Arthur Adams Busts - RED SONJA!

Women of Dynamite - Red Sonja Resin Bust - Dynamite/Brewing Factory 2017

Red Sonja is an iconic character created in the late 70s in a burst of new Marvel solo titles helmed by female characters. Her first issue was actually dated the same month as Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977) and followed shortly after by Spider-Woman #1. She was unique for being a lone female voice in the barbarian genre. She had a similar vibe to the various "jungle girl" characters which had been a comic staple for decades, but the swords and armor was a powerful distinction. She was based on the character Red Sonya from the 1934 story The Shadow of the Vulture, but took on a life of her own and exploded in popularity. She has had a consistent role in comics ever since her Marvel debut and even made TV, Film, and game appearances. Unfortunately she's been very sparsely merchandised. This bust based on the drawings of Arthur Adams is one of the first pieces produced. But it's a beauty. It took me forever to track her down at a decent price. Let's check out Red Sonja below!

Arthur Adams Busts - VAMPIRELLA!

Women of Dynamite - Vampirella Resin Bust - Dynamite/Brewing Factory 2017

Vampirella is truly an iconic character.  Her design is simple, yet unique (and overwhelmingly provocative). As a child I always felt I shouldn't be looking at her, or at least that I must hide her image from my parents. But as an adult, I find comfort that her costume was designed by comic artist Trina Robbins, who among other accolades was the first female artist to illustrate Wonder Woman comics. Knowing that her barely-there costume was designed by a woman somehow allows me to more easily admit that I really like it. My first in-depth exposure to the character was through my obsession with the art of Arthur Adams. I picked up his Creepy Fearbook #1 and Vampirella Summer Nights and I was mesmerized. I was over the moon when Dynamite Comics announced their series of Arthur Adams'-designed busts (featuring Vampirella and Red Sonja). But that kicked off years of frustration with sold out products, variants being more prevalent than standard versions, and secondary market inflation. 

Marvel Legends - SPIRAL!

Marvel Legends - Red Hulk Series (Target Exclusive)  - Spiral - Hasbro 2008

One of my first exposures to X-Men/mutant comics was reading my older brother's copy of Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem in the late 80s. I had been obsessed with Arthur Adams' comic art from the covers of Classic X-Men (again, belonging to my brother). So when I got my hands on my first full-length example of his interior art, I was fixated on every single panel. I distinctly remember being very intrigued by the character of Rita/Spiral. In fact, she inspired me to hunt down the backissues of the 1985 Longshot miniseries. But honestly that story confused the hell out of me because the dual nature of the two characters (Spiral and Ricochet Rita) wasn't fully fleshed out yet. For the unaware, Ricochet Rita was scorned by Longshot in the future and her hatred for him caused her to align with Mojo, who in turn altered her into the multi-armed teleporter Spiral. She traveled back in time to join the current stories. This Marvel Legends figure is twelve years old but really stands the test of time. Let's check her out below!

Legendary Comic Book Heroes - ANN O'BRIEN!

LCBH - Series 02 (Monkeyman Build-a-Figure) - Ann O'Brien - Marvel Toys 2007

There's a lot of 90's nostalgia happening right now in the toy world. Every time I tune in to Marvel Legends news there is some excited announcement about some 90s-specific costume making everyone giddy. But the funny thing is that this was the era when my escalating distaste for Marvel and DC comics was reaching its peak. For most of the 90s I was obsessed with Manga and Indy comics. And my absolute favorite thing coming from the US market was the Legend imprint from Dark Horse Comics. This imprint was following the footsteps of Image Comics with creator-owned properties, but the difference is that the caliber of creators. John Byrne, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Paul Chadwick, Mike Allred, Walt Simonson, and Arthur Adams all had seriously established reputations and all launched projects under the aptly named Legend banner. Where Image was all flash and entertainment, Legend was classic and artistic (and a breath of fresh air amidst the "extreme" style ruining mainstream American comics).

SDCC Exclusive Asgard STORM Mini-Bust!

Diamond Select 2007 San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive

I was hard-pressed to select a single piece of Storm merchandise to review this month.  There was no way she could be excluded from my series of Black History Month reviews, but she's had so many action figures and statues that it was hard to choose.  If I had more, I would have featured her in a Character Spotlight, but unfortunately my personal collection is a bit lacking in the Ororo department.  I chose this bust because it has a very nostalgic connection for me.  I am and always have been a huge fan of Arthur Adams' art.  My first exposure to him was in the epic Asgardian Wars storyline of 1985.  I would carry around New Mutants Special #1 and X-Men Annual #9 with me whereever I would go (just in case I required an emergency dose of mutant fantasy).  In the storyline, Storm temporarily takes over the role of Thor and becomes the Goddess of Thunder which is the inspiration for this bust.  I only discovered the existence of this bust last year, somehow it slipped completely beneath my radar.