Friday, November 30, 2012

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 3 - Extra Crispy

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released November 2012

Previous Job: Chicken Farmer/Entrepreneur
Likes: His Secret Ingredients (You Don't Wanna Know!)
Dislikes: The Health Department
Favorite Food: Deep Fried Fibulas


Extra Crispy
As we mentioned in yesterday's Review of Riled-Up Riley, Extra Crispy is one of two ''shared'' figures (the other being Zero Hero) available as part of  Riley's three-figure pack and in the bumper 12-pack. So how does he stack-up against his zombie hunting pack-mate?

Sculpt & Design
The parodies are coming thick and fast in Series 3, with Extra Crispy being JAKKS Pacific's tribute to everybody's favorite fried chicken restaurateur  Colonel Sanders. Like Riled-Up Riley, it's the attention to detail that really makes this homage work, with the Colonel's trademark neck-tie, Southern Gentleman mustache-Imperial combo and - of course - bucket of ''food'' all being nicely worked into the sculpt.


One thing that's always fun with the SLUG Zombies line is the way the characters are ''zombified'' and Extra Crispy is no exception. From his ripped shirt and awkward stance, everything about Extra Crispy screams - or should that be moans? - zombie. But the real treat comes when you take a closer look at his variety bucket. Brains and a side of bone-in flesh! Mmm! That's good eatin'!


Extra Crispy's pose is strong, with the undead shamble being captured perfectly, complete with knock-kneed stance, twisted arms and - as mentioned - his extra value bucket, cradled lovingly in the crook of his arm. Look more closely and you'll also notice how off-center his stance is, with his back being twisted to compensate - presumably - for his now-limited sense of balance. It's not something you immediately notice - ''but your brain did'' - and it's a nice, albeit unsettling touch that encapsulates the ever-present  attention to detail in the SLUG Zombie sculpts.

Paint
Like all SLUG Zombie figures, Extra Crispy is unpainted and sports the zombie-green colorway. I really don't mind at all that these figures are unpainted and even my earlier reservations about the limited palette have given way as I've seen more in the line. Sure, variants would avoid the issue of repeats/duplicate figures but at the same time, sticking with a specific colorway for each figure type gives the line a stronger identity.

Extras & Accessories
The pack includes an illustrated collector sheet, featuring biographies of each character. Given that the rear of the 3-packs only feature the figures included in that arrangement (ditto for the 12-pack) it's handy to have a full guide to all 16 figures in the Series.

Final Thoughts
Extra Crispy is another great addition to the SLUG Zombie line-up. Fans of pop culture and Americana in particular will really dig this zombified take on this fast food icon but even if you're not entirely sure who this is a homage to, there's still a lot of fun to be had here. 

And although the overall sculpt is excellent, Extra Crispy is one of those SLUG Zombies that features a small but really neat little touch, in this case in the form of his food bucket. It's not something you initially notice but upon closer inspection you'll realize what's in there. It's a superb example of the  gross-out, grisly humor of the line.

As I mentioned in the Riled-Up Riley Review, Extra Crispy appears in both 3-figure and 12-figure pack varieties (ditto for his pack-mate, Zero Hero) meaning if you want to get a complete line of figures in this Series, you're going to wind-up with two of him. Much as I dislike duplicate figures, I will say this: if I have to have more than one repeat then at least I can take some consolation in the fact that it's a duplicate of a great figure.

A fun, grisly celebrity parody that's another superb addition to the line.

Final Score: A-


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