World Getting You Down? Escape To A Different One…

Ah, finally we’ve hit November! My favorite time of the year is upon us. I’ve never been a big Halloween guy. It’s ok, but get me to the week of Thanksgiving until Christmas Day and just put me in a never ending cycle of that thirty-odd-day span. Take a few days out for birthday depression (getting old…) and it would be utopia. “These are a few of my favorite things,” as it were. You know what else is one of my favorite things? Figure photography. It truly brings me happiness and I know that I’m not the only one. While I love wrestling memorabilia collecting as a whole, I think that there’s just something special about the art (oh yes, it’s art) of creating and/or recreating the moments we either loved or would like to have happened.

As I said a number of years ago on this blog, action figure photography is the adult way of playing with your toys. Best of all, you’re creating something that you can share. While there are a few ways to share that content, Instagram certainly seems to be the chosen method. I have a certain love for the Instagram account The_Figure_Arena (I wonder why…) and I’m thankful for everyone who has followed. That being said, I’d love to see a platform solely for figure/toy photography of all genres. There are certainly enough fans out there who partake. Instagram started out as a great thing, but now they can delete you at the drop of a hat. Meanwhile, teenagers being disgusting get a pass, but that’s the way of the world. Get off my lawn.

I think the real key is getting the most out of it with very little. What do I photograph with? My iPhone. Lighting? I was using battery operated desk lamps that cost around $5. While I still have one of those, there’s a great three pack of quarter-sized LED switch lights on everyone’s favorite A-Z online retailer that also costs around $5. How about that fog? A humidifier. It’s really smoke and mirrors at its finest, just like how the best movie special effects are done. Admittedly, the backgrounds that I use are costly. They’re nice, but overpriced. I just like the simplicity of not having to create my own. They’re easy enough to find in a search. I won’t plug the company as they’ve never been receptive to me in any form of social media. I guess my photography isn’t good enough for them. Hey, I like it!

I don’t need to tell you where to get the figures. Photograph whichever ones you want! If you’re reading this you probably already have a ton. While the modern day Mattel figures of the world may make the most realistic photos, the classic Hasbro line or any of the “Retro” sets that have been spawned since can be just as charming and appealing to look at. Honestly, one of the best pieces that can be used for figure photography is still the Mattel WWE New Generation entrance. I dare you to even try and take a “bad” pic with that thing in the mix. Sure, it’s not useful when trying to capture other eras, but I’ve seen people do real well by stretching it a bit. I’d never say no to seeing Dusty dance out under the neon!

To be perfectly honest it doesn’t take any real photography talent, either. I took a photography course or two in college, but I really don’t remember anything from it. I’ve gotten better by trial and error. “This lighting looks better for this era.” “What would it have looked like had these two had a match back in ’87?” “I could put this shirt on this figure and it makes it fit in with these figures.” I’m sure that I’m not the only one who hears these lines in their head. A sharp eye, an odd angle or two and twenty outtakes that will never see the light of day. After all that, you’ll have your shot. The best part? Thanks to digital those outtakes don’t cost you a cent anymore.

It’s a fun and cost-effective hobby. Nearly everyone has a smartphone. Some cheap lights as I’d said above. You can grab a basic ring for about $20. And as we all know, most modern figures go on clearance. This world is way too miserable and serious for us to take ourselves too seriously. My response? Let’s play with some toys. Speaking of playing with toys, I’m going to get preachy for a moment but it’s all in the name of goodwill at this time of year. If you have an Ollie’s nearby, why not grab some of the TONS of action figures that they’ve gotten in and make up a bag for Toys For Tots? It won’t break your bank and there are literally dozens of figures at most of their locations from which to choose from. It absolutely warms my heart to think of a child, not expecting a thing, getting a figure of Rey Mysterio or Grogu. It’s a small gesture that fits right in with the topic at hand. Grab yourself a new fig, grab three for the Tots.

Let’s get the Holiday mood going early here with fun and giving. The world needs it.

Owen Hart Stampedes Back To The Figure Universe

Unless you live under a rock you already know that the legendary Owen Hart is finally getting new action figures after twenty-three years. Through Owen’s widow Martha agreeing to a relationship with All Elite Wrestling, Owen’s memory will finally be honored within the realm of professional wrestling and not just by its fans. Much to the happiness of collectors, modern action figures are part of that. As Jazwares began a “legends” series of sorts in their AEW line called “Luminaries,” The King of Harts fits right in. 

