DuckTales
5-Inch figures - PhatMojo
Sometimes a line completely slips under my radar. I missed the news from NYC Toy Fair in February about a fairly new company, PhatMojo, producing a line of DuckTales figures. Very few pictures leaked out, and even then, they were promos and prototypes. Then, last week, these started to hit Target stores. They popped up on the Target website, but they bungled it by not allowing you to select individual figures from the assortment. It would have been ordering blind! And even though I wanted a complete set, I wasn't going to take the chance to end up with four Launchpad McQuacks! After some time issuing my complaint about this process with online customer service, the figures showed as "in-stock" at my local store. Now, I don't know if I have complained about it before, but I loathe my local Target. Restocking and supplying toys is inconsistent and the place is always packed with awful, uppity southsiders. (Springfield peeps know what I'm talking about) I took a chance, drove down on my lunch hour, fought the hoards, and came out on top! A full set of figures and accessories! They were so fresh in the system, that a nice store associate pulled them from the back for me. So, there's one plus for my Target. Even if once I got to the checkout, it took three more associates to get them to ring up!
The first wave hits all the key players. The adult figure assortment includes Scrooge, Glomgold, Launchpad, and Donald Duck. (So great to see Donald in this series as a lead, just like in the comics!) The kids come in 2-packs: Huey and Dewey together, and Louie with Webby. Each figure comes with one or two accessories and tops out at 5 points of articulation. I have already seen collectors online complain about the articulation and scale. Chill, dudes...you aren't the demographic for these toys. And even so, smaller size (some wanted them closer to 3.75 inch) and more articulation would not only make them as fragile as all get out, but would affect the overall look of the figures in relation to the show's aesthetic.
Collectors also complain about the scale of the plane, the Sunchaser, and the Money Bin. Chill, dudes...its not like you've had to sacrifice scale for play factor and budget with vehicles and playsets before. (There's a little movie that's been around for a couple of years that has some toys based around it. Maybe you've heard of it...Star Wars?) Yes, the plane is a bit shrimpy, and wish it could seat at least two figures and had some sort of joystick or steering yoke. It has rolling wheels, spinning propellers, and includes a Launchpad figure (you can skip on the single-packed figure going this route)...which is fine for this size and price point. It's funny that the box advertises assembling the plane as an action/fun feature. It made me wish that, keeping in line with Launchpad's gimmick, it had some sort of spring-loaded, button feature to make it bust apart. (like the old-school TIE fighters)
The Money Bin is, of course, way under scaled. What? You expected something like a $500, crowdfunded Jabba's sail barge that doesn't even fit Max Rebo's keyboard? Chill dudes...it works fine for a display piece/backdrop and the pop-open interior is a key location with play value. I think it was made more to display the smaller PVC figures, but the 5-inchers do fit on the "shelves." It will look even better filled with all the spoils from Scrooge's adventures. I'm probably going to throw in a lot of Hasbro Indiana Jones artifacts to fill it out. It comes with a lucky dime replica, which fits on a pedestal in one of the rooms. There is a vault dial on the back that you turn to make the playset pop open, but that's it for features. At $30, I wish it had included a figure or at least more treasure. Still, it looks pretty darn nifty and I cant imagine having the figures without it.
Collectors also complain about the scale of the plane, the Sunchaser, and the Money Bin. Chill, dudes...its not like you've had to sacrifice scale for play factor and budget with vehicles and playsets before. (There's a little movie that's been around for a couple of years that has some toys based around it. Maybe you've heard of it...Star Wars?) Yes, the plane is a bit shrimpy, and wish it could seat at least two figures and had some sort of joystick or steering yoke. It has rolling wheels, spinning propellers, and includes a Launchpad figure (you can skip on the single-packed figure going this route)...which is fine for this size and price point. It's funny that the box advertises assembling the plane as an action/fun feature. It made me wish that, keeping in line with Launchpad's gimmick, it had some sort of spring-loaded, button feature to make it bust apart. (like the old-school TIE fighters)
The Money Bin is, of course, way under scaled. What? You expected something like a $500, crowdfunded Jabba's sail barge that doesn't even fit Max Rebo's keyboard? Chill dudes...it works fine for a display piece/backdrop and the pop-open interior is a key location with play value. I think it was made more to display the smaller PVC figures, but the 5-inchers do fit on the "shelves." It will look even better filled with all the spoils from Scrooge's adventures. I'm probably going to throw in a lot of Hasbro Indiana Jones artifacts to fill it out. It comes with a lucky dime replica, which fits on a pedestal in one of the rooms. There is a vault dial on the back that you turn to make the playset pop open, but that's it for features. At $30, I wish it had included a figure or at least more treasure. Still, it looks pretty darn nifty and I cant imagine having the figures without it.
In getting my crack at fresh cases, I have to note that there are some downsides when it comes to paint apps. There are some areas of bleeding and sloppiness, as well as scuffs and imperfections. Also, be careful with the joints on the smaller figures. I had to give the kids a hot water bath to loosen them up or they would be stuck in place or broken. Other than that? Quacktastic!
I couldn't be happier to have these. It's one of those lines (like an articulated Word of Nintendo/Mario line) that we could only dream about as kids. Now here they are in full force. If the line stopped here, I would cope, as PhatMojo has already delivered what others could not. (I'm looking at you, Funko.) I do have my fingers crossed for one more wave with Magica De Spell, Beagle Boys, Gyro Gearloose, Gizmoduck, Fenton Crackshell, Mrs. Beakley, Gladstone Gander, Goldie O'Gilt...so many Duckverse figures on the wish list!
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| "Oh, by the way, Launchpad...you're fired." |
Nice review! PhatMojo did an awesome job with these figures and i agree with ya that folks shouldn't complain about the articulation and Scrooge's spectacles because they look blocky, i personally like how they look, they give it a more cartoony feel to it.
ReplyDeletebtw, were did you get the hidden temple playset? It fits them so well that i might consider ordering one to put them with my figures. Oh, you can add some additional accessories if you have them like Funko Scrooge's money bag, you can have PhatMojo Scrooge hold it and if you have by any chance Bender from Futurama that comes with many accessories, there's one with dollar bills and coins that also fits with Scrooge.