In case you missed it the most epic announcement of the actions of a pop culture icon just dropped: William Shatner is going to space! How amazing is that? Captain Kirk going to space for real?!?! I’m not that big of a Trekkie but I sure do love me some William Shatner!
And while this is awesome in and of itself, this isn’t the first time that the influence of the fictional “Star Trek” has manifested in our real world. For those who may not have known or forgot, once upon a time ago the bridge crew of the Enterprise were the guests of honor when the REAL Enterprise was rolled out for all to see… well, everybody but the Captain…
I guess this is the Shat’s way of making up for that really stupid blunder on his part. As of this writing, I haven’t been able to find an official reason as to why he wasn’t there but ego’s were ego’s back then. Oh well, let the past be the past right? Right!
Being as fanboy as I can be, this announcement gets me stoked about Kirk Merch (plus that sounds kind of cool)… and on that note, I’m thinking to commemorate the moment I just may go aheaad and get my hands on the new 14″ Mego Kirk via my longtime pals at Entertainment Earth. Hmmm……
Hell, I think I may need to give in to more impulse buying and round out the whole old school crew via the Mego way. Also could be a really good time to give the folks at ZLC Collectibles a shot…. I see tribble size trouble on my hands if I give into all this madness.
But what a way to go! I think I’ll start right here…. I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂
March 22, 1763 – In an effort to raise funds to pay off debts and defend the vast new American territories won from the French in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), the British government passes the Stamp Act on this day in 1765. The legislation levied a direct tax on all materials printed for commercial and legal use in the colonies, from newspapers and pamphlets to playing cards and dice.
Greetings and good morning, noon, or night dear readers I figured I’d cover all bases on the salutation considering I never know when you guys and gals may be reading this. Call it Southern Hospitality. Another great place to find not only awesome hospitality but also an incredible amount of toys is my good buddy Tom Beck’s place; “The World’s Largest Toy Museum” in Branson, Missouri.
The pictures you will see below are from the first weekend in May of 2011. This was the first opportunity the wife and I had to take the baby to this must stop destination for the toy collector and kid at heart. In a perfect world where time is in abundance I would love to go into super detail about every square inch of this marvelous museum. Unfortunately it’s not so the best I can do is share with you a very large handful of pictures that we took during our far too brief visit.
For the sake of freshening up the blog this one is gonna be one of those “check back often” blogs. But i promise you it will be worth it. We took some great shots and a ton of ’em. And even then didn’t really scratch the surface of this wonderful place for oogling.
Again I don’t recommend places and businesses without serious consideration. The museum however is one of those spots however that I can do so with no reservations. So if your in the – or traveling through the -middle of America take a detour down the Highway 76 Music strip and look for the big top. You’ll be glad you did. And tell ’em Jim sent ya!
This is Tom Beck owner of the "W.L.T.M." He's a super nce fellow if you can't tell by the pic. Here he is posing with the latest addition to the museum, Buck Rogers and Tiger Man from ZICA Toys graciously donated by Mr. Craig Owen.
These two soldiers stand waiting to great you every Monday thru Saturday. Sure they're there on Sundays but they won't let you in no matter how much you beg.
It's really tough to get the whole building in one shot. I love the way the old school DC heroes logo's are used on this far right side of the front of the building.
It's amazing how much Superman stuff you can fit on one shelf!
The T2 Mego Superman sitting down is actually one I donated a few years back. Tom insisted I put my business card with it so I said okay. The numbers changed since then so don't call it.
A whole bunch O' Batman stuff under glass.
This display just screams "Creepy" but the wife and baby loved it. Almost looks like their colection. Almost.
Some REALLY old school Buck Rogers toys from the late 30's early 40's.
This is just one of the scenes from a "Christmas Carol" window display that came from a department store circa.1948. This display alone is worth the price of admission.
The family that geeks out together stays together!
Lot's O Barbies to be found!
See? 🙂
They never end!
Not a great shot but still cool to see Mego Trek represented.
A Christmas Carol Pic 2. The detail is wonderful and charming.
Christmas Carol Pic 3
Christmas Carol Pic 4
Christmas Carol Pic 5
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
The main thing we both have in common? We're both squeaky new!
“Space. The Final Frontier” – “EMCE Toys. The Official Rebirth.” This chapter of “The Wall” focuses on a figure that will live forever as the perfect example that dreams really do come true. They take a lot of work and diligence sure, but they can become reality. This familiar face made it into my collection for numerous reasons. Not only was this reproduction figure an almost exact reproduction of Captain James T. Kirk from the original Mego Star Trek line, it also signifies to me the fact that Mego Toys have indeed returned. While EMCE Toys had returned the Mego format to the market prior to this release, this is the one that in my opinion, made it an absolute reality and gave true hope that the style of figures that I loved as a child was indeed back. Going where one company went before, another has come along and went even further and earned a place in my heart and on “The Wall”.
