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Post by Chicago on Dec 17, 2018 21:33:53 GMT -5
Does anyone remember the rumored line-up for the second series of the Jakks Legends figure line. The first series consisted of Andre, Freddie Blassie, Lou Albano, and Jimmy Snuka. These figures were more like statues than figures and Jakks created some odd boxed sets with them. I remember there was a WWF magazine article - not sure if it was a Q&A fan mail thing or an actual article about the toys - where someone mentioned the lineup for series 2. I can't for the life of me find that article now, but I know I've seen it. Anyone else remember? Here it is: Legends Series 2 never had a full confirmed lineup (of four figures) that I know of, but here's an article from the May 1998 issue of WWF Magazine which pretty much confirms the rumored names of George "The Animal" Steele and Chief Jay Strongbow.  Names that were unconfirmed for Legends Series 2 include Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy; One Man Gang to a lesser extent. I never put much stock into the rumors of Bruno Sammartino, Demolition and Hulk Hogan as possible Legends figures. Series 2 was said to be on the release schedule for Summer 1998, although shipping delays at that time likely would've pushed it back to late summer/early fall. |
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Post by LaParka on Dec 17, 2018 23:31:24 GMT -5
At the time Jakks was doing the Legends series Hulk Hogan and Barry Darsow were in WCW. One Man Gang might have also still been there or on his way out, there contracts were all over the place with how they used wrestlers. Bruno and Ax were still on bad terms with WWE. Bundy and Studd make the most sense to have been included. There was a guy years ago who had posted a bunch of stuff on the old aol message boards for WWE that worked with Jakks and WWE on the line-ups.
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ToyeticToys
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Sept 4, 2015 12:10:03 GMT -5
Posts: 204
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Post by ToyeticToys on Dec 18, 2018 14:57:32 GMT -5
Awesome thanks @chicago. What a crazy line-up for Legends figures. I forgot that most of the big names were employed by WCW at that time; without a lot of those 80's stars, there's not much of a pool to draw from. I also never understood why they made the Snuka and Andre figures look so cartoonish in comparison to Blassie and Albano. Really odd choices for a really odd series. I would have loved a real BCA legends line -- something like the Honky Tonk Man they released:  |
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Deleted
Joined on: Nov 27, 2024 18:42:47 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2018 21:42:56 GMT -5
That Honky Tonk Man is one of the best figures Jakks ever made / change my mind.
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zappa2510
Main Eventer
- 45 Refs & Counting -
Joined on: Nov 23, 2008 23:43:39 GMT -5
Posts: 1,471
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Post by zappa2510 on Dec 19, 2018 20:05:13 GMT -5
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Post by LaParka on Dec 19, 2018 20:15:58 GMT -5
The original reason BCA was stopped was for Slammers but they failed and they switched back to BCA. The TTL line was probably just an idea to re-invent the line for a different era, they were hit and miss some were good and some were terrible.
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Post by wolfpac on Dec 20, 2018 1:01:23 GMT -5
Love how that article says legends series 1 is flying off the shelves, that set warmed my TRU well into 2002 except for Andre the Giant.
