In previous editions of my Toys blog, we’ve already had a look at some of the original Masters of the Universe action figures that I own. Most were bought back in the 1980s. But I never had any of the playsets for this line of toys, so their adventures were a bit limited. Niver had any playsets until recently, that is…
Castle Grayskull was re-released by Mattel a while back, to act as the perfect environment for their re-issued and re-vamped line of Origins figures. The toy itself appears to be an almost exact replica of the one released back in the 80s – though I’m not enough of an expert to confirm. However, it’s close enough to do the job.
By the power of Graskull!I have the power!
I waited quite a while, watching Castle Grayskull’s price online. Eventually, this open but complete version turned up for a good price on eBay, so I snapped it up. It’s in great condition – I suspect it may have only been used for display and then sold on.
The castle looks pretty awesome: that formidable skull-like façade looms out, just like in the cartoon. The playset opens in half to reveal the inner sections, with the mouth drawbridge opening to permit access. This can be done by using a power sword as a key – nice touch.
InsideTurret
Inside, the hybrid of magic and technology that was the hallmark of the original MOTU line is clearly visible – computer consoles and laser guns sit alongside a throne and ancient weapons.
Throne roomHelp on the way!Watch out!Battle for Eternia
It was great fun setting up the figures and recreating a few scenes with them. The action included Skeletor and his band of evil henchmen capturing Castle Grayskull and imprisoning the Sorceress. Then Skeletor was free was to claim the throne, and subdue Eternia under his vile command! But wait…
Here comes He-Man and Battle Cat to save the day! They confront Skeletor in the throne room.
Look out He-Man! There’s a trap door!
Here come Teela and Man-at-Arms via the elevator – but will they be too late?
Look out for Trap Jaw up on the turret!
With reinforcements at hand, a historic battle ensues between good and evil!
Finally, Skeletor and his evil warriors are defeated and Castle Grayskull is returned to normal…
Till next time, that is!
This Castle Grayskull playset may be modern, but it ticks all the right nostalgia boxes. It seems to have all the accessories and features that I remember seeing as a kid (though this includes a limited edition Sorceress figure). Loads of fun and a fantastic way to display my action figures. But where to display them??!!
Regular visitors to the Virtual Hot Tub may well recall that in the Skateboards section, I’ve posted a couple of blogs looking at my very first skateboard. It’s an old, faded plastic relic from the 1970s which my Gran gave to me. That skateboard is incredibly important to me, as it was the board I first learned to ride on in my early teens – and thereby created a lifelong obsession.
Imagine my surprise when I was contacted out of the blue by someone I had never met, and had read my blog about my original skate. And they had one exactly the same for sale. The same “Albert” red plastic skateboard, only as good as new and completely unused.
Naturally, I jumped at the chance. I’m not a skate collector as such, but it was very affordable and a unique bit of history for myself. Soon enough, a cardboard box arrived marked “Made in West Germany”, and inside was a pristine and unridden version of my old skateboard.
You can see the photos here of Albert 2, in comparison to my old original. The plastic is bright red, the wheels are clear. It’s not the greatest skateboard of the era, nor an expensive collector’s item, but it is pretty cool to have in my possession.
I’ve still no idea how I managed to learn to ride on that tiny plastic skateboard, but thank God I did. I’m now 51 years old, and still love skateboarding. If it wasn’t for my Gran presenting me with good ol’ Albert 1, my life would have been much more dull.
Read more about My First Skateboard here and here.
All good things must come to an end. Even in the case of Star Wars figures, the magic wouldn’t last forever. Wave three of the figures following Return of the Jedi would prove to be the last – in that line at least.
Star Wars toys began to wane in popularity, with no new films on the horizon, and kids were tempted by newer ideas, like bloody Transformers. No, I wasn’t onboard with that at all.
In the UK back in 1985 or thereabouts, these last figures began to show up on Tri-Logo cards, with the film name replicated in three languages. Truth be told, I thought I was getting a bit old for toys at this point, but I was determined to collect them all. Luckily, the prices fell dramatically, I was able to acquire most of them from a local Tesco for £1.59. Most, but not all, as we shall see.
