I thought I would always be purist when it came to the design of Maleficent. I don't think I'm alone when I say that, of all the vampy sorceress-type characters, she is the most visually iconic. Just a few years ago I was ecstatic to finally get a great representation of her in my collection with the Kingdom Hearts line from DST. It was my first Maleficent figure and I was so happy with her that I assumed it would be my last. But then McFarlane Toys announced this stylized version from the Disney Mirrorverse mobile game. She has all the classic design elements you would expect, but with added gothy details that somehow enhance her overall appeal. I love this figure. From the elaborate armor to the bat-ribbed cape, I think she's terrific. All the Mirrorverse designs I've seen have had a similar merging of cartoon simplicity and video game realism. I certainly hope they include more ladies in the future. Belle and Maleficent are fantastic and desperately need friends. Let's check out Maleficent below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Skin-Gray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skin-Gray. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 20, 2022
Mirrorverse - MALEFICENT!
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Jada Toys - BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!
I never would have predicted that Jada Toys would enter the action figure market - and so strongly at that. After five years cornering the diecast market with their stylized Metals figurines, detailed vehicles, and (my favorite) Nano Metalfigs, they surprisingly branched out into articulated plastic. In Fall of 2021 they released their Universal Monsters and General Mills Monsters figures and I was immediately impressed by the quality. Of course, I got my first four figures in the midst of a house move and they promptly got buried in a closet. But I finally unboxed them last week and my original (boxed) assessment still holds true. They're really well made and it's exciting to have another company with product on the shelves (Street Fighter is next!). It's been a while since I've picked up a new Bride of Frankenstein figure so this was especially fun. I know there's a NECA one coming eventually that will probably overshadow the competition, but in the meantime this one is perfect. Let's check her out below!
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Mythic Legions - ILLYTHIA!
When I think of great toys to post reviews for leading up to Halloween, my mind instantly goes to the Mythic Legions line by Four Horsemen Studios. Sure, there are a lot of knights and vikings in the mix. But the standout figures for me are the creepy characters: mainly the vampires, demons, orcs, and skeletons. It's so rare to get a female figure like this that's not a bikini'd swimsuit model with fangs. And, yes, I'm aware that some of the Mythic Legions ladies have been exactly that. But most of them are well thought-out, strong-looking characters with amazing detail. And Illythia is a prime example. I don't pay attention to the overall mythos of Mythic Legions, but considering this Illythia character has a whole faction named after her (Illythia's Brood), I assume she's a pretty big deal. When I ordered her, I assumed the extra arms implied some spider-like qualities, but in person, it seems more of a demonic aesthetic. Either way, it's great for Halloween week. Let's check out the deluxe Illythia below!
Friday, September 17, 2021
Gargoyles - DEMONA!
The upcoming NECA Demona figure has inspired me to finally review this old vinyl figure from the mid-nineties. This line was unknown to me at the time, but I discovered them on eBay in the early 2000s and I heard rumor that they were originally exclusive to the Disney Store (but can't exactly prove that). They are impressively large and well-sculpted. I only own Demona and she is not articulated, so I assume the rest similarly stationary. They have a quality of that reminds me of supersized PVC figures like the little ones that were so prevalent throughout the 80s and 90s. Demona has odd coloring that is more reminiscent of her daughter Angela. Angela has black hair and very dark wing-membranes. Demona has red hair and light purple membranes. But the sculpt with the crown, belt buckle, armband, and single shoulder strap are uniquely Demona. It's a rare enough of a figure that I'm not comfortable painting her hair, however tempting that may be. Let's check out the 1995 Applause Demona below!
Sunday, February 7, 2021
Roblox - AVEN THE SILVER WARRIOR!
When I was young I was obsessed with collecting and reading backissues of Batman Family. This was a deluxe anthology comic series featuring both reprints and new material starring the entire cast of the Batman universe. As a kid with a meager allowance ($1.50 a week) augmented by a paperboy salary (that was equally insignificant), Batman Family was easily the most value for my money. One issue in particular stood out to me. It featured Duela Dent and a band of female "daughters" of the key Batman Villains: Penguin's Daughter, Riddler's Daughter, and the only one with a unique name, Scare-Crone. I loved the idea of a scary female Scarecrow so much. And all these years later that's exactly where my head went when I saw this Aven the Silver Warrior figure from the new Roblox Imagination Collection wave. She looks nothing like the Scare-Crone, in fact she looks more like a Tin-Man and Scarecrow mashup from Wizard of Oz, but either way I think she's awesome. Let's check out Aven below!
Monday, January 13, 2020
Marvel Legends - HULK!
I love She-Hulk. There's something special about the quick burst of female Marvel characters in the late 70s. Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, and She-Hulk were simple female rebrandings of established male characters created in a desperate attempt to secure copyrights (After Filmation's Web Woman fiasco). But the characters quickly became something very special. Having the same power sets, with similar origins, and similar environments created an unintentional social experiment on gender. It was like a long-format What If story, and it became the basis for a lot of my aesthetic and collecting obsessions. She-Hulk has gone through a ton of transformations over the years. Not all of them were to my liking, but others were amazing. For some reason I never questioned why she never had a "gray" transformation before, but I'm glad it finally happened (in 2017) because I think she looks amazing. Plus this buck will also be perfect for a new classic green She-Hulk (which has to be coming). Let's check out Hulk below!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Women of Halloween Part 12 - DEMONA!
Gargoyles was a surprisingly dark property for Disney in the 1990's. The "princess" films were beginning their second renaissance (Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, etc), afterschool cartoons were dominated by DuckTales, Talespin, Gummi Bears, Rescue Rangers, Marsupilami.. it was all great toonage, but all very lighthearted and childlike. I was gearing up to leave Disney in the dust as I matured out of the genre. Then along comes Gargoyles. It was dark, complex, and dramatic. The character development, far-reaching story arcs, and overall mature themes were a perfect segue for the aging Disney demographic. Demona was a complex character a'la Mystique from X-Men. She was the main character, Goliath's, former mate and mother to the character Angela. The main tribe of Gargoyles featured in the cartoon were peaceful and wanted to coexist and protect the humans. Demona from the Wyvern tribe, however, felt victimized and held a deep hatred for humans. I think the "I'm the victim" motivation always makes for the best antagonists.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)