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When toylines jump the shark

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  • cjefferys
    Duke of Gloat
    • Apr 23, 2006
    • 10180

    #16
    Big Jim bored me until the PACK stuff happened, actually it was the introduction of Dr. Steel earlier that made me sit up and take notice of Big Jim (and of course, the cool directions that the line took in Europe and Mexico were even better!). Adventuring/sports wasn't interesting to me, so when lines took a weird turn that's when I became interested (another example is GI Joe, which I had no interest in until Atomic Man, Bullet Man and the Intruders showed up, and of course Super Joe). I never had any interest in the Adventure People, but those sci-fi ones look cool to me actually.

    I can't think of any line that really jumped the shark for me, the weirder things got, the more I liked them.

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    • MRP
      Persistent Member
      • Jul 19, 2016
      • 2036

      #17
      For me, GI Joe jumped the shark when they went to the 3 3/4 inch scale from the larger figures I grew up with. Had no interest in them because they were't GI Joe, GI Joe was the Adventure Team not some paramilitary outfit or counter terrorist thing, and calling that GI Joe was just trying to cash in on the established name of the toy line I loved. Never bought anything from that line, never read the comic and never watched the cartoon.

      I get others love it, and that's cool for them, but it's not for me in and it killed any interest in anything new GI Joe for me. As Pallitoy said, it's all a matter of when you came in and the perspective/bias it gives you.

      -M
      "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato

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      • jwyblejr
        galactic yo-yo
        • Apr 6, 2006
        • 11141

        #18
        I think the 90s is more when G.I Joe jumped the shark. Stuff like Mega Marines,DEF,Star Brigade and Eco-Warriors.

        Comment

        • Donkey Hoatie
          Supporter of Silliness
          • Jun 20, 2007
          • 783

          #19
          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.

          I'm with you on this one. I LOVED the whole Adventure People line and to see it take a right turn shortly after the release of the Alpha Probe (which was my favorite Adventure People toy of all time) was where they lost me. Of course, I was 9 when it came out, and they were probably going to lose me shortly anyway. But, this decision definitely hastened things.

          Comment

          • Werewolf
            Inhuman
            • Jul 14, 2003
            • 14616

            #20
            Originally posted by Earth 2 Chris
            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.
            RAH always heavily leaned sci-fi. That's a lot of what made it fun. Serpentor could have worked if the character had not been handled so poorly. Cobra Commander was a fun character and basically competent. Only being brought down by his own ego or the betrayal of others. Serpentor, on the other hand, was a blustering imbecile who lacked any of Cobra Commander's wit or charm. Cobra La and the retconning of Cobra Commander was just flat out horrible idea. No saving that.

            Sgt. Slaughter should have never been added, in my opinion. Putting in real pop culture characters or celebrities, like Slaughter, the Fridge or Rocky Balboa, is just a terrible, terrible idea.
            You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

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            • palitoy
              live. laugh. lisa needs braces
              • Jun 16, 2001
              • 59204

              #21
              Originally posted by Donkey Hoatie
              I'm with you on this one. I LOVED the whole Adventure People line and to see it take a right turn shortly after the release of the Alpha Probe (which was my favorite Adventure People toy of all time) was where they lost me. Of course, I was 9 when it came out, and they were probably going to lose me shortly anyway. But, this decision definitely hastened things.
              Yeah I was most definitely at the end too but this line had me for years, so it was like an old friend doing something weird.
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              • Werewolf
                Inhuman
                • Jul 14, 2003
                • 14616

                #22
                Originally posted by Earth 2 Chris
                Then there's MASK. When it went NASCAR, it went completely downhill.
                Ugh, yes, I try to pretend the 10 episodes of the second season didn't happen. It didn't even seem to be in the same continuity as the first season. Mercifully those episodes were not included in the M.A.S.K. DVD box set.
                Last edited by Werewolf; Nov 28, '17, 1:34 PM. Reason: typos
                You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

                Comment

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

                  #23
                  If you go by the mini-comics DC did that were included with the toys, Miles Mayhem killed Matt Trakker's brother. I can't seem them agreeing to settle their differences Ricky Bobby style.

