The Very First Action Figure Of Dino Bravo

One of the more popular topics on the blog over the years has been the discussion of wrestling stars from the past who have never received an action figure. With the blog running over thirteen years now, many of those “problems” have been remedied. The latest also happens to be one of the most requested. Despite having a career that spanned over twenty years and being with the World Wrestling Federation during parts of their two most legendary figure lines, Dino Bravo was a poster child for wrestlers who were never immortalized in plastic. His controversial and macabre death could well have played a part as it seemed that his family had no issue with Dino joining the ranks of the figure world. Now, like so many other once figure-less wrestlers, Bravo is benefitting from the “boutique manufacturer” era of wrestling figures and can finally be added to collections. 

From Zombie Sailor Toys “Wrestling's Heels & Faces” line comes “The Canadian Strongman” Dino Bravo. Another offering in the style of the beloved Hasbro WWF collection, the line is a mix of legends and indy talent. Bravo joins Earl Hebner and Sabu as the other legends in the first wave. The company is promising many more names to come including another star who previously did not have any figure releases, Paul Roma. The first wave did suffer from delays and finally started arriving to collectors around thirteen months after the initial pre-order. 

As the figures are to reflect the Hasbro WWF line, so does the card back. Artistic renderings seem to be the name of the game as far as the pictures on the retro card backs from any manufacturer. It’s likely due to licensing issues regarding the original photos. Thus far "Wrestling's Heels & Faces" may have the best styled card back in the world of retro figures. The card itself is as sturdy as an original Hasbro and is correctly sized. The font is exact thus making the file card look great. The facsimile signature is there just as it should be. One thing that always bothered me when looking at carded Hasbro-style customs was the lack of a true facsimile signature. The customizers would go to all of the trouble of perfecting the rest of the package and then…type the name on in some sort of brush script font. So far all of these smaller outfits making these licensed retro figures have taken the time and done it right. It isn’t hard to do if even I did it in the banner of my blog many years ago. 

My one qualm with the card backs is the pushing of designer Ron Rudat all over them. It’s nice that he designed the original Hasbro WWF line and is involved with these as well, but it simply isn’t a selling point for anyone beyond a very small handful. I don’t care who designed the thing as long as it fits in where it should. To be honest there are plenty of retro style figures out now that were not designed by the man and those items fit just fine with the classic Hasbro collection. All sources indicate that he isn’t really much of a wrestling fan and is much more proud of his work on the legendary G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line. The design blueprint on the back of the card can also be done away with. It’s just unnecessary and if getting rid of all of it brings cost down, let’s have it. 

How about the figure itself? The major need is for a retro styled figure to look like it fits with the original Hasbro line. The likeness is just the right balance between realistic and Hasbro cartoonish. The pose, while not exactly one that looks like a re-used Hasbro sculpt, does pass as being from back then. The shine on the figure is just about right, too. Aside from the Mattel WWE Retro figures, none of these new kids on the block have “Real Wrestling Action” and that’s perfectly fine. The paint apps here are vibrant just as a Hasbro should be. What really sells me on Dino is his look from the side and back. Burly Bravo had massive shoulders than almost made him appear hunched at times. You know it's something that Hasbro likely would've picked up on and it's right here, too. The side view of Bravo's likeness is unmistakable here, also.

All in all, this is an absolutely high quality figure. It’s the first licensed figure of Dino Bravo. Of course you’re going to want it. It being this nice and fitting in perfectly where he belongs in the Hasbro world is icing on the cake. This particular figure is sold out but it hopefully sets a nice precedence in what we’ll see going forward in this line. If taking the “designer name” off of these things reduces cost, again, I’m all for it. A couple of bucks can make all the difference for me buying just one to open or buying two and keeping one carded for signing purposes (obviously not an issue with this figure).  I probably would’ve purchased an additional Sabu and Hebner for just that reason had the cost been a bit less. 

It would be nice to see someone market a licensed Bravo in the current scale, as well. I also wouldn’t mind seeing a dark haired Bravo figure at some point, but not in the retro style. It’s good to see these long-deserving men finally get their recognition and it's always nice to see properly licensed merchandise where the stars or their families get some extra earnings. The retro style seems to be key right now, likely due to the ease of producing them, but with so much great product out there I don't foresee anyone complaining. 

Wrestling MarketWatch: Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine

Wrestling magazine titles like Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WWF Magazine, and The Wrestler may be the more celebrated publications, but you can't beat an issue or two of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine in any collection. Great covers, solid photography, and a veritable celebration of Jim Crockett Promotions in every issue. Add all of that to the fact that, though you can occasionally stumble upon a great deal, the value of the issues has rarely waned. In this edition of MarketWatch, we'll look at a couple of recent selling prices. As always, prices noted are for non-autographed versions.

