the storyline. Let's have a look at what some critics had to say:

Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) said; "There is not a trace of human emotion in it. To call the characters cardboard is to insult a useful packing material".

Owen Gleiberman (Entertainment Weekly) said; "ludicrously knowing and mannered noir pastiche, full of burnt-end romance and 'style, but robotic at its core".

A.O. Scott (The New York Times) said; "To ask why anything happens in Frank Miller's sludgy, hyper-stylized adaptation of a fabled comic book series by Will Eisner may be an exercise in futility. The only halfway interesting question is why the thing exists at all".

J.R. Jones (Chicago Reader) said; "Someone get this man a decent script".

Jason Anderson (Toronto Star) said; " At which exact point The Spirit hits rock bottom is a matter of debate".

Colin Covert (Minneapolis Star Tribune) said; "It's not easy to make a thriller that's both incredibly convoluted and intensely boring, laboriously narrated yet befuddled, but Miller -- creator and co-director of Sin City -- triumphs on all counts".

The Spirit is as classic as it gets; starting out in the 1940's as the worlds first middle-class superhero, running through the second World War and piercing the adult audience with the medium of comic books stories, as well as, bringing Will Eisner the glory that he deserves. However, this movie just didn't bring all that with it (trust me - ask Kal-el yourself).

[The Spirit & Darwyn Cooke]

Being the naughty little buggers we are, we decided to pull a little experiment with our friends. Having watched the movie first, Kal-el and I already had an idea of its stinky-ness. But our circle of friends didn't. So, upon their finishing of watching the movie, Kal-el and I decided to openly rave and glorify what we thought of The Spirit - we were going to say it was the best-test-test movie we had seen in years. And when we did, out of all our friends: no one said they hated it !

Two key messages from this, boys and girls: don't watch The Spirit and get a new circle of friends.

2008-12-28T02:41:00.001+08:00

Reel Thundercats

2008-12-26T01:54:00.002+08:00

Written by GL

I saw this online a minute ago and simply had to post it up for all to see. It's amazing, it's colorful, it's action-packed - unfortunately, it's not real.

Bringing In The New Year

2008-12-26T01:19:00.008+08:00

Written by GL

Was 1984 so long ago? Where did all that time go? It seemed like only yesterday I was free-styling in and peeing into the Anggrek Desa public swimming. It seemed like only that Optimus Prime was still a new leader of a group of new robots on a new cartoon series.

It's 25 years down the line and what better way to celebrate it than with this anniversary collectible set that includes an original cast Optimus Prime figure, an Autobot shield (just coz everyone needs one), a Transformers comic book and an animated DVD! This is a huge pack, if you didn't already notice! And that's not all - you can also fire missiles at the enemy (in robot mode) or launch a roller at your target (in trailer mode) !

Let's go through the features:

Your Autobot shield comes with pre-installed speech as well as everyone's favorite conversion sound. Clip it to your belt and run around the office in pure defiance against your boss' wishes, or you could just stand it on your shelf like a normal loser.

If that doesn't tickle you pink, you could read the re-issue of the original comic book or play the 25th anniversary 'More Than Meets The Eye' DVD (DVD player not included); featuring the first three episodes of the original animated series, three desktop wallpapers and never before seen Megatron and Optimus Prime character art.

This is a gem of an item and you can expect to pay around about USD$75 (or just under BND$180) so start treating yourself for this New Year.

Update: This box set has been sighted in Brunei - around the Kiulap area to be exact.

Best Wishes To Our Retro Fans

2008-12-26T00:17:00.004+08:00

Written by GL

To all our retro vintage fans around the nation and overseas, Kal-el and I would like to wish all a Merry Christmas and a safe coming New Year.

We are totally glad to have seen some of you who have stuck by us from the very beginning up 'til now. It does our heart something good and fuzzy. Stay loyal, all you collector's out there. It's been a pleasure bringing you all the superhero and retro classic news.

Update: Kal-el and I will be heading up to Kota Kinabalu for the New Year's to do a little hunting. It's been such a long time since we've managed to go on a straight-up hunt for ourselves - if anyone needs some pointers on where to go in KK for action figure hunting, drop us a line and we'll be happy to fill you in.

Stay by the sides of your loved ones, exercise regularly, always wear your seat-belts and always aim to live a life that's worth saving.

Happy New Year and much love !

Heroes In A Box Has Launched

2008-08-09T00:47:00.004+08:00

Written by GL

Classic Articulation and The House Of El are proud to be affiliates of Heroesinabox.com - Brunei first online store for all things action figure.

This is a totally new spin on things for the local scene; the local collectors have, until now, been a fully under-the-radar. But make no mistake, they're out there.

As of 8th August 2008, Heroesinabox.com has been launched and is fully operational, despite the fact that their in-house stock isn't huge at the moment. I say, give 'em some time and I'm sure it'll shape up really well.

So, super-friends, look no further than your own backyard for collectible goodies because Heroesinabox.com is here to save the day - it's for place for real, super heroes.

The New Millennium

2008-08-07T22:27:00.004+08:00

[The Millennium Falcon: back on the market]
Written by GL

Take a knee and let me tell you a little about the good old days. The good old days were a time when cartoon heroes were cartoon heroes - they had no flaws, they always caught the bad guy and they always got the girl. The good old days were also a time when every great cartoon or show always had great toys to match.

Classic Articulation isn't what you'd call a 'Star Wars' centric online publication; however, one still has to pay respect to those play-sets that just purely rock. And, the Millennium Falcon is a hard cast example of how awesome the good old days were.

Many would say that the Millennium Falcon was the toy that never arrived when every nine-year old kid wanted it in 1977.

Hasbro has decided to relive this era with a new 2.5-foot Hasbro's Star Wars Legacy Collection Millennium Falcon, built for everyone's Star Wars collection. It's probably the most realistic Falcon toy you can buy, with LEDs everywhere, sounds, movable parts, and almost every detail imaginable, minus real engines and some rims.

Check out the details bulleted below for your reading convenience:

Light-up cockpit with room for four figures.
Medical bay.
Secret smuggling compartments to hide from pesky Death Star crews.
Auto-opening boarding ramp.
Pivoting gunner station.
Crew quarters with light-up dejarik table.
Rotating laser turret fires two missiles and makes weapons sounds.
3-missile launcher with blasting sounds.
Cannon that launches a "laser" missile (whatever that is.)
Missile-firing mini-fighter inside an opening docking bay that makes electronic boarding and flight sounds
Pivoting training probe with lightsaber sounds.

And it's approximately 30% percent larger than the original version of the toy.

Ever since it was introduced on the screen, the Millennium Falcon has become one of the most recognizable vehicles in movie history and one of Hasbro’s most popular toys.

Last year, the toy’s steel production mold – which was used to create hundreds of thousands of Millennium Falcon toys – suffered a crack that rendered the tool damaged beyond repair. Hasbro began creating a new mold, and used this opportunity to improve its toy’s play value by increasing the ship’s size (which now accommodates a whopping 18 action figures) and adding authentic lights and sounds; making this the most exciting cosmos fighter in the galaxy.

If you value your collection, you would want to fork out the US$179.99 (or B$244.78) for this totally retro, totally spankin' vehicle. Look for product pictures online.

Let's Go Streaking

2008-07-07T22:49:00.008+08:00

[Sunstreaker: he's the one with the big ears]

Written by GL

As cars, you gotta love the Autobots; they come in every awesome design in every model, color and size you've ever imagined your own dream car to look like - aside from the fact that they can actually speak and tell jokes.

But none of the Autobots ever had the shape and sleek-ness of Sunstreaker.

[Animated: European cars rock]

Sunstreaker was one of the first generation of Autobots in the original Transformers television series. He was the twin brother of Sideswipe, whom also turned into a 1980 Lamborghini Countach. His alternate mode however, was yellow and had a modification in the form of an engine that sticks out of his back.

[Lambo mode: sweet]

He was described as the ultimate egotist, being notoriously difficult to work with and pair up with anyone else besides Sideswipe, and described himself as the most beautiful thing ever. He was also a cold, ruthless and effective fighter who would do anything to win. He is one of the few original Autobots to have apparently survived the attack on Autobot City too.

In Autobot mode, Sunstreaker wears a right shoulder mounted, laser-guided, ground to air missile launcher. Each missile is the equivalent of 450 lbs. of TNT and can down a Decepticon jet fighter at a maximum of distance of 37.5 miles. He also carries an electron pulse gun capable of emitting at 300 bursts per second a beam of highly energized electrons (the high rate of emissions makes it effectively a continuous stream of electrons). A sustained burst of 1.5 seconds will burn a 3 inch hole in a 0.5 inch thick plate of titanium alloy steel. His upper torso construction incorporates a tough polymer steel skin, making him particularly resistant to artillery fire.

That's a lot of hardware for a Lambo.

He, unlike his twin brother, Sideswipe, had a brief appearance in the movie as the pilot of the shuttle carrying the detachment of Autobot reinforcements to earth. This was his last appearance in the series.

Sunstreaker appeared frequently in the animated series as one of the Autobots on Earth, saving Trailbreaker from the Seekers in 'More Than Meets the Eye', but he also had very few prominent roles.

Fun fact: Sunstreaker appeared in two places at once in the Transformers movie. Before the Decepticon attack on Autobot City, Sunstreaker was helping Kup move a roadblock. He was knocked over when Hot Rod and Daniel Witwicky drove through it. Meanwhile, he was also on Moon Base One and helped pilot the shuttle that flew Optimus Prime and the Dinobots to Autobot City.

