Time To Play The Mail-Away Game

Mail-away figure offers have always provided some additional fun for collectors.  The concept is relatively simple: collect a number of proofs-of-purchase "points" from packaging, occasionally some receipts, and a couple of bucks for shipping.  6-to-8 weeks later (usually sooner) an exclusive new action figure is all yours.  The famous Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett was originally a mail-away, as was the original G.I. Joe figure of Sgt. Slaughter.  It was always the kids with the astute and "with-it" parents that had the mail-away figures due to all the rigamarole of obtaining them.  It was well worth the extra effort.

Mattel has re-introduced this concept in their WWE line.  The company kicked it off in the summer of 2011 with a Toys "R" Us mail away promotion for the first (and so far only) Vince McMahon figure in the Mattel line.  This summer it was announced that the first figure of Triple H officially labeled "Chief Operating Officer" would be released in a similar promotion.

Obtaining the figure required three figures from certain Mattel WWE series to be purchased within a three-month span at Toys "R" Us.  Clip the three proofs-of-purchase, include the original receipts, as well as a check or money order for $5 shipping and handling and mail it all off to Mattel.  Simple enough.  Actually much simpler than finding three figures of any desirability in a Toys "R" Us store.  Visiting the stores at non-peak hours helps greatly, but it is still a daunting task to not walk away with figures other than John Cena, Randy Orton, or Rey Mysterio.

To their credit, Mattel created an online registration system that you must engage before sending for your figure.  This way a figure is reserved for you, in theory, upon arrival of your request, and e-mail updates notify you when your request is received, order is shipped, etc.

While I personally ignored the McMahon promotion due to already owning a plethora of "Vinnie Mac" figures, I couldn't pass up the Triple H offer.  Thanks to Ric Flair and other champions "stylin' and profilin'" in suits over the years, many wrestling fans, myself included, have it ingrained in their minds that "wrestlers + suits = class."  It's just the way that it is!

The figure arrives on your doorstep, within two weeks in my case, in a box large enough that the figure shouldn't be damaged.  It's a nice touch that both Mattel mail-aways have been carded.  The company could easily ship it loose.  The card is a smaller version of their basic figure packaging, but includes a picture and a full backer bio like any other Mattel WWE product.  Nice touches to be sure.

Trips is indeed in his "COO" suit.  The facial likeness is good and has not been used on any other Triple H figures to my knowledge.  The forehead wrinkles could be a bit more pronounced, but I'm not going to complain about that.  The trademark half-smirk is plastered across his face and works for a non-wrestling gear figure.

The head of the figure is also the location of my first complaint.  The now-gone ponytail protrudes from the back of Hunter's head, but has to be tucked inside the suit coat.  If it is pulled out over the coat, the head is constantly looking downward.

For being a figure in a suit, it has all the articulation that you would expect and maybe even a bit more.  He can stand, sit, throw a punch, and probably deliver a Pedigree.  My second issue with the figure is that it is too tall.  It looks like the problem lies within the legs, as for whatever reason they were produced just a bit too long.  My theory is that in order to include all of the articulation, the legs had to be made that long.  With joints in the upper thigh, lower thigh, above the knee, below the knee, and ankles, it's a theory that fits.

The best news is that if you're reading this entry "hot off the presses," you still have a shot at getting the figure.  Although the promotion was originally to end in early September, it has now been extended until early November.  That gives anyone interested a chance to try and find some half-interesting figures at Toys "R" Us before the holiday shopping season begins.  Good luck!

Is it worth it?  If you're buying three figures that you actually want (and want to open) in order to get the proofs-of-purchase, absolutely!  If you're buying three Randy Orton figures just to get the proofs, probably not.  It's up to you...and it might be time to play The Game.

Topps Represents The 2012 WWE Universe

It seems like trading cards have dominated the majority of topics on this blog as of late.  It makes sense.  Past or present, wrestling and trading cards have gone well together with no end in sight.  Some wrestling collectors collect them.  Some sports card collectors collect them.  Even some non-sports card collectors collect them.  They're an ultimate crossover collectible.

