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. Even with the exotic new worlds that the Enterprise would explore during each episode, audiences required characters that they could relate to. Otherwise, the series would fall flat and […]
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.
The Top Ten Star Trek Toys of the Original Series
When NBC canceled the original Star Trek series in 1969, few imagined that syndicated reruns would generate enough fans to build one of the current tentpoles of Science Fiction. Before the series even aired, executives expressed concerns that the content would be too cerebral to become a hit. Still, the persistence of Gene Roddenberry and […]
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. For the era, Star Trek offered a taste of top-notch, revolutionary special effects alongside a thought-provoking tone. Even before it […]
The Top Ten 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. Back then, Lucasfilm approached Genndy Tartakovsky to help them create a series of […]
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. These cartoons served to promote toy sales as well as retain excitement for the final film. So, they turned to the acclaimed Genndy Tartakovsky to direct and draw […]
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. However, the release of the prequel trilogy films, starting with 1999’s The Phantom Menace, opened up the possibilities to content created to fill in the decades-long gaps between each storyline. Especially once George Lucas introduced […]
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. Ever since the original game on the Nintendo Entertainment System, the sprawling worlds of the Metroid universe have fascinated the minds. As soon as players encountered their first […]
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. For some time, Nintendo became the ubiquitous word to describe all video games amongst the general public, like parents in the 1980s. […]
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. Not only did it present exciting space exploration as a solo bounty hunter, but it introduced […]
The Top Ten Stomper 4×4 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. However, that line pales in comparison to the Stompers. Fans still remember and collect these vehicles. People loved […]