Robot Finger Fighters vs Rock’em Sock’em Robots

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Dis-LEE

“Get ready to rummmmmmm-ble!” It’s the Fight of the Century as the knock-off contender Robot Finger Fighters vs (or goes up against) the Rock’em Sock’em Robots. But it may be hard to tell who is whom in this fake, copyright-infringed, epic conflict.

Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots is a two-player action toy and game designed by Marvin Glass and Associates and was first manufactured by the Marx toy company in 1964. I had this wonderful toy as a kid and loved it, though I rarely won! It features two dueling robot boxers, Red Rocker (my favorite) and Blue Bomber. The pugilists were mechanically manipulated by the players, and the game is won when one player knocks the head off of the opponent. Actually, the head just popped up, but ‘knocked his head off’ sounds more exciting! In the 2000s the toy company Mattel released a version of the game.

But it’s time to meet the challengers, The Red Ripoff and The Blue Bamboozle:

‘Battle Your Friends’ – like lawyers in a Court of Law!

I challenge anyone to tell the two teams apart! It’s like they are twins, which is usually what a company is going for when it rips off the competition. Don’t believe me? Then check out the original fighters below:

The Original – “You knocked my block off!”

Yup. Samesies! I hate to say it, but Greenbrier International Inc. is not new to the game of, let’s just say, imitation. See my earlier post entitled Questionable CARS 2 Finn McMissle Figurine and make your own judgement.

But for now, let’s have a closer look at the Robot Finger Fighters:

As you can see, you slip a finger through the loop at the bottom of the torso and use another finger, either from the same hand or the other one, to manipulate the arms. Thus you achieve real boxing action!

Unlike the original game, these finger versions don’t have heads that pop up. Instead, the heads move forward as you pull the lever down, and the arms spring forward, as seen below:

It’s pretty much impossible to decide a winner with these finger fighters. You just have to keep pulling the lever until one of you gets a finger cramp and simply can’t go on. I think that would be a ‘technical knock-out’.

Although this product is obviously a fake one, it is immensely fun to play with! Also, it would be easier to carry around with you. Just keep your favorite finger fighter in your coat pocket, and when you meet a fellow enthusiast, whip out your Red Ripoff or Blue Bamboozle and have at it! The other people at the bus stop will probably enjoy the show. Or move away slowly.

FUN FACTS: The text on the original Rock’em Sock’em Robots toy packaging suggested an outer-space backstory for the two robots. The red boxer is “the rollicking Red Rocker” from Soltarus II, and weighs in 375 pounds. The blue opponent, the “beautiful Blue Bomber”, the pride of Umgluck, weighs in at 382 pounds. Whereas “the reprehensible Red Ripoff” and “the blatant Blue Bamboozle” are from China. Where else?

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GAF View-Master Education Theatre Projector

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Dis-LEE

The 1970s were a great time to be a kid! GAF had us all covered with View-Master products that we used to see our favorite characters and places around the world. With licensing from Disney and other famous IPs, there was no end to the variety of fun available!

You can see my GAF View-Master Gift Pak by clicking the link, but this: The GAF View-Master Disney Character Early Education Theatre is a step beyond the classic viewer you’re used to:

It looks like everyone is ready to learn. Mickey and Minnie have their books in hand and a blue bird is flying nearby to supply pencils all around. Boy, those Disney birds are helpful!

The tub is slightly irregular in shape now due to the fact that it is missing the lid. This set is also missing everything it came with except the Entertainer Projector. There should have been a set of twelve reels, four Activity Fun Booklets, and a handy permanent storage ‘pak’, whatever that was.

Before we get to the projector though, below is an image to show the difference in size between a normal View-Master viewer tub and the Education Theatre tub:

Now let’s unpack our projector for the big reveal:

Made entirely of plastic it is relatively small and certainly lightweight. This one is blue with lime green accents. It’s is a stripped down model projector. There is no on/of switch, no auto focus, and no adjustable legs for positioning the image on the wall. You plug it in and look. That’s it. Almost.

Having said that, there is a focus capability. If you look at the images below, you’ll see both the selector lever on the side of the projector (left image) and the lens that can be manually pulled out to focus (left and right images). I guess the less complicated it was the easier it would be for children to use.

I was delighted to find this little projector and to find that it worked perfectly! I have a vintage ‘catalogue’ of sorts for View-Master accessories, so I can always find a bulb if it burns out. Let’s have a look at the images from the Disneyland reel that I have to demonstrate what the images look like when projected onto a wall:

And there you have it! This would have been an amazing upgrade over a standard View-Master viewer that you had to aim at a light source. And of course, only one person could enjoy a picture reel at one time with those. But with this Entertainer Projector, the whole family could gather around and marvel over the stereo images of Snow White or Yosemite National Park, or whatever subject of reel you had purchased.

