I’ve collected toys based upon a lot of various things over the years from comic books to movies to television shows and even some original concepts here and there. As I work at pairing down the collection to a more manageable level, I am trying to focus on the things I really, really like and things that have been a part of my life for a significant time. There’s precious little room on the shelves and the budget for flash in the pans!
Star Trek has been a part of my life since I was a toddler, perhaps sooner.
The original Star Trek television series debuted in 1966. I debuted a year earlier in 1965. So there exists the chance that I caught an episode or two during it’s original network broadcast on NBC at some point in it’s three seasons on the airwaves. I don’t really remember watching until it hit syndication, which is where I really became a fan. I used to watch it on KTVU Channel 2 out of Oakland, CA all the time.
I had most, if not all, of the original MEGO action figures back in the day, and like an idiot I got rid of them at some point. I remember the item I really wanted was the Mission to Gamma VI playset. Man, that thing was cool with it’s glove-monster and the strange little plastic aliens. Alas, it was never to be for me…
I’ll confess that my love for Trek has ebbed and flowed over the years. I’ve talked about that before here on AFI. But, it never truly went away. And, I’ve collected a lot of Star Trek toys and models over the years, read a lot of Trek comics and novels, played a bunch of Trek games in arcades (like the awesome Star Trek Strategic Operations Center by Sega circa 1982), on computers and game consoles…not to mention FASA’s Star Trek RPG, and Task Force Games’ (now Amarillo Design Bereau’s) Star Fleet Battles and Federation Commander tabletop starship combat games. I even still have my original copy of the Star Trek Technical Manual.
And, of course (those original MEGOs not-withstanding) I’ve got a mess of Star Trek action figures from MEGO (TMP 3-3/4" figures), Galoob (TNG 3-3/4" figures), Playmates and Diamond Select.
I am also one of those Star Trek fans who are excited as heck about the upcoming JJ Abram’s Star Trek movie! I am really looking forward to it and to Abram’s bringing a much needed breath of fresh air to the franchise. Overall, I think the new cast is terrific and I am dying to see them in action in a couple months. Out of everything I’ve seen so far the only thing I don’t care for is the look of the new phasers. But that’s a pretty darn minor quibble.
Diamond Select Toys has been doing a pretty terrific job with their various Star Trek action figures over the past couple years. In fact, they are largely responsible with reigniting my Trek fire a couple years back after Voyager and Enterprise left me cold. One of the items that excited me the most out of Toy Fair this year was the figure of Mark Lenard’s Romulan Commander character from theTOS episode Balance of Terror. I am hoping DST gives us a regular Romulan Centurion at some point.
What really has me excited, however, is Playmates Toys getting back in the Trek game with their upcoming movie lines, especially the 3-3/4" range. I am pretty darn stoked for those figures. From pics I’ve seen they look pretty cool to me, and are nicely articulated. I would love for Playmates to be able to get a license to do 3-3/4" figures from all the Trek incarnations, but I don’t see DST letting that happen.
The movie looks great (to me), and with Abrams and company really reaching out to a mainstream audience (i.e. not just Trekkies) I hope it’s a monster hit. I also hope Playmates new toys do really well for them and that there’s more to come. Realistically, I am not expecting the line to be another Star Wars but I hope Playmates has the opportunity to mine the depths of both the core characters and background characters and aliens. Time will tell.
But, I am looking forward to boldly collecting them.
Really? I am less excited about the Playmates stuff than I thought I was going to be. I mean, I agree, the 3.75 inch scale? Dream come true. But I was hoping for a company to do that with a bit less of the cartoony look Playmates gives to the ST stuff. I like their original ST line for what it was, but was hoping for something more realistic out of any ST line that went into the 3.75 inch territory.
Well, I’m not saying the Playmates stuff is without flaws (Playmates historically finds a way to fall short in most of what they do), but – yeah – I am still looking forward to them.
Plus, 3-3/4″ stuff almost *always* looks better in hand than in pictures.
Yeah I guess at heart I don’t totally disagree nor will I not pick some up in hopes that any skepticism I have is erased. I should be more open minded in my old age.
Hmmm … the only thing I can say I’m 100% with is the long and tempestuous relationship with Star Trek. The Playmates stuff looks largely like junk to me, I have rarely cared for J.J. Abrams work, and what I’ve seen of the movie doesn’t look anything like Star Trek to me (beyond the casting of Zachery Quinto at least – he looks so much like Nimoy that he sticks out like a sore thumb in comparision to everything else in the movie that’s trying so hard not to look like the original Star Trek). So, yeah, I’m excited not so much. Especially regarding that awful redesign of the Enterprise. Yeeesh.
Speak for your self Hourman, I love the Nu Enterprise design and as far as the cast is concerned I’m all for fresh faces! Plus I’ve been reading the Prequal book Countdown and so far have REALLY enjoyed it! I don’t think I have EVER been this Excited for a movie release in a looooong time! Also I happen to like the look of the new 3.75 TREK figures, I remember having the old galoob TNG figures when I was a kid so this will be a nice trip down memory lane for me when I go down the toy ailes this summer.:)
I believe I *was* speaking for myself.
I’m mostly a TNG/DS9 fan than of the original series but I honestly don’t care about this upcoming reboot. Its almost like a slap in the face to be honest. Hope it bombs just to preserve the integrity of the history of the franchise. While it may not lead to immediate sequels, it will get the Paramount producers in the right head to call for a original cast reunion at least one more time.