Jim’s Toy Box isn’t getting any kickback on these links at all. I’m doing this shout out solely for the purpose of celebrating a small business that earned my business the old fashioned way: AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE!
Late night heads up thanks to my brother from another mother, Tom. Movie Posters Etc has the new Mego reproduction figures of Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman and Shazam and the wish list figures they missed of Green Lantern and The Flash in hand and shipping now! Needless to say, I got my order in! Anyway, when you click on any of the picture links below you’ll see that their price is incredibly good even with shipping figured in and is better than a certain mega retailer that doesn’t need the free advertising.
To note, the Toy Box isn’t getting any kickback on these links at all. I’m doing this shout out solely for the purpose of spreading the Mego heads up and giving a shout out to a small business that earned my business the old fashioned way: AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE! I’ll share more about that story soon but for now, go Collect ’em All!
Jim 11/19/2022
All are officially-licensed, approximately 8″ Classic action figures released to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of MEGO’s release of the DC super hero characters. The figure is produced by MEGO and remains new and sealed in MEGO’s original NEAR MINT window box-style packaging.
UPDATE!!!!! Want to let you all know that right now (11/20/2022) You can order the new 50th anniversary Mego Superheroes from Movie Posters Etc NOW! I know I stressed the “retail experience” and I do hope to do that BUT more importantly I want what I want and I also would MUCH RATHER see a small business benefit from your purchase. Check ’em out and Collect ‘Em All!
Jim’s note: This post will be updated throughout the day. Check back or refresh the page often.
Introduction: Why it all matters to me. They’re just dolls for God sake. But not really. They’re a life long source of inspiration, entertainment and joy for nearly 50 years. And now we’ve come to a bookend.
Preface/ prelude 11/05/2022: the discovery.
HAPPY MEGO DAY? 11/06/2022
5:50 am: up and at em! Fall back in full effect. Feel pretty good with the “extra” hour of sleep I got. Now for the morning chores with the cats and dogs. Then off to work.
7:11 am: popped into the home base Walmart. Nothing as expected but tried anyway. Now on to work… best word for today: Anticipation!
7:46 am: thinking about it all (which is always my thing anyway), how to make a game of it beyond the silliness of it all, my mind is pondering using these 50th anniversary figures as a reward system. Trade the treat for a bad or non existent habit I want to break or create. In essence treating myself like a kid who needs to finish his vegetables before desert . So silly. Time to do the day job… bet your bippity that my mind will be filled with ideas for the blogs and podcasts to come inspired by this new hunt.
8:35 am: in regards to last point… work tasks are getting done quicker. So much for the passage of time being manipulated by distraction. I
10:25 am: I truly enjoy and appreciate my day job… but man oh man would I like to be able to check those pegs right now! Not completely obsessed as much as I want to see this happen.
But regardless of the days final results… my heart will go on. Just like Celine sang 😉
Going for a better outcome then these two.
The trick is to just focus on the workday stuff. I swear, these posts come at times that are ethical. No slacking here from this fanboy.
1:34 pm: Lunch time but not enough time to run across town. AKA adult problems. “Just call or order online.” How about no. This about the retail experience and showing support at the register for the company. More on all of that later.
2:01 pm: Could it be any slower? As Johnny Cash so intensely sang; “Tome keeps dragging on.” Now, while I’m not stuck in a prison, the clock is certainly an annoying warden at the moment.
Like sands through the hourglass that doesn’t actually have a hole in the middle. Welcome to my Sunday.
3:33 pm: just found out I have dinner plans right after I get off sooooooo…. I broke and called the store. The young man was nice but had no clue even after looking. The tension builds like a Willie Wonka meme.
4:42 pm: So close to quitting time but the dinner plans have taken precedence. Grrrrrr…. But the biggest reveal so fat is how much I’m getting a kick out of these timeline updates. Something to this form of storytelling 🙂
5:07 pm: dinner party is still waiting for the table sooooo….. update shortly. 🙂
5:28 pm: Nevermind . Family first. 🙂
7 pm: Almost done with dinner. Anticipation slightly muted by post pasta grogginess. Honestly though, I’m not feeling that the final stop is going to turn out with a happy ending.