The true G1 fans should be interested to know that the original toys actually came with some manufacturing discrepancies: Sunstreaker's Tech Specs and Transformers Universe profile mention a rear mounted engine (which is actually only a feature on Sideswipe). On top of that, the missile launcher and gun in Sunstreaker's profile are actually found on the Sideswipe toy.

[Tech Specs: dummies guide to transforming Sunstreaker]

The Sunstreaker figure was designed by Koujin Ohno (of Takara Toys) and is credited as the first 'Car to Robot Transforming Toy' ever made. It appeared first in Takara's Car Robot Series in 1982 before being used in the initial wave of Hasbro Transformers in 1984.

[The 1984 version: boxy and cool]

According to original tech spec notes, the original name for Sunstreaker was Spinout.

Recent news shows that Hasbro announced (at BotCon 2007) that both Sideswipe and Sunstreaker will be released in 2008 as part of the Transformers: Universe/Classics 2.0 line as Deluxe sized toys.

Sunstreaker is the considered the original toy, while Sideswipe will be a remold of him with a new head and weapons, with the body being rotated from Sunstreaker's robot mode so the car's hood (on Sunstreaker's back) becomes Sideswipe's chest.

[The 2007 Classics series: too awesome]

On the 23rd of January 2008, the Transformers Collectors Club revealed a pictures of both his vehicle and robot mode to members only. This picture was quickly reprinted on the Toyfare magazine web site. And a packaged version of this toy first followed on eBay in March of 2008.

The Pal You Need To Have

2008-07-07T22:28:00.002+08:00

[Bumblebee: thumbs up all the way]
Written by GL

No Autobot touches the human non-mechanical heart the way that Bumblebee does. We just love him to bits - especially when he now comes in the cutest 4" size.

Manufactured by Palisades, the 4" Bumblebee Mini Statue is limited to only 1000 pieces. He’s set in scale with the other Transformers statues from the same line (best watch out for it). Posed atop an Autobot emblem base, Bumblebee is true to the G1 character accuracy with a slight adjustments of the exposed mechanics. Still, Bumblebee’s features are almost childlike, his expression warm and cuddly - if a cold cast statues can even be considered cuddly.

Perfect for any office or home work area; place it there and let your co-workers look on in love and envy. Serve's em right.

The 4" Bumblebee Mini Statue is currently in stock at all good online action figure re-sellers and is going for about US$49.99 (or B$67).

Ball Hunting

2008-07-07T22:14:00.002+08:00

[Dragonball: he's only got one]
Written by GL

Alright, alright. All the toilet humor aside - and in support for all our retro anime fans out there - the Dragonball movie is on the way out, as you all well know.

In fact, the posters can be found in cinemas around the Sultanate (most prominently in the Empire Cinema), so the hype surrounding the movie is slowly leaking out. No continents are more in anticipation for this feature film than the South East Asian ones. And if you do enough sourcing around the net you find leaked images of the film.

All dedicated fans should pay a visit to the official Dragonball website. You know you want to; you just want to have a look at how it's starting to look like, even if you aren't really a fan. Believe me. I'm there.

In any case, we all have to admit that the Dragonball franchise is totally retro: the first anime episode aired on Fuji Television in 1986. And since then, the merchandise, the games and all other episodes seemed to stream non-stop.

Let's keep an eye on this one. Chances of the show being a total flop? Too early to tell.

Codename: Posters

2008-07-07T21:54:00.006+08:00

Written by GL

Recently released at the Cinema EXPO, held in Amsterdam, are the following teaser posters for the 2009 summer flick, G.I. Joe. Have a look yourself to see how these real life representations actually match up our dear love'd heroes from the classic age of growing up (and the starting points of where we learned to love the nation of America).

It's our first look at Baroness, Snake Eyes and Duke. Not too shabby if you ask me.

The Stephen Sommers-directed film, co-starring Dennis Quaid, Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arnold Vosloo and Christopher Eccleston, opens in theaters on August 7, 2009.

Joe Going Back To Animated

2008-07-07T21:41:00.004+08:00

[Flint: run, Flint, run]
Written by GL

I'm sure everyone and their mother remembers the coolness of G.I. Joe. Coming soon, we can expect the release of a live-action movie depicting our favorite Joes and their complimentary baddies. It don't really get more retro than that.

The next wave of news about the hype surrounding the Joes is that animated stuff is coming out too.

Hasbro (in interview at the 2008 G.I. Joe convention) is currently showing off a new 1 minute preview of a new animated G.I. Joe cartoon that will debut next year as web-episodes on Hasbro's G.I. Joe website. Each episode is planned to be about 5 minutes and is geared more towards adults then kids. The preview they recently showed is of Snake-Eyes saving Duke and Roadblock from a Cobra ambush in the jungle. Snake-Eyes is actually shown killing Cobra soldiers, though the actual killing is off-screen (you know those soldiers are dead).

