The Nightmare Before Christmas was a slow-burn of acceptance and adoration for me. It was released when I was in High School and at the time I didn't love musicals or "dark" aesthetics. Yes, it was playful, but goth was a true social strata at the time that I just didn't fit into. The goth kids were eating this movie up. It was actually my high school art teacher who first started my appreciation of the movie. He made us watch the film (on laserdisc!) followed by the "making of" documentary every semester. In late high school I became huge fan of Ray Harryhausen, which in turn made me appreciate all stop-motion film a lot more. But the big plunge was a decade later when I dated an NBX superfan. I would be coerced to watch the movie several times a year, and I would research all the Neca figures and slowly purchase them as gifts for every occasion. Flash forward 20 years and I love it. Any my favorite character is Undersea Gal, the Creature from the Black Lagoon homage who has several cool cameos.
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Puppetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Puppetry. Show all posts
Friday, November 7, 2025
Super7 ReAction - UNDERSEA GAL!
Monday, January 27, 2025
Super7 ReAction - JANICE!
Modern Muppets programs have a tendency to get canceled too soon. The Muppets (2025) lasted just 17 episodes, Muppets Tonight (1996) ended after 22, and most recently, The Muppets Mayhem (2023) was canceled after a mere 10. I'll be honest, I only ever saw one episode of Mayhem and it didn't immediately capture my attention the way 2015 series did, but I had friends and family who raved about it and I really like the creative team behind it, so I will start it again this week. The series features the Muppet band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem as they tour and create an album. It features lots of classic Muppets but most notable (for me) is the iconic spacey lead guitarist, Janice. Even if the series didn't have a massive cultural impact, it still prompted this great Reaction line from Super7. It would be awesome to get a whole Muppets line to go along with the Sesame Street figures, but in the meantime, this lone Janice is the only Muppet ReAction in my collection. Let's check her out below!
Sunday, January 26, 2025
The Muppets - JANICE!
It's sometimes a little odd to realize that for the longest time there were only two female Muppets in the main cast. Miss Piggy got all the attention, but the lead guitarist for Electric Mayhem, Janice, was there from the very beginning with her iconic lips, lanky stature, and valley girl drawl. I always knew the lore that she was based on Mick Jagger with Janis Joplin's name, but beyond the exaggerated mouth, I didn't see the connection. But then last night I saw her original concept sketch for the first time I finally saw the likeness. I've wanted a Janice figure forever, but back in the heyday of the Palisades line, I wanted the pink-shirted Chase version, but was unable to ever find her. Then all these years later I was finally able to add this amazing DST version to my Collection. This figure was originally released in 2018 in a set with Floyd, but this review is for the re-released "Best of" version last year. I'm playing catch-up with this line so I'm grateful for the reissues. Let's check out Janice below!
Friday, January 24, 2025
The Muppets - MISS PIGGY!
I have always been big fan of Jim Henson. And his flagship creation, The Muppets, is very hard not to love. Yet, somehow, I've managed to not have any Muppets in my toy collection until very recently. Many years ago, when I started collecting toys as an adult, the epic Palisades Muppets line was in full swing. There ended up being over 100 amazing figures, but it was just too overwhelming and intimidating for me. I never purchased any but I always regretted not picking up a few choice characters. Flash forward 15 or so years when Diamond Select Toys started a new Muppets line in 2018. I've been eyeing them since they started coming out and there have been several times where I almost took the plunge and bought them all. But it was the recent "Best of" re-releases last year, combined with a random bogo sale at FYE right before Christmas that finally made me pull the trigger. Now I'm addicted and I can't believe I waited so long to add these characters to my collection. Let's check out Miss Piggy below!
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Fraggle Rock - RED!
Despite being constantly exposed to Sesame Street and The Muppet Show all throughout my childhood, it was actually Fraggle Rock which made me a lifelong Jim Henson fan. The subterranean society of lovable adventurers, artists, explorers, and performers captured my imagination like nothing had before. Red is one of the two main female Fraggles in the show and is presented as a daring athlete and stuntwoman. She often challenges her friends to join her in competition or gathers the whole Fraggle community to watch her perform a daring high dive. I won't lie, she was easily my least favorite character. I am neither sporty nor competitive, so I just didn't relate. But at the same time, I think she is the most iconic with her big red ponytails and boisterous tomboy personality. This Fraggle line from Boss Fight Studio is technically from the new Back to the Rock reboot on AppleTV+, but luckily the character designs are mostly identical to the classic looks. They are amazing. Let's check out Red 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.
Monday, December 25, 2023
Nightmare Before Christmas - MRS. CLAUS!
