Peanuts action figures are great!

My wonderful wife Laurie gifted me some more cool stuff for Valentine's Day, and I think Peanuts week here at the podcast is a good time to share this Super 7 toy. I am not sure if the front is charming or creepy, but I love it either way. It's nice to have Charlie in the lesser-acclaimed blue shirt, too.

I already have a figure from It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown; Super 7 issued a Mr. Sack a few years ago. I wouldn't mind getting a tree-eating Charlie Brown, though, with the maniacal expression on his mug after his big chomp.

Credit to The Entertainment Nut for this pic, and please check out the site for a fine summary of the original storyline from the strip. The Nut confirms that this shot above is an extra for the special and not taken from the source material!

Alfred Hitchcock: Man of Mystery! And games! And Funkos!

On the podcast this week, I mention a board game Laurie and I have. We have not had the chance to play it yet (It says 8 players on the box, and maybe we don't need quite so many, but the "audio cassettes" aspect is a bit inconvenient), but here is a look:

Additionally, Laurie got me a few Funkos based on Big Al's movies for Christmas: Rear Window (one of my favorites), North by Northwest (ditto), and The Birds (not one of my favorite flicks, but it's a fantastic Funko):

Spidey is in BOTNS Headquarters!

On this week's pod, we mention the recent Marvel Legends action figure based on the CBS Spider-Man TV show. It was hard to find, but Laurie found it while we were shopping, and of course I had to snag it. Welcome to the collection! There is Nicholas Hammond head, but this is pretty cool, and I like the backdrop and packaging.

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Bonus--Toy Ads!

 *Merry Christmas and Happy Even to everyone! Happy holidays to all who celebrate everything!

*We hope you enjoy this week's look at some vintage toy ads.

*Super Powers lasted 1984-1986 and was based on the DC Comics characters. A season of Super Friends was Galactic Guardians.

*Super Joe was on shelves from 1977 to 1978 but was apparently killed off by Kenner's Star Wars line.

*Babe Ruth was in the 1924 Harold Lloyd film Speedy.

*Touche was from Gabriel Games, which also produced Othello and Trouble.

*Minnesota Fats was known as "New York" Fats until The Hustler came out with a character named Minnesota. The real-life Fats (Rudolf Wanderone) adopted the new name to cash in, claiming the character from Walter Tevis' original novel was based on him.

*This week's video playlist contains the ads we mention on the podcast! We also include a few other things we talk about and an epic compilation of Atlanta TV ads from 1985.

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...

 

I had to add this boxing figure to my collection

Yes, it's a Jim Lampley action figure.

This was made as part of a Rocky toy line about 20 years ago, specifically a Rocky Balboa wave. On a recent day trip, I saw this at a toy store and had to get it to add to my boxing announcers collection, which now numbers...one.  Maybe it's not as BOTNS relevant as a 1984 Olympics Lampley, but I'll take it.

However, I know there was a Brent Musburger made for a Rocky III line, and more importantly, I now know a Larry Merchant figure exists. That one is now at the top of my list. Hey, whether or not you had issues with the Rocky Balboa movie, you have to appreciate that it spawned action figures of the HBO guys (Not Harold Lederman, though, I am sad to report). 

I just need a George Foreman to put his arm around him in case there's a riot at ringside.

Collectible Corner: Sam the Olympic Eagle

I no longer have the plush Sam the Olympic Eagle I had in 1984, but just this summer I found this at an antiques mall and added the mascot to my collection. It's a cool little statue in decent shape, and looking at the guy brings me joy:

Collectible Corner: Hightower in animated form in toy form!

 I picked up this little number for a few bucks last week even though I don't remember ever watching Police Academy: The Animated Series.

If I have an opportunity to add Bubba Smith (AKA Hightower) to my toy collection, I am seizing it.

I do know that this series from which the toy comes should not be confused with the Police Academy movie series nor with Police Academy: The Series, a live-action Nineties syndicated sitcom.

If you are interested in checking out the show, it will be part of the weekday lineup when MeTV Toons launches June 25, airing each morning at 6:30 Eastern.

Collectible Corner: A wonderful mix of beautiful and generic

I recently acquired this great-looking Battlestar Galactica toy. The toy itself is simple but effective, but, oh, what a card! 

I'd show you the card back, but there is nothing on it! They spent the money on that glorious front. I love the stylized "BattlestaR."

It's funny because back in the day, I cared little about the packaging after I got the toy. I would have torn this up and ditched it, then ran around the house zooming this cruiser through the sky. Now, of course, the cruiser is cool enough, but I got it for the packaging.

