Even though Conan first appeared in the 1930s, his popularity honestly blossomed during the 1960s and 1970s, when two publication houses took over the character. First, Lancer Books revived Conan’s adventures, gathering Robert E. Howard’s tales, and finishing his unpublished words. Then, Marvel Comics took the gamble on the character, creating a hit series that […]
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 Conan the Barbarian Collectibles and Toys
Decades after Robert E. Howard’s character Conan appeared in pulp magazines, the barbarian began to gain mass appeal. While the original stories gained attention, Conan never found his way to a fully publicized book before Howard’s untimely demise. Still, his legacy remained as the rights to his Conan works shifted hands for decades. Finally, L. […]
A Look Back on Conan the Barbarian from the Comics to the Movies
When it comes to sword and sorcery tales, none have the legacy to match up to Conan the Barbarian. To many, the first taste of this ferocious fighter came from the film in the 1980s. While Arnold Schwarzenegger’s involvement in the film helped cement its place in film history, the character earned its reputation much […]
The Top Ten Monsters from Dungeons & Dragons
When Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) introduced Dungeons & Dragons to the public in 1974, they brought two things to the table. First, they crafted a series of rules for combat that took advantage of the 20-sided dice that the game became known for. Second, they encouraged both adults and children to use their imaginations to […]
The Top Ten Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Toys from LJN
When Earnest Gary Gygax and David Arneson combined forces to create the groundbreaking Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG game, they changed the landscape of gaming. Previously, all tabletop games either were traditional board games, family-focused games, or wargames. However, these two challenged gamers to use their imaginations as they delved into a fantasy world. While […]
Dungeons & Dragons: From the Tabletop Game to the Movies
Before the 1970s, tabletop games focused on one of three genres: family board games, traditional games like chess, and wargames. However, this all changed in 1974, when Gary Gygax helped create TRS (Tactical Studies Rules) to release their vision of a fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. Originally inspired by Wargames, Gygax similarly designed his […]
The Monsters from the Heisei Gamera Films
Back in the 1960s, two titans duked it out in the Japanese cinema, Godzilla and Gamera. Where Godzilla began as a symbol of the frightening power of the atomic bomb, Gamera quickly appealed himself to the hearts of children. Even during his first film, where he seemed to go on a rampage in Japan, the […]
The Top Ten Gamera Toys and Collectibles for the 1990s Heisei Trilogy
Gamera first won over the hearts of children across the world during his first on-screen appearance in 1965. Unlike Toho’s titanic beast, Gamera showed inclinations to protect humans, especially the children. However, his immense size and power led to incidents where the human government believed that he was attacking Japan. Thus, Daiei successfully created a […]
A Look Back on the Gamera Films from the 1990s
When it comes to giant monsters from Japan, two companies have reigned supreme: Toho with Godzilla and Daiei with Gamera. Unlike Godzilla, Daiei always presented their creature as a sympathetic creature. Even during his original film, where he appeared to terrorize Japan, he went out of his way to save the life of a young […]
The Top Ten Characters from the Tron Films
Decades after Tron first appeared on movie screens in 1982, fans still fondly look back at the film. At the time, no studio had produced a film that featured minutes upon minutes of computer graphics. However, Tron’s production team dedicated themselves to bringing the digital world to life. Even though computers were unable to render […]