CUSTOM WWF JEFF JARRETT

Since I do not have the Jakks TNA version of Jarrett I had to make do with what I have.

I wanted an old school 1994 Jarrett.  So I took a bone crunching head and put it on a Matt Striker body....

Added some clothes are whammo!

He came out great IMO.  Now I want to sew his whole Double J suit.

CUSTOM WWF DOINK

I quit watching the WWF when I went to college in 1991.  I missed ALOT.  I picked it back up at the video store in 1993 when I found an old Coliseum home video tape.  There were NEW superstars and I had no idea who they were.  One of the most featured and disturbing ones was Doink the Clown.  I never thought he was silly or stupid.  Matt Borne the wrestler played it so well.  So I got him when Jakks made one.  They didn't include his trademark jacket.  So......my sewing gal made one for me.  Whooo!

How she did those colorful circles on the lapel I will never know.  Wow!  So fricking cool.  I cannot wait to see what she does next.

CUSTOM WWF HART FOUNDATION

Bret Hart is my favorite wrestler.  Even to this day.  There was always something SO crisp about his moves.  I just loved the guy.  He commanded respect.  When he talked I believed.  I loved the Hart Foundation.  They were the first tag team I ever loved.  I came right into wrestling when Danny Davis handed them the titles.  LOVED that arc.  So with all that said.  I give you...The Hart Foundation.

Unfortunately...she used REAL leather.  So the result while it looks fantastic is HARD for them to move their arms at all.  It reminds me of A Christmas Story when the little brother couldn't move his arms either.  

When I do jackets for the Toybiz and Mattel Bret Harts I will take that into consideration for her to use a fake leather.

State of the blog- yeah I totally copied john...

You know...I spent an entire year doing playsets for wrestling.  Wow.  That is a long time.  But with most stuff out of the way...I want to focus on my childhood.  I see other people's blogs and become jealous with how easily and for how little money they obtain things.  I used to have it that good when I lived in the U.S.  In Georgia I went to DragonCon every year.  Always picking up great stuff etc.

But now my life is down here in Mexico.  It is something I gotta live with.  So with that said this post starts off my year of getting things from my juventud!  So as well since it takes forever and a day for my stuff to arrive, my blogposts will probably be infrequent.

So........this being a second go around with my youth, I get to have things done my way.  Since I have been so great at finding the right people to do my customs, I will restore these toys to what they were....And better.

So this year will be getting those childhood STUFF I had.  I lost three collections in my life.  1.The kids vandalizing and stealing all my toys. 2. More asshats burning our house down 10 years later. 3. Selling it all because my father had died.

The last one is indeed my fault.  Some fault is laid at the witnesses feet for sure though.  They drilled into my brain Armaggeddon was coming at any minute back in 2004-2006.  

So this time I get to keep it!!

My collecting goals for right now have mostly to do with luck.  

1. Naked GI JOE'S or Star Wars 12 inch at the flea market-  I am having a blast customizing wardrobes for for my wrestlers and I think what I could do with other types.  Gotta find some nakedness!  I don't want figures with clothes on.  I just want them naked and multi articulated.

2. Marvel Universe-  There are 6 that are right here in Mexico that I haven't picked up yet due to their cost.  I hope to rectify that this year.

3. Finish my wrestling clothes- I still have a few more to do.  But with this new sewing gal I will probably finish my goal this year.

4.  Sewing clothes for me!  That is right.  I want to do a few stuff for my living breathing self.  Whaddya think I should do?  Riddler suit?  I would hate doing cosplay that everyone else does so Batman and Superman are OUT!  

CUSTOM WWF KILLER KHAN

Well I was looking for more to customize in terms of clothing and I thought about Killer Khan.

That is him above...A heel in early WWF times.

Lo and behold I run across one of Ralph's clothing guys...He did a great Killer Khan custom!  WHERE oh where did he get that head though?

So.....I used a Jimmy Yang Wang head for mine.  It works for me.  Not the best but it is slightly passable.  At least he is oriental...

Ok the head sucks.  I can live with it though...

CUSTOM JERRY LAWLER!

Jerry Lawler is a staple for Monday Night RAW commentary.  His original figure came with a cape his wrestling attire...I wanted the MNR look though.  So here is what my gal came up with.

HAHA!  She even did the crown which I did not ask for.  Hilarious.  The coat is great though.

Terrific Trade part 2!