*Where better to kick it off than with The Nature Boy? In one of the later issues, Ric Flair appears on the cover holding the belt that he defended night after night, that being the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The covers went through a multitude of changes as the years and months went by, but here on Vol. 4 No 8., Naitch appears to have been photographed after one of his many title defenses. For as big of a star as Flair was, he had fewer cover appearances on this publication than other stars of Jim Crockett Promotions. This issue recently sold at auction for $126.

*In a look at a different format of the magazine, we get a great glimpse at "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas. Atlas had runs in nearly every promotion of the '70s, '80s, and into the '90s, but he definitely saw a great deal of popularity in Jim Crockett Promotions. Did his career ultimately not live up to expectations because of self-sabotage? It's hard to say, but Tony certainly seems to be enjoying the business, and the fans, to this day. This issue, which had an artistic cover as opposed to photographs, recently sold at the bargain price of just $20.

*Dino Bravo will most likely be remembered for his tragic end, but
his career spanned decades with runs in various different promotions. Before his bleached blonde days in the WWF, Bravo was both a heel and babyface around the globe. Hearing the cheers of the fans in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Bravo captured several major titles in the promotion and feuded with the likes of Blackjack Mulligan and The Andersons around the Carolinas and beyond. His cover issue recently sold at auction for $30.

*Two men who were stalwarts at the now-legendary Mid-Atlantic Fanfests promoted by Greg Price in Charlotte, North Carolina were Paul Jones and Masked Superstar. Not only did the two men team and feud in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, but they also shared a classic magazine cover. Many fans may have grown up knowing Jones as a manager and Superstar as Demolition Ax, but large portions of their legacies lie a decade earlier before the wrestling promotions went national. This issue, with one of my all-time favorite covers, recently sold at auction for $104. Less than a year ago on this blog, we documented that this issue had sold for roughly half of that cost.

The Mid-Atlantic titles continue to hold their own. While deals are to be had on some issues, others simply won't waiver. Only truly documented here on this blog as well as on The Mid-Atlantic Gateway, the magazine continues to be a treasure to behold in the wrestling memorabilia world.

The COLORful World Of 1991 WWF

In Christmases of my youth, I always looked forward to stocking stuffers. In my family, we always opened the stocking last. It was a place for small, inexpensive gifts, but often times those presents were the best of all. I can even remember coloring books being stuffed inside. No matter the content, I enjoyed coloring. I always found difficulty staying inside the lines, but it didn't matter. Even my very first piece of wrestling memorabilia was a coloring book, covering the wide world of Hulk Hogan's Rock n Wrestling cartoon.

In the past few months, I've come to enjoy the trend that is "adult coloring." It might actually be more accurate to say that I've rediscovered coloring in general, as my status as an adult is questioned even in my own mind. As far as the "adult coloring books" that are on the market, I just don't like them. The "artistic" design of the drawings to color leave very little room unless you're using a thin colored pencil. No sir. Give me broad designs with a lot of room for me to smash my Crayolas into a colorful crescendo.

Going back to kiddie coloring books got me to thinking of just how wrestling translated to the medium. Of course, there were the aforementioned Rock 'n Wrestling books, but I knew that there were more. Recently, I stumbled upon a completed Jimmy Hart page colored by someone online. The picture was familiar to me, and I suddenly remembered a line of WWF coloring books from 1991. Upon an eBay search, I discovered two things. First, I was fairly sure that I have an unused example with an Ultimate Warrior cover packed away somewhere. Second, I may not be the only one looking for these to satisfy their "adult coloring" urges. The asking prices were rather high, no doubt drummed up by recent interest. Nonetheless, I made an offer for a very reasonably priced example, and in my hands a few days later was the WWF Tag Team Superstars Coloring Book.

Hawk and Animal, in their classic first WWF promo shot, may grace the cover of this "tag team" book, but it's really a showcase for a lot of 1991 WWF talent. Heck, even Andre the Giant shows up here in his wrestling gear. What I found the coolest was that some of the managers were included. In addition to the exact Jimmy Hart page that I had seen online, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Mr. Fuji, and Sensational Queen Sherri are here, too, in an era when the non-wrestlers just weren't marketed like the in-ring WWF Superstars.

WWE still releases coloring books, but aside from The Undertaker and Triple H, you aren't going to find many legends to color. Want to stylize the likes of Earthquake, Dino Bravo, and The Barbarian? Then you have to go old school. I truly believe in the well-touted relaxing effects of coloring as an adult. It can transport you to a much more comforting time in your life. Coloring the wrestling heroes and villains of my youth only accentuates that.

Coloring vintage wrestlers is a match made in Heaven for me. Since the wrestlers of the era had so many different outfits, not to mention color schemes, it leaves a lot of room for your own interpretations. Don't feel like you're above coloring...it's something that you have likely done since you were in the single digits. And keep that "Yellow-Orange" Crayola handy, it's perfect for the big boys of the era!

The Top 5 Wrestlers...Who Never Had An Action Figure

For stars in all forms of entertainment, getting an action figure can mean different things. Some embrace the honor that it is, looking at it as "immortality in plastic." Others seem to make light of it or simply just don't care.

Nine times out of ten it seems that pro wrestlers really enjoy it. These days nearly every wrestler that makes it to WWE gets a figure, but what about twenty years or so ago? The Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line certainly helped more wrestlers of the past get figures that were otherwise overlooked. Who ever thought that grapplers such as Ron Bass or Rocky Johnson would finally get figures literally decades after their careers ended?

Although that amazing figure line helped "clean up" the unmade list, the fact of the matter is that there are still major wrestling names who have never had a plastic likeness made. I'm not talking about names like Frank Gotch, Strangler Lewis, or even Lou Thesz who came way before the action figure era. I'm talking about stars who made their names around the time that wrestling figures became commonplace on store shelves and in children's toy boxes.

This entry contains five wrestlers who need action figures desperately. I did use a couple of guidelines while making my list. The five names are strictly male whose greatest claim to fame were their in-ring years. Since most manufacturers concentrate on actual wrestlers, I have not included managers, commentators, or female stars. As much as I'd love figures of Sir Oliver Humperdink, JJ Dillon, The Glamour Girls, and Bob Caudle, companies like Hasbro, Galoob, and others just weren't interested in marketing more than male wrestlers. Even today, the companies struggle to make female and non-wrestler figures. Without further ado, here is my top five (in no particular order)...

#5--The Blue Meanie

What wrestler ever looked more like an action figure than ECW's best dancer? Colorful, fun, and a favorite of fans everywhere, a figure of "Da Blue Guy" would've easily been a great seller. Although The Meanie's ECW career did not coincide with the release of the company's action figures, his various WWF/WWE stints or inclusion in the Classic Superstars line would've been an ideal opportunity for a Meanie figure. And don't even get me started on how great the figure would've looked autographed!

#4--Dino Bravo

As far as the era of the LJN and Hasbro WWF action figure lines, NO ONE was more overlooked than "Canadian Strongman" Dino Bravo. A regular member of the roster during portions of both lines, Bravo just did not get an action figure. Fans have speculated that the violent nature of Bravo's death kept Jakks from including him in the Classic Superstars line. Word has been that his family is all for the production of a figure, so I hope that "Canada's Strongest Man" eventually gets his plastic due.

#3--Verne Gagne

This is one that I'll never understand. The man owned his own wrestling company WITH an action figure deal and still did not receive a figure. Although it's possible that Remco thought that an action figure of a balding, middle aged man wouldn't sell, based upon some of the toy company's other ideas I don't buy this theory. I certainly wouldn't think that it was Gagne's ego, either, although that's another story for another time. Verne is another who was overlooked in the Classic Superstars line, but the figure wouldn't satisfy me the way that a Remco version would have.

#2--Dick Murdoch

No folks, "Captain Redneck" didn't have an action figure. While he wasn't in any of the major companies for any great lengths of time during their initial action figure deals, we certainly should have seen him in the Classic Superstars line. He also would've been a great candidate for an action figure out of Japan where legends such as Mil Mascaras, Dory Funk Jr., and Antonio Inoki saw their inclusion from this list eliminated.

#1--Buddy Rogers

Including this "Nature Boy" was a decision that I went back and forth on. While his wrestling days were over for all intents and purposes by the era of figures, Rogers is one of the names that transcends eras. One could argue that Thesz should be included if Rogers is, but Rogers had the larger than life "sports entertainment" value that should have made him one of the very first Classic Superstars figures. Gorgeous George also falls under this umbrella but is disqualified due to the existence of a very rare puppet/doll of "The Toast of the Coast." Rogers had no figural representation whatsoever.

There you have my own personal top five. Before you ask, Magnum T.A., Kevin Von Erich, and Terry Taylor all have figures either released or slated to be released in the near future thus eliminating all three of those worthy contenders. Did I forget someone? Maybe you're unaware that a certain wrestler made it to plastic? Let us know here or on the Facebook Fanpage!