TBug

Bugbear (1984)

This is the bugbear figure from the 1983 LJN line of molded PVC Dungeons & Dragons toys. I never really took a close look at this figure, mostly because I appreciate the way the curve of his club matches the curve of his arm, and that gives the toy a sense of imminent violence that I appreciate. However, just now, looking at these photos, it struck me that it sure looks like he’s got a massive dong. I sent the photo to four people, all of whom immediately commented to that effect (my wife’s reaction was the best: “lol, big peen.”) Now, if you look at the card, which I dug up on Google, you can see the illustration clearly intends it to be a sword dangling from his belt. But the end result…does not look like a sword. As Darren M. A. Calvert said when I posted this on Twitter, “Making his sword/scabbard the same color as his fur certainly is…a choice they made.” I don’t know what amazes me more: that back in 1983 LJN was like “Eh, no one is gonna notice” or that it took me nearly 40 years to notice.

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