Still to come is my Talking GAF View-Master. I’m just a GAF collecting fool!

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Funko POP! Monsters Inc. Abominable Snowman Figure

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Dis-LEE

“Welcome to the Himalayas!”

The Abominable Snowman is believed to be a large hairy creature resembling a human or bear, said to live in the highest part of the Himalayas. He can also be called a Yeti. The character we are featuring in this post is from, not mythology, but the Pixar movie Monsters Inc. (2001) Funko POP! strikes again with this Yeti vinyl figure, complete with lemon snow cones.

No really, it’s lemon!

In a world inhabited by monsters, the city of Monstropolis harnesses the screams of human children for energy. At Disleelandia, we rely on coffee and chocolate. Each to their own!

I only purchased the one figure from this set. But the Boo did tempt me. Thankfully, there is only so many of these things I can buy! Does anyone believe that?

For comparison, below you can see how the character appeared in the movie:

Who ate the two missing snow cones?

The Yeti only appears briefly in the movie as one of John Ratzenberger’s many cameo appearances in Pixar films.

I’m enjoying collecting these vinyl figures more than I thought I would. Although I don’t think every character translates into Funko well, when it works, it works! And this Yeti figure does work.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to make my own lemon snow cones. In the kitchen! Man, you people are gross.

Posted in Animation, Characters, Collectibles, Figurines, Movies, Pixar | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Funko WDW 50th Anniversary Space Mountain Plushie

Posted on March 29, 2022 by Dis-LEE

The original Space Mountain rollercoaster opened in 1975 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Nope, it wasn’t an Opening Day attraction! There are two tracks, the Alpha and Omega, which passengers can choose from. Both give an awesome experience! Not into thrill rides? Then maybe you’d like to substitute thrills for ‘The Feels’ with this Funko WDW 50th Anniversary Space Mountain plushie. It’s so cute!

Have a look:

Impending Hug Alert!

Come on, you know you want to! Who could resist this little guy? You just want to reach out and hug the stuffing out of him! But don’t do that. There are laws.

This was released by Funko to secondary retailers for the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. But I imagine you can obtain your own at the Parks as well.

Does this picture make its butt look big?

For well under $20.00, this small plushie would make a fine addition to any Disney collectors growing pile of stuffed pillow-type things!

Posted in Anniversaries, Attractions, Merchandise, Plush, Souvenirs, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Loma Plastics ‘Everyday’ Pluto Cookie Cutter

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Dis-LEE

So who here doesn’t like cookies? Okay, look, if we’re not going to be honest, we just won’t be able to continue. Everyone loves cookies everyday! And that’s why the Loma Plastics company made this unique ‘Everyday’ Pluto cookie cutter… with a recipe.

Now it’s time to meet the pup who put plastic into cookies. What?

Loma Plastics Inc. may have been in business as early as the 1940s and perhaps went out of business sometime in the 1980s. But take that with a grain of salt, or a cookie. If those dates are accurate, then this Pluto cookie cutter would have been manufactured during that time. Some sources state that plastics really began to be used widely in household products mainly in the 1950s, so this may narrow the date for this item down a bit. My guess would be the 1970s for a more likely selling date.

These cookie cutters also came in sets, such as these ones in a vintage box attributed to Walt Disney Productions, making it pre-1987:

Note that the Pluto figure is identical to the singular figure I am featuring in this post, just looking in the opposite direction.

The back of the packaging has a very nice recipe for Everyday Cookie Dough cookies and Decorating Frosting if Mom wanted to get fancy. Yes, likely it would have been Mom who took on the role of baker back in the 80s, although it could have been Mr. Mom (Michael Keaton), as he came along in 1983.

We’re taking orders now. We ship only on our block. Serious inquiries only, please! No nibblers.

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GAF View-Master Disney Character Favorites Gift Pak

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Dis-LEE

GAF produced what we know as the View-Master as a slide viewer which enabled a child to view seven 3D images mounted in a paper disk. A View-Master disk holds 14 film slides in pairs, hence the term ‘stereo products’.

This post features a wonderful example of the packaging used to market said products. It is the GAF View-Master Disney Character Favorites Gift Pak from the 1970s. Spelling aside, Let’s have a look:

Vintage fun with an image of a boy obviously quite taken with his new viewer as Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse look on. They seem happy also! 1970s graphics are just plain cool.

Other characters appear on the canister, such as Bambi, Snow White, and everyone’s favorite Dwarf, Dopey.

This canister set is complete, so let’s have a look inside and see how it was packed, and what it looks like unpacked with all of the contents displayed:

So each canister came with one standard viewer, a white case with seven reels, and a mail order form from which you could order all kinds of other wonderful subjects to view!