It felt obvious from the get go that any WWE incarnations of Owen would be off-limits. That meant that in order for there to be modern figures of a man who spent roughly a decade in WWE, the look of these figures had to predate that. Exclusive to the large online wrestling figure retailer that needs no extra press, the first figure comes in a special window box with several unique accessories. There will be another release down the line in one of the mainline/standard AEW series. The packaging is very attractive with several nice photos of Hart. Initially I thought that there weren’t any plastic bands holding any part of this figure in, but there did end up being two or three. Jazwares isn’t as offensive as Mattel when it comes to those things, but we got along for decades without them. Why do we need them now? 

Included are two different heads, sunglasses, soft goods jacket and a championship belt. The latter is likely supposed to be the Stampede Wrestling North American Championship. It’s missing a lot of detail, but it’s good enough. That last phrase could actually be a theme for this figure. As good enough as the aesthetic design of the belt is, the physics of it are less so. In nearly forty years of attaching title belts to figures I had yet to encounter one that I just couldn't apply. Notice how he's just holding the belt? It's because the pegs simply don't fit into the holes on the belt. The rest of the accessories are also “good enough.” The smiling head is about the only part that I would say is less than good enough. The serious head is a much better likeness, but the headband is part of the sculpt and non-removable. The jacket may go a bit above “good enough.” It looks exactly like a wrestling jacket from the ‘80s and thankfully isn’t rubber like so much wrestling figure entrance gear done today. I have seen some reports of the jacket staining the figure right out of the package, but I didn't encounter that personally.

 

The smiling head has holes for the sunglasses to fit into, but they will stay on the serious head as well. One thing that surprised me when I finished unboxing was the lack of extra hands. No fists? Just open hands? It isn’t like Owen was a huge puncher or anything like that, but for the price of this figure a pair of fists couldn’t have been factored in? Five years ago we would have thought nothing of it, but it’s a different ball game now. I wouldn’t call the body sculpt 100% exactly Owen, but again it’s good enough. And for such a bright wrestler did we really have to go with black and white for the first figure? Why not save that for the mainline release instead of an exclusive which is supposed to stand out?

 

I won’t say that I’m disappointed with this one. Again, it’s good enough. But it could have been so much better. Customizers will have a field day when this goes down in price. My other big gripe lies with the yet-to-be-released mainline figure. The word on that one is that a great looking figure in red gear will be some sort of “chase” version. Jazwares deliberately makes their chase figures impossible to get in order to make them, what I deem, manufactured collectibles. Big thumbs down on that. As far as this figure, you know the retailer. You also know that sales and clearance is the name of their game. I’d wait on this one until it goes cheaper. When I say to wait, you know it’s a safe bet.

 

You should’ve made amends with WWE, Martha. Mattel gets a lot of things wrong, but I have a feeling that they’d have done Owen right.

Introducing The 2021 Figure Of The Year...

Isn't it January 2020? As hard as it is to believe, as of press time we're hours away from January 2022. I don't have to list the reasons why time is flying faster than ever. Did we even have Christmas this year? If we did I think I missed it. On the bright side we did have another great year of wrestling figures and a wider variety than in decades. Mattel, Jazwares and all of the boutique companies have brought us a bevy of wrestlers of all shapes and sizes from the past, present and future. My wallet is already cringing at what 2022 will bring. Before we examine the power of the winner, let's check out my runners up.

My criteria is not only based on the figure itself, but also distribution. If there wasn't an easy way for collectors to get their hands on a particular figure, it won't be my Figure of the Year. For example, despite being one of my favorite Mattel WWE figures of all-time, their King Harley Race of several years ago would never have won the award. Had he been in a regularly distributed set I can't see anyone else having won that year. 

Coming close to winning two years in a row was The Ultimate Warrior. Another of my all-time favorite Mattel WWE figures was last the 2020 winner, WWE Legends Ultimate Warrior. That figure famously depicted him in his final WWE appearance just hours before his death. I still can't believe that we have the figure in our collections. Another great Warrior hit our collections this year, this time depicting his WWF return at WrestleMania XII in 1996. A Ringside Exclusive, the figure is still available thus certainly making it obtainable. The detail is absolutely amazing and the paint is second-to-none.

From Jazwares and All Elite Wrestling we have two runners up, both also seeing releases as Ringside Exclusives. The first is the TNT Champion Cody Rhodes. Handsomely packaged in a window box that doubles as a Double Or Nothing entrance stage, this was the first release of the AEW TNT Championship belt. Cody seems to be currently facing a backlash that has plagued more than one top star over the years. In a decade he will be talked about glowingly among most fans. Mark my words. Of course, it could all be an invention of the toxic Twitter twits in their basements.

