When I first started collecting action figures seriously (about 25 years ago), I was obsessed with finding female characters from all the iconic properties of my youth. I was especially intent on finding a female Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. This is when I discovered Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa. But I also learned about this infamous 1994 issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Special #11 wherein April O'Neil became the Fifth Turtle for a single 26-page story. April had infiltrated a lab to get some Anti-mutagen for Splinter's birthday (she wrongly assumed he wanted to return to his human form). But she was captured and turned into a turtle by the aliens secretly running the lab. In the end, there was only enough Anti-mutagen to return her to human form (and defeat the mutated alien enemy). It was a simple one-off story, but it notably had the first female turtle (three years before Venus). The comic issue is notoriously hard to come by, regularly fetching hundreds on eBay in good condition.
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Skin-Green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skin-Green. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
April O'Neil as THE FIFTH TURTLE!
Monday, January 12, 2026
Titan Vinyls - LADIES OF STAR TREK!
It's been a while since I've purchased or reviewed any Star Trek merchandise. But the upcoming waves of figures from Nacelle Toys have me excited and looking back to what I already own. I realized that I never posted these fun super-deformed vinyls from Titan. I've have them for nearly 9 years and I love how odd they are. I also love that they included so many of the women from Star Trek: The Original Series. I will always loved the TOS episodes most and the trifecta of Uhura, Rand, and Chapel bring me a lot of joy. Nacelle's announcement of all three ladies in Wave 3 of their new Star Trek is a gift. I'm still feeling loss over the cancelled Diamond Select/Art Asylum figures of Rand and Chapel... 17 years ago (I can hold a grudge). I kind of miss these Titan Vinyls. Somewhere I have Ghostbusters and Edwards Scissorhands ones too. They remind me a lot of the KidRobot Vinyls (of which I have many). Let's check out the ladies of Star Trek: The Original Series below!
Thursday, October 30, 2025
NECA GITD Retro - BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!
The 70s and early 80s were a dark time for female action figures. Despite some iconic ladies in pop culture like Wonder Woman and Princess Leia, they had almost no merchandise. You could fit all the female action figures in existence into a shoebox (I'm excluding soft Mego figures). With Universal Monsters, it seems there was always toys around (notably from AHI and Remco), but the Bride was always excluded. In fact, I believe (with the exception of an old Aurora model kit) she was never represented in plastic until 1998 when both Hasbro and Sideshow released figures. The TMNT April O'Neil as the Bride (1994) has such notoriety, because it was the first time her image (even in homage) was in action figure form. Since 2023, NECA has been gifting us with Remco-styled redeco's of the Ultimates figures on vintage cards. I had assumed this line would be limited to the original 6 Remco characters. But then we were surprised by the inclusion of The Invisible Man, Nosferatu, and of course, the Bride.
Monday, October 6, 2025
Court of the Dead - GALLEVARBE (DEATH'S SIREN)!
This figure was a rough one for me. Overall I love it. But I am super squeamish about gory or zombie-like toys. It's a completely ridiculous mental thing. But after I hold a Walking Dead action figure or any superhero "blood-splattered variant", I feel odd and immediately feel compelled to wash my hands. On the other hand, I love mermaids. Especially if they're evil. Reading Mermaid Forest back in the early 90s was a formative event for me and happy pretty mermaids have played second fiddle to the wicked ones ever since. Luckily, the gory/decaying parts of this toy are a rich pink color against the dark green of her tail, so my brain registers it more as a natural skin pattern rather than open wounds. This Gallevarbe character can change shape and was given two pretty awesome figures in Wave 2: This Death's Siren mermaid figure, and the Eyes of the Queen naga figure I will be reviewing next. I'm hoping for a larger mermaid in the new 1:12 line next. Let's check out Death's Siren below!
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
She-Ra the Princess of Power - GRANITA!
Granita has always been one of my favorite deep-dive MOTU/POP characters. She only appeared in two episodes of She-Ra the Princess of Power as a member of the Rock People, but her otherworldly appearance and wonderful color scheme made a lasting impression on me. As a former art student, I was obsessed with Complimentary Colors and the way certain color pairings would "pop." But my least favorite was always red and green. I couldn't see the pair without thinking it was something related to Christmas. But I eventually realized that pastel versions of those same colors had the same effect without the connotations. So Granita with her two-hued green and two-hued pink opened up a whole new world of color theory for me. When I have a toy of her in a MOTU/POP lineup, eyes my instantly go to her. It's interesting that she was included in this Altaya figurine line (of 77 pieces) over more popular characters like Frosta or Castaspella, but I'll take her gladly. Let's checkout Granita below!
