HORDE of Weirdos contest winners!

Thanks to all who entered the "HORDE of Weirdos" contest, the first ever contest on this blog. Expect to see more of its kind here in the future, because contests are fun. But for now, let's get to the winners:


First place prize winner (HORDE set): Adam Goode

Second place prize winner (assorted Ironhaus mini monsters): Bigazzhead 

Third place prize winner (Universe of Violence Cedargief): Matthew kaiser


All entries were assigned a number and then I used a randomizer to select the winning numbers. You guys were the lucky ones. Please send your mailing addresses to littleweirdosblog@gmail.com and I will get your prizes out to you.

Another big thanks to Jimmy/Ironhaus Productions for supplying the amazing prizes. Be sure to keep yours eyes on the Ironhaus store and blog to stay on top of all the top-notch stuff Jimmy keeps coming up with.

Mono Minis of the Day: 7/10/13 to 7/25/13

It's double the fun this week! I neglected doing a post on Mono Minis of the Day last week, so today we have 16 bits of little rubber guy randomness instead of the usual eight. Here's who's in this super-sized batch, from left to right, top to bottom:

1. Tree Trunk Monster from Diener Space Creatures
2. Lobsterman from Tiny Terrors From the Deep
3. Jenny Greenteeth from Monster in My Pocket
4. Unnamed guy from Space Ace
5. Vampire from Vampires (by HEI)
6. Neil Armgone from SLUG Zombies
7. Mimic from Neclos Fortress
8. Checkmate from Ultimate Muscle
9. Mace from Mini Boglins
10. Higekami / Beardfist custom keshi
11. Minotaur from Diener Mythology Creatures
12. Muggin Megan from Garbage Pail Kids Cheap Toys
13. Thing from Handful of Heroes
14. A robot from Ro-Gun Robots
15. Merrow from Monster in My Pocket
16. A wrestler from Musclemania

Madball of Death

WHAT: One of the latest custom toy creations to come from Zectron, the Madball of Death takes inspiration from everyone's favorite crazy monster balls from the 1980s while adding an extra touch of twisted.

As he did with his popular custom Critters-inspired figure and his Kesh-E-Face figure, here Zectron plays on the nostalgia so many people feel for a beloved '80s series in a majorly awesome way. The design features not only an outer rubber shell sculpted to have two different faces--an evil skull or an equally evil cyclops--depending on which way you turn it, but also the ability to be opened to hold a smaller rubber tentacled parasite figure inside. Produced through a collaboration with Tru:Tek, who casts these suckers up beautifully, the two halves of the outer shell are held together with small magnets so you can easily remove the parasite and then place it inside again when you're ready to send it back into its dark lair.

I really love the ambitiousness of this toy as well as the creepiness of the general idea behind it--a formidable-looking monster shell housing an evil, tentacled mass inside, bent on destruction. What makes it even cooler is the header artwork Zectron teamed up with Ralph Niese to create, which depicts the ball baddies flying around in all their demonic glory on a planet apparently inhabited by buxom space babes.

The Madballs of Death have already been produced in a few different color varieties, each one using a different color for the outer shell and the parasite inside (for example, a black shell with a neon pink parasite and vice versa, or a blue shell with an orange parasite and vice versa). Like the Critters-inspired keshi, this is one that I imagine most keshi and custom toy collectors are going to own at least one of--it's just that cool.

WHEN: The first versions of the Madball of Death became available for sale early in summer 2013.

WHERE: So far, there have been a few different versions of the Madball of Death sold via man-e-toys.com / Tru:Tek, created for various conventions with remaining stock offered online afterward. Zectron and Tru:Tek are planning a general release for this piece starting in August.

WHO: As mentioned above, the Madball of Death was designed and sculpted by Zectron, with production handled by Tru:Tek.

