Imaginext Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy action figures!

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy!

I have never been secretive in my dislike for Spongebob Squarepants. The cartoon is ok I suppose, and the character designs are cute. But THAT VOICE! Good lord it's so grating.

But one thing I have always loved about the show (or should I say two things) are Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Parodying not only the most obvious pair Aquaman and Aqualad, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are also homages to Batman and Robin (in the form of television's Adam West and Burt Ward) and maybe even The Skipper and Gilligan. With a tiny bit of 'Little Mermaid' thrown in.

Voiced in the show by the not-at-all-grating Ernest Borgnine (Rest in Peace) and Tim Conway, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are retired superheroes in the undersea world of Bikini Bottom.

The Imaginext Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy action figures are a Toys R Us exclusive, and have just recently started appearing on their shelves.

These guys are wonderfully designed, fitting right into the Imaginext aesthetic while representing their cartoon designs almost perfectly.

Mermaid Man has swivel jointed shoulders and his legs swing forward in unison. About as much articulation as you can expect from an old dude like him!

Barnacle Boy has the same articulation as Mermaid Man. His head might turn, but I'm not going to force it.

Mermaid Man comes with his Mermerang...

...and Barnacle Boy comes with his Water Ball.

I absolutely adore these two figures, as much for their association with Aquaman as with their association with Adam West and Burt Ward. They are conceptually wonderful and hilariously designed. Even if you aren't a fan of Spongebob, you owe it to yourself to track these guys down. 

'...part of your wooooorlllld!'

Upcoming Imaginext Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy!

Revealed at the 2014 Toy Fair is this wonderful pair from the Sponge Bob Square Pants cartoon: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy Imaginext figures!

Now it is well known that I am no fan of Sponge Bob (or is it Spongebob?) But Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are parodies of not only the obvious Aquaman and Aqualad, but also of Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. Which makes them pretty awesome in their own right, without even mentioning that they are voiced on the cartoon by the late Ernest Borgnine (Mermaid Man) and Tim Conway (Barnacle Boy).

These are a must have for me, and will be slid directly into my Imaginext Justice League roster when I find them.

Pic via ActionFigureInsider Forums