Point #1. What it is.
Diamond Select/ EMCE Toys Captain James T. Kirk.
Point #2. Where it came from.
The great folks at goHastings.com keep reducing the price on this figure so the Mego junkie in me can’t help but buy one of these almost every other week.
Point #3. The Good.
You can't ever have too many Kirk's. Period.
As I stated in the opening, this toy is more than a simple reproduction. It truly signifies a resurrection of the Mego style of action figure. And it’s got a picture of the father of Mego’s action figure Marty Abrams to prove it. For the record I do want to point out that the end result is the work of EMCE Toys alone. While Mr. Abrams did give the thumbs up to Paul “Dr.Mego” Clark and Joe Sena it was those two alone who made this figure happen. The original molds have long since been destroyed so Dr. Mego had to personally have everything retooled from scratch. Do even the slightest bit of research on toy production and you’ll see this is no easy task. Or inexpensive.
Sealed for your protection. Re-Sealable for your Amusement!
Another great thing about this toy is the re-sealable clamshell. This extra touch shows the thought that went into this figure for both the collector and the kids who still want to play with it. In both cases this packaging allows for easy access to the figure (none of those dreaded twist ties) and a place to put all the little accessories back into.
The markings are VERY clear that this is a NEW toy so don't be fooled dear readers, by unscrupulous vintage toy dealers.
Also to note, while this is as close to an original Mego as you could ever hope to get, all of it’s parts are clearly marked to show that it is new. So while this may be tough on the secondary online loose market, the discerning as well as the novice collector can easily spot that this is not an original. To the purists I have to say “back off”. While it may appear that the value of the original Mint on Card specimens out there have lost value due to these being released I’m afraid my sympathy is low. Sure vintage toys can be seen as a bankable “commodity” in the end t is just a toy and it’s value will always be determined by the market. Those who absolutely prefer only the vintage will only buy or accept that so your marketplace will not ever really be affected. On the other hand of the collector coin, those who simply want a brand new Star Trek Mego can have one without breaking the bank all the while being able to add factory produced characters that never existed in the first place. It’s a truly give and take situation where everyone does indeed win.
Point #4. The Bad.
It's like he was wearing gloves in the tanning bed.
While it’s not a huge gripe of mine I do have to point out that the flesh tone of the heads and hands do not match up. Again this is only a minor pet peeve and not reason enough to not pick one up. Another point of concern is that the body is a bit too tight straight out of the package. The only reason this comes a s a negative is that you have to play with it a bit before it becomes more “user friendly” when it comes to posing. So that means that you have to play with it before you can get him as pliable as some collectors may want him to be.
Point #5. Why I like it.
My heads as big as Kirk's ego. But then agaii he earned it.
Not only does this guy signify the fact that Mego is indeed back but he’s also better than ever. Mind you I’m not the biggest Star Trek fan but I am a huge Mego fan. There is something magical to me about this scale and style. I’d even found myself at one point tracking down “Walton’s” figures just because they were Mego’s. I hate’d that show back then and now. Plus what kind fo play value is there in a bunch of “regular people”? “Oh no John Boy! Pa done fell in the well again. We must save him!” Blah. But still there Mego’s and I wanna collect ‘em all!
The funny part about when I started my mini stock pile of this figure came about not so much because of Star Trek, but actually because of William Shatner himself. Years back I had purchased one of these figures simply because it was a new Mego and the fact that there was a brand new line of figures to collect was very thrilling for me. So I got Kirk and then Spock, then McCoy and then… well all the rest that have been released so far. When I got the final new release I stood back and looked at my collection and was like “Wow! I’ve collected ‘em all!” But then the reality of space restraints at the time made me realize that while these were great I needed more room for other Mego’s that were starting to accumulate (read Retro Action DC Super Heroes). Long story short, I sold off the collection to start a new one. In deciding to sell these off is when the true nature of my collecting habits really came to light. While I truly enjoyed and appreciated these figures for their quality and style, I admitted that I’m just not that much of a Star Trek fan and considering how massive this line was (that’s a good thing by the way) I decided I better cool my jets or I was going to break the bank and overload my display area. There’s a Tribble joke in there but I’ll leave it be.
Unitl I saw the figure pakaged like this with the clasp of the belt actually hung on the back of the shirt, I never realized how to keep the belt from sagging. Details,details.
Fast forward a couple years later and the itch returned. I had picked up a copy of one of Shatner’s books and it reminded me how much I really enjoy “William Shatner” the actor as much if not more than any one character he has portrayed. So once again the collector in me wanted a William Shatner figure to hang out with the rest of the collection. Captain Kirk happened to fit the bill perfectly. No pun intended, but that kinda worked out. Fit the “Bill” Ha!