Mystical Warriors of the Ring: Leo Corazon

When I went to C2E2 back in April, one of the coolest toys I picked up there was the debut set from an indie line called Mystical Warriors of the Ring, a universe of animal wrestlers created by Fantastic Plastic Toys and produced in collaboration with Marty "The Godbeast" Hansen and various other artists. In my initial post on the line I covered the debut set in detail, including the first two figures--Goliath and Ulric Wolfrom--as well as its wrestling ring and packaging. Since then, Fantastic Plastic Toys has unleashed the line's second release--the lion wrestler Leo Corazon. The release was titled "War Games," centered around the story of Leo going up against Ulric in the ring.

As with the first two figures, Leo was released in a few different color options: Metallic orange, Aztec gold and thermal color change orange/yellow. Once again, I got the color change material. As I mentioned before, there's something about it that gives the figures a slightly translucent appearance which makes them look extra cool. When placed in warm water, Leo changes from a deep orange to a bright lemon yellow. Both colors are very appealing and apropos for the lion-nature of the character. I really love how for a short time when the colors are transitioning, you can make Leo a mixture of both orange and yellow. The colors really make the figure pop.

As for the sculpt itself, Leo is very nicely detailed for his small 1.5" size (Goliath the crocodile is still the massive giant when it comes to MWOTR) and comes in a basic-but-battle-ready stance that makes him look like he's standing in the ring roaring, about to pounce at any second. One of my favorite little details on the design is how his tail wraps around his left leg. As far as material, Leo is done in the same urethane material as the past figures, which gives him the feel of a light, hard plastic. It should also be noted that The Godbeast does an excellent job with the casting of these figures--they come out looking incredibly clean; in terms of casting I can't really find any flaws on my Leo figure, which isn't something that can be said about the majority of indie toys.

There was once again a lot of work put into the presentation of this MWOTR release. Leo came packaged individually on a firm cardboard backing featuring cool artwork of him on the back, with the figure placed in a plastic bubble that can be reattached. Also included are a a few different trading cards featuring art by Nathan Newell and Levi Hoffmeier, a larger card with the backstory of the Leo vs. Ulric match, and a realistic event ticket for the match. All of these added elements really help make the MWOTR releases extra special.

Leo quickly sold out when he went up for sale earlier this month, but a post on the MWOTR website indicated that a re-release could potentially happen, so be sure to follow the site for any updates and that and other news with the line.

I have to say, probably what I love most about Mystical Warriors of the Ring is that it's founded upon such big ideas. The creators aren't just making figures, they're making a multifaceted little toy world consisting of involved character stories, a range of corresponding artwork, accessories, carefully-crafted and detailed packaging, animation and more. You have to admire the passion that's obviously going into this line. I am definitely a fan, and am looking forward to the next release, Johnny "Treegarr" Stumpz, which comes out in August.

The HORDE of Weirdos Contest: Win cool toys from Ironhaus Productions!

I've been meaning to run a contest through this site for a while, and kept putting it off. Well, the time has finally come. Here is the lowdown on the Little Weirdos "HORDE of Weirdos" Contest, running from now until Monday, July 29!

Thanks to awesome contributions from Jimmy Rommel / Ironhaus Productions--who's been steadily cranking out top-notch toys like Universe of Violence, Gorewad Monsters, HORDE and Micro Bastards--there are some truly kickass prizes up for grabs. Make sure you are following Jimmy's blog and visiting his store often to keep up with all the creations coming out of the Ironhaus lair.

Before we get to the contest rules, let's take a look at the prizes you'll have a chance to win:


FIRST PLACE PRIZE
A complete set of packaged HORDE ToyCon UK 2013 exclusive figures, sculpted by Jimmy and produced by TruTek as part of the larger HUSTLE line. This includes all three figures: Horde-Ape (packaged individually) plus Mer-Mace and Man & Eel (packaged together). These figures are cast in a slightly pearlescent flesh/pink rubber and are all-around amazing!

SECOND PLACE PRIZE
An assortment of four Ironhaus rubber mini monsters, pulled from Gorewad Monsters, Micro Bastards and even Jimmy's custom sculpt of an unreleased Fistful of Aliens figure, Dr. Dark!