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Post by Chicago on Dec 20, 2018 4:10:43 GMT -5
Been working on a few and reworking a few older ones. First off is Tazz. Never liked his ring attire so I did this one. Next was a test for painting bodies Sheldon Benjamin. Next is a rework of Seth Rollins. May paint the pants black. Next figure is Eddie Guerrero as I wasn't happy with the last figure. Now I have plans on turning it into a Wolfpac Sting next month. Also a simple head swap for Shamus. Might try some paints to see if they match the head. Either way I'm fine with it. And the last two is Crash Holly and Rhyno. Glad to see the thread still alive and doing well. I wish Mattel would do a retro BCA line. Chicago what was the original reason to stop the BCA line before going into TTL? I figured if anyone knew it would be you. I hated the TTL line and current lines once cause I dont see how kids could actually have matches with them. They feel more like a collectors item then a toy. Hey, it's great to see you're still at it with the BCA customs. Eddie's gold tights are my favorite -- they look so clean! The original reason BCA was stopped was for Slammers but they failed and they switched back to BCA. The TTL line was probably just an idea to re-invent the line for a different era, they were hit and miss some were good and some were terrible. S.T.O.M.P. and Slammers were both supposed to lead the way for Jakks in 1998. Obviously, that didn't work out. The fantasy play aspect of S.T.O.M.P. didn't resonate with kids, nor did the exaggerated and often times clunky action features of Slammers figures. I think they got a little too adventurous in pitching the alternative lines and they lost sight of what worked for them, but it really didn't matter in the long run. Wrestling was so hot back then that it would have been impossible for Jakks to screw it up entirely. As far as I know, their earnings increased year-over-year in the late '90s despite the flops along the way. The switch to TTL was an inevitability and nothing would've deterred them from embracing the tech revolution. If they could have found a way to make the TTL chips work with their existing BCA sculpts, I believe they would have done it to save on the initial costs. But again, the industry was changing around them and BCA looked downright antiquated by '99. It's honestly amazing that these figures made it as long as they did. |
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Post by Prophet of Ash on Dec 22, 2018 8:36:54 GMT -5
Been working on a few and reworking a few older ones. First off is Tazz. Never liked his ring attire so I did this one. Next was a test for painting bodies Sheldon Benjamin. Next is a rework of Seth Rollins. May paint the pants black. Next figure is Eddie Guerrero as I wasn't happy with the last figure. Now I have plans on turning it into a Wolfpac Sting next month. Also a simple head swap for Shamus. Might try some paints to see if they match the head. Either way I'm fine with it. And the last two is Crash Holly and Rhyno. Glad to see the thread still alive and doing well. I wish Mattel would do a retro BCA line. Chicago what was the original reason to stop the BCA line before going into TTL? I figured if anyone knew it would be you. I hated the TTL line and current lines once cause I dont see how kids could actually have matches with them. They feel more like a collectors item then a toy. Hey, it's great to see you're still at it with the BCA customs. Eddie's gold tights are my favorite -- they look so clean! The original reason BCA was stopped was for Slammers but they failed and they switched back to BCA. The TTL line was probably just an idea to re-invent the line for a different era, they were hit and miss some were good and some were terrible. S.T.O.M.P. and Slammers were both supposed to lead the way for Jakks in 1998. Obviously, that didn't work out. The fantasy play aspect of S.T.O.M.P. didn't resonate with kids, nor did the exaggerated and often times clunky action features of Slammers figures. I think they got a little too adventurous in pitching the alternative lines and they lost sight of what worked for them, but it really didn't matter in the long run. Wrestling was so hot back then that it would have been impossible for Jakks to screw it up entirely. As far as I know, their earnings increased year-over-year in the late '90s despite the flops along the way. The switch to TTL was an inevitability and nothing would've deterred them from embracing the tech revolution. If they could have found a way to make the TTL chips work with their existing BCA sculpts, I believe they would have done it to save on the initial costs. But again, the industry was changing around them and BCA looked downright antiquated by '99. It's honestly amazing that these figures made it as long as they did. why couldn't they have done TTL BCAs? hard legs like the Honky Tonk Man pictured above could've been implanted with the chips. they'd just need to retool lower legs. The real win to TTL was that they could sell people a new Austin, Rock, HHH, Undertaker.. even Gangrel who a lot of people had just bought. The first 5 series of TTL single & doublepacks, into 2001 Titan Tron Live Series 1 kane mankind road dogg the rock steve austin undertaker Series 2 Big Show Kane Ken Shamrock Steve Austin The Rock X-Pac Series 3 Big Boss Man Chris Jericho Chyna Steve Austin Test the rock Series 4 big show