Dick Tracy: Part 2 - Drawing a Blank Vintage Toy Review Playmates 1990

RetroBlasting concludes its retrospective review of Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy with the 1990 Dick Tracy action figure line from Playmates!
#RetroBlasting #DickTracy #WarrenBeatty

[@WCBs]

I was rushed to the hospital as a child because I swallowed an accessory from a Dick Tracy. They told my mom it would pass naturally. I like to think I take part of this toy with me everywhere I go...

[@jasonknight8581]

It makes you wonder why Playmates didn't use 'The Blank' body mold to make a trench coated Tracy.

[@Dragonrider1227]

Most likely so he could sit in the car.

[@ia5662]

wow they actually sculpted the Madonna face under the Blank! So cool, I had no idea this even existed, not to mention that surprise. For the 90s, that's not a bad sculpt at all for a woman's face...

[@INTOTHEFOLD]

This is such an amazing channel! It's slowly becoming my favorite!

[@tonywilliams6428]

Coming off of "The Summer of Batman" the previous year, I was all in on Dick Tracy during the Summer of '90. I was a bit too old (16) for the toys, but I had the novelization, collected the Topps card series, played the soundtrack on a loop and grabbed the merch from McDonalds. Then I saw the movie and was underwhelmed. It would be years before I would revisit it, and when I did I gained a new appreciation for it. It's not a top-tier movie for me, but one I enjoy and re-watch bi-annually. The figure line is on my "Want" list, but buried well below other lines.

[@reddevilseastside]

Another great review! Those custom trench coats your mom made realy improve the figures, great job!

[@sladekf6640]

Thank you for solving the mystery of why I could never find the blank as a kid lol

[@codymcclainbrown7494]

So, much childhood overlap here. Great video and great memories.

[@mikeisernie]

I used them in tandem with my TMNT figures. Casey Jones upgraded from a baseball bat to a tommy-gun and the Turtles could take on gangsters instead of just evil mutants and the Foot Clan. Tracy not having his trench coat always irked me though.

[@Christopherianmatt]

"But it doesn't matter, because Dick Tracy takes no prisoners. When you hear his siren, that's the sound of the Devil coming to get his due." I about died laughing. It's so true!

[@yaoyao9]

What a bloody excellent way to wrap out the week! The episode was sublime!

[@Defiant15E]

I love watching these videos, not just for the nostalgia, but for what ever smart, sarcastic, funny observance Michael will always put in them. "Tracy takes no prisoners. When the gangsters hear his siren, that's the devil coming to get his due." You sir never disappoint.

[@professorseventy-five1148]

Ironically, I moved to the UK from the US in the summer of 89, and I was still there in 1990 when this came out. On the air force base where I lived the only Dick Tracy toy I could find was that soft doll you are with at the end of this video.

[@robertdanker6193]

Great videos! I went crazy looking for the Blank as a kid!! Never found one...gald you finally got it Mike!

[@juliusmaloney]

I can never click on these uploads quick enough!

[@SuperCosmicMutantSquid]

I actually went back to watch this film after seeing this review. It has been YEARS since I saw it and going back to it was a trip. That shooting scene though near the end. Holy CRAP, that was nearly 3 minuets of non-stop bullets and explosions and I LOVED it! The bit where Flatop shoots at Tracy just as the car explodes behind him is just iconic.

[@TheTWRModeller]

Those are some fantastic coats you put on this figures! Please could you make a tutorial based on that? We would love to know exactly how.

[@zenbrown9715]

Great job with the trench coats

[@shadowboss3]

I must say, you did a great job on Dick Tracy's jacket.

[@EwanMakeMovies]

Another awesome video about another really cool line. Keep up the good work!