Topps has produced two WWE trading card offerings per year over the past several years.  Earlier this year Topps introduced its WWE Classic set, featuring studio photos of the stars set on foil cards.  This month collectors are treated to the release of Topps WWE 2012.  Although a release date was set for the end of September, retailers such as Toys "R" Us and Wal Mart had the cards for sale in the first week of the month.

The normal 90-card base set is supplemented by a TON of subsets.  Hall of Fame.  First Class Champions.  Divas Class of 2012.  CM Punk's Top Class Matches.  There's even a subset entitled World Class Events that features pay-per-view poster art similar to a subset from a Fleer WWF set a decade ago.  Each seven-card pack includes one subset card and most seem to also include an alternate-colored border parallel card.  Cards are also sold in twenty-one-card "jumbo" packs that are similar to the old rack packs.  An alternate-colored border parallel card different from ones you would find in the seven-card packs are included in these jumbo packs and vary depending on where you made your purchase.

There are also the now mandatory "hit" cards featuring special cards such as relics, autographs, printing plates, sketches (by Jerry "The King" Lawler), and even a Triple H signature card limited to one in every 36,000 packs.  Whether or not the latter actually even exists has already been the subject of debate among collectors.  The card is mentioned on the back of each pack as well as the "odds" of pulling one, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Purchasing a full 24 pack hobby box guarantees the buyer two hits: one shirt relic card and one autograph card or a WrestleMania XXVIII mat relic card.  As nice as some of the relic cards are, every buyer is looking for an autograph, so the potential for disappointment is there.

The box that I opened surprisingly had three "hit" cards and a nice assortment at that.  Although the autograph could have been a better name, Diva autographs usually don't disappoint.  I particular liked this Alicia Fox autograph as it was on her Divas Class of 2012 subset card as opposed to her base set card.  The box also contained a shirt relic of Randy Orton.  Finally, a printing plate was pulled.  Although printing plates have been included in both WWE and TNA card sets before, this is the first one that I've pulled.  Unfortunately, the plate was of Tyler Reks.  Still, it's a fun and unique pull.

The base set cards are, well, very basic.  They're the same design as other Topps 2012 sports cards although the color differs as to whether the star is supposed to represent Raw, Smackdown, or NXT.  Though some good photo choices were used (Goldust, Brock Lesnar, and Kaitlyn spring to mind), they're still a very basic set.  The different colored parallel border versions really don't do much to help.

The real gems in this set are the subsets.  If Topps did an entire WWE set full of just subsets, I think I'd be very pleased.  First Class Champions features former WWE Champions with a foil spinner belt at the bottom of the card.  Divas Class of 2012 gives us a chance to see all of our favorite Divas (Natalya, Kaitlyn, A.J.) and ones that most fans couldn't pick out of a crowd (Maxine?!?) for a second time in the set.  Best of all is the Hall of Fame set.  Utilizing the standard WWE Hall of Fame graphics, thirty-five legends are represented ranging from "Mean" Gene Okerlund to Rocky Johnson.  There are even some Hall of Fame autograph cards out there!

John Cena is the sole pack poster child this time around, while the hobby boxes feature Cena, Lawler, Punk, Roddy Piper, Kelly Kelly, and Cactus Jack for a nice mix of new and old.  There are $20 blaster boxes also available at most retailers.  Although you are guaranteed one relic card per box, keep in mind that you will NOT find any autographs or other hits in these boxes.  The blaster boxes themselves are also a bit shorter than usual, which is apparently a growing industry standard.

I'm very mixed on this set as a whole.  The subsets are amazing, but if you're going to collect them via pack you're going to end up with a LOT of base cards.  There also seems to be an issue regarding the base cards distribution via pack.  Although it may not be the case with every pack, many packs seem to hold the same sequence of base cards.  For example, if you purchased a pack that contained William Regal, Kane, Aksana, Tensai, Sheamus, Wade Barrett, and Josh Matthews you may pick up another pack with the same lineup. 

I'm rather bored with the base card design.  It's changed very little over the years.  As I say almost every time I tackle cards, I want another Heritage set.  Topps has brought it back Heritage a regular set for other sports, and even jacked up the price a bit.  I would have no problem paying a bit more for Heritage cards.

Ultimately the subsets are the gold here.  Each subset seems to be averaging around $10 per set on the secondary market.  If you're like me and find these to be the most appealing cards in the set, purchasing them separately may be the way to go. If you're strictly out to pull autographs, avoid purchases at the big retail stores.  You have more of a chance to pull them from hobby packs at a hobby store.