Sounds pretty heavy. You can check out more info as and when needed at Toy News International.

The Original Super Powers

2008-05-10T22:37:00.003+08:00

[The Galactic Guardians: totally, unbelievably retro-cool]
Written by GL

If anyone's ever seen this intro or this cartoon before, stand up and pat yourself on the back then give yourself a high-five because this was probably the best DC animated series ever. Ever, ever? That's right - ever, ever. To have remembered, much less, seen it is an honor and a privilege.

The Second Crack Of Thunder

2008-05-10T22:03:00.004+08:00

[Thundercracker: is what happens when you build up too much gas after some masala]

Written by GL

When it comes to our lovable Transformers characters, we focus way too much on how cool the Autobots are and never seem to give enough credit to those despicable Decepticons. Here at Classic Articulation, we can't have that; and it's been a long, long while since I've done an info piece. Where better to start than with Thundercracker.

Out of all the multiple characters in the Transformers Universe, Thundercracker is almost always depicted as a blue color Decepticon who turns into a jet fighter, almost twining the appearance of the infamous Starscream. Thundercracker was one of the original Decepticon Seekers from the first year of the series (which also included Starscream, Skywarp, Thrust, Ramjet and Dirge).

[Jet Mode: too cool]

Let's return back to the good old day of the awesome animated series: Thundercracker was one of the first Decepticons to awaken on Earth in 1984. After laying dormant for four million years, he shared the same appearance as Starscream and Skywarp and is usually with them during attacks.

Even though he was one of the original Decepticons and appeared in many and various battles throughout the series, during 1984 and 1985, Thundercracker had few prominent roles.

Always under Starscream's glory-seeking attitude, Thundercracker always seemed to dislike Starscream and sometimes went out of his way to undermine his authority.

In the year 2005, Thundercracker was there during the battle for Autobot City, and was gunned down by Optimus Prime. With the defeat of their leader, Megatron, the Decepticons were forced to retreat.

Whilst running escaping aboard Astrotrain, Thundercracker was with those few Decepticons too weak to put up a fight to stay on board. Being cast out into space, the damaged Decepticons drifted into the path of Unicron, and Thundercracker's body was used to create Scourge, one of Galvatron's new warriors.

[Generation I: super-stylin]

The original Thundercracker toy was originally part of the Japanese Diaclone toyline, and was imported to become part of the Transformers toyline by Hasbro in 1984. The funny thing about this toy is that the majority of its parts had to be removed for the piece to transform. It is rare to find a totally complete Thundercracker set since no single mode can hold all the parts.
It's these kind of legendary production quirks that makes being a collector cool.

There is no doubt that Thundercracker must be given the respect that he deserves, as a landmark Decepticon character and as someone who could bust a cap in any Autobot's rear fender.

Steal This Thunder

2008-05-10T21:47:00.003+08:00

[Thundercracker: kiss kiss bang bang]
Written by GL

Totally limited to 400 pieces and mounted atop a black and purple base, this butt-cracking Thundercracker bust is poised with his arm-mounted missile launcher out and ready to blast those punk Autobots.

Remaining true to the original look of our favorite Generation 1 paint jobs, this bust would be awesome on top of any office desk pointed directly at that boss you oh-so-hate so much. Those cool cats at Diamond Select Toys bring you yet another exclusive awesome mold. Search around but expect to be charged just about US$60 (or B$87). Be there and be square.

Sexy Joe

2008-04-20T23:49:00.003+08:00

[Real Life: Scarlett in the flesh]
Written by GL

We all know that G.I. Joe features perhaps one too many guys. Now, however, we have Scarlett with that hot bod and that fiery ponytail. Not to mention her crazy crossbow. Rachel Nichols (of Alias fame) is cast as the awesome Scarlett in the upcoming live-action show.

This is only the second official photo released from G.I. Joe (after USA Today revealed Snake Eyes) and we bring you this first look. The Stephen Sommers-directed flick will be hitting theaters on August 7, 2009.

Hyperthrust in 5....4....3....2....1...!

2008-03-23T22:05:00.010+08:00

[Zapping Lasers from the Special Bike]

Written by Kal-El

Been awhile that i've posted an article here on Classic Articulation, Due to so many reasons, I was browsing along some stuff online, then it clicked me that i need to post this article on Classic Articulation, just to ease my own obsession. Many of you remember Knight Rider, The A Team and Airwolf, But with your permission, if you let me re-introduce - STREET HAWK!!