[@Dragonrider1227]

Great video! Worth the wait! And I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one hugely obsessed with this at the time. Their cartoonish look oddly never bothered me as a kid but I too was surprised and a little annoyed Tracy didn't have his coat (I assumed they would've wanted to make it plastic like The Blank and that would've made it impossible for him to sit in his car) But that didn't stop me from wanting it! Despite being so huge into this though, I only had five of the figures. Tracy, Sam, Big Boy, Itchy, and Flattop. I guess my parents didn't see a need for the rest since aside from Mumbles, the rest of the line is made up of characters who spend most of the movie dead XD And I don't rcall pushing my parents to buy me them so maybe I felt the same way I mean, who wants The Rodent when Flatttop is an option? :P

[@antiquariancrafts2454]

Awesome video. I was ambivalent about the movie and the toys. I loved the idea of the movie and the stylised 1930s aesthetic, but the actual film was a little disappointing because of the static way it was shot. In the UK, the toys ended up on discount very quickly and I was able to pick a few up. I loved the range of characters and the fact that they made so many villains, when most toy lines consisted of loads of good guys and one villain if you were lucky. The accessories were awesome and very inventive, like the cement shoes and the moneybags. But the body shape of the figures was awful and most of the details were unrelated to what appeared in the movie. I wish Playmates could have made them in the same style as their Star Trek: TNG figures instead, a little more anatomically correct and less cartoonish. I think the cars were never sold in the UK (?), and I never knew they existed until a few years ago. I picked them up very cheaply and they look beautiful with the 1930s streamlined style.

[@fromagenoir7220]

Great Video! I too have a fondness for the line despite some strange choices. I wish they had made a Pat Patton, Chief Brandon, Littleface Finney, and Stooge Viller to round out the set. One bone of contention (due to being a big fan of the comic strip) was that they renamed Itchy Oliver Jake "Itchy" Rossi. I actually wrote to Playmates in an attempt to get a Blank figure. Got a canned response. It is still the only Dick Tracy Figure I do not have and due to the exorbitant price tags on ebay, I probably never will. I didn't get the cars (not for lack of trying), but at least they are cheaper to nab.

[@Fardawg]

My mom also made my Tracy figure a trench coat. Wish I still had it. It may be in a box buried in a storage room somewhere.

[@zantara]

Wow, that was fascinating. I didn't buy any of these toys, but I would always stop by their section in the stores just so I could look at every figure. I only saw Itchy once, for some reason, but I never saw The Blank. And now I finally know why.

[@jokertdk]

Amazing video! Hope you continue doing Dick Tracy reviews. Maybe on the Gladstone reprints, or the IDW collections?

[@jeenkzk5919]

I too am fascinated with the 1930s. I wasn't allowed to watch Dick Tracy because Madonna was in it. My parents were strict and didn't let me watch alot of the newer movies but I did get to watch alot of the movies from the 30s and 40s and I LOVED THEM! I DID get to buy the figures though! I also bought the Gladstone reprints.

[@Spudcore]

Hats off to your mother, those trench coats are awesome!

[@jeffreycoogan09]

In case anyone out there is wondering, The Blank predates both The Question and Rorschach.

[@robwest5457]

When I was a kid in 1990, I was walking around sea world with my parents when I found a $100 bill on the ground. I was so shocked and happy. My parents said I could buy anything I want since I found it and in Disney, when we’re selling these incredible rubber Halloween masks for Dick Tracy. I wound up buying Big Boy, Pruneface, and Flattop and me and my friends went crazy that year playing Dick Tracy and even dressed up as the bad guy trio for Halloween. I have always wondered if other masks were available to buy other than the 3 I got at $25 a pop in the overpriced Disney store in Tomorrowland, but never did see them sold again.

[@guardian08527]

One plus about these figures is they match up almost perfectly with the vintage Ninja Turtles figures because they come from the same company.

[@pinkjoey3]

Great video as always; educational and amusing in one. Keep up the good work, Michael and Melinda! I was wondering if you ever will cover the Defenders of the Earth show and toys?

[@batangbatugan]

Your mom did an excellent job on the custom trenchcoats, and they match the colors as well! Also, what a great story Michael, I think for me the last toys I ever bought as a kid to play with were the Matchbox Roadblasters and Robin from the Kenner BTAS line. After that it were a few Gundams and Japanese collectibles here and there. I think the one that got me started into collecting again was the Transformers Classics line, and the first Transformers movie line.

