The 1983 LJN Dungeons and Dragons Toy and Product Line
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- In this episode of The Little Things we explore the first series of the 1983 Advanced Dungeons and Dragons toy line of poseable and pvc action figures produced by the Toy Company LJN and based on the role playing game created by TSR. While it was not very successful at the time, it has come to be appreciated by toy collectors and retro enthusiasts. Come take a nostalgic walk down memory lane and relive a bit of childhood in the world of this retro 1980s product and toy line.
Thanks to:
Plaid Stallions (Brick Mantooth)
Little Weirdos
Fantasy Toy Soldiers
2 Warps to Neptune
Music: The Vikings by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsou... Music promoted by www.free-stock... Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommon...
This was a frustrating line as an 8 year old collecting it back then. I didn't understand why the cartoon characters were nowhere to be seen. I didn't understand why some figures were articulated, some were solid rubber, some were wind-ups, etc. I didn't understand why all the human(oid) figures were at wildly different heights.
I can see that. They probably needed to provide a better explanation of the toy line. I think they were hoping everyone already knew about the game. I remember finding it really weird, but fascinatingly weird. I remember actually thinking like "why does an elf have a sword aren't they like Santa's helpers". I still was all in though. It lead to books and eventually the game for me. Thanks for the comment!
Absolutely. The lack of consistency was a huge turn off. I thought some were erasers or knock offs (even as a kid I was picky) and would not buy them.
It was a consistency nightmare, but for some reason, it just made me more interested and I started diving in. It's hard to tell what a kid thinks sometimes, and why they think it. Something just hits the right buttons, or totally misses the mark for different kids.
80's kid with a damn imagination, no fancy CGI gimmicks. Nuff Said!!!!
Amen, brother. CGI and modern games are pretty good, but they will never beat the adventures I had with my toys, games and imagination when I was a kid. Thanks for the comment!
Great video!! I have my Warduke still looking at me on a shelf above my desk. I had no idea there was so much more to this line!
Thanks for watching!
This represented my best Christmas haul ever as a kid. On Christmas Eve I got Kelek and Peralay in my stocking. Then on Christmas in a huge box I opened and found just about the entire first wave of the LJN line and many from the TSR line, including all the mounts and the Fortress of Fangs. Best xmas ever.
During the next school year my homeroom grade 5 teacher had an after-school D&D club and we used those mini PVC figs of the main line as our miniatures. Good times.
As long as NECA reproduces these, I'll be buying them.
That sounds great! In many ways, these toys are synonymous with Christmas for me too. I got a bunch of them one Christmas when I was little, and it is one of the Christmases I think of every year when the Season comes around. That is pretty cool, using the pvc figs as miniatures. I've never heard of anyone doing that. Thanks for the comment!
The Little Things, a nostalgic and comprehensive video. The satanic panic was something else. Family and the general public were in arms because kids used their imagination. Playing D&D put someone under a microscope. Glad it ran it's course. Great content.
Yeah. They were weird times and are sometimes hard to explain to someone who didn't live through it. Thanks for the comment.
@stevenwegling It also did not help when that one college student who did LARP with his friends on the weekend lost touch with reality. Then started believing he WAS his character and that D&D was real. Which led to the inspiration for Mazes and Monsters which was based on his true story.
I remember that. I saw a show a while back that said they played up the D&D thing at the time and it wasn't near as big of an influence on him as they made it out to be. I remember some people being angry at the Smurfs and He-Man too. I thought it was strange, even as a kid. I don't think anyone cares about stuff like that anymore. At least I hope not.
@@thelittlethings3309 I do not recall anybody being mad at He man or the Smurfs. But i was still a kid back then so i did not pay much attention to the news anyway.
@@stevengreen9536 I remember the Mazes and Monsters movie. My own family watched it and that led to questions about my gaming. I was never forbidden to game but at some level they were obligated to be concerned. I gamed(mostly) D&D, Top Secret, War Hammer, Gamma World, and others ongoing for close to 15'years.
