PowerTown Arrives: Bruiser Brody

PowerTown is finally complete! Here on the blog, that is. With reviews of Stan Hansen, Lou Thesz, Verne Gagne, Magnum T.A. and Kerry Von Erich published and enjoyed we’re left with the figure in the set which was most anticipated by many. A towering and imposing figure in life, it doesn’t feel that Bruiser Brody has really gotten the recognition in the figure world that he deserves. I think that we’ve finally turned the corner on that and this figure is certainly a big part of it.

I don’t need to go over the packaging yet again. You know it’s unique, fun and something that I can’t even imagine being thrown away by loose collectors. A lot of time and love for the industry (and the stars of it) clearly went into these boxes. No annoying plastic bands, either. Simply a plastic shell holding the figure and accessories into another plastic shell. You could definitely even display the figures inside the packaging once you’ve opened and removed them, but I just wouldn’t want to hide these figures like that. They deserve to be fully seen with the accessories in use.

Just as in life, Brody is tall. Really tall. He towers over the other figures in the series and this may be the one time with PowerTown where a bit of compatibility with other lines is lost. Personally, as long as there isn’t an LJN-Hasbro style different it really makes no difference to me. Any good figure photographer can fudge a few inches between products from different lines. I think the height here really helps drive home that the Bruiser Brody character was indeed a monster.

I nearly got a splinter! Yes, Brody’s piece of wood is in fact made of a balsa style wood. How cool is that? Didn’t we hear that PowerTown has the rights to Hacksaw Jim Duggan? That could be insane, if so. Brody also includes an alternate “Huss!” hand, chain and vest. The chain is a tad thin but is just about scale to size as if a person were holding an actual chain. It can be worked into the hands of the figure. We also get the other PWF Tag Team Championship belt. We received the first with Stan Hansen and many collectors will remember that the second was to be included with Ted DiBiase who was pulled from the line over licensing issues and replaced with Brody. I think we won out on that deal.

The face is incredible and probably the best likeness that I’ve seen on a Brody figure to date. The scars are highlighted with the right color and the scowl is there but neutral enough not to detract. What’s interesting about Brody is that while he didn’t change much in terms of gear over the course of his career, there are different facial and hair sculpts that could be utilized should PowerTown release another figure of him in a future series. Like all of the PowerTown clothing the vest is done in a soft rubber. A soft goods fur vest could be another option down the line if “King Kong Brody” is revisited.

Frank “Bruiser Brody” Goodish has certainly become a rather mythical figure in the world of wrestling since his tragic and untimely death thirty-five years ago. The “What If’s” surrounding his career are endless but, despite being a truly kayfabed character, we must remember that he actually did one of the first “shoot interviews” of sorts not long before his death. There’s no doubt that, even had he had the opportunity to attend conventions and other fan related events, an air of mystique would still surround one of the best big men in the history of the ring.

That concludes the first PowerTown journey and what a run it’s been! I speculated in the last entry that perhaps Mattel was getting a bit concerned about “the new guys on the block” and stepping up their game with legends figures in the WWE line. After the recent disappointing showing at San Diego Comic Con I don’t think that PowerTown has much to worry about. Bring on Ultras Series 2 and the much anticipated return of Remco All-Star Wrestling! The blog will be here to cover all of the legendary action.

PowerTown Comes To Life

I don’t normally do preview posts, especially when I have no in-hand examples. That being said, the idea that the new PowerTown Wrestling figure line is pre-ordered and fast on its way to becoming a reality is enough to get any longtime wrestling collector excited. There was skepticism on all fronts as soon as the line was announced. Wrestling fans are unfortunately all too familiar with hearing big promises with little-to-no results. While we’re still in the pre-ordering process for the PowerTown product and it will be a few months before it’s in our hands and on our shelves, the excitement is fresh for both what’s been announced and the potential future. 

Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Stan Hansen, Kerry Von Erich, Bruiser Brody and Magnum T.A. Those six are our initial lineup. Two of those names have never had a figure. Others have had little to no representation in the “modern” figure era. In the thirteen years of this blog I have occasionally created short lists of names who have deserved immortalization in plastic. Three of these names made those lists. Gagne (a glaring omission in the Remco AWA line) and Thesz (not a contemporary of any figure line but certainly deserving) are finally getting their due while Magnum, who was figureless when my lists were compiled, is getting only his second. Hansen has never had a modern and fully poseable figure. Brody has had several figures however the closest to modern was in the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line. That likeness and overall presentation left many feeling underwhelmed. Kerry Von Erich has two Mattel WWE figures which have become highly sought after and expensive on the secondary market as well as his 1992 Hasbro WWF release. 

