Three's Company - CHRISSY SNOW!

Three's Company - Chrissy Snow (Standard/SDCC) - Syndicate Collectibles 2025

One of my earliest TV memories is a random episode of Three's Company where the bubbly blonde Chrissy Snow (brilliantly played by the late Suzanne Somers) injures herself while wearing roller skates in the bathtub. I forget if she breaks a leg or an arm, but I feel like she's in a cast for the rest of the episode. This stood out to me because it was the first time I ever saw an adult doing something irresponsible while an audience laughed. I distinctly remember darting my eyes back and forth from the screen to my parents wondering why they didn't think this scene wasn't dangerous, scary, or bad. It's a lesson/distinction we all must have learned early on, but Chrissy burned this into my fragile young psyche and I remember it clearly. Of course I saw a million examples in the following years; Jerry Lewis, Dagwood, Amelia Bedelia, Inspector Gadget, etc - it's a trope that know no bounds. Chrissy Snow was the breakout character of the show, with Suzanne Somers appearing on a whopping 50 magazine covers in 1978. 

Three's Company - JANET WOOD!

Three's Company - Janet Wood (Standard/SDCC) - Syndicate Collectibles 2025

Three's Company was a super formative show from my youth. It originally ran from 1976-1984 and was in regular syndication for many years after. I awkwardly find myself circling back to the show in the midst of first-date conversations -- it was that level of formative for me. I truly never expected to see action figures from this show, but I shouldn't be surprised by anything these days. The show was an American remake of the British show Man About the House - both about three platonic roommates (one man and two women) living their young single lives, hiding from their landlords, and getting into hijinks with their flirty neighbors. Joyce DeWitt played Janet Wood, a petite quirky florist who was portrayed with the air of a tomboy (at least in comparison to the bubbly blonde Chrissy), but beyond the short hair and boyish nightshirts, she really wasn't a tomboy at all. Of the three figures in the line (so far... c'mon Ropers 2-Pack!), she has the worst likeness, but she's somehow still instantly recognizable.

NECA GITD Retro - BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!

Universal Monsters  -  SDCC Retro GITD Bride of Frankenstein - NECA 2025

The 70s and early 80s were a dark time for female action figures. Despite some iconic ladies in pop culture like Wonder Woman and Princess Leia, they had almost no merchandise. You could fit all the female action figures in existence into a shoebox (I'm excluding soft Mego figures). With Universal Monsters, it seems there was always toys around (notably from AHI and Remco), but the Bride was always excluded. In fact, I believe (with the exception of an old Aurora model kit) she was never represented in plastic until 1998 when both Hasbro and Sideshow released figures. The TMNT April O'Neil as the Bride (1994) has such notoriety, because it was the first time her image (even in homage) was in action figure form. Since 2023, NECA has been gifting us with Remco-styled redeco's of the Ultimates figures on vintage cards. I had assumed this line would be limited to the original 6 Remco characters. But then we were surprised by the inclusion of The Invisible Man, Nosferatu, and of course, the Bride.

Void Rivals - SOLILA (and DARAK)!

Transformers & G.I.Joe - Void Rivals SDCC Exclusive Boxset - Hasbro 2025

Void Rivals is one of the best comics I've read in recent years. I was a little late to the party and only picked up the Vol 1 TPB this time last year, just as the Vol 2 TPB was being released. I had read the Cobra Commander TPB a few months before and was thoroughly impressed by the art and story. The way they tied in so much great 80's G.I.Joe lore and told an engaging origin story with that modern Image Comics edge just blew my mind. The Transformers crossover was a surprise to me as well. I decided to dive deep into this new Energon Universe created by Robert Kirkman and Skybound for Image comics. This universe merges the Transformers and G.I.Joe properties while also including original titles, like their inaugural release Void Rivals. The story starts out with two lone representatives of warring worlds, Solila the Zerkonian and Darak the Agorrian, crash landing on a rocky planet (or moon, asteroid, or comet? It's desolate and barren and far from home) while each attempting to capture a

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - JENNIKA!

