This time last year I posted the first review from my Altaya figurine collection. That was Dree-Elle, which I was excited to open because I had just gotten my Mondo Dree-Elle in the mail. That fateful day opened the floodgates and I knew I would have to finally open and photograph all 20 of the MOTU figurines I had purchased (of 77 total). The lone straggler of all those post was Kittrina, the fan-favorite single-episode character from The Cat and The Spider (1984) where she grappled with Teela and flirted with Battle Cat - all while sharing screentime with Webstor, who was introduced in the same episode. Despite her C-list status and minimal screentime, she is very much a fan-requested character. The funny thing is that both figures of her so far (the 2020 Super7 figure and this 2024 Altaya figurine) are pretty odd and lackluster. The main reason I delayed this post is because she is my least favorite of all my Altaya purchases. I'm probably too critical though. Let's check out the long overdue Kittrina post below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Felinoid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Felinoid. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2026
Masters of the Universe - KITTRINA!
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
DC x Sonic - BLAZE as STARFIRE!
I am having a great sense of vindication about owning these figures. Back in November, I posted an image on social media featuring the lineups of the next few waves of DC x Sonic figures. The post was several blurry graphs of character renderings, but no actual figures. I knew this leak was authentic (and it was proven to me when I was officially asked to remove it). But the collector community (outside of my amazing network) jumped all over me in the few short hours the post was up. The majority consensus was that it was fake and I was lying. Comments like "Blaze and Starfire don't even make sense. And it's blurry. Fake" flooded my feed. I made sure to screenshot them for posterity (read:grudge holding) before removing the post. About five weeks after the post, the next series of DC x Sonic comics was announced with promo images of the exact characters I leaked. Flash forward six months and I have the first few figures in hand. It's a smug sense of satisfaction that I'm loving. Let's check out Blaze below!
Sunday, December 7, 2025
DC Comics - THE CHEETAH!
This figure was a surprise to me on several levels. Firstly, I never expected a classic Priscilla Rich version of Cheetah to be made in the DC Mulitverse line. A more modern Barbara Minerva version with her savage feral appearance seems much more like the McFarlane aesthetic. Secondly, I fully expected to hate this figure based on the leaked photos. Even after finding her at GameStop and seeing her first hand, my hopes were dismally low. Her awkward in-package pose makes her head look tiny and her feet look huge. But when I got her in my photo tent, my judgement waned and I kind of fell in love. Sure, I only like her unexpressive face, and her re-used upper thighs (with an obvious Catwoman boot-line) is annoying, but overall I still think she's great. With McFarlane winding down the DC lines, it's surprising to get characters like Cheetah and Jayna (and the upcoming Zatanna, Black Canary, Jessica Cruz, and Ice). It's a pretty impressive roster, and I'm excited for it. Let's check out Cheetah below!
Friday, November 14, 2025
Super Friends - THE CHEETAH!
I think Cheetah is one of the coolest comic villains out there. Granted, I'm obsessed with cat-themed characters and retro vibes, so she has a major unfair advantage in my ranking. Her bright yellow cat suit is both ridiculous and awesome. As later incarnations of the character became more and more feline (fur, fangs, claws, etc), I found her less interesting and always returned my adoration to the original Priscilla Rich design. I thank the Super Powers animation of the late 70s and early 80s for cementing her in the public consciousness. Despite being a regular fixture in comics, it often takes some other significant entertainment media to break a character out of comic book obscurity. That said, she wasn't a major character in the show, but I still think this role is the reason why the retro Priscilla catsuit hasn't been completely overshadowed by the modern werecat versions. Plus the occasional piece of merchandise celebrating her from in the Super Friends cartoon is always a treat. Let's check out Cheetah below!
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
DC Universe Classics - CHEETAH (PRISCILLA)!
I will always have a powerful nostalgic draw to the original Priscilla Rich incarnation of Cheetah. She first appeared in the 6th issue of Wonder Woman way back in 1943 and became Diana's fist costumed adversary until her eventual death in the 1980s (twice). I can't quite remember when I first discovered her, but I know it was in backissue bins and reprints in the 1980s. Of course I know some of my memories are conflated with the Paula Brooks version of The Huntress who I also developed an early obsession with, but Cheetah was clearly the more prominent cat-villain. Her spotted bodysuit with cat ears and tail always makes me very happy. It's cheesy, but oddly relatable. As an animal-obsessed kid this costume is the exact sort of thing I would have come up with for myself. This figure was a 50/50 variant with a Barbera version in the 13th Wave of the groundbreaking DCUC line. The figures definitely had issues, but the character selection was mindblowing. Let's check out Priscilla below!