[@mattleuty5285]

Loved this review and you must have outfits for about every toy line Michael!!!

[@retroblasting]

HAHAHA - Boy that could get expensive!

[@Sharksleep]

Truth be told, those accessories were next level. Great detail.

[@StinkyGringo]

I had Tracy and the wristwatch. Even as a kid I didn't like how disproportionate and cartoonish the figures looked. Always wondered about the blank, that was a cool character. Loved the movie and had a blast with the watch though. Great video

[@sXeblues]

I'm sure you guys hear this often, but man, I've been eagerly awaiting this video... And it was all kinds of worth it! Great stuff, as always!

[@cedrictripp9372]

I had all the villains as a kid. I got them for Christmas that year.

[@justinreilly6619]

Toy Polloi has just uploaded a video on replacement lightsabers for the 12 inch Vader! C'mon Michael! Your Vader still doesn't have arms! Nooooooo! That was me channelling my inner Darth Vader.

[@Christopherianmatt]

I totally loved this line and had most of them. The certainly needed a Pat Patton and a Breathless. The shape took some getting used to, but I loved Dick Tracy, so I got used to it quick. I totally feel the loss of the film killing off all those amazing characters so quickly. I felt the pain of not getting to see more of them every time I watched it.

[@yvonnerogers6429]

Oh, my goodness, you have an awesome mom! How sweet of her to make those little trench coats for your action figures! They do vastly improve the look of the Tracy and Sam figures. Thanks for the video. Your work is fascinating.

[@retroblasting]

+Yvonne Rogers thanks Yvonne!

[@spinzig]

As a kid I thought the same thing, that all the figures needed a trenchcoat to go with. I loved the guns they came with, the tommy guns were good for smaller guys as they look more proportional. I always had all my figures in the same games as a kid, so some TMNT figures could dual-wield the pistols. :P Could've used Tess, Chief Brandon, kid, Pat, Littleface, Stooge, 88 Keys, Numbers.

[@pjschroeder76]

I had the movie figures from that year in a solid PVC non-movable rubbery plastic. I still loved them.

[@Jcc2224]

Playmates are the masters of toy design. That Dick Tracy is perfect! Guess they learned from the school of Yellow lightsabers and sticker-faces (though to be fair Ironhide's toy came before the toon). Great vid man, these figures are oddly appealing. If I see a Steve the Tramp at a flea market, used, beaten, abandoned, and forgotten, I'll buy it. #FindHomesForSteveTheTramps

[@AbbieOates]

I think as children’s toys they were really fun. However, it’s a line that could go for a proper collectors release with realistic film like proportions.

[@YourUncleBenis]

Man, aesthetic wise, you could put those cars on the market today and nobody would really notice that the molds originated in the 90s.

[@idunno...someguy3252]

Great episode. It makes me want to watch Dick Tracy and The Shadow back to back.

[@kennerfreak7]

fantastic as always

[@ParentsNightIn]

I had to buy a bunch of DT figures on Ebay this week. I actually had no idea they existed until just recently. But I love the cartoonishness of them.

[@kobrashangar1674]

more awesome content!! A topic suggestion:Six Million Dollar Man line Thank you for all the time and work put into your productions

[@JohnAquariusPodcast]

they look like they would fit well with ninja turtles. I could imagine having a ninja turtles meet Dick Tracy or just using the villains as generic mobsters in a ninja turtle world.

[@thetangledliege1752]

Awesome! I've been waiting for this part 2!

[@ForgeMaciejewski]

I had most of these toys as a kid. I wish I still had these figures. They were kinda cool for their time. Still want those cars though...

[@gabetheanimator6768]

Cool review. I was never into DT. But it's nice to know all the little factoids! Cheers!

[@dredd1981]

I remember seeing these figures in my local toy store and being tempted to get some but the fact that DT wasn't wearing his signature coat was a deal breaker for 9 year old me

[@joshualoynes7408]

Got ready to go out, got a notification to say Retroblasting uploaded a new video, me? Meh, my friends can wait...

[@retroblasting]

+world of retro ha! Thanks!

[@JosephProductions]

Awesome Guys! Great job!

