What About Bob?

 What About Bob?

Funko Pops

Funko got me again, buying the same head sculpt three times over...because who else would get a “What About Bob?” toy license?  

These have just started hitting Walmart full force, in a weird, “all-Bill Murray” assortment featuring Stripes, Ghostbusters, and his zombie-self from Zombieland.  I had preordered these ages ago, but cancelled as soon as I saw the wall of lifeless doll eyes in my local store.  Walmart/Funko just couldn’t get it together enough to get these out before Labor Day.  Just like when my Michael Myers figure got here right in time for Valentine’s Day (bummer).

The head sculpts are all the same, but Funko really nailed Murray’s wild hair from that era.  The “Traveling”  Bob might feature the most detail.  Just look at that tiny “Gill” and copy of Dr. Leo Marvin’s “Baby Steps”!

“Local” Bob sports his tacky t-shirt, and a detail that one might overlook in watching the movie.  Bob wears the same pair of pants throughout, but turns them into cut-offs in vacation mode.  The sculpt really accentuates this.

“Sailing” Bob comes in full life jacket and makeshift safety harness.  This one is supposedly a Walmart exclusive, and sports the special sticker on the window box.

As usual, as much as I despise the concept and over saturation of Pops, I couldn’t pass on this movie property.  I think “What About Bob?” is a pretty darn good, dark comedy, worthy of immortalization in plastic.  I would love to see a Leo with puppet Leo, or a Leo and Bob “Death Therapy” two pack, complete with shotgun, chair, and explosives.  Until then, your Pop Bob will just have to annoy your Pop “Jaws” Hooper figure.

WWE Motherload!

 WWE Motherload!

Mattel

So the other day, I was at a local second-hand video game/movie/collectible store, and they just got in an assortment of used WWE figures.  I’m not sure how the employees are trained to price certain collectibles, but their system was...a bit off.  The nailed the rarity of a Flashback series 3 wave (that was exclusive to Walmart and eluded just about everybody), but missed a few other classics.  The man on the street recognizes Jake the Snake, but not, say, Bruno Sammartino or All-American Ron Simmons (WCW title run.)  I scooped up the latter two for $8 each, which I thought was a steal.  

 

After an evening of restless pondering, I went back to pick up the rare Jake the Snake (from the birth of Attitude/Austin 3:16) for $30.  But when I went to check out, I see hundreds more WWE figures on the counter being sorted for sale.  I see some oldies that are now pretty rare/pricey...Rick “The Model” Martel, Akeem the African Dream, Hillbilly Jim, etc.  I ask for prices, prepared to blow it off.  “That pile?  $8.”

 

EIGHT DOLLARS?!  WOO-HOO!  I dove in like Uncle Scrooge in the money bin to find more treasure.  All three members of Demolition!  The Bushwackers!  Vader!  The Rockers!  Some of these guys will never be made again for various reasons:  went to a rival company, concussion lawsuits, death/likeness rights, etc.  I’ve filled quite a few gaps in my collection with this stop!

 

Again, the Man on the Street shrugs, slaps the $8 tag on them...then goes to a box of separated out Rocks, Austins, Hogans, and Macho Men to pice out higher at $10.  It’s a bit baffling in the age of EBay and cellphones that you can still score some deals chalked up to just plain ignorance.  Oh well, one man’s trash is second-hand store’s treasure...or trash or whatever...their loss is my gain?  Ooooooh yeah!

 

Hit-Monkey and Peely

Hit-Monkey and Peely

Marvel Legends - Hasbro

Fortnite - Jazwares

More Deadpool?  Yeesh!  But this one has a new, white suit! And a tiny, old Build-a-Figure repacked from the dark days of Hasbro’s Marvel Legends!  One full-sized figure, reused sculpts and accessories...and still priced at $40?!  Milk Cowpool for all he’s worth, whydoncha!  Luckily, people wised up, and I was able to grab this set at GameStop on discount for $18...now that’s more like it!

I missed out on the bizarre Hit-Monkey way back when he was a poor excuse for a BAF.  He has a fair amount of articulation in his arms and legs for such a small figure, but he should always have been an accessory pack in.  The original release had a black suit...that is all that has changed here.

Deadpool has a repainted suit body.  The head might be a new expression?  I can’t remember..there have been so many of him lately.  Anyway, I dig the white suits and the Miami Vice themed packaging.

The accessories are repaints from other ML figures.  The guitar from Punk Spider-Man, headphones from Star Lord, etc.  Headpool returns on a repainted, Silvermane RC car.

Around the same time I got this, I also picked up a Fortnite Legendary Peely figure.  Again, I have never played this game, but I love the bonkers character designs, and Jazwares is killing it with these highly articulated, full accessoried army builders.  A giant banana could always be a Joker goon, disguised bank robber, or a hero in some superhero parody like the Tick.

The Deadpool stuff is wearing super thin, especially with no new movie on the horizon any time soon.  Marvel doesn’t want him to cool, but Disney it still dragging ass.  Expect to choke on further figure variants, like blue DP, Pirate DP, and movie DP, before the year is up.

The Mandalorian

 The Mandalorian

Cara Dune, Remnant Stormtroopers, Imperial Combat Assault Tank

Hasbro

I’ve had these a while, but just now Getting around to having a closer look.  As I mentioned back in my custom Baby Yoda review, Disney/Hasbro underestimated the success of the show, and was way late getting any merch to the fans.  Still, how they got to a Raider goon and redecorated AT-ST before the titular character is a bit baffling.