THIRD PLACE PRIZE
One of my personal favorite figures from the Universe of Violence line--Cedargief--in orange rubber!

CONTEST RULES:
Now, here's what you have to do to get in the running:

1. Follow this site. If you haven't already, the first step is to click "Join this site" on the right side of this page under where it says "Followers." You need to be a Little Weirdos follower in order to win.

2. Leave a comment on THIS POST that mentions a toy line, past or present, that you'd like to see covered here on Little Weirdos. This will get you one entry into the contest.

3. BONUS: Get other people to follow this site and get them to say you sent them. For every person you get to follow the site and leave a comment on THIS POST mentioning your username to indicate you were the one who referred them, you will get one extra entry. For example, if you get 5 people to follow the site and leave a comment with your username, you will earn 5 additional entries into the contest to give you a greater chance of winning a prize!

Entries will be accepted until 8 p.m. CST on Monday, July 29th. Then, I will compile all the entries and randomly select winners for the first, second and third place prizes. Results will be announced on this site on Tuesday, July 30th, after which winners will need to email me their mailing addresses.

Thanks for reading and good luck to all!

Mordles: 2013 revival

WHAT: There were a lot of wonderfully strange toys to come out of the 1980s, but one of the most notable for its off-the-wall coolness was a line by Ideal Toys called Rocks and Bugs and Things. Basically, the line consisted of plastic monsters that on the outside looked like harmless rocks or (kind of) normal bugs, but when a button was pushed would show their true identities as horrific monsters out for blood and destruction. What many collectors remember most about the line, though, are the companion mini figures that came with the main attractions. These were known as Mordles, and were basically one-inch tall, globby, disgruntled-looking gremlin creatures that kids could use as chow for the monster rocks and bugs.

Well, fast forward a couple decades, and the Mordles accumulated a solid fan base among toy collectors. So much so that the little buggers begin fetching a pretty penny whenever they show up for sale online. Thankfully, collectors who are interested in Mordles but aren't willing to put the time or money into tracking down the originals can now easily add some to their collections.

Behold, the new Mordles!

New versions of the Mordles came to be when John Kent of Toyfinity purchased the rights to some of the old Ideal Toys brands and decided to bring Mordles into the current millennium.

And they're pretty damn great. I think it's safe to say new Mordles aren't going to go the way of New Coke. Mainly because the new Mordles carry all the same elements of the original figures that collectors know and love, and even make a couple genuine improvements.

The initial release from the new line consists of two sets of 10 Mordles each: one yellow set with blue painted features (the "Standard" pack) and one blue set with yellow painted features (the "Crawler" pack). The 10 different sculpts are the same in each of the two sets (and essentially the same as the '80s figures), but the yellow set comes with a bonus egg, which pops open and can be used to store both sets of Mordles. The egg comes from the old Manglors toy line, which Toyfinity also has the rights to. A very nice addition! It's the perfect place to keep the Mordles when they're not out trying to avoid becoming something's dinner.

As for the Mordles themselves, although they incredibly similar to the original figures, there are a couple differences that set them apart: For one, they are made of a softer plastic, so they have a slightly rubbery feel as opposed to the harder plastic of the originals. Not soft enough to be easily damaged, but soft enough to have a better texture when you hold them. They also have painted toenails, whereas their '80s counterparts do not, which makes them pop a bit more. Oh, and they no longer have copyright details on them, which is another element that means they shouldn't be mistaken for the originals.

While all 10 different Mordles have a similar look (mean-looking facial features, pointy ears, big feet), there is some variation among them. Some of them are taller and skinner, while others are short and stubby. Some look amused in an evil sort of way, while others look like their best Mordle buddy just got eaten by a rock. And a couple have unique touches like stilt-like legs or backwards feet.

Overall, the new Mordles serve up a very appealing brew of '80s nostalgia, collectability and effective simplicity, and from what I've seen around, they're pretty much an instant hit with mini figure collectors. And at $16 for the yellow set with the egg and $12 for the blue set, they're very reasonably priced. Based on all these factors, I expect we'll see a lot more to come. Bring on the Mordle rainbow!