Although the recent TNA Tenacious box was about double in price of the Topps 2012 WWE box, I think I enjoyed the former just that much more.  The TNA designs change constantly and seven hits per box was a ton of fun.  Still, a wrestling card with a non-glossy finish would ultimately win me over...

...somebody make it happen!

Reflections On The King...

Chances are that if pro wrestling crosses your mind this week, the name Jerry Lawler will come with it.  For many fans, that's always been the case.  The tragic events of this past Monday's edition of WWE Raw has ensured that he's not only in our minds, but hearts as well.

The King has long been a favorite of mine.  With all the coverage that he received in the magazines of my youth, I knew that he was someone special.  Aside from a sparse few matches that I had in my video collection at the time as well as USWA Texas reruns, Jerry's arrival to the WWF on Prime Time Wrestling in late 1992 would mark the first time that I saw him on a large stage.  I can still remember yelling around my house that Jerry "The King" Lawler was now in the WWF.  Since I was the only one in my (yankee) household that knew who he was, it didn't make much of an impact.

Although The King saw a lot of use in comedic matches and segments in the early portion of his WWF affiliation, he was still able to make an impact on the fans.  As he was feuding with Doink, Dink, Wink, and Pink, I can recall wondering just how many WWF fans knew what a legacy he already had in the business.  It was just ten years earlier that he'd been battling WWF icon Randy "Macho Man" Savage in the crude yet dangerous-looking cages of Memphis wrestling.  Around that same time he was wrestling nationally known stars like Hulk Hogan, Rick Rude, and The Road Warriors in situations where The King himself was the hero.

Maybe that's partially the beauty of Jerry Lawler's work.  That he can seamlessly go from being the most heroic of the heroes to the most cowardly villain you've ever seen.  I think that he's gone back and forth as many times as he's won championships, a record that will probably never truly be accurately tabulated.

It was just a week ago that I wrote about the first wrestler that I ever met.  Jerry Lawler was the first wrestler that I ever met via the independent wrestling scene and thus it was his name that drew me to my first independent wrestling show.  The King was advertised for what would be the first of many appearances for Norm Connors' IWC (International Wrestling Cartel) promotion just outside of Pittsburgh.  Though I'd heard that Tommy Dreamer was going to appear for their event one month earlier, it was Lawler's name that cemented my decision to finally go.

As with any appearance I've ever heard regarding Jerry Lawler, he was great with the fans and equally excellent in the ring.  Even in his early 50s at the time, Lawler did everything in the squared circle that one would've expected out of him twenty or thirty years earlier.  A few years later, also on an IWC show, I was able to witness an incredible brawl between Lawler and his old rival "The Ugandan Headhunter" Kamala.  It was the kind of match that makes fans remember why they love wrestling.

When you boil it down, Jerry Lawler is an artist.  We all know the story of how his artistic drawing talents got him into the business, but he's an artist on a different canvas as well, that being the wrestling mat.  Lawler is the kind of talent that can keep you engrossed in a match for fifteen minutes without even touching his opponent, then go on and have an action-packed physical confrontation.  "The Total Package" may have been a nickname better suited for Jerry Lawler.

We don't know if we'll ever see him in the ring again.  We just want to ensure that he's still with us to look back on the forty plus years of royal gifts that he's given us.  The King is in a battle right now.  It's time for him to ride in on the white horse, pull down the strap, use the fist drop, and finish it with a...excuse me...the piledriver.

Pulling and praying.  Long Live The King.

At Ease! The First Wrestler That I Ever Met...

Every epic has a beginning.  While my wallet might cringe at the thought, my wrestling memorabilia and autograph collecting has been an epic over the past two decades or so.  Chances are that if you're reading this, you're in the same boat as I.  But it's fine, relatively harmless, and celebrates the form of sports and entertainment that so many of us love.  In the "Rock 'n Wrestling" entry of a few weeks ago I showed the coloring book that started off the memorabilia end of my collection.  Now we will take a look at not only the first wrestler that I had the chance to meet, but that oh-so-important first autograph as well.

