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When toylines jump the shark

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  • Earth 2 Chris
    Verbose Member
    • Mar 7, 2004
    • 32498

    When toylines jump the shark

    Werewolf's comment on the Steppenwolf thread about GI Joe got me thinking: when did your favorite toyline jump the shark? It could be in the toy itself, or in the related media; tv series, comics, etc.

    As I said in that thread, GI Joe:RAH probably jumped the shark in 86 with the seemingly super-powered Sgt. Slaughter and sci-fi/horror villain Serpentor. But they really lost their way the following year with the Lovecraftian backstory given to Cobra with Cobra-La. Cobra Commander was blue-skinned and had a bunch of eyes under that helmet thanks to spores? Snake people? What the...?

    Then there's MASK. When it went NASCAR, it went completely downhill. The stories were still cool, but the concept was just horrid. The TV show became unwatchable.

    What sharks did your favorite toyline jump?

    Chris
    Last edited by Earth 2 Chris; Nov 28, '17, 7:02 AM.
    sigpic
  • enyawd72
    Maker of Monsters!
    • Oct 1, 2009
    • 7904

    #2
    Personally, I loved Serpentor...the idea of genetically engineering this super villain from all history's dead warlords was really cool.

    I think the worst example is Toy Biz's Spider-Man line when we got to Fisherman Spidey, Baseball Spidey, Fireman Spidey, Camping Spidey, etc. etc.

    spideyinaction.jpg
    Last edited by enyawd72; Nov 28, '17, 8:28 AM.

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    • Earth 2 Chris
      Verbose Member
      • Mar 7, 2004
      • 32498

      #3
      I love the idea of Serpentor, but I think the concept may have been a bit out-there for GI Joe.

      It's where I first learned of Vlad the Impaler! Dracula was REAL? WHAAAAATTT???

      Those Spidey figures stunk up KBs for YEARS.

      Chris
      sigpic

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      • palitoy
        live. laugh. lisa needs braces
        • Jun 16, 2001
        • 59201

        #4
        I think this is a great thread idea but the one thing that will always have us disagreeing is that we all enter toys at different ages.

        When I started collecting toys, the average collector had a decade on me. To them, any GI Joe with fuzzy hair was "Crap" and oh God, mention of "Bulletman" was like showing Dracula a cross. I adored those characters.

        As for Serpentor, another hard right into Science Fiction for Joe, I bet it's split right down the middle with 80s kids.
        Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

        Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
        http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

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        • Mikey
          Verbose Member
          • Aug 9, 2001
          • 47242

          #5
          Ok, get out the pitchforks

          When Big Jim went from general outdoorsman to P.A.C.K

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          • palitoy
            live. laugh. lisa needs braces
            • Jun 16, 2001
            • 59201

            #6
            Oh and I'll kick in too. I loved the Fisher Price Adventure people as a kid, they were special to me.

            Around the late 1970s they retooled figures to look more "Star Warsy" and I viewed it as lame and weak as a kid.

            Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

            Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
            http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

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            • palitoy
              live. laugh. lisa needs braces
              • Jun 16, 2001
              • 59201

              #7
              Originally posted by Mikey
              Ok, get out the pitchforks

              When Big Jim went from general outdoorsman to P.A.C.K
              Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

              Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
              http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

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              • EmergencyIan
                Museum Paramedic
                • Aug 31, 2005
                • 5470

                #8
                Originally posted by palitoy
                Oh and I'll kick in too. I loved the Fisher Price Adventure people as a kid, they were special to me.

                Around the late 1970s they retooled figures to look more "Star Warsy" and I viewed it as lame and weak as a kid.


                You know, I recall thinking that was odd, as well. As I've said many times on here, I love the Adventure People line, but they lost me with that stuff. It doesn't fit the line, at all.

                For me when GI Joe RAH went SciFi toward the late 80s, I lost interest. It didn't fit.

                - Ian
                Rampart, this is Squad 51. How do you read?

