Turdsday's Back, Back Again...Playmates 2015 SDCC Exclusive Edition

Turdsday was a regular installment we started a few months back. The idea was to come up with a new one every Thursday. We tried it out for a bit, and some people seemed to like it. With that said, we decided it wasn't really worth the time and effort. We decided to save it for special occasions for when a toy company really shits the bed. Well, today is that day!

Today's special TURD of the Day is the one and only Playmates Toys. I am one hugely disappointed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. Last night at midnight they finally announced what their SDCC exclusive item would be. They hyped it up for days and days and were planning to announce it on Sunday night at midnight. Product aside, that was a stupid PR move that made no sense. It only seemed to piss people off. Some genius at their corporate office was like "Hey guys! I have the greatest idea ever. Let's tease this shit for two weeks straight, make everyone wait, and then announce it on a SUNDAY night at MIDNIGHT when everyone is sleeping!" Yeah, awesome idea guys! You guys are so smart! Meanwhile, every other toy company in the world was pumping out press releasees left and right in regards to their exclusives.

At least, Playmates changed their minds and moved the reveal date from Sunday up to Wednesday (still at midnight), but only after many TMNT fans complained to them...and the fact that the item leaked online (or at least rumors) and everyone pretty much already knew what it was!

So on to the super disappointing Playmates SDCC exclusive. For a few days leading up to yesterday fans online were already speculating what the exclusive would be....a Metal Mutants Leonardo. I was NOT thrilled with that choice and was really hoping that the rumors were not true. I wasn't even a fan of the original, but if that is really what they chose then I figured it would be a retro homage similar to the figure below.

That crap is bad enough, but I could live with a retro homage of sorts. Well, last night comes and the big reveal happens (at midnight which again is stupid bad PR move). Sadly, the rumors were not false. We are getting a 11" Metal Mutants Leo...based off the NEW figures. Uhhhhh!!!! I am an enormously huge TMNT fan, but this looks like crap. To add insult, to injury word is they will be releasing a similar item to retail in the future. I have gotten the last three Playmates TMNT SDCC exclusives, but I am not wasting money on this one. It will be the first one I don't get, and frankly, Playmates doesn't deserve my money. They take a retro idea and then instead of doing a homage they ruin it with this...

Playmates has shown to us over and over again that they do not care about their fans or the collectors market in general. Fans of the original TMNT line have been getting the shaft from Playmates big time over the last year or so. When Playmates decided to come out with the retro and classic lines I know that many TMNT fans such as myself were very excited. Personally, I picked every single one of the original retro reissues. I also got all of the bigger, articulated classic line figures...all four cartoon Turtles, all four movie turtles, and Bebop and Rocksteady. Playmates was really on to something. They really got their fans excited when they announced that they would be coming out with a classic version of both Krang and Shredder!!! Talk about kick ass! However, right when they got us all hyped up about it they turned around and pulled the plug on the project. What the hell, right? Us retro fans get the shaft once again.

Playmates is only hurting themselves with these moves. Most of us have zero interest for their crappy, new figures with horrid paint apps. It's like they don't even care. It's like they just lazily slap together a piece of crap and rush it to the shelves. This is not acceptable. 

Playmates, you ignore your hardcore adult collector fan base at your own peril. We will just go elsewhere to get the products that we want. A great example is the new third-party First Gokin NT-01 Cerebral figure. Yes, it's pricier, but it is exactly EVERYTHING we have always wanted in an Android Krang figure. If Playmates decided to stick to their plans and make a Krang I bet a good number of people would have bought their version because of the price difference. However, by scrapping Krang they forced their fans to go buy from another company.

It ended up being a blessing in disguise because the First Gokin figure is kick ass! I'll gladly stick with them...even with the hefty price tag.

Also, word is First Gokin will be releasing a Krang Walker version and a Shredder. You better believe that I will be getting them.

 

So bottom line: Playmates, step your game up because your shit's weak!

Regards,

A disappointed TMNT fan

Turd of the Week: ReAction, ReAction What's Your Function?

I admit, I had the very same ReAaction the first time I saw ReAction figures in stores.

When ReAction figures first came out I knew they weren't for me, but I did think it was a cool idea. It was a neat homage to the old school figures of the 70's. Just basic figures with five points of articulation. I thought it was pretty cool to be able to get some of these old-style figures in lines that we only dreamed of having when we were growing up. For example, I dug the ALIEN figures they did (particularly the Chest Burster). 

Sadly, what started out as an original, fun idea morphed into a played out, blatant money grab by Funko. I can't say I really blame them. Making money is the name of the game in the business world after all. However, that doesn't change the fact the these figures are, for lack of a better word, turds.

