That Figures: Jakks Pacific

Showing posts with label Jakks Pacific. Show all posts

Monday, March 16, 2015

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Decrepit Katie

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Monday, November 10, 2014

VIDEO VIEW: The Toy Museum's Star Wars: Rebels Giant Kanan Jarus Figure Review

Thursday, August 21, 2014

AFFILIATE LINK: TMNT 48'' Michelangelo Action Figure

Cowabunga! That is one ginormous action figure! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans gather round. This is your chance to own a truly fantastic - and huge - action figure of Michelangelo, complete with his signature nunchucks. The shell opens to provide a place to store your smaller TMNT collectibles. Looking just like Mikey, the TMNT Michelangelo 48-Inch Action Figure has to be one of the coolest TMNT figures ever!

Pre-Order your 48-Inch Tall Michelangelo Action Figure from Entertainment Earth now!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

AFFILIATE LINK: Giant Godzilla 2014 Action Figure

I'm sure we've all seen those oversized Darth Vader and Power Rangers figures in our local stores and thought ''yeah, they're nice... but... why?'' Well now here comes a figure that most definitely deserves to appear in giant format: the King of the Kaiju, Godzilla.

Based upon the terrifying titan's look in the upcoming US reboot/remake Godzilla, the figure stands at 24'' tall and features twelve points of articulation - including three in his tail! This figure is going to prove hugely popular with fans of the gorilla-whale but also collectors of Kaiju and movie monsters, so to avoid paying a monster-sized price on Ebay a few months from now, you can pre-order your 24'' Godzilla right now!

Pre-Order your 24'' Godzilla 2014 Action Figure from Entertainment Earth now!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 2 - Buck Wilde

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released 2012

SLUG Zombies Series 2

The second wave of SLUG Zombies, released in 2012, introduced a new sub-line of figures: human survivors!

Colored in a nostalgic MUSCLE pink/peach, the humans not only added a new colorway to the all-green line-up but also allowed the designers to introduce additional parodies and homages. We've already seen their take on a certain zombie-hating Englishman and Antipodean survivalist and now we add another...

Buck Wilde

From his duster coat, stetson and sheriff's badge, it's obvious Buck Wilde is a western lawman. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I'm not entirely sure whether he's supposed to be a parody of an existing character or whether he's an amalgam of generic ''western sheriff''-style characters...

EDIT: As John points out in the comment section, this is of course a homage to The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes. D'oh!

Whatever Buck Wilde's origins though, he's a pretty neat-looking figure. As with the rest of the SLUG Zombie line, the sculpt work is highly detailed. Check out the ragged edges on his duster coat, his belt shirt buttons and even his fingers and facial features.

And as we've come to expect, the details are superbly rendered, with crisp, sharp edges and lines. Every time I photograph a SLUG figure I'm impressed with the fine detail and sculpt work that goes into each.

Like most of the survivor figures, Buck Wilde is sculpted in a kind of ''open arms'' pose that echoes the old MUSCLE Men stance. It's not the most practical of poses for a zombie hunter but I like the nice little nod to the past.

Buck Wilde is one of the rarer SLUG Zombie humans, appearing as an exclusive in a three pack along with the Macho Mangler and Flesh Eatin' Phil.

Final Thoughts

As is often the case with some of the SLUG Zombie figures, Buck Wilde is a figure where the images pretty much tell you everything you need to know. There's no articulation to discuss and, as with the rest of the line, the sculpting and production are both excellent. It's not intended as any kind of detrimental comment but there's really very little to add here.

If you like the SLUG Zombies line, dig the retro-MUSCLE look of the humans or you just like cowboys then you'll find a lot to like here. As I said, the sculpting is detailed and nicely rendered, the pose is cool and he's a neat addition to the line. If you're not a fan of these little rubbery figures you probably won't see what all the fuss is about but if you're a convert to the Cult of Keshi then you're sure to like Buck Wilde.

Another great figure that reminds you of just how much fun the SLUG Zombie line was.

Image Gallery

Friday, March 14, 2014

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 3 - Trashcan Sam

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released November 2012

SLUG Zombies...?

Whilst I'm not a believer in luck or curses, there's an annoying synchronicity between the toy lines I like to collect and toy lines that get cancelled. It seems every time I find a range of toys I really like, they never stick around for very long. Of all the lines I've seen die, perhaps the most frustrating was the SLUG line. A fantastic homage to the MUSCLE and Monster in my Pocket-style of Keshi toys, SLUG (Scary Little Ugly Guys) was an umbrella brand that would have seen its creators, JAKKS Pacific, releasing other sub-lines such as Aliens and Monsters had they continued beyond the initial Zombie theme. Unfortunately, whether due to poor sales, weird exclusive spreads, the Zombie theme overstaying its welcome or just not finding an audience, the SLUG line was canned before the proposed collection of 100 figures was released.

