Mattel Toys Sucks. Period. They cancel lines blaming lack of fan base support while they themselves offer the products o market in the most piss poor manner possible. I went out on a limb with these reviews as a fan trying to push the product. In the end Mattel showed that they are not worthy of mine or your accolades or MONEY. I’m not editing the reviews however. At the time of their writing I meant what I said and in regards to the figures themselves I feel the same way, however the emotional connection is gone – Signed, Jim 01/14/12
Introduction
“Who ya gonna call?” That was rhetorical. We already know. This latest addition to the Toy Box is one that I was very reluctant to pick up. Not because it was to be a purchase for the sake of it being another new “Re-Mego” but because of a bad experience from an earlier Ghostbuster run in. My first experience with this particular property came in the form of a San Diego Comic Con exclusive Peter Venkman. Frankly, he sucked. Lot’s of reason for that vague statement but let me direct you to an earlier review I did of that figure via the Mego Museum’s EMCE toys forum thread… (http://megomuseum.com/community/showthread.php?t=47379) I am glad to say however that I didn’t just judge a book by its preceding cover. Egon here makes up for all of those shortcomings. I feel I can lurk in the shadows now with absolutely no fear of the things that go bump in the night with this Ghostbuster in the house!
Point #1. What it is.
Point #2. Where it came from.
Point #3. The Good.
This is going to be a fun review considering that it gets to be a positive one. For the sake of formatting problems I’ve been experiencing I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves with the cutlines handling the text that should be in magazine format. Anyway there is a whole lot of good going on here.
Point #4. The Bad.
The only negative I can throw at Egon is that there is nowhere to put his PKE meter when he is holding his proton rifle. That of course leads to the possibility of it being easily lost. Always a bummer. Plus I’m a little worried with the longevity you can expect out of the Ghostbusters logo.
Point #5. Why I like it.
The Real Ghostbusters cartoon came out just on the teetering point when I was supposed to stop watching cartoons (late sixth grade if I remember correctly). I still did secretly though. Anyway with that little skeleton out of the closet I really liked the cartoon. Especially since the Filmation Ghostbusters had been out for a while and I simply thought they were too silly. Mind you I had no historical connection with the original live action show from the 70’s. Now that I understand the context of that show I appreciate it more now. Still the REAL Ghostbusters are still tops in my book. Sorry Mr. Scheimer, but you did have me with He-Man and Bravestarr.
Back to another of the many reasons why I like this figure; He looks just like the cartoon! That is a giant thumbs up in my book. For the creators of this Egon to have put the effort into perfectly capturing and rendering this guy in 3 dimensions from his original 2 dimensional existence I must tip my hat to you. That really is no easy task. Certainly not for me. I really do appreciate the fact that no matter which angle you observe this fellow you never loose the fact that this is indeed Egon from the cartoon. Add to that the colors! I love that the colors pop! Just like a fun toy should.
Point #6. Why you should or shouldn’t get one.
Why you should:
As an 8 inch action figure collector you owe it to yourself to add this guy and his pals (I’m working on that by the way, thank you page3auc http://shop.ebay.com/page3auc/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25 ) even if your not a particular fan of the show. Standing along side the Retro Action Heroes the overall scope of the line and its possibilities really takes shape. With all of these truly compatible figures you can see the world that was Mego playtime coming back into existence. And of course with all the other super sweet figures on the market now from EMCE, Bif Bang Pow, Castaway and of course ZICA, your 8 inch world of collectibles can become a wonderfully diverse display that still takes up less room then 12 inchers and look a lot more fun than the super articulated and detailed 6 and 7 inch figures.
Why you shouldn’t:
After all of the good I honestly can’t come up with a reason for you not to. Actually considering the normal pattern of the nostalgia train I would bet that these figures will increase in popularity more so than their Super Hero counterparts as more late 80’s kids become aware of them.
In Conclusion
Egon Spengler is an excellent action figure and toy thanks to the efforts of Mattel. Period. They’ve corrected and improved this line every step of the way and do truly appear to be listening to the fans (aka consumers) and doing right by the same. Egon here really does giv me hope and makes me anxious to see what else Mattel has in store for us fanboys and girls of all ages. Now Go Play! – Jim 05/24/11
Jim Bumgardner is a 20 year veteran of the broadcast industry and currently serves as the news director for television station TKO 8 in Harrison, Arkansas. Jim is the father of two the husband of one and firm believer in the power of toys for both the mind, body and soul. You can contact Jim via email at jimstoybox@gmail.com or visit his website at www.jimsmegos.com
All images and products are the sole copyrighted property of it’s respective owners. Specialty photographs and graphic work used for this article were done by Jim at the TKO 8 Studios located at 500 N. Main St in Harrison, Arkansas. “Little Jim” was created by Dawn O’Connell of Little Buddies Action Figures. Learn more about getting your own Little Buddy at www.littlebuddiesactionfigures.com
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