[The Man...The Machine..Streek Hawk]

Street Hawk was a short lived television series that aired back in 1985 on ABC. It lasted only one season and there were only 13 episodes ever made (Damn Shame what they did here, they should have expanded more on it). The show was about a cop name Jessie Mach who was picked to test a top secret government project called Street Hawk. His partner Norman Tuttle, the designer of the motorcycle, was in charge of the project. Jessie would cruise the streets of L.A. on the bike while Norman sat back at command center guiding Jessie. Together they would fight crime on the Streets of Los Angeles.

Street Hawk made its debut on January 4, 1985 on ABC at 9 PM EST and lasted until May 16, 1985. It's such a shame that this show didn't last longer than it did. Some say the show just came a little too late. All of the other "Super Vehicle" shows such a Airwolf and Knight Rider already had their fans and there just wasn't room left for Street Hawk.

Street Hawk had many guest appearance by actors that were not very known at the time but are now very famous. In the pilot episode the main "bad guy" was played by Christopher Lloyd who is famous for the Back to the Future movies. Also in the pilot episode was Robert Beltran who is known from his role on Star Trek: Voyager. In the episode "A Second Self", Jessie's best friend Kevin Stalker is played by George Clooney, who is now a well know actor from E.R. (Bet you didnt know that!)

[You gotta love that theme song!]

Yet it was still a shame that the show didnt last that long, only made through 13 episodes, now do you think there gonna try and do a remake of this? I'll let you think about that...Thanks for Reading.

Ride On

2008-03-23T21:57:00.003+08:00

[The Star Sheriffs: better at polo than you are]
Written by GL

Totally straight out of our 80's childhood era comes the above; this is what you'd get if you combined Bravestarr with the Silverhawks - complete with their own cowboy themed hero.

Have a great week, super-friends.

Hail To The Captain

2008-03-23T21:48:00.003+08:00

[Captain Power: leader of the soldiers of the future]
Written by GL

Head over to the nearest Big Bad Toy Store Vintage Department and search for this little gem of an action figure, direct from the future (the future meaning: the bangin' 80's).

I am sure that everyone remembers this awesome television series that show us (as kids) how cool the future could be and how easily we could have blown each other away with colorful lasers.

The above figure is fully packaged with all accessories still intact, and it can be yours for a paltry US$12 (or B$18). Live the dream, super-friends.

Speed Posters

2008-03-21T14:35:00.003+08:00

Four new posters have been debuted for the Wachowski Brothers' Speed Racer, opening in theaters on May 9. The adaptation stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox. Check out the sample released below.

The retro is speeding in through to the modern age.

Snakes Not On Planes

2008-03-21T14:21:00.004+08:00

Paramount Pictures has released (just today) the very first two photos of Ray Park as the super-soldier Snake Eyes, from the Stephen Sommers G.I. Joe show (which rhymes). The movie is set to hit theaters on August 7, 2009.

[Snake Eyes: a bad mamma-jamma]

'He's the world's greatest ninja, but he's also next-generation. He's not afraid to use a sword one second, and a split-second later he's pulling out his Glock,' the director told media. 'His chief nemesis is arguably the world's other great ninja, Storm Shadow. The two grew up together, were blood brothers and now are mortal enemies.'

[Snake Eyes: the same mamma-jamma as above but badder]

It's like the relationship between Splinter and Shredder except, the buggers use guns.

The movie is an origins story, so the director's challenge is to explain why the bad guy wears a metal mask, why Snake Eyes doesn't talk and other strange things kids took for granted.

I suppose, for those of us who know nothing about it, the movie will help to make it all sense. And for those who love the retro essence of the Joes, the movie will help to show how it all started. Sounds like a plan.

Written by Stuart Beattie, the action-adventure show also stars Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arnold Vosloo and Christopher Eccleston.

Poser Of The Week

2008-03-16T00:39:00.003+08:00

[Revoltech: star jumping]
Written by GL

I just happened on Revoltech's newest release on those super-poseable Generation I characters - so popular that I'm not even going to mention the above-character's name. If you don't know who he is, then the site you're probably looking for is Google.com.

Their sheer bend-ability (is that a word?) seriously makes me consider collecting them. What awesome articulation. And he's a classic too!

Speed Trailer

2008-03-16T00:30:00.002+08:00

[Speed: that ride better have seat-belts]
Written by GL

Warner Bros. Pictures has finally released the full trailer for the upcoming Wachowksi Brothers' Speed Racer movie online. The show will be tail-gating (pun intended) into theaters on May 9. In the driver's seats (pun intended again) are Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox.

Check out the full trailer at Yahoo! Movies

The Lantern Salute

2008-03-16T00:18:00.003+08:00

Written by GL

Can you believe that Classic Articulation has received more than 10,000 visits already?! Neither can I. And to think, I was denied a job at a popular local newspaper as an editor.