There were stories of bags of these figures being sold (without card) for a pound each. Which is crazy. Because these last figures, which no one bought, are by far the rarest and most expensive now.
If you have a loose Boba Fett figure and you think he’s rare – and therefore worth a fortune – you’re wrong. No matter what the Antiques Roadshow claimed all those years ago. These last 17 are the hard to find figures that collectors want.
First off, let’s take a look at Luke Skywalker (Battle Poncho). The Leia with poncho figure from the previous wave was a genuinely great effort, but this Luke is a disappointment. His helmet is fixed on his head, unlike Leia’s, meaning that removing the poncho does not yield a Luke for later film scenes. Plus, there’s no lightsaber – just a blaster (which he doesn’t even use in this scene). Poor start.
Next up: Han Solo in Carbonite Chamber. Brilliant! I never had Fett’s Slave 1 ship when I was a kid, with the Han in carbonite accessory. Now I had one! People may grumble about Han’s neck here, but I love this figure. Also useable for Sarlaac Pit scenes etc because Han is separate to the carbonite block.
Cool tip: procure a piece of red coloured card/paper. Cut the card to the shape and size of the carbonite block. Place Han inside the block, then the red card behind him. Shine a torch from behind and it looks just like Han is melting out of the carbonite! Try it.
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Lando Calrissian General Pilot is a very cool looking action figure. A good likeness, especially for the time. The soft goods cloak is removable, so he can sit in the Millenium Falcon with Nien Nunb (sold separately, see previous blogs). Be careful though, you DO NOT want to tear this valuable accessory!
The A-Wing Pilot was a strange addition to the range, as far as I was concerned. That was because I didn’t know that Kenner did actually release the A-Wing starfighter. I didn’t know this till the mid 1990s. I don’t know if any ever made it to retail in the UK. Still, another pilot for the ROTJ briefing scene.
R2-D2 with Pop Up Lightsaber: oh dear. What a waste of an opportunity. R2 is my favourite figure of all time, but did we ever need this version? The lightsaber when it pops out is too short and has a bulbous end. This R2 is not the droid I’m looking for. Also, I have to admit here, that I somehow lost my original lightsaber and replaced it with a repro one years later. I was shocked to find that the lightsaber had disappeared after years being safely stored away.
One of the best figures in the entire Kenner range, in my opinion, Luke Skywalker in Stormtrooper Outfit is just fantastic. I snapped him up as soon as I saw him. A genius idea, a leap forward in toy design, perfect. Luke shows where the line could have gone next, with no new films. For years I wished for a Han Solo in Stormtrooper outfit to accompany Luke, but the line died too soon.
Han Stormtrooper – or Tarkin, or any number of cantina aliens – may have been preferable to Anakin Skywalker. He’s only in one scene. Still, a nice likeness of actor Sebastian Shaw.
Ewoks next. Four, in fact: this wave was chock full of ’em. Technically, Paploo and Lumat were released slightly earlier in the US I believe, but still, this is overkill. Paploo is a nice, accurate sculpt though. I’ve got them in the wrong order in the photo above: Paploo is on the left, but Lumat is on the far right.
Romba and Warok, our last two Ewoks, caused me many, many sleepless nights. They were the only two figures I never got round to buying from the enitre range. By 1986, all of these figures had long since disappeared. I’d buying one a week with pocket money and eventually these two could not be found. Cue recurring dreams of being in a toy shop, swamped with new figures, while I panicked that I hadn’t completed the old set yet. Sad but true. Eventually, years later as a University student, I found Warok and Romba at a car boot sale and bought them for a pound each, happily thanking the previous owner for helping me end my quest. The dreams stopped immediately.
Note: no weapons with the last two Ewoks as they were bought second hand, that’s a spare Wicket spear that Romba is holding.
The Empire representation is a mixed bag in this wave. The Imperial Gunner is a cool looking figure, and a welcome addition to the troops. The Imperial Dignitary, on the other hand, gets a lot of flack for being a boring and seldom seen character in the film. Fair point, but I like the background figures to fill out the scenes, so I don’t mind him. Would’ve been cooler to have Tarkin at last though, or Han Stormtrooper!
