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So a while back I finally joined the masses and created an Instagram account. I don't know why I had resisted creating one for the longest time, as I usually jump on new tech, sites, etc. pretty quickly. I guess I just didn't see or have the need for it.

For now I plan on using my Instagram feed to share my collection of toys, memorabilia, artwork and other miscellaneous items that represent the geeky side of me.

As my most recent posts have shown, I am on a bit of an 80's and 90's nostalgia kick, mostly in the realms of toys, comics and hobbies. One of the major toy lines from the 1980's was Masters of the Universe from Mattel, featuring the mighty He-Man and his arch-nemesis Skeletor. While at the local flea market a few weeks ago, I came across a few booths selling some vintage 1980's MOTU items and I couldn't resist picking a few of them up.

While looking through a booth mostly dedicated to 80's and 90's toys and videogames, I spotted one of the most iconic items in the original MOTU toy line, Castle Grayskull. While the playset sitting in front of me was not 100% complete, it was very close to it. The only items missing were the assorted weapons and a single cut-out decoration; not bad for a 30 year old toy. This particular playset also came with the not-so-common Point Dread and Talon Fighter. These standalone toys could attach to Castle Grayskull to provide a landing spot for He-Man and his crew.


Along with Grayskull was a carded Weapons Pak accessory kit. Again, this item is over 30 years old, so it is a little bit beat up and the plastic is yellowed.


Even though Grayskull wasn't 100% complete, and the Weapons Pak had seen better days, that didn't stop me from following in the footsteps of Frank Fritz from American Pickers and putting together a "bundle" to get these items at a reduced price. It didn't take long, as I was soon walking away with my arms full of vintage MOTU goodies.

My next two items are less exciting, but still cool. I found a Ram-Man figure in a $1 toy bin and snatched it up. He is missing some paint, but still springs to life when prompted. I also found a read-along book without the record, but it was cheap so I grabbed that too.


I enjoy heading to the monthly flea market on a regular basis, but I try not to put too much hope in finding anything that I am interested in and at a price I am willing to pay. I usually find items in broken condition or covered in 20+ years worth of dirt and grime along with inflated prices. Luckily for me, this time my eyes were able to zone in on a few neat items to add to my seemingly ever-growing collection.

I'm not exactly sure when and where I first heard about 8-bit Zombie, but I do know that I won't forget my first purchase. Back in May of this year, I was again turned on to the 8-bit Zombie brand, and immediately headed to Facebook to "Like" their page and to keep abreast of what was looking to be another great Summer release. Teasers for the release were coming out fairly often, and thankfully, the forest fires in Colorado avoided the 8-bit Zombie HQ, allowing for an on-time release on Saturday, July 27th. For more on what exactly went into this release check out the Summer 2013 blog post.

Not wanting to miss out on the limited numbers of many of the items, I set multiple alarms and was jamming away at my F5 key in anticipation of the items showing up in the 8BZ on-line store. 10:00am arrived and before I knew it, I had a shopping cart full of items and was ready to check out.

With 8-bit zombie being a one-man shop, I expected a bit of a wait to receive my items, but was pleasantly surprised to receive them just a week and a half after placing my order. In my excitement to rip into my newly arrived package, I hastily took pictures with my phone, instead of getting out a better camera, so please cut me a little slack on the quality of the images, as they do not show off these items in their full glory.

First up is the package itself. Talk about going to town with the stamps!


Not just the external box got the stamp treatment. The poster tube and Thrashor box got tagged as well.


The Summer 2013 release was the first time that a custom 8-bit Zombie action figure was available. A limited quantity of 50 Thrashor figures was made available in the first round, and I was lucky enough to snag #13. While the first batch sold out very quickly, it sounds like another batch or two may be made available for those that missed out on the first round.



The Thrashor figure is based off of one of last Summer's t-shirt designs, and resembles the classic Masters of the Universe figures from the 80's. The figure does not have any points of articulation, but that doesn't really bother me much. Of course you won't find a Power Sword in this package, but you will find a custom skateboard, to go along with Thrashor's Power Glove and Converse-like hi-top sneakers, as well as a Thrashor and 8-bit Zombie Power Glove logo sticker. Radical!


Being more of a collector than a "player", I am keeping him all packaged up for the time being.

The next items opened up are based on the popular Garbage Pail Kids line that was designed and released by Topps in the mid-1980's. I ordered a set of the four GPK posters, as well as the Garbage Bag set. The posters feature new characters like "Hurtin' Herman", a reference to Pee-wee Herman, as well as "Creepy Commander", who brings a little fun to the role of Cobra Commander. The Garbage Bag includes sticker cards for each of the new characters featured in the poster set, as well as a random full-size poster and other goodies. Of special note is the "Make Your Own" GPK sticker set that lets your creativity run wild while designing your own foul child.


The attention to detail is amazing across the product line, and I did a double-take when looking at the back of the packaging for the Garbage Bag. It looks as if there are seams on the top card of the package, but this has just been designed and printed on the card. Very cool!


The last two items I added to my cart were a couple of t-shirts. The first features "Noxious", a fictional G.I. Joe villain character in the classic packaging that you would find on the racks of your favorite toy store. This shirt even comes with a Noxious file card that you would find on the back of G.I. Joe packages. The second shirt is a follow-up from last Summer. It is titled "Heroes" and sports classic favorites like Lion-O, Snake Eyes and He-Man. I love the tag line: "We don't grow up. We just get BIGGER." So true.


Rounding out the package were a few extra items tossed in as accessories. A couple trading cards, buttons, stickers and even a little alien robot figure were included. All unexpected, but neat and appreciated.


All in all, I am really happy with the items I decided to pick up. The artistic design is top-notch. Nothing looks rushed or second-tier; it is all well planned and executed. The t-shirts are 100% cotton American Apparel, and the colors are very vibrant. I can't wait to finish with another very large project so that I can display many of these items.

Like Mr. T. famously says:

"I pitty the fool who don't buy 8BZ!"


Keeping my eyes peeled for a Halloween release...

Brand: 8-bit Zombie
URL: www.8bitzombie.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/8bitZOMBIE
Twitter: www.twitter.com/8bz