Snakes Alive !

Has there always been, lurking in the back of your mind, questions regarding specific facets of comic, cartoon or television mythology - such as 'why is the Hulk green?' or 'what is the Joker's real name?' or even 'who's hotter - Jessica Rabbit or Starfire?'. Comic book fans and retro geeks are always plagued with such uncertainties in life, which usually result in sleepless nights, loss of appetite and chronic blogging.

While catching up on an episode of one of my favorite shows, AMC's 'Comic Book Men' (which I re-watch religiously), a customer had brought in a vintage G. I. Joe play-set for sale. It was mentioned by this person that the inspiration for Cobra was Marvel's Hydra. So began the sleepless nights and rapid weight loss (not really). 

As my spider-sense got to tingling, a little info-engineering began !

(i)

The long and short origin that most of us are aware of is that the Joes began as 12" military figures. However, it wasn't until 1982 that Larry Hama (writer for Marvel), under advise from Jim Shooter (then editor-in-chief for Marvel) began developing an idea for a new on-going comic book called Fury Force. 

The original back story was that S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury had had a son whom was assembling a team of elite commandos to battle neo-Nazi terrorists HYDRA. The wiki version goes that Shooter had suggested to Hasbro that "G.I. Joe" should be the team name and that they should fight terrorists, while Archie Goodwin (another Marvel writer) invented Cobra and the Cobra Commander. Hama was largely responsible for the rest of the Joe universe. This is a view that is subscribe to by a number of fans out there.

(Larry Hama)

(ii)

A second opinion that is maintained in Joe mythology is that Fury Force and the original wave of GI Joe characters were as totally disparate lines. It is purported (as opposed to the above) that Hama's proposal for a Fury Force comic book series, which was supposed to be a spin-off of the Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD comic book, was shot down by Marvel. The designs for the 3.75" Joe figures were actually from the imagination of Ron Rudat of Hasbro Toy Company. 

In 1982, Hasbro approached Marvel Comics proposing to do a licensed comic book based on the G I Joe toys. Forum gossip claims the only person up to the task was combat engineer-turned-comic book artist/writer/editor Larry Hama, who accepted the assignment.

Various interviews between Larry Hama and Ron Rudat show that: Hasbro had sent the original character designs and prototype figures, made by Rudat, to Hama, who then had the job of coming up with code names and filecards for the characters. This is where the Fury Force and G I Joe connection comes from. 

Ultimately the rejected Fury Force proposal was the basis for the famous Joe filecards. For example, Sgt. Fury/Nick Fury, Jr. character was re-purposed to serve as 'Hawk', GI Joe's commanding officer. Fury Force mystery man Spook became the inspiration for 'Snake-Eyes'. 

Therefore, while similarities between the Cobra Command and SHIELD's arch-nemesis, Hydra, there was not meant to be any direct parallels between the two organizations. Any design similarities that Cobra Command and Hydra share is most likely due to the fact that they were both based on the same World War II villains such as the German Nazis or Italian Fascists.

It makes sense that if the Joes were not based on SHIELD, there is little reason for Hydra to be the inspiration for Cobra. 

Battle Purr-fect

One of the biggest advantages of travelling, for a collector, is the off chance that you might stumble on a unique find that - while you might have been necessarily hunting for it - you instantaneously knew you wanted. 

Lucky me: I managed a trip to Singapore in the first quarter of this year to get away and recharge my internal batteries over a week. Singapore still remains one of my most favorite destinations for hunting; from its (very) simple and relatively cheap public transportation to its variety of places for figures and collectibles. 

Whilst wandering around Singapore and digging through a number of bargain bins, I happened on the below:

While the above pic is a net rip of the Battlecat that I managed to discover (that and the fact that I have yet to snap photos of my own figure), there is no denying that its form, colors and value remain the same wherever you spotted. Needless to say that it has been years since I've gotten my hands on one or managed to physically touch one. Sadly enough that it didn't come with a He-Man or else this retro set could be considered complete !

Now: here's where you, dear reader, jumps in and screams loudly, "I had that !". Well, I'm happy to say that I did too and I do now too.

Power Collection

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.

A Pack Of Beasts

[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 !

[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

[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.

The Realistic Ghostbusters

[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

[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.

Staying Puft

[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

[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.

Trakker Jumps Joe

[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.

Still Cool-tle To Be Turtle

[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 !

He's Back !

[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 !

Prime Pimped

[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.

Raw !

[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

[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

[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.

Krang My Man

[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 ?

Cats

[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.

Bringing In The New Year

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.