Ghostbusters Toys

Boy, I bet these pieces of plastic sure are filling some angry nards with stupidly homicidal rage.

Yes, we're taking one more interlude from talking about animated goodness this month because there are some things worth making time for. One of those things is pissing off people on Twitter and being more amused about it all than I ever expected. One guy there even accused me of attempting to steal followers from him, because fuck knows I'd want people who follow a whiny whipshit like himself to come aboard. Truth is that if you talk to me, I'm probably going to respond. the only messages I don't respond to usually are requests (which get added to the list) and lazy hatemail. Most hatemail I get is depressingly lazy, sadly.

I dream of having a hater as great as AM.

Another thing I love making time for though? Talking about merchandise related to something I already love. And, if you couldn't tell, I'm a big fan of the Ghostbusters franchise. I love the movies, the cartoons, the comics...well, most of the comics...Legion was...yeah, let's move on. When it comes to the Ghostbusters though, it's impossible not to think about the toys. There were so many amazing things to come out the Kenner toyline that it'd be impossible to dedicate one article to them all. And yes, I may very well talk about them later on. But today, we're looking to the new toys, because they are out there and I wanted to check them out. I didn't go too crazy, so I didn't get the full line...mostly because I don't have that much money. But I gave up a nice manageable sum and walked away with some goodies.

Imagine if blind bags actually contained blindness...and also awesome little mini-figures. There'd be a lot of blind geeks.

First up, let's talk mini-figures because I have a long running love affair with them. From M.U.S.C.L.E. to Monster In My Pocket to Battle Beasts to O.M.F.G., I just really dig tiny people and creatures. I was admittedly disappointed in the G.I. Joe Micro Force line, as a lifelong Joe fan, but I'm ready to give licensed mini-figures a chance again. So, I grabbed one each of these blind bags. Like with the Mattel action figures, these come in classic and new flavours, which I love because I firmly believe in mixing things up. In my perfect world, the Ghostbusters is a really large force comprising every single Ghostbuster. Even the Filmation ones, because a man shouldn't have to explain the beauty of a gorilla version of Indiana Jones.

We'll be going over that show someday too. Don't you worry.

I carefully examined both packages before ripping them open. I wanted to see if I could guess who was inside prior to opening them. I reached for the new one first, tore it open and was greeted by a familiar bohunk who still fits that description in this rather super deformed caricaturesque style. Who am I talking about? Well, apparently someone hasn't been watching the trailers.

Even all squished down like this, Chris Hemsworth could probably still steal your girlfriend from you, boys.

Yes, I'm got my very own miniature studly receptionist with dreams of being a Ghostbuster with the ladies. It may surprise you to learn that he actually has articulation too. Sure, it's only a head swivel, but that is something I never even expected, so it's pretty cool they added it. Next up, we're taking a peek in the classic blind bag. Let's see if what's inside it can stand up to Muscles McAussieviking.

OH SHIT! ZUUL, MUTHAFUCKA!!

Yes, within the bag is none other than the badass creature from the original movie, Zuul, here to eat all your food and to make Sigourney Weaver very touchy. I could not be happier with this result, because this feels like a big win for me. Zuul is a great creature design. The only disappointing thing is the lack of paint apps of the eyes and teeth. But hey, I can fix that later myself. But the fun doesn't end there, as I bought a non-blind bagged mini-figure pack. Why? Two words. Slimer and wieners.

He looks so damn happy. Few of us will ever be that happy.

There's no denying it, Slimer was the big draw here. The pack included Melissa McCarthy's character, Abby Yates, and a rather interesting looking horned ghost who seems to be split down the middle in a gruesome manner. They're fun to look at too. Abby has the same head movement as Kevin (Hemsworth) and the split-ghost is made of the same translucent plastic as Slimer and Zuul. Overall, these little figures are very fun and I'm glad I got them. Here's a nice group shot for you.

I love those neons. They make my eyes tingle with excitement.