If you want to keep the whole experience Disney themed, Playskool got in on the fun by manufacturing a Mickey-shaped viewer. It could be an early example of a Hidden Mickey:

What kid wouldn’t want one of these? And by kid, I mean me! Actually, I have two of a slightly different design, but there’s always room for one more. But again, this Gift Pak came with the standard issue viewer:

It’s relatively rare to find a set that has the original white plastic container that the seven reels came in, but this one has it:

The reels feature Disneyland, Bambi, Love Bug, Snow White, Donald Duck, Mary Poppins, and of course, Mickey Mouse! The Disneyland reel is awesome as it features some extinct attractions.

This set also has an amazing glimpse into the past with a copy of the GAF View-Master Mail Order Form. Have a look:

In the ‘B‘ section you will see a GAF Talking View-Master advertised. I have one of these! I’ll be doing a post on it later. In the ‘C‘ section you will see a GAF Entertainer Projector advertised as well. Yup, I have one of these too! The post featuring that, and the set of Disneyland slides, is already live!

In the ‘A‘ section, it advertises the Disney on Parade reels, Sleeping Beauty, and the Disneyland Tomorrowland and Walt Disney World Adventureland reels. Yup, you guessed it. I have them too!

I collect Disney-themed packages of View-Master reels for the amazing images on the covers. They make great display pieces in and of themselves.

Designed for children ages 4 and up these stereo reels came in just about every subject you could imagine, from other favorite IPs to educational topics. The canister boasts over 300 other options available! The upside of giving your child one of these Gift Paks is that after they break the View-Master and lose all of the reels, they’ll still have a fun pail to store other things they haven’t lost yet!

I paid $45.00 CAN for this set but the ones I can find on selling sites are listing for just under $90.00 CAN. So it appears I got a good deal!

For a more complete history of the GAF View-Master, check out THIS LINK to the View-Master Wiki site. I’ll bet you never knew how much there was to know about this toy! It’s well worth the read.

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Questionable CARS 2 Finn McMissile Figurine

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Dis-LEE

The Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company (BHTB) specializes in Custom, Private Label and Licensed toys, gifts, and plush for both in-line retail sales and strategic promotions. If you check out their website, you’ll find many product lines that look and sound like the brands you know, but aren’t quite… them. Hence the word ‘questionable’ in the title of this post.

I bought this CARS 2 Finn McMissle ‘figurine’ in a local dollar discount store. It is remarkably cheap in quality. Let’s have a look:

The packaging mirrors authentic Disney branding, but is unusual in that although it correctly has Lightning McQueen prominently displayed, it has no mention of CARS 2. All official Disney branded merchandise would reference the movie the character appears in. Also, none of the more familiar CARS die cast models are listed as ‘figurines’ on the packaging. Lastly, they certainly don’t feature the Disney Castle.

For a look at how the packaging should look, check out my earlier post featuring the character of Tomber, also from CARS 2.

Now let’s get to the car itself:

Not die cast, but made of a soft plastic material, it is molded in one piece and then poorly painted to add a very minor amount of detail.

Note that the wheels are molded with the body and placed in a slightly turned position to add a bit of action to the figure.

In a bit of a commendable effort, the bottom of the molding features a semi-realistic undercarriage with an engine and drivetrain.

More questions are raised by the back of the packaging. In the ‘Collect Them All!’ image gallery, the character of Finn McMissile doesn’t even appear as an option! Lightning McQueen is there instead. All of the other available characters are from other Disney/Pixar properties.

For obvious legal reasons, I stop short of declaring this a knock-off product. But not much short. The final reason for doubt comes from the fact that it’s made in China, a country notorious for not respecting copyrights. If I’m wrong, then I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest apologies to the BHTB Company.

If you’d like more of Finn McMissile, why not try him in chocolate form? In 2014, I found some officially licensed yumminess in Toys R Us. Dig in!

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Foodie Friday: Ludwig Von Drake in Disneyland Lunch Box

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Dis-LEE

Ludwig von Drake debuted in 1961 as did this Disneyland metal lunch box. Seeing Von Drake tour the various lands of Walt’s first Park is truly magical! Just ask him, he’ll be glad to tell you… for hours… and hours… and hours.

Paul Frees provided the voice of Von Drake in his classical period from 1961 to 1986. The character was first introduced as the host, presenter/expert, and all around self-professed know-it-all on the first episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color on NBC.

So who better to tour Disneyland and provide us all with a travelogue on steel?

Top of the Box and the Matterhorn

So how do you tell which is the main image on a lunch box? It seems obvious, but the lid is intended to be the main display image, even when the other large side is equally interesting.