So last time was the Iron Patriot.  This time is a figure I am FAR more jazzed for.  I didn't want to shout my excitement to the traders...But wow!  Pretty frickin cool.  I only lost a Famous Covers incomplete Magneto for these two figures.

That is right!  An MU 3.75 ArcAngel!  I hope I spelled that one right.  I had got out of Xfactor by the time Angel lost his wings so I didn't read the whole Apocalypse storyline of how Angel did this.  I know about it...But reading it firsthand is quite something else.  He looks great.  Do I wish it were the Angel MU more than this?  You betcha!  But since this is Mexico I will take what I can get.

Captain America throws his mighty shield!

FINALLY!  After what?  3 years of searching one finally turns up in Mexico!  I have a Captain America MU to lead my pitiful little band of Avengers.

Yup my Avengers looks pretty weak doesn't it?  But at least it is not just Wasp and IronMan anymore.  All I need now are Hawkeye, Black Widow, Vision, Black Panther, Black Knight, Wonder Man, Thor etc...Ah the list is too long....

And one more is coming!  A custom made project that will debut in a week or so.

I don't have a Cantina...BUT NOW I DO!

I am not talking about Monster Cafe Saltillo silly!  I am talking about what is below!

Found the below here in Mexico!  60 pesos!

The seller probably  had no idea what it was.  But us seventies kids know what it is.  I am SO happy that BuzzChuck sent me those two Star Wars Cantina figures.  It reignited in me the flame to get my Star Wars toys back.  They were tragically lost when the neighborhood kids stole them back in 1981.  But I will have them again!

But it looks kind of bland doesn't it?  Yeah all it was was the shell....But with a little magic from my artist and.....

WHAMMO!  Fully restored in all it's glory!

The entrance didn't come out in the same color as the base.  I will probably repaint it.  All I have of the original vintage collection is what you see here and Bib Fortuna.  That is it.  I am so behind!

But what's this?  Yup.  I did the ole switcharoo!  I took the playset made in all cardboard and put THAT image on the back.  So now my Cantina is two playsets in one!

 I can have all kinds of adventures outside too!

My artist EVEN did the brown doors out of plastic!!!!  Is there anything Raymundo cannot do?  Pretty cool huh?  The frame is made out of wood and glued onto the set.  I wasn't about to pay $20 like some Ebay shucksters out there on Ebay charge.

HAHA!  The doors even open too!  Awesome huh?  And it is NOT cardboard but plastiboard.  VERY durable!  So it will be with me for many years and not tear like that cheap cardboard crap it came with originally.

Yup...All kinds of odd creatures can come get a drink at Monster Cafe Saltillo!  Oops, I mean Creature Cantina!  Yeah a little self promotion never hurts...

Now I just gotta get the rest of the crew....Han Solo, Chewbacca, the droids, Obi Wan and Luke...

I also LOVE to restore toys!  With my wrestling clothes or this or whatever.  I am on the hunt for nakedness!

Dang it Buzzchuck!  You started this!  You have made me into a monster!  I want my original Star Wars toys back!!!

Terrific Trade again! part one

Oh yeah!  Remember those guys I got the Moon Knight, and Union Jack Marvel Universe 3 inch figures from?  Well they returned for two more goodies.

Da friggin Iron Patriot!  Now I have not read a modern comic since 1998 when they went over my budget.  But from what I do know is that this is Norman Osborn and he hates Captain American now for some reason.  Possibly Iron Man too.  I have no idea.  I will have to read about him on Wiki...

But for MY universe he will be Captain America, Steve Rogers in the suit because Tony Stark couldn't do it anymore due to alcoholism.  That is my story and I am sticking to it.  Or something like that...

Controversial Thursday- Collecting for collecting's sake

During my roamings on the internet I come across things from time to time.  This one wowed me at first, then made me repulsed.

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/popcult/2014/03/21/joelanta-2014-thats-a-lot-of-toys/

This guy's toy collection.  A full warehouse....JUST for one guy.
That is collecting for collecting's sake.  There is no possible way he loves all those toys.  None.  He is a guy that has nothing in life but trying to have the biggest dick on the block.  That is all.  Bragging rights.  A guy who has accomplished nothing in the world but to have toys.

The above pic is not something to be proud of.  This is a person who needs mental help.


It made me take a hard look at my collection.  I do not collect things JUST to collect things.  I have gone on and on with this blog how I absolutely hate certain things about toys.

