Happy Smurfoween!

October 29th, 2010

Typically when I hear the word “Smurf” as it relates to the word “Halloween,” I imagine something disturbing like this:

Smurf Halloween Costumes
Smurf costume photo courtesy of Unreality Magazine.

But now, thanks to Schleich, I can now picture this:

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Halloween Smurfs

Ya know, I never thought I’d see the day when I’d put Smurf PVC figures on my site, but when I discovered these guys a few years ago, I knew their presence here was inevitable.

These aren’t just any smurfs, they’re the outcasts of Smurf Village. When you cross those cute, little, blue guys with classic horror icons, you get an awesome amalgamation of cute and creepy.

Here we have seven Halloween-inspired smurfs depicted as a vampire, mummy, werewolf, jack-o-lantern, grim reaper, Frankenstein’s monster and a ghost. (There’s actually a Smurfette Witch in the collection as well. I don’t like her, so I didn’t get her… so sue me.)

These figures are usually referred to by their serial numbers, so I’ve taken on the task of naming them.

Count Smurfula
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Count Smurfula

“Bleh! I vant to smurf your blood.”

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 Count Smurfula Count Smurfula

First up is Count Smurfula. He’s an awesome interpretation of the formal, vampire look. The cape, bow, belt and cuffs are all a great way to accessorize a topless smurf’s outfit… and those fangs look pretty fierce too.

Mummy Smurf
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Mummy Smurf

“Wrap it up. I’ll smurf it.”

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Mummy Smurf Mummy Smurf

Next is Mummy Smurf. He doesn’t look to old or dried out, but I love his creepy, blood-red eye. I also like how the bandages are unraveling to emulate to the topless smurf design. Looks like they’ve even wrapped his hat.

Weresmurf
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Weresmurf

“Holy smurf! It’s a full moon tonight.”

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Weresmurf Weresmurf

Here we have Weresmurf. What’s cool about this guy is the fact that he’s a furry smurf. That’s pretty rare. He has claws. I didn’t even know smurfs had fingernails. Oh yeah, and he has a belt. That’s bizarre in Smurf world.

Smurf-O-Lantern
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Smurf-O-Lantern

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Smurf-O-Lantern Smurf-O-Lantern

Next is Smurf-O-Lantern. This guy looks to be a regular ol’ smurf with a jack-o-lantern plopped on his head. His hat and body are generic. It’s his monstrous pumpkin head that makes him so great. Wonder if that’s Jokey Smurf under there.

Grim Smurfer
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Grim Smurfer

(Don’t Smurf) The Reaper

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Grim Smurfer Grim Smurfer

This next guy is a bit weird. He’s the Grim Smurfer – complete with scythe. He actually looks like a smurf wearing a Halloween costume. It’s due to the fact that his body is simply a suit with bones painted on it. A skeleton body smurf would’ve be amazing though. He would’ve looked like an Underworld Warrior.

Frankensmurf
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Frankensmurf

He’s one scarred-up mother-smurfer.

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Frankensmurf Frankensmurf

This guys’ great. It’s Frankensmurf. He’s really unique in that he’s got a big block head, bolts, colored pants and a vest (A VEST! his upper torso is actually covered. Wild!) Oh yeah, and check out those platform shoes.

Poltersmurf
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Ghostly Smurf

“I ain’t afraid of no smurf!” (poltersmurf that is)

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Ghostly Smurf Ghostly Smurf

This last guy is kind of scary. I’ll call him Poltersmurf. Sure, he’s a simple smurf with a sheet over him, but look how pissed he is. The rest of these guys look mischevious but fun. This guy looks like he really wants to hurt you. Luckily, he’s being held back by a ball and chain. (Strange. Seems like a ghost wouldn’t be held back by that kind of thing.)

What I love about these guys is how outwardly monstrous and unique their designs are while straying true to the Smurf design. They aren’t just mild variations of the generic smurf (Ya know… a smurf holding a jack-o-lantern or some crap like that). These are nice, uniquely sculpted monstrous incarnations of everyone’s favorite little blue guys. Now you have no reason to not have Smurf toys on your desk.

