I just can't get enough of Sonic the Hedgehog toys lately. Luckily for collectors, Jakks Pacific has a sub-line of Sega figures that occasionally feature an additional Sonic character in the lineup. The unfortunate thing is that these are historically Walmart-exclusive figures that are erratically stocked. Tangle is from Wave 3 and (to the best of my knowledge) has only shown up in Canadian Walmarts and T.J.Maxx stores in the US. IDW Comics began publishing Sonic the Hedgehog comics in 2018, and in a similar fashion to what they did for the Transformers franchise, they introduced a bunch of new female characters and finally started closing the gender gap a little. Arguably the most famous are Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf who even had their own team-up mini-series and starred in a ton of games (9 for Tangle and 7 for Whisper). Whisper even supposedly has a toy coming in Sega Series 4 (there have been painted prototypes on eBay), but fate of the Sega toyline is uncertain - details will be shared at SDCC.
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Simian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simian. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Sonic the Hedgehog - TANGLE THE LEMUR!
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Super Friends - JAYNA!
If there have to be unnecessary add-in characters for a cartoon franchise, I appreciate when they at least fit the aesthetic and make an interesting addition to the roster of established characters. Zan, Jayna, and Gleek first appeared in the 1977 animated The All-New Super Friends Hour, the successor to Super Friends (1973), where they were the replacements for the previous Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog characters (who I personally found pretty awkward alongside the other heroes). But Zan and Jayna has cool costumes, weird powers, and interesting origins. Considering these characters were presumably added for marketing and kid appeal, they surprisingly weren't actually merchandised (aside from an occasional coloring book or lunch box) for over 30 years. This newest figure from the McFarlane Retro line is my favorite yet (at least the Jayna is, Zan looks a little bloated). The "best" figure of her before this was a SDCC exclusive DCUC figure from 2009, but she truly looked frightening.
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
The Golden Compass - MRS. COULTER!
I remember when The Golden Compass film came out back in 2007, it was a very buzzworthy film. Between its intriguing trailers, strong cast (Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, among others), conservative group boycotts, and general appetite for YA fantasy at the time (Harry Potter and Narnia franchises were in full swing), this movie seemed like a slam dunk. But I remember watching it and being unimpressed. There were details I loved, like the cold arctic setting, the armored intelligent polar bears, and the characters' souls being represented by dæmons with the appearance of animals. But something about the movie just didn't capture the magic of the books (the His Dark Materials HBO series from 2019 did a better job). But still, I remember my 2007 anticipation well and when I stumbled across this Mrs. Coulter action figure in a collectible toy shop this Summer, I had to get her. This line is made by Cards, Inc (a subsidiary of Corgi - makers of car replicas and figurines), and distributed by PopCo
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Planet of the Apes - ARI!
I love the Planet of the Apes franchise. I love all five of the classic movies (yes, ALL of them). I love both the animated and live action television series. I love all the modern reinterpreted movies. The only thing I don't love is the 2001 Tim Burton remake. This is ironic because I was a huge fan of Burton and was obsessed with each of his movies up until this point. I expected a quirky imaginative experience with that unique Burton-esque atmosphere. Planet of the Apes and Tim Burton seemed like a match made in heaven. I can still remember the amazing movie I imagined. But the actual movie lacked all charm for me. Sure, some of the apes had much more personality, and the masks were improved. But the humans were distracting. They were awkwardly attractive... and they could speak. Language is such an important part of both the original and modern movies, but's not even mentioned here. Ari is an open-minded chimpanzee played by Helena Bonham Carter and to me is the highlight of the film.
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Captain Simian - SHAO-LIN!
In 1996 there was a short-lived 26-episode animated series called Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys. I think it has a cool premise. During the 1960's, an experimental space flight carrying a solo chimpanzee named Charlie goes off course and is intercepted by a highly advanced extraterrestrial race (that look like floating shadow amoebas). They altered Charlie's DNA and imbued him with enhanced intelligence and tech. They we so impressed that they sent him back to Earth to recruit others for the same treatment. The team stayed in space to battle the evil Nebula in his attempts to become a sentient black hole. Shoa-Lin is a Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey who had been worshipped as a Goddess at a temple on Earth. She retains some holier-than-though airs with the crew but eventually warms up and becomes first officer. She is known for her martial arts skills and Buddhist wisdom. Bluebird Toys produced two waves of action figures (with spotty distribution). Let's check out Shao-Lin below!
Monday, December 14, 2015
World of Nintendo - DIXIE KONG!
The Donkey Kong Country game series came out in 1994 and totally revitalized the Donkey Kong Franchise. The original Donkey Kong was meant to be the flagship Nintendo character, but was quickly overshadowed by his nemesis Jumpman (aka Mario). Donkey Kong was one of those weird games (like Zelda) where the titular character was a non-playable focal point of the game. The Donkey Kong Country series changed all that. Suddenly there were multiple ape and monkey characters to play. And finally they were protagonists (against crocodiles or the Tikis). Donkey Kong Country 2 introduced the first playable female character, Dixie Kong. Like most female characters in games and comics, her skills made her one of the best characters to play (she whipped her ponytail around like a helicopter to knock out enemies). Add her to the ranks of Princess Peach, Storm, Marge Simpson, Orchid, and Chun-Li as the most kickass characters to play in their respective games. Let's check out Dixie below!
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Planet of the Apes - ZIRA!
My obsession with NECA keeps growing and growing in recent years. Most of their current toy lines seem to be based around video games and adventure movies (which are way off my radar honestly). But at the same time they have a great aesthetic for nostalgic properties. The toy aisles are loaded with amazing figures of Rocky, Aliens, and Predator thanks to NECA. My personal current obsessions are their Gremlins and Planet of the Apes lines. It comes down to my love of puppeteering and fantasy. I buy them all, but unfortunately for this blog, there are very few females in these properties. The ones they do make, however, are undeniably amazing. Zira is the calm voice of reason in the Planet of the Apes series. She's a psychologist and veterinarian who specializes in the study of humans. When she realizes that astronaut George Taylor isn't a "native" human (mute, tribal hominids) and can actually write, she becomes his greatest ally. Let's check out the amazing Zira below!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The Girls of LEGO CHIMA!
Hello my name is Alex and I have a Lego problem. At first I would just pick up the occasional DC Lego: Catwoman, Harley, Ivy, etc. Maybe I would aim to get one or two figures from each minifigure wave. I was keeping it all in check. But then they introduced this amazing little theme called Legends of Chima. Damn them. Chima introduces a vast world of anthropomorphic characters. So far, there are about 18 different animal tribes. Some are good, some are bad, some are both. So far, the only females figures have been in the Eagle Tribe, Lion Tribe, Crocodile Tribe, Rhino Tribe, Gorilla Tribe, and the Spider Tribe. There are at least two more females due out later this summer from the Lion and Mammoth tribes. But there are undoubtedly more ladies coming in the future. I would love a female Bat, Vulture, Phoenix, and Fox. These figures all come in big expensive sets which are completely breaking my bank. Luckily they show up on eBay pretty regularly loose. Let's check out the first 6 ladies below!
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