Reviews

Barbarossa Custom Creations Laser Light Skeletor

It’s often the case that when I write about a toy on my blog, I become much more interested in it the process of my research. That certainly happened when I covered Laser Light Skeletor (designed by David Wolfram). For several years I’d had some interest in the figure simmering in the back of my brain, but finally writing about it brought matters to a full boil.

The problem is, of course, that Laser Light Skeletor was only released in Europe, and in limited quantities. A vintage example, even a beat up one without accessories, is far outside of my price range. Enter Barbarossa Custom Creations.

If you’ve ever purchased a custom action figure from any customizer/builder, you know they’re not cheap. That’s just a factor of economies of scale. It’s considerably more difficult for one person to create one figure at a time than it is for a fully equipped factory (with steel molds, paint masks, etc.) to pump out one figure among tens of thousands. It’s even more difficult with a complex toy like Laser Light Skeletor, with its extensive paint applications, stitched cloth cape/hood, and internal electronics. Even accounting for all those factors, Barbarossa’s version still costs only a small fraction of the price of a vintage example, making it my best option for acquiring my own Laser Light figure without having to take out some kind of loan.

The Barbarossa version of the figure seems to be patterned after the Spanish release of Laser Light Skeletor, with its shorter cape and bolder colors. The figure comes standard with the original translucent havoc staff (in a slightly orangey shade, like the Spanish release), along with a somewhat simplified, translucent cast of Saurod’s gun:

A set of additional accessories are also available upon request, for $25 more:

Original Skeletor Havoc Staff, minus the ball the the bottom, in translucent red/orange:

A mashup of Laser Power He-Man’s sword with Spikor’s wrist cuff, with added handle, in translucent red/orange:

Skeletor power sword (with modified handle to allow him to hold it), in translucent red/orange:

He-Man battle axe, in translucent red/orange:

The plastic material has a good, realistic feel to it, and the figure stands without any issues. He retains his original ball and pivot joints in the legs. It probably would have been easier to have fashioned the legs with the older-style rubber connectors, and I appreciate the extra step here to keep the original joints.

The light-up mechanism has been modified. Instead of raising his right arm to activate it, there is a green push-button on/off switch on the figure’s backpack. The pack fits a bit loosely in its chamber – I’m not sure if that’s a result of the modification, or if the original was like that. As a result, it’s helpful to hold the pack steady while you push the button. The circuit runs on a button cell battery rather than the AA used in the vintage figure. I would imagine the reduced weight in the back also makes the figure easier to stand up.

The details on the body and head are nice and crisp – this is a good cast of the original figure, and the paint work is sharp too. The copper metallic paint has black base coat, which I think adds a bit of realism to the look.

Laser Light Skeletor is certainly a departure from the more traditional Skeletors produced by Mattel. He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who love the design, Barbarossa’s offering is a great way to get your hands on a credible-looking replica at a price that makes it more realistically attainable for many (but certainly not all) collectors.

With the original release half boot Skeletor (Design by Mark Taylor), released in 1982.
With the Masters of the Universe Classics Laser Light Skeletor (2015)
With Battle Blade Skeletor (1992), also designed by David Wolfram
With “New Adventures” Skeletor, Disks of Doom Skeletor and Battle Blade Skeletor. All designed by David Wolfram or based off of designs by David Wolfram.

10 thoughts on “Barbarossa Custom Creations Laser Light Skeletor

  1. Excellent work by Barbarossa, as always. The little tweaks improve the figure a fair bit! Alas, even this custom is out of my price range. Of course, if I had the cash, I’d be going after his Keldor, Geldor, and Lodar customs! They’re awesome “should have been” vintage figures.

    1. I hear you. My price range for new figures is generally in the $30-$50 range. But, I wanted this so much I went ahead and sold off a few things to get it.

      I’ll have to check out Keldor/Geldor/Lodar, I haven’t seen those customs.

      1. I can’t remember where I saw them or I would link you, but they’re awesome! I generally top out at $50 too, but I totally sympathize, because it looks like I’ll have to sell a few things off too to be able to get a MOTUC Fisto! Just my luck that one of my top five favorites had to be the most expensive figure in the entire line!

        1. Yup, I did the same last year, in order to get a Fisto. Best I found was about $150, which is about $70 more than he was going for a few years ago. I did sell off his 200x accessories and got back about $50. But still!

          I’d love to get a MOTUC Panthor, but prices on those are absolutely crazy. Those used to go for about $80 on the secondary market.

          1. Yeah, Panthor is definitely another one. I really regret not getting one when he was “only” about $50 or so. I count myself lucky that I have Battle Cat, at least! I can live without most of the figures I’m missing who are really pricey, but Fisto and Kobra Khan are really must haves for me. I guess I’m just gonna have to suck it up at some point and save up the cash. Who knew having to drop out of MOTUC collecting for a few years would wind up being so expensive!

        1. Wow, those are really sharp looking! I like that Lodar better than the Classics version. Neat and familiar looking without being just kit bashed. Thanks for sharing

          1. No problem! I agree for the most part, the only thing I’m not crazy about are the blank eyes, which I feel don’t really suit him. His accessories, in particular, are awesome! This one also manages to have removable armor, something Super 7 can’t seem to figure out. Though I have to say, that last pic of he and He-Man together give me a “What’s the safe word?” vibe, heh.

  2. of course, Barbarossa aren’t customizers.. they are bootlegs. Customs are one-off jobs.. if a production run of something that exists without paying for the rights (or getting them in some way) it’s bootleg.. still, not bad work.. just I hate it when people try to tricky themselves into giving themselves more ‘honour’ then they deserver. If I made a totally new Megadrive game and issued it on cartridge, it would be a pirate game.. pure and simple ^_^ it’s like people that think Fanart (even if you aren’t a fan) is parody art.. just trying to trick themselves…

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