Moving away from those, the next toy I procured was an action figure that fills a void left in my kaiju shelf area. Namely, it's a Stay Puft figure. It seems to be based on a parade balloon, which does add up because we see what appear to be possessed parade balloons in the new trailers. Very interesting. But, really, he just looks like Stay Puft, so I'm just gonna pretend he is the regular guy.

Watch him as he destroys adorable versions of modern actors before going to slap Gabara in his cry-baby face.

He has ball joints at the hips and shoulders, a swivel head, and swivel wrists, allowing for a surprising amount of movement. His shape doesn't really lend itself to outlandish poses though, sadly. And while he looks great for the most part, he does have some paint marks on the back that I need to scrape off. But it's all forgivable because he has one more extra feature that really sends him over the top for me.

"D E A T H  H A S  C O M E  F O R  Y O U  A L L"

I am a sucker for gimmicks like this. Does it make sense to have Stay Puft light up like a nuclear tomato? No, not really. But come on, HE LIGHTS UP! In his assortment there is also the winged ghost seen at the concert in the trailers and the main villain, Rowan, who is essentially the Ghostbusters logo given physical form. If I had more money, I would be showing them off too, but one must accept their budgetary limitations. They all light up and all seem equally fun. Our final stop on this trip comes in the form of one of the Ghostbusters themselves. I knew I wanted to grab one of them, figuring I'd probably get Patty because she amused me quite a bit in the trailers. But then...a miracle happened because I found what even Matt over at Dinosaur Dracula did not.

Jillian Holtzmann is here to make everyone happy in ways they don't quite understand.

It's no secret, everyone who doesn't blindly hate this film has expressed a love for Kate McKinnon’s character just based on the trailers. This has resulted in her action figure being rather rare already, because scalpers are assholes who love feeding on your toy lust. I got extremely lucky to find her at Target. Maybe my local scalper is protesting Target because of their new bathroom policy? Whatever, I got her, so let's talk about this bad-ass lady. First up, that articulation. Mattel isn't a stranger to good articulation now, but they weren't always the best of friends. I will admit, I don't buy toys very often nowadays. My main toy vice is G.I. Joes and I tend to tear those apart of make new figures, because I'm a sadist who uses customizing as an excuse. But the articulation here? Very nice. Jillian can easily pull off Elvis poses with ease.

It took me like 10 minutes to get her not to fall over. Clearly, I am using my time wisely.

Not surprisingly, she's well sculpted and has some really nice paint applications. I especially like the shading in her hair. And now that I own her, I can finally compare in hand just how obvious her being an homage to to the Real Ghostbusters version of Egon is.

Finally, Egon now has a vagina. My Egon lust has come full circle.

I'd been suspecting it since the first pictures were released, but this hammers it home for me. Jillian is the new movie's Egon. And, nothing against Harold Ramis, but the cartoon version will always be my go-to Egon. Seeing them homage him like this hits me in that nostalgic sweet spot and it really does feel like they're trying to put thing in for the fans while also attempting to bring in a new generation of fans. I am totally on board with that, because too much nostalgia makes it feel like a rehash of what came before. Nods are great, but keeping them subtle like this is best. Jillian also comes with a piece of Rowan, as he's a build-a-figure for the regular line here. I hope to eventually get the others and assemble him, but for now enjoy this picture of her standing on his dismembered torso.

Such is the fate that awaits all who take on the immortal hair of Egon Spengler.

The figures all seem to use the same tooling, with ball joints and many points of articulation, making them extremely posable. I'll have to compare them all if I ever acquire the other figures. For now I will say that my initial impressions regarding these toys are that they're jawsome and worth the price. Every single one, from the mini-figures to Jillian here all feel durable enough for kids to enjoy but are still well made enough in sculpt and character that adult collectors can enjoy them too. So, go check them out for yourself. Tomorrow, I'll be back here to talk about another animated film for your entertainment pleasure. Later days, bleeders.

Word.