Monday, November 10, 2025
DC Universe Classics - CHEETAH (BARBARA)!
DC Universe Classic was a very interesting toyline. It was the first modern DC action figure line in mainline retail stores, it was reasonably priced, and it hit some very obscure characters over its four-year run. I was on-board from the start, but I was also highly critical of this line. As a collector who focuses on the female characters, the production quality was left wanting. This is especially a shame because the 2-Up sculpts and paint masters by the Four Horsemen were always beautiful. But the figures we saw in stores had squished faces, scrawny short arms, and most egregiously, a neck peg that often entered the skull in a too-far-forward position giving the character no neck undercut. These problems seemed isolated to the female figures and were a constant source of disappointment for me. But the interesting character selection kept me hooked. The fact that we got two versions of Cheetah (modern and retro) in the same figure slot is a testament to the fan service Mattel was providing.
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Toy Biz - FERAL!
There's an interesting trope when it comes to superhero team building in bronze and modern age comics. You typically see a big looming muscle guy in the background, a token female, some sort of "alpha male" leader, and there is almost always an animalistic growling character squatting on the side. I loved the rare occasions when the wild character was female. To me, the most famous example of this is Feral, the runaway Morlock who joined up with Cable and the remains of the New Mutants just as X-Force was forming. I always found her very appealing, even if she could be chalked up to a simple Wolfsbane stand-in. Her backstory is very gritty in a typical 90's style with abuse, death, and drug addiction taking center stage. But I mostly found her design and aggression fascinating. Also, her antagonistic-but-protective relationship with her visually-similar mutant sister, Thornn, was amazing. This Toybiz exclusive figure is an awkward mash-up of the Deathbird head paired with the Tigra body.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
She-Ra the Princess of Power - CATRA!
As much as I've been loving these Masters of the Universe and Princess of Power import figurines from Altaya, there always has to be a least favorite in the bunch. The prize-holder of of that esteemed position is Catra. I love this character. I love her design, I love her power, and I'm even quite fond of her incessant purring. This figurine, however, has a really odd pose. I feel like it's intended to look strong and impactful, but the position of her hands and her slightly stooped-forward position looks awkward. Also her face doesn't quite look right (it's definitely good, but all the other figures have been near perfection). And finally her angled placement on her stand is just odd and makes her stand out from the other figures in the series in a bad way. All the others are facing forward, but her staring off to the left screws up my display. It's such a first-world series of complaints I know, but I'm still happy to add another Filmation Catra to my collection, even with all her quirks. Let's check her out below!
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Amazing Heroes Retroverse - BLACK CAT!
Black Cat first appeared in the August 1941 issue of Pocket Comics #1, published by Harvey Comics and created by Al Gabriele. Black Cat was a stunt woman and actress who used her skills to become a costumed heroine and thwart Nazi spies in Hollywood. She proved very popular and got her own title by 1946. I personally have always loved this character because it is one of the earliest examples of the style of pointed domino mask later worn by so many of my favorite comic characters. Of all the nearly-forgotten Golden Age heroines who have entered the public domain in recent years, I think Black Cat has had the most interesting second life. I don't know if this is just my experience, but when I go to conventions and art shows, I see her image everywhere. Painted on clocks, glued onto magnets, dipped in epoxy. There must be something about her simple stylish costume and penchant for acrobatics and motorcycles that appeals to these artists. Either way, I approve. Let's check her out below!
Friday, August 15, 2025
Amazing Heroes Retroverse - MISS FURY!
Miss Fury first appeared (as Black Fury) in the April 1941 in a Bell Syndicate Sunday newspaper comic strip created by Tarpe Mills. She got her own comic title in Winter 1942 (which initially consisted of reformatted black & white newspaper strips, but was eventually full color new material). Miss Fury is a wealthy socialite who is bequeathed a special panther suit from a mysterious uncle that gives her enhanced speed and strength. Although she has several recurring enemies, what I always found more evident was her recurring mission to avenge abused women. There is a lot of domestic slapping and women with black eyes even in the earliest newspaper strips. Her motivations still hold weight today, which is more than you can say for a lot of Golden Age comics. Plus, I'm a sucker for feline-themed vigilantes. Let's not forget that Catwoman didn't put on a cowl until 1946, and even Kitten didn't appear until December of 1941 - Making Miss Fury quite possibly the first feline femme fatale. Let's check her out below!
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Fastest Feline in the Universe - CHEETARA!