It was in September of 1988 that the encounter took place.  My incredible parents were always 100% in-tune to my likes and interests.  Unless it was something objectionable, they were supportive of what I enjoyed and usually took some interest in it themselves.  Both of my parents grew up in families that enjoyed Pittsburgh's Studio Wrestling program in the 1960's.  Another of my loves at the time, Star Wars, was introduced to me through my folks loving the films upon their initial release.  Even G.I. Joe, a brand which at the time was in midst of revitalization though the "A Real American Hero" line, was slightly followed by my mother and father through the cartoon and comic book respectively.

I don't recall exactly how, but it came to our attention that Sgt. Slaughter himself, the real life "Real American Hero," would be making an appearance on a Saturday afternoon at a Monroeville, PA electronics/appliance store.  The name of the store, which did not seem to stay in business very long, has sadly escaped my usually sharp memory.  The date was quickly thrown onto our family calendar and I can remember nervously anticipating the event.

This is where some unavoidable facts regarding yours truly shall finally be revealed.  Although I was a wrestling fan at the time, it was actually Slaughter's G.I. Joe connections that made this meeting a can't-miss event for me.  Aside from William Perry in a far smaller capacity, Slaughter was the human face of G.I. Joe, which was probably my favorite brand during childhood.  Little did I know that it was the beginning of something far greater.

The morning finally came and as always we arrived early, a valuable trait that has stayed with me to this day.  Monroeville, PA (home of the original "Dawn of the Dead" film as well as the character of Dr. Bob Kelso from "Scrubs") was not far from my home and is essentially a suburban business area.  Despite this and the possibility of a large draw, I was the first fan in line.  Although a crowd eventually formed behind me, I really don't remember how big it became.  A desk was set up at the back of the store near the television section with a Sgt. Slaughter poster tacked to the wall behind it.

As I mentioned earlier, I can recall being nervous.  The same kind of nervous feeling that came along with me during visits with Santa Claus.  I wasn't scared, I didn't cry, and I always managed to smile and be simultaneously polite and enthusiastic.  It was just a natural nervousness that I would imagine many children experience.  I remember the Sarge entering through the back of the store where the signing took place, but it was my dad who often recalled that the door Slaughter was to come through was locked and that he actually had to shout and pound on the door to be let in!

I remember that an older woman in red with short gray hair was either in charge of the appearance or acted as if she was.  A stack of promotional photos labeled "United States Wrestling Alliance--USWA" (not that USWA) and "Raskin Sports Productions of Elizabeth N.J." were provided and the woman was looking through them.  Many years later through research I found out that this was one of the various independent organizations that Slaughter wrestled for at the time.  It is often forgotten or not even known by casual fans of Slaughter via the G.I. Joe connection that the Sarge was not with the WWF throughout his run with Hasbro and Joe.

Slaughter was clad in a camo jacket that had "G.I. Joe" emblazoned on the front pocket.  My mother guided me towards an extremely friendly and gracious television hero.  We shook hands and exchanged names--yes, he did say "I'm Sgt. Slaughter!"  After personalizing the provided photo to me in red marker with his familiar signature (strangely I did not bring any G.I. Joe items to be autographed), I sat on his knee and we pointed to the camera in unison for a photo op that would ensure personal bragging rights for a long time following.  One thing that I couldn't brag about was the "Jim Cornette Jr." fashion ensemble I wore that day.  It didn't matter as I had met THE real Joe, Sgt. Slaughter.

Until other local meetings with Diesel, Alundra Blayze, and Hillbilly Jim in the '90s and eventually plunging into the indy scene in 2001, this would be my sole wrestling meeting.  The first that ended up becoming the starting point for hundreds.  I've met the Sarge again a few times since then and he ranks as one of the nicest and most personable wrestlers not only in my book but in the memories of the hundreds of thousands of fans who have met him.

It was at a 2005 meeting with the Sarge that the 1988 magic was "rekindled."  Bringing the '88 Polaroid with me to be autographed, the Sarge suggested that we recreate the past and that this time he would sit on my knee!  It ultimately became one of the funnier and more memorable "meet and greet" moments for both myself and friends who were with me.

