Waddle Waddle Waddle... It's the Penguin!

The Penguin was one of the first villains I picked up when the Batman the Animated Series figures were released. That is saying something, as the Penguin is probably one of my least favorite of Batman's Rouges Gallery.

Sure, I like the character and the actors that have portrayed him over the years, but he never really was that cool of a villain, in my opinion anyway. I will say that out of all the different versions I do like this first attempt at the character for the Animated Series the best.

Penguin here is sort of a cleaner version of the Danny De Vito version of the character from Batman Returns film. I believe that the Animated Series was airing about the same time as the Tim Burton Batman films. So, it would make sense that some of the characters share similar attributes. Say, like Penguin's flippers, heavy coats, and longer hair.

One thing that I did always sort of dig is that the Penguin had crazy Umbrella Weapons. This Penguin came with a Hypno-Spin Umbrella Launcher to shoot at Batman and his friends. It works pretty well meaning it will shoot off and knock things down, or even function as a spinning top.

The only draw back is the size of the launcher. You can't see in the picture, but you pretty much have to hold him up when it's snapped on his arm. The figure will not stand with all the weight of the luncher. I am sure you could get him to stand in a sort of un-natural looking pose if you were patient enough.

There is a feature I pretty much just discovered when shooting pictures, once you remove the coat, Penguin has a hole in his back that the peg on top of the launcher can fit, making a pretty nifty little (or large) Umbrella Jet Pack. look out Joker, you might have some competition flying around for the Batman's attention.

Back when these were released I had only seen one Penguin on the pegs, they must have just stocked him, because I never saw another one. Back then I realized he was sort of a rare figure, but I opened him anyway. The loose Penguin is that same figure. I was pretty proud that I had one. When I was preparing for this post, I cracked open my tote of carded BTAS figures only to discover I did have a carded version too. I remember buying a lot of carded figures years ago, just could not remember if I had a Penguin or not. At one time I was trying to put together a carded collection of the first few series of BTAS figures, so it was a nice surprise to find him to shoot a group photo.

Hope you enjoyed this look at the Penguin, he's slowly becoming one of my favorites of the BTAS figure collection. 

What's up next from me? Here's a little sneak peek, I cannot make any promises that this will be my next post, but it will be a future post...

Incoming!

I have been a busy little Gotham Ghoul this October. Cleaning house at my other blog, busting butt at work, and taking care of business at the house. So this is more of a heads up for the fine citizens of BTATs and my partners in crime... I just gots me some goodies I am dying to crack open and shoot some pictures of. So, please be patient, enjoy some of the other offerings at BTATs and I will be back in the swing of things hopefully in a week or two.



This fine little kitty joined my packaged collection about a week or two ago, Pretty decent package, some flaws but for 99¢ I couldn't beat it.



This one was almost handed to me, not so much of a great deal, but better than what I have seen these go for. He arrived in the most impressive packing job I have ever seen, and that says a lot because I used to work for the old brown shipping company in college and I know a few people that ship stuff for the eagle now, Anyway I have full plans to add this guy to my loose Batman collection so I will be opening Batsy here. Hey bubba I know it's not to your usual toy liking being a he man doll hater, but you have to admit this is one minty looking Bat Dolly!

I now return you to the further adventures of BTATs!

Batman Related

Some more filler for you. Not sure if anyone was following the "Battle for the Cowl" on my other blog, to some this may be old news, but I just realized I left the audience over here at Batman the Animated Toys just hanging. Sorry about that. Anyway here is my current "just Batman" collection that I threw against my challenger.

click image to see larger

Hopefully durning the upcoming holiday break I will be able to dig out my BTAS collection and do some photo shoots for this blog. I am thinking about taking the above Batman shelf down and rotating out the army of Batman for some BTAS villains. If I do you will be the first to get the news. Oh and just in case you don't already now, I won the contest between myself and Reis at Hey, Look at my Toys!

Enjoy

Combat Belt Batman

As Bubbashelby would put it, this is a "cheat post" since it was ran on my other blog sometime ago here. Though I think it was time to migrate it since it was the inspiration for this blog. I had enjoyed photographing this toy so much that I took one of the images and made a header, then that lead to setting up a little blog for fun and then contacting my blog buddy and brother from another mother Bubbashelby to see if he was game to talk about some BTAS stuff. Here we are, so I hope you enjoy this post and I look forward to more.



Back when Hasbro held the Batman license a little cartoon made a debut called Batman the Animated Series. Hasbro not missing a beat released some of the best all around Batman figures ever. These things were spot on to the cartoon, well with the exception of all the multi colored bat suits with skis and jet packs and the like. Combat Belt Batman was the only way you were getting a "regular" looking Batman from the cartoon in the sea of goofy Suit Batmans.



This Batman not only combines the look of the show, but has a pretty cool play feature, that actually makes sense, the utility belt! If you didn't feel like wearing the Combat Belt, you could remove it and not ruin the look of the figure.