Jabba’s henchmen round out the rest of this wave. I’ve always been a big fan of these type of characters, so Barada was very welcome. EV-9D9 is a rare occurence of a minor character with a speaking part actually getting a figure. This toy is very detailed and accurate, with a neat moving jaw to enable her to “talk”.
Amanaman is a ridiculously cool figure, but very strange. He’s very difficult to spot on the old VHS tape version of Jedi, and his bizarre design confused me – was he actually in the movie? Yes, he was – very briefly. Bonkers design, plus that amazing head-hunter staff make this figure a must have.
Finally, the legendary Yak Face. He wasn’t released in the USA, and despite not being that exciting a character, his rarity is immense. Even loose, Yak Face goes for a fair few quid these days – I bought him for £1.59 back in 85. I’ve still got the card. If he was intact on that card, oh boy… £££! Not that I’d sell him. The Tri-logo version never came with the weapon, but I have a spare so included it here.
And there we have it. The final Kenner/Palitoy wave of Star Wars action figures. Not long after these toys disappeared from store shelves, I’d wander onto other interests that would occupy me (right up till current times!), like skateboarding and music. The Star Wars figures were a huge part of my childhood though, and I’m so happy I still have them.
Of course, Star Wars toys weren’t gone forever. The mid 1990s would see the franchise return, and I’d be right there when it did. Really, the magic never ends.
May the Force be with you!
Please note: all figures are original 1980s Kenner versions. All accessories are original, except where noted.
We were on a family day trip, somewhere on the east coast of England. Scarborough or Skegness, I forget which. There was a toy shop kiosk near the beach, as I remember. That was the first time I was aware of a new wave of Star Wars figures from Return of the Jedi.
I can’t remember if I was able to buy one of the new figures that day, in my mind it was late and the shop may have been shut. Instead I have a vague memory of trying to memorise all of the new characters I’d seen on a cardback. With no internet, this was the only way to create a checklist of what was coming down the line.
Which figure was my first purchase from this second wave, I don’t recall. But it’s a great wave filled with classic characters and further evidence of how Kenner (or Palitoy) were creating more and more detailed toys with great accessories.
Princess Leia Organa in Combat Poncho is a really great figure. The helmet and poncho can be removed, meaning that this version of Leia can be used for several scenes. My version of this figure was again purchased at the very end of the line around 1985, to replace the first one that my sister had bought. As such, Leia is complete and in very good condition.
Han Solo in Trench Coat is another cool figure. The trench coat is removable, so again he can be used for a number of scenes from the film.
Although I never owned a B-Wing Fighter at the time, I did own the pilot. I actually have a handful of these pilots I’ve acquired over the years, with the aim of one day recreating the briefing on Home One scene. Maybe it’ll happen.
Prune Face was a great looking but strange figure. An instant favourite, for years I thought he was another character from Jabba’s Palace. It was well into the 1990’s that I found out he was actually a member of the Rebel Alliance. Soft goods cloak is removable and he has a Wild West looking rifle.
Finally we this wave, we got the main Ewok – the one and only Wicket. Or Wicket W. Warrick, to give him his full title. This figure is tiny, but still a good, accurate representation. Teebo helps build out the Ewok tribe, and again looks pretty detailed. Though he’s not keen on holding his ax.
If I remember correctly, I acquired The Emperor as a special mail away offer, so never had the card (he arrived in a little white box). Not too bad detail wise for the time, at last the fans had the big bad guy to re-enact the film with. Can’t believe I’ve still got his walking stick.
The AT-ST Driver is a fairly simple looking figure, but an absolute must-have. I needed one to drive my Scout Walker (though I bought that later) and the more you have, the more enemy troops there are to fight.
The more of Jabba’s goons there are, the better. NIkto was a nice addition to the gang: a brilliantly designed alien with a cool action figure version. Klaatu (Skiff Guard Outfit) was a little less welcome in my opinion, we already had another one of these aliens in the previous wave, and there were lots of others that could’ve been made. I warmed to him though, he’s a classic.
