Toy Talk
Volume LV
By Mark Patraw
Posted on 2/11/15
Last week, I enjoyed a lucky streak of finding great toys (eighteen purchases total). On Friday (the 6th), I was crouched down on the floor, carefully sifting through the contents of the twenty-five cents toy bin, when a woman came down the aisle, perusing the playthings, and, after telling me that "You're okay.", when I politely attempted to move out of her way, she commented, "They don't have anything good anyway." While she might not have found anything to tickle her fancy, I was struggling to keep the heap of dolls and figures I had piled up in my arms from falling all over the place (I have a bad habit of not grabbing a cart or basket, because, if I don't end up buying anything, I feel like a fool pushing/carrying one around). Later, I joked to a family member that the reason she didn't discover any "good" toys was because I had already snagged them all!
As always, if anyone reading this knows more information about any of these items, that I haven't already discussed below, and would like to share, or just chat about toys, feel free to e-mail me and let me know!
Toy line: Unknown, possibly inapplicable.
Manufacturer: TC & C Limited (date unknown).
What I paid: One dollar on 2/3/15 at the Ishpeming, Michigan St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store.
Size: 23.2 cm (9.1") wide x 38.5 cm (15.2") tall.
Articulation: Bendable arms and coat hem.
Notable features: None.
The manufacturer explicitly states, on the copyright tag, that "this is not a toy" and "for decoration only", but, c'mon, it's clearly a cat doll! I also think she'd make a stunning jewelry display/rack, as you could hang necklaces/bracelets from her outstretched arms. I adore kitties, and fashion dolls, so, combining the two, there was simply no way that this thing wasn't coming home with me.
This fancy feline's azure attire is wonderful. The long coat is made from a shiny, velvet-like material, trimmed with faux fur (at least I hope it's fake). The fur shed a bit during the photo shoot, but not too badly. The sleeveless corset of the underlying dress is made from the same material as the coat, trimmed with an embroidered neckline and belt, while the skirt is cord fringe accented with three strings of beads. Her hat is likewise sewn from the same blue fabric (with a semi-rigid, internal cardboard or plastic support to help the rim keep its shape), encircled with ruffled lace, and sports two wispy fabric-and-fur feathers.
Both the arms, and the coat hem, can be adjusted, thanks to internal wire armatures. They'll eventually snap if you overdo it, as metal is subject to stress fatigue, but I appreciate the option to alter her pose a bit. It would have been nice if you could turn/tilt the cat's head too, but, alas, you cannot.
Speaking of her noggin, it, and her paws, look to be made from either cast resin or ceramic, which were then painted the appropriate calico hues. The upper arms are foam and the body feels likewise stuffed. The entire body assembly is mounted on a steel rod, which, in turn, is embedded into the circular base. I'm fine with her having a metal pole instead of actual legs, as the fringe dress would cover them anyway, but I think it would have been great if TC & C Limited had given her a long tail poking out of the back of her coat. Maybe she's a Manx or Bobtail?
Sadly, the quality of this piece is a bit on the shoddy side. Glue was used liberally to secure the clothing to the body and the fur to the coat--you can see little yellowed blobs of it poking out in various spots and there are many hard/rigid areas, from the dried glue, that can be felt with your fingertips when you handle the fabric. There's also a particularly ugly blue patch, on the left side of the cat's neck, where the coat collar was once affixed to it. The faux fur, on the bottom of the coat, is also starting to come undone in one spot, with the naked wire poking free from the fabric (which, miraculously, I haven't impaled myself on . . . yet). It's too bad that the coat doesn't come off, as I would have liked to try it out on some of my other (human) dolls. I imagine that the Chinese laborer(s) who put this thing together were working under less-than-ideal conditions, and probably had a daily quota to meet as well, as such, you or I probably wouldn't have done any better, and maybe worse, if we were in their shoes. Even with said imperfections, the figure, as a whole, still looks mighty impressive to my eyes.
The circular base appears to be molded wood (sporting an attractive relief of vines and beads), painted silver, and inset with a bunch of cheap plastic "jewels". One of those blue stones is missing from mine, but it's hardly noticeable, and easy to replace if I ever get ambitious enough. The bottom of the base has a circle of green felt glued onto it, to protect whatever you display the cat upon from getting scuffed up. Ms. Kitty in Blue is very stable and in no danger of falling over on a level surface. Even if she did take a spill, due to the multi-media construction of this piece, I think the damage, if any, would be limited to the hard head and paws, and possibly the base, as most of the other, softer elements would absorb the shock and even cushion the more fragile components.
I love this piece, warts and all. Cats dressed up as people, especially fancy ladies like this one, are nearly impossible for me to resist and calico is one of my favorite feline fur color patterns to boot.
Toy line: Squirt Devil: Horrible Series.
Manufacturer: Unknown (no copyright markings on toy).