[@altrightknight7661]

The Figures look AMAZING... all but Dick Tracy Imho... they just didn't capture his face very well... but everyone else? Wow... a VERY good likeness.

[@altrightknight7661]

also had i made these "Kid" would have been a little solid figure accessory figure for Tracy.

[@anthonykarklus7683]

Rarely do I hit a button so fast as when I see a new retroblasting video!!!!

[@retroblasting]

HAHAHAHA! Thanks Anthony!

[@NevsTechBits]

I'm from Canada and also looked everywhere for No-Face. Just learned she was a sears exclusive lol. your not alone on that one

[@visionaryventures12]

3:59 So I guess Tess Trueheart would be the Arcee of the line.

[@chrisbrewer9942]

As soon as Michael came on I automatically looked at his hair because of the FB post lol

[@ilikecomicstoareallyproble8617]

I was one when these toys were made, I still remember seeing them in Toys R Us when I was looking for LEGO sets in 1996.

[@BrotherApexx]

This and Speed Racer were two similarly vibrant, faithful movies that just couldn't live up to their potential.

[@nickmanzo8459]

The blank is actually reminding me of that bizarre dummy version of Toht, the German spy in Raiders when he’s suddenly not in the car.

[@clarencegutsy7309]

As a kid, this is the only collection of toys that I never completed the full set of thanks to the infamous Blank never being sold in any store that I'd check. I honestly believed that the toy was a false advertisement and never really existed until I discovered the truth of its elusive nature years later. One day when I have the funds to spare and as silly as it'll seem since I don't collect figures or any of that stuff like a dedicated hobbyist, I'm going to get this damn toy just to hold it and feel justified in badgering my poor parents to drive to almost every Toys R Us and department store around town.

[@ramblingrob91]

I found a loose Blank figure for cheap on EBay. Its the star of my collection! I really Enjoy your channel! Keep up the good stuff!

[@evillaser4889]

Rambling Rob no way, how much did it cost?

[@TheSonOfRyan]

about tree fiddy.

[@kosmikazie6951]

I bought a few of these from a thrift store along with the figure carrying case. The case a neat piece to have, especially since I keep those figures away.

[@R3troZone]

He's not kidding about available and cheap. It's almost 5 years after this video and I just bought all the figures (minus the Blank) on eBay for $20

[@ecardone03]

Can you do a video on the Kenner alien toys

[@OpenMawProductions]

That would be great.

[@hunny518]

+Komasan Empire I came to this video to ask the same question

[@Sharksleep]

Michael said that they'll only cover up to Jurassic Park in terms of the era they'll do videos on. Kenner Aliens was in '92, so I suppose it's not off the table.

[@Guernicaman]

My brother & I enjoyed the movie at the time, but neither of us could get into the toys. They were too childish, in my opinion & looked too cartoony. We did, however, really enjoy the SEGA Genesis game SEGA developed. It felt really unique & arcadey at the time. We also had the Dick Tracey Applause doll. In fact, I think I still do.

[@ScarecrOmega]

Im Canadian and I wanted The Blank figure but could not find it anywhere in 1990. This is the first time I actually see the face underneath as well.

[@uberhulk2260]

Me and my wife won a Blank lot on Ebay! I love this line its kind of cool to be able to brag about the blank right! You're vids r great c ya

[@679iceman]

I had these figures as a kid and now I’m trying to track them all down. They aren’t expensive but are hard to find complete.

[@ADAM_COLLECTS]

playmates basically gave us a gangster action figure line for the TMNT to take on when the Foot clan were recovering from another beating

[@kidchuckle]

Although I never really got into Dick Tracy movie. But I did really appreciate that moment in time. My cousin was wild about it... He had followed tmnt and straight into Dick Tracy soon after. The blank in Toronto, I remember was all over the place and even in discount bins. I had no idea it was so hard to find

[@galexeqe]

4:28 Not as bad as Warren Beatty's constant "Who farted?" facial expression throughout the movie

[@RyderDavis]

Hey, I saw this film in Tennessee in summer of 1990 too! Knoxville to be exact - well technically, the Halls Cinema 7. My buddy and I even had the "Admit One - I Was There First" T-shirts. I also bought the Dick Tracy, and Big Boy figures at the local Walmart in South Knoxville. What a disappointment.