The second AEW figure on my list is referee Aubrey Edwards. A truly pioneering figure, it's the first time that a female wrestling referee has been immortalized in plastic. The figure also looks like they simply shrunk Miss Edwards down to six inches. It's that spot on. I would've preferred that she had been released on her own as opposed to having to purchase an expensive "real scale" ring in order to get her, but I know that I'm not the only one who took the plunge. I also had the chance to talk about the figure with Miss Edwards shortly before its release. She couldn't hide her happiness.

The smaller "boutique" lines are just getting started and in my opinion we'll have a lot more of these figures showing up as runners up in 2022. My inclusion for 2021 is none other than The Blue Meanie. Perhaps the most "toyetic" wrestler ever, The Meanie has been very underrepresented over the years as far as action figures. He has two more coming in 2022 including a repaint of this one. This release not only captured Meanie but also that slightly cartoonish Hasbro style. Chella Toys is doing a great job with their Wrestling Megastars line and I do predict that they will ultimately end up as the most cherished of all of the "retro" styled figures.

Our winner? The Warlord. Yes, he was part of Mattel's "Collectors Series" program and an exclusive to Wal Mart, but there was ample time to order him from their website even if you never saw him in stores. I was blown away by the detail on him from the face paint to the tights to the entrance gear. Perhaps the only thing that could've made him better to me personally was had he been in the WWE Legends line. Of the packaging from the past several years (since Mattel dropped the rectangle boxes) the Legends colors and design appeal to me the most. Will we ever get The Barbarian from Mattel? Maybe. But this half of The Powers of Pain turned out a real champ.

We're now coming up on the third year where the blog has no longer been weekly. When I began the blog in 2009, and even further back in the '90s when I published my newsletter, very few people were writing about wrestling memorabilia. I hate to declare that the blog is antiquated, but I feel that blogging as a whole is going the way of physical print media. People want podcasts. I've been told by many that I should go the podcasting route. If I were to do so, wrestling memorabilia would not be the topic. It's overexposed. That being said the blog isn't going anywhere. I still have ideas that I would like to explore with more undoubtedly ready to pop up. For those of you who continue to read the blog, I truly appreciate you.

Move Over Dick, Earl & Danny...Aubrey's Entering The Ring

Let me start off by making a statement upfront: I hate "real scale" rings. I don't care what anyone says, they're all too big. They're cumbersome, hard to build and who has room to display them? None of them really seem durable to last long in a kid's hands, either. Sure, I would've taken care of mine, but remember those kids who would come over and slam the figures together as if that was how to properly wrestle? Yeah, these rings wouldn't last long with those brutes. Nevertheless I now own four. I've had various reasons to purchase them over the years and now in 2021 I've been given yet another reason: the first female wrestling referee figure.

A Ringside Collectibles Exclusive (it's printed right on the box so I don't see Amazon getting this thing), the ring is said to be the only way that we'll get a figure of AEW's Aubrey Edwards. For someone like me who just doesn't care for real scale rings it's quite an investment for one figure, but it isn't like I'm throwing the ring away or anything. I built it. I photographed it. It will likely now be disassembled and shoved in a closet. But what we're really here to highlight is Aubrey herself so let's start out with the positive of this playset.

I had a chance to briefly chat with Aubrey about the figure last month in New Jersey. You could tell that she was thrilled by it and she seems like someone who recognizes what a milestone that it is. The figure is spot on. From the scan to the body type, it even features a tattoo on her arm. Extra hands are included with the best being those counting "one" and "two." Aubrey had told me that it was going to include gloved hands for when blood spills. I would imagine that this was something that Jazwares told her and/or was included on the prototype as it didn't end up happening. It's a shame, but not a deal breaker.

The ring itself is nice looking. I will not dispute that. I'm just not a fan of the size of any scale ring from any company that's been released as of press time. Although it wasn't as frustrating to build as some in the past, it definitely tried my patience. I like the rubber turnbuckles and how they apply just as the real AEW pads do. Tag ropes are always a nice bonus and here they are. The steps are pedestrian but necessary. I've been a fan of the square AEW turnposts since day one and they're well-represented here. A negative is that the ring is themed to the pay-per-view event "Double Or Nothing." The first scale ring put out in the line was the basic AEW ring, but was not worth buying for the figure. It would be nice if Jazwares released a generic AEW ring accessory pack down the line, though I wouldn't bet on it. It serves them better to keep releasing more rings. The mat is fabric and that's yet another scale ring feature that I've never warmed up to.

