Seinfeld: Jerry's Apartment

 Seinfeld:  Jerry's Apartment

Funko Mini Moments

Funko has finally done it!  They made a product that doesn't disgust me in any way!  While it's not surprising that Funko would go after one of the greatest sitcoms of all time in their quest to engulf and market every facet of pop culture with their soul-less, black eyed, vinyl POPS line, this entry is a total shocker.  And a most welcome one:  notable Seinfeld characters with a build-a-playset gimmick!  Giddyup!

Jerry's apartment comes in six pieces, each packaged with a minifigure.  Some sections are bigger than others, while the smaller pieces come with additional set dressing like the couch, table, chairs, coffee table.  The detail is great for as small as it is, and it should check most "must-have" boxes for die-hards:  little things like Jerry's cereal boxes, rarely-used computer station, fridge magnets...even Superman has some representation (just enough to skirt copyright laws).  They only took one liberty with the overall layout: access hallway to Jerry's bedroom is missing.  They went with a straight hall to the bathroom, but kept the bike hanging on the wall.  Oh well, Little Jerry here doesn't come with a girlfriend-of-the-week to necessitate total accuracy here. 

The figures, though simple and cartoony, capture the essence of the characters, and are way cuter that their larger POPs counterparts.  Mouths, Funko?  They work to save your plastic doppelgangers from Uncanny Valley territory.  They stand about 2-inches tall on average, Kramer getting a little more height with his hair, of course.  

Character selection works for the most part.  You get the big four plus Newman, who makes sense since he lives in the building and is commonly seen at Jerry's front door.  Uncle Leo is a bit of an oddity.  I know he must have been in Jerry's place a handful of times, but it's hard to recall.  I think of him more when it comes to stop-and-chats on the street or out and about, stopping to irk Jerry with some cousin Jeffrey news.  Though if not Uncle Leo, I'm not sure which other character would be better suited for this set...Frank Costanza (one of my favorites) or Mickey?  Both were Kramer business associates that dropped in from time to time.  Oh well, Uncle Leo is still great (if not difficult)!

"Hello, Newman..."

Funko usually tries to ruin completists' collections and fuel terrible aftermarket prices with chase variants...this line is no different.  At least they are just wardrobe variants for the main characters (surprised they didn't go super-cheap on an eyebrow-less Uncle Leo) that I can pass on without feeling my set is incomplete.  As iconic as the puffy shirt is, it's one episode.  Standard Jerry is all I need.  I did, however get lucky on the best of the bunch...Amazon delivered me the chase George, which features his red-orange style jacket (No, not the Gor-Tex one) that runs through a bulk of outdoor shots, pop-ins, and seasonal episodes.  

I would love to see this line expand to, say, Monk's Diner and have a reason to get more mini-staples of the show.  I'd even go for a Del Boca Vista wave, though I imagine this is a one-and-done.  Funko doesn't really have a great track record for seconds.  Either way, this is still one of, if not the best Funko outing ever.  Maybe there are some other classic series that deserve the full-set treatment in the works?  (*crosses fingers for "Cheers"*)

"Mary Hart's voice!  Don't you see?!"

Ron Swanson

Ron Swanson

Parks and Recreation - PhatMojo

Aside from Garfield, is there any better character to express your feelings toward Mondays?  How about work in general?  I like Parks and Rec, but I love Ron Swanson.  Knowing Greg Daniels’ work on King of the Hill, you can tell this character was cut from the same cloth.  Because of this, I felt he was more than worthy to join my plastic hall of fame.

I am glad to have stayed clear of the less-detailed Funko Pop version.  This mini figure hits all the right buttons:  a perfect carnival/fair artist caricature.  Funny how that seems to go with mini figures, Funko in general.  They always put more effort into the little guys.  PhatMojo, who made my excellent Ducktales figures, shows some great care for the properties they represent.

Sadly, PhatMojo couldn’t break away from the mystery box gimmick.  This lame marketing ploy is way past its expiration date.  In true Ron Swanson fashion, I stood defiantly in the entertainment section of Target, opening boxes and tearing open black baggies to be able to purchase the product I wanted:

So, if anyone wants a pile of Leslie Knopes, head to Target in Springfield, MO.  I’ve done all the work for you, but no thanks is required.  Bonus:  these checked out on clearance for $1.79!  Looking past the blind box chicanery, I would call that a steal of a deal.

Back to the Future Clock Tower and mini Time Machines

Back to the Future Clock Tower and Mini Time Machines

Funko Pops - Jada Toys

Here we go again...I bought into those nasty Funko Pops once more.  While it’s hard to pass on anything Doc Brown, he was not the aim for this special set.  He comes packed with the famous Hill Valley Courthouse Clock Tower!  

Save the clock tower!  Save the clock tower! - RIP, Elsa Raven.

It’s made of a soft, hollow plastic much like the Pops.  I have the Beetlejuice Dante’s Inferno Room from a few years back, and was afraid that this might be as fragile/brittle as that.  Luckily, even the weather vane and lightning bolt are made of a semi-flexible plastic.

While still on the small side, I got this primarily to stand in with Diamond Select’s huge BTTF minimates collection.  I think it looks pretty good!  

It scales even better with 1/64 die-cast cars.  I have many Time Machines in that scale, so it’s nice to have a backdrop for them as well.

