2018 has certainly been a banner year for action figure collecting, at least for me anyway. There was so much released over the past twelve months that I cannot even keep everything straight at this point. Sure, I feel like I say this every year, but that is a good thing, right? Well, despite the last year being so good, there are still things on my collection dream list that don’t seem to be any closer to plastic realization than they were last year, or at any point, really. So, of course I’m making a list, and checking it twice.
There is something about the end of the year that puts me in a “list’ mood. Maybe it is the annual Christmas list tradition that I always took very seriously as a lad, or maybe it is just the right time of year to take stock and reflect on what was, and then what should be in the coming year. Maybe it’s both. I don’t know, but I already rattled off my Marvel Legends Top Ten list, and I feel like I have a few more topics to get to that lend themselves to this format. This one is a bit different though, at least in terms of the previous list. While the ML list is a “wish list,” I feel like all of the characters I chose have a very legitimate chance of being made, maybe even during 2019. This list though, this one is no holds barred, and probably a little selfish, but I have been thinking about figures and lines that would be a dream come true for me, but are likely to be far-fetched, at least at this point.
Really, I am spoiled, as are we all, when it comes to the sheer amount and diverse array of characters and properties that have found their way into action figure form. But, you know how it is, we ALWAYS want more. So, I have taken a minute to think about things that have been on my list of wants, and some of them for years. I have to admit, there are several things that have been ticked off the list, so getting this list down to five was not as hard as it could have been. I did, however, exclude some things, because really, so long as a line like Marvel Legends or Star Wars Black is active, it is hard to rule anything out, because you just never know. So, ML, SWB, and MOTU are not on this list, but I am hedging a bit and I left off things like ThunderCats (c’mon, Mattel), TMNT (do your thing, NECA), and other stuff that is either on-going in terms of lines, or closer to the fore in terms of permeation. No, this list is about (mostly) deeper cuts, and things my jaded brain has already ruled out for 2019, even though my heart yearns for them. Oh, and no, you don’t see six-inch G.I. Joe on here because that is on everyone’s list, and I am not even a Joe fan, so let’s get that out of the way right now.
Personally, I don’t think there is anything too eye brow-raising here, but you might disagree. Even though this is a far-fetched wish list of sorts, I still didn’t want to go too far out there, just in case someone is listening, and anything from this list could see the light of day. As I said, some of it is more out there, and who knows — maybe something might actually happen, but I am keeping my hopes in check. I am sure a list you might put together would look very different from this, but that is cool, this is simply a collection of things I would love to seen in my, well, collection, no matter how unpopular they might be. Ready? If not, too bad…
S.H. Figuarts Goemon Ishikawa
You might think this list is starting with a but of a whimper. Heck, you might even be asking yourself, “who tf is that?” and that is fair, but if you are a Lupin III fan, you know what I mean here. Bandai can be a god’s send for some things (Star Wars, DBZ), but a cruel and harsh mistress for other things. See, I have an AMAZING SHF collection of 80% of the positively essential Lupin characters, and while the prototype for Goemon was shown, he has never been released. We are a couple of years out from the release of Pops at this point, and time makes the chances of getting Goemon more and more slim as it goes on, and that is a DAMNED shame. Being one final figure away, and knowing the prototype exists out there is especially frustrating, but a boy can dream, right?
Come on, Bandai, what do you say? Let’s get that Goemon out there is SOME form, and finish the crew.
One:12 Collective Dick Tracy
Okay, so maybe, just maybe, just maybe, this pick isn’t so far out there, but there is still little or nothing bubbling out there that would indicate a figure like this stands a chance for release. And yet, you just never know, especially considering that Popeye, the best One:12 figure ever made was recently released, and another unlikely entrant, Diabolik has now been solicited. Frankly, I think this format is PERFECT for Dick Tracy (and his entire damned rogues gallery, to be honest) and there is some precedence here, actually. Mezco does have a history with the Tracy line via their Mez-Its impression, so as a company, there has to be at least some interest there. The styling and likenesses in that line were pitch-perfect, and I would ADORE a Tracy in the premium One:12 format following the same aesthetic. Also, I think Dick Tracy, like Popeye, has a bigger collector following than many of us think, so maybe, just maybe, this could be something that can happen. I want to say that I would settle for a solicitation fo this figure in 2019 because, since it has not been announced yet, there is little chance of a release next year due to the turnaround time on this line.
Rankin/Bass The Hobbit
As a lifetime Middle-earth fan, I am very pleased with the cultural permeation the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit sagas have enjoyed over the past several years. Collector merchandise has been fairly steady as well, and I have a LotR movie action figure collection that still holds up beautifully, even after all these years. Sure, the Hobbit movies were not nearly as well-well-received as LotR, and The Bridge Direct COMPLETELY shit the bed on the toys (I am still bitter about that), but, I am not talking about those movies. No, I am talking about the AMAZING Rankin/Bass animated Hobbit movie that was actually my gateway into Middle-earth, and that I still adore to this day. Sure, it is very kid-focused, that is the point, but there is no denying the AMAZING designs and animation from that movie, and I have wanted toys ever since. Bilbo and Thorin & Company are probably my longest-standing toy wants, and a company like Funko might just do them correctly in a format like their Disney Afternoon line. I wants them, my precious.
Big Trouble in Little China Jack Burton (1:12 scale/six-inch)
So, Jack has gotten a bit of figure love over the years with Funko, and very recently as a beautiful 1:6 scale Sideshow figure. However, BTiLC is one of my favorite movies, and I am a six-inch figure collector, so you have to go all the way back to the CRAPTASTIC N2 Big Trouble line to get anything remotely close to what I want in terms of scale. Sure, that figure fetches tons of money on eBay these days, but that is not because it is any good, it is just that it is the only thing out there. I would squeal if someone like NECA gave us a good Jack Burton figure, and then followed him up with Lo Pan, the Three Storms, Wang, and Egg for a sold BTiLC line. These figures would be so much fun to mix with my other 80s properties, and the fact that we are still waiting for a good figure of Jack at least makes me very sad. I will happily put a check in the mail for company that makes this happen right away.
Mega Man Robot Masters… any of them
Yeah, I don’t blame you if you are tired of this old chestnut. I get it, I go on and on and on about getting the classic Robot Masters in action figure form on a regular basis, but just a regularly, I am left completely disappointed. So, until SOMEONE gets this going, these characters will always be on lists like these, especially from me. Sure, it always seems like it is about to happen, but until it does, I am not stopping. So, who is it going to be? Jakks Pacific? Sentinel? Bandai? Funko? Any and all of you are welcome to put your foot on the gas and GO, go and make a line of REAL action figures of some of the coolest video game characters designs ever. All of you are perfectly capable of doing so, and I would buy ALL of them from ALL of you, so who is gonna get me my Ice Man and Wood Man? My Fire Man and Dust Man? My Bubble Man and Guts Man? The Loyal Subjects, I would even push you here, okay? Can ANYONE make ANY of these? No, Cutman doesn’t even count anymore. Come on guys, you are standing on a goldmine, and the part reuse is REAL here, so please, let me stop begging. Please make come classic Robot Masters.
So, this is it, at least for now. I could go on and on all day, honestly, but I will leave it at five that I know I want, and have been wanting for YEARS. I don’t see any of these completely out of the realm of possibility, so let’s try to get SOMETHING going, shall we? I know I already have a lot to look forward to in 2019, but getting even one of these on my shelf would make it a memorable year indeed.