(Unfortunately, these Halloween Smurf designs were retired in December of 2008, but I think you can still find them fairly easily online if you want them.)

Happy Halloween folks, and happy haunting!


Motorbot’s Formaldehyde Face

October 15th, 2010

Unlike all the other cool “geek bloggers” out there, I don’t have a 30-day countdown to Halloween. Sorry folks :(

But I do have something cool, quirky and creepy for ya.

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Formaldehyde Face

Do you recognize this guy?

I’ll give you a hint.

Obey

It’s where Shepard Fairey got the whole “OBEY” schtick.

Still nothing? Here’s another hint.

Kick ass

This is the man who said, “I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubble gum.”

Well, how about the lady with the “formaldehyde face?”

They Live

Ah-ha! Now you remember.

Yep, this little guy is one of those creepy aliens from John Carpenter’s “They Live.” It’s an 80s classic. If you don’t know the movie, then I’m really shocked you’re even reading my blog ;)

But for those who don’t know what I’m talking about, lemme give you a quick, quick rundown. “They Live” is an old, sci-fi/horror movie from 1988. It stars wrestling great Rowdy Roddy Piper as an average Joe who stumbles upon the fact that aliens have taken over the world. How does he discover this secret you ask? Through magic sunglasses of course. Ha!

I don’t mean to spoil it for you, but here’s a quick look at what those sunglasses reveal. (Make sure you still watch the full movie though.)

Pretty creepy huh. I’d definitely hate to see those freaks face-to-face.

(Okay, I realize this isn’t a blog about old, horror movies, but I had to give you some context.)

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Formaldehyde Face

That’s what makes this figure so great. He’s a super-deformed incarnation of an iconic 80s sci-fi horror flick alien.

You’re probably looking at this guy thinking he looks kind of simple for a movie toy, but that’s because he is one of the newest “made-from-scratch,” resin toys by artist, Motorbot.

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Formaldehyde Face

The figure is pretty simple. He has a solid body with a poseable head, and he’s hand-painted. He’s actually pretty well made, and I’m really thrilled to have this custom toy in my collection. I have a bunch of “one-of-a-kind” bootlegs from Mexico and stuff, but I don’t have many of these limited-run, made-to-order kind of toys like this.

I’ve followed Motorbot on Twitter for a while now. It’s always a pleasure to see his processes and the various creatures he creates, but it wasn’t until recently that I felt compelled to buy one of his pieces. I dunno. There’s just something about a skinless, bug-eyed, skeletal freak in a suit that calls to me.

Formaldehyde Face

There’s an alternate version of Formaldehyde Face available as well. This one has a gray color scheme, which depicts how the aliens look through the magic sunglasses.
(Support a fellow toy maker and check out his shop. He’s got some cool stuff up there.)

Oh crap! Before I forget, there’s one last thing I wanted to show you. Here’s the fight scene from “They Live.” It’s not just any fight scene. It’s the most infamous fight scene in movie history. Thanks John Carpenter for giving us a 5-minute long street fight instigated by a seemingly trivial request to put on some sunglasses.

Enjoy!

And the weirdo winner is…

September 23rd, 2010

Ben!

Congrats, Ben. You’re now the proud owner of Seezall and a Weirdo Toys’ Apple Devil t-shirt. I’ll email ya and send this stuff out pronto.

Thanks everyone for participating. Again, I wish I had toys for all of you, but these are just coming from my personal collection. (I do have t-shirts for sale though if you still wanna sport the first, limited-edition Weirdo Toys t-shirt.)

It’s always great hearing from you guys. Knowing that there are other cool people who like weirdo toys really brightens my day. Thanks for sticking with me, and I look forward to unveiling some cool stuff this year.

Have a great day!

3rd Annual Weirdo Toy Giveaway

September 15th, 2010

It’s that time again – Weirdo Toys’ Birthday! The site is 3 years old today. (What does that mean exactly? I dunno. I guess it means I still have enough money to keep the site alive. Ha!)