The Alien figures made sense and fit right into the throwback idea they started out as. Now, they are just making these figures for any and all licenses that they can get their hands on (just like they do with the Funko Pop Vinyls). So they started out with Alien and then somehow came up with the brilliant idea of making throwback-style figures for current TV shows such as ARROW and FLASH. Uh huh. Makes zero sense. Again, the chance to cash in trumps common sense or making good products for the customers.

If that wasn't bad enough, they have also begun to come out with some super unoriginal figures. One clear example is ReAction's Heat Vision Predator figure. Hmmm...I wonder where they got that idea? It sure reminds me of NECA's Thermal Vision Dutch. So not only is it NOT original, but the idea of this figure makes zero sense! Is the Predator looking at himself in the mirror or what? This figure just leaves me asking, "what the hell are you?"

Lastly, and this is strictly my opinion, but these figures are WAAAAAY overpriced! I wouldn't pay five dollars for one of these let alone ten dollars. They have no functionality and no likeness. Essentially, they are a hunk of plastic. I would pay, maybe, $3.50 for one of these. Even then, these are only good for little kids who are going to take them outside and bury them or beat the living hell out of them.

Again, the idea at the beginning was a noble one, but it has now gotten ridiculous. There will now be a ReAction figure for every freaking single license they have. Honestly, who can blame them? As long as there are chumps out there shelling out their hard earned cash on these pieces of crap they will continue to suck out every last cent out of these while they can.

Happy Turdsday!

As always, feel free to join us for more discussion over on Twitter: @cobrashadowjoes

"Turtle Turtle" Playmates Turd of the Week

Playmates

This week's Turd definitely belongs to Playmates and their TMNT Mutations line.  Yes, all of us collectors know that the majority of their TMNT items are not made for us but for the kids that are going to just bash them together.  Playmates was making some progress with the larger classic TMNT line they created along with the movie Turtles.  There was even talk of making a Shredder and Krang for this line, but that was cancelled due to retail not wanting this product.  To think, after these two figures we could have had a Foot Soldier, Casey Jones, April O'Neil, Splinter, and I can just keep going. 

So why is Playmates making these turds for figures?  Money... period.  The paint apps are not done well, and none of the figures look appealing to the people that loved the vintage TMNT.  Playmates is running out of ideas, as are a lot of toy companies...and now they are making these crappy Mutations figures.  I just can't see the fun in having a bunch of Frankenstein TMNT toys to play around with.  I will admit when I was a kid I wasn't using the same weapons that came with my figures, or maybe swapping a pair of legs or something.  This was all done in boredom. When you have been playing all day with your friends and you just feel like doing something different to your toys. 

So how do you feel about Playmates as a whole?  Do you like the turds being released, or are you craving third party figures like the Krang that will be released shortly by First Gokin.  I am a strong TMNT collector, but Jon's true number one love is TMNT, and I can tell you he isn't happy at all.  Over the past few weeks we have called out two companies that were once making classics that we loved but are now looking in the toilet after a #2 to get their ideas.  "Hey, look at that, I see a mutated Rocksteady and a few peanuts in the toilet, PERFECT!"  The more we write these weekly TURD articles the more I realize how bad things have gotten for all of us collectors.  Yes, we will always find something to buy, but will we ever like it as much as those classics we had as a kid?  Simple answer; NO. 

Playmates, you looked in the toilet and made a new toy line, you inspire me to use the bathroom as much as possible.  In fact, I am done writing this and going to release the next wave of Playmates turtles mutations line.

GO TURDS!!!

It's Turdsday and Hasbro made the list..

Hey everyone!!! This is Dixel Pan!!! Nahhh, it's not Dixel...it's Steve and Jon!  Today is Thursday and it's time to discuss the phatty turd dropped by Hasbro over the past week.  Hasbro decided to release all of your least favorite GI JOE items in colors that make the Toxo-Warriors look super dope.  Hasbro has been letting the GI JOE line slip through their finger tips for a while now.  They had a great idea with the 25th anniversary figures and vehicles that all mostly looked like upgrades.  

Now after the 25th anniversary line came, many more lines followed (between the movies and other ideas Hasbro had).  This brings me to their announcement this week of a crap load of TURDS!  The majority of these repaints show zero originality and leaves me with NO desire to buy these turds.  

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So Thank YOU, HASBRO!  Thank you for providing all of us fans with colors that look like our dog barfed on our GI JOE's!  I always wanted a RED alligator to go with my Green one.  Yes, that is a vomit yellow and green Blowtorch...and if you really want to buy him just wait about 6 months when he is marked down to$1.00 at TRU.

I love GI JOE and generally buy anything that is made for this line.  The majority of this repainted mess I will not be buying this time.  Someone on Twitter asked me what was announced and I said "Ah Repaints and um yeah repaints."  

