Modern Balls of Madness

Discussion in 'Americans and Other Western Gaijin' started by Collin Shots, Dec 24, 2007.

  1. Collin Shots

    Collin Shots Side Dealer

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    Modern Balls of Madness
    .
     
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  2. Count

    Count Post Pimp

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    I've got to see if the toy's R us near me has some of these, I want to get them for my girlfriends cousin's kid. And probably end up getting them for myself as well.

    Are the new ones made out of foam?
     
  3. Chuck

    Chuck Line of Credit

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    Yes. I picked up the whole set a month ago at TRU. I also got the "sick series" there too.
     
  4. Sanjeev

    Sanjeev Post Pimp

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    Sick series is already out??? AWESOME!! Been waiting for those for a minute.

    I was lucky enough to score a set of Series 1 at SDCC...as well as check out prototypes of the sick series. Check 'em out at the bottom of this SDCC07 article on CDX:
    http://www.collectiondx.com/node/1773

    These things are great, aren't they?? I loved these things when I was little; I seriously hope they become really successful.

    They (Series 1, anyway) seem to be made out of a softer kind of foam than the originals. They seem squishier and bouncier. Then again, it may just be that the foam in my few vintage ones has hardened over time!
     
  5. Sanjeev

    Sanjeev Post Pimp

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    Sig-worthy quote right there!

    I dunno--I really dug the sick ones I saw at SDCC. Granted, they were only prototypes and the guy there (gods, I wish I could remember his name!) said that the production ones would be a little different. He was implying that the proto's were a bit weaker and wouldn't stand up to too much play/squeezing. Maybe the production ones were made harder to squeeze to make them more durable overall... We'll see--either way, I'm getting 'em!

    Good to see folks supporting a toy line genuinely meant for kids...not to mention selling for under $10! :D
     
  6. bannedindc

    bannedindc S7 Royalty

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    I got that set at SDCC too. pretty cheap for the set.

    we have a couple of these guys for sale at the store. (photo stolen from datadub)
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/datadub/476457558/in/set-72157600153540942/
     
  7. TOYMINATOR X

    TOYMINATOR X Toy Prince

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    Modern Balls of Madness
    WE did quite a bit of work on MPM for the rerelease this was my redesign
    while trying to stay true to the OG
    [​IMG]
    Timing was off ... if kids were looking for a big blue monster they went for Sully of monsters inc...
    it is highly possible that he will be back soon

    K

    here is a funny one the Sculpt is awesome, it is 10" tall

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Nicky G

    Nicky G Toy Prince

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    Modern Balls of Madness
    Wow, what flashbacks! I picked up the Repvile re-issue a couple of weeks ago at toy tokyo, and one of the other ones for my brother, which I gave him just today for xmas. Awesome stuff. And My Pet Monster? Oh man I really used to love that guy when I was little.

    Being at my mom's for Xmas, I finally decided to raid the basement. I knew it was a gold mine, but I can't believe what I'm finding. Old old TMNT and Usagi Yojimbo comics, tons of Garbage Pail Kids, Star Wars, Masters of the Universe, TMNT figures up the arse, an issue of Hobby Japan from 1992 that I remember picking up when I was starting to get into anime and giant robots and stuff... Ahhh, what a good haul. :)
     
  9. Arin C.

    Arin C. Line of Credit

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  10. missy

    missy Post Pimp

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    i miss working for urban outfitters catalog. i got my first blythe from them for $20.

    now the same one is $150-$200. should have bought them all. one of my greatest toy regrets. there were 4 in stock when i got mine on clearance.
     
  11. bansheebot

    bansheebot Super Deformed

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    Nice! Thanks for the heads up. I was gonna buy them just now but I will goto the local Urban and see if they have 'em.
     
  12. Sanjeev

    Sanjeev Post Pimp

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    I actually tried to find the "Sick Series" in a couple of my local TRUs, since they're supposed to be exclusively carrying the new Madballs for a while before they're released to other retailers. All gone.

    Ended up getting 'em off some website (not Urban Outfitters, though). A shame, really...I love the actual, physical hunt...and the satisfaction of buying a toy in a real brick-n-mortar store!

    Didn't even occur to me to try an actual Urban store!
     
  13. bansheebot

    bansheebot Super Deformed

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    Series 2 is coming out late May, including Freaky Fullback, Dust Brain, Wolf Breath, Swine Sucker, Oculus Orbus, and the new Blechbeard(!):

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Sanjeev

    Sanjeev Post Pimp

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    Blechbeard rocks!!

    It's funny how these new Madballs have sparked my interest in the original series. I've got a few of the original ones that I always wanted...and now, I'm starting to focus on the head-popping figures. Scored me the Rollercycle recently offa eBay, and it kills!

    What fun!
     
