Mego Spotlight- Klingon Cruiser (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

Item Name: Klingon Cruiser
Manufacturer: Mego Toys Corp.



Mego released this ship to stores back in good ol' 1980. Take a closer look at that box art:



...and here's a look at the back of the box...



...and finally, a quick look at the snippet from the side...



Got all that? Good. Let's continue.



The Rundown: I have a few toy "holy grails" that I have been on the lookout for since I started my Trek collection. The wacky late 60's Remco stuff, prototypes of unproduced items, original Leaf trading cards... rare stuff that hardly ever shows up for sale. Pretty high on my list of wants have always been the 3 ships Mego made for their "Motion Picture" line: The Enterprise, the Vulcan Shuttle, and the Klingon Cruiser. Well, last week I finally crossed one of those off my list. Behold... The Mego TMP Klingon Cruiser!



Released toward the tail end of their "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" line, the Mego TMP ships were a departure from the company's norm. Mego usually stuck to action figures, playsets, and vehicles scaled to figures. Since it would have been impossible to do ships in scale with the figure line, Mego opted to replicate them as small-scale models. They chose the 3 most visible ships from the film to reproduce, which would of course include the Klingon Cruiser seen in the film's opening sequence.



Mego was pretty much the king of producing nice toys at a cheap price. The Mego TMP ships are a great example of their thrifty production methods. Each ship is molded entirely in one color (a greenish-blue in the case of the Klingon Cruiser), with all the color detailing supplied by an included decal sheet (which mine is unfortunately missing). They're basically pre-assembled model kits that you just put stickers on. No bells and whistles here... just enough to get the job done.



Now that's not to say that the ship is light on details. Quite the contrary actually! While the cruiser can't stand up to today's replicas, it's pretty impressive by late 70's standards. Each of the ship's main structures feature a pretty decent amount of sculpted detailing. From the "cooling unit"...



...to the bridge area....



...and all the way to the "propulsion units", this ship has a lot going for it!



Given the time period, that's pretty darned good. The ship isn't all that big either, coming in at only 8" from the tip of the bridge to the end of the propulsion units. Take a look at it next to some other Klingon ships to see what I mean-



The Hallmark and Johnny Lighning ships are both fairly small, so you can see that the Mego stuff isn't large by any means. While the 2 smaller guys have a lot more dteial going on, you have to remember that those are produced by today's manufacturing standards, with a keen eye towards authenticity. Mego's Klingon Cruiser was produced 30 years ago. For kids. By that token, it's great.



Included with each TMP ship is a "landing base". I believe the mold is the same for all three, with each one cast in the same color of plastic used on their respective ship. Even though it was probably a cheap addition for Mego to make, it's a very nice add-in for kids that wanted to display their ships when they weren't playing with them. Kids like me. Weird kids.



Okay, so I think I've made the point pretty clear that this was a nice toy for it's time and would have been a great item to pick up back then... but what about now? That's a really tough one, since the TMP ships are INCREDIBLY rare. At the point when these were shipping, the TMP figure line was winding down and stores were moving on to the next hot thing, leaving theses ships with only a VERY limited release here in the US. While all 3 did see a wider release overseas, it's still very uncommon to find them up for sale nowadays. When they do pop up, you can typically expect to pay anywhere from $200-$400 for each ship (depending on it's condition). Ouch. Yeah, at that price I can't recommend this guy to anyone but the most hardcore of Trek collectors. While the ship is cool and the nostalgia factor is there, you can buy much better version for a fraction of the price. Only a crazy person would plunk down the money for these Mego TMP versions...

So yeah... if you have a Vulcan Shuttle or an Enterprise for sale, let me know. Because I'm an idiot.

Mego Spotlight- Klingon (3&3/4" 'The Motion Picture' Figure)

Figure Name: Klingon
Manufacturer: Mego Toys Corp.



The Klingon was released as part of the rare second series of 3&3/4" Mego Star Trek The Motion Picture figures. (Sorry, no carded pic for you...)

The Rundown: Hey... we are getting really close to finishing off all the spotlights for this often overlooked gem of a line! If I remember right (and I usually don't), all that's left after this one are Kirk, Ilia, and the Megarite. That kinda bums me out. I really liked getting these guys out of their case and giving them a second look. Well, at least today I get to show off one of the best (if not THE best) figures in the line- The Klingon!



The Klingon look introduced in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was drastically different from their appearance in the television series. Gone were the budget-constrained TOS versions, replaced by these new Klingons that featured odd head ridges and stylized leather-meets-metal uniforms. Now while I have always preferred the classic look, I do still appreciate the bumpy-head versions... and boy did Mego do a fine job of reproducing one in this figure!



The ornate armored vest of the Klingon is captured in great detail here. And while they could have skimped out on the intricacies from the back of the uniform...