I am as happy as a big of Skittles at the popularity of this tiny little corner-store blog. We never really expected any results out of the whole thing, and it's still a little surprising to see that - whenever we jump into our own blogs to simply check the layout and the tag-boards, we find our numbers going up. We don't think it's our moms offering they ever-lovin' support.

A big thanks goes to the fans; whose visits and return visits always seem to fill my site-counter and my heart with so much retro-joy. Also to the whole local scene for putting so much marketing and time into promoting a slowly booming online culture.

Yet, no matter how far it take it, we should always remember to stay retro, stay classic.

Vintage Jazz

2008-02-25T19:51:00.003+08:00

[Original Packaging: beat-up but beautiful]
Written by GL

What an amazing thing to see on the net! An intact, original Takara issue of one of the coolest Autobots in creation, Jazz. There are few G1 fans out there who would not find this an awesome find, and who wouldn't want to add this little gem to the collection.

Now, I would never force-sell anything on the net without first thinking about over a few hours and counting the coins I have in my pockets. On top of that, I recommend that if it's cool enough for you then, head to BBTS Vintage Department.

Expect this second-hand item to be around about US$120 (or B$174). Ouch! But a good one.

Control The Cobra

2008-02-25T19:36:00.002+08:00

[Cobra: sweep the leg, sweep the leg]
Written by GL

So, the G. I. Joe movie is on the way out with characters being cast all over the place, near and far, up and down, etc.

Reports have come in that the very awesome Electronic Arts (EA) is developing a video game based on the upcoming G.I. Joe movie. Sources said that EA will be releasing a game in conjunction with Paramount's 2009 movie-of-summer.

The publisher has all the interactive rights to G.I. Joe as part of its overall deal with Hasbro, but they declined to comment on any specific game plans.

The movie is opening in theaters on August 7, 2009.

G.I. Joe stars (so far): Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arnold Vosloo and Christopher Eccleston. That is a pretty huge cast.

What all your retro desires come true in the upcoming movies, this year.

Speed Gamer

2008-02-25T19:24:00.004+08:00

[Games Galore: it's cool to be a gamer]
Written by GL

The re-live-retro anime-inspired movie is coming to the big screens soon - Speed Racer. And, nothing is more exciting than the huge number of endorsements that seem to follow these movies when they are just about to be released.

Yahoo! has your first look at the trailer for the new game based on the Wachowski brothers' Speed Racer movie. Once again, it's coming to theaters on May 9 and will star Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox.

The game is also going to hit the stores in May.

Because we here at Classic Articulation would hate for you to waste all the valuable hard earned money (even if it is on such pirate goods), you should check out the the trailer here!

Transform Your World

2008-02-08T02:55:00.001+08:00

[Transformers Tapestry: would look great on my wall]
Written by GL

The manufacturer called E-Hobby brings their 2008 New Year Special offering: this cloth tapestry features 445 Japanese Transformers Characters ranging from G1 to G2. The tapestry measures at about 30" tall and 24" wide.

And, as with all E-Hobby items, this is a limited edition item. Please note that each character's name is written below its image, but that text will be in Japanese, for that authentic GI feel. The Transformers tapestry is scheduled for release in March 2008 (next month) and is expected to range at around US$65 (or B$95).

Revoltech Pose Of The Week

2008-02-08T01:51:00.000+08:00

[Revoltech: Rodimus Rocks]
Written by GL

This is probably the coolest action figure pose I've seen all month. The latest release in Revoltech's line of mini Transformers GI figures. Too cool and too retro.

Speed Racer Takes Over The World

2008-02-08T01:35:00.001+08:00

[Speed Racer: nice eye-lashes]
Written by GL

Warner Bros.' Speed Racer is opening in theaters on May 9 and the studio has been able to nail an awesome lineup of promotional partner-companies, whom will add at least US$80 million in additional marketing support for the film.

We're talking about brand names like McDonald's, Target, Mattel, Lego, Topps and many others that will bait the audiences towards the film.

The marketing line-up includes:

LEGO is creating four play-sets based around the film.

Target, which rarely does film promotions, is joining as the movie's official retail partner and, in addition to in-store ads and circulars, offering a gift card that enables consumers to access exclusive footage from the film;

Puma is designing Speed Racer-themed shoes;

McDonald's is offering separate Happy Meals for boys and girls.

Yokohama Rubber Co. and auto parts retailer Autobacs, as well as Brazilian oil company Petrobras and Mexican snack-food maker Bimbo, among others, will also push the movie through ads and other tie-ins.

Some More Joes

2008-02-08T01:19:00.000+08:00

[Quaid: trying to look like he's thinking]

Written by GL

The G. I. Joe movie is going along very smoothly indeed, with more and more cast members joining as the weeks pass. Latest in the joiners to the G. I. Joe cast are Dennis Quaid and Arnold Vosloo.