BST AXN - Jennika (Standard & SDCC Battle Ready) - Loyal Subjects 2024

There have been several attempts to introduce a female turtle to the TMNT universe over the years, but they never seem to last. Jennika is one of the most recent females in a half-shell and she has impressively been going strong for five years in the IDW comics (with two solo series and now two action figures). I even saw her graphic novel in Target last month, and their book department is (sadly) getting smaller and more selective each year. Jennika was introduced as a human foot clan assassin who was (four years later) injured and given a blood transfusion from Leonardo, triggering her mutation. I've always liked her design and the use of yellow as her signature color. In my mind, there has been a race to see which toy company would merchandize her first: Playmates, Loyal Subjects, or NECA. But my money was always on Loyal Subjects. Their work on the IDW versions of the other Turtles has been great, and Jennika is no exception. Let's check out her standard action figure and her SDCC redeco below!

Dungeons and Dragons - SKYLLA!

Dungeons & Dragons: The Lost Wave 4" - Skylla (Evil Wizard) - NECA 2022

In 2002, NECA released a great SDCC exclusive set of four Dungeons & Dragons figures called "The Lost Wave."  I don't know if these figures were actually ever intended to have action figures in the vintage 80's LJN line, but that was the implied theme - a canceled final wave released 38 years late. I had vague memories of seeing the lone female character, Skylla, in PVC form when I was kid, but I never owned her. These new figures look amazing, like the original toy artists were brought out of retirement for a last hurrah. The vintage LJN line wasn't perfect. The sculpts could be awkward, and the scale was all over the place. But they were charming and fun, and NECA has recreated that feeling to perfection. I thought the nostalgic throwback with Super7's Sorceress figure couldn't be beat, but this one is probably the top contender now. It just took me a couple years to finally open her and acknowledge that. Now let's get her in 7" form. Let's check out Skylla the Evil Wizard below!

MOTU Revolution - MOTHERBOARD!

Masterverse - Mattelcreations Exc - MOTU Revolution - Motherboard - Mattel 2023

Few things are as gratifying to me as when old lore is expanded upon in a smart and creative way. Especially when it fills in some story gaps. Flashback to a young me in 80s expaining Zoar and Screeech to my younger brother. "Who's this?" "That's Zoar, a magical falcon that turns into this character, the Sorceress." "Cool. Who's this?" That's Screeech, the evil version of Zoar." "Cool. Who does Screeech turn into?" "No one. Screeech is a robot." "Oh." Flash forward to this Summer when that old dead-end storyline gets new life. Meet Motherboard, the female form of Screeech. As we saw in Revelation, Tri-Klops had formed the Cult of Motherboard, a group that worshiped technology with a religious fervor. Whiplash, Trap-Jaw, Blast-Attak, and a slew of Skelecons were in the cult as well. The upcoming second series of Netflix's MOTU series called Revolution will apparently show the cult successfully summoning Motherboard, a sort of techno-Sorceress. Information is scant so far, but I'm very excited to see her.

Transformers - ARIEL!

Transformers Legacy Evolution - War Dawn Erial & Dion (SDCC) - Hasbro 2023

In the Winter of 1985, just six short weeks after we were introduced to the concept of "female Autobots" in Transformers episode The Search for Alpha Trion, we got a surprising backstory of Optimus Prime and Elita One in the episode War Dawn. In this story, the Aerialbots travel back in time and discover a peaceful Cybertron before the war between Autobots and Decepticons had begun. They meet Dion, Orion Pax, and his girlfriend Ariel (voiced by Samantha Newark, aka Jem). A surprise attack by Megatron and his Decepticon warriors catches the pacifist trio offguard and they sustain serious injuries. The Aerialbots search for help and find a young Alpha Trion in a workshop/lab trying to make defensive warrior robots as he predicted that violent conflict was inevitable. They convince him to help their wounded friends and soon we learn that Alpha Trion has completely rebuilt Orion Pax into Optimus Prime. Then he mentions that Ariel will become Elita One next (but we never see her final form).

