All of these items are a reminder that the WWF wasn't the only wrestling league with marketing back in the '80s. The selling prices are a testament to the popularity that the promotion and its stars still have. We'll be getting new AWA merchandise this year with the first ever figure of Verne Gagne. Now if we can get that Remco-styled '80s version...
As of press time we have just recently mourned the passing of Road Warrior Animal. It's time to look back on a small sampling of the merchandise created in the images of Animal, Hawk, and manager Paul Ellering. While a few items may have seen a slight inflation over their regular market value, I think that you'll notice relative stability seeing as that merchandise of "the boys" is usually in high demand regardless.
Hawk and Animal may be gone physically, but their influence will assuredly always be felt in the world of professional wrestling...and its merchandise. What else is there to say? What a rush!
WWE has often cited the music video featuring "Sharp Dressed Man" and the Fabs to be something odd and/or rare from their library. It really isn't, but it's nice to see the team remembered, regardless. When compared to other teams in the same vein such as The Rock N Roll Express, The Fabs may be a bit underrated, but they were the originators and are definitely not forgotten.
In the early releases of the set, included were either a referee with a sort of smug expression and brown curly hair or a rather ferocious ref with bushy hair and eyebrows. Somewhere in the past ten to fifteen years, collector-dubbed names of "Curly Brown" and "Nasty Ned" were bestowed upon these figures. These are not Remco-given names, but have certainly caught on over the years. The heads of both figures were actually reused from another Remco action figure line, DC Comics The Lost World of The Warlord. The curly haired ref was from a figure named Machiste while the bushy haired ref was named Mikola (who, in the original figure, reminds me a lot of Memphis wrestling legend Sputnik Monroe).
The second falsehood regarding the figure is that the Woehrle from the playset is the same as the carded figure. The latter has "All Star Wrestling" molded into the back of his belt, as most of the Mat Mania figures have molded into the back of their tights. There's no doubt in my mind that some of the original figures without that imprint made it onto cards, but a loose example that has the imprint can assuredly be traced back to the carded version.
*We start with a figure set that we last visited in MarketWatch about one year ago. No doubt countless children (and adults) in the '80s and '90s went "Trick or Treating" dressed as Hawk and Animal, The Road Warriors. The leather, spikes, mohawks, and facepaint of the Legion of Doom was enough to terrorize anyone and has left a lasting imprint on pro wrestling to this day. 
*In the past ten or fifteen years, it seems to be almost fashionable to announce that you're afraid of clowns. I, personally, never understood the fear, but to each his own. The WWF may have been a bit ahead of it's time in late-1992 when they introduced the character of Doink the Clown. Though the character later became a fan favorite, the original Doink was an evil clown played to the hilt by the late Matt Borne.
*One of wrestling's most beloved "creepy" characters left us earlier this year, but is still with us in spirit. Paul Bearer, forever to be remembered as The Undertaker's macabre manager, passed away this past March. His legacy has already continued in wrestling with a controversial inclusion in the Undertaker-CM Punk feud that culminated at WrestleMania 29. A WWE Hall of Fame induction is set to follow in 2014.
As I grew, my collection did as well. In 2013 I'm finally to the point where I'm only two figures shy of a full basic set as well as missing some accessories and variants. The latter is what we'll be exploring today. While I'm not usually that interested in action figure variants, the Remco AWA figures had some very fascinating differences that tie into the whole mystique of the line. Although they had the AWA license, these figures, like most Remco toy lines, were only a few steps above being discount store toys. It's not that they weren't made well, but they capture the primitive toy making techniques that were state-of-the-art a decade before the AWA line hit shelves. This point is driven home by the fact that the line had only a couple of different body types for every figure, crude packaging art, and so many variations that it's almost as if each figure was handmade by a different person as opposed to being a mass-produced product. It's these negatives that combine to make a giant positive: the finished product was awesome.
I'm a much bigger fan of the "fat" Gordy, as the figures with that body are also taller than the "muscular" body figures due to the style of the former having longer legs. Another example of figures in the line being produced with both body styles are Jimmy Garvin and the tag team of The Long Riders. Brothers "Wild" Bill and the late Scott "Hogg" Irwin were a biker tag team that are actually more remembered these days because of their inclusion by Remco as opposed to their days in the AWA. No matter the body type, this tag team came equipped with some great accessories including sunglasses, caps, duster jackets, and a black vest for Scott. 
