If you'll excuse the brief vacation I took last weekend, we can return to the "Updating The Past" series of posts. The end is almost near as the Action Figure Zone News reports from April '98 to July '98 are few and far between; the explanation given is a system error on their part. So, I'll try to make the most out of what is available (courtesy of the Internet Archive).
And off we go...
3/1 - Kane from Ripped and Ruthless will not have a removeable mask according to reports we are receiving.
Ripped and Ruthless Series 2 Kane does, in fact, have a removable mask, and I'm almost positive that makes it the first Jakks WWF figure to have the feature.
3/1 Cont'd - KB has begun to put big Jakks Pacific stickers over Playmates logos on WWF figures that playmates has produced (Talking Undertaker etc..). The stickers cover up everything that suggests that Playmates produced the figures, although they really did.
Mr. McMahon's Corporation isn't the only one taking over in late 90s WWF it seems. It won't be the last time a cover-up involving stickers takes place; Chris Benoit's figures didn't stand a chance on store shelves in the wake of his death.
3/2 - A Jakks rumor has been sent to us that states there may be a Wrestlemania stars special edition line. According to the report these will be similar to the Legends figures in that they will have stands and transparent boxes. The line would reportedly include Muhammad Ali, Lawrence Taylor, Aretha Franklin, and a couple of others, keep in mind that this has not been totally verified nor has it been nullified.
I don't know what kind of appeal this line would have had with wrestling fans, but I do know that it would have attracted interest from the furthest of non-wrestling fans. I wouldn't say Jakks missed the boat on this since there probably isn't a whole lot of truth to the rumor, but it is an interesting concept.
3/4 - About the Jakks Wrestlemania Celebrity collection, it is nearing verification, keep a lookout.
Okay, maybe there is some truth in the foliage, but still nothing that is within grasp. I really believe it would've been too much of a frustration for Jakks to make a celebrity line a reality.
3/5 - Steve Blackman is on the way from Jakks!
Superstars Series 6 reporting for duty...
3/8 - There is a lot of speculation going around that the upcoming Kane figure (not Ripped & Ruthless) may include a removeable mask. This is a possibility because the figure will be made after Wrestlemania, Kane may be unmasked at Wrestlemania by the way. One of our Jakks reporters has stated that this has potenetial, so keep an eye out.
Hmm, potential is a word for it, but Kane wouldn't be unmasked until five years later and no regular BCA Kane figure would ever come with a removable mask because...well, there was no point of including it if the WWF didn't have plans to unmask him. The Ripped and Ruthless Series 2 and Maximum Sweat figures are the only exception.
3/11 - Jakks will be making a Luna Vachon figure in some form within the next 4-5 months, this is reportedly confirmed.
Luna would go on to share a Grudge Match 2-pack with Sable that was released toward the end of the year. Luna's only BCA figure is also the only one in the entire line to have rooted hair.
3/16 - Toys "R" Us is running a mail-in sale that will behoove all of us avid wrestling fans. The deal is that if you buy ten dollars worth of Jakks figures, you get $10 off Wrestlemania 14 by sending in a certificate. This will lower the price of the extravaganza to $25!
I just have to laugh at this considering WWE pay-per-views cost MORE THAN twice that amount in the year 2010 and the quality is...not so good. It's sad, really.
3/16 Cont'd - We will be getting our Jakks Pacific Steel Cage, just be patient!
The first of which comes as an attachment to the Attitude ring, although it is not necessarily an accurate steel cage.
3/18 - Now it appears as if the Jakks Mike Tyson will be released on a single card. He will be outfitted in whatever he ends up wearing at Wrestlemania, probably a referee shirt.
Tyson in a reversible Austin 3:16/D-Generation X t-shirt - who's buying?
3/20 - One of our colleagues wrote a letter to Jakks today asking what was going on. Nothing is yet confirmed, but it looks like Jakks may be interested in making the Titantron! Wow wouldn't that be great, but don't get your hopes totally up yet, we'll keep you posted.
