This is Modulok
Modulok: the younger years.
Review: Mattel Masters of the Universe Modulok
Mattel’s Masters of the Universe should never have been as popular as it was in the 80s. A culmination of two years of design and 17 research studies, it nonetheless comes across as a line designed by people who had a very low opinion of kids’ tastes.
Bow-legged, overly muscular, oddly proportioned and modestly articulated, the figures were goofy even by 80s standards. Compared to action figures that preceded them (like the original G.I. Joe) the MOTU figures were a definite step back and compared to other action figure lines available then (like the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line), MOTU seemed doomed to failure.
Yet, spurred by the Filmation series, the line somehow managed to entrance the younger kids. At its height in 1985, MOTU boasted US$400 million in sales and Mattel noted (with what one supposes is wide-eyed amazement) demand for the figures surpassed that for Barbie. The writing was on the wall, however, as Hasbro’s Transformers had showed up by then.
The cunningly marketed Takara-engineered Transformers figures were far cleverer than most toy lines back then and Hasbro cleaned up as both Mattel and He-Man began losing their power. Hasbro surged past Mattel in 1985 to be the number one toy company and MOTU, despite selling 125 million figures in the three years since its debut, needed new ideas. Mattel’s response was to introduce its own transforming figure for its flagship boys’ line.
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This is Modulok
Toy links
Battle Cruiser Robo.
Click on the thumbnail for a closer look at a cool fanmode by MicroBry based on the classic Micronauts Battle Cruiser. It also has a gerwalk mode. (Related: Dave Zav’s Micronauts Veritech Fighter.)
Transformers Henkei Microchange.
A creative fanmode by Misodrill paying homage to Megatron’s Microman origins.
My Little Joker.
A custom My Little Pony by Sarah Tong. (Related.)
Old Master Q.
A Lego MOC by Johnny Tang based on the classic Hong Kong comic character. (More.)
Zizou.
Shaun Wong noted the Saturday Toys x Playhouse Marine Gear Set 2.0 1/6-scale figure had a vaguely familiar head-sculpt.
Breakin’
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by sh1mmer.
Toy review roundup
Blitzwing reviews the Hasbro Transformers Animated Deluxe class Soundwave figure. Excerpt: “So close to perfection …”
yo go re reviews the Hasbro Transformers Allspark Power Incinerator figure. Excerpt: “… he’s nice fun, and that gear system is a real feat of toymaking.” (See also.)
yo go re reviews the Marvel Toys Legendary Comic Book Heroes Stryker figure. Excerpt: “Stryker is a prime example of Image Comics’ early-90s decadence.” (See also.)
yo go re reviews the Hasbro Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection Expanded Universe Yoda and Kybuck figures from the Clone Wars series. Excerpt: “… articulation could be better, but don’t let that scare you away.” (See also.)
Artemis reviews the Hasbro Iron Man Iron Man Mark 01 figure. Excerpt: “Iron Man, Iron Man, does whatever an iron can.” (See also.)
EVA Unit 4A reviews the Bandai Go-Onger GunBir-O combiner comprised of Engine Gattai Series Engine Birca, Engine Gunpherd and Engine Carrigator figures. (See also.)
Terry Dizard reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Snake Eyes (version 4) figure. Excerpt: “What really makes this figure stand out are the accessories.” (See also.)
VBBN reviews the Lego Mars Mission 7649 MT-201 Ultra-Drill Walker set. Excerpt: “This is the best Mars Mission set that has ever been released.”
Retro reviews
Leonardo Flores reviews the Bandai Spiral Zone Super Real Action Type 2 (Brown) 1/12-scale figure. Excerpt: “Like the other Spiral Zone figures the Type 2 (Brown) figure has a top-notch face sculpt.”
Thomas Wheeler reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe Recoil figure. Excerpt: “The figure is superb.” (See also.)
Tom Prankerd reviews the Takara Transformers Collector’s Edition Road Rage e-Hobby exclusive figure. Excerpt: “Even with the usual qualifiers attached to the Car Robot figures, this one’s a bit of a failure.”
NekroDave reviews the Sideshow Collectibles Universal Monsters Henry Hull as Werewolf of London 12-inch figure. Excerpt: “… a fine figure …”
Broken
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by j2dread.