I found a way to make room in my budget for this thing being a fan of the miniscule amount of referee figures that we've received since the 1980's. At a price point of over $100 it isn't for everyone and, at least at this point in time, not everyone is going to have Aubrey in their collection because of that. I can't imagine that the AEW line will end before she gets another figure but there isn't anything guaranteeing that. I will advise that the best action figure ring that I've encountered in years is the AEW version sold at retail. It's a bit bigger than the basic Mattel WWE rings and isn't quite "scale," but it's certainly a solid and unique looking ring. I've kept the stickers off of mine and in doing so it works with just about any era of wrestling figure.

Congratulations to Aubrey Edwards for breaking ground and in the process becoming a fantastic addition to the AEW figure line! Now, don't count me out...

Bring Home All Elite Action!

See what I did with the title? Anyway, LJN Wrestling Superstars are back! Again! Though this time it's actually for real. In stores. On the pegs.  I don't rally for either promotion in 2021, but I'll give credit when it's due. If there's a battle going on, AEW is certainly ahead on points in all aspects at the moment. They're simply hot while the other company is busy making bad decision after bad decision. But this isn't the Observer. We do what we've done here for over a decade: check out merch! Let's take a look at the latest and most unique entry into the action figure offerings from AEW: Unmatched Series 1  LJN Wrestling Superstars Cody Rhodes.

You'll notice a few things in my "official" description of the figure in the last paragraph. Cody...Rhodes? Yes, this is the first AEW Cody figure to have the last name included. Since I never took to referring to the second-generation star as simply "Cody," it actually took me awhile to even notice. He's just always been Cody Rhodes to me. You may also note that I did not include the word "style" after LJN Wrestling Superstars. Technically this is not a tribute figure but an actual LJN branded figure. 

Looking back you could argue that there have been attempts to recreate the LJN line as far back as 1995. That was when The Original San Francisco Toymakers launched their WCW line. The figures were a bit firmer and a tad smaller but the intent was obviously there. Years later, during the latter waves of the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line an "LJN style chase" was included. These were even smaller than the Toymakers WCW figures. While the intent was there, the LJN branding wasn't. They're fun and a nice inclusion to a "classic" line, but something was missing.

I'm not going to act like the Young Bucks two-pack doesn't exist. Around the time that AEW was forming, there was an official "LJN Wrestling Superstars" two-pack of the super-kicking tag team released. It certainly counts, but it was something you had to seek out. You weren't walking into Target and buying one. Granted, Jazwares distribution thus far isn't much better than Mattel, so you may not be walking into Target and buying one anyway. Still, the chance is there. This figure is part of the first wave of the AEW Unmatched Collection which also includes standard figures of Kenny Omega, Darby Allin, Dustin Rhodes, Miro and the rookie figure of Dr. Britt Baker DMD. If you follow the social media for this blog you've already seen a cool story (bro) on the latter. 

So what's the figure like? The packaging is a LJN-stylized version of the standard AEW box. It's actually a lot like what the LJN-styled Classic Superstar packaging could've been had licensing been worked out. Just like in the '80s that baby blue is very visually appealing and stands out. The figure seems just right for the box and isn't too big. You get the notification of the included poster as well as a clip and save file card on the back. I didn't even realize that I missed that concept so much until this figure came along.

The figure is definitely an LJN-produced Cody Rhodes. It's not a perfect likeness but it's an LJN likeness. It's supposed to be just there. And it is. The pose is vintage Wrestling Superstars. The size is close. It's much closer to the original LJN figures than the Jakks efforts. Considering the original LJNs were all over the place in terms of size, Cody fits. He would also fit right in with the Toymakers WCW figures. The material used is probably a tad closer to those, too. 

Yes, you read right above. Included are the LJN poster and file card. There was obviously a great bit of detail put into this figure which I have no doubt will carry over into each one that is made. Even the fonts are the same. Now why wasn't I put into the crowd?