The Nightmare Before Christmas toylines are always pretty amazing. All the characters have great designs and are naturally very toyetic. But what is especially great is how both the older Neca line and the current Diamond Select line don't shy away from obscure characters. This Mrs. Claus, for instance, only appears in the background of one scene for a few seconds. Most toy lines would never consider a character like this for the full action figure treatment. But here she is, in all her weird Burton-esque glory. I actually own quite a few Nightmare Before Christmas figures, but this is the first one I have opened and photographed for a review. This is mostly because I always intend to save them for Halloween each year, but then my Septembers and Octobers get insanely busy and I never have time. But hopefully this review will break the seal and I'll finally review the rest soon (their large boxes take up a lot of real estate in my closet!) Plus I'm excited to put them on display. Let's check out Mrs. Claus below!
Friday, June 9, 2023
Thunderbirds - KAYO KYRANO!
After the success of the rebooted Captain Scarlet franchise, 2006's The New Captain Scarlet, work began on a reimagining of another great Gerry Anderson property, Thunderbirds. And nine years later, the CGI-animated series Thunderbirds Are Go premiered and ran for three seasons. The original Thunderbirds series debuted in 1965 and was very popular. It inspired films, an anime series, comics, and radio. The 2015 reboot, Thunderbirds Are Go, continued the unfortunate trend of swapping the puppets for CGI models, but at least this series retained a very puppet-like quality to the character design. Kyro Kyrano is a reimagining of Tintin Kyrano, a character from the 1965 series (played by Vanessa Hudgens in the 2004 live-action film). The new version plays a much more prominent role as a co-pilot and head of security - as opposed to a simple love interest character. I bought this toy in Toys R Us sever years ago but never got around to reviewing her until now. Let's check out Kayo below!
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
DC Nation Aardman - CATWOMAN!
Back in 2012 there was a spectacular little television show called DC Nation on the Cartoon Network. The anchors for this animation block were full-length cartoons like Green Lantern, Teen Titans Go!, Young Justice, and Beware the Batman. But the best part was the crazy variety of animated shorts that filled in the gaps. Some of my favorites included Amethyst, Super Best Friends Forever, Shade the Changing Man, Batman of Shanghai, Metal Men, and a super-stylized Wonder Woman series that reminded me of a 70's pulp film. My number one favorite though was the DC World's Funnest which featured Aardman's unique claymation interpretations of the main DC A-listers. They featured dubbed children's voices in the vein of Aardman's Creature Comforts and Penny. There were ten World's Funnest shorts in all and I loved them. DC Collectibles did a decent job merchandising DC Nation. Aside from these figures, there was a Super BFF series, a plush Deadman, and Robert Valley Wonder Woman statue. Not bad at all.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Funko ReAction - The Dark Crystal AUGHRA & KIRA!
Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I had a very busy and festive Christmas/New Year's season including two separate houseguests staying with me and filling the whole time in-between. One thing I did manage to achieve in that time though was getting my toy room completely in order before a home reappraisal inspection a few days ago. It feels really good to be so organized. But now I have a lot of backed-up posts to write. I probably won't get to to my 2016 year-end review for months at this rate! This retail wave of Funko's Dark Crystal ReAction series is perfect. They are pretty much the exact toys I've been fantasizing about for decades. I really hope that Super7 continues this momentum with the Henson brands. I would love some podlings, urSkeks, more Mystics and Skeksis, and of course a Build-a-Figure Orrery. There is almost endless potential. But in the meantime, this current roster is extremely satisfying. Let's check out Kira, Aughra, and all the rest of the inhabitants of Thra below!
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Funko ReAction - The Dark Crystal's KIRA (WINGED)!
The Dark Crystal is my favorite fantasy movie of all time. The story is spooky, insightful, and classic. As a kid it frightened and intrigued me, and as an adult the puppeteering details and production quality amaze me. When I started collecting toys, I knew without a doubt my collection would be incomplete without the world of Thra on my shelves. That's when I learned the sad merchandise history: a cancelled toyline, rare miniature pewters, and a slew of awesome but pricey statues. When ReAction first announced they were releasing the 1979 Alien prototypes, my first thought was "Oh my God we're going to get the cancelled Dark Crystal figures!" Three years later I'm actually holding the first couple figures. And although they are not the actual old Aviva molds, they are a thousand times better. The detail and love put into these is undeniable. The first two box sets were exclusives from SDCC & NYCC this year, but the rest of the gang will start showing up in stores next week. Let's check out Kira below!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Gremlins Mogwai PENNY!
Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I just moved and my priorities are completely shuffled around. All my toys are packed (but itching to be put out on brand new shelves) and I don't even have internet yet. I was uncertain when I would be able to post again but it's always on my mind. It's amazing how much I've missed reviewing toys the past few weeks. Luckily I developed a new obsession which inspired me to spend an evening in my old apartment (where I still have keys - and internet) and write this quick review. Gremlins was a smash hit in 1984. I was both in love with and terrified of this movie. Most all all I remember desperately wanting a pet Mogwai like Gizmo (I think it goes hand-in-hand with my Ewok obsession). Then Gremlins 2 came out in 1990 and I just loved it. I was older so the Gremlins didn't bother me in the least, plus I realized the movies were a great mix of silly and scary. NECA has been producing an amazing line of Gremlins toys for the past few years. Penny is the first girl and my first purchase from the line, but definitely not my last. (I ordered three more already) Let's check her out below!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
The Women of TERRAHAWKS!
Gerry Anderson had made quite a name for himself in the science fiction arena with his early hits including Thunderbirds (1965), Stingray (1964), and Captain Scarlet (1967). When Terrahawks debuted in 1983, it had been 10 years since he had produced a 100% puppetry show. His previous specialty of Supermarionation was out of budget for this new production and so he dubbed his new process of using latex puppets instead of marionettes, Supermacromation. While originally thought of as a step backward in the Anderson technique, the latex puppets with no strings allowed for much smoother motions. The storyline of Terrahawks is a typical adventure of a specialized Earth force fighting an encroaching menace. In this case it is the alien android Zelda and her hoards of invaders from the planet Guk. The Terrahawks are a team of five Earth pilots (and an array of R2D2-type robots) that pilot various bird-themed ships. This series was also known for including a lot more humor than previous Anderson properties. Let's check out these figures below!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Stingray's MARINA!
Stingray was the fourth Supermarionation series from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and aired from 1964-1965. It followed the adventures of the (very stylized) submarine, Stingray, and her crew. Marina is the daughter of Emperor Aphony, ruler of the peaceful undersea kingdom of Pacifica, but when she first encounters the crew of the Stingray, she is the slave of the tyrannical King Titan of Titanica. As cool of a character as Marina is, she is a little bit of supermarionation cop-out. Her undersea race is mute and only speaks through telepathy. You don't realize how much you appreciate a puppet's mouth movements until they're nonexistent. This figure is pretty great and adds to the 1990's resurgence of supermarionation popularity. I only wish Matchbox would have continued this trend and produced more figures. I actually really enjoy the small scales, 3-5 points of articulation, and retro packaging. There are so many more properties I would have loved to see done in this style, but that is just a pipe dream now. Let's check out Marina in detail below!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thunderbirds LADY PENELOPE!
Gerry Anderson's 1965 Supermarionation series Thunderbirds is a classic sci-fi adventure romp. It aired on cable channels regularly all throughout my childhood in the 80's and 90's. I found the style of it difficult to enjoy at first, but I eventually caved in and became a fan. Thunderbirds centers around an ex-astronaut, Jeff Tracy and his five sons who pilot the Thunderbird and work for a secret organization known as International Rescue. Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward also works for International Rescue as their London agent. She is a beautiful socialite spy who is constantly chasing bad guys in her fancy pink Rolls Royce (which is all decked out in 007-type gadgetry). Thunderbirds inspired lots of other projects, including an Anime series, live action TV and film, and is apparently being revived into a new series right now by Gerry Anderson himself. Matchbox did an awesome job bringing some of these great 60's characters to the toy shelves almost 30 years later. I will be reviewing more in the coming months. Let's check out Lady Penelope!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Ladies of CAPTAIN SCARLET!
Captain Scarlet and Mysterons is a classic British Supermarionation series produced by Gerry Anderson in 1967. Younger generations are familiar with Supermarionation as the retro-looking puppetwork in movies like Team America: World Police and MTV's Super Adventure Team series. However, the genre was a well-established sci-fi/adventure artform all throughout the 1960s. Thunderbirds, Stingray, and Terrahawks were all very popular in their time and featured a similar stylized "puppet" look. Captain Scarlet, however, featured very humanlike puppets with correct proportions and almost mannequin-like visages. The series focused on the conflicts between the extra-terrestrial Mysterons and the international defense team Spectrum. Spectrum's headquarters were an airborne ship called Cloudbase, and protecting Cloudbase were five female pilots (the Angels): Destiny, Harmony, Melody, Rhapsody, and Symphony. Unfortunately only Destiny and Harmony got the toy treatment.
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