It’s usually this time of year that I like to look back and reflect on what’s happened with the site, but realistically, not much new has happened. Most of what’s been happening has been in my personal life.

Since last year I lost my job, got married, got my job back and in just over a month, I’m gonna have a new son. So, yeah… I’ve been distracted :D

I’d like to take this time to just thank you guys for reading and sticking with me. Surprisingly, I’ve noticed my readership is actually growing even with my sparse blog posts. I can attribute that to my increased Twitter presence and to you great toy-loving, blog-sharing weirdos.

Alright, since I haven’t tried to break new ground all year, I figured I’d do it today. I’ve actually created one of those annoying video blogs (vlog) documenting my process from getting a toy from my shelf to your screen. (Oddly enough, I’ve had several requests for this sort of thing over the years, so what the heck. Might as well do it, huh?)

(I’m gonna warn you. If you like my “blog voice,” maybe you shouldn’t watch this. It’s the real me :O )

Enjoy.

But wait! Let’s not forget why we came here. The free toy!

Seezall

As you saw featured in the video, the toy given away this year is Seezall. This guy is one of my favorites from my favorite group of super-heroes, the Gross Out Gang. One lucky winner will get this Seezall figure.

Apple Devil T-shirt

And if that’s not enough, I’m also gonna throw in a Weirdo Toys Apple Devil t-shirt. That way you can go to the playground in your new tee, play with your toy and get beat up by the local bullies. Fun times!

All you have to do is leave a comment answering two simple questions:

1. How did you find the Weirdo Toys blog?
2. Why did you stay?

Just know, I’m not choosing a winner based on content. I’m gonna draw a name at random from the comments who qualify and announce the winners a week from now.

Thanks everyone. Best of luck, and thanks for reading!

Creepy Freaks by WizKids

September 9th, 2010

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but my dad has a healthy interest in my toy hobby, and yet again, he’s uncovered a gem for us all.

Sometime last year, he surprised me with an entire case of “Creepy Freaks” by WizKids (I think it was my birthday or something. I don’t recall.)

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Creepy Freaks

Apparently, he got the toys fairly cheap off eBay.

I’d never heard of them, but the name alone intrigued me. I had no idea what to expect once I opened the box.

Creepy Freaks

So this is what I found – Twenty four blind-boxed booster packs for “the Gross Out 3D Trading Game.” (I think I kind of recognize this packaging, but I’m not quite sure. Maybe I passed by them in a Toys R Us or something.)

I opened up my first box (after painfully cutting through a thick plastic clamshell) and found two miniature figurines inside. Not bad, but actually these weren’t toys as much as they were game pieces for a kids game.

Crap.

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Creepy Freaks

They appeared to work like HeroClix or something at first glance. I don’t have any rules for the game (and honestly don’t care to look it up. Ha!), but it looks like each character has various powers and strengths which are used when you twist the character around on his/her square base.

Along with the Creepy Freaks game pieces come circular portrait stickers and character illustration stickers with a comic strip on the back.

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Creepy Freaks Cards

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Creepy Freaks

This is really starting to feel like a poorly executed modern Garbage Pail Kids.

Now, lets’ get to what’s important here: the weird character game pieces. After opening all 24 boxes, I had 48 Creepy Freaks in my possession. It seems like each character has an alternate name and paint job. Meet Sour Milk and Curdles.

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Sour Milk and Curdles

Again, it kind of reminds me of Garbage Pail Kids with the the alternative naming and all. I like it.

Secondly. I didn’t want a bunch of game pieces lying around. I seriously hoped I could break the figures off their game bases.

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Creepy Freaks

As luck would have it, it is possible. I started breaking the game bases off every figure with brute force until my thumbs couldn’t take it anymore. A couple pairs of pliers did the trick just fine… and it didn’t involve nearly as much pain.

Okay… enough with all the BS. Let’s got to the most important part – the characters!