What I paid: Twenty-five cents on 2/6/15 at the Ishpeming, Michigan St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store.
Size: Roughly 6.0 cm (2.4") in diameter.
Articulation: None in the traditional sense, but the ball is squishable.
Notable features: Squirts water.
This is a Squirt Devil: Horrible Series zombie sadball. The term "sadballs" is used by some collectors to refer to the various copycat knockoffs of American Greetings' "real" Madballs toys (which debuted in 1985). Their quality can vary quite a bit--some sadballs are just as good as, or even arguably better than, the original Madballs that they're trying to emulate, while others are horrendously bad. I'd rate this one as above average. I've never seen any in the wild myself, but I've read that Squirt Devils can be found at Dollar Tree stores for, you guessed it, a buck.
The ball looks like he or she is undead or a mutilated accident victim. Its sculpt is pretty detailed and gory, with stitches, ripped flesh, dripping ichor, and even a screw going in one side of the head and out the other. Obviously, this spherical creature has faced some adversity in life.
The paint work on this item is very amateurish and sloppy, although one could argue that adds to the charm of a sadball. That said, in the hands of an accomplished painter, it'd look a whole lot better--the details in the sculpt are there, they just need some tender-loving-care to emphasize them more (even just a black paint wash would probably work wonders). The green-on-blue color scheme also reminds me a bit of the planet Earth, especially when viewed from the top.
In case the Squirt Devil title didn't clue you in, these monstrous melons are the kind that can be used to spritz your friends and foes with water or other liquids (the black pupil of the larger left eye is actually a hole, not paint). All you need to do is squeeze the hollow ball in your hand, submerge it, loosen your grip, which will cause the ball to take in fluid as it returns to its original rotund shape, and then, once its full, pull the engorged sadball back out of the water again and you're ready to go. Just point the bulging eye at your intended victim, squeeze the putrid blue orb, and they'll get sprayed. I wouldn't recommend trying it on somebody without a sense of humor though, because, if they don't appreciate getting soaked, after they're done beating on you, it's likely that your face will resemble the zombie's! I appreciate that the manufacturer added this play feature, as sadballs are always more entertaining if they actually do something besides just sitting there looking ugly.
Comparison with the last sadball I bought, at the tail end of 2013, a green cyclops with a pop-out eye.
The paint application is terrible, but, otherwise, this is one of the better-looking sadball sculpts/designs I've seen. Even so, I almost didn't buy it, as I'm not that big on Madballs in general, but, then I figured, "What the hell?" It was only a quarter, and I don't run across them very often. Plus my Eyeclops was getting lonely without any of its own kind to relate to. Don't tell me that you wouldn't feel awkward too if you were the only disembodied head at the party.
Toy line: La Dee Da (Sweet Party and Fairy Tale Dance assortments).
Manufacturer: Spin Master (2012-2013).
What I paid: Fifty cents, each, on 1/15/15 (Frog Princess) and 2/6/15 (Dots of Style) at the Ishpeming, Michigan St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store.
Size: [Dots of Style] 5.5 cm (2.2") wide x 26.5 cm (10.4") tall.
[Frog Princess] 5.5 cm (2.2") wide x 27.5 cm (10.8") tall.
Articulation: [Both] Neck, shoulders, hips, and knees.
Notable features: None.
The fates seem to have decreed that I will only own Dee dolls from Spin Master's La Dee Da brand, as I ended up buying two more versions of her: "The Frog Princess" last month and "Dots of Style" several days ago. Considering that there are four different La Dee Da girls, and I'd guess that the quartet were produced in roughly equal numbers, it strikes me as a statistical oddity that I've run across nothing but Dees thus far. I'll also take the high road and spare you from any suggestive double-and-triple-Dees word puns!
These two gals share identical body and head sculpts, except for the right arm on the Frog Princess, which is permanently bent at the elbow. I think of that as a plus, as it helps set her apart from my other two Dees and gives her poses a little more energy and versatility. The Frog Princess' painted eyes and makeup are also a bit fancier than Dots of Style's peepers, but it's not a huge difference.
Both dolls move at the neck, shoulders, hips, and knees. Those are all pin-and-disc ball-joints, except for the necks, which only rotate. The La Dee Da girls aren't super-articulated, especially compared to their excellent Liv predecessors, but their relatively limited range of motion is comparable to many other play doll lines, past and present. I wish that this Dee duo had elbow and wrist joints, for more expressive arm posing, and waist/torso and ankle articulation would have helped too. Due to the gigantic heads throwing off their center of gravity, and their arched heels not lying flat, there's simply no way that these dolls can stand on their own, unassisted.
