Review: Bug Blast! (Innovative Kids - Groovy Tube Books)

Review of the entire (?) set of Bug Blast! by Groovy Tube Books. I question whether it is complete, because it is advertised as having 20 figures but my set has only 19 (I think I might be missing a bee). The set came out in 2000 and includes a book, playing cards, and a board to play with the figures on.

Very interesting figures; most appear to be knock-offs of 1994 or 1997 Toy Major figures but are not credited to TM. Others are clearly influenced by Safari LTD's Smithsonian Insects line-up. I will address them below. The figures have a common name and the traditional 'K' that GTB figures appear to have.

For other uses of TM figures (actually credited to TM), see my review of the Animal Planet set here: http://animaltoyforum.com/index.php?topic=1633.0

Because of the large numbers of figures in this set, I have clumped them somewhat taxonomically (as I did with the Funrise insects).

On to the critters:

Spiders
The figure on the right is labeled 'garden spider'; the one on the left is labeled 'tarantula'. Both are common molds, and may have been (esp the one on the right) originally modeled after PlayVisions figures.



Scorpions and Centipedes
These are both classic TM style figures, even down to the color scheme.



Dragonfly
This one figure is also of the TM mold.



Orthopteroids
from left to right:
1) Mantid
2) Grasshopper
3) Cricket
4) Cockroach
These are all traditional TM-style figures, used several times over in other bin-style sets.



Beetles
On the left is a stag beetle which is clearly influenced by the figure in the Safari LTD Smithsonian Insects line! On the upper right is a rhinoceros beetle and on the lower right a lady beetle, both in the classic TM-style.



Butterflies and Moths.
The monarch and the luna moth are also both influenced by the Safari LTD Smithsonian Insects line. The swallowtail caterpillar is a familiar mold that has been used in several bin-style sets. The luna is probably my second favorite figure in the set, with my favorite being the flea (below).



Flies and Fleas
The fly is labeled 'horse fly' and is a common mold. The flea is also influenced by the Safari LTD Smithsonian Insects line. Clearly my favorite figure in the set (anyone surprised by that)?



Ants
Queen and worker ants; both clearly of the TM-style mold. TM has released both of these in multiple color patterns.



Overall, most of these are reused bin-style figures you can see repeated several times, and often of a lesser quality! Figures like the flea, luna moth, stag beetle, and monarch make it all worthwhile though!

Nice set

I am putting an identification of Prosopocoilus confucius for the stag beetle, since it was influenced by the Safari figure that is a best fit for this species.

Interesting set !!! The quality varies, - as you say, the flea and the luna moth are really fine models, while some others are ...so-so

Thankyou for sharing

SUSANNE wrote:

Interesting set !!! The quality varies, - as you say, the flea and the luna moth are really fine models, while some others are ...so-so

Thankyou for sharing

Yes, four of these (monarch, luna moth, flea, stag beetle) appear to be original sculpts for this set; the others are Toy Major knock-offs.