Hey Kids! It's "Buggy Truck Dozer" "Diecast Robot Car": Bootleg Gobot Buggyman Love

Picked up this bootleg Gobot / Machine Robo figure recently. I used to be fascinated by the various bootleg robot toys of the 1985-1986 transforming toy boom. I think 9 year old me used to think they were imports (I had bought a couple of Macross imports at the time Robotech was hitting big from a local comic shop and was told they were from Japan). So, basically anything that didn't look like a normal Transformer or Gobot packaged toy was probably an import in my kid-brain. (Also didn't help that some bootlegs still had Japanese text on the instructions or packaging)

Anyway, Buggyman was my first and favorite Gobot figure, so when these started popping up at the local TG&Y and even gas stations and craft stores, I wanted one badly. Why? I guess because it was different than the usual Gobots. But, since I all ready had Buggyman, I was repeatedly told to pick another figure out to buy.

27 years later, I finally got one.

Marvel Productions Promotional Art (Part 3): Never was

This final post of art from "Comic Features" issue #33 features cartoons that Marvel Productions pitched, but never got produced.

"ANT MAN" and is looks like Wasp too. Amazing pitch art. Looks like Doug Wildey art to me. Can anyone I.D.?

A couple of amazing "Daredevil and Lightning the Super Dog" pitch pieces. These look like John Romita to me. Can anyone confirm? I've read that this one was almost bought, but fell apart at the last minute.

Iron Man. This looks so amazingly cool. I know the actual shows never live up to these pitch pieces, but this is awesome. Again, this looks like Doug Wildey artwork. If anyone knows for sure, please LMK. 

"THE MONSTRESS". looks like an original creation. And the signature in the bottom right of the first panel sure looks like Doug Wildey. What an amazing artist. I would have put him on any show I was trying to pitch.  

Looks like Marvel was going for a "Howard the Duck" cartoon.

Another never was, "Hulk Hound". Though decades later Ang Lee would use Hulk Poodles in his Hulk movie. 

 

 Something called "Muffy" that looks like a comedy with a yellow transforming VW bug. The robot reminds me a lot of the old Super GoBot, Bug Bite (especially those arms). Wonder is this got dumped because of Transformers?

Another Hulk comedy, "Teen Hulk". I get heavy "Thing Ring, do your thing!" vibes of this. But I think the idea of a Teen Hulk is kind of intriguing as a more serious comic book story. Volatile teen emotions with the danger of a Hulk. Maybe it's been done in the comics all ready?

Last up, something called "The Aliens" Looks like alien super heroes. And is I can decipher they smaller panels correctly, they crash on Earth, hide as part of some sports team, looks like journalist trying to uncover they truth and and alien villain disguised as a human.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy the images. If you're a fan of the old Marvel cartoons, I recommend picking up a copy of Comic Features #33. Looks like you can get a copy for $3-5 on eBay. A fun read with some cool artwork.

-Matt
aka Dr. G

Marvel Productions Promotional Art (Part 2): Spider Friends!

Marvel Productions art part 2: Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends.

This issue of Comic Features (#33) had a lot of nice Spidey art and some cel artwork with backgrounds.

 Bobby Drake aka Iceman concept artwork

Angelica Jones aka Firestar is still called "Heatwave" in this piece.

 Great pitch art for "Spider Friends" of Spider-Man, Iceman and Firestar fighting Doctor Doom. I assume the show title was changed because it's very close to "Superfriends"?

Cel artwork of Captain America

Cel art of Spider-Man. Looks like a Hydra symbol behind him there. 

 Cel art of Spider-Man web slinging. Can't remember the girls name...

Great cel art of the Spider Friends racing to action.

Tune is Tomorrow for the final part with production are for shows that never got made.

Marvel Productions Promotional Art (Part 1): They Live!

I, like many of you out there, am a big cartoon fan. Especially of 80s ear cartoons. Some of my favorites were the Marvel Productions (Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dungeons & Dragons, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, etc).

I'm always on the prowl for info and art from this period and as happy to run acrosss an old issue of "Comic Features" magazine with a big full-color article on Marvel Productions. This is from January 1985 issue (#33) and the article features some great production art for shows that aired and shows that never got past the concept art phase. I've taken some high rez scans and made large JPEGS of the various images. Share as you like and please credit or link geektarded.blogspot.com if you do.

Now, the fun! Part 1: Shows that aired

The main reason I bought this issue was this image. I'm a huge Transformers fan, especially the original cartoon series. I've never seen this image before. Optimus Prime fighting a trio of Laserbeak cassette bots.
The crazy thing is A) a kid piloting Optimus (or just riding along) and the Green VW Bug convertible with the girl driving. Is this an early version of Bumblebee and Carley? Is that Spike in Prime's chest? My mind is blown! 

Pandamondium! I have faint memories of watching this at my Aunt's house on Saturday mornings. She seems to think the show was funny and would watch it with me and my sister. It's one of those shows that have disappeared. I've never seen it air in reruns or dvds, or even copies online. 

Meatballs and Spaghetti. I only vaguely remember this one. Might have watched it once or twice as a kid. I think I used to mix it up with Wolf Rock...

Ahhh, Dungeons and Dragons! One of my favorites. Seems like this re-ran forever on Saturday Mornings. Love this show. The DVDs are dirt cheap. I've got the set that came in the faux AD&D game box. Great show. Of note: Presto's in red robes instead of green (maybe they changed it since Venger and Dungeon Master both wore red) Uni's got mint green hair too. I'd love to have posters of these images. 

Up next: Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.

Vintage Toy Ads: The Revenge "Defenders of the Planets" and "Tri-Trons", oh my!

I was going through my collection of old toy ads I had collected from Google's digital news archives and thought I'd start posting some new ones.

I usually save ads based on toy lines I like, stores I shopped at as a kid or in some cases toys I've ever heard of. There's a double whammy in this Revco Drug Store ad from Dec. 15, 1985. I stopped for the Voltron action figures and stayed for the "Defenders of the Planets" and "Tri-Trons" toys, two lines I'd never heard of. Defenders looks to be a Masters of the Universe knock off and Tri-Trons "3 Robots that combine into 1 Super Robot" has got to be a Transformers cash-grab.

Revco Drug Store ad from Dec. 15, 1985

Here's the back of a Defenders of the Planets card, showing the Defenders and the Evildoers...

These seem to be fairly well documented amongst MOTU fans and there are even some on eBay.

As for the Tri-Trons, they seem more obscure. I only found 2 references to them online:

1) this nice, clear pic on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16077641@N07/1811638203/sizes/l/in/photostream/

and 2) These blurry pics from a South American auction site.

They look pretty cool. I like the samurai-thing. If anyone has any info on these guys (manufacturer; clear, packaged examples; and if there were other styles)  drop me an email or send some pics or links. Is this from an existing Japanese series? It's nothing I recognize off the top of my head...

Anyway, just when yo think you've seen it all, new things to learn about.

-Matt aka Dr.G