Any questions for Mattel?

This is for the May 1 edition. Questions are due by 11:59pm Wednesday, April 13.

Toy Aisle Trolls > Galactic Zeroes

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Today’s TAT comes from none other than Jazwares product developer and customizer extraordinaire Joe Amaro.

What it’s Supposed to Look Like: This

The Problem: Writes Joe, “Someone took out most of the figures and replaced them with C-3P0s.” They seem to have stolen Uncle Owen, that creepy bug-version of a C-3P0 droid, both Jawas, the Gonk and left a couple extra C-3P0s, Garindan (why?) and a Yoda in their place.

Karmic Payback: Who steals from a little kids’ toy set? What human being is so petty, so selfish, and so uncaring that they would do this? Assigning karmic payback to someone so obviously bereft of any joy or positive emotion in life just seems sad, but I’ll do it anyway: may he pass a kidney stone for every toy he steals.

Poe’s Thoughts: Y’know, the title of some of these Star Wars sets weirds me out a bit. The titles create an odd parallel in my mind with those pieces by Renaissance artists that depict some famous scene from the Bible, such as the Last Supper or The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Four hundred years from now, will “Purchase of the Droids” be gawked at by tourists in the holodeck equivalent of the Louvre?

Packaged Battleground Teela revealed! (w/ bio)

I’ve recently decided to cut down on the “churn ’em out” aspects of PGPoA–news articles you can get anywhere else and reviews of everything I buy, rather than just the things I’m really excited about. But the exception to both is MOTUC.

Thus, enjoy these packaged pics of Battleground Teela, plus a transcription of the bio.

Battleground Teela

Real name: Teela

After being wounded by King Hssss’s venom, the Sorceress of Grayskull knew her time was short. She quickly arranged a mission with Teela to the Elder’s training citadel in the Polar Ice Cap. Here, the Sorceress revealed Teela’s true heritage: that she was secretly her magically cloned daughter and destined to become the next guardian of Castle Grayskull and its secrets! Although in a state of disbelief, Teela knew in her heart that her mother spoke the truth, and trained with the Sorceress until the venom at last overtook her. Returning to Grayskull as the new guardian, Teela uses her new magic to protect the Power of Grayskull and guard the safety of all Eternia!

Wow.

So why is she blonde?

Anyway, still really excited for this figure.

Bastards of the Universe > “Sell out”


A sad day, today. Or rather, a month and a half or so ago, when I sent Poe 339/1 back. I’ll miss the ugly Bastard; but we’ve got some more figures from around the same era that will be showing up later.

Toy Aisle Trolls > I C Dead DCUC

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Poester JHndz sends along a pair of DCUC swaps.

Supposed to Look Like: This and this

Problem: The DCUC Green Lantern Hal Jordan has been swapped for a DC Direct Hal Jordan; not actually that bad a trade, to be honest. Kinda weird really, since this is the most easily-available Hal Mattel has made, whereas that DCD Hal Jordan is harder to find. The second figure is a JLU Black Manta in place of Deadshot, and it’s clearly wrong.

Karmic Payback: The troll or trolls who perpetrated this crime are caught on camera self-pleasuring to World of Warcraft, which is then uploaded to YouTube for all to see.