Toy Aisle Trolls > The Cursed Avenger

May 26, 2011 | Poe

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.

Submitted by: OrccaCast

The Problem: The Bucky-style Captain America that’s supposed to be included in this set has been stolen and replaced with a War Machine figure.

What It’s Supposed to Look Like: This

Karmic Payback: Yet another example of stealing from a toy intended for little kids. I believe there’s a special circle of toy collector hell reserved for these sort of trolls. It’s filled with bratty, irritating children smashing every toy the troll ever wanted or ever will want. Amazing, lifelike 6″ action figures with incredible sculpting and articulation being torn apart. If the troll every manages to pick up one of the toys, it’s yanked out of his hands by one of the kids and smashed flat.

Also he’s on fire.

A Tale of Two Robocops

May 25, 2011 | Poe

NECA released the first press pic of its Robocop figure this week. The figure is approximately 7″ tall and will be out in September, retailing for, presumably, the standard NECA price of $13-$20, depending on where you find it.

"So, am I getting that statue in Detroit or what?"

We don’t have any details on the articulation yet, but as long as it’s at least comparable to the McFarlane version (i.e., ball-jointed hips), I’ll be happy. It will come with an interchangeable “data spike” hand. It already has improved in one respect on the McFarlane version: the bigger gun. Whether accurate to the film or not, the Auto-9 of the McFarlane Robocop just looks too small.

However, this isn’t the only major Robocop figure being released in late summer/early fall. Figma, a Japanese action figure line known mostly for anime licenses, has started to branch out to Western ones. The first (I think it was the first) was their Michael Jackson “Thriller” figure. The obvious follow-up license for that? Robocop. (more…)

Bastards of the Universe > “Bad Day, Part III”

May 23, 2011 | googum


Big thanks to Poe for the newest Bastard, Pornstache! You know his name, but will he be friend or foe? “Bad day” concludes next week!

I already know in my head who Pornstache sounds like, but can’t say yet. It’s a voice you might recognize, but probably couldn’t put a name to; I certainly can’t…

Toy Aisle Trolls > Lando’s Gone-Missing-An

May 20, 2011 | Poe

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.

Colt 45 not included.

Submitted by: President Juggernaut

The Problem: A Vintage Collection General Lando Calrissian has been swapped with a Power of the Force version from the 1990s.

What It’s Supposed to Look Like: This

President Juggernaut writes:

Here’s another one from the Framingham, MA Wal-Mart, the same store which was featured in Toy Aisle Trolls a few months back with some similarly swapped Star Wars Vintage Collection Sandtroopers. This time it was a Vintage Collection General Lando swapped out for his POTF2 counterpart. This one really hurt, I was excited to finally see this hard to find figure on the pegs, it really made my day. And then it really ruined it when I actually examined the figure. May their punishment be severe!

Karmic Payback: Ugh, that post title is terrible. Sorry.

This is the closest Walmart to my own house, but I have to say I’m not surprised this was found there–it’s easily the worst, most horrible Walmart I’ve ever seen. If the Framingham TRU is the “magic” TRU (though I’ve recently considered giving that title to the Dedham TRU), then the Framingham Walmart is the necromancer of Walmarts. No, necromancers are competent and kind of cool; the Framingham Walmart is messy, depressing, and never offers anything worthwhile. Ever.

So no, it’s no surprise that a troll got away with this at that place. Nonetheless, I am duty-bound to curse him. I got lazy about it, so I asked Poester Sped, who came up with this: “May he get jumped by cosplayers at his next convention and have the video go viral on YouTube.” I suggested changing the “j” to an “h,” but whatever, works for me.

On a side note, seriously, what were we all smoking when we thought the POTF2 figures were great? That Lando is only slightly less ripped than the earlier POFT2 version, but it still looks like Barry Bonds has been spiking his Colt 45 with creatine.