cactus jack road dogg the rock HHH X-Pac Series 5 chris Jericho Kurt Angle the rock steve austin Test undertaker Double slam Series 1 Edge & Christian Kane & X-Pac Steve Austin & Shane McMahon Undertaker & Vince McMahon Series 2 Billy Gunn & The Rock Steve Austin & Big Show HHH & X-Pac undertaker & Kane Series 3 Big Show & Test Billy gunn & bob Holly Mankind & undertaker Steve Austin & Debra Series 4 Chris Jericho & Chyna The hardy Boyz Text & Kane HHH & Billy Gunn Series 5 APA Edge & Christian HHH & The Rock The only new characters, or even new gimmicks, are Chris Jericho in series 3, Kurt Angle in series 5, and The Hardys in series 4 doubleslam. APA weren't new characters but completely new gimmicks. Had they not reinvented the wheel and created an entirely new format to get everyone to rebuy the entire roster, you're looking at 6 figures sold to completists, in 5 single and 5 doublepacked serieses. This is 1999-2000 WWF, the hottest time period. And the wild thing is, there's not really anyone else they could've done in BCA that they hadn't. Mideon, Patterson, Brisco, The Mean Street Posse, Funaki, Shawn Stasiak, Prince Albert, Tiger Ali Singh, Crash Holly, & Scott Taylor were pretty much all they had left of "new characters" for 99 into 2000. And Stasiak went through a gimmick change in that time so he'd be off the table too. I don't see a single one of those guys who'd be in demand. I could see Albert selling with an updated Droz in a 2 pack, Crash & Hardcore, and Taylor with Christopher. then The Posse, Patterson & Brisco.. so with the Rock/Austin/Mankind/Taker re-releases, they had 2 or 3 healthy 2 pack serieses, but their singles releases were bleak. Gangrel, Christian, Big Show, and Vince being late releases were pretty much the end of the line. |
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Post by Chicago on Dec 22, 2018 20:41:40 GMT -5
Prophet of AshI agree about the extra tooling. It probably would've been conceivable for those hard plastic lower bodies, but I don't know if we'll ever know for sure about the soft plastic parts. Jakks never attempted to use any original BCA molds after the 2000-01 run of Backlash figures. I think it had less to do with the chips/resistors and more to do with Jakks' desire to keep up with the competition by adding articulation to their figures. That was never going to be feasible with the BCA sculpts, although Jakks did show themselves capable with various non-BCA lines in 1998-99. You really hit the nail on the head with that breakdown. It was a necessary evil to start over, and it made all the business sense in the world to do it with the WWF's popularity nearing its peak. There was no better time to capitalize on the vast number of consumers than during the holiday shopping season of '99. TTL becoming the standard bearer likely halted Jakks' plans for releasing mid-card talent during that period, although I don't think a great many of them were planned anyway. It's a good thing we got the ones we did when we did. My honest opinion is that The Acolytes were likely the last of the original BCA figures set to come down the pike.
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Post by Prophet of Ash on Dec 22, 2018 20:53:26 GMT -5
Prophet of AshI agree about the extra tooling. It probably would've been conceivable for those hard plastic lower bodies, but I don't know if we'll ever know for sure about the soft plastic parts. Jakks never attempted to use any original BCA molds after the 2000-01 run of Backlash figures. I think it had less to do with the chips/resistors and more to do with Jakks' desire to keep up with the competition by adding articulation to their figures. That was never going to be feasible with the BCA sculpts, although Jakks did show themselves capable with various non-BCA lines in 1998-99. You really hit the nail on the head with that breakdown. It was a necessary evil to start over, and it made all the business sense in the world to do it with the WWF's popularity nearing its peak. There was no better time to capitalize on the vast number of consumers than during the holiday shopping season of '99. TTL becoming the standard bearer likely halted Jakks' plans for releasing mid-card talent during that period, although I don't think a great many of them were planned anyway. It's a good thing we got the ones we did when we did. My honest opinion is that The Acolytes were likely the last of the original BCA figures set to come down the pike. I'm surprised Mideon didn't get released, just because Viscera did. Patterson & Brisco are super surprising too, just because of how involved in angles that they were. despite it's release time, Ringside series 2 lines up with November/December 97 far more than it's actual release time, otherwise I would've seen Patterson & Brisco in the Cornette/Honky/Slaughter spots. But otherwise, they hit pretty much every late release character in BCA. I look at Big Show as the final release, so anyone before St. Valentine's Day Massacre isn't probable (and Viscera by this logic was a stretch) |
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lu21780
Superstar
Jakks Classic Superstars Collector
Joined on: Jul 31, 2018 19:58:30 GMT -5
Posts: 669
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Post by lu21780 on Jan 1, 2019 23:08:11 GMT -5
I loved the BCA's I'm only missing the razor/diesel pack and blue blazer. Got everything else all the way to the backlash series.
