[RETRO] Grapplers & Gimmicks by Hasttel Toy

edit: I mixed them up

Finally listened to the Adventures in Collecting podcast with Mitch. I meant to post about it here but have since forgotten all the mental notes I took. It was probably the absolute best interview with him to date. Really enjoyable/professional. Here is what I can remember:

-Johnny B Badd is in the works
-Davey and Diana was redone at great expense to get rid of the seams.
-There is the possibility of some day doing a Mitch figure.
-Val Venis is still going to be made; had to put a delicate emphasis on separating the art from the artist.

-Regium figures will have some sort of innovative internal mechanisms to help with posing and articulation.
-Expect more Regium figures based off of previous G&G signings as well as all new names.




Something that isn’t clear to me is if Mitch had previously announced Regium figures for Mooney and Hayes. During the Q&A a fan asked if those figures would have articulation. Mitch said yes but goes on to talk more about the suited bodies for the Regium line. Not sure if he meant the G&G figures as well. Hopefully so!

I wish we could get an Owen, Anvil, and Bret to go with that Bulldog.

Would be a dream of mine to see Bret available to Mitch. Mattel could make him and Anvil but they're don't seem to be in a hurry to get out much of what people actually want.

In the interview Mitch says the waist/torso ratio is deliberate as that’s how he remembers hasbros….having looked at my collection, I get what he’s saying but not many of them are like that at all and certainly not to the extent of that Bulldog. I hope he fixes it because otherwise it looks great and I would buy if he does.

Well yes, I think he’s trying to sell us on the oversizing and obviously he wouldn’t really want to spend more money and delay the figures but he’s done it already with the two pack bulldog - Zombie’s wait time is criticised but in fairness it’s because things like this, he wouldn’t release, it would go back and be changed.

Even with the mismatched waist size, appreciate these are more expensive than Mattel’s but they also look way better. Far more like Hasbros. Mattels retros are far too weird for me and I’m out of collecting those. I’d rather have one bulldog that I love and fits into the collection than pay the same price for 4 Mattels that don’t look anything like Hasbros or the wrestlers half the time.

I agree there are too many bulldogs, I’m not interested in anything based on looks too far after the Hasbro era so I’ll pick up one of these, maybe the cropped hair biker shorts as it’s a look we never got - attitude era is too far removed from Hasbro era for me, that is Jakks era to me.

Glad someone finally put out the Brain Busters but Tully needs dark brown hair not black. Kinda looks like Rick Martel in Blanchard cosplay

That’s JD Vance

Pretty much this. Great signing, but the execution is a dud.