The 2012 Sweet Party line focused on Dee's candy-themed Sweet Sixteen birthday party, with all the girls designing outfits that incorporated confectionary delights. In addition to Dee in her "Dots of Style" ensemble, Tylie sported a frilly lilac "Cotton Candy Crush" look, Sloane went with a colorful "Lollipop Swirl", and Cyanne sported a striped "Peppermint Pose" design. Out of that assortment of dolls, I really do think that Dee was the best, and I'd probably go with Cyanne or Tylie as my second pick.
I love Dots of Style Dee's two-toned hot pink and blue hair (it reminds me of the 1980s Jem character Clash). The plastic ribbon is also a nice touch. I lucked out and she actually came with her original candy dot patterned dress too! Unfortunately, that's not the whole outfit though, as a complete sample would also include shiny pink leggings, purple and green high heels, a coordinating necklace, and a white purse covered with multi-colored dots. A doll stand, wrapped birthday present (what, is Dee giving herself gifts?), and an activity booklet, with stickers, round off her original complement of accessories.
Okay, that's not entirely the truth. This is actually the more basic/budget take on said doll. She came in a smaller package, with just the dress, ribbon, and shoes and none of the other accessories I just mentioned above. My Dee's hair has fewer rooted colors (the "deluxe" version also had blonde, orange, and purple hair mixed in with the pink and blue), her ribbon lacks a dollop of green paint in its center, and the doll is missing facial makeup (sparkly purple dots) on her left cheek. This "lesser" version isn't bad by any means, but, if you really want the Sweet Treat incarnation of Dee, keep in mind that there are two different options and get the one that appeals to you the most.
The 2013 Fairy Tale Dance line, as you'd expect from the name, revolved around the quartet of La Dee Da girls dressing up like their favorite storybook characters. In addition to Dee as the Frog Princess, Tylie is the Snow Queen, Sloane is Little Red Riding Hood, and Cyanne is Rapunzel. There was also a Toys-R-Us exclusive Dee, dressed like Cinderella, that came with a horse, Prancie. Out of this assortment, I think Sloane and Tylie looked the best, but they're all pretty.
Frog Princess Dee's bubblegum pink hair, with a streak of white on the left, doesn't appeal to me as strongly as Dots of Style Dee's more vibrant tresses, but it's still a good look for her (and, minus the crown, she really does resemble Jem with those pink locks). Said head ornament is rubbery (so kids don't get poked on the pointy bits) and surrounded by sculpted red roses. Monster High fans may recognize that my Dee came with Skelita Calaveras' black rose-patterned dress, which, while a bit on the loose side, actually fits her fairly well (rest assured that, if I ever find a Skelita, which is a doll I'd very much like to have, she's stealing her garment back!) While the La Dee Da girls are shorter than Monster High ghouls, they have similarly ultra slim physiques, so, I imagine you might be able to do some clothes-swapping between those two doll brands. Anyway, as you may have already guessed, given her hair color, Frog Princess Dee's original dress was a multi-layered, ruffled, pink affair that gave her a very girly-girl look. She also sported pink and gold high heel shoes, and, what I consider to be a really clever accessory that ties into her Frog Princess theme, a green clutch purse, shaped like a lily pad, with a red rose accent in the center. The only other item that she came with was a pink hair brush, which is kind of light compared to other La Dee Da dolls (i.e., no stand or activity book).
They may all be Dee, but their distinctive hair colors/styles really help to set them apart from one another.
While my trio of Dees are all nice, I'm going to go with Dots of Style as my favorite, followed by Bollywood Bright, and the Frog Princess comes in last. Believe-it-or-not, I actually wouldn't be adverse to getting yet another Dee (particularly the Garden Tea Party "Bee-licious" or Juicy Crush "Watermelon Mist" versions), provided that she's not a duplicate of one of these three, but I sincerely hope that the next time I come across a La Dee Da doll, it's Tylie, Sloane, or Cyanne instead.
Toy line: Godzilla.
Manufacturer: Bakery Crafts for Toho/Warner Brothers (2014).
What I paid: Twenty-five cents on 2/6/15 at the Ishpeming, Michigan St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store.
Size: 11.1 cm (4.4") wide x 8.3 cm (3.3") tall x 11.0 (4.3") long.
Articulation: Jaw, shoulders, and spine crest.
Notable features: Light-up mouth.
This scaly, ebon monster is a representation of Godzilla (or "Gojira", his original Japanese moniker) from the famous creature's latest 2014 Toho/Warner Bros. cinematic appearance. I haven't seen that film, but then, do I really need to? Godzilla pretty much does the same thing in every movie he's ever been in: trash cities and/or tangle with other giant monsters.
For a kids' birthday cake topper, this Godzilla toy is surprisingly well-made. The sculpt is suitably menacing, with bulky, muscular proportions, and sports bunches of scales and creases detailing its surface. Only the eyes, teeth, and tongue are painted, but I like that minimalism in this case. Pulling the articulated crest on his spine downward makes his jaw snap open and activates a blue LED, illuminating his maw and suggesting that he's getting ready to unleash his devastating atomic breath attack. The only thing that would have made this effect better would have been if it was accompanied by his characteristic roar. The giant lizard's arms also have rotating cut joints at the shoulders, allowing you to vary his pose a bit. The reason I'm impressed with all of this is that every other cake topper I own, or have ever seen, is just an immobile statue, so this one goes well above and beyond the norm.