There are many things I would never collect.  Baby toys, the cutening up of my beloved Superheroes with anime faces, anything small....I hate it all.  I think they suck..

But I do, focus my collection.  Wrestling figures, Marvel universe, Childhood toys, and Universal Monster stuff for the cafe.  That is pretty much it.  If I had the money would I become like this guy?  No.  I think I am the only one who feels this way but by having SO much you deprive others of finding the joy in toy collecting too.  I think of others.  Especially kids.  There are some within our hobby that buy EVERY single rare action figure at a store, then mark it up on Ebay.  Those are the assholes.  THOSE are the ones destroying the hobby.  Likewise you will NEVER see anything I buy in the box.  That shit is to be tossed away and the fucking toy to be played with.  They are toys.  Not art.  Take them OFF the shelf and have a battle!  Have fun.

I feel like my little monster collection brightens other people's days.  Kids come in here by the thousands.  They are not sitting in my basement just sitting on the shelf collecting dust.  They are sitting on the shelf behind the glass display...um....collecting dust.  HAHA...No but really my collection is for others to enjoy.  Not just myself.

I mean that guy had the Superhero barbies.  That is GAY, not cool.

CUSTOM WWF OUTLAW RON BASS

SO shocked about the Ultimate Warrior's death by the way.  It is like he knew he was going and wanted to be in the Hall of Fame before he went...But now, onto the subject at hand.
Oh yeah...Many people do not remember ole Bass.  But I sure do.  Royal Rumble 1989....He also bloodied Brutas Beefcake with a spur and had his head shaved thereafter.  He disappeared after that though...

Had to give him his own jacket and bullrope Bessie.  This was the last of the jackets done by my former waiter that made them by hand.  It is her worst.  I may have my new gal fix it up.

The haul of hauls part 3

I probably saved the best for last in my part 3 of haul of hauls Saltillo style.  This was 2 or 3 weeks ago when I found the other awesome stuff.

1. Batman with spread wing action-  I had no idea this was just a Burger King figure.  Since Mexico doesn't keep up with that stuff I just assumed it was a 3.75 inch Batman figure.  It is great.  He can swoop down on his enemies.

2. Under the Red Hood Jason Todd- I think this figure came with the DVD.  I haven't seen the movie yet but knew who he was.  I READ where the Joker killed him back when it happened in 86.

3. Mr. Fantastic MU figure-  I bought the boxed set of them with Herbie and thought the costumes sucked on Reed and Sue.  SO glad to get this one.  THIS is my Reed.  This one was from the Secret Wars two pack with Ultron.  Boy, I wish I had found Ultron too.

4.  Klaw MU figure-  FRICKING KLAW!  WOW!  I thought I would never have this figure as the Secret Wars Twopack with Cap is the ONLY way you can get him.  I was resigned to never owning him.  Wow.  This was the highlight of the haul of hauls.  Remember how crazy for MU I was last year?  This guy just got me back on track!

5. Green Lantern movie Abin Sur- I have Sinestro, Kilowog, and an Alien from two years ago.  They were at closeout here.  But not this guy.  SO glad I have him.  I only need Tomar Re, GL, and a few Guardians to complete the set.

6. Doc Ock munchkin-  Remember how I hate deformed or little figures?  Well I still do.  I will be ripping this little guy's arms out and putting them on a better Doc Ock one day.  Perhaps if I ever find a Secret Wars one....They NEVER have their arms in them.

CUSTOM WWF LA RESISTANCE!

I am really coming along with doing my custom robes and jackets for my wrestling collection.  I am almost done to be honest.  Just maybe 30 or so to go.  So below is Ralph's version of La Resistance.

It is awesome...So I HAD to copy as that is what we do here in Mexico.

They came out exactly as I wanted.  I did two of them considering there are 2 in the team...I just hope to one day get the figures with the blue and white knee pads and trunks like the example above.

NEW MU XFORCE!

Ok...This isn't MY version of Xforce.  My version was the first team.

 Of course it needs Cable but I loved this group.  I had the first issue of Xforce when it hit the stands back in 1992.  I was a voracious comic reader then.  Collected all till around issue 25 or so.

I know who these people are.  Heck that is Warpath like the one above.  The stealth uniforms are a pretty cool touch for doing stealth missions.  I could have some fun storyline possibilties with them.  I WISH the other members of Xforce as they first appeared were in the MU format though.  I always prefer classic costumes to modern crap.

