While this isn't technically a Toy Blog, Toys are a huge part of it. Mainly because I focus on them A LOT... especially as I use toys to cope with my Mom's death. Gotta be honest, I feel like I'm regressing. I know it's not healthy, but is the only thing I have to cope that doesn't involve getting hopped up on antidepressants. If side effects are suicidal thoughts, then that antidepressants doesn't sound muy bueno. My birthday approaches and that scares me, because that means I'm inching closer to a new lap around the sun and closer to the final curtain. I don't wanna die despite knowing that eventually I will kick the bucket. I want to live. Moments like these when I question.My own mortality are depressing as fuck.So in order to temporarily dodge those feelings , let's ramble about toys.
Some of you may know that I've been splitting my free time between the usual, this blog, and writing shitty fanfiction. I've been getting custom materials to pad out the S7 TMNT display AND my shitty fanfic. The cartoony WWE Divas, the Alice figure that didn't break, Snake Eyes, Baroness, etc.
I was able to obtain an Eleven that gives me a 90% Irma head. Only needs Glasses and some sculpted bangs. Problem is that I need to find a donor body that can be turned into Irma with little sculpting.
On the other hand, I don't want to butcher this figure, because she passes for a random civilian rather well. The thing is: I haven't seen Stranger Things, So I don't have any attachment to the characters. I also got the figure of David Harbour dressed as a Fat Magnum PI
He definitely will go to the MuTeens shelf as Detective Angus Weiner. Probably get him a trenchoat so he can look like a washed out NYC Detective who is obsessed with Magnum PI. He is also short. If it wasn't for the porsntache, he could've been a suitable base for a Burne.
But I'll circle this back to one of my pet peeves. Part compatibility and ease of Customization. Super7 is throwing all of it out the window. I was going to get a Skull head and a Beastie Boys Sabotage body to make a Vernon... that plan has been assassinated. The Beastie Boys Chief has a Neck peg almost as big as his head. The only neck pegs that I've seen that bigger than that are the playmates tmnt 2012 neck pegs... or the Fat Magnum mentioned above. Dunno if I'll review the Chief as I am disappointed with the figure. (Unrelated to the customizing potential.)
I understand having different parts with different feelings from different companies. But when you make a bunch of figures in the same scale, size, and aesthetics; customization among the brands should be a given. Hell even on the same line they manage to screw up that customization aspect. I wanted to make a custom Joe using Snake Eyes body with another scaled head. Surprise!, Snake Eyes can only be used with the Mattel TDKR Joker head. I have commented how they made Rat King Fucking oversized, which screwed up my plans and a Flipshot head.
So, where was I?
Civilians, Policemen, Firemen, etc. These would be ludicrous at Super7 prices. This is were other companies enter the fray. Personally, I'd prefer if Mattel made them in WWE format and scale, as the format could lend itself for various figure types:
- Basic figures with less accessories and less articulation (see the cartoony Divas as reference)
- Deluxe figures with slightly better articulation and more accessories. (The articulation should.be similar to MOTU Origins.)
- Definitive, which has the double jointed elbows and knees, in some cases shoulder butterfly joints, with more accessories and alternate heads.
Sculptwise, there is plenty of part reuse between cops and paramedics.
But if Playmates were to make them and put some actual effort into them, they could kill multiple birds with half the stones.
I'd go for 1:12 scale, but skewing slightly larger. If they play it smart, they could reuse some stuff from the TMNT CGI Movie... and even make stuff that could be repurposed for their "adult collector" 1:12 TMNT line. For example, they make a SWAT Van that with some additional parts and swapping others, the 6 inch TMNT can get a Turtle Van. Or making a Burning Building playset for the Firemen that could be reused into April's Apartment with Burning action. (Reference to the Arcade game.)
OK that's it with pushing the public servants line... let's circle back to Playmates "elite TMNT" Line. I wouldn't expect them to redo the entire vintage line. BUT here are the Figures I'd like them to tackle:
The Channel 6 crew:
I have a feeling that Super7 might leave us hanging here. Unfortunately, NECA are too small... at least April and Irma, especially the latter. Burne is diminutive.
If Playmates made them, they'd all be about the same height and could be passable in a S7 display if placed in the background.