There's at least one more Martel "head" variant out there, and he has a Zbyszko variant to keep him company. Most of the standard AWA figure heads are soft and can actually be squeezed a bit with some light pressure. While it isn't one of the more talked about variants, there are at least Martel and Zbyszko figures out there made of a harder plastic as opposed to the rubbery substance of most. The detail on these harder heads is also a bit sharper and helps capture the likenesses a bit more. It's currently unknown when these changes happened, but I would venture to guess that these are earlier versions.
Is all of that confusing enough? Just another day in the life of a Remco AWA collector. Another fun day, that is. Collectors of other Remco action figure lines love these toys for the exact same reasons. It's a charm that is completely missing from the toys of today and will never be recreated. That is unless we get a "retro" wrestling figure line somewhere down the line. Don't scoff at the thought! An independent company recently began marketing a line of "fantasy" figures as a direct homage to Remco's legendary 1980's toys. The company even used some of Remco's original sculpts. The line is called "Realm of the Underworld" and stars a heroic figure aptly named "Hercules." Taking a look at that figure, you may just recognize the head. It's none other than a remolded and adjusted Nord the Barbarian! Maybe my dreams of a Remco-styled Verne Gagne figure will still come true after all!
Like any form of collectible, wrestling memorabilia goes up and down in price as time goes on. Some items will simply never drop in value while others have gone from amazing heights to being practically worthless in a monetary sense. It's all about timing as well as trends in both collecting and the wrestling industry. Even events ranging from the latest developments on wrestling television programming to unfortunate passings can have an effect. 
In 2002, the WWF re-released several "Attitude Era" videos on VHS and DVD as the "WWF Attitude Collection." At the time the releases sat on the shelves and were relatively unpopular. Obviously this has changed. For one thing, the "Attiude Era" is suddenly the top wrestling nostalgia period. It being a prime selling point of the WWE '13 video game as well as an upcoming WWE DVD release will only further this.
The Road Warriors and Paul Ellering are among the most popular wrestlers in the line, however their figures were produced early in the run. Figures from the last few series were produced in smaller numbers and therefore sell for more. While Hawk, Animal, and Paul always did decently with their accessories included, a recent sale price of $100 for the trio is high above average. To be considered complete, Hawk and Animal must have their studded collars, cloth chaps, and tag team belts while Ellering's "Road Warriors" shirt must be present as well.
He came. He saw. He fell. Tugboat in a glitter-filled Stormtrooper helmet. One of WCW's best ideas? No. But certainly a character that would make one wonder how it got onto television, much less got an action figure.
remains unmade as an action figure (aside from being one of the goalie figures in the 1991 Remco WWF Table Hockey), we will always have Typhoon and the one and only Shockmaster to relive our memories of "Uncle Fred."
Figures of the wrestlers themselves are great, but who can put on a show without managers, announcers, and referees? While Remco produced a few different referee figures for their AWA line, their Dick Woehrle figure may be the best referee figure of any line. While the other referees in the AWA line featured repainted heads from other Remco action figure lines, the Dick Woehrle head sculpt is amazingly lifelike. While the figure does include the famous "ripped" 
body type used on many of the AWA figures, it does not take away from the only figure of the man who seemingly wore the stripes in every wrestling territory. While other referees were released later on, perhaps the only figure to come close was the Jakks release of Earl Hebner nearly two decades later.
memorable moments. This, coupled with the long time it took for figures to be produced in that era, meant that most children didn't have a clue who Ted Arcidi was by the time that the LJN figure was available in stores. The red singlet and somewhat goofy facial expression ensured that this figure would become the "jobber" in WWF household action nationwide. Arcidi has since become an actor appearing in such films as "The Town" and "The Fighter," but his biggest claim to immortality will probably always be as the least known LJN WWF figure in the line.
Tiny Lister is a very nice guy and a good actor. If you've seen anything from "The Dark Knight" to "Friday" to episodes of "Matlock" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," you've seen Tiny Lister. He just wasn't a very good wrestler. His stint as Zeus was rather unremarkable despite the hype, and we can all be thankful that a rumored Hogan-Zeus main event at WrestleMania VI ultimately did not happen.
Tiny Lister continues to have a steady career as a menacing character actor. Former WWF star Robert "Kurrgan" Maillet seems to be following in the same footsteps by becoming Hollywood's go-to brute. Will we ever see Zeus and Kurrgan do battle on the big screen? I know I'm not the only one who'd love to see it.
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport! Yes, it's Outback Jack. He had videos hyping his debut. He had magazine articles. He had trading cards. And yes, he had an LJN figure. He simply didn't have much ability in the ring. He did help us understand the lingo on the menu at "The Outback" and 
satisfied any fantasies anyone may have had about Crocodile Dundee crossing over into the world of wrestling. Honestly, we were better off sticking with Bill Dundee.