I'm often told that I'm lucky to have met so many wrestlers and have acquired so many autographs and pieces of memorabilia.  It's a hobby that I took pride in long ago that eventually took on a life of it's own.  I don't think the "luck" lies in the items or television heroes, though.  For me, the luck was being the child of two incredible parents who encouraged me to pursue the things that I enjoyed and sacrificed so much to see that I could do just that.  I dedicate this entry to them.  I owe them for so much more than just the kindness of taking me to that event twenty-four years ago.  They're my "Real American Heroes."

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--WWF Magazine August/September 1985

This month we've explored the era of the "Rock 'n Wrestling Connection" quite a bit.  From the 1985 Topps WWF cards to the Rock 'n Wrestling cartoon, I think that we've covered the fun and "mania" that surrounded this time period in professional wrestling.  Although the mid-'80s "boom" period for wrestling seems to be universally accepted as stretching from Hulk Hogan's title win to just about early 1988, the Rock 'n Wrestling Connection itself was only about a year long.  The time when Cyndi Lauper seemed to disappear from the WWF, Wendi Richter herself vanished for obvious reasons, and WWF programming stopped appearing on MTV seems to be the cutoff point.  The WWF Magazine cover dated August/September 1985 is probably a good cutoff merchandise-wise, and that is what we're exploring today to top off the month of '80s glory.

Probably due to their own licensing deals, Lauper and Mr. T didn't appear on all that much WWF merchandise.  The cover of WWF Magazine is an exception for both.  Lauper appears here in a picture from the shoot for her "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" music video along with Rowdy Roddy Piper, Nikolai Volkoff, and The Iron Sheik.  With a bright orange background inserted behind the "fearsome" foursome, you can't miss the cover.  The first actual page (the inside cover is the letters page) starts right off with the WWF marketing machine.  Coliseum Video Presents WWF WrestleMania--The Greatest Wrestling Event Of All Time!  $39.95!  $39.95?  Yes, kids.  Videos were not usually "priced to own" until a few years later, but forty bucks was actually affordable compared to the normal price of WWF videos of the era, a fact that we will revisit in a bit.

Feature articles cover such stars as Hillbilly Jim, wrestlers such as Jimmy Snuka and Ricky Steamboat who hail from "The Islands" as well as Jesse "The Body" Ventura.  Ventura had just begun his transition from wrestler to commentator and the article does a good job of putting it over.  You notice in this and other articles that the photos used are much less polished than ones used in the future of the publication.  The photos are good, but ones such as a photo taken of Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon commentating ringside at the first WrestleMania are almost candid and not the "slick" style of photo used as the company got bigger and bigger.  Two WrestleMania programs sitting on the table probably make the picture even more appealing to me.

In his nearly decade long WWF-stint, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan was always a large part of WWF Magazine.  From having his own column to many articles about the Heenan family and his other devious antics, Heenan was as much a heat machine on the newsstand as he was at ringside.  Although he would get his own cover two years later, Heenan shines in an article examining his connection to his fan-given nickname of "Weasel" as well as the animal itself.

Keeping with the trend of profiling managers, another article focuses on one who had been with the company for quite awhile--Captain Lou Albano.  The Captain was appearing in the feature film "Wise Guys" with Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo and the article includes behind-the-scenes photos.  A one-page article about WWF and Coliseum Video, a fluff piece discussing the latest releases, follows the Albano feature.

The cover article is next, with the photo-packed feature on Lauper's "Goonies" video that featured a plethora of WWF stars.  In addition to noting how massive the pirate ship set used in the video was, a particular photo of Freddie Blassie always stuck out to me.  This absolutely had to be one of the reference photos used by LJN when they created his figure.  The pose is identical down to the placement of the rings on his fingers.  The "Hollywood Fashion Plate" never looked better!

The marketing machine is back again with a page full of items that would command a high dollar today--early posters.  These would be even scarcer than the ones shown in the later merchandise catalogs which themselves are in high demand these days.  Posters of Hogan in three of his color combinations (blue and white, all white, and red and yellow) and Richter from her bikini shoot are particularly memorable.  The following pages feature early WWF logoed apparel.