I was also a bit underwhelmed by the Rancor Keeper, as his screen time was minimal and he wasn’t active in any action scenes. That changed when I added the Rancor to my collection! A classic figure that’s easily found but a necessity, I’m sure this guy was another mail away offer.
Finally from this wave, another character with minimal screen time, 8D8 from Jabba’s droid torture chamber. I always liked this figure because he’s a great design: the legs are just so different from other droids.
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Just to round off this wave of figures, I’ll add the wonderful Max Rebo Band. Sold as a set of three, sadly I didn’t keep the box, but the set is complete with microphones etc. Max is somewhat faded on the arms (a common issue) and Sy Snootles’s legs are a bit warped, but good old Droopy McCool still rocks. The cool thing about these guys, was unlike Episode IV, we actually got a band to add to the alien menagerie.
That’s it for Wave 2. Not the rarest figures, this wave. Stick with me, next time I’ll be sharing details of the legendary Last 17 Star Wars figures. Boba Fett? Not very rare at all. Wait till you see Return of the Jedi Wave 3…
Please note: all figures are original 1980s Kenner versions. All accessories are original.
What a fantastic, sunny summer day it was! Beautiful weather, ideal for a laid back community event at the local park. This year’s Hawarden Classic Car Show, again organised by Deeside Round Table, showcased numerous classic cars from different times and places. There was also a bar, barbecue, music, numerous stalls and rides for the kids.
I turned up primarily to see the motors, photos of some you can see here. But the event itself was a lot of fun, and benefitted from the glorious sunshine.
This year I arrived earlier, and managed to take a photo of the gold Trans Am that eluded me last year. BOOM! Although as I arrived, an amazing yellow Mercury Cougar was rolling away. Never mind – if you scroll to my very first Motors post on Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub, you’ll see the very same car.
There were some favourite cars from last year making another appearance – like the Chevy Impala – and lots of new surprises.
A great mix of vehicles of various types, plus a relaxed afternoon – all good. I finished things off with a couple of ciders (don’t worry, I wasn’t driving). Here’s to more days like this in the future.
You can see last year’s Hawarden Classic Car Show blog here.
Well, that’s it, it’s over – I thought to myself on first perusing this latest entry in the Brown Acid series. The well has finally run dry. The RidingEasy Records archaeologists have eventually reached the end of their previously rich vein of rare, obscure and undiscovered proto-metal and vintage hard rock. How had I arrived at this conclusion? There are only eight songs, compared to the usual ten; with a running time of just 26 minutes.
Then I realised that the final track, an 8-minute-long number by a band called Raven, was missing from the press review download I had. So that extra track would even things out nicely, with a decent longer running time. Though I wouldn’t be able to review every song, at least the existential crisis of NO MORE ROCK had been avoided!
Volume 14 starts of with the great ‘Fever Games’ by The Legends: it’s a rampant, rollicking late 60’s ode to Blue Cheer, Hendrix and Cream. Despite aping Jimi a little too closely, this song is a lively opener. Next up is Mijal & White with ‘I’ve Been You’. This track sounds like the Monkees cutting a particularly noisy song by The Who, which should encourage you to definitely give it a whirl on your gramophone.
I don’t know who Henry is, but thanks to the chunky blues rock of Liquid Blue, I know that ‘Henry Can’t Drive’. This is a more traditional heavy rock number, and as an album highlight it keeps the engine speeding along on a straight track. There’s a fast rock’n’roll MC5 vibe to ‘Signs’ by San Francisco Trolly Co. This energetic song is followed by Blue Creed’s ‘Need a Friend’, a raw and rough brawler. It’s a contrast to ‘Play It Cool’ by Transfer, which reminds me of a revved-up surf track.
‘You’re Not the Only Girl (I’m Out to Get)’ by Appletree finally ushers in some much-needed cowbell. Reminiscent of Grand Funk Railroad and – gasp – even early Kiss, it’s another quality highlight. Ideal for playing in an old, rusty’n’trusty Camaro.
Cox’s Army gives us another Hendrix inspired number with ‘I’m Tired’, which bops along in a true groovy manner. And that, for me, is my last track on my version of “Brown Acid: The Fourteenth Trip”, though as mentioned above, there is another song called
Now this was pretty impressive. A classic car and motors show, right on my doorstep, in Hawarden, North Wales. Plus it was free entry! Organised by charitable organisation Deeside Round Table, with plenty to do and see.
