Transformers Works Capbots: Captimus Prime

Back in 2013 Takara Tomy unveiled a partnership with New Era, the popular sports hat maker. Capbots were transforming "hats", one for each faction. I grabbed Captimus Prime here for my Optimus collection. Was it worth the $30 odd dollar asking price?

Only in Japan would we see such a thing as a transforming hat. The premises may be a little off the wall, but the execution is surprisingly well executed. Captimus Prime features a large red Autobot emblem on the front of the hat. The cap's bill is blue, complete with faux stitching in the plastic. The flat bill contains a large New Era Fifty Nine "sticker" right in the middle.

On the back there is a smaller Autobot symbol as well as two hinges. It's a shame these hinges stick out as they do, but it's on the back so it doesn't detract from the front athesthic of the cap.

Captimus Prime looks pretty good if I do say so myself sitting here on the top of my G1 Fort Max!

Transformation from cap to robot is aided by a few tension springs. Once unfolded you can just pose the arms and legs more to your liking. The robot features more articulation that one might imagine. The shoulders, elbows and hips all have ball joints giving the figure a good range of motion. Thanks to the bill of the cap forming the comically large feet, Captimus Prime is very sturdy standing amongst your other Transformer toys.

I love how they sculpted a ball cap onto the head of Captimus Prime.

The pieces that form the top halves of the cap have some nice jets (or is it weapons) sculpted underneath. I'm going to go with jets as these pieces are normally folded down behind the robot.

Captimus Prime is rather small, standing at only 4 inches or so. He's barely taller than your average G1 Action Master if that helps put it into perspective for you. It's a fun, quirky toy that I often forget I have as Captimus stands amongst of sea of red and blue. Only recommended if you are a fan of odd Japanese Transformers or a diehard Optimus fan as myself.

Transformers 3rd Party: FansProject - Fangro

 

Sometime around 2013 (or was it 2014) FansProject unveiled their wholly original design which just happened to tickle the fancy old Transformer collectors like myself. The Retro-Future series featured a ice age themed combiner group that when merged together formed Glacialord. It's as if these new figures could have been on the shelves of your local Toys 'R Us store back in the 80's.

I've been sitting on these figures for entirely too long. It's time to "let them breathe" so join me if you will as we take an indepth look at the "Glaciabots".

First up is Fangro, a sabertooth lion. Before we get to the figure, let's take a closer look at the packaging. If you're a long time reader of the blog then you'll know I'm a fan of packaging. While I don't save toy packaging like I once did, there is just too much love put into this particular packaging for me to gloss over or to toss in the trash.

For starters you'll notice that the box has all sorts of "defects" worked into the design. From the crushed corner, worn edges, old tape or even water damage, these boxes are meant to look like they've seen their fair share of love over the years. The front of the box features a small window where you can see a portion of the toy. If you look through the window carefully you'll notice the figure is sitting inside a white block of styrofoam. Screw planet Earth, we've got styrofoam trays again!! A image of the blocky character is featured prominently on the right side. 

On the back of the box we have a smaller image of Fangro and how he forms the left arm of Glacialord. More of the weathered look of the box can be seen on the back as well. While not pictured, the robot and alternate forms are shown on each side of the box.

The block of styrofoam carefully cradles the figure, weapon and mini-figure...which is actually Fangro according to the included instructions...more on that later. Inside the little baggie is a G1 like instruction manual and a partially used sticker sheet. This is an odd touch, but I see how it fits into the whole package. I was a little frustrated however that the instructions don't include a sticker layout. While there are only a few stickers for you to actually apply, it would've been nice to have confirmation of where the stickers went. Thankfully it's pretty easy to find the pre-applied stickers and match up the others.

I was immediately impressed with Fangro as I pulled him out of his block of styrofoam. The feel of the plastic is smooth and you can tell it's of a good quality. While the paint apps may be limited, they look great. Fangro really is a brick...but that's a good thing...well that is if you are a fan of the original 80's Transformers. No ball joints here. Limited poseability, check. 

The mini-figure comes sealed on a small blister card and is labeled "Fangro". I'm assuming this means the sabretooth tiger is a non-sentient robot and controlled by Fangro? Doesn't really matter to me as I like the gimmick...reminds me of some of the later Japanese exclusive G1 Transformers.

Creatively there is a small door on the back of the tiger that slides open to allow Fangro to be inserted for "beast rider" mode...call it whatever you will.

I'm not exactly sure what you'd call these mini-figures. They aren't quite Headmasters. They aren't quite Brainmasters. They aren't quite Breastmasters either...however they share similarities (sort of) of all 3. Fangro's legs fold forward forming a small cube. Then the mini-figure is inserted into the cavity of the newly transformed robot.

Fangro's head is now the head of the larger robot. If the small, square head looks familiar it's because it's designed after many of the original G1 Transformer combiners. Small and undersized for the body, yet still awesome. The toy stands about 4.5 inches tall. Robot mode features very limited articulation. The arms move up and down and that is about it. I should mention the sabretooth tiger head is meant to be integrated with the hand gun. Overall Fangro has a great looking form and would blend in well with any G1 combiner collection.