It’s crazy that now many years later these have made a come back NECA has awesome looking ones Warduke looks insane
I didn't even know about the NECA ones until lately, and now I have a new Warduke! I swear that the moment I saw him I heard AC/DC's Back in Black begin to play, somewhere, off in the distance. His eyes were still burning with the power of all that rocks 😎.
@@thelittlethings3309 haha I also have the new warduke and when I look at mine I hear DIO’s Holy Diver 😆
Yes! I think Warduke is credited as the director of the video for that one. Or at least the consultant. Holy Diver is a perfect example of the barbarian fad from that time period. Thanks for mentioning it! I think Warduke also slew the dragon from their Sacred Hearts tour and was credited as being the "Thunder Chief" referenced in AC/DC's Dirty Deeds 😜.
It is a relief to know, after all these years, that I wasn't the only one who heard "Thunder Chief" in that song.
I always thought that guy must be such a bada$$. 😂 It was years before I learned the true lyrics.
I loved those! I had Zarak, the Ogre King the Hook Horror, The deadly Grell, the Carrion Crawler, the Odious Ogre and the Fortress of Fangs. I got them at KB Toys that closed down in the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia for .99 cents each. I still have them. I can't sell them because I still enjoy them.
What a deal. Hold on to them, they are getting more and more rare. This line of toys was one of the best from that time period. Thanks for watching!
NECA has released Warduke and Grimsword and is releasing Strongheart and Zarak in September later this year. Hopefully they make all the rest!
I grabbed a Warduke a couple of weeks ago. Totally worth it. They probably should put a warning label on it though: "Caution, contents of box contain a dangerous level of bada$$ery". I think I will pick up a Strongheart too. I noticed they made some of the cartoon characters. I might have to grab one of those also. Thanks for the comment!
This video really brought me back! I recently dove headfirst into the NECA line that modernizes these and I really hope they do the Skeleton Soldiers of Sith at some point. The treasure with the skeleton that came with the big thing with the mouth pinchers was my go to treasure horde and Warduke laid waste to the GI Joes and Star Wars characters that tried to raid his lair. I had the Bullywogs too and really liked them for some reason - the reminded me of the cartoon frog guys. Fantastic!
That's great! I like hearing about other people who were not afraid to use a little imagination and throw lots of toy lines in together when playing. I also really liked that treasure toy you mentioned. I thought the skeleton sticking out of the gold coins was cool. Thanks for the comment.
Kelek, Strongheart and of course Warduke all appeared in the 1983 cartoon. I just did a "Storyboard Artist Reacts' video on my channel which looks at Warduke in the episode "In Search of the Dungeon Master "
They did have cameos in the cartoon! And Strongheart had...a golden hammer. Weird. Sounds good to me, though, and I will definitely watch that video. I love stuff about the old D&D cartoon. Thanks for the comment!
I got a STRONG sense that you have never opened a D&D book in your life from this video...
And you'd be very, VERY wrong. But none after 2nd edition.
I had mercion and melkor the evil wizard as a kid. I loved those figures. I recently reacquired mercion and she looks great on my shelf! You make some really nice videos! Keep up the good work!
Great video Brother! Love this Classic Toyline. Thanks for sharing Your passion and adventures from Toronto Ontario Canada 😀 👍 ❤️ 💯💯
Thanks for watching! We just want to bring back some good memories and spread a little cheer.
I had some of these. Looking back now, the sculpts were awful.
Hola! Disculpen que sólo hable español... Una línea muy bonita e interesante. Genial vídeo 👌😃
Thanks!
Glad we're getting the Hasbro cartoon ones soon, they are much more posesble.
Yes! Finally, the toys will reflect the cartoon...at least a bit better.
Puts on video “Oh man, can’t wait to see Tiamat.
… any minute now
… must be waiting for a big finale
… uh…
I always love videos about this interesting line, and this was no exception. It even had plenty of info I was unaware of(I never knew anything about that awesome supplemental line).
I just found a good handful of the bad guys today at a flea market $1 each and a broken footed bronze dragon, absolutely amazing toys.