$59.95!  There's the Coliseum Video price that most of us remember.  The "Andre the Giant," "Most Unusual Matches," and "Best of the WWF Vol. 2" tapes are showcased in a full page ad urging fans to order.  Although there were even some budget WWF videos released at the time, until WWF Home Video took over in late 1997, this was the price for most tapes.  Of course there were ways around this for fans to "bring home the action," but that's another story for another time.  The opposing page is the beginning of an article chronicling the feud between Freddie Blassie and The Sheik.  The Sheik, not the Iron Sheik.  This is a fact that the article points out.  Many of the early WWF Magazines not only feature stories on wrestling history, but also stars who were not in the organization of the time.  Jeff Walton, a name familiar to many wrestling fans, is the author of this article which is accompanied by several classic photos.

While the back cover is an advertisement for Tuesday Night Titans, it's the inside back cover that is memorable to so many fans.  "How Do You Get A Wrestler In A Mailbox?"  This is the ad to order the first five LJN WWF figures directly from the WWF Merchandise Department.  At only $10 each, how could anyone pass it up? 

This was the 1985 WWF.  These pages lavishly illustrate just how far this company was coming in both the fields of professional wrestling and entertainment.  An all-color, all-slick magazine was just the kind of publication that the progress of the rest of the company demanded.  I think the voice of the WWF at the time, Gorilla Monsoon, would've summed it up something like this...

"This magazine would be a best seller at any newsstand anywhere in the world!"

As usual where Gorilla is concerned, I would have to agree.

Whatcha Gonna Do When Cartoons Run Wild On You?

About a week ago the wrestling news community was abuzz about WWE's latest venture.  No, not the delayed WWE Network, next Marine film, or even 2013 Hall of Fame rumors.  The news that had everyone talking was the announcement that the next Scooby-Doo animated film would be set at WrestleMania!  Not only that, but WWE names such as Vince McMahon, John Cena, Brodus Clay, and (of course) A.J. would be providing their own voices for the show.  I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't excited over this news.  For all of the silliness in wrestling these days, this is the type of thing that works.  On our fanpage I went as far as to promise a review of the movie right here on the blog once it is released.

This isn't wrestling's first foray into Toon Town.  In 1985 the WWF was snatching up licensing partnerships left and right.  It was the dawn of Hulkamania and there was no better way to market that to children than partnering with DIC Entertainment and creating the "Hulk Hogan's Rock n' Wrestling" cartoon series.

Featuring a cast of top WWF stars like Hogan, Andre the Giant, Wendi Richter, Lou Albano, Junkyard Dog, Tito Santana, Hillbilly Jim, Roddy Piper, Big John Studd, Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Mr. Fuji, Fabulous Moolah, Mean Gene Okerlund, and Bobby Heenan, one would think that the cartoon centered around wrestling.  Not really.  Instead, the "good" wrestlers were pitted against the "bad" wrestlers in traditional cartoon situations.  Robots, Amazonians, and cruise ships were just some of the tough topics tackled by the crazy cast from the squared circle.

Seeing as that each character was based on a real life persona, one would also think that the wrestlers would voice their respective 'toon.  Not quite.  The WWF's schedule at the time most likely prevented this from occuring.  Voice actors were instead used to provide the familiar tones of the WWF elite.  While some like Albano and JYD sounded very close to the real deal, others like Piper and Fuji weren't even close.  Giving life to the voice of the Hulkster was non other than Brad Garrett, who went on to play Robert on "Everybody Loves Raymond."  Other notables included Lewis Arquette (father of the many current Arquette actors) as Snuka and James Avery (Uncle Phil on "Fresh Prince" and the voice of Shredder in the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" cartoons) as JYD.  The visual look of the wrestlers was what you'd expect from an '80s cartoon, although a peek at their early designs in the September/October 1985 issue of WWF Magazine shows that the characters were originally more realistic looking than the final product.

Probably one of the most attractive upsides to doing this cartoon was that a whole new line of merchandise was produced off of the show itself.  Games, coloring books, puzzles, bed sheets, backpacks, stickers, pins, and home videos were all produced under the banner of the cartoon. 

While no action figures, or "dolls" as they were frequently labeled then, were produced for the show there was a line of erasers which, in recent years, have become the most popular item to come from the cartoon show.  Regular figures were most likely not allowed due to WWF's agreement with LJN, but a company called Winston Toys nearly got around that.  Hogan, Piper, Snuka, Sheik, JYD, and Richter were the six characters used by Winston for their line of erasers.  Around 3 1/2 inches tall, the erasers were just a tad shorter than the LJN Bendies and are often mistaken as such.