Looking back at wrestling legends figure lines there really hasn’t been one that feels all-encompassing. The first was the Figures Toy Company “Legends of Professional Wrestling” line. I’ve often touted that series as a spiritual successor of sorts to the Remco AWA collection. The designs are relatively basic but a lot of fun at the same time. The line still has yielded the only figures of Wahoo McDaniel, Ox Baker and Eddie Gilbert. FTC is still in the figure business with several different lines being produced to this day including a second line with the "Legends of Professional Wrestling" name, but results and reaction have been inconsistent at best. 

The biggest legends line and the wrestling figure line that I often felt was the greatest of all-time was Jakks WWE Classic Superstars. For its time it was unmatched. Though there were various reasons why some big names absolutely could not be included (Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, The Von Erich’s and JJ Dillon to name a few), after the first few waves we began to receive figures that wouldn’t have been imagined just years earlier. Were we really getting WWE figures of Bruno Sammartino, Ron Bass, Ernie Ladd, Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura in the 2000’s? We were. Though Curt Hennig was indeed part of the line, it was not in fact perfect. Planned figures were canceled far into design. Designs sometimes contained oddball mistakes. I won’t even get into “Chinese New Year.” As they say, if you know you know. The biggest issue for me was the drastic decline in quality of the figures themselves as the years went on. The latter figures are positively brittle. It feels like almost a sin to attempt to pose them. Seeing as this is the time when many “one time” names such as Jack Brisco, Nikita Koloff and The Rock N Roll Express were released, the legacy has not endured. 

When Mattel took over the WWE line they immediately promised legends in some form. What I appreciated about the early efforts were that they released legends in designs that Jakks had not just recently done. Short-haired Rick Rude is definitely my favorite from these early offerings. Mattel also managed to produce some of the names not permitted to Jakks such as Savage, Steamboat and both Kerry and Kevin Von Erich. Things were looking good until the company decided that legends simply didn’t sell. To this day collectors really don’t understand this, but it was made clear by Mattel canceling the individual legends line altogether. Thankfully the attitude has changed and Mattel has since delivered names that collectors never would’ve expected from them (Dillon, Magnum, Paul Ellering) and has produced what we would without a doubt call “deep dives.” Figures of Mean Mark Callous, The Dingo Warrior and The Goon? It’s been fun and, to their credit, they are expected to continue with Paul E. Dangerously, The Samoan Swat Team and others yet to be announced. 

Even with all of that to buy, collectors always want more. They also realize that there are some names that just aren’t ever going to be done under the WWE banner. That’s where Relativity Worldwide and PowerTown Wrestling come in. Using a unique business model that we’ve been given a glimpse of in interviews, the company was boasting nearly two-hundred signed names this past spring. Their mission seems to be to celebrate those in the vast history of wrestling who haven’t really seen the spoils of heavy merchandising. It’s a wonderful concept and truly a win-win for both fans and the wrestlers if all works out. A close friend/fellow collector and I have already spent hours this year thinking up names, waves and concepts. For us, this once pipe dream in both wrestling and toy collecting is fast coming true. 

Again, while we don’t have anything in-hand as of yet, there’s still a lot to be praising. The company has been very open about timing, changes (Ted DiBiase was initially planned for the first wave; Brody replaced him) and the when’s and how’s of obtaining the product. A distribution partnership with Highspots had me feeling very confident and the pre-order process was even better. Seeing as that the mission is to get these wrestlers what they’re deserving of, I don’t see a whole lot of “limited” nonsense happening here. I get the feeling that if someone is willing to pay for these figures at the time they’re offered that they will get them. No ridiculous five minute sellouts. “Chase” variants? Why bother when a simple re-release can get more money for the wrestler and/or family. So far PowerTown seems to “get it.” Do you know what companies that “get it” get from this consumer? My money. 