Super7 ReAction - SCARLETT!

ReAction Action Figures - Glow Patrol (SDCC Exc) - Scarlett - Super7 2022

In 1987, G.I.Joe: The Movie was released and the classic era of G.I.Joe came to a close. New cartoon production ceased, the comics petered out, and the new toys had no real context anymore. (Batman was all the rage). But then in 1989 there was a new faction in the Cobra toyline that snatched my attention back: Python Patrol. These toys seemed classic, but refreshed and exciting. I didn't even watch the cartoons explaining the redecos until this Summer. (The new cartoons resumed in 1989 produced by DiC). The toys are very nostalgic to me since they mark by last childhood fascination with the property. This Summer, Super7 revealed the SDCC Exclusive Glow Patrol faction in their G.I.Joe ReAction line. While these are fantastic original decos on their own merit, my gut reaction was "OMG it looks like a Python Patrol Scarlett!" Python Patrol was all male Cobra characters, so this thought was nonsensical. But it's still what I think every time I see her. Let's check out Glow Patrol Scarlett below!

Super7 ReAction - BARONESS!

ReAction Action Figures - Glow Patrol (SDCC Exc) - Baroness - Super7 2022

I normally despise random redecos of action figures that have nothing to do with the character in question. This stems from my perpetual disappointment in character diversity in the toy aisles in favor of 20 new colors for Batman (or any alpha male character the companies need to promote). Don't get me wrong, I love Batman, but give me a blue version, gray version, and black version and call it a day. Although perhaps if a female action figure ever got this same treatment I might change my tune. For SDCC 2022, Super7 released a new faction in their G.I. Joe ReAction line: Glow Patrol. As far as I can tell, this is completely original (despite tons of historic factions to draw from). But I love it. The green-hued good guys and the blue-hued bad guys look great. And glowing gimmicks are always fun, especially with Super7 who knows how to do GITD right. I look forward to what other variants they can come up with to challenge my long-held "redecos are bad" beliefs. Let's check out Glow Force Baroness below!

POP Funko - SILK (1ST APPEARANCE)!

Marvel POP! #1064 - Silk (Cindy Moon) - SDCC / Hot Topic Exc - Funko 2022

When the character Silk was first teased back in 2014, I was super intrigued. The first images of her were in shadow and you were led to believe this was a new spider-villain. I had hopes that she would be a reimagined Madam Web (The Hostess Ad character, not the creepy old lady). But instead what we got was Cindy Moon, a new character with Peter Parker's same origins. In fact, she was bitten by the exact same spider. Cindy had been raised in isolation (that's why Peter had never heard of her prior) and the two share an intense pheromonal draw to each other. Her first costume is spun out of her own silk and is a pretty iconic look. She quickly adopted the more traditional costume we see in the comics, but I'm glad this impromptu outfit was finally merchandised because it's very cool. This Funko Pop was an SDCC shared exclusive available at Hot Topic. There were three new Spider-Lady Pops released in July and I will be reviewing them all in the next few days. Let's check out Silk below!

Hallmark Star Trek - LT. M'RESS Ornament!

Star Trek: The Animated Series - Lieutenant M'Ress Ornament - Hallmark 2018

I grew up in an extremely rural area where cable television was literally not an option. We only had about 4 or 5 staticky channels and the more interesting television programming of my childhood was limited to stints on my dad's army base or time spent in other people's (urban) houses. But then, one year my notoriously cheap father agreed to get a satellite dish. It was a huge 6-foot wide contraption in the corner of the yard that we weren't allowed to throw footballs near. The first amazing thing I ever watched in this new era of home entertainment was episode 5 of Filmation's Star Trek: The Animated Series. This was the tribble episode and I was entranced. I had seen the live action episode a dozen times on PBS, so this continuation of the story was mind-blowing. Then in the very next episode, we were introduced the new feline bridge member, Lieutenant M'Ress. She became an obsession of mine for many years. It took decades to get a piece of merch with her likeness, but it was well worth the wait.