So what comes on a Combat Belt. You get the standard issue humongous grappling launcher with rope and hook, you also get a bat-a-rang that fits into the launcher and has a storage loop on the belt, plus you get a neat little set of Bat-Cuffs for apprehending Gotham City's Goons.



Combat Belt Batman is by far my most treasured Batman in my collection. You know that question people ask, what is the one item you would grab in an emergency? Well besides the Family and Pets, Vintage Boba Fett, and the family pictures. Combat Belt Batman is right there with them. Of coarse I might have to grab his Batmobile as well, especially if that's were he is at at the time, no time to stop and think about these things...

Battle for the Cowl

Not necessarily Batman the Animated Series, though I will have some of my BTAS collection in the upcoming photos, I thought I would post this here as well just in case anyone is interested in seeing to geeks go head to head in a battle royal of Batmans.

From the Eclectorama post:

So, some of you may have noticed that my buddy Reis made a comment on my last post that I was flaunting my Batman Collection and he pretty much challenged me to a face off, de hombre a hombre. Apparently Reis fancies himself a Batman collector, oh how cute. So let it be known that I accept your challenge Reis, and as soon as we agree on some terms to the competition we will be having a Batman face off, a Battle for the Cowl. Which will end with one of us giving up a Loose Batman from our collection and a custom illustration for the winner. Oh wait I should say I will be getting one of Reis' Batmans and he will be drawing me something when I win.

More later as the terms and the spoils are settled on. Plus I will post more on my efforts to thin out my collection soon.

Update: The Rules have been agreed upon and are as follows:

1) Toys/Statues/Etc. have to be open, not sealed on a card or in a box.

2) Batman has to be 3-D and head-to-toe, meaning PEZ dispensers and busts are out.

3) Variations count, meaning Reis's Pink Foo Foo Batman can be used, as well as all the countless color variations that Hasbro and Mattel have made.

4) No repeats, so Reis will not be able to use his fifteen bootleg Batmans he went and picked up at the dollar store an hour ago. Just one, buddy, sorry.

5) I guess that means Bootlegs are allowed... if you have to Reis.

The prizes, well the loser has to draw a picture for the winner declaring that they are indeed the champion and they also have to give up an agreed upon loose figure from their collection. Reis is putting up a 1978 Mego Pocket Heros Batman, I have a Campbell's Soup Mail Away Batman on the chopping block (Really? I can't believe you do not have that one.) We will both be posting a collection photo and close up photos of the collection along with our figure counts on the morning of Friday, October 29, 2010. So be there and witness my victory!

Wish me luck!

Beware the Gray Ghost!

New animated style toys coming out! One of my, and I'm sure many others, favorite BTAS episodes involved the Gray Ghost. While I was running around in San Diego a week or so ago I snapped this picture for our readers. It looks like it's part of a three pack including a Batman and the Joker, which I have a ton of, but of course I will think about grabbing one of these for the Gray Ghost. Makes me wish I would have picked up the last BTAS three pack with Batgirl, Penguin and Nightwing. Maybe I'll see it out again next time I'm at a Target. That reminds me, has anyone ever seen the Batman Beyond three pack? I missed that one as well.

Now I'm looking at this a little closer and just noticed the standard JLU Batman has the yellow oval Bat Symbol, sweet!

Quick to the Batcycle!

Finally a post of my very own! Thought I would start with something I had passed on back in 1992, The Batcycle. In the early days I would pass on stuff like this because the figure would not come off the vehicle, now I love these for what they are. The shows influence can be seen all over this Bat vehicle, from the front fender to the sloped windscreen and the Bat wing rear fender.

A great example of packaging, all the selling points front and center, a great piece of art for that action feel and the shows logo! I really love the look of this card.

The back of the card featuring some cross sell items, one that inspired this site, and a great set of photo instructions.

A great art deco front end on this cycle, I would love to have a bike like this Batman should be proud. This cycle always reminds me of a scene in the Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Movie where Bruce Wayne takes a motor cycle to apprehend a street gang. More on that movie later.

Batman does sit up so you can rev the cycle. This is some sort of switch to allow you to rev the bike safely with out damaging the motor.

When you have it ready to go you push him forward and let her rip! I have yet to make a successful run, but he supposedly can ride wheelie. I don't doubt Batman can do this, he has skills.

Cool feature is the cycle is wide enough to just sit and it looks like Batman is taking a corner.

The head on Batman does move and he comes with a cloth cape to flap in the breeze.

Has some detail on the controls, a gas cap and the head lamp is a sticker.

Another great view of that front fender, I love the silver fin detail on the front.

A parting shot of the rear wheel detail.

All and all I'm pretty happy with this little side purchase. I actually have a nice packaged one since I was trying at one time to get a set of the first series or so of BTAS figures in packages. This one was an impulse buy at a really, really low price and I couldn't pass on it again. Now I'm off to rid the streets of Gotham City of crime!