What I’m showing you here are some of my favorites from the collection I have. I’m not showing them all because I don’t like them all… and I honestly didn’t feel like shooting a hundred photos. Ha!

Sour Milk
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Sour Milk Sour Milk

This guy is awesome. Probably my favorite of the bunch. I love the simple, maniacal milk carton w/ the little kid trapped inside trying to escape. Such a great spoof of the old missing children ads on milk cartons. Are those missing kids ads around anymore? Are milk cartons?

Drippy the Pusman
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Drippy the Pussman Drippy the Pussman

This guy’s pretty nasty. He’s obviously a spoof of Frosty the Snowman… only he’s oozing with puss. Nasty, nasty stuff.

Skelehomie
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Skelehomie Skelehomie

Skelehomie surprised me a little bit. Having anything with the word “homie” seems risky in this era of über-sensitivity and politically correct toys. And to top it off, the guy’s sipping on a brewski. I like it.

Anklebiter
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Anklebiter Anklebiter

Ankebiter’s cute. He’s just a little demon or vampire baby. “Hell-on-wheels” so to speak.

Monster Under the Bed
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Monster under the Bed Monster under the Bed

This guys is an icon. Every kid knows the monster under the bed. Well, now we’re finally getting a good look at him. Too bad there’s no little kid in the bed peeing himself.

Bo Oger
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Bo Oger Bo Oger

This guys kind a fun and funky. Just a cyclops ogre with a major runny nose. I don’t even mind the “Bo Oger/booger” pun. Good fun.

Vampappy
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Vampappy Vampappy

Ha! This is an awesome, awesome character design. The old’ grandpa vampire with vampire dentures. He’s rolling along in his wheel chair. It actually looks like he could be Anklebiter years from now… but vampires don’t age, right? I guess this guy was bitten at the old folks home.

Jar Head
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Jar Head Jar Head

Jar head’s kinda cool. A bit unexpected. He’s reminiscent of the cliche, disembodied brain of a super-genius in a jar. Why don’t we ever see disembodied dumbass brains in jars… unless you count “Abby Normal.”

Socket
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Socket Socket

This guy is awesome enough as a skeleton super hero, but the fact that he’s using a slingshot to launch his own skull at someone… that’s pretty cool.

T.E.D.D.Y.
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T.E.D.D.Y. T.E.D.D.Y.

He is the ultimate franken-bear. Looks like a teddy bear brought to life by scrounging together some parts of long-deceased stuffed animals. Such a great, creepy twist on such a staple of childhood cuteness and innocence.

Sox
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Sox Sox

Man. I’ve never seen an undead zombie cat. He looks great. and I can’t get over the awesome gag of his rising from a litter box grave So puurfect (couldn’t resist).

John
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John John

Hey, the name says it all. He’s a john. Question is, “Sit or squat… or run for your life?” I’ll let you answer that one.

Overall, I love the character designs. They are actually a lot of fun and pretty clever. I’m happy to add these cool, weird figurines to my collection.

Saddest part is the Creepy Freaks are gone. These suckers came out in 2003. I probably saw them at some point, but paid no attention to them at the time. I guess kids did the same. I think the naming, packaging, etc. may have had something to do with that.

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Creepy Freaks

The logo for one is pretty lame – a nondescript sans-serif type face with a devilish smiley face. It’s pretty tame and generic for a game that’s based around cool, gross creatures. Take that logo, and put it over a dark box with texture all over. and what do ya get? An indiscernible mess.

Creepy Freaks

No way you could read that package on the shelves. plus, there’ so much texture and shadows and glows and stuff, you can’t ever tell what you’re looking at.

I think the figurines are great, but the awkward, comic-book style illustrations and unfunny comic strips seems to just throw too much in the mix. Maybe it wasn’t “too much,” but when it’s not all presented well, it just comes across as an incohesive mess.

Am i being too critical? Ha!

One last thing. I wonder if the cartoony, gross character trend is reserved for a generation of 80s kids. Do kids nowadays like this stuff? If so, I have hope :D