[@Thor13332]

Those cars are great on one level.

[@joaomotta9652]

I was waiting so much for this.

[@TheClaudeHopper]

Awesome as always

[@gaspargh]

Saludos from Santiago de Chile. That was an awesome video!! Thank you RetroBlasting for bringing back to life one of the best superhero movies of all time. Now, what do you think about the possibility that Netflix or HBO make an animation series with this character following the steps of "Batman T.A.S"? We could have new action figures with better designs and maybe... vehicles. I know it could sound like a nerd's dream but, were are living in the golden age of comics and production companies are looking for new opportunities and maybe the Dick Tracy universe could be the one. Thanks again for another classic video in your glorious catalogue. Adiós,

[@retroblasting]

You're welcome Gaspar

[@brycevo]

These figures are pretty cool. Nice custom coats

[@Geek_Chorus]

New Retroblasting?!?! AWESOME!!!!!!

[@visionaryventures12]

I want 3 3/4 inch retro figures.

[@loganholmberg2295]

I just rewatched this movie today and while I wasn't a big fan of it as a kid damn it aged well. And watching the had version I now recognize Dustin Hoffman playing as Mumbles. 😂😂😂😂 Honestly I can't believe this was a Disney version given how Madonna dresses in it. Therers full nipple in the beginning of the movie when tracey is interviewing here in her dressing room. One could argue its "hidden" behind the shear fabric but come on! Holy cow, 😂 😊😊😮😮

[@Richd1482]

I remember that summer very well 😁 i need to get my channel going again!

[@lordjs9726]

Thanks, Michael. This video made me start to like Dick Tracy.

[@princebloodgrave8097]

☹,I live in Canada, and never found one. I also never found Sam Catchem, until after I topped collecting, and traded them, for Marvel figures.

[@freakshowfilmfestival3591]

A girl I went to church with had a realistic DT watch, I think she got it at Kmart. I wanted one so bad but my mom wasn't going to buy me an expensive watch. Lol I don't blame her since I don't even know where any of my childhood stuff is. 😭

[@marcgordon8040]

Michael I'm interested in knowing if you saw Dunkirk. I know you mentioned you liked the airplanes of the time.

[@antiquariancrafts2454]

I loved them, but I wish they'd be designed in the style they later used for TNG.

[@1dbanner]

I still love this movie as well. It remains one of the few comic strip films that looks like a comic strip. You could do a more gritty version today but.....what's the point? Dick Tracy should be set in a completely stylized world. Otherwise, it would just feel like Road to Perdition. The movie is a lot of fun and just a pleasure to watch, the art direction and cinematography are so amazing.

[@theronmitchell3073]

Awesome video

[@rebelsatcloudnine]

Is there going to be a second part for the Star Trek video, that's the video that got me into watching your videos and I'd love to see more Trek stuff. Funny I was just thinking today about your channel and boom a new video :D

[@MarkDemeo]

it is too bad they didn't make a tess figure,i liked her character more than breathless,or maybe they should have done a breathless figure to throw ppl off track when the blank had the reveal.

[@mathiasmorqubus]

I truly dont remember this line but according to the the timeline it would be about the action masters TF line,and at that point i was truly done.

[@Thunderwing88]

I only watched both parts just for The Blank figure.

[@LiSfan2000]

lol I remember the summer of Dick Tracy. I also remember being obsessed with finding The Blank too and now I'm glad to know that it wasn't just me who never found her. Other figures I remember wanting like that were Mr. Sleaze from Police Academy and the Wednesday, Cousin Itt and Thing figures promised as part of The Addams Family toy line. I eventually got Mr. Sleaze, but have never known what the deal was with the Addams ones. Any chance we might get a video on that line?

[@thomasfenton6719]

Very cool!

[@pixelcreatures]

Great job, you guys!

[@retroblasting]

Thanks Jorge!