There were vehicles on display from various places and of differing ages, all of them classic. Food and drink; music; stalls to browse; games for the kids – a nice, community, family event on a summer afternoon.
We got there late (I did warn my crew of the potential issues) and some of the cars were already leaving – including a beautiful gold Trans Am that I missed getting a phot of. A word to the wise: when it says the event is on till 4pm, don’t turn up for the last hour.
Any readers of previous Motors blogs at the Virtual Hot Tub will know that I’m a big fan of American classic cars, in particular, muscle cars from the late 60’s and 70’s. There were a few of those types of vehicles on display, plus a healthy showing of British classics from over the years (plus many other countries).
I did manage to take a few photos of the cars on display – hope you enjoy. It’s been a while since a Motors update on at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub, I’ll try harder to update more often.
Following from my recent post featuring my original 1980 Millennium Falcon toy, here’s part two as promised – looking at the revived, reissued version from 1995…
Star Wars toys blasted back to life in the mid-90s, after a decade of inactivity. By that point, I had recently graduated from University and had landed a dream job – working in Toys R Us. It was a stop gap, but I’d always wanted to work in a toy shop. As it transpired, although being an underachiever and not exactly proud of it, I was perfectly situated for the start of the Star Wars toy revival.
Despite grave concerns about some of the new figures (“Why are they so muscular?!”), the new Power of the Force 2 line did feature a lot more detail than their original counterparts. Take, for instance, the new R2D2, who now had sculpted details (and a third leg) instead of just a sticker*.
When the new Millennium Falcon arrived, it was pretty much the same intricate outer that we’d seen with it’s predecessor, but now there was more detail than ever. For a start, the outer had a much better, random and faded darker colours to give it that authentic used-Universe look, and blue (rather than red) engine exhausts.
Inside, there was a more movie accurate background card in the cargo hold, and the holo chess table had a more faithful decal too.
Most of the old features were intact, such as the laser cannon seat and hidden compartment. The latest version was augmented by movie realistic electronic sound effects, rather than the “buzzer” on the old ship.
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The only main issue – which I rediscovered whilst setting up these photos – was, the new macho man figures were just too bulky to fit in the cockpit. That’s why there’s no photo of Han and Chewie flying the piece of junk…
My old 1980 version will always be closest to my heart, but this one is still very cool. The POTF2 Falcon is a fantastic toy: a nice homage to both the previous and the movie versions, plus a big step in updating for the future.
Until, of course, we arrive at the Big Millennium Falcon in 2008. We’ll get to that one another time…
*Disclaimer: I don’t mean to be cruel to the original R2D2 figure, he was my first Star Wars figure and will always be my favourite!
“You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.”
Was it Christmas 1980 or 1981? Whichever it was, it was the best Christmas present ever. After months and months of making a pretend Millennium Falcon out of cardboard tissue boxes, I was suddenly the owner of an actual Falcon. Han Solo’s super fast, hunk of junk smuggler’s freighter was mine, to recreate all the fun of the films.
The Millennium Falcon was the coolest space ship ever. The ship was a central part of the action in Star Wars, almost a character in itself – unreliable, temperamental, heroic. It was the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy and full of surprises – as was the toy.
We already had an X-Wing for Luke, a TIE fighter and landspeeder to play out our memories of the movie scenes (remember: no VCR in those days, kids!). But the Falcon seemed unattainable – surely Kenner/Palitoy wouldn’t be able to make a ship that big, to fit the figures inside?
And then they did. And I got one for Christmas: it was straight out the box, built up and stickers put on by my Dad, and I was ready to go. I still remember that morning now, after weeks of anticipation, hoping that I’d be lucky enough to be rewarded with this toy on the big day.
Kenner (or Palitoy, the UK manufacturer, in my case) delivered a toy that had all the magic of the film. Yes, you could put figures inside it: Han and Chewie could fit in the cockpit. There was a laser gun turret to shoot enemy fighters. A holo chess table to play (“It’s not wise to upset a Wookiee.”). A remote for lightsaber practice and a hidden smuggling compartment to hide from the Empire. It made a buzzing laser gun sound and had retractable landing gear.
