Archive for January, 2008

Wolfgang Amadeus Griller

Sunday, January 27th, 2008

So… I got this weird figure in my Christmas stocking years and years ago (thanks Dad!).

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Wolfgang Amadeus Griller - Power Rangers Monster - weird action figure that squeaks

The guy looks to be a monster greaser or something, but he’s not quite the Hell’s Angels motorcycle-riding stereotype. Take a good look at his pompadour hairstyle, orange leather jumpsuit, blue gloves, blue elf boots and his plump, heart-shaped torso all lined with metal brackets or fencing or something.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Griller - Power Rangers Monster - weird action figure that squeaks

Sure, it’s an odd outfit, but then you see who’s wearing it – a pale, vampire-looking guy with blue gums, no eyes and a face wrapped in the same metal riveted brackets.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Griller - Power Rangers Monster - weird action figure that squeaks

Okay, he’s a freaky greaser type, but there’s another level of thought in the toy’s design here. It appears “sound” is a major theme in this character’s concept. His outfit contains speakers and horns on his arms, waist and chest. To amplify his sound theme (no pun intended), there’s a button on his back you press to animate his arms and release a cute, little squeak sound (kinda like a dog’s chew toy).

I wasn’t quite sure what this figure was. The only markings I found on the guy were “Made in China” and “©97 Bandai” which led me to believe it was either a BeetleBorgs or Power Rangers toy.

I am not (and never have been) a fan of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, but according to this site (thanks for the link Brian), this guy is in fact a monster on the show. He’s known as Wolfgang Amadeus Griller. It seems that he appeared in an episode called Cars Attacks in 1997. He’s a musical monster who uses his conductor’s wand to throw cars around and the like… probably causing chaos for the overly-animated Power Rangers.

I really love the surprisingly quirky, freaky and fun design of this figure, and knowing the Power Rangers’ monsters were this bizarre, I really need to be on the lookout for other weirdo monster toys from the toyline. I can always have faith in Japanese to create cool creatures. If you all know of any other MMPR toys worth checking out, please let me know.

Posted in Alien, Bizarre, Monsters, Musical, TV and Movies | 6 Comments »

Little Red Riding Wolf

Monday, January 14th, 2008

Ever wonder what the offspring of a Troll and the Wolfman would look like? (Sure, we all have.)

Well, ever wonder what that offspring would look like dressed as Little Red Riding Hood? (Really? You have?! That’s weird.)

Apparently someone else did too. This is the fruit of his labor.

Little Red Riding Hood Wolfman Troll

I present to you, Little Red Riding Wolf…troll.

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Little Red Riding Hood Wolfman Troll

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Little Red Riding Hood Wolfman Troll

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Little Red Riding Hood Wolfman Troll

So I found this thing at a toy show a while back. It was a show in Charlotte, NC at the Metrolina Expo. I usually don’t find too much good stuff out there, but this time around, I found some beauties. This little monster is the first of the batch.

The guy I bought it from claims it’s a Mexican “knock-off” from the 80s. It’s great, because it’s a combo. A freak toy combining Universal Studios’ Wolfman with the popularity of the Troll dolls by DAM.

I know it’s horrid. I know it’s ugly. I know it’s a waste of money, but its screwed-up proportions and the amalgamation of recognizable icons is what called to me. I mean, c’mon! At first glance it’s a Wolfman toy, but after careful observation one soon discovers it’s actually a Troll toy. It even has the mini troll body with the stubby toes and fingers and big frilly hair. But the topper is the red shawl with button and denim skirt. What the hell? The thing looks homemade!

INFO UPDATE:

After careful inspection (stripping the toy down) I discovered text on its back reading “Made in Hong Kong.”

INFO UPDATE AGAIN:

Also, thanks to jroyale, I now know these little guys are called Monster-niks, which look to be disproportioned monsters dressed as little girls. And as you can see by its packaging, these things are “adorable.”

Frankenstein Monsternik
Frankenstein Monster-niks package photo courtesy of toyfanatic.com.