Quaid will be playing General Hawk, the over-all team leader, and Arnold Vosloo will play Zartan, a mercenary who works with Destro and Cobra. This action adventure movie is coming to theaters on August 7, 2009, and is scheduled to start shooting next month in Los Angeles, California.

[Vosloo: remember him from The Mummy?]

Quaid and Vosloo join the other members: Channing Tatum (Duke), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), Marlon Wayans (Ripcord), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Rex), Rachel Nichols (Scarlett), Sienna Miller (The Baroness), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Heavy Duty), Said Taghmaoui (Breaker) and Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow).

As mentioned, Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing the show. And don't think there won't be an action figure line as well coming from Hasbro. The most recent draft script has already been written and is up for approval right now.

The Orko Tip

2008-01-14T00:06:00.000+08:00

[Orko's Retro Accessories: Poker chips for kids]
Written by GL

Remember a while back when I posted an entry asking what the monkeys these chips were for? I mean, they came together with the action figure (when I had Orko) and I never knew what the point was. I guess, being a little young back then, instruction sheets never really meant that much.

Nonetheless, a certain anonymous reader recently left a comment on this Orko post with a great outline of what it was all about:

"The magic trick was easy to use...you put the Skeletor chip on top of the Beast-man fake chip stack, with the blue chips stacked inside that. You showed someone the yellow stack, removing the Skeletor one and then putting it back to create the illusion of a stack of yellow chips. By covering the stack with the Orko cover and tapping hard, the fake yellow stack stuck inside the cover, so that when you removed it only the blue chips remained...tip them over so they scatter for dramatic effect. Presto! You just changed yellow villain chips to blue hero chips !"

Thanks anonymous for clearing the air. If you had never left your comment, I probably would have ended up never knowing. Sharing is caring, brothers and sisters.

The Touch

2008-01-13T23:56:00.000+08:00

[The Transformers Original Movie: The best scene ever]
Written by GL

I felt a sudden need to see this scene once more - and after watching it again, I swear I had to share it with everyone. I don't think fans get to watch this one segment of the animated movie enough. After watching it a minute ago, I still get gooey-gooey chills !

I hope it helps to power your work week, dear readers. Don't worry, the weekend is sure to come, until all are one.

G.I. Joe Starts Filming

2008-01-13T23:44:00.000+08:00

[Lorenzo di Bonaventura: Power producer]
Written by GL

Bonaventura, the producing head behind the much-expected G.I. Joe live-action adaptation, was recently interviewed and asked certain details about the progress of filming so far.

About G.I. Joe, he says that shooting will start in five weeks, and that you can expect more casting announcements in the next few weeks - as one would expect, due to the fact that the character-lines are near endless.

"It's a tricky balance. One, you want to keep the story elements secret. I can say this very convincingly, if you're a Joe vs. Cobra fan, then you will be feel incredibly happy about the movie. Well, I would say this, it would be more like the original Batman in the sense that you know, it's really taking a comic book. If you would you say the original G.I. Joe movie was like the original Batman movie with Jack Nicholson then I would say this is like Batman Begins."

Let's hope he's better with the production of movies than he is with analogies.

Optimus vs. Capitalism

2008-01-13T23:37:00.001+08:00

[The Pepsi Convoy: Ripping off retro]

Written by GL

I wonder if fans will remember a while back a few certain DVD stores around the country that sold the Pepsi Convoy shown above. If you ask me it was a terrible attempt at marketing to collectors and an even more terrible insult to good old Optimus.

But, on top of that, have you ever wonder how much it really costs in terms of it's collector's value? I have, and it is with that basis that I decided to write this blog entry. Before heading into all the semantics, allow me to pass down a little bit of background to the whole thing.

Pepsi Convoy (who is often referred to as Pepsi Prime in the U.S.) is an actual character in the Transformers toy line.

He's (or she's) an Autobot Campaign Commander considered part of the GI issue line. Obviously, Pepsi Prime was a repaint of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus. The trailer shown above (also called the Bottle Station) is a totally original trailer made by manufacturers to fit bottles or cans of Pepsi on it. I suppose, Pepsi in Japan decided to direct their marketing to the more national otaku-ish crowd and, at the same time, tap into the Transformers' popularity; and they came up with Pepsi Prime.

Pepsi Prime comes equipped with a soda gun (which will either rust metal or cause severe diabetes - kidding). The Bottle Station is considered a mobile headquarters that carries large cola bottles (a 20 ounce Pepsi bottle or several Pepsi cans) and other stuff.

And there's a story-line too: back in the day, NASA secretly developed two things; a hero named Pepsiman as well as a new type of 'living' metal that fell into the hands of the Autobots. Pepsiman was miraculously re-born into the body of the Autobot's legendary commander - but unlike Optimus Prime, Pepsiman loves freedom, peace, and the refreshing sensation of Pepsi, and considers it his mission to cure people's thirst.