The Batman - CATWOMAN!

The Batman - EXP & Shadow-Tek - Catwoman - SDCC Exc - Mattel 2005

Catwoman has had a lot of costume designs over the years, and luckily almost all of them have been really good. Her animated looks especially have been solid and thought-out. My favorite of them all, however, is also one of her lesser known. This costume from 2004's The Batman animated series is great because it's the most cat-like look she's ever sported. The giant ears and colorful clawed gloves seem like such simple enhancements to her classic catsuits that I'm surprised we haven't seen them elsewhere. Her goggles and wide collar add a certain utilitarian feel that completes the look. Her action figure was released as a 2005 exclusive at both SDCC and Wizard World Chicago (a major gimmick being that there were nine different cat idol accessories to collect). There were redecos released later, but her classic black suit stayed exclusive to these conventions. The design of the series was also continued into a 50 issue comic series, The Batman Strikes! after show ended. Let's check out Catwoman below!

DCUC Wonder Twins - JAYNA!

DC Universe Classics - Wonder Twins: Zan & Jayna - SDCC Exc - Mattel 2009

I think this Wonder Twins set exemplifies the perfect type of convention exclusive toy. They are very cool and very original characters, but they won't appeal to a large portion of collectors. They weren't difficult for me to obtain, and that's probably because the demand wasn't super high across the collecting community. What drove people bonkers though was the exclusive polybagged Gleek figure that was only available in person at SDCC and still demands a super high price. Luckily I was always indifferent to him, so no skin off my back. Zan and Jayna were the second iteration of sidekicks in Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends cartoon series. In 1973, the non-powered human sidekicks Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog debuted alongside the traditional Justice League lineup. They only lasted one season and were replaced by the extraterrestrial shapeshifting Wonder Twins and their blue monkey, Gleek, when The All-New Super Friends Hour debuted in 1977.  It was a major improvement! Let's check out Jayna below!

SDCC Metropolis ReAction - MARIA!

ReAction Retro Figures - Metropolis' Maria (SDCC Exc) - Super7 2019

Smaller toy companies have a leg up on the big guys for one crucial reason: they're almost always geeks like us. That scenario tends to give us great character selection, attention to detail, and amazingly nerdy easter eggs. Hence this truly fantastic SDCC exclusive Maria figure. Maria is the iconic robot from the 1927 film Metropolis, one of the earliest science fiction films ever made. That setup would normally be plenty to excite us collectors (and it did, with the two previous releases of this figure being very popular). But then we add in the super-cool trivia that Maria was the design inspiration behind one of the most popular Sci-Fi robots of all time, Star Wars' very own C3PO (specifically the originally Ralph McQuarrie concept designs), and our collective heads can explode. So in homage to this connection, this Super7 exclusive Maria is deco'd in super shiny gold (complete with a silver leg!) and packaged in classic Kenner style with a retro collectible coin. Maria is totally the droid we've been looking for!

Saga - LYING CAT, HAZEL, and IZABEL!

Saga - The Will & Lying Cat (SDCC) and Hazel & Izabel (NYCC) - McFarlane 2017

I don't think anything has made me happier this year than the release of two more Saga action figure sets from McFarlane Toys and Skybound Entertainment. Despite the insane popularity of this property in the comic community, the wide-scale release of these figures might not fare too well on the open market. So releasing them as limited convention exclusive editions is a perfect marketing plan. I hope the initial three sets have been profitable enough to warrant many more. The Stalk and Prince Robot are the highest on my wishlist for next year, with a Ghüs and Friendo right behind. But honestly almost every character would make an incredibly cool looking action figure. But for now we get new figures of the bounty hunter The Will, the spectral babysitter Izabel, the fib-finding Lying Cat, and the catalyst of the whole amazing story, Hazel. These figures couldn't be more well made and I hope everyone responsible for their production knows that. Let's check out the new batch in detail below!

Funko Vynl - BATGIRL & POISON IVY!