We have a winner! As scale and other issues have been slowly worked out I've been getting more and more into the Jazwares product. I've found myself picking up at least one of each character and even multiples if I see myself wanting one for autograph purposes down the line. This was an easy double purchase for me, as who wouldn't want the thrill of opening official LJN wrestling figures in 2021? I doubt these are warming the pegs anywhere. If you see 'em, grab 'em! With the AEW roster as deep as it's getting, it's fun to think about who all may receive the LJN treatment. It should be noted that a Wal Mart exclusive variant of this figure is coming, but that shouldn't detract much from the popularity of this standard release.

And yes, I clipped and saved...

A New Kind of "Elite" Figure

It's been a long time here on the blog since I've reviewed a non-WWE product that wasn't a one-off or something of that nature. The big guys finally have viable competition here in North America and slowly but surely that is trickling into merchandising as well. While I've been cautiously partaking in all of the new goods myself, I figure that the first set that I fully purchased would make a good starting point in what I'm sure will not be the last All Elite Wrestling figure appearance here on the blog.

Personally I don't watch the product. Like WWE the presentation simply isn't what I look for, but like with the talent employed by "the other guys," I greatly respect and admire them. That being said, I had a load of fun at one of the early tapings in 2019 and that even made its way into that very blog. The only televised product of recent years that has fully captured me was NWA Powerrr. That, sadly, seems to be dead in the water no matter what we're told. Get a similar format with much of the WWE and AEW talent? I'd be there. So if you're asking why I still purchase figures of modern talent despite not watching the programming, there you go.

There are remnants of the Jakks WWE team within Jazwares, the company producing the AEW line, thus the similarity in the packaging. In fact, the resemblance to the Classic Superstars packaging does not end aesthetically. The boxes are just as annoying to open. That being said, all of the AEW figures that I've opened have had one huge advantage over the Mattel WWE product: no annoying ties, bands etc. As much as Mattel will tell you otherwise, these are NOT needed. These figures and accessories seem to stay in place just fine AND are difficult to get out as is.

As much as I admire the modern talent as noted above, I haven't felt as motivated to get "one of everyone" with the AEW figures as I do with WWE. For Series 2 I either wanted each figure or an accessory, thus ordering the set was easier. The lineup includes Dustin Rhodes, "Hangman" Adam Page, MJF, The Lucha Bros (Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix), and Jon Moxley. 

Moxley is my least favorite of the bunch. The figure is inexplicably very tall. He's also just never been a character who's interested me. Add that to comments that he made during his WWE career about it being "weird" to be immortalized in an action figure just wraps it up for me as far as not caring about him. Still the figure serves a purpose as an easy way to get your hands on the AEW Championship belt. Coming in behind Moxley at the bottom of my list is MJF. He simply comes off like a poor man's version of The Miz. The figure does include a cool soft goods scarf and an AEW microphone. The latter has an oddly made thin handle and it's surprising that the figure did not come with an alternate "wrestling" hand for use when not holding rhe mic. Because the handle is so thin, no one else can really hold the mic.

The Lucha Bros are fun with Pentagon Jr. being the sleeper of the entire set, in my opinion. His outfit is perfectly done as are the details to the mask. An alternate hand is included when not using the "posed" hand. Rey Fenix is a solid figure, as well, but sort of suffers when next to his partner due to the Pentagon figure being so much more visually impressive. Lucha Bros vs Lucha House Party? A match made in lucha figure Heaven.

Topping my own list for this series are Dustin Rhodes and Adam Page. This is really only the second action figure in nearly thirty years to be marketed under the name "Dustin Rhodes." He's very tall, as Dustin is, though I'm not sure that he isn't a tad too tall here. The likeness is great and I have full confidence that once Jazwares branches out into legends figures that we will receive a proper "classic" figure of "The Natural." (Tony Schiavone, too, while I'm making requests) Page is the type of figure that will make me a fan of the wrestler because of how cool he is in plastic. The head pops off to easily remove the bandana and an alternate hand is again included here. Page is likely going to be one of the top AEW stars going forward and there is already another figure for him in the pipeline.

Overall, the AEW line is faring quite well. They're impossible to find in stores (even with Target beginning to stock the line) and sell out fast online as well. The company seems keen on pumping out as much product as possible, but seemingly due to folks at the top there is still a weird obsession on making "limited" figures which do nothing but upset collectors and kill toy lines in the long run. Also, while I've not had any issues yet, I do have concerns about how well the materials used will hold up. Occasionally one will feel a bit breakable while posing. Hopefully this and scale concerns can be addressed in the future.

As always, the way to go is ordering. With popular characters like Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy coming soon, it's the only way to go. The question now is, which wrestling figures are truly...Elite?