Comments on: Decisions, decisions.

By: DanMan

DanMan — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:47:55 +0000

Wow, that is one fantastic detailed blog. Thanks for writing it, it was fun to take a tour down memory lane.

By: Edward

Edward — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:49:29 +0000

I loved the playmates Dick Tracy figures. I tried collecting most of them as a kid, and was very dissapointed I could never find the Blank. I think they would have been a bore if they looked too much like real people.

By: Jason "Plastic Soul" Lenzi

Jason "Plastic Soul" Lenzi — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:00:11 +0000

I know it’s just a matter of opinion, but as a fact, the ‘Dick Tracy’ line happened to suck. And smoking dope does not make that true. As for Dapol, are you referring to the warehouse fire? Yes, that hurt them and set them back, and they had/have my sympathies. But speaking as someone who deals with the politics of bringing these plastic dreams to life, it’s astounding that 80% of their stuff ever made it to release. We’ve spent 5 months on a single bobble head because a certain network is being obsessive about beard stubble. There aren’t enough excuses in the world to forgive how they handled ‘Who’.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:45:19 +0000

Great Blog buddy!

By: Newton

Newton — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:53:03 +0000

The Dick Tracy figures were awesome. You must be smoking some dope. Fair call on the Dapol Who guys, though they had a few reasonable excuses as to why some of their crap sucked so bad.

By: GLsector666

GLsector666 — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:55:46 +0000

Why? Some executives think that whatever garbage they produce (whether its toys or movies) will be immediately gobbled up by the GUM (Great Unwashed Masses) because we’re too dopey or to apathetic to care about quality, especially as it relates to a hot property.

By: Zach Oat

Zach Oat — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:48:51 +0000

Man, one year at Toy Fair I saw a line Toysite had planned for the MIB animated series (which I never watched), and the toys looked amazing. Great design, playability… everything the movie line should have been. Naturally, they were never released, because retailers probably STILL had unsold merch on their pegs. They don’t live up to my memories, but here they are:

http://www.toymania.com/toyfair2000/toysite/mib.shtml

By: Russ

Russ — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:51:18 +0000

Fantastic post!

The Dick Tracy line, as far as I’m concerned, was just the Ninja Turtles line with the heads of the Dick Tracy villains; little more.

By: Hourman

Hourman — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:20:17 +0000

Well that was just a pleasure to read. Kudos, magical Plastic Soul man.

By: Hourman

Hourman — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:18:25 +0000

I wish you didn’t feel like you had to beat around the bush so much, Chip.

By: demoncat

demoncat — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 01:18:16 +0000

nice post and all valid points. for i remember seeing the willow figures and how the stores could not even get rid of them.fast enough plus wondering what Lucas was thinking to approve the toys like that. as for Dick Tracy i actully liked how they tried to capture prune face plus its one of the few toy lines to have a figure aka dan the tramp removed from circulation due to negative reaction. for like movies the toy industry has had its bombs.

By: Robb

Robb — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 01:00:35 +0000

I was 6 when Willow came out and I had every figure made in that line because, being 6, it took a couple of viewings before realizing it wasn’t the second coming of Star Wars. I never understood how Tonka ended up with that line anyways, considering the good relationship Lucasfilm would have had with Kenner at that point.

I liked those Dick Tracy figures as a kid too, until I saw the movie (I can appreciate now as a fairly unique vision for a comic book film, but at the time it was getting Batman-like buzz that I didn’t think the movie itself earned).

By: Chip Cataldo

Chip Cataldo — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:40:00 +0000

Great read, Jason. It brings to mind the rage I feel when thinking about the Fantastic Four movies & most of the toy lines. I hate those turds and will beat the piss out of any executive involved in those movies.

By: John Cage

John Cage — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:39:06 +0000

Even at the time I knew the Dick Tracy toys were weird and ugly looking, but that didn’t stop my six year old self from collecting them and playing with a friend who also had them (I think he had the whole set too).

But yeah, they all have that weird leg shape that the early Ninja Turtles toys had.

Have a good day.
John Cage

By: j1h15233

j1h15233 — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:35:47 +0000

Great blog! I will admit though that I have fond memories of that Dick Tracy action figure. It was the first toy that I remember owning and I still have it to this day. The little accessories are long lost of course but Dick lives on!