The MOTU mashup toylines continue to impress me. There is seemingly endless potential for crossover properties based on this classic MOTU aesthetic. Some notable mashup projects have included WWE, Stranger Things, and Transformers. But I personally feel the most exciting toys have come when two similar-but-distinctly-different licenses get to play off each other. We saw this with the Turtles of Grayskull line (April and Teela), and now with MOTU x ThunderCats. As a child of the 80s, I always wanted this crossover. They were both iconic fantasy cartoons that could potentially blend together nicely. But the action figures were just too different, both in scale and construction. Beyond being just a creative mashup of the two properties, this new line seems like a long overdue wish fulfillment to have these two genres occupy the same play space. And the fact that they come with the pieces to create the classic looks solidifies that theory. They're fantastic. Let's check out Cheetara below!
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Masters of the Universe - CATRA!
She-Ra's 40th Anniversary year is off to an impressive start with the Masters of the Universe Origins Cartoon Collection. In late 2024 we got She-Ra, Mantenna, and Hordak. And now in 2025 we have Leech, Vultak, Grizzlor, Frosta, Catra, and upcoming Despara and Shadow Weaver. Of course I'm greedy and I want so many more characters (Scorpia, Octavia, and Glimmer please!) This Catra figure is long overdue. Her vintage action dolls were a pretty strange interpretation of her design. A pink catsuit, a black fur skirt, and a realistic silver cat mask were a far cry from the Filmation style I preferred. Catra combines two of my favorite character traits in cartoons: cat-themes and wicked villainesses. So she was a natural obsession for me. The only downside was her voice. So many of the POP characters had irritating voices. But forty years later and I still catch myself doing random impressions of Mantenna, Scorpia, or Catra to my confused peers. At least I amuse myself. Let's check out Catra below!
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Petronix Defenders - EMMA & KITT-10!
Petronix Defenders is a French animated series from 2022 featuring four friends with technologically advanced backpacks that can transform into robotic pets. They go on adventures helping various animals with heavy-handed educational lessons throughout. The token female of the group is Emma (sometimes known as Bridgette, depending on your location). I had noticed this toy for several years on European toysites, but just picked her up while travelling abroad this past Summer. I love cat-themed characters and I'm always fascinated by the token female heroes in preschool properties, but buying this figure was a no-brainer. Luckily, she is significantly more interesting in person than in her solicit photos. Most of the images I was seeing online didn't ever have her pigtails showing (as seen on the cardback). She has a simple design with a minimal color palette, so little details like that make a huge difference. She makes a fun new addition to my preschool shelf. Let's check out Emma below!
Friday, August 16, 2024
Nintendo - CAT PEACH!
When I first saw Cat Peach, I honestly wasn't a fan. This was back when the 4" figure was released in 2021.. and I thought she looked goofy. But I hesitantly bought her, not knowing why. My initial reaction held up for a while, I still think that that first figure was bulky and imposing and reminded me more of an ill-fitting mascot costume than a cute Mario Bros power-up. But, of course, in the years since, she has grown on me. This smaller 2.5" version is much more appealing to me and I'm a genuine fan of this Peach design now. I first saw a glimpse of this figure in a blurry pic from an SDCC slideshow last month. But then I walked into Target and saw the set newly stocked on the shelf. I love (nearly) instant gratification like that. With the limited number of female characters in the Mario Universe, I know I'm destined to be hunting down the same releases in different scales for the foreseeable future, but I'm here for it. Can't wait to see who surprises me next. Let's check out the 2.5" Cat Peach below!
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Legends of Dragonore - NIGHT HUNTER PANTERA!
Legends of Dragonore is a retro-MOTU-styled line of sword and sorcery action figures from Formo Toys. The first wave was released last year with two great female characters in the lineup: Pantera and Yondara. And there is a second wave in production, with pre-orders still active on Formo Toys and BBTS, incuding another two female characters; Horri-Dame and Venatica (and an awesome Greenman homage, Arboryous). I can't wait to get them. But to tide us over before Wave Two is released, we got a surprise Wave 1.5 of repaints. Considering the swappable-parts construction of this line, this adds a ton of great fodder for kitbashing. But I personally like the redecos on their own merit. This Night Hunter Pantera figure swaps the pink armor and blue fur for black fur and metallic bronze armor. I think she looks stunning and I'm excited for a potential Wave 2.5 with redecos of all the new figures. There is a lot of fun potential in this line. Let's check out Night Hunter Pantera below!
Sunday, May 26, 2024
Marvel Legends - WOLFSBANE!