...Mego even strove for accuracy there! That's pretty amazing work for a figure that's 30 years old! It really feels like no detail was overlooked on this guy! From forehead ridges that run all the way over his head-



To his holstered sidearm-



Everything is here! In fact, I'd go so far as to say that minus a paint wash and a few extra points of articulation, this is a figure that could go toe-to-toe with many of the current figures on the market today. He really was a step ahead of the other 3.75" figures sold during his time.



Accessories: None... and that's really my only complaint about the all the aliens in 3.75" TMP line.



I've debated back and forth as to which figure in the TMP 3.75" line is my fav... bouncing between the Betelgeusian, the Zaranite, and the Klingon. after looking at him again in closer detail, I gotta go with this Klingon. He's not only one of the best of this line, but easily one of the best Klingon figures ever made. Although all the aliens from this line are pretty scarce, the Klingon is at least one of the more affordable ones. He makes a great starting off point for folks interested in collecting this line. And you should collect this line.

-James

Playmates Spotlight- Klingon Disruptor ("Star Trek Generations")

Item Name: Klingon Disruptor
Manufacturer: Playmates Toys



Playmates released this weapon of mass destruction as part of it's "Star Trek Generations" line.

The Rundown: Sorry for the lack in posts lately. I promise to be a better blogger! Believe me? Well, you should. Anyways... Did you ever wonder how I pick the items that I choose to spotlight here? Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Sometimes it is by request, but usually the item is picked based on whatever is easily grabbed from my Trek room at home (yes, I have a Trek room). The next couple of spotlights, however, stem directly from me watching the great film "Trekkies" again the other day. I decided it might be fun to choose a couple of items spotlighted in the movie. First up...



You're damn right kid! No Klingon would use a silly thing like a stun setting! But Playmates had other ideas, and decided to include one in this great little piece of roleplaying fun!



Overall, the disruptor looks pretty darned nice, especially for a kid's toy. The color choices look okay to me, but I wish they'd have chosen a different material for the grip. It seems a little too slick and glossy to have been the sidearm of one of them Klingon bastards...



The front end emitter is cast in a red translucent plastic to facilitate the light-up feature. The light is nice and bright when lit, but is pretty tough to capture in a photo (thus why there isn't one).



Playmates included a few stickers to slap on this piece to give it a little more detail. I've always dug the Klingon insignia, so it's nice to see it included here.



As our young friend pointed out in the video, the disruptor has 2 settings- "Disrupt" and "Stun". Even though he displayed them pretty well in the video already, I went ahead and made another in case you couldn't make them out (the first effect is "Disrupt").



And here's the bio from the back of the box-



...and the included "blueprints"!



While it's fun toy, those of you who strive for screen accuracy may just want to wait for the Diamond Select Toys version (if it ever makes it out). Folks like me with kids though should definitely give this one some thought, as it's pretty cheap and fits perfectly in a toddler-sized hand. My sons love having weapons for the opposing forces during their mock battles...

-James

Another Day, Another Auction Lost....

Sigh... I lost again.



A couple of days back, this cute little fella was sold on eBay. Originally planned as an accessory for the DST Kruge & Maltz "Star Trek III" 2 pack, our little friend here was lost to time when the set was canceled. That was until one of the former DST guys threw his personal copy on eBay. I was in there bidding until the last minute. But I lost.



Final price? Over $200! And that's just for the accessory. Yeah, there's no market out there for Star Trek anymore obviously. ;)

If the winner happens to be a reader of my blog, shoot me an e-mail at apieceoftheaction@live.com I'd love to get better pics to feature here!

-James

Corgi Spotlight- Klingon Bird-Of-Prey

Item Name: Klingon Bird-Of-Prey ("Regular" and Silver Versions)
Manufacturer: Corgi



Corgi released this standard colored BOP in this oddly shaped package...



... and the silver "Limited Edition" in this swanky fold out display box featuring a ton of little facts about the Bird-Of-Prey. Here's what it looks like all folded out-



The Rundown: Ah, the curse of clearance. I can't tell you how many items that I've been perfectly content to pass on at regular price... only to then gobble them up when they hit clearance. A perfect example is the Star Trek 2009 Playmates lines. I told myself, "Self- You only need to collect one scale, so just pick up the 3.75" stuff and be happy with it". Which I did. Then the 12" line hit clearance and I bought those. And the 6" line. And a carded set of the 3.75" line. And a carded set of the 6" line. Sigh. I kinda hate clearance since it makes me buy stuff I was perfectly fine not having. BUT.... sometimes it works out well, like with these Corgi releases! I passed on them at their ridiculously high original retail price, but snagged them on the cheap just recently. They were so cheap in fact that I even snagged both versions. Let's take a look at 'em!