So in feeding my need for the William Shatner I saw that goHastings was selling these figures insanely cheap! I’m talking $4.99 a piece. Well needless to say I almost broke my finger clicking the “add to cart” button. At the time I got one for myself and one for my father in law who is a very big Star Trek fan. After that I chilled out until I saw a few weeks later goHastings was offering them again for the crazy low rate. I had to get one more just because. I’m sure this will happen again. And again and again.
Point #6. Why you should or shouldn’t get one.
Why you should:
This is a wonderful figure that as you can see is a favorite of mine for many reasons. But the main reason that you should get one is with this one figure you can begin a collection that has all indications of continuing for many years to come. As a mater of fact you can already collect the complete bridge crew, which is something Mego never did by the way, as well as screen accurate aliens and one shot characters that complete the Star Trek Universe.
Why you shouldn’t:
If you’re not a Star Trek fan I can see where the line itself would be a bore to you. So in the end if you don’t like the series than it makes sense to avoid it and focus on other great 8 inch Mego style figures that captivate you. But overall there are no quality or price point concerns that I can address. The figures really are top shelf and quality is second to none in the genre.
In Conclusion
For those who may be reading in between the lines in this chapter you may note that this installment appears to be a love fest of sorts for EMCE toys. Well, it is actually and deservedly so. Bottom line is if it wasn’t for the efforts of Paul “Dr.Mego” Clark and Joe Sena the Mego resurgence simply wouldn’t be. Sure there are a few others out there but if not for what all this pair has done to ensure quality product as well as solid, bankable licenses the resurgence would not be mainstream and in effect, they wouldn’t exist. Coming soon to the “Toy Box” I’ll be looking more in depth at those efforts. But for the moment I’m going to simply enjoy the nostalgic rush that I’m getting thanks to the fun little toys that adorn “The Wall”. Now, Go Play! Jim 04/11/11
Two Jim's, one blog, you dear reader, and a world wide audience. This my friends is a snapshot of heaven!
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
These 16 action figures are so chock full of fun it’s amazing that they can fit in one small area!
And so it begins!
Welcome to Day 1 of “The Wall” blog where I will be giving you a rundown and review of the “Re-Mego’s” that adorn my wall at home and have earned a special place in my heart. As this is the very first day of this little goal of mine I’d like to stop and pause a moment to give a huge shout out to all my pals at the Mego Museum. This collection of fellow lovers of all things Mego has welcomed me in with open arms and has become like a second “cyber-family”. Plus without this wonderful community and it’s members I never would have scored most of these wonderful additions to my collection. It was also their encouragement that has boosted up my drive to do this blog and hone my skills as a marketer and reviewer. So to all of my “Mego Buddies” I say thank you! Now let’s get to “The Wall”
With a cast like this who needs TV? Oh wait.
This morning started out with a round of Photoshopping that finds me getting even more excited about this endeavor. Seeing that in the end of everyday I get to work on this blog I’ll be taking a little time away from the “real world” I’ll actually be doing numerous things that I love. From writing to designing the layout of this blog I can see why so many people have flocked to this form of communication. It truly is a blast to write about the things that mean so much to you. Thank you Word Press!
Now without further ado may I introduce you to this blogs starting line up and the order in which they will be tackled.
#1. Mattel’s Retro Action DC Super Heroes : Superman.
The Man of Steel returns to 8 inch plastic form.
#2. 1950’s Version Commander X
While the Commander may look a little familiar to Mego collectors he is a hero in his own right.
#3. The Greatest American Hero
Oh, what could have been. However what is, is actually better!
#4. Mattel’s Retro Action DC Super Heroes : Batman
#5. Flatt World’s Bela Lugosi as Dracula
#6. Castaway Toys Creepy Classics : Zombie
#7. Classic TV Toys : Mego Mad Monsters Dracula Reissue
#8. Classic TV Toys : Mego Mad Monsters Frankenstein Reissue
He was only looking for a friend. Ignorance and intolerence is so so wrong.
#9. Castaway Toys Creepy Classics : Mr. Hyde
#10. Jim’s Mego’s Retro Action DC Super Heroes : Robin (sort of)
#11. EMCE Toys, Mego Star Trek Reissue: Captain Kirk
#12. EMCE Toys/ Specter Toys; Dark Shadows: Chris Jennings
#13. Classic TV Toys; Mad Monsters Series 2: The Salem Witch
#14. Classic TV Toys; Mad Monsters Series 2: The Gruesome Ghost
#15. Classic TV Toys : Mego Mad Monsters Mummy Reissue
#15. Classic TV Toys; Mad Monsters Series 2: The Demonic Devil
Okay fellow’s and girls there is the starting line up! I am looking so very forward to sharing with you my take on these wonderful figures. In a perfect world these reviews would come one day after another but sadly I do not get paid to do this (yet) and I do have a full time gig, loving wife, and a beautiful Toddler so it may take 16 weeks instead of 16 days to complete. But you know what? It’ll be worth it!
So until next time when Retro Action Superman say’s;
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