Toy links
Best laid plans.
An amusing Lego diorama by Patuara.
Insector Ninja Manterror.
pisuwo used the Movie Wreckage figure as a base for this Beast Wars-inspired Transformers custom.
AcroPamela.
A Microman Material Force Lady custom with an AcroSpider backpack constructed out of BJPM Geneblock parts.
Stare.
TCM Hitchhiker’s excellent potrait of an intense-looking figure.
Cobra-a-a-a!
An impressive collection.
The Rubber Ducks Brigade.
Are those ninja rubber ducks we see?
Matchbox million.
“A set of 3,500 Matchbox toys, which auctioneers describe as ‘phenomenal’, could raise up to a million dollars for its American owner when it goes under the hammer in Middlesbrough in September.” (See also.)
Tonight on “When Animals Attack!”
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by Jim Doran.
Japanese toy review roundup
The following reviews are in Japanese but they include a generous amount of photos so they’re well worth checking out.
(Please do not hotlink images on these sites.)
Hima-toy reviews the Volks A3 Muv-Luv Alternative F-22A Raptor figure.
Goe reviews the Volks Super Robot Wars Original Generation Full Action Figure Bellzelute Dengeki Hobby magazine mail-order and online exclusive figure. (See also.)
Gamu reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Johannes Krauser II (Satanic Emperor version) Amazon.co.jp exclusive figure from the Detroit Metal City anime.
Gamu and G.S.R. review the Kaiyodo Revoltech Alexander Jagi figure from the Detroit Metal City anime.
G.S.R. reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Johannes Krauser II figure from the Detroit Metal City anime. (See also.)
Gamu reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Camus figure from the Detroit Metal City anime.
Damien Sancho reviews the Yamato GN-U Dou Macross Plus VF-11B figure. (See also.)
Ebi and Nekokami Sigma review the Bandai Mugenbine MugenKnight, MugenLio, MugenUnicorn, MugenLeviathan, MugenPhoenix and the combined form, Mugen Arthur, from Mugen Kenseijyuu trading toy set. (See also: 1, 2, 3, 4.)
Ganhoo reviews the Yamato GN-U Dou Galaxy Cyclone Braiger figure. (See also.)
SR../Blood Zwei reviews the Bandai HCM Pro Gundam Sandrock 1/200-scale figure from the Gundam Wing series. (See also.)
Kaz reviews the Bandai S.I.C Kamen Rider Soukou Hibiki (Sengoku Jidai version) Hobby Japan exclusive mail order figure from the S.I.C. Hero Saga Masked Rider Hibiki Edition Seven Ogres story. (See also.)
Supa and Shishioh review the Max Factory Figma Asahina Mikuru (Uniform version) figure from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi.
Acro_characin reviews the Max Factory Figma Kyon (Uniform version) figure from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. (See also.)
Yuki Bune reviews the Takara Tomy Transformers Henkei C-06 Skyfire and D-04 Ramjet figures.
Hinatatiki reviews the Hasbro Transformers Animated Leader class Bulkhead figure. (See also.)
Tettsun reviews the Takara Tomy Transformers Henkei C-05 Hot Rodimus figure. (See also.)
Toybu reviews the Hasbro Transformers Animated Voyager class Optimus Prime figure. (See also.)
Kuronuko Yamato reviews the Hasbro Star Wars Comic Packs 09 Princess Leia and Darth Vader two-pack from the Star Wars Infinities comic.
Hinatatiki reviews the Takara Tomy Zoids Malder Guylos Specification e-Hobby/International Tokyo Toy Show 2008 exclusive kit. (See also.)
Kuronuko Yamato reviews the Medicom Toy Bearbrick Pepsi Nex x Star Wars Boba Fett figure. (See also.)
Retro reviews
Shishioh reviews the Banpresto Saint Seiya Souchaku Real Cloth II Cygnus Hyoga figure.
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Transformers Beast Wars C-11 Cybershark figure.
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Transformers Beast Wars Neo X-7 ElphaOrpha figure.
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Transformers Beast Wars Neo Break figure from the VS-32 Break vs Dead End set.
Gun0826 reviews the Takara Microman Assassin Force Shouma figure. (See also.)