Another BTTF collectible I picked up recently:  Jada mini die-cast Time Machines!  As if micro vehicles aren’t fun enough, I am eagerly awaiting NECA’s 1955 Doc Brown figure to recreate the scale-model demonstration.  

November 5, 1955...Happy 35th, Back to the Future!

Go back in time to look at my BTTF cars and Minimates collection:  88 miles per hour!!!

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.

The Rocketeer

The Rocketeer

Disney Classics

Diamond Select Toys

I love that someone at Diamond Select has a soft spot for cult, live-action Disney movies.  Tron, while delivering the goods with the core characters, stumbled with the last minute, cost saving measure of deleting the Recognizer ship pieces.  Luckily, the Rockteer is here with a $#%*-ton of accessories to save the day!

Since Funko produced a Rocketeer figure a handful of years back, I had to ask myself if I really needed this one.  Is it worth the upgrade?  Well, yes, and then some...especially if you start with Funko’s terrible quality control in using clear, brittle plastic to secure joints.  While their figure looked great, mine needed a Gorilla Glue leg to hip fusion shortly after being removed from the box.  Also, while it did come with an unmasked head, Diamond Select said “Hold my beer.”

With DST, you get the Billy Campbell head, bare hands, several sets of gloved hands (that you can actually see the pack triggering mechanisms better on), removable jet flames, a flying jet flame display base, card stock pack blueprints...and the pack is removable!  Yes, succeeding where they could not with their Ghostbusters figures, they made the pack removable with a porting uniform chest piece and pegs accessible on the rear left side of the figure.  

The new figure also looks great, and the articulation is comparable to the Funko release.  It beats the latter with double elbows, but sacrificed the double knees.  Not a big deal, as I figure bending his knees in unnatural poses would just lead to getting his calves melted off in the pack flames.  One bend and the ability to point his feet downward was all they needed to succeed.

Funko only wins in one area...and it’s a pretty big one to me.  NO GUN.  You get a gloved hand with a grip-and-trigger finger, but NO GUN.  Is it because Diamond is more of a family line?  Even if DSTs hands were tied on this, I’m glad someone felt my pain and slipped in that trigger finger.  So, thanks, broken Funko figure...yoink!  Thanks for the piece, idiot!

Apparently this figure is part of a line called Disney Classics, which sounds awesome, but is a bit of a head scratcher.  I mean, after Tron and Black Hole (coming up soon!), what else can we expect?  Does this extend to the Touchstone banner?  I would love to see a Dick Tracy line...or better yet, Roger Rabbit!  Keep em coming Diamond, puh puh puh puh please!

Go get 'em, kid!

More "Disney Classics" reviews:
Flynn - TRON
Kingdom Hearts TRON

DC Primal Age

DC Primal Age

Funko

Okay, I admit...at first, I hated this concept.  One, it's Funko, and two, who wants to go backwards in action figure engineering?  A retro toyline that is a mash-up of the Masters of the Universe and the DC universe?  Turns out, it can be a lot of fun.  

Collecting MOTU classics for decades now, it was nice to revisit simpler times.  These short, stocky musclemen don't need 40+ points of articulation...they're built for play.  Sturdy and colorful, they look great and won't break the bank at around $10 a figure.  Speaking of breaks, however....

"Outrageous!!!"

I had heard of many breakage issues with the early Amazon releases. I had to return Aquaman twice, as the legs snapped off at the ball joints with very little pressure. Gave the third one a hot water soak and some light working...no breaks, but the plastic is still showing signs of wear. I popped the legs off and reinforced the pegs around the ball joint with some small strips of duct tape.

The second-round releases from Target are pretty solid so far, as are series 2 that I got the other day from an online retailer. I think Funko fixed the QC problems, but beware of older stock still floating around out there.

The Batcave playset is pretty awesome. It has a throne, primative bat-computer, jail cell, extra weapons that clip to the walls, a training dummy, and a heavy plastic beast rib cage that acts as a ladder to the second floor. Probably not worth the $70 price point, but I got an Amazon Warehouse deal on a damaged box for $38. I originally bought it to go with the MOTU Classics figures, which it does suit, but it acted as a gateway drug to the rest of the line.

"This is the Batros Cave now, beeyotch!"

Soon after, I was buying the Target exclusive gray and black Batman and the first wave from Amazon at lower prices. Series two was even better than the first, bringing Superman, Flash, Black Manta, Lex Luthor, and Bizarro into the mix. Manta and Luthor sport some great detailing on their armor that put them on the top for best figures in the line.





















Adding to the fun are some battle beasts. They have no articulation, like the old days with Battle Cat and Panthor, but are fairly detailed and have some killer rider gear. The throne on the Joker Beast is solid plastic with some great faux wood detailing. Ace the Bat Hound has a removable mask and saddle for Batman. Krypto's cape looks great, but that's all you get for accessories and it barely constitutes a saddle. Oh well...when your owner can fly, what's the point?

I also picked up a retro metal lunchbox at Target for $3. Even without a thermos, I can't beat that price. It makes a good storage case if nothing else.

I do hope to see another wave of these, but considering the first wave hitting clearance early on and Funko's reputation for abandoning lines even after one offering, chances are slim. Knowing what to look for with the first batch problems, I would recommend these figures, especially if you are DC/MOTU fans that grew up with the original He-man concept.