The 1999 holiday season is intrigued...
3/25 - Jeff Jarrett and Tennesse Lee Manager 2-pack from Jakks? It is quite possible, or so we have heard, stay tuned.
If there is a bigger letdown than having no more Managers 2-packs in the BCA line, I don't know what it is. I needed Tennessee Lee to properly introduce my J E Double-F J A Double-R E Double-TT figure.
4/6 - Well, Kane didn't lose his mask at Wrestlemania, so Jakks may either delay this figure, or can the whole removable mask idea all together. Speaking of wrestlemania, there is a possibility we may see a Michaels/ Austin/Tyson 3 pack.
Canned like SPAM, I would assume. Now, with all of these Tyson rumors, it makes me wonder if Jakks just managed to royally screw up whatever deal they had in place.
4/15 - The next slammers set will consist of Kane, The Patriot, Steve Austin, HHH, Owen Hart, and Dude Love. Also, new tag teams will include The New Age Outlaws, The New Midnight Express, The Rock and Roll Express, and The Qubecers.
Slammers Series 2 official lineup: Brian Pillman, Shawn Michaels, Dude Love, Kane, Patriot, Taka Michinoku
New Tag Teams? How about 2 Tuff Series 2, which just so happens to be the topic of conversation in this week's poll! Cast your vote now!
Skip to 7/6 - We are now hearing that an Al Snow w/head figure has been confirmed by Jakks Pacific. If this is the truth the figure won't be released for at least a couple of months, we'll keep you posted.
Truth. Al Snow's debut Jakks figure was in this assortment. What, no hyperlink for "this"? All right, can YOU tell me which series it was?
7/10 - Apparently Jakks is planning to release the accessories from the Shotgun Saturday Night set individually, there will also be some others, nothing is confirmed yet, but some accessories mentioned were Ring Aprons and a Hell in a Cell.
Grapple Gear and Ring Gear packs were an immediate success, but only with the appropriate ring base (Attitude ring, Hardcore ring). I doubt Jakks ever intended on making the Monster ring a BCA staple. It wasn't long after the release of the Attitude ring (about 4-5 months) that the first wave of Grapple Gear packs hit stores.
7/11 - The KB exclusive Foley three pack will cost $15 according to reports.
As far as I know, the initial MSRP was $21.99, but the typical BCA boxed set (3 or 4 figures) would cost $19.99.
7/20 - The new WWF Ringside collection and 2 Tuff are slated for a September release. The 2 Tuff Series will include The New Age Outlaws, Jackly and Kurrgan, Jerry Lawler and "Too Sexy" Brian Christipher, and The Nation(Mark Henry, D-lo Brown, and "The Godfather"). The Ringside collection will include Jim Ross, Sgt. Slaughter, Ring Announcer, and Jim Cornette. There is also the possibility of an X-pac in a single series like the slammer series. There could also be a Pat Patterson, Gerald Brisco 2 pack.
Patterson and Brisco should've happened, and probably would have if there had been a Ringside Collection Series 3, but nearly all of the rest listed were produced.
7/25 - For WWF Jakks, a new line called "Brawl for All" is being talked about due to its popularity on Raw. This set could include Dan "The Beast" Sevren and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams along with others.
Again, popularity is a word for it, but I wrote about this in a previous post and I think we can all be thankful for no more "Brawl for All" tournaments.
7/30 - There will almost definitely be a Kaientai set made by Jakks Pacific. This would be a four pack including all members of the group. No word yet on whether or not it would be an exclusive.
Indeed? Well, no. We did get Taka, but the other three weren't much of a priority and I shudder at the thought of a 4-pack clogging the shelves.
Every potential figure sounds good to us now, but just think about all of the poor collectors of the late 90s who were stuck with nothing but Dr Death and Jacqueline.
Yeah, it doesn't leave a good aftertaste, that's for sure.
"Part Six" will be up within the next week, and I hope to see everyone back in their assigned seats.
Until next time, thanks for looking and have a nice day!
- Alex
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