Tuesday, May 7, 2013

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 2 - Andrew Agony/Jump Shot Rot

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released August 2012

SLUG Zombies Series 2
The SLUG Zombies line may be dead and buried but that doesn't mean they're forgotten. In honor of the now-cancelled figures, we'll be doing our best to provide a definitive list of Reviews, with the ultimate aim being to cover every single figure released in the short-lived toy line. So to that end, here's a double-header Review featuring two sporting SLUGs, Andrew Agony and Jump Shot Rot.

Andrew Agony
Andrew Agony is a former tennis pro and so, as such, features the trappings and equipment you'd expect - with the usual SLUG Zombies twist.
As ever, the devil is in the details. From the torn clothing and snapped racket strings to the ghastly, slack-jawed expression and - best of all - super-squishy brain ''ball'' it's clear that the designers had a lot of fun taking this everyday character and turning him into something so nightmarish.
The pose is also very cool, with the usual SLUG Zombies shambling, post rigor mortis stance that's neatly combined with a ''pre-serve'' pose. 
And excuse me if I'm a bit slow but it took me a moment to figure out the joke centering on the character's name. But once it hit me, I have to admit it did make me grin...

Jump Shot Rot
And now we come to our second figure, Jump Shot Rot.
Although not quite as grisly as Andrew Agony, it's great to see the designers having so much fun with the ''zombification'' of Shaq - I mean, Jump Shot Rot.
There's certainly plenty of zombie detail on Jump Shot Rot, with an assortment of bites, ripped clothing and - of course - the unthinking, undead expression upon his face but I think it would have been cool to replace the basketball with something like a ref's head or similar. 
Again, the pose is still pretty cool though, a nice combination of sporting pose and zombie stagger and the awkward set of the limbs is particularly impressive.

Final Thoughts
I have to admit that both Jump Shot Rot and Andrew Agony were two figures I didn't get around to Reviewing sooner because - as I've mentioned in other Reviews - the ''sportsmen'' SLUG Zombies don't number among my favorites - probably because I'm not really into sports in the real world. But if you're a fan of either sport - or indeed the athletes they're parodying - then you'll certainly enjoy the figures on another level I'm missing.

Of the two figures, I have to say that Andrew Agony is the (albeit marginally) better. The inclusion of the ''brain ball'' is what really tips the figure over the edge into the truly macabre, which is something I love and I just wish JAKKS Pacific had given Jump Shot Rot a similar twist. As I said, maybe a ref's head or even a skull or something in place of the basketball would have been a really neat touch.

It's interesting to note that of the two, Andrew Agony is the most common, appearing both as a part of a 3-figure pack (alongside Grim Trekker and Captain Payback) and the 12-figure pack, whereas Jump Shot Rot is only available in the larger set. At least I have a duplicate of the figure I find the better of the two!

Overall, Jump Shot Rot and Andrew Agony are two fun additions to the SLUG Zombies line that sports fans - or more specifically, fans of the sportsmen themselves - will dig. For the rest of us, these figures are fine examples of the SLUG Zombie lines and whilst they probably won't win over any converts, fans will still enjoy them.

Final Scores: 
Andrew Agony B
Jump Shot Rot B-


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