Batman Returns to Panini Comics UK

Batman returns to Panini Comics UK 17 years after they published the first issue of  Batman Legends.

In 2003, Panini comics in the UK published the first issue of Batman Legends. The first DC comic to copy the ''collectors edition'' style comics Panini had been publishing since 1995 starting with Essential X-Men and Astonishing Spider-man. These comics collected three or four issues of the American comics, wrapped in a cardboard cover. 

The title lasted 41 issues until Panini lost the DC license to Titan Comics UK in 2006 who promptly published their own Batman Legends Volume 2. This would  later be rebranded as simply ''Batman'' and then again as Rebirth: Batman. 

The Titan DC comics always struggled with sales and poor marketing leading to Titan cancelling all their DC titles, including Batman in December 2018. Luckily now Panini have regained the rights to publish DC comics in the UK and have started with Batman: Tales of the Dark Knight. Now however the Collected Editions only contain two issues of the American comics rather than the previous three due to cost restraints. The title has also been prematurely put on hold due to the global pandemic interfering with production of the comic. DC titles just don't seem to have much luck in the UK!

Bucky O'Hare Frix and Frax Figures From Boss Fight

 Boss Fight Studio Storm Toad Troopers can easily be modified into Frix and Frax using the vintage Bucky O'Hare toy line Air Marshall figures hat which fits perfectly into the hole in the slot on the top of the Toad Storm Troopers head. 

Trap Jaw Card Art : Masters of the Universe

 Beautiful card back art from the packaging of Trap Jaw from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe line, the recent Origins series and Filmation He-man and the Masters of the Universe by Super7.

The card back art really helped to capture the imaginations of children in the 80s, showing a glimpse of a dark, barbaric world. Not many toy lines, especially today feature such beautiful art work.

Toxic Crusaders Super7 Toxie

Conan The Barbarian Super7

                                                   He-man, Conan and Lion-O.

Boglins

Transformers Wreckers

With the release of Transformers Cyberverse Rack N Ruin, Transformers fans and collectors finally have a complete set of Autobot Wreckers. Roadbuster, Whirl and Sandstorm from Thrilling 30, Broadside, Topspin and Twintwist from Titans Return, Impactor and Springer from War for Cybertron Siege and finally Rack N Ruin from Cyberverse.
Though Cyberverse has a different aesthetic style to Generations, Rack N Ruin still fit in quite well with the rest of the unit.

Skylynx Transformers War For Cybertron Earthrise

The toy evolution of Skylynx. Generation One, Generations Combiner Wars and War for Cybertron Earthrise Skylynx.

Bucky O'Hare Boss Fight Studio

Small Soldiers Gorgonites

He-man Masters of the Universe Classics

Usagi Yojimbo

Zodiac Toy Stores

Zodiac Toy Stores were a chain of toy stores in the UK that were very successful in the 1980s but unfortunately quickly went out of business in 1990. As a child I would be in heaven every weekend when my parents would take me to my local Zodiac, which I only knew as 'the He-Man shop'. 

 The wall of Masters of the Universe toys seemed as if it reached the ceiling as I stood in awe at all the new characters for me to choose from.

 For a more in depth look at Zodiac toy stores and their history go to https://zodiactoys.wordpress.com/

Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys

 Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys premiered on September 7th 1996 but ended after just 26 epsiodes on June 21st, 1997. The cartoon series followed the adventures of Captain Simian and his crew: Gor-illa, Spydor, Dr Splitz and Shao Lin as they travel the cosmos in their ship the Primate Avenger to protect the universe from the evil Lord Nebula, a half human, half black hole villain who wanted to become a complete black hole to swallow the universe.
The series featured some nice animation for the time and pretty funny writing. Often referencing pop culture movies such as Alien and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Mattel released an action figure line to accompany the animated series in hopes of catching the same success the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had. Though like many before it such as Bucky O'Hare, Street Sharks and Biker Mice From Mars it failed to attract the level of fandom the TMNT had. In fact of all the Turtle wannabes, the Space Monkeys feared the worst and it seems to be a nigh on forgotten show with no DVD release and only fuzzy VHS copies of episodes online. A shame as the cartoon and toy line were both good quality and deserve more of a fan base.

Super Looney Tunes - Bugs Brigade International.

 The Super Looney Tunes were released with McDonalds happy meals back in 1992, amalgamating the Warner Bros cartoon characters with DC superheroes. The set of four was made up by Bugs Bunny as Super Bugs, Daffy Duck as Bat Duck, Porky Pig in drag as Wonder Pig and The Tasmanian Devil as Taz-Flash. 

The gimmick of the toys was that you could switch them from the regular characters of Bugs, Daffy, Porky and Taz to their superhero identities with snap on outfits. 

The Looney Tunes comic at the time featured strips about the Super Looney Tunes naming them the Bugs Brigade International. 

TerrorTeds Werebears Artwork

Beasty Bears

Werebears had been a successful toyline in the UK during the 1980s and moving into the 90s so Hasbro Toys in the USA decided to sub license the concept and re-brand it Beasty Bears for the American market.
The Beast Bears had slightly more simplified designs compared to the UK counterparts that all had unique features from each other. One Werebear had just one fang, one had no teeth and another wore a jumper. The Beasty Bears however all shared the same basic design, the only difference between them being the color scheme. All but one reused the names from the Werebears. Howler, Grizzler and Fang. Gums as a name would not make sense for a bear that still had all it's fangs so instead the final Beasty Bear was called Snarly.

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror issue 11

Tales From The Crypt issue 41 homaged in Bart Simpsons Treehouse of Horror issue 11.

Halloween EC Comic Covers

 A homage to Tales From The Crypt 36 by https://www.instagram.com/dvglzv

 Gripping Tales of Horror by https://www.instagram.com/caseybooth/

Tales of Halloween by https://www.instagram.com/theaterofcreeps/

Skeleton Warriors Collection

Skeleton Warriors figures, comics, books, DVD and Skeleton Fighter knock offs. 

Skeleton Warriors sadly never gained a foothold in the toy market of the 90s but it's influence can still be seen today in the toy industry. Todd McFarlane saw the Skeleton Warriors line at it's initial reveal during a toy fair and was very impressed with the sculpting detail. Other toy companies and designers had been telling him such detail was impossible at the small scale of 4-6 inch action figures. Motivated by what he had seen from Playmates Skeleton Warriors line, Todd went on to insist on such detail in his companies action figures, leading to Movie maniacs which spawned the horror and movie action figure collectors market we see today from the likes of NECA. Hasbro and Mattel also took note of the success of McFarlanes toys and started to put more effort into the detailing of their Marvel and DC toylines Marvel Legends and DC Universe Classics as well as Mattels Master of the Universe 200X series of figures. 

If not for Skeleton Warriors and it's influence on Todd McFarlane, we may not have the many highly detailed collectible action figure lines we do today. 

Skeleton Fighter

 Though Skeleton Warriors proved unsuccessful, it did still spawn a bootleg line that featured reasonably nice quality figures for the time considering they were semi knock offs. They make good army builders for any Skeleton Warriors collection. Though funnily enough they are rarer and harder to find now than the official Skeleton Warrior figures which can be found quite cheap and easily on ebay.