Friday, May 16, 2025
DC Comics - JADE!
Jade is one of those classic characters that I have always been aware of (and intrigued by) but have somehow never read a single comic where she appears. When I first started reading comics she was a frequent character on the covers of Infinity, Inc and Green Lantern. Of course at that age, my paltry paperboy salary meant I had to be very selective with my comics, and none of her titles ever made the cut. If I would have realized back then that her mother is Rose Canton (aka The Thorn) and that her green skin is due to her inherited plant powers combine with her father (Alan Scott's) mystical powers I would have been obsessed.. I only discovered her origin after the Blackest Night/Brightest Day storylines 15 years ago. It made her more than just a cool lantern design. Jade won the 2024 McFarlane fan vote (although Bizarro and Eradicator were also in contention and still got figures). She was definitely my top vote, but I was ecstatic to see the overall fan demand. Let's check out Jade below!
Monday, February 3, 2025
MOTU Revolution - SNAKE SORCERESS TEELA!
My favorite thing about Masters of the Universe Revelation and Revolution was the constant evolutions of the two main female characters, Evil-Lyn and Teela. The journey of these characters was organic and fit into the Masters mythos seamlessly. Evil-Lyn was on her unquenchable quest for power, and Teela was facing her mysterious origins and family legacy. And as toy hobbyists, we have thankfully been blessed with action figures of nearly every incarnation of these characters (at this point, I think we are only missing Teela's final two forms). At the penultimate battle in Revolution, Teela has to call upon the ancient magics and become the ancient Snake Goddess to save Preternia. The lore of the familiar staffs (The Staff of Zoar, the Staff of Ka, and the Havok Staff) each being linked to a different form of Sorceress is genius. Plus the tie-in to the old Preternian Goddess stories from the vintage mini-comics is some glorious fan service. And who doesn't love a cool reptilian action figure. Let's check out Teela below!
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Trollify - BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN!
I have had a long fascination with Trolls. When I very young in the early 80s, my parents had a puzzle with a collage of vintage toys pictured on it. Buried in the heap was an image of a Troll doll from the 1960s. I was obsessed and would ask every adult I knew if they had Trolls when they were kids. Believe it or not, the toy line was a scarce thing then and the license was in a sort of hibernation. In the 90s, they came back in full force. They were everywhere and unavoidable. However, I did not like these at all. They had neon hair, they wore human clothes, and they had gemstones embedded in their bellies. The folklore-ish aspects we gone. The earthtone palettes, woodland aesthetic, and overall connection to nature were replaced by whatever trending fad the manufacturers could think of. My original childhood intrigue was rekindled in 2013 with the Zelfs line and ever since then I've been really appreciative of all the modern Troll spinoffs and homages. And these Trollify figures are a great example.
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
The Simpsons - WITCH MARGE!
The Simpsons has created a lot of great traditions over its record-breaking run, but I think the best one would have to be the annual Halloween Treehouse of Horror episode. I'm proud to say I watched the first one as it was broadcast back in 1990 (The Raven and How to Cook Humans segments still seem permanently fused into my psyche). I certainly haven't watched all 34 Treehouse episodes (although they are all grouped together on Disney+ right now) but I always appreciate the merch that comes from them. This Witch Marge figure comes from the 8th episode segment Easy Bake Coven (1997) where Marge and her sisters are exposed as witches in puritan Springfield (Sprynge-Fielde) and inadvertently invent Trick-or-Treating. I just watched the segment right now and it's pretty clever. Other common Halloween Marge toys we commonly see of are Skeleton Marge and a Blue Cat Marge, but this green witch version is always my favorite. Let's check her out below!
Friday, August 30, 2024
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - JENNIKA!
There have been several attempts to introduce a female turtle to the TMNT universe over the years, but they never seem to last. Jennika is one of the most recent females in a half-shell and she has impressively been going strong for five years in the IDW comics (with two solo series and now two action figures). I even saw her graphic novel in Target last month, and their book department is (sadly) getting smaller and more selective each year. Jennika was introduced as a human foot clan assassin who was (four years later) injured and given a blood transfusion from Leonardo, triggering her mutation. I've always liked her design and the use of yellow as her signature color. In my mind, there has been a race to see which toy company would merchandize her first: Playmates, Loyal Subjects, or NECA. But my money was always on Loyal Subjects. Their work on the IDW versions of the other Turtles has been great, and Jennika is no exception. Let's check out her standard action figure and her SDCC redeco below!