I will admit that once again I am tempted to open a vintage toy, if only to try that "free rolling." Don't sell short that "non toxic paint," either. It's good to know I could take this off the card and put it in my mouth with no ill effects!

Collectible Corner: Welcome (not back) to my collection!

Laurie and I attended a cool vintage toy show recently, and it seemed to be a huge success. I love seeing shows with low admission fees in contrast to the comic book shows that charge high ticket prices just to get in and buy stuff. This event was a success to me if only because I bought this beautiful item from 1976:

Now my question is: Dare I open this? This is in original shrinkwrapped form and in great shape. It almost seems like a shame to remove that and break up the packaging.

On the other hand, the box will still be in great shape, and Mr. Kotter will still look spectacular, even if I do open it up and check out the paper dolls inside.

For now, I am going to enjoy the box as is, but who knows if I will resist the urge to try out some different outfits on Mr. Kotter!

Collectible Corner: Starsky and Hutch and the Gran Torino!

I got this little number, a 2002 Corgi release, on a recent excursion and loved it as soon as I saw it. Lucky for me, I could get it at a reasonable price.

I will admit, though, in the moment, my standard for "reasonable price" was changed a bit knowing that we were doing a Starsky episode this season! Here is the back:

I like that you get the car but also a little tableau of the lads and Bay City. The little cardboard "standee" of Dave and Ken is a bit cheesy, but it adds to the charm as far as I am concerned. As I have said on the show, I am not a car guy, but this particular cop series is in many ways a car show, and this little vehicle is now one of my favorite podcast-related toys.

Miami Vice Toy Track playset by Galoob!

Miami Vice inspired a lot of things, but you wouldn't think a toy racing playset would be one of them, would you? Well, check out this vintage ad for a Galoob toy car track:

Everything about this, including the kids dressed as Crockett and Tubbs, makes me think it's a parody, but, no, this was a real product. I wonder, did Galoob buy time during the series? Or did it run these ads in between Hair Bear Bunch episodes on USA Cartoon Express?

Collectibles Corner: The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff

In honor of the recent passing of former World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight champ Iron Sheik, I want to share this picture of two action figures from my collection:

I got the Sheik loose last year, and his tag team partner Nikolai Volkoff (also deceased) is a recent find. Laurie got this one for me. It was packaged and beat up but still less than many similar loose figures go for these days (probably because the box was so dinged). The Shiek and Volkoff were the big heel tag team when I first started watching the WWF, so iconic (and, well, cartoony)  that they earned spots on the Hulk Hogan's Rock and Wrestling cartoon on CBS.

These are both good figures, but the headgear really makes them, huh? Both now reside on my Eighties shelf of decade-related memorabilia and toys.

And now a word from their sponsor: He has a name! It's Joey Stivic!

Check out this ad for an All in the Family tie-in toy in 1976:

The packaging on this thing is tremendous. "Archie Bunker's grandson." The box makes Archie himself prominent and barely shows Joey.

And as for "physically correct?" No comment on that!

Oh, Magoo, you've done it again!

Earlier this year, I acquired this gem at a used toy store:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; I loved it, but my wonderful wife Laurie beheld it as "ugly." I think she may have felt physical revulsion at the old doll, but I loved it and had to get it. Laurie, to her credit, did not object to me bringing it into our household.

And now that same wonderful Wife of the Show has surprised me with another Quincy Magoo just in time for the festive holiday season:

Yes, it's Santa Magoo! What better way to get pumped up for one of the great all-time Christmas specials, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Special, than with this little guy! Now I have not one, but two Magoos. I can stand them side by side and pretend my vision is as blurry as his! 

I will admit this new Magoo is a little brighter, a little more robust, a little more less weird than the previous one, but I am not going to dis Original Magoo. he will remain Magoo Prime throughout the year, with Santa Magoo stepping in to help out this time of year.

Let's all celebrate with some razzleberry dressing!

It's National Strawberry Shortcake Day!

This day celebrates the dessert, but maybe it's a good time to celebrate the cartoon and the toy! Maybe you or someone in your family watched it, maybe you stepped on the toys once or twice after they were scattered on the living room floor, but it would be hard to grow up in the Eighties without some exposure to Strawberry Shortcake. They seem to revamp the character every decade or so, but here are a few glimpses of the original!

Collectibles Corner: Adama looking good in Funko form

My wonderful wife and Friend of the Show Laurie surprised me a few weeks ago with this awesome Funko Pop: A delightful rendition of Lorne Greene as Commander Adama from the original Battlestar Galactica.