Despite its commercial failings, the line was a strong, fun throwback to the 80s and 90s little rubber guy figures and although the line is now dead, it's always irked me that I never completed our Review index of the figures that were released (and the few ''pre-release'' press figures we received from JAKKS Pacific before the line was cancelled) so with that in mind, we'll be revisiting the line over the coming months not only to complete the list but also to celebrate just how awesome these little guys where.

So with that in mind, here's our look at Series 3's Trashcan Sam.

Trashcan Sam

Whilst the majority of the Zombies in the SLUG line could be described as ''walkers,'' the designers had the foresight to mix things up a little by also adding in some ''boxed'' characters, such as the coffin-breaking Jon B. Gone, the Return of the Living Dead homage Decayin' Dom, Egyptian Empress Cleopatra Commin' Atcha and a host of other such ''emerging'' characters. We can now add another character to that roster in the form of Trashcan Sam.

Available as an exclusive in a three-figure pack along with Decrepit Katie and the (non-exclusive) Chuck Norris tribute Johnny Two-Guns, Trashcan Sam is a perfect example of the SLUG Zombie line's tight sculpting and fun, gross-out comedy.

As you can see - and as his name suggests - Trashcan Sam is a zombie trapped in - or climbing out of - a trashcan. It's a neat design (my guess is he climbed in looking for something to snack on between brains and got stuck) and the execution certainly does justice to the concept.

Trashcan Sam's sculpt is neat, with some great little touches to the character including the seemingly obligatory torn clothing but there are also some character-specific details like his baseball cap (and I love the detail on the adjustable band) and his ghastly expression. But it's the trash element that really sells the concept. From the banana peel on his shoulder to the fish head poking out at his breast and the bugs crawling over his body and the can itself, there are some great touches that are, as always, sculpted and produced with an incredibly sharp level of detail.

There are a couple of minor issues with the figure, though. First up, the trashcan is rather oddly shaped. It appears to have been flattened, although I'm guessing it's simply to be a better ''fit'' for the character's shape. And speaking of Sam himself, whilst he's proportioned well in isolation, he's rather large when compared not only to other figures in the line but also to the trashcan. It's a minor issue but if you spend any time looking at him it'll probably start to bug you if you're the sort of person these things get to... Still, the close-up details more than make up for any scale issues and I mention it simply in passing.

Final Thoughts

As I stated in the intro, it's a real shame that the SLUG Zombie line didn't find a large enough audience. They're a fun, creepy, icky line of toys that have enough of a Garbage Pail Kids/MUSCLE vibe for us oldies but are gross-out and fun enough for the youngsters to enjoy. And Trashcan Sam is a great representation of the line in general.

From the fun high concept to the close-up detail and execution, there's a lot to enjoy here. If you're the sort of person who scrutinizes their toys or likes to display stuff that's going to catch the eye then you'll really dig Trashcan Sam. I've owned the figure for over a year now and I still spot new stuff whenever I look at him.

Yes, his proportions are a little off and the trashcan does hide the lower half of his sculpt but part of the fun of the SLUG Zombies line is seeing different and new takes on the ''classic'' zombie and this manages do that perfectly.

Great sculpt work and a fun concept add up to a cool-looking figure.

Image Gallery

Shop for SLUG Zombies at Entertainment Earth

SITE NEWS: SLUG Zombies Review Index Update

Just a quick update to let you know we've overhauled the SLUG Zombies Review Index to include the Holiday Special figures and some additional information on the unreleased Collector Cases, plus a list of the figures that were produced but didn't make it to retail.

Check it out!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

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

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released August 2012

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NEWS: RIP SLUG Zombies

It seems JAKKS Pacific has officially cancelled the SLUG Zombies line of figures.

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Thursday, February 28, 2013

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 2 - Flesh Eatin' Phil

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released 2012

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NEWS: JAKKS Pacific Sign Nintendo Toy Deal

Malibu, Calif. – February 25, 2013 – Leading U.S. toymaker JAKKS Pacific, Inc., (Nasdaq: JAKK) announced today that it has been granted rights in major toy categories by Nintendo of America Inc. to manufacture, market and distribute a line of toys and related consumer products based on a robust library of iconic Nintendo characters that generations have come to love. In addition, JAKKS’ Halloween costume division, Disguise Inc., has been given rights to offer Halloween costumes and accessories based on these Nintendo properties. With this licensing agreement, fans of all ages will be able to engage with their favorite Nintendo video game characters, from Mario and Luigi®, to Donkey Kong® and Princess Peach™, to Game Link® and Zelda®.

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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 1 - Headless Halpert

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released January 2012

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/14/2013

In this week's In Other News... we bring you a couple of Podcasts, Doctor Who news, a few additional Toy Fair 2013 updates and more...

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

REVIEW: SLUG Zombies Series 1 - Piece Mail Pete

Produced by JAKKS Pacific | Released 2012

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

IN OTHER NEWS... 02/07/2013

Two alone Star Wars movies could see the return of a couple of fan favorites, SLUG zombies Series 5 and beyond, Guardians of the Galaxy news, Podcasts and more - all as featured in today's In Other News...

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