Posted in Bizarre, Import, Monsters, Ugly | 10 Comments »

Capt. Dingus Dog (as Laika)

Sunday, January 6th, 2008

This Blow Up Dolls mini-figure is a depiction of Capt. Dingus Dog as Laika (the Russian dog which was the first living creature from Earth to enter orbit). The astronaut concept is pretty clever, but it is its quirky, beautifully drawn, highly-stylized design that made me fall in love with it. It is visually reminiscent of the collection of prints created by The Little Friends of Printmaking (in fact that dog’s face was taken directly from one of their posters).

Captn. Dingus Dog (as Laika)
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Friends of Printmaking's Dingus Dog - Series 2 Blow Up Dolls by Jamungo

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Friends of Printmaking's Dingus Dog - Series 2 Blow Up Dolls by Jamungo

So, I’m sure some of you already know about Jamungo’s Blow Up Dolls. These little toys have the classic, cartoony bomb for a head with a fuse and a matchstick (get it? Blow up Dolls?). They’re another in a long line of collectible designer vinyl toys.

I’ve always liked the 3D design of the Blow Up Dolls, but I was never compelled to buy them, because the 2D artwork provided by each figure’s designer never really impressed me. It wasn’t until I found out about the new Series 2 and its inclusion of one of my favorite poster design teams, The Little Friends of Printmaking, that I absolutely had to buy one.

As with most of the other “collectible” vinyl toys, the Blow Up Dolls are blind-boxed, so you really don’t know what you’re gonna get. This is a real challenge. Especially if you’re like me, and you only want a specific figure. Luckily, LFOPM made it easier for me. I bought this directly from their webstore.

The Little Friends of Printmaking are a husband-and-wife silkscreening team based in Milwaukee. They have been creating gorgeous poster art since 2003. Here’s a look at some of the posters they’ve done (notice the dog drawing they used for the Dingus Dog toy).

Friends of Printmaking Prints

Posted in Animals, Cute, Designer Vinyl | 1 Comment »

Mighty Max – “Cybot (or UNDED-209)”

Sunday, January 6th, 2008

Wow! It’s the first robot I’ve posted on the blog (and I’m sure it won’t be the last)! Let’s check ‘im out.

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Mighty Max Playset - Cybot Mighty Max Playset - Cybot Mighty Max Playset - Cybot

I found this toy at a flea market a couple of years ago. It may not seem like much. I think its biggest appeal for me initially was its creepy, skeletal face on the fully-mechanical robot body. It almost seemed to be the decayed remains of ED-209 (you know… from Robocop).

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Mighty Max Playset - Cybot

Robocop's ED-209

It wasn’t until I got him home and started checking him out that I discovered a little something extra. Apparently this thing could open up, and inside, I discovered a little a robo-skeletal evil-doer. HA!

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Mighty Max Playset - Cybot

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Mighty Max Playset - Cybot Mighty Max Playset - Cybot

My gut reaction was that this is a Mighty Max toy. I never paid much attention to the Mighty Max toys or cartoons from years ago, but I knew they existed. If you don’t know what Mighty Max is, just imagine the “masculine” version of Polly Pocket (you know, those little makeup kits that opened up to reveal cute little scenes – houses and whatnot). Due to Polly’s success, the Mighty Max toyline was born. It was made up of monster heads, dinosaur-heads, aliens… you know, the cool boy stuff (If you want to know more about the toys or the cartoon, you can find info at the Mighty Max Portal).

The only info I found on the toy was “Bluebird (which is apparently the company that made the toy) ©94″ and a “MM” logo. Sure enough, one minute and one Google search later, I found that this is indeed a Mighty Max toy. This is Cybot, and he’s actually part of the “Action Masters” series which were more like action figures that opened up instead of little spaceships or monster heads or whatever. I also found out that this guy originally wore sunglasses and had “ammunition” for his guns… so I’m missing those.

Oh well. What do I expect for $1?

Posted in Bizarre, Cartoons, Monsters, Robots | 3 Comments »