I’d be amiss to not mention three of the names behind this effort. The first is Steve Rosenthal who has become probably the biggest voice in promoting the line. He was also a force behind the Remco AWA figure line in the ’80s. One of the names who had a figure in that line, Greg Gagne, is also part of this and is likely instrumental in securing the rights to many of the names that we’ll be seeing in the lineups. Last but not least is Terry Allen, Magnum T.A. himself. I had the fortune of sharing a banquet table with Mr. Allen in Charlotte several years ago while his Mattel figure was in limbo of ever being made. Speaking with him back then on the subject, I can tell you that he’s very aware of what these items mean to fans and collectors. Sounds like a dream team to me! 

The initial set of six listed above is available at PowerTownWrestling.com with several different options for pre-ordering. You can bet we’ll have plenty of coverage right here once they’re released. So far not too much is known about future waves other than that the company is busy at work on them. Many names such as Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, The Poffo Family and The Rougeau Family have been confirmed as being signed. Last month in Charlotte I, personally, got to hear the excitement of Judy Martin and Leilani Kai over finally getting figures. Before PowerTown was even announced the spouse of a deceased legend (who may or may not have already been mentioned in this blog entry…) heavily hinted to me about inclusion in a line like this. And, of course, if the fine folks at PowerTown would be kind enough to give me a hint or scoop or two to share with you all I’d be more than honored. 

Where are us collectors headed? I don’t know about you, but I’m on my way to PowerTown.

Huss! Bruiser Brody Returns to Japan...in a way.

In the past I've compiled several entries on wrestlers who have never had action figures. What you are about to read is not about a figureless wrestler, but it does involve a growing trend which may very well ensure that nearly every superstar who deserves an action figure ultimately gets one. Independently produced toys and action figures are becoming more and more prominent. Some are mere takeoffs on existing lines. Others are attempts at continuations on popular toy lines of the past. Taking quality and rights issues into consideration, there's often a fine line between collectible or high-quality custom when it comes to these items. Ultimately it's up to the collector as to whether or not these items are "acceptable" and something that they want to own. I, myself, have come across two such items that I have added to my collection and thus have appeared on this blog. The first was back in 2019 when Exotic Adrian Street had a figure of himself created and produced. This time it's the beginning of a new line.

For the name that he was and as popular as he remains today over thirty years after his death, Bruiser Brody is relatively underrepresented as far as action figures go. Aside from a stateside inclusion in Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line coupled with a few brief appearances in Japanese wrestling figure lines, collectors were somewhat limited as to how they could add Brody to their toy shelves. Thanks to a creator out of Australia known as Junk Shop Dog, we now have the man known outside of wrestling as Frank Goodish in a style that he probably should've been part of in the first place.

In 1981 a Japanese company called Popy produced what is considered to be the first line of wrestling action figures. The figures were soft vinyl "sofubi" figures and the lineup largely consisted of gaijin (foreign to Japan) wrestlers who had made their name in Japan. Highly sought after today, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Harley Race and The Funk Brothers are just a few of the names who made up that initial wave. As big as he was in the country, Bruiser Brody was not part of that group. Until now.

Junk Shop Dog has revived the line, not only replicating the style of the figures themselves but the look of the packaging as well. The figure and other merchandise (available at junkshopdog.com) is officially approved by the Goodish family. This should be important to any collector grappling with the aforementioned dilemma of whether items like this are "official" or not. This one absolutely is.

This isn't a figure that you're going to be doing spectacular wrestling poses with, as none of the Popy figures are. That makes it no less visually stunning. Brody fits right in with all of the originals, right down to the scarring on his forehead. Because of the vinyl used, it's also a very pleasant figure to hold in your hand. The materials are obviously very sturdy and the back has production markings just as any mass produced figure would.

Another nice feature is that the packaging is the absolute definition of what would be deemed "collector friendly." Want to remove the figure? Just slide the backer card out and remove the plastic tray. Feeling like hanging it on your wall? He's perfectly replaceable with nothing whatsoever to destroy. No matter carded or loose, you can have the best of both worlds on this one. Speaking of the cardback, it is printed with high-quality photos of Brody and looks nearly identical to the Popy packaging of yore.

I first learned of Junk Shop Dog and this figure on Instagram, though they seem to have a presence on most social media platforms. I can personally attest that they are very easy to work with as far as obtaining one for yourself, payment, shipping, etc. In addition Tom Billington's daughter has already announced that Dynamite Kid will be the second figure in this revived line. You can count me in for one of those as well. And for those of you who are interested in the monetary side of collecting in an interest for the future, many of these independently produced figures have already risen in secondary market value. Considering the names and the retro styling, I can only predict similar results here.

Huss!