The 1962 release of King Kong vs. Godzilla was a record-breaking hit for Toho Studios, and helped turn their Godzilla franchise into a cinematic universe on par with today’s MCU. When King Kong vs. Godzilla proved almost as popular in the United States, American toy companies became the first to cash in on the King […]
The Pokémon TCG has produced no shortage of rare and valuable cards over the years, but Secret Rares have long occupied a particularly coveted place among collectors. Unlike cards found within a set’s standard checklist, a Secret Rare has a card number higher than the officially stated number of cards in that expansion. A card […]
Some of the coolest toy lines ever made can trace their origins – or at least a prevailing influence – back to the popular culture of their era. Masters of the Universe owes an almost self-evident debt to Conan the Barbarian. Mattel’s Pulsar was their attempt to capitalize on the popularity of The Six Million […]
For many of us, He-Man was the first superhero that caught our attention. Whether it was thanks to the original cartoon or the massive line of action figures and playsets, he holds a special place in our hearts that was recently rekindled by this year’s Masters of the Universe movie. Apart from toys and TV, […]
Watching the Star Wars saga in this day and age is as easy as pressing a button. Streaming platforms like Disney+ have brought these movies and more to the comfort of our homes, without the need for us to step out or buy them. Of course, the pros and cons of streaming services are an […]
G.I. Joe was first conceived in 1963 as the boys’ counterpart to Mattel’s incredibly popular Barbie dolls, and literally defined the word action figure with its original line. But in 1978, after an embattled decade of poor sales and a lukewarm reception to its “Adventure Team” rebrand, Hasbro pulled the plug. It would take a […]
Long before Jurassic Park‘s “Rexy” appeared on-screen as one of the most convincing dinosaurs ever, it was a stop-motion creation of movie master Phil Tippett. Now the articulated T. rex armature that was responsible for visualising the iconic Tyrannosaur attack scene in Steven Spielberg’s classic adventure thriller has found a new home after being sold […]
When it comes to vintage action figures and toys, very few come close to the impact that Kenner’s Star Wars line had. Besides some great action figures with features ahead of their time, the manufacturer also launched a series of vehicles and play sets so that we could get the full Star Wars experience. Of […]
When designing the original Masters of the Universe line, Mattel made a bold decision to try and incentivize kids to make He-Man the first and only toy on they asked for: the line’s figures, vehicles, and playsets would be at an all-new 5.5” scale, lacking cross-compatibility with every other action figure on the market. It […]
The Amazing Spider-Man is the most important book in Marvel Comics history. It’s beaten out some steep competition – Fantastic Four birthed the Silver Age Marvel Universe, which led to all of this, Avengers gave the world the most popular superhero team of all time, and Uncanny X-Men was the biggest seller of the ’80s. […]