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King of Harts
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jun 21, 2017 14:49:16 GMT -5
Posts: 126
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Post by King of Harts on Jan 3, 2019 21:00:11 GMT -5
So, which one of you BCA chasers landed the bargain priced Survivor Series boxed set that sold today?
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Post by Chicago on Jan 3, 2019 21:11:03 GMT -5
So, which one of you BCA chasers landed the bargain priced Survivor Series boxed set that sold today? Wasn't me. Congrats to the buyer. A Survivor Series set without defects for $39.99 or under has to be considered a great deal nowadays. |
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King of Harts
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jun 21, 2017 14:49:16 GMT -5
Posts: 126
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Post by King of Harts on Jan 3, 2019 21:16:21 GMT -5
So, which one of you BCA chasers landed the bargain priced Survivor Series boxed set that sold today? Wasn't me. Congrats to the buyer. A Survivor Series set without defects for $39.99 or under has to be considered a great deal nowadays. The box was a bit beat, and Warrior's arm looked separated enough to ward me off (not really a big need of mine), but someone got a slamming deal on that one. |
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GoldenHulk
Main Eventer
Joined on: May 8, 2004 8:43:19 GMT -5
Posts: 1,197
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Post by GoldenHulk on Jan 4, 2019 2:54:05 GMT -5
Wasn't me. Congrats to the buyer. A Survivor Series set without defects for $39.99 or under has to be considered a great deal nowadays. The box was a bit beat, and Warrior's arm looked separated enough to ward me off (not really a big need of mine), but someone got a slamming deal on that one. I love this set. Just the other day I was looking at mine I have stashed in the attic. Of course, the box is beat to crap and Goldust has Diesel's legs painted gold (early Jakks with those weird parts errors. I've seen Goldy with Vader arms, too), but the figures are all mint NRFB. |
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King of Harts
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jun 21, 2017 14:49:16 GMT -5
Posts: 126
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Post by King of Harts on Jan 4, 2019 5:57:13 GMT -5
The box was a bit beat, and Warrior's arm looked separated enough to ward me off (not really a big need of mine), but someone got a slamming deal on that one. I love this set. Just the other day I was looking at mine I have stashed in the attic. Of course, the box is beat to crap and Goldust has Diesel's legs painted gold (early Jakks with those weird parts errors. I've seen Goldy with Vader arms, too), but the figures are all mint NRFB.
I've never seen Vader arms, but definitely Undertaker ones. That's gotta be quite the look.
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zappa2510
Main Eventer
- 45 Refs & Counting -
Joined on: Nov 23, 2008 23:43:39 GMT -5
Posts: 1,471
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Post by zappa2510 on Jan 4, 2019 12:47:43 GMT -5
you know im surprised that Patterson & Brisco never got a figure after the bca line either. now i need customs of them for my bca line. hopefully they will make some decent figures one day!
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Post by Chicago on Jan 5, 2019 2:55:49 GMT -5
I love this set. Just the other day I was looking at mine I have stashed in the attic. Of course, the box is beat to crap and Goldust has Diesel's legs painted gold (early Jakks with those weird parts errors. I've seen Goldy with Vader arms, too), but the figures are all mint NRFB. I've never seen Vader arms, but definitely Undertaker ones. That's gotta be quite the look.
Feast your eyes on my beloved Frankendust then.      Ain't he great? |
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Post by Chicago on Jan 5, 2019 3:15:04 GMT -5
you know im surprised that Patterson & Brisco never got a figure after the bca line either. now i need customs of them for my bca line. hopefully they will make some decent figures one day! Yeah, you would think they were a lock back then given their share of screen time alongside the owner of the company. Here's a reference slide of Brisco from the night he and Patterson got in the ring with Austin for a Two On One Handicap Street Fight (video embedded below). This would've made for a great 3-Pack. Hell, throw in Corporate Dude Love, Slaughter as the referee, or even Vince disguised in a novelty Austin mask for a complete 4-Pack and you've got yourself a collector's item.   |
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