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Justice League International - FIRE!
I'm glad that McFarlane Toys is taking the opportunities provided by their exclusive Gold Label and Platinum products to include relatively obscure and under-merchandised characters in the DC Multiverse line. The recent Blackfire and upcoming Huntress (and variant) are great examples. Fire is a character with a huge fanbase. She first appeared in the 1979 issue of Super Friends #25 as the Green Fury (who shot green flames out of her nostrils.. no joke). I don't know long it took for her backstory to be fleshed out. But now the commonly-told origin is that Beatriz da Costa was a Brazilian model (and secret government agent) who was accidentally exposed to a mysterious substance called Pyroplasm which gave her the green flame powers (pre-Crisis her powers were mystical in nature). She has been a member of many teams over the years and gone by many names: Green Flame, Green Fury, and her most common, Fire. She is a dynamic character who is long overdue in the toy aisles.
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Marvel Legends - SHE-HULK!
I love how every few years we get a new She-Hulk figure that is an improvement over the last. Jennifer Walters is a nuanced character who has been portrayed in a variety of different ways by different creative teams. Choosing a single version to represent her is truly an impossible task, especially because the visual differences are so subtle. To me, this newest Marvel Legends figure represents the She-Hulk that I was first exposed to in the early 90's run of Sensational She-Hulk during the John Byrne era. Now, this isn't necessarily my favorite version of She-Hulk to read (the comedic elements and early-90s vibes just aren't my thing).. but visually this is still the most iconic and timeless She-Hulk to me. It also is a great representation of her first 1996 Toy Biz action figure. I don't think she ever had a toy connection to Iron Man like this current release suggests, but it's a great figure all the same. (I hope we get a purple/blue repaint of Julia Carpenter on this card next. That would make sense). Let's check out She-Hulk below!
Friday, July 5, 2024
Fraggle Rock - COTTERPIN!
In 2022, Apple TV+ premiered Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, a faithful reboot of the amazing 1983 Jim Henson series, Fraggle Rock. I love this new series. Some of the character designs have been tweaked, mostly for the better. For instance, a lot of the puppets in the original series had thin wispy hair and dull colors. But in the reboot it's as if the material limitations of 1980's puppetry have been overcome. It honestly looks the way I imagine the 1983 series looked in my memory (but am always critical of when I actually watch the vintage episodes). Cotterpin is the main Doozer character from both series. She is a young Doozer from a long line of hard-hat-wearing construction Doozers who wants nothing more than to be a Fraggle (so she can dance her cares away). This updated design of Cotterpin has fuller hair, brighter colors, and now she appropriately wears her namesake cotter pins in her hair as barrettes. The Boss Fight Studio Fraggle line is very impressive. I can't wait to get the rest.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
MAFEX - Batman: Hush - POISON IVY!
2002 was an eventful year for me. I had graduated college the year before, but the world was in turmoil so my adult life was a little delayed. In 2002 I moved to a city, launched my career, had my first mature relationship, and once I accepted that my life was (somewhat) stable, I began resurrecting my old hobbies that I hadn't indulged since high school. I suddenly had access to comic book stores again and there was a bit of a renaissance happening. My favorite titles on the shelves that year were Darwyn Cooke's Catwoman, Mike Allred's X-Force, Olivier Coipel's Legion, and of course Jim Lee's Hush storyline in Batman. With a rogue's gallery as impressive as Batman's, it's shocking that no one had attempted a storyline that brought them all together before. Hush was special because, despite it's huge cast, each character truly got to shine. The writing, art, and complex character histories were a recipe for a perfect comic event. It was so impactful that we're still getting merchandise 20-plus years later.
Thursday, January 4, 2024
MOTU Origins - LADY SLITHER!
An amazing thing about a property as rich and celebrated as Masters of the Universe is the occasion to infuse the lore with new characters and stories. A whole arena of Eternian mythos that never quite appealed to me was the Snake Men. I remember the vintage toys being all the rage among my young peers. And I know the 200x series thrilled those same fans years later with further reptilian exploration. But I think the lack of female characters in the stories just kept me at bay. But then about ten years ago in the height of MOTU Classics, there was a mysterious new character introduced in the mini-comics: Lady Slither, the Queen Empress of the Snake Men. She was surprisingly the only MOTU character to have a serpent's lower body (a design choice I thought would be a given for a diverse reptilian race). The brief glimpses of her created buzz and the fan demand for an action figure was immediate. It took ten years and a new toy line, but we finally have her. Let's check out Lady Slither below!