7:59 pm: It appears to be a bust. But I ain’t going without some digging…
Photo credit: Alicia. She totally gets me and I appreciate that more than you know.
8:18 pm: Learning new things. While the system shows that the figures will be here, when is actually an uncertainty.
“not in transit”
So in at the end of the day the anticipation was left unfulfilled, but most certainly not a waste of day or unbearable disappointment. Watch this space for more on this “Happy Mego Day” that wasn’t plus the podcast that will talk more about the true significance of all of this silliness.
Now, go play!
Jim 11/06/2022
P.S. Not a total bust at the CCP Superstore. Found this fun little star of the FNAF universe from Funko for Freddy’s biggest fan. We call her Kaitlynn. 🙂
Teen Titans Go! Delivers on giggles, grins and sometimes, bursts of laughter.
Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself wrapped up in the latest incarnation of the DC Universe’s youngest super hero squad, Teen Titans Go! and boy am I glad I did. The show is cute, funny, colorful and did I mention funny? No really… watch this:
I’ve heard a lot of fans of the old Teen Titans cartoon complain that this new incarnation is too silly and comedic. To them I ask; “What happened to you? Did you forget that cartoons can be funny? Characters running around in tights and capes don’t have to be uptight, foreboding or grey scale, no matter what Hollywood says.”
This is one DC Comics cartoon for the kids. And may I add “FINALLY”. IMO It’s been far too long since we’ve seen such a cartoon and IMO is the reason why kids today are less captivated by the adventures of super heroes. Just like when you and I were kids, they like to have fun too. Seriously.
So do yourself a favor if you haven’t seen Teen Titans Go yet, set the DVR by way of your local listings or even better make plans to catch it first run, and have your little one(s) with you. Be sure to keep a camera handy to capture all the giggles, grins and outbursts of laughter. Those are the moments you won’t want to miss.
Now, Go Play! – Jim 02/06/14
Look at these cute little fella’s and gals!
And for my fellow fans of nostalgia don’t forget about the Mego Reproductions set for an April release.
In commemoration of the Robot Chicken crew debuting their RDC Comic special I thought this would be a great time to revisit the Retro Action line from Mattel. Or more importantly what didn’t come to pass and why now I’m getting a bit angry about it.
You see when word was released that Mattel was going to be bringing back the 8 inch Mego style action figures I was completely stoked. How cool was it for a long time lover of Mego World’s Greatest Super Heroes of which I obviously am, was finally going to get the figures that Mego never got around to. Hal Jordan green Lantern, The Flash, The Marian Manhunter and of course Superman’s #1 foe, Lex Luthor! Oh how my collectors heart and inner child was all a flutter. But then they dropped the hammer.
Long story short Mattel cancelled the line due to lack of retail and customer support. While I could go on a serious rant about that excuse I’ll just say this, everyone makes mistakes and Mattel you made plenty of them here so quit passing the buck on retailers and fans. It’s unbecoming of you as one of the leaders in the toy industry.
For me with the line being cancelled it was quite disheartening to see one gapping whole in my collection. There was no Robin to pal around with Batman. The house that Barbie built could crank out four different Green Lantern figures as exclusives (who really cares about Kyle Rayner anyway) but no other half of the Dynamic Duo? Stupid. Just stupid. Anyway the rumbling from the fans of this line went on a crusade to “Save the Retro’s” and one fine person started a petition that would hopefully change Mattel’s mind. In wanting to help the campaign I created the PSA you see below…
Well the petition didn’t go viral and even if it did I don’t believe it would have changed Mattel’s mind. In the end our best efforts could not make any difference or help one lonely Dark Knight. But that isn’t what angers me.
The anger comes from recent discoveries of “web exclusive “ Green Arrow’s showing up at discount chain stores around the country. While this had happened with Wave 2 of the original line up, to see this “Sold Out” hard to get, limited edition figure popping up for half the price Mattel was charging is just ludicrous to me as a fan. It also shows me that my suspicions of incompetence about Mattel execs who were in charge of the line were indeed correct. They simply didn’t know what they were doing with the line and fns are left cold.