As shown on the back of the box, Fangro forms the left arm of the combined Glacialord. The fist is included with Tusker. The robot's chest rotates forward to reveal a small square shaped peg that allows the arm to be connected to Glacialord's torso, Tusker.

Fangro is the first of the lot that I opened and I was having so much fun with this figure that it was hard to put him down and move onto the next. It's a shame that these toys ultimately didn't sell that well for FansProject as they are great. It was refreshing to see a third party company release something original in a sea of "reimagined" established characters. As of this post, many of the "Glaciabots" can be purchased at online retailers for a fraction of their original prices.

GLACIALORD: 

Razorspike

Tailclub

WWE Elite Collection Survivor Series (2020): Drew McIntyre

With the 2020 WWE Survivor Series PPV airing this evening (Sunday, 11/22/20) I figured now was a perfect time to revisit Mattel's excellent Elite Collection of action figures. For this post we'll showcase a figure from the new Survivor Series Elite subcollection - none other than the Scottish psychopath, Drew McIntyre!

 

Drew comes in the familiar Elite Collection packaging sporting a large window to show off the figur. The back of the packaging has a large image of Drew, along with a brief bio and a cross sell of the other 3 figures in this special Survivor Series wave - John Morrison, Kane and Samoa Joe.

Right off the bat you can see that Drew comes packaged with an alternate head, a cloth Team RAW shirt and a pair of semi-closed hands.

Each side of the packaging has additional images of Drew McIntyre. This packaging is designed to be reusable in the sense that you can remove the inner plastic tray that houses the figure and it's accessories, then put everything back and slide the tray back into the box. Perfect for those collectors that want to let their figures "breath" and display in package.

I was impressed with the overall look of the figure in the a packaging, but even more impressed once I got the figure out of the packaging. The sculpt is muscular, but not too over the top. The head sculpt is nearly perfect. The joints on the figure are tight which I was happy to see as it allows the figure to hold in various poses. Drew's black trunks have his logo on the back and seems to be accurate. While he doesn't have any tattoos to be recreated for the figure, Mattel did an admiral job with the chest hair.

Speaking of the head sculpt here is a close up of the default head. This one features Drew's long locks pulled back, slightly coming around his neck. You can see the determination in his eyes which have a nicely applied deco. I'm not sure how Mattel (and other toy companies for that matter) are applying the facial paint applications now, but it looks great. Drew's now signature beard and goatee finish off his look.

Other than the additional head and hands packaged with the figure is this red sleeveless cloth shirt. I'm usually not a big fan of cloth accessories such as this, but this works for a few reasons. 1) Survivor Series is all about brand vs. brand and in this case McIntyre represents team Monday Night RAW. 2) the shirt fits snug on the figure and the smooth velcro strip on the back let's the shirt hold onto the figure well. I did find it was easier to put the shirt on the figure after popping off the head, but your mileage may vary.

 

The alternate head features Drew's hair hanging down in front of his face, slightly obscuring one eye. It's a nice sculpt, but I prefer the other head as it better capture's his current look.

All of the Elite Collection figures feature enhanced articulation from the Basic or Core collection figures. The most obvious addition in this department is the ab crunch, thigh swivel and ankle articulation. The plastic knee pads do hinder the double jointed knees, but they can slightly be moved up and down to allow more flexibility.

Wrestling figures have come a long way in recent years. It seems as if each subsequent year that Mattel has pumped out these WWE Elite Collection figures the better they get. The likeness of the WWE Superstars, the sculpting of the figures and the added accessories are all top notch. 

I believe this Survivor Series line is exclusive to Walmart stores with McIntyre and Kane being the two that are in demand the most. If you are a fan of this line then I'm sure you probably have already picked these or have plans to. However if it's been awhile since you've bought a wrestling figure you really can't go wrong with any of the Elites, especially with this latest version of the Scottish psychopath!

Happy Halloween!! S.L.U.G. Zombies (wave 3)

In 2012 Jakks Pacific released a new line of small figures which was their own take on toys such as the classic M.U.S.C.L.E. series or Monsters in my Pocket. 4 waves were released in various packaging at retail before the line would disappear into obscurity.

Back in 2013 I did a post of the 4th and final wave of S.L.U.G. Zombies, a Christmas themed wave. I had originally planned to do a post on the previous 3 waves, but over the years I see to have lost/misplaced/sold the majority of the other figures I had. I recently found several from the 3rd wave so let's take a look at those.

Basehit Bones

Previous Job: Super slugger

Likes: Swinging his bat, both on & off the field

Dislikes: Sports analysts, peanut shells

Favorite Food: Membranes-n-mustard

The Deadlifter

Previous Job: Mr. Galaxy

Likes: Lifting heavy stuff

Dislikes: Socks that fall down

Favorite Food: Anything you can eat with a straw!

Extra Crispy

Previous Job: Chicken farmer / Entrepreneur

Likes: His Secret Ingredients (you don't wanna know!)