Anyway, he’s here now, along with the badass, Cara Dune.  Not much to say about them...they are both well executed figures in the classic 3.75 inch scale.  This is Mando from the very beginning of the season, so no jet pack or upgraded armor.  Judging by how long they let fans of this scale wait, we’ll get some Beskar armored Mando from the end of season one right around the time season three ends.

No jet pack, but at least he comes with my favorite nod to the Star Wars Holiday Special:  the tuning-fork, disintegrator rifle.  If they’re going to integrate garbage from Clone Wars and Rebels into the show, why not explain this one in future seasons.  Boba Fett popping up again is inevitable.  I can live with it...if they can push the Holiday Special further into canon (Life Day exists!  Thanks, Jon Favreau!), I’m game.

Hasbro has also delivered some dirty-decoed, Remnant Stormtroopers in this scale.  Of course, I needed at least six to fill the slots on the now-canon Imperial Troop Transport.  This is the cheap-o Rebels model...I wasn’t paying $80 on the revamp.  Though I do notice its down close to $50 on clearance.  If it gets to $40, maybe...

 

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Like the tank here...I think it was $70 out of the gate.  I got it for $28 on clearance.  It’s a nice looking vehicle, but definitely not worth full price.  As much as I despise Rogue One, I do like the removable containers that house Kyber crystals.

 

Wrapping up, three new figures in classic scale from the Mandalorian is a step in the right direction.  However, I will not be satisfied until I have tiny versions of Werner Herzog, Giancarlo Esposito, and Carl Weathers in my Star Wars collection.

 

More Mando goodness:

The Child custom figure

AT-ST Raider

X-Men 20th Anniversary

 X-Men 20th Anniversary 

Wolverine, Cable, and Domino

Hasbro - Marvel Legends

What better way to celebrate the death of the Fox X-Men franchise (The New Mutants was good enough, and not deserving of all the hate), than with all-new action figures from it’s 20 year history.  What?!  What kind of sense does that make?!  Well, I for one am glad there are some fans of these movies working on Marvel Legends right now.  I’m always gonna love these films, the good and the bad.  Especially when it comes to the main man, Wolverine.

Wolverine made Hugh Jackman a star, and Hugh Jackman made Wolverine a name in my household.  I never cared much for the character until that first X-Men movie (and the Origin comic the following year) gave him some humanity and depth.  This action figure is as deserving of a spot on the shelf as Chris Reeve’s Superman and Michael Keaton’s Batman.  Not just for the legacy it represents, but it’s been done so, so right.

The head scan is perfection.  The nose, the eyes, the hair...even the whisker detail...it’s all perfect.  Every angle you turn it is undeniably Hugh/Logan.  Plus, you get two portraits:  one neutral, and one rage mode. 

The body sculpt, I believe, is all new...no shared parts for Marvel Legends is pretty rare.  The arms have the appropriate amount of veins for dicing and slicing baddies...the butterfly shoulder joints help, too!  This is the first figure to sport Hasbro’s new pin-less arms.  Neat, I guess, to make it even more lifelike...but why didn’t they do the same for the legs? 

For a plain jeans and beater look, there are lots of detail in the body sculpt:  texturing in the ribbing of the shirt, and the pants have some rough stippling to convey the look of denim.  The jean textures really help the paint do its work, too.  They’ve done some great fading on the upper legs, as a worn pair would have.

The dog tags are detailed enough for such a small accessory.  Not that your can read them, but you get it.  He has the big, Indian belt buckle that makes this figure a dead ringer for Logan’s look from the Mansion attack in X2.  There’s only one small detail Hasbro missed...no wrist watch.  Oh, well, they did throw in a pair of bone claw hands, even if those aren’t scene or outfit accurate.  My only real gripe is the lack of standard, no-claw, hands..but I’m sure I’ve got some spares laying around, or that will be remedied with the inevitable, next Wolverine figure release.

This figure is an Amazon exclusive, available now.  It is priced a little higher ($25) than your standard Legends, but you are getting a unique sculpt with some new tooling and an alternate head.  Again, the head sculpt is amazing...probably the best of the real scans so far.  Though the scans on Cable and Domino are superb as well!  

Cable is a Walmart exclusive, hitting now.  Like the character, the figure is equally as busy looking in design.  Metal detailing? Check.  Lots of gear and pockets.  Check.  

My favorite detail is the teddy bear on his belt.

He has a small firearm that is actually removable from it’s holster.  Shocking, as Marvel Legends are 50/50 for guns sculpted into holsters vs removable.  

His big gun has two swapable attachments.  Not sure what they do...maybe a grenade launcher for the one?  Shotgun? Anyway, while one is ported onto the bottom of the gun, the other fits into another holster slot on his belt.  Wow!  Two holsters with removable weapons on one figure!  Hasbro, we’re going to start expecting this from now on.

Domino also gets a gun that can be removed from a holster!  And two uzis...with tiny bayonets?  I’ll have to watch Deadpool 2 again to see how they make use of those....but looks cool, nonetheless.

Another great likeness here, and the costume appears to be screen accurate. 

She has an alternate head with goggles resting on her brow and a slightly different expression.  I love her hair...it’s made of an almost translucent, gummy plastic that has a unique and potent plastic smell.  Squishy and scented?  Not on the box, but bonus!

So we got a figure from the beginning of the X-Men motion picture saga and two from the end.  There are more coming here and there, but it will be interesting to see which movies and characters Hasbro cherry-picks from.  I could go for just about anyone...except for Fakepool in Wolverine Origins.  If they wanna joke that one out like Jar Jar in Carbonite for a San Diego exclusive, be my guest.