I remember having Warduke as a kid, I thought he was badass!
And you were right! Your insight serves you well. Bury your feelings deep down. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve Warduke and all that kicks a$$. You know he will just toss you at some beast so he can land the killing blow while it gnaws on you. He was bada$$ like that. Thanks for the comment!
I never knew that second line existed and it's awesome. Had most of the LJN stuff though.
One of the best toy lines of the 1980s!
I question the fact that the line was not successful, it was. Not as, say MOTU or Star Wars, but it was, say, Thudercats level, let us say a cut above the Blackstar line. Most kids had at least a couple of those. Plus some of the rubber ones.
Interesting, but terrible figures
This was a cool toy line! My brother and I had many of the figures. We even had most of the Castle Fang set from a thrift store! We also had a two headed blue dragon from the dragons and dagger toys to menace them, our He-man toys & these little plastic knights, wizards, demons & orcs figures. Good Times!
You guys had the Fortress of Fangs! Awesome! I loved that thing and was the only kid I knew of who had it. I gave up a lot of other playsets to get that one, but it was so worth it. Even half a Fortress of Fangs is still great. Also, I had a green two headed dragon, and it saw play with lots of different lines. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
I was too old for these, and not into D&D at the time (thanks, Panic), but the toy line this reminds me of that I loved and never got much of was for the Micronauts, Marvel's sub-atomic series. Still waiting on *that* movie, tho given the MCU's recent spotty performance, maybe I can wait a little longer... btw, for those confused by the seeming Star Wars connection, "Sith" and "Jedi" were taken from E.R. Burroughs' Mars books. The Otyugh, tho, idk.
Burrough's Mars novels...I once heard someone refer to them as the source of everything that you (we) love. Can't argue with that. Also, please please please don't let CURRENT Marvel get a hold of the sub-atomic series and ruin another thing that I care deeply for. It hurts so much 😢
I had most of the 4" figures from Wave One (no Mercion, Northlord, or Fortress) and I think all the TSR supplements. The only one left to me is the Sarken Mercenary with the polearm.
I would love to be able to go all-in on the modern iterations, both Hasbro and Neca, but don't think I can. I did just buy that accursed Gelatinous Cube on discount though -- maybe the slow, meticulous, selective D&D 7" will gradually materialize in the home.... Thanks for this! I really appreciate it.
I purchased the new Warduke. I didn't have a choice, he told me to. I also purchased a Hank because he was so cool in the cartoon. I think I will get the remake Strongheart when it comes available too. I am trying to be really selective about which figs I buy. Just too much responsible grown up stuff to I need to get, ya know. Still, I love the memories they bring up. Thanks for watching!
I had Braveheart, Grimsword, and the Hook Horror. Then someone stole Grimsword out of my backpack at school. I’d love to see Icewind Dale, Ravenloft, and Dragonlance characters. Spelljammers not so much.
The lure of Grimsword was just too much for them. That had to be a pretty bad day. Hasbro did make a pretty cool Drizzt action figure with Gwenwyhvar, but I would like to see, at least, Bruenor and Wulfgar too. I would also like to see some of the Dragonlance characters produced. Spelljammer was kind of a neat concept, but I really never played it. I did play Dark Sun, though, and really liked it. It would be neat to see some in that savage style too.
LOL He said rubber monster. Seriously my uncle gifted me the War Duke sword and shield. Man I loved playing with those.
You naughty monkey! Truly this uncle loved you deeply and knew that you would grow into a strong warrior! Make his sacrifice an act of honor. Ha! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching.
I picked up an Otyugh and Strongheart at a Job Lot in RI as a kid. Didn't know what they were from. Then when I discovered the game, and bought the books, I went back to get the rest, but they were gone. It's annoying how much treasure slipped through my kid-sized fingers. Last year, I bought the re-release of them from the Witchlight set.