Godzilla runs on two button batteries, which can be accessed via a panel on the flat bottom of the figure with a screwdriver. He's big enough that I feel the manufacturer could have used easier-to-obtain AAAs instead. As long as you don't leave Godzilla's mouth open for extended periods of time, I would expect that the cells should last for quite a while, as LEDs are pretty energy efficient.
All-in-all, this is a fun and cool-looking piece. Granted, it only represents about a third of Godzilla's anatomy, but you can pretend he's submerged in water or something. Godzilla is definitely the best cake topper in my collection, that's for sure! Speaking of which, I know some individuals dismiss mass-produced dessert decorations as little more than tacky garbage, but, while it's true that some of them are very cheaply made and uninspired, there are also some really nice ones out there, like this Godzilla example, so, give 'em a chance!
Toy line: Hero Factory: Brain Attack.
Manufacturer: LEGO (2013).
What I paid: Fifty cents on 2/3/15 at the Ishpeming, Michigan St. Vincent de Paul Society thrift store.
Size: 8.5 cm (3.3") wide x 19.0 cm (7.5") tall.
Articulation: Variable, but for the "standard" humanoid build: Double-jointed neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles.
Notable features: Modular action figure that can be reconfigured and its parts swapped/combined with other Hero Factory toys.
Hero Factory was LEGO's replacement for Bionicle (Biological + Chronicle) when that popular toy line officially ended in 2010. They're basically a fusion of action figure and building blocks, incorporating the best of both worlds. The Hero Factory brand lasted about five years (2010-2014) with Bionicle being resurrected once again for 2015. Of course, as the two are so similar, once could argue that Bionicle never really went away to begin with.
The setting for the toy line is an asteroid metropolis, Makuhero City, whose inhabits are all robots. In the center of said municipality stands the titular Hero Factory where mighty champions are constructed to take on any threats, natural or otherwise, that pose a danger to the civilian inhabitants. In particular, the plot for the Brain Attack assortment revolves around alien entities that have taken control of native creatures, transforming them into monstrous beings who proceed to attack Makuhero City. Case in point: Aquagon was a normal marine organism until one of the Brains parasitized the unfortunate critter, changing it into this deadly warrior.
As this is a secondhand sample, I imagine that it's probably missing a few pieces (at the very least, there should be two of those larger yellow horns/spikes, not one), but the figure looks pretty close to complete. In the store, after closely inspecting the Ziplock baggy that the toy was being sold in, I could see that this Hero Factory item had all of its limbs, the mask, and two weapons, and that was good enough for me. Disassembled, Aquagon consists of thirty-nine pieces total. I particularly like the monstrous golden visage, which resembles DC's Etrigan the Demon, and the long, rubbery, translucent-blue Brain, which works great as a stand-alone creature too.
Because we're dealing with LEGO here, and this is a modular building set, it should come as no surprise that paint is almost nonexistent on this toy (just a little bit of gray on the "H" disc). All the other colors come solely from the plastic that the parts were cast from. I think that the hue choices work great together. The blue and yellow complement each other nicely and contrast well with the darker black and gray components.
As most of the joints are of the ball-and-socket variety, the mobility of this figure is very good. Any cylindrical single post interface can also rotate, providing additional posing options. I also want to note that all of the ball joints are nice-and-tight, which is important, as otherwise you'd end up with a floppy ragdoll. Aquagon can easily hold itself erect in a variety of poses, and its large feet provide a very stable standing surface.
Compared to a "normal" LEGO building set, the versatility of a Bionicle/Hero Factory figure for recombination is relatively limited. Sure, the various ball joints and peg/hole interfaces allow you to customize the toy's appearance to your liking, but, the parts are mainly geared towards creating humanoid or animalistic forms. That said, it's fun to swap the pieces around trying to come up with new character/creature designs.
Group photo of all the Bionicle/Hero Factory stuff that I currently have. (Left-to-right) Aquagon, McDonald's Kalmah (missing its left weapon hand), Matau (missing one of his swords and mask), and Vakama (missing the red disc for his crossbow).
While I'll admit that I didn't find the Bionicle toys particularly appealing when they first came out (I had a friend that REALLY loved the things and bought piles of them though), I've always admired the interchangeable/modular action figure concept. Aquagon is a very-well made and attractive-looking toy with a fair amount of potential for creative customization (particularly if you own multiple figures for more part options). This little beastie has definitely increased my interest in purchasing more Bionicle/Hero Factory products in the future.
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