CUSTOM KOKO B WARE

That is Ralph's version above.  I liked it enough to copy.  I hated the headband though...

I also didn't do the red tights.  Koko's tights were just right and didn't need them.

Controversial Thursday-Well it sucks the Dork Horde is gone...

Damn it to hell.  When I first started blogging back in 2012 in my first blogpost I had stated that I wanted to make amends with a fellow blogger.  It never came to pass.

Reis was the first blogger I ever found in the blogging world.  I think he is the same age as me as almost everything he had, I had as a kid.  I knew nothing of blogging in 2011 when I found his site.  I just knew I wanted to participate.  I was a total newbie.

But if any of you have read my controversial Thursday posts over the years I can be an ass sometimes.  If I am perceived as being wronged, I have to "get" the other person.  Yeah, it is a character flaw. After 3 years I have grown up a little but...So I do want to clear the air and make amends!

So here is what happened....

I used to comment on Reis' blog Geek Orthodox.  Loved that blog too.  But since I had NO idea about what the blogging world was all about as I didn't have a blog etc. I would sign it Monster Cafe Saltillo to let people know someone in Mexico was reading and if anyone was curious they might look me up.  Well I did a few times and would go back to see if he responded to me after a comment only to discover it had been erased.  Well I wondered was I doing it right.  Commenting that is.  So I would try again.  I wasn't trying to be a pest at all at first.  Well Reis had enough of me signing with Monster Cafe Saltillo and he told me..."Asshole, quit spamming my blog"

I went into Controversial Thursday mode then.  I wish I would have just tried to be calm and explain that I didn't mean to spam.  After all I WOULD comment on the subject at hand then sign it with my cafe name.  But like I said, I didn't use sugar in my words in a rebuttal.  John over at Random Geek blog did a profile on Reis...I couldn't help myself.  I said that Reis insults his readers.  Well that went over like a fart in the wind.  Reis then found info on a post I had written in frustration on a monster forum about wanting to sell the cafe due to no customers that day....He posted it that I was a failed businessman etc.  It wasn't pretty.

So the war was on.

Remember when Reis did video blogs?  I always enjoyed them but after the info that was used against me about the cafe I spammed it too.  Said I gave the finger to him in all of his videos.  He quit doing video blogs.  I sure hope it wasn't me being a punk was the reason.  It was only one video that I commented on anyways.
 
So then he did Lair of the Dork Horde.  I commented to say let's let our bygones be bygones etc.  Let's start off with a whole new leaf etc.  He wasn't having it.    I just commented politely on most of his posts after that.  Saying awesome scores etc.  Then Tony gave me the idea to do this blog after commenting at other blogger's blogs.  So I started this one in August of 2012.

So from August 2012 to now I commented all the time on his blog...Mostly....Always secretly hoping he would also say let's clear the air and we both apologize.  I wanted to be a member of the horde.

But now it's all gone.

So for what it is worth I am sorry Reis.  I was an ass...and I wish you would continue blogging someday in the future.  Your collection is what I aspire to.  I am sure we could have been friends had we met in person.

It is so fricking cool that you work at Funko.  Man, what a job!

The haul of hauls part 2

So last time I shared how I obtained the big GI Joe guy and two WWE Mattel wrestlers.  Well this was on the same day and it is STILL quite a score...

All for not much!  Around $4!  I really didn't want the Soloman Grundy runt figure but there was NOTHING else at this previous table before I found the haul of hauls...But he was a Batman figure...AND he looked kinda cool but as a rule I do not buy these figures.  I hate them.  It was an impulse purchase.  The others though...Whoa!  Asajii Ventress!  Wish it came with her lightsabers but hey...This is Mexico.

The Cobra snake I bought for my WWF Jake Roberts figure.  I will paint him over and he will look good.

The pirate guy is from Pirates of the Caribbean.  I have 5 of the figures but not this guy.  I had to do it to complete the set.

Now for the two Crown jewels!  Captain Boomerang!  Last month when I was going to do the Hall of Justice custom I have been REALLY wanting to start collecting the JLU line.  So......very glad I have him now.  It will be slow starting and slow getting here in Mexico but I am willing to wait.

The MYSTERY MACHINE!  I have seen other bloggers with their TV cars and I wanted in on the action.  So glad I finally have it.