In a world with real problems like war, starvation and poverty matters such as this are trivial for sure. However to dash the hopes of fans who were seriously enjoying what was happening from the company that made the “swell” toys is just crap. Period.
Why am I still ranting about this? Mainly because with the Robot Chicken crew’ new special coming out Sunday September 9th and the majority of the characters and costumes are from the Retro Action line I believe that interest for the toys will be hot. Which in a way is good for the dealers out there who are still sitting on cases of the figures. Finally they will get marketing support for the line. Had Mattel tied I with the Robot Chicken guys from the start things perhaps things wouldn’t have had to go south. And maybe the tears in Batman’s pupil-less eyes could have been of joy with the arrival of young ward Dick Grayson finally being able to stand by his side in the toy boxes of many collectors around the world.
With that said I’ll chill out and move on with my collecting and playing. Yep I’m taking my own orders in the fact that I shall Now, Go Play. – Jim 09/08/12
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 "Boy Wonder" has always had a very special place in my heart and collection.
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
In this chapter “The Wall” will be taking a different turn as we look at the custom Robin I’ve put together to hang out with Retro Action Batman and Superman. So just in case your not totally tuned in, Robin has not received the Retro Action treatment and no official word has been announced as to whether or not he will. And that’s okay. Mind you I personally think Mattel would be making the greatest mistake ever to not do so, it’s not my company and my opinion is nothing more than that… my opinion.
With this chapter I do want to focus on something that is actually more impressive than my less than impressive custom work. This time around I want to really talk about customizing as a hobby and how the Mego and now Re-Mego format lends to this more than rewarding hobby. So while this is not a review of a figure that you can track down on ebay or some other source, the parts and pieces used can. But even better you can shop Dr. Mego’s website ( www.drmego.com ) and pick up pieces that can help you create figures that have been lingering in your imagination. If that’s not cool I don’t know what is! So now without further ado let’s talk a little chop shop as we focus on this truly one of a kind item found on “The Wall”
Point #1. What it is.
Custom Retro Action Robin by me (well at least the card)
Point #2. Where it came from.
My efforts were soiled by my use of too much glue causing some water spots and smearing. Yeah, my bad.
Point #3. The Good.
Althogh this custom is pretty much all Mego he serves his purpose well amongst the vibrantly colored Retro Action line from Mattel.
It’s all good! Well not really but we’ll get to that in a few. But seriously the best part about customizing is that at the end of the day the end result is as good as you want it to be. So what if your not the greatest painter, sculptor or sewer? You don’t have a deadline and you aren’t creating something to please the masses. Impress them maybe but not please them. Also your budget is what ever you set. If you’ve got $20 bucks to play with there’s your cap. If you happen to come up with another $20 to reinvest in your effort you can do that. There simply are no limitations outside of the ones you impose on yourself.
I must stop here and point out that NONE of the work you see on this figure is my own. The body and head are original Mego. It’s a Type 2 Robin that was nekkid as a jaybird as the old folks say until some fellow out there in the ebay world slapped the costume on him. The cape and tunic and trunks were obivously hand made most likely using the patterns that you can find at the Mego Museum’s custom section ( http://www.megomuseum.com/custom/customblog.html ). These patterns are free to download and use by the way and an invaluable resource to the customizers of the world. Now for you entrepreneurial types out there, if your thinking “Wow, I can get the real Mego pattern? I can make ’em and sell and become a millionaire!” Sure you can, but you’ll most likely find a lawsuit from DC waiting on you when you get back from the fabric store.
The shoes and gloves are Dr. Mego reproductions. Although I didn’t personally
If you look closely you can see the stitching around the collar is a bit sloppy but that's okay. He is meant to be unique and by golly he is, red thread and all.
buy these from the Doc, it’s very easy to see that these “oven mitts” and slippers are the Doc’s handy work because the quality is excellent! While there are some other folks out there who are producing factory made reproductions very similar I can very boldly state that there are NONE that compare to the Dr.’s. Period. With that said I have no problem posting the link to Doc’s site ( www.drmego.com ) and recommending that you get all of your parts and pieces there. If you have an issue fell free to contact me and I’ll gladly refund your cash myself. Yes, I am THAT confident in the quality and service you will receive from Paul “Dr. Mego” Clark.
