Real Tales of Christmas Past, Present and Future

I apologize in advance for what, you will soon see, is an utterly self-indulgent nerdgasm regarding my completely juvenile Christmas presents. If the cashier at the local comic book store doesn't know you by name, and your stuffed animals don't talk to you when no one else is around, you can stop reading now.

For everyone else, what you're looking at is a photo of Christmas insanity that showed up under my tree this year. Look, I'll come right out and admit it: I like toys. And, yeah, action figures are pretty high up on the list (though I like to call them dolls...dollies, actually). And being a fan of most things retro and sci-fi, it's a foregone conclusion that I get a modicum of enjoyment out of Star Trek. Mostly the original series with Bill Shatner (That's right, I call him Bill) and Leonard Nimoy.

Anyway, knowing this, some friends got together and dropped the craziest, sci-fi/toy geek mother lode under my tree this year. I'm actually embarrassed because all I got them were Wendy's Junior Frosty gift certificates. That's another thing you should know about me: I'm cheap.

But what you're actually looking at is the entire line of reproductions of the original, classic Mego Star Trek action figures from the 1970s and the accompanying U.S.S. Enterprise Playset. Diamond Select Toys released these figures over the last couple years and they are dead-on reproductions of the original figures from decades ago right down to their tiny little phasers. And best of all, they also released this reproduction of the original Enterprise Bridge Playset...and that comes with Kirk's chair, a computer console, interchangeable viewscreen windows and a working transporter. Yeah, you'd have to see it to believe it.

Anyway, what you have in this first photo is the entire line. Starting from the top:

Row 1: Dr. McCoy, Andorian

Row 2: The Keeper, Scotty, Enterprise Bridge Playset, Lt. Uhura, Mugato

Row 3: Mr. Spock, Capt. Kirk, Klingon, Romulan

Row 4: Mr. Chekov, Cheron, The Gorn, Mr. Sulu

Awesome. And just so you don't think I'm one of those idiots that leaves his toys in the package for fear they'll lose value once I open them, I give you the photo below. It's the crew of the Enterprise encountering some strange alien beings. Spock is attempting to mind-meld with The Martian Manhunter, while Uhura, Kirk and McCoy marvel at the last Kryptonian. Again, AWESOME! Thanks to everyone who ever got me toys for Christmas. I still play with them all...and they tell me the reckoning is coming soon. -v