Friday, July 21, 2023
Movie Maniacs - WICKED WITCH of the WEST!
I really thought I was going to save this post for Halloween but I'm feeling antsy. The first time McFarlane Toys really captured my attention was with their Movie Maniacs line in the 90s. The company went from an overabundance of Spawn to a line of detailed cinematic figures (almost always with a gritty aesthetic). And these toys also expanded the prescience of toys at retail. Suddenly stores like Sam Goody, Tower Records, Suncoast Video, and FYE had significant toy sections. They had been carrying good-girl figures for a few years, but McFarlane seemed to prompt a significant expansion. I always lean toward the more playful properties in pop culture so my favorite figure was easily Edward Scissorhands. When McFarlane recently announced they were re-launching the Movie Maniacs I didn't know what to expect. But in their first batch of releases was this amazing Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.. This is an unarticulated PVC statue, but she is visually stunning and long overdue.
Sunday, May 14, 2023
MOTU Origins - SNAKE TEELA!
I like that Snake Teela has become a unique variant of the traditional Teela character. This design originally appeared in a single Second Skin episode of the 200x show where several characters were temporarily turned into Snake Men. She was likely a visual nod to the early 80's Goddess character, but she was unique in most ways apart from the green hue. The 200x Snake Teela had actual scaly skin, reptilian eyes, fangs, and a forked tongue. In 2003 there was a ToyFare Magazine exclusive repaint of Teela in this scaly form and, in my mind at least, that solidified her as a unique iteration separate from the Eternian Goddess. That said, I still kind of groaned when this was announced as the next Origins female. With so many characters unrepresented in the line, a fourth Teela wasn't the most exciting option. But the figure actually has a new torso and boots, and uses the 200x head which we've only seen once. Combine that with the distinctive green coloring and she makes for a very unique variation.
Sunday, April 16, 2023
TMNT Cartoon - MONA LISA!
One of the main reasons I never fully bought into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise was due to the lack of costumed (read:mutated) female characters. The main female (in my opinion) was Mona Lisa, a mutated human physicist (mutated into a salamander) who appeared in a single episode of season 4 ("Raphael Meets His Match"). The setting of the episode is a costume party where the Turtles think Mona Lisa is a human in costume. By the end of the episode they all reveal their true identities and a romantic tension with Raphael is formed. An action figure was made of her a few years later in 1993 (which incorrectly labels her as a lizard). This original toy was my first exposure to the character and I never saw her episode until recently. Different versions of Mona Lisa have appeared in the turtles franchise since those early days, but this figure is only her second piece of merchandise made. I'm excited to see what other TMNT ladies NECA might highlight in the future. Let's check out Mona Lisa below!
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
A Busy Year of DC Heroines from IMAGINEXT!
The DC Super Friends Imaginext line from Fisher-Price is still going strong eleven years after I bought my first figure (Catwoman). I don't often post about these figures when I acquire them, but trust me I am quite the completist. There are new sculpts released occasionally. But for the most part, the line subsists on clever (and sometimes not-so-clever) re-use of existing sculpts. For instance, there is a newly sculpted Man-Bat hitting stores right now, but 99% of the figures on the shelves (including all 10 in this post) are simple redecos. The big gimmick in 2022 was the use of transparent plastics (aka "Bat-Tech"). The figures utilize light wells, often with holes cut in their capes, and accessories or playsets with pinpointed light sources to illuminate your figures from behind. It's a fun upgrade that has given us a handful of color variants (which I gladly purchase). I'm personally most excited about an upcoming Stephanie Brown redeco of Batgirl, a character who is shamefully underrepresented in plastic.
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Marvel Legends - SHE-HULK!
The new She-Hulk show on Disney+ was unexpectedly delightful. I had very low expectations from the few weird trailers and the comedy tropes from the comics that I didn't expect would translate well to the big screen. But I was wrong. It was funny, face-paced, irreverent, and the nine episodes ended way too quickly. If it doesn't get picked dup for another season I'll be very disappointed. One of the main surprises for me was how much I loved Tatiana Maslany. She embodied the quirky, down-to-Earth hero perfectly and added a level of personality I wasn't expecting. I personally have never seen any of her projects before, but I have heard great things about most of them (Orphan Black especially). I will likely start populating my watch list with her older projects. I know there was a lot of moaning about the quality of the CGI on the show, and I agree that some of the action scenes were goofy, and the early trailers were clearly a work-in-progress, but I didn't mind it. I love the show. Let's check out Jen below!
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