WHEN: While original Mordles came out in the mid-'80s as part of the Rocks and Bugs and Things toy line, the new Mordles first became available in late June 2013.

WHERE: The new Mordles are available through the Toyfinity online store.

WHO: Original Mordles were released by Ideal Toys. The new Mordles are from Toyfinity, which describes itself as a "collaboration between toy industry professionals, historians and enthusiasts."

Mono Minis of the Day: 7/2/13 to 7/9/13

Here's the latest batch of the LittleWeirdos "Mono Mini of the Day," as posted over the past 8 days on the LW Instagram and Flickr. The lineup this time consists of:

1. Neclaga from Neclos Fortress
2. Mummy zombie guy from Monsters and Goblins / Terrible Monster
3. Robot from L-Gaim bootleg vending machine keshi
4. Planetman from MUSCLE / Kinnikuman
5. Piranha Plant from Super Mario keshi
6. Stroll from OMFG
7. Grabber Ghost from the Real Ghostbusters
8. Mutant monster thing from an unnamed line of monster party favors

Warriors of the Galaxy / knockoffs

1980s Warriors of the Galaxy figures plus green & orange 1990s vending bootlegs

WHAT: There are so many toy lines that came out of the Masters of the Universe-spurred fantasy craze of the 1980s--many very obscure, but also very cool. Marty Toys' "Warriors of the Galaxy" is a perfect example. These toys are very similar to DFC's line of fantasy playsets from the era in that they consisted of playset pieces and a play mat along with various hard plastic mini figures, although they combine the MOTU-type fantasy style with an outer space element.

If you visit this thread over at the Action Figure Archive forums, you can learn a lot of little details about Warriors of the Galaxy toys and see many photos of a boxed and unboxed playset, including vehicles, weapons and an electronic castle piece that came with the sets.

I don't own a full playset, but I do own a few of the mini figures that came with it. At least I kind of do. From what I have read over at the LittleRubberGuys.com forums, there were many bootlegs of the original Marty Toy figures produced over the years, and I'm pretty sure what I have are some of those. In any case, the figures were made of either gold or silver/gray monochromatic hard plastic, featuring an assortment of both beastly and heroic characters that could be used to engage in space battle. As shown in the Action Figure Archives thread linked above, there were at least 10 different characters split into either "Golden Heroes" or "Galactic Demons." I really like how strange and crazy some of the creatures look.

The figures I own have some markings underneath their bases as shown in the photo to the right. I also have slightly smaller day-glo green and day-glo orange knockoffs of two of the characters as shown in the second photo, which I remember getting in a toy vending machine in the mid-1990s.

Warriors of the Galaxy is definitely a noteworthy piece of 1980s fantasy toy nostalgia, especially if you get into the really obscure stuff like I do. I'm hoping to add more of the figures to my collection soon.

WHEN: Circa 1983

WHERE: Sold at least in the U.S., and possibly other countries.

WHO: The original Warriors of the Galaxy figures/playsets were produced by Marty Toy, a company which I don't believe made it out of the '80s. One of the other toy lines they produced is Outer Terrestrial Creatures, a set of weird-looking little alien bendables.

Mono Minis of the Day: 6/24/13 to 7/1/13

Here's the latest batch of the LittleWeirdos "Mono Mini of the Day," as posted over the past 8 days on the LW Instagram and Flickr. The lineup this time consists of:

1. Turtle-crab alien from Galaxy Laser Team
2. Erik the Dead from SLUG Zombies
3. Lizardman from Dragons 'n Monsters
4. Watchman -- MUSCLE/Kinnikuman vending machine bootleg
5. Alice Island from Garbage Pail Kids Cheap Toys
6. Robot-centaur guy from Panzer World Galient keshi
7. A monster from Gorewad Monsters
8. Coatlicue from Monster in My Pocket

What do you think of these mono minis?