The ship looked fantastic on the outside, lots of random detail just like the model in the film. This Millennium Falcon was a toy, but it appeared so accurate it might have been an actual prop from Industrial Light and Magic. That’s how I felt about it, anyway.
Photos here are of my original Millennium Falcon, still with all parts and in the box, which I gratefully received that Christmas morning. After years of play, it’s still all there: a little beat up, a little dirty – just like the “real” thing. As a kid, I liked to make it look more authentic with a good layer of dust and some discolouration: not sure that was a good idea, now.
But what a toy! Literally hours and hours of play value, recreating scenes or imagining my own sequels. An absolute joy.
It was great fun digging out this old piece of junk. I had a blast taking the photos, hope you enjoy them. And remember: “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.”
Come with me as I take a roll down skateboarding memory lane, ollieing the cracks as I go…
Santa Monica Airlines Jim Thiebaud
This classic deck dates back to the late 80’s, I picked it up in 1989 if I remember. At the time the Chester branch of Milletts, the camping and outdoors shop, were stocking skateboards for some reason or other. They had some pretty rad stuff, too.
When the time came to replace my worn out deck and get a new one, I saved up my pennies/swapped vinyl records and got myself this Santa Monica Airlines deck from Milletts.
At least I think that’s where it was from, I can’t remember. Either way, I didn’t support a skater owned shop on this occasion, to my shame.
SMA
SMA were really blowing up at the time, and Jim Thiebaud had been on my radar since I saw the (criminally minimal) footage of him in some of the Powell vids.
Thiebaud was – and is – a supremely cool skateboarder with a smooth, rad style. He was one of those original street pros that I really admired. Along with Gonz, Natas, Guerrero and Vallely, JT was a bona fide street skating pioneer and innovator.
The shape was perfect for me at the time, exactly how I wanted a skateboard to be. It’s still a classic shape now, I really like it. Nice size tail, comfy wide deck – but not too wide. Great street deck of the era.
This deck also had the cool comic book style superhero graphics which I loved. I’ve always been a big fan of superheroes.
Top view
Graphic
However I wasn’t cool enough to get on this particular wave of popularity earlier. If I had, I might have picked up the previous variation on the graphic, which featured a bad guy designed to resemble the Joker. The Batman movie was out around that time, so I guess the whole theme was prominent back then.
So the Joker version had to be scrapped due to some issue with DC Comics, I believe the story goes, and I ended up with the purple suited thug instead.
Side view
Other side
No matter – cool graphic or not, this deck was to be skated. I transferred my Indy trucks and OJII wheels and was ready to go. Well, when I’d also added the Powell Rib Bones as well. Not to save the graphic, mind – in those days the received wisdom (at least amongst my friends and I) was that the rails helped you slide better.
This particular set up was particularly long serving and loyal. It was like a magic carpet that seemed to respond perfectly to my wishes. Honestly, I remember learning tons of tricks on this finely shaped beauty. Footplants and Boneless variations were (still are) major tricks in my arsenal and I learned several on this very set up.
Biggest of all though, was the kick flip. We called it an “ollie kick flip” back then, and it was a pretty desirable trick to own. I learned kick flips on this gorgeously wide beast and was unbelievably stoked. I still remember that first one.
It was well skated – in fact the tail is worn to a sharp and splintered point – but this set up is still skateable. It’s still around as it was replaced with thinner decks and trucks as shapes evolved; thus I never swapped it.
The SMA Thiebaud is still on the garage wall, still looks great, and still gets a roll every now and again. Classic.
Take a close look at the photos and you’ll notice some interesting features:
Madrid Fly Paper grip tape (note the fly shapes cut out)
Rad SMA top graphic
Santa Cruz Cell Block riser pad
A couple of cool stickers from back in the day still hanging in there
The trucks are fitted with Grind King reversed kingpins, there’s even a sticker on the front hanger…
You can see some of the bands I was into at the time from the grip tape art, which I did with Tip-Ex…
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