Look at the world-weariness in Adama's eyes. It's obvious that this man has spent YAHRENS leading multitudes in a high-stakes, high-stress environment.

And, no, despite Mike asking, it does not come with detachable hair. It does have a cool cape!

Laurie told me that Adama and Apollo were the ones easier to find at decent prices, whereas Starbuck and Cylon were much pricier. That's the thing with these Funkos--if you don't get 'em while they are out initially, you might not get 'em at all unless you want to pay outrageous prices.

It just so happens that Adama is the single BSG Funko I would pick if I had to pick just one--and it seems like maybe I did! Thanks, Laurie!

On the Road: Pasadena Toy Expo Part 3: The BSG game

One of my finds at that toy show I attended recently is this vintage Battlestar Galactica board game, in great condition and complete:

We have not been able to play this game yet, but here are my first impressions: This looks so generic that I can't help but think there was an existing structure that Parker Brothers altered to "fit" BSG. I doubt this is much fun to play (though I want to play it)!

Yet the box is cool. It is an officially licensed product. It's unfortunate that no images of the show's characters appear anywhere in the packaging, components, or game board, but at least there are Vipers and Cylon Raiders.

Next up: The continuation of my quest for an elusive Galactica 1980 game.

On the Road: Pasadena Toy Expo part 2: What did I actually get?

On Monday, I talked about the Pasadena Toy Expo last weekend in Maryland and "the ones that got away," better described as "the ones that were too expensive for me to even consider if I wanted to go home with more than one thing." Today, let me show off some of the toys I did get. Note that members of our Facebook group saw some of these pics earlier this week!

First up, "Don't Call Me Robby" Robot from Lost in Space in talking ornament form along with an unnamed Dalek. The latter does not talk but does have the awesome plunger thing that is an essential feature for any Dalek.

And here, from left to right, BOTNS icon Willie Stargell (from Greatest Sports Legends), Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, Contract Hall of Famer Bobby Bonilla, and star of The Jeffersons and Diff'rent Strokes Reggie Jackson.

Here is a great assortment of Jetsons figures, and I gotta track down an Elroy and a Mr. Spacely now:

"And THIS...is Jessica Drew!"

"Who are three characters who have never been in my kitchen?" Not much else links these 3, but I love them:

I'll reveal one special acquisition in the Top Ten on Sunday, and I will have more--yes, MORE--items to share next week, but these are some of the cool toys I grabbed last weekend.

On the Road: Pasadena Toy Expo in Maryland

The first official adventure for Mr. and Mrs. Brooks (AKA Friend of the Show Laurie) was a trip to Maryland for the Pasadena Toy Expo, so named because--I have no idea why. It has nothing to do with the Rose Bowl; imagine my embarrassment when I showed up in Pasadena, California expecting to see a toy show.

Fortunately, we were able to turn around and head all the way back across the country to the actual site in Maryland, where over 70 vendors sold toys in all varieties of condition: unopened, new, old, used, and downright gross (Hey, I bought some of those). Fresh off my reading of Rack Toys, I was hoping to find some of the cool 1970s/1980s items pictured in there, or at least similar things. 

We were surprised that there weren't quite as many 1970s/1980s TV/movie toys as we expected. In approximate order of abundance, here are the most common toy categories we found: 1) Funkos 2) Star Wars 3) GI Joe 4) He-Man.  Beyond that, there were a lot of newer wrestling and Marvel Legends, and Lego was popular as well.

There was a lot to see, though, and it was a friendly, inviting atmosphere--crowded but not so packed you couldn't browse with comfort. As far as BOTNS-era TV items, there were more big-ticket items than the loose, affordable ones I would hope to find. Now, I did buy some cool items and will reveal some of those in future posts, but today I want to list some of what was there that I did not buy. 

First, I repeat that we had a fantastic time. Unfortunately, now that we have discovered and appreciated the event, it is moving to a different location next year. It is doubling in size, though, so we might have to try to make it even if it is a longer trip!

Yesterday in the Top 10, I mentioned the Welcome Back Kotter paper dolls, so I won't repeat them here. What follows are some of the cool things that stand out, with pictures taken of similar items from the net and not actual items from the show:

Little Rascals Porky and Buckwheat (Mego)

The Waltons Grandma and Grandpa (Mego)

Charlie's Angels lunchbox

Six Million Dollar Man doll (this one was autographed by Lee Majors)

Bionic Woman doll

The A-Team lunchbox

LJN Hart Foundation

Police Woman doll

MASH action figure (saw several of these at one table):

Welcome Back Kotter Barbarino doll