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.

Dune Retrospective

Posted on March 1, 2025March 1, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Uncategorized, comic books, Dune, Movies, novels, television series, toys, Video Games

Dive into this epic interstellar world with us through our Retrospective of Dune. This science fiction franchise features the character, Paul Atreides, as he fights for the planet Arrakis to help the future of his family and friends. The story began in 1965 with a novel by Frank Herbert. The planet Arrakis contains the only […]

Terrahawks Retrospective

Posted on January 21, 2025January 21, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, comics, television series, Terrahawks, The 1980s, toys, Video Games

Travel with us through time and space through this Retrospective of Terrahawks. This popular space franchise began in 1983 with the release of the television series. The Terrahawks series featured all characters as latex hand puppets. The style of puppetry used for this series, supermacromation, differs from the style used in maker Gerry Anderson’s earlier […]

Zoids Retrospective

Posted on January 10, 2025January 10, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Uncategorized, comics, manga, model kits, The 1980s, The 1990s, The 2000s, The 2010s, Video Games, Zoids

Jump into the world of Zoids with us in our Retrospective of Zoids. Short for Zoic Androids, these Zoid bio-mechanical creatures began an incredible, widespread franchise. The Zoids franchise began in 1982 when the Japanese company, Tomy (now Takara-Tomy), made multiple series of plastic model kits. These models resemble many different species such as reptiles, […]

LEGO Inflation- Why LEGO is Now Targeting Adults

Posted on January 9, 2025January 9, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1960s Toys, 1970s Toys, 1980s Toys, 1990s Toys, 2000s Toys, Uncategorized, LEGO, minifigures, playsets, toys

The amazing world of LEGO has been around for decades, giving children all over the world the ability to use their imaginations to create anything. LEGO allows kids to put sets together resembling occupations or characters from their favorite movie. They also allow kids to stretch their imaginations and create a vast world of their […]

Zorro Retrospective

Posted on January 7, 2025January 7, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, 2000s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, comic books, Movies, novels, television series, toys, Video Games, Zorro

Join us in a Retrospective of Zorro. The franchise begins in 1919 when Johnston McCulley created this incredible superhero western character. Zorro first appeared in All-Story Weekly in August of 1919. This masked, swordsman vigilante in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California appears in many stories across practically every form of media for […]

V Visitors (V) Retrospective

Posted on January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, comic books, novels, The 1980s, toys, V, video game, Visitors

Beginning in 1983, a crew of reptilian humanoids began their awesome franchise through four different television series, novels, comic books, a toy, and computer game. Kenneth Johnson, an American writer, producer, and director, first began this loved world of V Visitors. This Sci-Fi world of lizard-like aliens, the Visitors, appear on earth in search of […]

What’s the Difference Between Robo Force Galoob and Ideal?

Posted on January 2, 2025January 2, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, 1990s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, Ideal, The 1980s, The 1990s, toys

The awesome world of robot and humanoid toys sparked immense popularity from the 1950s to present day. These toys especially showed popularity in the 1980s with many versions of humanoid toys hitting the store shelves. Of these, the Robo Force toy lines, brought humanoid robotic characters to kids all around the world once again. Ideal […]

Top 10 Realm of the Underworld Action Figures

Posted on December 30, 2024December 30, 2024 by Chris Ingledue
2000s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, Realm of the Underworld, The 2010s, toys

In 2013, the Realm of the Underworld action figures released by Zoloworld. These figures brought back the iconic style of popular action figures from the 80s such as the original Masters of the Universe line. The first wave released in 2013 and, since then, other waves continue to release. These figures bring the 80s style […]

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure Retrospective

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 2024 by Chris Ingledue
1990s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures, comic books, Movies, television series, television seris, The 1980s, The 1990s, toys, Video Games

Travel through time with us as we go through a Retrospective of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures. The rock & roll, time traveling franchise begins in 1989 and continues to present day. With years of adventures, characters Bill and Ted not only appear in films. The iconic duo also appears in an animated series, video […]

Sky Commanders Retrospective

Posted on December 23, 2024December 23, 2024 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Uncategorized, animated series, Sky Commanders, The 1980s, toys, vehicles

Soar into the world of Sky Commanders with us! Join us in an action-packed Retrospective of Sky Commanders. The franchise begins in 1987 with incredible action figures and vehicles. The toy company, Kenner, released many immensely popular toys through its reign and this one fit right in. Kenner’s Sky Commanders toys gave people in the […]