                  Chris
                  sigpic

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                  • enyawd72
                    Maker of Monsters!
                    • Oct 1, 2009
                    • 7904

                    #24
                    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.
                    Galoob did do a couple nice vehicles for the figures...a shuttlecraft and Ferengi fighter, and a smaller die-cast Enterprise.

                    Comment

                    • starsky
                      veteran member
                      • Aug 26, 2007
                      • 6200

                      #25
                      hahaha, the big jim pack line is my favorite big jim series. guess it just depends on how old we were at the time each toy line introduced new ideas. lol

                      Comment

                      • Iron Mego
                        Wake Up Heavy
                        • Jan 31, 2010
                        • 3532

                        #26
                        Originally posted by cjefferys
                        Big Jim bored me until the PACK stuff happened, actually it was the introduction of Dr. Steel earlier that made me sit up and take notice of Big Jim (and of course, the cool directions that the line took in Europe and Mexico were even better!). Adventuring/sports wasn't interesting to me, so when lines took a weird turn that's when I became interested (another example is GI Joe, which I had no interest in until Atomic Man, Bullet Man and the Intruders showed up, and of course Super Joe). I never had any interest in the Adventure People, but those sci-fi ones look cool to me actually.

                        I can't think of any line that really jumped the shark for me, the weirder things got, the more I liked them.
                        As a kid I don't think I even realized the Big Jim and PACK stuff were from the same toy line. The PACK figures were so weird and cool, but the sports dudes never did anything for me. I never had any of them, but a friend had PACK stuff and I loved them. An older cousin had a Big Jim and I was like meh. Conversely, the turn that GI Joe made with the figures you mentioned specifically, was really intriguing to me. Never had any of those either. :( I did have a hand-me-down fuzzy headed Joe, but never really cared much for him.
                        Wake Up Heavy Podcast

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                        Comment

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

                          #27
                          One could argue Super Powers kinda jumped the shark in series 3 by NOT giving us the obvious Supergirl, Batgirl, Nightwing, Riddler, etc. Made-up characters like Golden Pharaoh and Cyclotron were issued instead, along with the Justice Jogger. A lot of the figures planned for the later waves were far more promising.

                          Chris
                          sigpic

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                          • Mikey
                            Verbose Member
                            • Aug 9, 2001
                            • 47242

                            #28
                            For me, jumping the shark is when a toyline goes off in directions it was never intended to rather than the toy company just make a new line for their new idea.

                            GI Joe, Big Jim and a lot of lines fit in this category.

                            An example, in the extreme (made up scenario) --- Have an idea for a new toy line .... Office Worker Warriors .... I LIKE IT !!! ..... How about to save money on tooling we'll reused He Man ? ........... Ok, somehow He Man comes to the present day and works in an office with other "Office Warriors" ... Yea, we can do that ... consider it done.

                            Comment

                            • Iron Mego
                              Wake Up Heavy
                              • Jan 31, 2010
                              • 3532

                              #29
                              Originally posted by Mikey
                              For me, jumping the shark is when a toyline goes off in directions it was never intended to rather than the toy company just make a new line for their new idea.

                              GI Joe, Big Jim and a lot of lines fit in this category.

                              An example, in the extreme (made up scenario) --- Have an idea for a new toy line .... Office Worker Warriors .... I LIKE IT !!! ..... How about to save money on tooling we'll reused He Man ? ........... Ok, somehow He Man comes to the present day and works in an office with other "Office Warriors" ... Yea, we can do that ... consider it done.
                              Done and done.

                              Buy Son of Zorn Business Version Funko Action Figure at Entertainment Earth. Mint Condition Guaranteed. FREE SHIPPING on eligible purchases. Shop now!
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                              • Werewolf
                                Inhuman
                                • Jul 14, 2003
                                • 14616

                                #30
                                I don't think the original MOTU toy line ever jumped the shark. Right up to the end of the line they were releasing some truly fantastic figures like Scareglow, Sorceress, Mosquitor, Blade and Horde Trooper. Great sculpts and fun action features.

                                I think the property jumped with the New Adventures reboot. They stripped away all the fantasy elements and went pure sci-fi. They also got rid of all the original characters except He-Man and Skeletor. He-Man got turned into a space gladiator and Skeletor became a cyborg with a ponytail. Seriously!
                                You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

                                Comment

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