This is wrong on so many levels.

Funnily enough, this character is considered vintage and (here it is) the market rate for this figure currently stands at US$60 (or B$87). This means to say that the figure is close to becoming a collector's item. As it gets harder and harder to find, the price is sure to appreciate, so my best advice would be to buy if you want it or let is slide if you don't.

[Pepsi Prime: No !]

Link, Use The Triforce

2008-01-13T23:33:00.000+08:00

[The Triforce Necklace: Sure to attract chicks and goblins]
Written by GL

You ever felt a little like Link?

I can hear your minds right now, dear readers, asking what the monkey's is GL talking about.

I'm talking about Link - the world's most retro-famous, fairy-slash-elf-slash-hobbit-slash-vertically challenged hero there ever was. And he's still around today. Although in better format.

Nintendo's Legend Of Zelda was close to the coolest game I've ever played growing up. I remember hours upon hours of running around (especially after to manage to win those speed-boot) the game's 2D map, flight enemies and dropping down ladders. It was a legendary game on it's own.

So, if you've ever in your life felt like or wanted to be Link, then this litle trinket might be for you. Call upon the protection and wisdom of the three Golden Goddesses of Hyrule with this Triforce Necklace - kill the bosses, save the princess, apply for a home loan. All the things you've always wanted to do in life but couldn't, because you just didn't have this accessory.

The Triforce Necklace is going for US$10 (or B$14) and is set to hit stores in March 2008. Drop it like it's hot (did I say that in the last blog entry already?)

A True Encore

2008-01-13T23:29:00.000+08:00

[Encore Packaging: All hail Optimus]
Written by GL

Great news: The Encore Edition of Optimus Prime (with his trailer) is being re-stocked. Shall I say it one more time: Optimus Prime is being re-stocked. Check out all good online re-sellers for your bargains.

What an awesome way to start 2008; with your very own close-to-the-realest GI Optimus Prime action figure.

This purchase should strictly be for those of you who missed out on this classic figure - if you were one of those, I suggest you use the coming pay-day to get, get, get. They'll sell out fast for sure and there'll be no other great way to re-remember you're childhood than with an Encore Edition Transformer. But, not just any Transformer - Optimus!

This original cast with Japanese import packaging is arriving in warehouse in the US next month and should be priced at around US$75 (or B$110). Drop it like it's hot.

Back To Work

2008-01-13T23:24:00.000+08:00

[The Tally: How we stack up so far]
Written by GL

A big welcome to all new and returning readers to this humble little blog corner. We are two weeks into the new year and I hope it's going to be a year that pans would well for us, the fans, the country and the merchandise. And, as always, we are keeping it retro. Always retro.

Through no fault of my own ego, I've posted the little image above, nicely generated by Rano.

I don't care about the stats, I don't care really about where we rank in the whole scale of things, and I don't care what percentage Classic Articulation gets; I am just totally happy to be nominated. Unfortunetely, I didn't even manage to catch the radio broadcast about the Simpur awards - as I mentioned, Kal-El and I only found out after a friend told us. It's simply great to have been nominated amongst all those other out-doorsy blogs (which I'm sure are great).

My first message to the fans for this year should be this (my apologies to Elton John): this is our song, it may be quite simple but, now that it's done, I hope everyone doesn't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life just is.

Now, let's get one with the show...

The 4000th Shout-Out

2007-12-27T00:03:00.000+08:00

The Christmas and New Year's time always brings a lot of gifts - and I've received many from good friends, however, this one couldn't be nicer; Classic Articulation has finally hit 4000 reads right before the end of this year.

I am as pleased as punch to say it.

A big thanks to all the fans once again, and great of everyone to check back often. Once again, I hope everyone spends the New Year in peace and safety. A lot of wacky stuff happened this year (some good and some bad), and none could be more wackier than the fact that Kal-el and I started our blogs.

He is also as pleased as punch about it.

We were just hanging out a minute ago and reminiscing about everything (the chatter and jokes and plans about our blog writing schedule) that led up to this and we couldn't be happier. We couldn't be more pleased as punch about it.

I shall leave this to be the last blog entry for 2007. And I'll start afresh (with probably a new look) come January just for a bit of change. I suppose this old template is starting to wear out it's look, don'tcha think?

In any case, the year is closing and some of us may have had our ups and downs, our moments of sadness and happiness; but never forget that after so many cracks of thunder and lightning, the darkest night always gives light to the brightest day.

This coming year's eve, let's all wish for a little more peace on earth: may we always be brave enough to choose right from wrong and possess the wisdom to know the difference.

GL
Emerald Guardian Of Sector 2814