New Jack Toyland

>> Some familiar faces from playtime of yore get a modern makeover
by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

Papa Christmas better have a brand-new bag two months from now, because the elves of the North Pole have been reconfigurating some old playtime favourites. Sure, some classics are still on tap, such as Playskool's venerable Mr. Potato Head (available at Toys R Us, $8.99). For others, the evolutionary changes are largely cosmetic--the Transformers' current Beast Machines mecha-nagerie looks sweet at $10 a pop, but it's still the ol' two-in-one gimmick. For others still, though, it's a whole new ballgame.

The inside guy

Unquestionably one of the grossest, and therefore coolest, toys ever has to be the Visible Man model kit from Skilcraft ($19.99). Legions of future morticians and black-market organ thieves got their start in the loving application of colour-coded paint to every gland, sac and vessel in this transparent gentleman's body. Not only did one get "the lay of the land," anatomically speaking, but one could then move on to the Visible Woman, Visible Dog and Visible Eye--lookin' right back atchoo!

In the fast pace of today's hectic world, however, one can't always take the time to differentiate liver from kidney, or marvel at nature's ingenuity in manufacturing these "soft machines" we call the human body. Which is why we now have Dollarama house-brand Discover Human Biology guy ($1), a miniature version who condenses the complex lessons of his forebear to a brief, "People have guts inside 'em."

Goodbye, Kitty

Nothing says "Japanese kiddie kitsch" like Hello Kitty, but the blank-faced feline may soon find her domination of the field eroding. Many find the Kitty aesthetic cutesy-sweet to the point of being sickening, and therefore gravitate to a certain surly penguin named Batz Maru--formerly Bad Batz Maru, but still badass. With his mean-spirited scowl and tough-guy Band-Aids, this lil' champ is the Travis Bickle of Toyland. A wind-up Batz Maru can be snagged for $4 in Chinatown.

Meanwhile, the Pok émon phenomenon seems to be subsiding, judging by the volume of legitimate Pok é-product now going for a song at dollar stores. Cheapo imitations can't have helped sales, but there's one knockoff that deserves mention. That's the Digimon stuff, like the boss Tyrannomon figure (Toys R Us, $4.99), courtesy of respectable Japanese kid-stuff mega-corp Bandai. Granted, Digimon is a galling ripoff, but the character design is every bit as cool as that of Pikachu and posse.

Go figure

Gone are the days of rugged, abusable action figures like Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe. Desperate for a He-man or a Skeletor, a Snake-Eyes or Cobra Commander? Jesus, try eBay. Today's action figures are short on action and big on show and shelvability, reflecting the increasing number of adult collectors. McFarlane Toys, the leaders in the field, are unparallelled in their attention to tiny details and presentation--witness their exquisite dolls for Austin Powers, Edward Scissorhands and the brand-new King Kong. Canadians in particular will dig their Bob & Doug McKenzie and Hanson Brothers (of Slap Shot fame) figurines. They're not alone in the field, though--Dark Horse have their lurid Betty Page doll, and the aforementioned Bandai offer the amazing Ghost in the Shell Kusanagi numbers, essential to anime buffs (as are McFarlane's forthcoming Akira units). The McFarlane dolls are at any Toys R Us or Wal-Mart, but the others require a visit to a speciality comics store.

Picking up the pieces

Few will deny the importance of Lego, the original of dozens of plastic snap-together construction toys. Nice to see one can still get the Lego Classic starter kit, complete with building table/carrying case, Lego Club membership and 400-plus pieces, at a reasonable price (Toys R Us, $24.99). Lego has become increasingly specific and thematic lately, which, while diminishing the line's educational aspect, now offers vicious ninjas, extreme mining and jungle fun in the spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Not to be outdone, the folks at Playmobil have expanded beyond their traditional cowboys and Vikings to such exciting fare as the Playmobil biker bro ($11.99), eager to introduce youngsters to concepts like basement pharmacology and supply-and-demand economics.

TV dinner guests

If they ever made a toy to go with Hanna-Barbera's classic '60s cartoon Space Ghost, good luck finding it now. Fortunately, Space Ghost returned to TV decades later (albeit without his sidekicks Jan and Jace and their comic-relief monkey Gleek) for Nickleodeon's pseudo-talkshow Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Finding the Space Ghost action figure from Toycom (complete with desk, coffee mug and cue cards) may require some looking around, but it's worth it--not for nothing did this remarkable piece of work win Toyfair Magazine's "Toy of the Year" award in '99.

A recent addition to the American cartoon pantheon, but one that's going to be remembered for years to come, is The Powerpuff Girls. There's plenty of merch to go with these cuddly superheroines, but the coolest has to be the Powerpuff Girls Laboratory playset, featuring the possibly lesbian Buttercup. Loaded with accessories, it looks great and it can be found at Toys R Us for a worthwhile $16.99. t

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