DC Vynl - Batgirl & Poison Ivy 2-PAck - SDCC LE 2500 Pcs - Funko 2017

I'm still on the fence about these new Funko Vynl figures. It's not a natural thing for me to be drawn toward super-deformed stylistic toys at all. Over time, Funko Pops and Dorbz have worn me down and I now accept them wholeheartedly. But these Vnyls actually remind me of all the reasons I was initially so resistant in the first place. But it didn't hurt that one of the very first offerings of this line was an SDCC Exclusive 2-Pack featuring Batgirl and Poison Ivy. I'm pretty much addicted to Bat-Family females so I was completely unable to resist this set when I found it in Hot Topic. But the second most appealing set (imo), the NYCC Lion-O and Mumm-Ra set failed to impress me when I saw them in TRU this morning. I actually really enjoy the Batgirl and Ivy set though, so I assume I'll continue to be a selective collector of this line. I hope Cheetera is next. Then Catwoman, then Jem, then the Sorceress.. yeah, with the right character selection I could get totally hooked on these. Let's check out Babs and Pam below!

Funko Rock Candy - SHE-RA!

Rock Candy - She-Ra Princess of Power - SDCC Exclusive LE 1250 - Funko 2017

Every convention lately seems to have one exclusive item that I can't live without. Last year I went crazy over the NYCC  Dark Crystal Kira and Garthim box set. It was limited to 500 and seemed impossible to get. But I somehow lucked out and snagged a set at the show. This years must-have item for me was the She-Ra Rock Candy vinyl figure from Funko. She was frustratingly limited to 1250 pieces and wasn't offered as a shared exclusive anywhere. I ended up paying a pretty penny for her, but I don't regret it for a second. When the Rock Candy line first started coming out, I had a vision that they would release a She-Ra, Cheetara, and Jem. I would love that lineup and we're already a third of the way there! Of course I wouldn't complain about some more She-Ra characters either. Glimmer and Frosta would be awesome. Plus I realized when taking photos of all my Funko She-Ra product that a MOTU Mystery Mini set seems like a given (if the Loyal Subjects license isn't prohibiting that). But I have hopes!

Marvel Legends - ENCHANTRESS!

Marvel Legends - The Raft SDCC Exclusive Box Set - Hasbro 2016

This figure is a very bittersweet one for me. I have had a longstanding obsession with Enchantress. The first time I encountered her was in the New Mutants Special #1 from 1985. This story was part of the Asgardian Wars storyline and featured all the young mutants getting scattered and stranded on Asgard with Enchantress being their main adversary on these adventures. I don't think I've read a single comic issue more times in all my life. So with all that longstanding adoration of Amora, I was really excited to see her in Legends form. It wasn't the first time that I splurged for an expensive SDCC exclusive while only intending to keep one figure. I'm ususally happy to do it because I can sell the others without much hassle. But this year, a mere two days after I got my Raft set in the mail, Hasbro announced that she will be a part of the Doctor Strange wave due out in September. I'm trying to balance the feelings of betrayal versus my joy over this figure. It's quite the existential crisis for me. Sigh.

A Collection of Small HARLEY QUINN Figurines!

An Assortment of Harley PVCs - Schleich, Walgreens, & Deluxe Mini Figz - 2015-16

Oh Harley what am I going to do with you? You are popping up absolutely everywhere I look and I can barely keep up. I've been stockpiling little Harley Quinn figurines for years and lately I've decided to start combining some smaller reviews together. They are usually so small and inexpensive that they are hard to resist buying. But at the same time they often seem too insignificant to warrant a full post individually. Of course I always realize this after I excitedly photograph them as if they were the greatest find ever. So forgive the choppy nature of these photo sets, I truly intended them to be separate. Today's group will include the 2015 Schleich SDCC exclusive figurine (recently repackaged singly at Target), the 2015 Walgreen's figurine, and the recent Deluxe Mini-Figz blind bag figure. None of these items are particularly wonderful collectibles, but they are all fun little items that are near impossible to avoid picking up when you find them in a store. Let's check them out below!