Curiously, Sheik and both versions of Hogan and Snuka are almost shrunken down versions of their familiar LJN counterparts.  Piper and JYD are the only pieces in the line that actually look like their cartoon counterparts.  While both of them are very difficult to come by, it's actually the Richter eraser which seems to be the rarest of them all.  Not only is it the only figural representative of Richter ever produced, it is my speculation that had Richter stayed with the WWF and been produced as an LJN figure, the eraser is an example of what the finished product would have looked like.

The Richter eraser isn't the only female controversy to arise from the cartoon.  The infamous Mad Maxine was originally scheduled to be on the show as the "evil" opposition for Richter.  Although the fact that her run in the WWF was so short is probably the real reason for her omission, speculation has always been that Fabulous Moolah somehow had her removed from both the show and the promotion so that she herself could be featured on the cartoon.  Moolah did indeed end up appearing in the show, but her merchandising was relegated to a pin and an appearance in the card game.

The cartoon lasted two seasons for a total of twenty-six episodes.  Many of those episodes were released on VHS video over a period of many years.  Some were distributed by DIC during the cartoon's original run while WWE re-released many around a decade ago in new packaging.  With the release of Hogan's "No Holds Barred" film to DVD just weeks ago, it may be only a matter of time before WWE decides to once again revisit their original cartoon venture in the current media formats as well.

Although a cartoon show is exactly what many wrestling purists say is what was wrong with the WWF's national expansion, it's also what brought many, many fans into wrestling in the first place.  Who is to say that promoters from decades earlier wouldn't have jumped on producing a cartoon show given the opportunity?  Certainly the wrestlers involved in Rock 'n Wrestling cut their teeth in the territories.  Fans of those wrestlers, as well as the cartoon, can take comfort in the fact that their favorite stars received much more merchandising money from ventures like these.  Wrestling was, and still is, a business.  The Rock 'n Wrestling cartoon is something, like the new Scooby-Doo/WWE team-up, that we should just sit back and enjoy rather than bash.

While I cannot say that Rock 'n Wrestling started me on pro wrestling, the first wrestling collectible that I ever owned was spawned from the series.  The coloring book shown here in this entry holds the honor of being the first ever item in my collection.  I can still recall sitting in restaurants and coloring in my vast collection of coloring books based on various kid-friendly properties of the '70s and '80s.  My artistic skills?  Impeccable!  Did you know that Andre the Giant had green hair?

You do now!

A Decade Of Wrestling In TNA's TENacious Card Set

With a decade now under their belt, I think it is safe to say that one of the areas in which TNA Wrestling has excelled is in merchandising.  Although two action figure lines have fizzled (seemingly through the fault of the manufacturers and not TNA itself), other items have been going strong for the majority of the decade of the company's existence.  Aside from a very nice series in 2004 from Pacific Trading Cards Inc., Tristar has been the company that has continually produced a quality card product under the TNA banner.

The latest series celebrates that full decade of TNA and Impact Wrestling with a fitting title--TENacious.  The Tristar company claims that this set will have the lowest number of cards produced of any of their previous TNA products.  Although slated to have a release date of 8/15/12, some hobby retailers were selling them at least a week earlier.

Breaking a hobby box of Tristar's TNA product is always a good time.  This is because most of their recent boxes have guaranteed a certain amount of "hits."  In card collecting lingo, hits are special cards that are either numbered, include a relic or autograph, or any combo of the above.  What both myself and another collector found when opening a hobby box of TENacious cards is that in the 20 packs of 6 cards we both received a complete 99 card base set.  While this is not guaranteed on the box nor is it usually the case, it's a welcome bonus that we don't have to go searching for the couple of cards that usually prevents collectors from a complete basic set in a box break.

I was immediately drawn to the actual box itself.  It's longer and thinner than the normal card hobby boxes.  With the shrink wrap still on, it honestly reminded me more of a box of chocolates than trading cards.  Like a few of the other Tristar TNA sets, even the boxes are numbered.  For the record, this box is numbered 1242 out of 1800.  Upon opening the box, on top of the 20 packs is a color-coded checklist of the 99 base cards and 20 short print cards.  Kudos to Tristar not only for including the checklist but for NOT including it in the packs where it would take the place of a regular card.