Dislikes: The Heath Department

Favorite Food: Deep fried fibulas

Jeet Kune Dead

Previous Job: Martial arts master

Likes: Nunchucks, ninja stars

Dislikes: Bullies, bad guys

Favorite Food: Kung Pao appendix

Louie Fingers

Previous Job: Neighborhood nuisance

Likes: Being the boss

Dislikes: His incompetent crew

Favorite Food: Gallbladder bisque

Singer Mortis

Previous Job: Vegas performer, hairstylist

Likes: Peanut butter & banana sandwiches

Dislikes: This old music teacher

Favorite Food: Cartlidge casserole

Squeamy Sashimi

Previous Job: Sushi chef

Likes: A sharp set of knives

Dislikes: Bad tippers

Favorite Food: Californian roll

The Towering Terror

Previous Job: Pro wrestler

Likes: Funny photos of kittens, smashing things

Dislikes: The Macho Mangler

Favorite Food: Brain matter mash-up

Tragic Magic

Previous Job: Magician

Likes: Bunny rabbits, hats & hacksaws

Dislike: Hecklers, bad crowds

Favorite Food: Vegetarians (the test better!)

Zero Hero

Previous Job: Video store clerk

Likes: His ability to see through skulls

Dislikes: 9-5 jobs

Favorite Food: Surfer-n-turfer

Masters of the WWE Universe: The New Day

I know not every action figure collector cares for Mattel's latest amalgamation of Masters of the Universe and WWE, but when I heard the tag group The New Day was getting the treatment in the form of Man-E-Faces I was onboard.

If you aren't familiar with who the The New Day are, it's a trio of wrestlers - Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods. The WWE put this trio together years ago and I'm surprised at how long they have been a team. Their antics on WWE programming is over the top and they are quite entertaining. In addition to their charismatic personalities, they are also formidable performers in the ring.

The idea of mashing together this tag group and the Masters of the Universe's Man-E-Faces is pure genius. Seriously Mattel, whoever had this idea needs a raise. If you're a fan of MOTU then you should be familiar with the Man-E-Faces character. His gimmick if you will is that you could turn a knob on the top of the figure to rotate through three different faces - humanoid, robot & monster. The same idea applies here the New Day figure, just with all three members each having their face on rotate.

Out of the package the figure comes with Big E's face in view. The figure's buck is pretty ripped and more than likely is meant to be Big E himself. Like with other Masters of the WWE Universe (and MOTU Origins) figures you can pull off the arms and legs to mix and match with other figures. The head however is not meant to be removed due to the gimmick.

(from left to right: Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods)

Speaking of the gimmick, the unicorn horn that plugs into the top of the "helmet" comes packaged in a small plastic bag. Before this is plugged in you can remove the "helmet" portion of the figure and get a better look at just how this rotating face gimmick works.

If you ask me, this is kinda disturbing to look at! It is cool however that it's not just a small portion of their face and that more of their head/face was sculpted.

The New Day doesn't come with any accessories. I felt that Mattel missed the mark as they could have included Xavier's trombone or a plate of pancakes. I'm sure this doesn't make since if you don't follow WWE programming. However I'm very pleased with the figure overall. I love the pink outfit as it matches all 3 character's over the top personalities. The rest of the sculpt is perfect, especially when Big E's face is in view. The figure features all of the normal articulation that you would come to expect out of a modern action figure.

I just happened to finally get the Masters of the Universe Origins figure of Man-E-Faces so I thought I'd show them side by side. New creation versus the source material if you will.

I'm not picking up every figure in this Masters of the WWE Universe line as I'm not a fan of every figure, however I do really love this figure. Some of the amalgamations don't work as well as others, but Mattel has hit a home run with this figure. Still somewhat hard to find at local retail (or online for retail prices), but if you are on the fence and you find the figure get it...you won't regret it.

Funko Mega Man: Dr. Wily

Last summer while on vacation at the beach I found myself browsing the clearance section at a GameStop with my older brother when I came across this action figure of Mega Man's arch nemesis, Dr. Wily. It had been marked down several times and at $3.97 I couldn't leave it behind. I thought if nothing else I could find a home for him on my video game shelves in my game room.

I don't recall seeing this series of figures before, but being that they were made by Funko I'm sure these weren't at regular retail stores like Target or Walmart. I liked the look of the sculpt so I took a flyer on him.

The back of the packaging shows the line also included three different versions of Mega Man. Neither of these were available when I picked up Dr. Wily.

The figure stands at about 4 inches tall if memory serves me correct. The sculpt is dead on and looks fantastic. While the range of motion is limited, the head is on a ball joint and does allow movement up and down and side to side. Arms are articulated at the shoulder and elbow. Legs are articulated at the hips and knees. To be honest this is more articulated than I would have imagined.

If you're a fan of video game themed toys or just a big Mega Man fan, I think you would be satisfied with this series of Funko figures. I haven't had the best luck with Funko action figures, but this one is solid and well made.