My wife just got me the Witchlight set for Christmas this year. I didn't know they existed and it was a great surprise. This toy line was one of my favorite from the time. I think it was due to all the monsters available, as well as all the supplemental or "knock-off" stuff out and about at the same time. I loved monsters as a kid, and it would eventually lead directly into playing 2nd Edition for me. Great times. Thanks for watching.
The 2” action figures shown as a boxed collection in the video were also available individually though I’m not sure they were released at the same time. I have the 2” Kelek in its original individual blister pack.
They were available individually too. Making small pvc versions of the action figures from the toy line was all the rage at the time. I think most toy lines did something like that. Now, basically the same things are at Dollar Stores. I actually liked the pvc figs and often took them on trips so I would not lose the tiny weapons but still had something to play with. Great stuff. Thanks for the comment.
I remember having Stongheart and Zarak. I wish I had more and kept them.
I had a lot of them as a kid and I wish I kept them too. I did, however, find one of the Heroic Men at Arms PVCs while looking through old boxes at my parent's place about a month ago. I'll takes what I can get. Thanks for the comment!
I was drawn towards these toys but found myself always looking for the cartoon characters- that never were.
If they had been introduced with the main line, the D&D toyline would have sold well and given starwars/transformers a run for their money.
I totally agree. It was confusing as a kid. The imagination and creativity was built-in and if you loved fantasy and monsters, this was the line for you. One of the big reasons I loved Star Wars was the creatures. This line had all that and more. They just needed to tie it better to the major bit of media draw, the cartoon. Thanks for watching!
New Neca Strongheart announced yesterday 🥳🥳🥳
Sweet! I predict a new purchase in my future.
I also remember this toy line. It was always advertised in those holiday catalogs that always came out in the weeks before Christmas. I also remember seeing these toys in a movie. I can't remember the title but their is a scene where this goofy kid has the brilliant idea of instead of using the plastic rock in his catapult against the Dragonne. He balls up a piece of paper and lights it on fire. But when he launches it he misses and it either ignites some clothing or the carpet ( or probably both) which consequently sets his house on fire.
Hahaha! I don't know that reference but that sounds great! I knew kids who probably did that very thing. A menace to suburbia! I am going to see if I can find it. Thanks for the reference!
8:36 that Shambling Mound's face is suspiciously close to Man Thing's.
Yes! I noticed that too. I actually talk about that in the video titled "Siege! The Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery Playsets of the 1980s"
It appears in the 1983 cartoon episode "The Prison Without Walls"
I had the Fortress of Fangs. It rocked.
Fortress of Fangs was one of the best toy playsets of the 1980s. Some of the coolest traps and features ever offered. I loved the sticker details for it too (like all the skeletons in the lava/fire on the ground). Thanks for watching.
I have most of these figures. I thought they were just amazing toys like little green army men, but to play dungeons and dragons. I know I didn’t have the castle-never saw that toy. I have the big 5headed dragon which you didn’t show. And I think I’m missing the Hook Horror creature. For some reason I don’t recall that monster being in the game. Also, I found other creatures at Toys-R-Us, like a huge rubber snake and giants insects, like ants and spiders, to include with all the rest of my D & D characters and creatures. Fun stuff. I really enjoyed my little green army men and thought a full range of fantasy figures would have been equally fun, not only to play dungeons and dragons, but also as a cross-over of fantasy creatures against the army men! That could have been a lot of fun!
It's true, I didn't include the Tiamat toy as it was in the second wave, and I really only covered stuff in the first wave. That was a really cool toy, though. There were also tons of fantasy toy playsets released during this time period from several different manufacturers that took that "Little Green Army Men" type toy deep into the Sword and Sorcery realms. They are really great and I remember having several of those too. For a weird cross-over with that kind of toy, check out "Hamilton Invaders." Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment.
Hook horror is definitely in the D&D game. It first appeared in the 1981 Fiend Folio. The cartoon took many monsters from the 3 main monster books, Monster Manual, Fiend Folio and Monster Manual II.
