Holy crap, action figures have come a long way since I was a little 'un! I was at a friends house, and spotted his extensive figure collection of Marvel, D.C., Star Wars and more. You could say love at first sight? The coolest I spotted was a HUGE Juggernaut figure, still only 7" tall but it had to weigh 2lb, and when you raised his arms his lateral muscle became visible… I just thought this was the most amazing thing I’d seen in years!! Must get one!!! Also he had a Doc Ock, with huge tentacles, there had to be fifty points of articulation on the whole figure… Money is tight with me, but if I wanted to build a little collection to sit here on my desk, what would you lot suggest?
Coolest action figures I ever saw were the Hansen brothers from Slap Shot.
i think this is the Juggernaut figure I saw, maybe not this but pretty close:
http://www.mwctoys.com/REVIEW_083004b.htm
And also, this Hulk is pretty snazzy:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00007BK97.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
This is the sort of thing trips me out. Big, detailed, elaborate… Shit cool!
For fathers day I got an Oscar Wilde action figure, comes with cane. The package has several of his wittier quotes. Definately the coolest action figure I’ve ever seen.
The “My Dinner with Andre” action figures really rocked, but I think it was a pretty rare issue since the only ones I’ve ever actually seen were Corky St. Clair’s.
And if you buy one, the figure ages but you don’t.
bubastis, e-mail me, would you? I have several of those super-articulated Marvel Legends figures that I’ve been planning to sell on eBay (and some other toys and comic books), but I’ll show you my list first in case you see anything you want.
I’m not sure I want to know what “actions” that action figure performs, though.
I just bought the Houdini figure for my dad (he used to run a mail order magic/locks/prison memrobilia company)
It’s by the same folks who made the Oscar Wilde figs. They have a ton of those figures from Ben Franklin, Einstein, Rosie the Riverter, JP Patches and Cleopatra, Moses and more.
They actually just did a new Jesus Christ figure that I think is called Miracle Jesus
He is supposed to have glow in the dark hans and light up eyes… Apparently the glow in the dark paint is too yellow and the light up eyes- glow red.
He looks like evil jaundice Christ.
Now I’m imagining the articulated poses of a “somdomite.”
Fortunately I’m into that sort of thing.
I got this fellow for my sister for Christmas. (I think that’s got to be the best action figure I’ve ever seen.)
And, of course, if you really want to add some spice to your collection, there are always custom action figures. (Click the “plastic” button on the menu in the site to see what I mean.) You could spend days finding other examples online, with all imaginable styles, genres, and levels of quality.
That guy, Iron Cow, is awesome. He’s a really nice guy and does great custom work. Some other great action figure customizers include Casimir’s Inanimate Objects and Rob Lowe’s Custom Figures. Rob himself (not the actor, obviously), made me a custom Marvel Legends-style Blue Beetle figure, which is seen on the right in the top right picture.
I’ve got to put in a vote for the “Uncle Duke” action figure that came with some editions of the Doonesbury book of that name. Came with his signature cigarette in long holder, martini glass, and I think a gun as well, IIRC.
For more conventional figures (said he, in a thread where an Oscar Wilde figure was already mentioned, we just got my son a figure of Anakin Skywalker that can be turned into Darth Vader. And I’ve always had a soft spot for my Starman (Jack Knight) action figure with the light-up rod, but that’s more due to the character’s coolness than the action figure’s own.
I should provide the obligatory link to some of my own toy collection pictures.
(But only the original Japanese edition with the die-cast metal parts, natch)
The original 12" GI Joe. I mean, come on - he had lifelike hair and a kung-fu grip! What more could you ask for?
Although to be honest, I really liked Major Matt Mason.
I got a great deal on one a few months ago, but it is the American version (which still has SOME die-cast parts, just shorter smokestacks and a LOT cheaper).
Go wild.
I never did pick up one of those super-articulated Spideys from last year… wonder if they’re still around?
There are tons of different super-articulated Spideys. Movie-style and comic-style, based on different artists, in fact! Go to any Toys R Us or Target to see for yourself.