Way to go Hasbro, thanks for releasing a nice TURD when I was already feeling kinda bloated.

Instead of announcing a 6" Black Series line, which fans WANT extremely bad they just give us this same old crap. It is sad to see this line dying, but that's what happens when those in charge neglect it so badly.

So in other words, this is what Hasbro thinks of you, loyal G.I. JOE fans...

YO JOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Happy Turdsday!

Look Out Below, It's TURDSDAY

Today, on this fine #turdsday, we present to you a new weekly feature that will take place here at Cobra Shadow Joes. Without further ado, welcome to Turdsday. Every Thursday (now known as Turdsday) we will present you with something toy related (a particular toy company, toy line, a toy/figure, toy spokesman/PR guy/owner, etc) that we choose as our Turd of the Week.

Now, we realize that this will rub some people the wrong way. Some toy companies may be upset as well as their loyal fans. We hope that people will not take this too seriously and will be entertained by this. I know we are bound to get a few angry emails as we have in the past from toy companies because of our Twitter posts. We realize that, but we also realize we have to be real to ourselves and to our fans. I think many of you guys like us because we are regular guys and fans just like you. No gimmicks. We don't use fake, overly enthusiastic voices when doing reviews or anything like that. We don't just kiss the butt of every company out there either. If you put out a product that is cheap or sucks we will call you out. If your customer service is terrible we will call you out. If you treat your fans like garbage we will definitely call you out.

Most importantly, this is our OPINION! Feel free to disagree with us. We expect that so have at it. While we are serious about what we think are "turds" this is also kind of a half joke...so don't take this too seriously. If you email us asking why we are "dissing" your product then you just don't get it. Don't be so worried about what we're saying and take it out on us. Rectify the problem and make your product/attitude/whatever-it-may-be better. Also, I will have a lot more respect for you if you can take a good ribbing and joke with us rather than sending an irate email. Not every product can be a home run. We totally get that, but since we are spending our hard-earned money on your products we expect the best and are allowed to voice our opinions. Also, not everything we will discuss is necessarily bad. It could just be something that WE don't like or get. There's a market out there for everything. Some of the things we pick we can totally understand why some others might like it, but it's just not for us. Again, this is strictly our OPINION. So, if we pick one of your favorite toys don't Hulk out. Don't be that guy.

We want you guys, our awesome fans, to participate and take part in all of the fun with us. Every Turdsday we want you to join us on Twitter ( @cobrashadowjoes ) and share your own TURDS by using the hashtag #turdsday. This is basically an online version of conversations and debates that we have all of the time, and we want to open this conversation up to you as well.

Ok, so now that is out of the way...let's get down to business. The honor of our first ever Turd of the Week goes to.....Diamond Select Toys...specifically their line of home/kitchen/office products. As a collector do you know what I am NOT looking to spend money on?  I have absolutely no need or desire for expensive coin banks, bottle openers, letter openers, ice trays, gelatin molds, pizza cutters, etc. Yes, they may be connected to cool characters such as Godzilla, Alien, Predator, and Ghostbusters, but that is not enough to get me to spend my hard earned money on stuff like that.

Give me a budget of $20-$25 and then give me the choice of a Predator bottle opener or a Predator figure. Hmmm...now that is a tough one. Do I want to spend roughly 20 bucks on a metal bottle opener or do I want to spend that on a awesome, articulated figure that comes with accessories? That is just a no brainer to me! I don't think a pizza cutter, ice tray, or bottle opener would flow too well in my collection room either!

Again, I realize there is a market out there for everything, but these are just things that leave us scratching our heads. Every time I see these products I immediately think "who buys this stuff?" Now, obviously people out there must buy it or else they wouldn't keep making it. That would just be bad business.

Now to be fair, Diamond Select Toys does make some other cool products. While we aren't into them very much there are many out there who enjoy the Minimates quite a bit. By far, my favorite line they produce is their Marvel Select line. To prove that I am not just some rabid Diamond Select Toys hater here is a picture of my Marvel Select collection at the moment...

Now again, remember this is strictly our personal opinion. Don't be upset if we picked one of your favorite things as our Turd. There will be many turds to go around. Feel free to have a friendly discussion about this on Twitter. Diamond Select Toys does do some very cool stuff. It's just that we find the home/kitchen/office products to be about as interesting as a Zach Oatmeal spoon. Hopefully, companies can be cool and laugh at this with us all and let it roll of their shoulders. Companies that are cool with their fans and who "get it" are great at that.

We hope that you have enjoyed this new feature to our website and got a laugh out of it. Please, join on us Twitter and share with us your very own turds by tagging us on Twitter and using the hashtag #turdsday