On the lid of this lunch box we find Von Drake doing some climbing on the Matterhorn mountain. He has found a little worm to study! In the background, you can see the Sky Buckets (extinct), Sleeping Beauty Castle, the monorail, a 20,000 Leagues sub (extinct), and the Rocket to the Moon (also extinct).

One of the best things about these old pieces of merchandise is the nostalgia they generate by reminding you of the old attractions that are no more!

Our Tour Guide next takes us to Main Street U.S.A. for a look at the Horse-drawn fire wagon (that now sits on display inside the Disneyland Fire Department in Town Square). I’m not sure what’s on fire but Von Drake seems to have it well in hand. Well, as well in hand as he ever has anything.

The other sides of the box take us to Adventureland for an exotic trip through the Jungle Cruise. Next our Tour Guide becomes a Cow Poke in Frontierland for a showdown with a… rabbit? Lastly, Von Drake goes rogue as he Cosplays as Captain Hook for an appearance in Fantasyland. Even the Jolly Roger sails by in the distance!

See something that’s missing?

Most lunch boxes I find, and have, are missing the thermos. I was glad to find that this one had the original thermos, even though it is missing the stopper and lid.

Von Drake’s adventures in Disneyland don’t end on the box! On the thermos he is making another stop in the Jungles of Adventureland to catch himself some rare species of butterflies. But he had better be careful!

While chasing the Blue Beauty, he is almost swallowed by a Hippo, bitten by a snake (or does it just want a hug?), and is about to step on Ginger. That can’t end well, for I hear she snaps!

Aladdin Industries creates these wonderful metal lunch boxes. There is no end to the Disney-themed variants that they have produced over the years. This site has featured one from Walt Disney World, another focusing on The Magic Kingdom, and the most recent addition, one featuring The Rescuers. So make yourself a sandwich and enjoy yourself!

The bottom of the box places Von Drake back in Fantasyland for a look at King Arthur’s Carrousel with the back side of Sleeping Beauty Castle peaking out from behind. And I wonder what that food cart is selling? Could it be the famous Disneyland Popcorn?

You can see from the images that this metal lunch box is nice and rusty. But just enough rust to make it vintage and beautiful for display!

You can also see another post featuring this same lunch box that was done by our Guest Blogger, Nick, way back in 2013. He adds some fun details that he noticed which gives a different perspective. Oh, and his thermos is complete. Enjoy!

Posted in Animation, Attractions, Characters, Collectibles, Disneyland, Food, Foodie Friday, Kitchen, Television, Theme Parks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Zootopia Nick Wilde Plush by Tomy

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Dis-LEE

Zootopia is a 2016 animated feature film that co-starred a con-artist fox. Nick Wilde eventually forms a friendship with Judy, a bunny police officer, who helps him realize he can be more than his stereotype. By the end of the movie, Nick makes good on this lesson by becoming a police officer himself. But somehow along the way he became this tiny little plush by Tomy as well.

TOMY International (www.tomy.com) is a leading global designer, producer and marketer of innovative, high-quality toys sold under the TOMY and ERTL brands. The company also markets its products under popular and classic licensed properties such as John Deere, Disney, and other well-known properties.

Who’s a sly fox, then?

Well, if we revisit our opening paragraph, the stereotype would point to Nick as being a sly, untrustworthy, shifty, prone to criminal activity, fox. But look at that face! Is that really the face of a con-artist? Actually… yes, yes it is.

But as Mr. Wilde learns in just under the 2 hour running time of the movie, he can change. And he does. However, some things just never change, so now he will most likely con you into giving yourself up to the authorities. Whether you did anything or not. He’s just that good!

I’ve rarely seen a plush with this many tags! We have a title tag, a care tag, a brand tag, and three copies of the materials tags. I’ve read books with less text!

The cutest feature of this plush is definitely the feet, or the paws. Each has the little pads that a real fox would have. Call him plush or a stuffie, either way, you have to admit he’s charming!

Can’t get enough Zootopia plush? Then check out my earlier posts featuring Flash and Mr. Big.

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Photo Spot: Butchart Gardens Focus Study

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Dis-LEE

We paid a visit to the world-famous Butchart Gardens back in the Fall of 2021. With a former quarry as a canvas, Jennie Butchart envisioned transforming this space into a beautiful garden haven, overflowing with lush greens and colourful blooms. The result of her vision is The Gardens in Victoria, BC, which are still family run to this day.

And as you may imagine, there were plenty of beautiful things to photograph!

It wasn’t until after returning home and comparing the photos my wife had taken with mine, did I find that we had focused on the same view, albeit with different results:

It does show that no two people will look at something the same way.

Which do you think makes for the better shot? The picture that focuses on the foreground, or the one that focuses on the background?

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