The belt that this chap is wearing is a complete mystery however. I’ve actually seen more than one of these over the course of my collecting and have no idea where it came from originally. It’s no where near close to the original Robin’s Mego belt, which is good for what I was doing with this particular figure but I honestly don’t know who made it or what it is made of. It’s a much softer, almost rubber like material instead of the firmer plastic of the original or reproductions. Plus it simply came with the figure.
Point #4. The Bad.
I love the fact that Dr. Mego has his clam shells available to the customizers. The ability to have uniform packaging is very important to my O.C.D.
The only thing for me that is bad about this figure is that I didn’t go all out and do a Robin custom on a Mattel body and sculpt the head myself. Honestly I’m not that good at sculpting and don’t have the time at the moment to fine tune my skills. One day perhaps I will. But for now and with the hopes of Mattel handling the real work eventually, I am perfectly content with my little make believe Retro Action Robin. Plus thanks to Dr. Mego making his resealable clam shells available to the public I can easily sneak him by the casual observer thanks to the card art I created.
Point #5. Why I like it.
Because I made it, duh! Seriously Robin has always been one of the most endearing characters from my child hood. This kid ran around with Batman. A kid?!?! Yeah buddy! Before the government stepped in with all those crazy child labor laws and junk. Plus it gave me the chance to play. With the backer card I was able to really and truly design what would for me be the greatest Wave that Mattel could ever release. Robin plus the Joker, and the figures never made by Mego Bizzaro and Toyman, could bring my always hoped for Saturday morning playtime a reality. Plus who knows? After posting the card art in the Mego Museum’s Custom thread in the forum, someone at Mattel may be surfing around and say, “You know that’s a pretty good idea. Get this Jim guy on the phone and let him know we appreciate his input and also let him know to pull all these pics down before we sue the pants off him.”
My only regret is that I couldn't nail the proper font. One day I may revisit this error.
This cardback is almost like a "Letter to Santa" or Mattel, whichever one is willing to bring these figures to my collection will be tops in my book. Come on SANTA!
Point #6. Why you should or shouldn’t get one.
Why you should:
You can’t have mine but you can make your own! Why? Because playtime is fun time! And customizing adds even more fun to the process! Plus check out the pics below to see all the possibilities your imagination can run to if you allow it soar!
The Dynamic Duo will always be the greatest crime fighting partners. Period.
Looking at these two side by side I can see why the traditional Robin look was scrapped for the movies but still, 'Batman and Robin' sucked.
"Smile pretty fella's. People are looking."
Why you shouldn’t:
Absolutely no reason whatsoever! Dream up your action figure, make a list of parts, visit the Mego Museum Forum for Tips and Tricks , get over to Dr. Mego’s site and place your order, wait patiently for the mail to arrive and then GET TO IT!
In Conclusion
This chapter is by far the most fun one that I have wrote for “The Wall” for what I hope you see is obvious reasons. Everything about this Robin is to me what Mego collecting is all about; Allowing the inner child in you take the reins again for a while. And with that youthful version of you back in control you can shrug off the day to day stress and pressure that comes from being an adult melt away if only for a few moments at a time. And the even better part about that fact is that with this hobby you can share it with your children and teach them how to think outside of the box when it comes to their playthings. Not every thing HAS to come from a store. Toys CAN be made at home. AND you can spend some serious quality time playing with your kids all the while teaching them the value of using their imagination to literally make their dreams come true. Am I over dramatic in that statement? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact its for these reasons that my sanity stays in tact without the need fro booze or drugs or other “grown up” ways to unwind. Hence why I love all the silly little toys that have earned their place on “The Wall” .
Now, Go Play!
– Jim 04/08/11
Talk about a Terrific Trio! Hey, it's my blog I can fantasize anyway I want!
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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