  15. bansheebot

    bansheebot Super Deformed

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    Awesome.

    I would really like to get my hands on the headpoppers too.

    There's just something about early 90s toys and action figures that I love. Part nostalgia (growing up with all of that stuff, the tv shows and resulting merchandise), the bright colors, the utter cheesiness of it, etc.

    If I weren't so wrapped up in Japanese vinyl and kaiju and whatnot, my detolfs would be filled with that kind of stuff.
     
  16. Sanjeev

    Sanjeev Post Pimp

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    Heh...nah, I totally feel you.

    But just for the record, Madballs were '86. Mmmm...a fine year for toys! ;)
     
  17. xSuicide Squadx

    xSuicide Squadx Super Deformed

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    I honestly really like both of the reproductions I picked up at Target. Dust Brain was the first I got when I was a kid, and I have an original sketch from James via NYCC 2014, so Dust Brain was all I hunted down. Personally, I do like these releases that Frank is doin' with KR, too. Breathing new life into some classics with hardly any changes to the original designs. I was told by Frank at DCon that there'll also be larger vinyl Madballs produced(softball size, maybe), as well as original designs from the 80's that never saw light of public eye.

    [​IMG]
     
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  18. shincartoon

    shincartoon Toy Prince

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    Modern Balls of Madness
    I like the new black vinyl releases too.
    I think the gray prototype shows off the detail better but black shinny sofubi done well is my favorite. I am seriously considering ordering from the site but kind of low on cash right now...
     
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  19. pickleloaf

    pickleloaf Super Deformed

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    Have these figures been released anywhere painted yet?


     
  20. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    These are cool, and while it's interesting to see some 're-makes' of the head-popping figures, I honestly thinking going full-size is a mistake though. But more than that, from those preview shots of the blanks, I just feel like the bodies don't really work. The proportions seem way off, and the whole physique of them isn't very attractive. Rather than coming off cartoony, which I imagine was the idea, they have venture too far into the 'Care Bear' territory for me, and the heads should be much larger I think, to emphasize that the 'balls' aspect of the entire line is key. I mean, that is their whole personality. And looking at the concept art posted above by @Collin Shots you can see how great these could have been. I mean, it's all there, I just think that they tried to go in a different direction with the sculpting, and it was a mistake. Just too generic and cheap looking from my point of view. The way the arms just standardly flare out like that, the stance of the legs, the chubbiness of the limbs w.r.t. the bod; I dunno, guess I am being overcritical, but for me, I'd give these as pass based on what I am seeing now, and stick with the balls. Then again, I am not sure I like the re-design versions at all, so maybe I am just too much of a purist for the OG looks. Anyways, give me something close to the art versions, and I would be so thrilled.
     
  21. shincartoon

    shincartoon Toy Prince

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    They look huge because they are wide but actually they were made so their heads would match the original madballs. They are only 7 inches tall.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    @ultrakaiju their bodies were made to match the original head poppers so I don't think they had much creative freedom to change but the head size is bigger compared to the poppers at least:) , and I believe the legs are to match the original 80s wind up toys. they also come with the bottom plug so if you don't like the head poppers or the wind up walkers you can just plug the bottom and use them as head banks. :)
     
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  22. shincartoon

    shincartoon Toy Prince

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    nope only the black ones for now.
     
  23. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    Those are fair points, but the main thing is that I gave a lot of leeway to the original toys because they has the jointed arms, so a bit of bulkiness is unavoidable in this sense, as well as lending the all important articulation (while the gap in the joint also helps to divert some of this impression). Taking this away, you are just left with the odd chunk stance. Which, don't get me wrong, is very 80s, but I would argue that isn't necessarily a good thing (hence the analogy) - all nostalgia aside. And having loved the Madballs original run, I always found that the head poppers were themselves already suffering from a fairly poor head sizing issue. Which I presume was done in order to balance standing on the body as well as being able to handle and function with the firing mechanism; which, if anyone remembers the originals like me, the heads were solid rubber (probably for safety) which cause a lot of issues in itself, hence the balance with size. Matching the proportions in soft vinyl though wouldn't [necessarily] be necessary. But again, fair point if people just want a sized-up 'repro' homage version I guess. I am sure I will feel more in love once I see the painted versions. They are still very excellent toys, and tickling what I like, I am just suggesting a few critiques with the transition to vinyl project.
     
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  24. MisterYuck

    MisterYuck Comment King

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    Still seeking out these new versions. Have yet to find any. :(
     
  25. badteethcomics

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    Why do people insist on releasing blank black vinyl I will never understand... Well I understand it, but I will never buy it! I want to see the details, not a black silhouette :( Kenth Toy Works did a killer job on the sculpt, it deserves to be spotlighted... gimme a nice green blank set please.. heck gimme a green/purple marble while I'm dreaming..
     
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