I was and I do. Larry Mahlstedt, former inker at Marvel (New Warriors and Amazing Spider-Man) and DC (Legion of Superheroes and Flash) from 1980 to 2000. I’ve been collecting these bad boys since the beginning when ToyBiz did the small line, then the Classics series and currently Legends. Yeah … they sunk their hooks into me. Thank goodness my wife is cool with it. Hell - she practically insisted I back Giant Man. What a gal!
Years back, either Dan Abnett or Andy Lanning popped over the comics forum to thank supporters who were praising the Guardians of the Galaxy book they were writing.
It would sure be nice if we can finish off that roster. I guess I should just be happy about Moondragon (despite the costume)? The last member that was released was Adam Warlock back in 2016..
I was and I do. Larry Mahlstedt, former inker at Marvel (New Warriors and Amazing Spider-Man) and DC (Legion of Superheroes and Flash) from 1980 to 2000. I’ve been collecting these bad boys since the beginning when ToyBiz did the small line, then the Classics series and currently Legends. Yeah … they sunk their hooks into me. Thank goodness my wife is cool with it. Hell - she practically insisted I back Giant Man. What a gal!
Hey, that's funny, when you mentioned before that you were a NW inker, I immediately thought of "Larry Mahlstedt" but I figured I was wrong. Loved your work over Bagley. Williamson was a tough act to follow, but honestly, I think you were a better fit. Gave it those nice clean lines that really stuck out to me at the time.
@whitlow Oh Wow! Cool! I read Flash back when you were inking it! So cool to know you're on here! I really, really want an updated Sharon Carter w/ Cap and his supporting cast being my favorite. Baron Blood too. Mandarin is beyond over due. So many heroes have gotten their arch villain made that Mandarin stands out like a sore thumb. PC be damned. They can find a way to do it. I understand someone like Fu Man Chu having issues with being made but there are plenty of versions of Mandarin that could be produced without issues IMHO.
I want Mandarin to be made too, in the style of the 90s Iron Man cartoon. I also want Red Skull in his Toybiz military outfit, if Hasbro can work around it.
Mandarin is beyond over due. So many heroes have gotten their arch villain made that Mandarin stands out like a sore thumb. PC be damned. They can find a way to do it. I understand someone like Fu Man Chu having issues with being made but there are plenty of versions of Mandarin that could be produced without issues IMHO.
I'd love to see Mandarin too, and I really wish the Yellow Claw could be rebranded as just "The Claw" because I loved his visual and would snatch up a figure if it ever got made.
@akajomiha I think that he went by Golden Claw, as well, or just make it under his real name Plan Chu. https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Plan_Chu_(Earth-616)
@basil-elks Oh nice, thanks! I haven't kept up with comics, so I was unaware he was still around. Maybe there is hope...
Golden Claw does have a killer design. No denying that original name is straight racist though - I remember one modern book he appeared in (U.S.Avengers maybe?) where he explained that he chose that name to prey on Western fears and prejudices - not a bad in-universe explanation for the name and the change, but still a sordid history. Unlike Man-Ape, I think this guy might genuinely be off limits.
@h-bird You might be right about that latter point, h-bird. Definitely right on with everything else, of course. The casual racism in older comics is depressing.
Yes, most of us that buy these figures understand the original character and want it for our nostalgia - but if you're a Fortune 500 toy company, is it really worth the risk of getting pulled into any type of political debate that just isn't necessary? I'd say that it usually isn't worth taking any chances. Holy crap, look what happened to Bud Light for just trying to be inclusive - which is normally the correct thing to do. It's just not worth pushing your luck with either fringe side. 70% of us won't care and just want to enjoy our hobby - but that extreme 15% on either margin are always going to throw a fit and try to start a culture war any time that they get a chance. I can't blame Hasbro for trying to stay away from that. I say all of that as someone who strongly supports diversity and inclusiveness in almost all possible situations and honestly believes that most classic characters weren't designed to be intentionally offensive (but social standards have changed as they absolutely should have and any one who doesn't believe that isn't being honest with themselves).
Destiny, armored Betsy, wave 2 of X-Men 97 and a super posable Jim Lee Psylocke with tons of accessories is what I hope for Marvel Legends next year.
For many, many years I would get to check at least one character off my Top 10 list - Hellcat, Silver Samurai, Photon, Puma, Jocasta, Northstar and Aurora...
Then I hit a dry spell for about 2-3 years
This year I finally got my #1 want: Moondragon. Wrong costume but I'll take her as a win.
So, in 2024, I'm hoping to get at least one character off my current Top 10 list, which is comprised mostly of heavy hitter never-been-made-before characters that have been on Fwoosh's Top 20 Lists and/or many wish lists from a lot of my fellow Fwooshers, YouTubers, Facebookers and Instagramers:
1) Deathbird
2) Jack of Hearts
3) Mantis - classic comic version, either human or green skin, I'm not picky
4) Skurge
5) Gargoyle
6) Attuma
7) Swarm
8) Red Wolf - classic
9) Stingray
10) Crystal, Gorgon, Triton & Lockjaw - I count them as one, since they are all equally as necessary as each other to me
Same as just off the Top 10 at #11 - Starhawk, Charlie-27, Martinex & Nikki to add to my Korvac Saga team
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