Tiamat... I had Warduke, Fortress of Fangs, and Tiamat... got them all on sale at TRU as a kid... (well, teen) I didn't see Tiamat in the video, but it was, without a doubt, the best monster for D&D that LJN made! Posing legs and wings like an action figure, but the five heads were bendees... and she was BIG!
I never had nor even saw a Tiamat. I still have not seen one in real life. I definitely would have gotten it if I had seen it. Tiamat was one of my favorite things about the cartoon as a kid.
@@thelittlethings3309 Oh... you will hate this then... when I found it at TRU back in 1980-something, Tiamat was on sale for $5... and the Fortress of Fangs was $10... I already had my Warduke figure, but Tiamat, and Fortress of Fangs were the last two of the figure related stuff left at that time.
That's it. I have heard enough. I have no more excuses not to purchase a DeLorean and put a time machine in it. It doesn't matter what advice my father gave me on my wedding day concerning time travel. The benefits outweigh the risks! Prepare to have that Tiamat slowly disappear from right out of your hands. You only have yourself, and the theory of relativity, to blame. Oh, and that jerk kangaroo. You know the one I am talking about...or you will.
It was the first cartoon I remember
A good first cartoon memory! It was a fun cartoon and pretty unique at the time. Thanks for watching!
Please, never change your format.
This, I cannot do. For I am bound by an oath and a lack of equipment. And maybe a lack of willpower.
I had Strongheart as a kid! Awesome vid!!
Thanks!
Some of the action figure characters were featured in the Saturday morning DnD cartoon. I remember Strongheart and Warduke being in the DnD cartoon.
Episode 5 In Search of the Dungeon Master: Warduke captures Dungeon Master. Hank shoots his sword out of his hand! Pretty cool.
I remember that! I really liked it when the LJN characters made an appearance on the cartoon. However, I never understood why Strongheart had a golden hammer. That just made no sense. Everything else, however, made perfect sense. Perfect...Sense 😳. Thanks for the comment!
Kelek appeared in "Valley of the Unicorns" and suffered a terrible fate.
@@thelittlethings3309 Only bad guys had bladed weapons. S&P - standards and practices!
@@torenatkinson1986 That makes sense.
Warduke and Strongheart have appeared in the Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms game for various platforms, and most of the characters from this set were released as official D&D minis in 2021.
I just got some of those minis as a gift this Christmas. I did not know about them, but they are really great. Take that Tiny Warduke! Even tiny, he kicks large amounts of @$$!
@@thelittlethings3309 Warduke definitely feels like the real star of the whole 83 toy line and the recent revival/homages.
He really was. I like many of the characters from the line, but Warduke just had 2 extra scoops of that Heavy Metal, early 1980s fantasy vibe going on.
Warduke, Kelek, Strongheart and Ringlerun appear in the D&D adventure Quest for the Heartstone, which is essentially an ad for the toy line.
Wow!!!!!! ❤❤❤
Thanks for watching!!
Did anyone even use these toys for their games?
Probably not. Probably stuck to the little metal Ral Partha type figs.
The D&D adventure "Quest for the Heartstone" suggested that you do so, but the scale is not appropriate for tabletop gaming
It's too bad they weren't able to include the main characters from the cartoon. Would have made this series wildly successful.
I think you are correct. And they should have made the toy line characters more regular on the show. I still loved both the toy line and the cartoon, though. They will always be among my favorite toys...or even favorite things, altogether. These, and those choose your own adventure books, lead to a life long love of D&D, and fantasy in general, though I haven't played the game in years and years. Thanks for the comment!
@@thelittlethings3309 It was always fun when the characters from the toy line would make an appearance in the cartoon though.
I would get stoked about it as a kid. But for some reason they had Strongheart wield some kind of strange gold hammer in the cartoon. It always bothered me. That ain't right! Didn't stop me from loving it, though 😜.
@@thelittlethings3309 Seemed like swords were off limits on that show for some reason.
😒. Swords should never be off limits.
These were awesome!
Some of the best fantasy-themed toys of the 1980s. Thanks for watching!
These toys were before my time but damn, I would've loved having these as a kid!