First up is the standard painted version. This is the one most folks will want, so it's nice that Corgi made the "regular" paint jobs as the cheaper versions, and saved the silver repaints for the limited editions.



I was pretty happy with the Hot Wheels BOP, but man, this Corgi version puts the HW version to shame! All the colors are great, and the lines and details are all very clean. Incredibly nice work here!



The biggest complaint I have on this is the non-moving wings. At the original retail price, they should have found some way to make them work. I understand that they probably didn't want to compromise the sculpt, but Mattel pulled it off with their Hot Wheels version and it looks fine.



Both BOP's include this nifty Klingon display stand. The ship attaches via a hole in it's underbelly. Feels pretty sturdy and I'm not too worried about it breaking off any time soon.



And here we have the silver "Limited Edition". Again, I give Corgi credit for making this the more expensive, limited version. It would stink to have to pay the extra money for all the bells & whistles just to get a standard BOP. It was a pretty big gamble on their part to do a silver version as the pricier piece (which apparently didn't pay off all that well since these hit deep clearance just about everywhere that carried them).



I've never been a fan of "solid color repaints". I just don't get the point. Why would somebody want a plain silver version of something? Maybe to see the details more.... I don't know. I much prefer the painted version to this one.



Another odd thing here is that some of the parts are molded in clear plastic. I have no idea why. Are the guns cloaked or something? Oh, and the silver plastic doesn't quite match the silver of the metal, giving the whole thing an odd mismatched look.



So by now you're probably thinking "what's the point of getting the silver one?". Glad you asked! The silver version includes an extra piece for display! Plug your BOP into it's stand, and then set it down on this nifty electronic base. Hit the button and...



Yeah. That's pretty darn cool. Corgi's original solicitations stated there was supposed to be a sound feature too (in fact some ads for this piece still state that), but nope, just lights. The lights do look awesome in my opinion though, and the cool thing is that since the lighted base is separate from the stand, you can easily switch out which BOP is resting on it.



So there ya go... I picked these up for the very affordable sum of $15.99 each over at Amazon. At that price, the standard version is a pretty great value. The ship is very nicely detailed, and looks great sitting atop an entertainment center or computer desk. The silver version is a bit of a tougher sell, since I can only recommend it for the lighted base to use on your standard version. Unless of course you dig silver Klingon ships...

-James

Dinky Toys Spotlight- 'Klingon' Battle Cruiser

Item Name: 'Klingon' Battle Cruiser
Manufacturer: Dinky Toys



Dinky Toys released this dastardly devil of a ship as a single piece and in a 2 pack with their Enterprise.



The Rundown: While not quite as cool as Dinky's Enterprise, the Klingon Battle Cruiser is still pretty spiffy. The color choices are a little odd, but the sculpt is nice and the ship is the perfect play partner for the Dinky 1701. Let's take a look at what all the cool Klingons were flying back in the 70's...



Okay, so it's metallic blue and white- A pretty far cry from the muted gray of the ones seen on the show. I'm sure it was the choice of some toy exec who thought that the brighter colors would better grab the attention of some unsuspecting 7 year old walking through the toy aisles. It's a little off-putting, but just try to imagine this ship as belonging to some hot-rodding Klingon b@st@rd who doesn't give a crap how conspicuous his ship looks. He wants the attention. Heck, he's thinking about painting flames on it. And pinstripes.



The overall sculpt is really quite nice, and captures a good amount of detail. If I had a spare, I'd hit it with some gray spray paint just to show how nice of a replica this ship really could be.



Just like Dinky's Enterprise, the Klingon ship can fire little disks, *ahem* I mean "torpedoes". The discs load into the top of the "head" of the ship, and fire out of the front. The feature still works great after all these years!



The ship comes with some decals for you to spruce her up with. She'd look pretty plain without the insanely cool Klingon symbol attached to her. I almost went with a Klingon symbol for my Trek tattoo, but I quickly scratched that idea when I thought most Trek fans would identify it with the more honorable TNG Klingons and not the sneaky conniving Klingons of the original series (my preferred variety).



Accessories: The Battle Cruiser includes a bag of 7 white disks for you to fire at your Enterprise, thereby violating the Organian peace treaty. Stinking peaceful Organians.



I'd call this a "must-buy" only if you happen to own the Dinky Enterprise. The 2 ships really do look cool together (I wish I would have taken a pic of them next to each other). If you don't have the Enterprise, this one is probably only worth hunting down for the big time Klingon fans. The Battle Cruiser gets overlooked a lot when it comes to making toy versions of Klingon ships, with most companies opting to do the movie era Bird-Of-Prey, so it is somewhat unique in that regard.



Oh, and I've decided to go exclusive with Dinky. They gave me a promise ring and everything.

-James