For at least four years now, this X-Factor Wolfsbane has been a recurring figure on my annual pre-convention wishlist. Not so much because I love this version of the character or costume, but rather because I'm a sucker for team completion. (For the record, my other wishes are for an X-Factor Marvel Girl, Rachel Summers Phoenix, Marrina, and Feral - all are needed as the final members to complete their respective core teams). In 1991, the X-Factor roster was revamped for the first time in issue no. 71, ditching the original premise and lineup (which I had loved). Polaris and Wolfsbane are two of my favorite mutants so I was initially excited, but I can admit I didn't love the eventual re-characterization of these characters or the matching costumes. But there is still something very nostalgic and appealing about this era of Marvel Comics immediately preceding the Image exodus. Since 2020, Wolfsbane was the single glaring omission from this team in Marvel Legends. Let's check her out below!
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Gods of Ancient Egypt - BASTET!
I have been wishing for a good line of action figures featuring Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses since I was a young child. I was obsessed with Egyptian culture, religion, and treasures since I got my first library card at the age of seven. Even at a young age, I could see the toyetic potential in the pantheon of animal-headed gods adorned in colorful beads and gold. ThunderCats touched on it, and a few episodes of G.I.Joe teased me, but I went largely unsatisfied. In the late 90s, I was in college and missed an Egyptian Renaissance in pop culture. Mummies Alive! from Hasbro and Ramses the Golden Pharaoh from Giochi Preziosi were both too scarce and expensive to collect by the time I discovered them. But this new theme, Gods of Ancient Egypt, in the Four Horsemen's exclusive Figura Obscura line is the perfection I've always wanted. I couldn't be more happy. Bastet is easily my most wanted, but my mind is reeling with future potential: Hathor, Isis, Selkhet, Ma'at, etc. I can't wait to see who is next.
Friday, March 22, 2024
A.T.O.M. Alpha Teens On Machines - FIREKAT!
When season two of Action Man: A.T.O.M. (Alpha Teens On Machines) began in 2006, the villains got really interesting. It turns out that the villainous scientist, Janus Lee, Had been working on a secret plot to obtain DNA samples of each of the Alpha Teens in order to clone them into the genetically-altered Mu-Team. Each member of the Mu-Team has the hero's DNA spliced with specific animals. In the case of Firekat, she has Lioness' DNA merged with cheetah, lion, cougar, and tiger. She can run at super-high speeds and has razorsharp claws that can slice through metal. I'm a sucker for felinoid characters so this toy is what first attracted me to this cartoon and toyline. As far as I can tell, these toys were only released in Europe (but my only proof is that I have zero memory of them in stores and current eBay listings are rarely in the US). This Firekat toy is pretty rare these days, but still easier to find than Lioness. I'm glad I finally got her though, because she's awesome. Let's check out Firekat below!
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Animorphs - RACHEL/LION!
I think the biggest trend of the late 90s that I couldn't get behind was Animorphs. In five short years there were 54 books plus an assortment of ten companion books. They featured kids caught up in an alien invasion of body-snatching parasites (animal bodies to be specific) who are granted the power to take the form and abilities of any animal they touch for two hours. I won't lie, I would have been all over this concept as a kid. But alas, I was in my college years and way too cool for toys and YA adventures (that wouldn't happen until after graduation). A television series was made and ran for two seasons from 1998-1999 on Nickelodeon. The associated Hasbro toyline shared a lot of aesthetics and engineering with the Beast Wars lines on the shelves at the time, so a decision was made to have the Animorphs line under the Transformers banner, despite having no continuity overlap. The toys are.. interesting. They are clunky and a bit awkward, but definitely have a quirky late-90s feel. Let's check out Rachel!
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
ThunderCats Ultimates - CHEETARA!
I have a feeling that 2024 will be an exciting year for ThunderCats fans. In February, there will be a new comic from Dynamite released (it has been six years since these characters have been in print). And if Dynamite gives this license the same treatment as they gave Gargoyles in 2023, we are in for a treat. But I also have a completely unsubstantiated hunch that we will hear more ThunderCats news. Like a new show or movie. Again, just a premonition. But in the meantime I am pleasantly surprised by this Super7 Ultimates Super Speed Glow Cheetara (a Super7 store exclusive). When she was first shown back in May, I was intrigued, but not obsessed. I generally love GITD toys, but a multi-hued yellow redeco of Cheetara got a lukewarm initial reaction from me. But all the other ThunderCats always seem to get cool variants, so it's nice to see her getting her turn. In-hand I think she's really fun. The copper-colored details and cheetah spots look especially great. Let's check out Cheetara below!
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