If you subscribe to our Facebook Fanpage, you've already gotten a sneak preview of the hits pulled from this box, but how about the 99 card base set?  Beginning with a card of TNA Founder Jeff Jarrett, the set is 99% current stars.  The ten year anniversary is tackled with memories from stars who have been there for much of that time as well as screengrabs of various events throughout the years. 

Although I'm a huge fan of the concept of picturing past moments such as Ken Shamrock winning the NWA championship and Jeff Jarrett attacking Hulk Hogan in Japan, the screengrabs did not work out too well.  The pictures are much too grainy and/or flushed out to produce a quality card.  There must have been a reason that they went in this direction, but it's sort of baffling when it's obvious that so much effort goes into the production of these sets.  The cards actually look a lot better when photographed than they do in person.

Tristar seems to take pride in getting "rookie" cards out quickly and has included some in this set.  Brooke Hogan, Joseph Park, Alex Silva, and Jessie Godderz all get the rookie treatment in this set, with Godderz card even including an Ohio Valley Wrestling logo emblazoned on the front.  Look for the Brooke and Park cards to be a bit more sought after than most from the basic set due to the former having crossover appeal and the latter being the best developed comedic character to come out of professional wrestling in years.

The current roster is well represented and I think I would argue that it might be represented just a bit much.  A subset of even just some of the bigger names from the past decade in TNA would've sufficed.  And as always, I must lobby for even just a subset of non-glossy cards.  As accessible as many of the TNA stars are for autographs at their shows, non-glossy cards would come in very handy for quick autographs.  Tristar has not produced a non-gloss set since their Impact '08 release.  For the second week in a row, how about it?

The reason that most collectors will purchase a hobby box isn't for the base cards, but for the hits.  As stated above, Tristar has done a fantastic job over the years with these special cards.  The back of the hobby box for TENacious lays out exactly what you may receive.  Off the top collectors are guaranteed three autograph cards which will be numbered to 100, 10, or even 1.  This particular box yielded autograph cards of Austin Aries and Kaz each numbered 6 of 10, and a dual autograph "Wedded Bliss" card of ODB and Eric Young numbered 91 of 100.  The latter is exceptionally cool and the lovely "bride" even noted on our fanpage that she doesn't even have one.

The next hits are short printed cards which can include anything from Jeff Hardy art to cards celebrating Sting's TNA Hall of Fame induction to a TNA Arrivals subset.  The Hulkamaniac in me was very pleased to receive a Hulk Hogan TNA Arrivals card numbered 28 out of 100.  The next two hits are parallel cards from the basic set stamped with a foil TNA 10 logo and numbered, again, to 100, 10, or 1.  The cards in this box were both of Knockouts, albeit one no longer in the company: an Angelina Love card numbered 6 of 30 and a card of the Killer Queen herself, Madison Rayne, numbered 8 of 10.

We finally come to the 7th hit where you again have a chance of two different card styles.  This hit is either an Impact celebrity signature card (signatures cut from other autographed celebrity items eclectically ranging from Chris Rock to Tom Arnold) or a TNA 10 event-worn clothing card.  This box held the latter, in this case being a dual shirt card from the former Dudley Boyz/Team 3D, Devon and Bully Ray.  A nice card for sure, although the celebrity cards would be more beneficial for someone trying to recoup their investment. 

What we have here is a solid set.  It could've reflected a bit more of the past decade of TNA, although I understand that they're trying to look ahead and there's nothing wrong with that.  I will state that I feel, like the recent WWE card product, that the looks are starting to blend together from set to set.  Reflexxions was a nice change, but in taking a peek at what Tristar has done with other card lines makes me hope for a more retro card look in a future set.  I won't go into another non-gloss rant, but retro is always king in this blog as it is for many collectors.

I would definitely recommend picking up a hobby box as the number of guaranteed hits is worth the retail price.  The aforementioned fact that the two first hobby boxes which I've seen broken have yielded a complete set only adds to that value.  Take a drive down to your local hobby shop and make an "Impact" on your TNA card collection, because when those 1,800 boxes are gone, they're gone!