Retrospective on Beetlejuice: The Delights of Comedy-Horror
In 1988, Tim Burton took the original script from Michael McDowell to flip the book on exorcism in the hit film, Beetlejuice.
Wheeljack’s Lab Vintage Toy Blog
Follow this blog for the new, the unusual, the rare and cool Generation 1 G1 Transformers toys. Reviews, news, toy resources, galleries, unboxing, opinions and personal reflections on vintage toys.
Showing 217 – 240 of 243 posts
The Top Ten Characters from Star Trek: The Original Series
When Star Trek first aired in 1966, Gene Roddenberry and his production team understood that the crew of the Enterprise would make or break the series.
Retrospective on Star Trek: The Original Series
When the original Star Trek series first aired in 1966, few could have dreamed of the franchise that it would spawn. During its original run, the series fared poorly, only lasting three seasons before cancelation.
The Most Liked Characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars
After George Lucas’ prequel trilogy ended in 2005, Lucasfilm sought a new means to keep the excitement alive for the brand. Luckily, they already had proven that Star Wars fans would accept watching their favorite characters in animated form back in 2003.
The Top Ten Star Wars: The Clone Wars Toys
As the Star Wars prequel trilogy moved toward its final installment, Lucasfilm and Cartoon Network joined forces to create several cartoon shorts set during the Clone Wars.
Retrospective on Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Before the 2000s, Star Wars only dabbled with television-based content, such as the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special from 1977.
The Top Ten Enemies from the Metroid Series
In celebration of the launch of Metroid’s newest game, Metroid: Dread, it is an exciting time to look back at the greatest enemies that have challenged players.
The Top Ten Toys Featuring Nintendo and their Greatest Characters
Nintendo has come a long way since Fusajiro Yamauchi founded the company in 1889 to produce hanafuda (“flower cards”). Now, both gamers and general audiences know the name for their video game empire.
Retrospective on Metroid: Nintendo’s Greatest Female Protagonist
With the impending release of Metroid: Dread, the first new entry into the series in over a decade, it is time to celebrate Samus Aran’s history. Metroid captured the hearts of many when it debuted in the late 1980s.
The Top Ten Stomper 4x4 Toys
In 1980, Schaper Toys introduced their vision for new motorized cars that featured a unique 4-wheel drive, Stomper 4×4. Even before Schaper officially launched the Stompers line, they created another line of motorized cars, the Hill Hustlers.
The Ten Most Outrageous Tiger Electronics Handhelds and Toys
In the last few years, Tiger Electronics has made waves when it released reissues of its popular LCD handheld games from the 80s and 90s. For a time, Tiger Electronics dominated store shelves in the 90s as they produced a series of cheap handheld games.
A Retrospective on Tiger Electronics
Back in the 1990s, the war between Nintendo and Sega was in full gear; however, another company had made its way to the pockets of nearly every child, Tiger Electronics.
The Top Ten Characters from Gargoyles, The Hit Disney Afternoon Cartoon
In 1994, Disney took risks when they introduced the world to their new, darker cartoon series, Gargoyles, to the Disney Afternoon line-up. Before this cartoon, Disney kept their cartoons to a light tone, friendly to all ages.
The Top Ten Kenner’s Gargoyles Toys from the Disney Afternoon Cartoon
Even before Gargoyles debuted on the Disney Afternoon programming block, Greg Weisman, the main creator of Gargoyles, and Kenner began talks for a new toy line.
Retrospective on Gargoyles: Disney’s Defenders of the Night
Beginning in 1990, Disney gave their cartoons a home on network television with the Disney Afternoon, a two-hour block dedicated to their cartoon series.
The Top Ten Toys from Hot Wheels’ Incredible Crash Dummies Toy Line
After Mattel acquired Tyco in 1998, they also absorbed all of Tyco’s brands. Thus, the Incredible Crash Dummies became a part of Mattel’s catalog. However, they did not rush out to create a new toy line for the crash dummies.
The Top Ten Incredible Crash Dummies Toys
In 1991, Tyco joined forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to turn their successful PSA campaign into the Incredible Crash Dummies toys.
Retrospective on The Incredible Crash Dummies
Pop culture icons have appeared from the strangest of sources, as in the case of the Incredible Crash Dummies. Back in the 1980s, no one would have predicted that children would want to play with a group of crash test dummies.
The 10 Most Unusual Monsters from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Beyond the colorful spandex sets that the Rangers wore, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers made waves with its set of quirky and unusual monsters. In the first three seasons, either Rita Repulsa or Lord Zedd, or both, summoned these creatures into battle.
The Top Ten Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Toys
Before 1993, few in the United States knew of the Super Sentai shows that had been going strong in Japan for decades. However, one man made it his mission to bring the team of colorfully spandex-clad martial-arts-based superheroes to America.
Retrospective on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Believe it or not, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is nearing its 30th anniversary since it debuted on American screens in 1993. However, its main source material and influence, Super Sentai, is even older.
Grading Toys with the AFA: Worth It in 2021?
Have you been considering sending in your old and vintage toys for grading with the AFA in 2021? We here at Wheeljack’s Lab aim to honestly guide our customers.
How AFA-Grading Affects the Value of Old Toys
As collectors of Transformers Toys, we often consider how a service, like AFA-Grading, affects the value of our old and used toys. There are several reasons to consider having toys sent off for professional grading services, such as securing the value.
The Top Ten Veritech Fighters and Other Mechas from Robotech
In 1985, Harmony Gold set about to introduce the world to a new franchise with the blended localization of three anime series.