Casey Jones:
While the S7 Caseys are good enough for me, he's kind of a core character. Not to mention that if the figure is smaller, I could turn the PM Casey into a Teen Sidekick to the S7 Casey. Think Blond and obsessed with Turtles.
Odd fellows:
Folks like Hotspot, Dr. El, Sandstorm, even Sgt. Bananas, to name a few. PM had made Kong, so Sarge wouldn't be trouble.
Pizzaface:
Because, I'm almost considering buying a Pizzaface statue to have in the Background of the eventual S7 Display.
But problem is that Playmates will recycle the Turtles, the underarticulated Rocksteady and Bebop, the odd looking Shredder and the skinny Triceraton.
Now Playsets, Playsets, Playsets. We need some Generic Playsets.
Hear me out: I'm thinking something about the size of Origins Grayskull. That would make a decent two story playset for 6-7 inches. For the most part I'm thinking a folding clamshell of 2 buildings with a bit of roof space for a brooding Detective (since Mattel is getting DC back) to watch over his city. Or for a backstage brawl in the vein of the PS2 Smackdown games.
The beauty of these is that Mattel could play it smart and engineer these as pseudo modular playsets.
Hear me out:
I already mentioned the bigger foldable Clamshell like Grayakull or Snake Mountain made to be two buildings when fully opened or turned into corner pieces when opened at 90°.
In addition to those larger pieces, I'm suggesting smaller pieces with Single clamshell pieces. (They would either be two story single buildings or two single story buildings.) Remember the pseudo modularity I mentioned? Well, you could create a straight street, an alley, or intersections, depending on your play/display space.
Also these could be complemented by Actual DC playsets. GCPD, Crime Alley, Ace Chemicals... Yeah, I'm sticking with Batman because he's got cool playset potential on his city. Also, If a decent $150 Wayne Manor is made. I would be very tempted. Or a 1987 MOTU movie Music store for the Masterverse figures. (I would also like Gwildor's pink Cadillac.) Or backdrops from the upcoming movie.
Heck Mattel could sell generic versions of certain playsets, say: Police Station, Newspaper building, Corporate office building (3 stories single shell), etc. and then sell Upgrade packs based on their properties, Ie: GCPD Upgrade pack with Bat Signal, GCPD sign and some accessories for the interior.
Daily Planet with DP globe sign to be placed on the roof.
Lexcorp, Wayne Enterprises, Kord Industries, Ferris Air, etc. Could be upgrade packs for the Corpo building. Personally, I'd prefer if Lexcorp and Wayne Enterprises had Unique buildings with the modularity option, but the idea is to have options.
The idea is that with one big release per year and 2-4 smaller playsets per year, we could have "a city" or two by the end of year 3.
Circling back to Wayne Manor: it should be 3 stories high on the Manor side and 2 stories tall for the batcave side. Unlike Snake Mountain or Grayskull, Wayne Manor gets an additional divider wall that fully splits the Manor side from the Batcave side. Requires using a secret entrance built into the divider wall. It also helps in giving more play/display space on both the Manor and cave sides.
Manor side floor one is the foyer.
Floor two is the library with the secret clock entrance to the Batcave. Floor three is Bruce's bedroom.
The cave side is the Batcomputer and Bat Armory with some empty space. There's also a costume change feature like the Kenner Batcave. Playset should include a Bruce Wayne figure.
But wait, there's more:
Batcave and Wayne Manor expansion playsets:
The Wayne Manor Upgrade adds another wing to the Manor.
The additional wing adds the kitchen and 4 smaller bedrooms for the former and current Robins. It would bring an expansion to the Batcave armory with weapons/gadgets for Robin and former Robins (ie Wingdings for Nightwing, Tasers for Red Hood, alternate staff for Tim Robin)
Also it could come with Alfred
The Batcave expansion would be two stories wide and one story tall with an extra "garage door" for the Batmobile. It should have the mannequins with old suits, the Giant Penny with rolling out feature among other trophies. A Steph Brown Robin figure should be the incentive.
In any case I'll leave it here, otherwise we might end up with a Fortress of Solitude and I start hitting the other toy companies for Playsets as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment