In the last few years, my collecting has shifted from Transformers (specifically Megatron) to collecting up-scaled villain figures from all my favorite cartoons of the 80s and 90s. Along with the Masterpiece Megatrons I previously bought, I’ve gathered quite an assortment of bad guys, and I post photo galleries frequently on my Instagram.
With the continued popularity of TMNT and the resurgence of shows like Gargoyles and Thundercats, there’s no lack of figures available through Super7, NECA, and a few other companies. There are plenty of the horizon like Centurions and Bravestarr (Ramen Toy), Sectaurs (Nacelle), Real Ghostbusters (Mondo), and even freaking Tigersharks (Super7), but there are still a few shows I hope someday soon will get some Ultimates love.
Mummies Alive! – This cartoon holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the few in the 90s that really grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go. The show centered on a team of four mummies tasked with protecting the reincarnated spirit of their pharaoh from a sorcerer named Scarab. I loved the designs of the characters, the backstory each of the mummies had, and the transformations they went through. I think the figures would definitely benefit from NECA’s work specifically because of the high amount of detail in their Gargoyles line.
Captain Planet and the Planeteers – I remember when I was in high school writing fan fiction for Power Rangers and Captain Planet. God, I was such a dork, but that doesn’t take away that this show was a big deal. Featuring a lot of big-name actors providing voices to all the villains (at least for the first two seasons) and even Whoopie Goldberg as Gaia, Captain Planet made a name for itself early on, even getting a series of spoofs featuring a murderous Captain played by Don Cheadle. Gave me a glossy Captain Planet (both versions!), a goofy Mati and his monkey, and a pig-faced Hoggish Greedly in the plastic the Captain would have bemoaned!
Futurama – Considering Super7 has made at least 5 waves of Simpsons figures, it should be a no-brainer to make figures from the show’s little brother that could after no less than three revivals! Fry, Leela, Bender, and the rest of the Planet Express crew deserve some high-end figures (I’m still bitter that only Fry and Bender showed up in an early series of Mega Construx figures). With such a vast range of diverse characters, there’s a potential for so many waves of figures.
Bionic Six – The Bennett family is due for a return. Originally featuring nearly the same articulation as classic GI Joe figures along with die-cast and translucent parts, each of the Bionic Six members had incredible designs and looks. Even the Bennett’s robotic gorilla F.L.U.F.F.I. got a figure! Dr Scarab and his henchmen were all produced as well, even though Dr Scarab’s, um, rotund figure didn’t translate well to plastic. While I don’t think die-cast is necessary in new figures, I would love to see more translucent parts in all the Bennetts.
Blackstar – The precursor to He-Man, Blackstar has a lot of the same hallmarks: a hero in fuzzy underwear, a sword of power, a fantastical land full of dragons and monsters. But there are some key differences, like Blackstar’s origin as an Earth astronaut (something given to He-Man’s mother, Queen Marlena) and the way the swords work, with one half of the sword owned by the show’s villain, Overlord. I once saw the original Overlord figure loose in a toy store a few years ago, and it would look incredible if updated with current articulation and cartoon accuracy. We can probably leave the Trobbits out, though.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire – I know this is the biggest long shot in the world, but since Super7 is doing a few lines of Disney figures, I had to include it here. Atlantis: The Lost Empire is by far my favorite Disney movie, and since it doesn’t look like it’ll be getting the live-action remake it should (or shouldn’t, depending on your opinion of live-action remakes), a set of figures for the crew would be a nice consolation prize. Mike Mignola’s (Hellboy) designs would look astounding if done by NECA or Super7.
If you love cartoons (and their action figures) as much as I do, check out my books Old School Evil and Old School Evil: The Rejects on Amazon, or go to my site www.oldschoolevil.com.
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