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                • Earth 2 Chris
                  Verbose Member
                  • Mar 7, 2004
                  • 32498

                  #9
                  Yeah, it's all when you come in. I came in late enough with Joe (really when the first cartoon mini aired) that there was enough sci-fi in it by then that Serpentor didn't bother me at the time. In hindsight, I see it. Cobra-La was WAY too deep though.

                  I can see both the P.A.C.K. problem and the Adventure People issue. But both didn't really have much of a mythology, so to me they are a bit more open to introduce wilder elements. But I also never owned or played with any, so I can't really weigh in with any confidence!

                  Chris
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                  • palitoy
                    live. laugh. lisa needs braces
                    • Jun 16, 2001
                    • 59201

                    #10
                    P.A.C.K and Super Adventure team was brilliant for me because I was the right age and I already used both characters in conflict/adventure situations. There was only so much fishing and exploring one could do....

                    As for Joe and this is just an example of age being a factor, it totally lost me with the cartoon. I loved the tone of the comic and the cartoon with it's laser beams and death-rays turned me off. However, I was 12 going on 13, so the likelihood of me continuing with the line were almost nil anyway.
                    Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

                    Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
                    http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

                    Comment

                    • LordMudd
                      Persistent Member
                      • Aug 22, 2011
                      • 1331

                      #11
                      Never had this problem. My favorite lines were so badly mismanaged they never made it to the ramp. Sttmp Mego failed to release all of the crew and any vehicles. ST3 ERTL only did 4 figures. This line had the most potential and should have been run like GI Joe. TNG Galoob gave us no vehicles or playsets. Playmates made the mistake of changing the scale and by the time they fixed their mistake, the line had run it's course. This line had cost prohibitive accessories because of the scale and the one playset that would have worked, and made them a fortune, they never even considered. Then they dropped the ball with the movie line by not releasing the second wave an completing the bridge playset. Now it is Funko's turn to tank by not following through.


                      CC.

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                      • rykerw1701
                        Persistent Member
                        • Aug 27, 2007
                        • 1026

                        #12
                        Originally posted by LordMudd
                        Never had this problem. My favorite lines were so badly mismanaged they never made it to the ramp. Sttmp Mego failed to release all of the crew and any vehicles. ST3 ERTL only did 4 figures. This line had the most potential and should have been run like GI Joe. TNG Galoob gave us no vehicles or playsets. Playmates made the mistake of changing the scale and by the time they fixed their mistake, the line had run it's course. This line had cost prohibitive accessories because of the scale and the one playset that would have worked, and made them a fortune, they never even considered. Then they dropped the ball with the movie line by not releasing the second wave an completing the bridge playset. Now it is Funko's turn to tank by not following through.


                        CC.
                        So I'd say Playmates Star Trek line jumped the shark with the 1701 Tapestry Picard. That's the one where they only released 1,701 of a desirable figure when they were regularly releasing over 100K of figures. Then they did the same thing with two other figures. Really torked off collectors who were trying to "Collect 'em all." The line never recovered from that.

                        Comment

                        • palitoy
                          live. laugh. lisa needs braces
                          • Jun 16, 2001
                          • 59201

                          #13
                          Oh yeah, that backlash was powerful.
                          Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

                          Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
                          http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

                          Comment

                          • EmergencyIan
                            Museum Paramedic
                            • Aug 31, 2005
                            • 5470

                            #14
                            I started with GI Joe in 1982 when they hit the stores. I don't remember a time when I didn't have adventure people. Because of that, I was deeply invested when both lines jumped the shark...especially with the RAH. It really had a theme going.

                            - Ian
                            Rampart, this is Squad 51. How do you read?

                            Comment

                            • Earth 2 Chris
                              Verbose Member
                              • Mar 7, 2004
                              • 32498

                              #15
                              Oh yeah, the 1701 debacle. Even when they released those three figures in a box set, it was too little too late.

                              Chris
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