The 1970s were a great time to be a kid. With Star Wars lighting up the silver screen, Evel Knievel tearing up the TV and Sea Monkeys swimming in the comics, 70's media entertainment was more fun than seeing the red sticky stuff inside Stretch Armstrong. One of my favorite shows growing up as a lad was none other than Land of the Lost. The Sid and Marty Krofft series had me hooked the second I heard those banjos playing...

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about. A campy classic like no other, packed with all the right ingredients to fuel a kid's imagination: A secret fantasy world, a land filled with dinosaurs, and best of all, the Sleestaks.

These reptilian creatures were very high on my "cool-o-meter," ALMOST Stormtrooper and Shogun Warrior level cool. I just loved their sinister hissing sounds, big black beady eyeballs and bony butts. While my other friends rooted for the dinos, I was cheering on the Sleestaks to take down Marshall, Will, Holly, and that damn ape-child, Cha-Ka.

FUNKO knows good retro entertainment well. Their extensive line of Wacky Wobblers is a testament to that, with gems like Quisp, Squiddly Diddly and Boo Boo Bear bobblin' away to the pop culture beat. Funko loves the Sleestaks too, with not only a Wobbler on the way, but a coin bank hitting retail now.

There are two versions of the Sleestak bank available; the standard green and yellow colored version and this beauty up for review, the glow-in-the-dark edition! The regular Sleestak retails for a SRP of $24.99, while the glow goes for around $27. Both stand an impressive 12" tall and are simply a dream come true for this child of the '70s.

The packaging for the Sleestak bank is a riot, with hilarious instructions on how to "feed" your new friend. The whole presentation is very eye-catching; the orange, green and purple color palette not only drawing your attention, but capturing the playful creepiness of the prehistoric lizard-man. The packaging is retro cool, just like the Sleestak inside.

Don't be fooled by the word "bank," the Funko Sleestak is more akin to a designer vinyl toy. Slightly cartoonish, the sculpt on the Sleestak is a stylish interpretation of the classic creature. It is a solid design, all cast in a very durable vinyl. What also makes the Sleestak less of a bank and more of figure is the addition of articulation in his arms. Like the stiff rubber suits on the show, the Sleestak bank can strike a few menacing poses; hands by his scaley waist or outstretched reaching for a coin snack.

This brings us to the bank part. While most figural banks feature a distracting slot in their necks, the Sleestak bank has the coin feed cleverily sculpted as his mouth. "Sleestak eat coin." I haven't started stuffing him with money yet, but he looks to hold a pretty decent amount. To retrieve your loot for a rainy day, simply twist off his head.

If you're a fan of Land of the Lost like me, you've probally been waiting your whole life for a toy company to make a cool Sleestak action figure. Funko's Sleestak bank isn't the hyper-sculpted McFarlane figure I had in mind, but it's still a mighty fine collectible and a must-have for Sleestak lovers. While the colored version is cool, the GID version packs that extra "oomph," glowing proudly in my toy collection.

The upcoming motion picture of Land of the Lost starring Will Ferrell may spell doom for this beloved 70's classic, but nothing will destroy my love of the Sid and Marty Krofft Sleestak. Hats off to Funko for delivering a true blast from the past.

Check out more photos of the Funko Sleestak bank in our photo gallery!

Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor