Iguanus (2001)

I really miss my old local mall, and Kay-Bee Toy Store in particular. An odd thing to say, since much of their product was overpriced and then artifically marked down with phony-baloney looking price stickers. If memory serves, I believe they lost a class-action lawsuit about that particularly bad business practice.

But I still have a soft spot for the old mall store, mainly because of its accessibility, the length of time that old stock seemed to linger on its shelves and the oddities that frequently turned up there.

Three of the second series of Star Brigade aliens intended to be released in 1994, instead appeared at Kay-Bee in 2001. Each figure was not only quite a bit larger than the usual 3 & 3/4 inch but also featured a transforming action that revealed their monstrous alien natures. The larger scale allowed for some very detailed sculpting, as well as built-in action features. Iguanus fared very well in terms of his design, as both modes integrate effectively into the figure. Articulation of course suffers due to the transfoming gimmick, athough the traditional arm joints remain intact. This larger scale of Joe style construction brings to my mind the Visionaries and COPS toy lines. Wonder if I can somehow work those guys into this blog…

I have to wince again at the storyline presented on the file card, as we’re nonchalantly introduced to not only the fact that this guy is an alien bounty hunter, but that interstellar travel is a standard occurrence. When did I miss that plot point in the Joe mythos?

Back to Kay-Bee; I remember picking up all three for the standard two-for deals that were usually to be had at the store. Around this same time, I was also able to locate Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter movie figures from 1994-95. Imagine finding seven year old Joe figures still on store shelves nowadays!