Finally added the Newsman!
Showing posts with label Muppets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muppets. Show all posts
Monday, January 27, 2014
Saturday, May 11, 2013
VinylMOMtion Day Instagram Contest!
In honor of Mother's Day, Destination Vinylmation will be conducting the first ever VinylMOMtion Day contest. All you have to do to enter is:
On Monday, we will randomly choose one of the hash tagged photos to win a Vinylmation prize:
Make sure you follow DestinationVinylmation on Instagram for fun photos and news updates!
- Take a photo of your Mom holding a Vinylmation
- Post it to Instagram between now and Midnight Sunday, May 12th, 2013
- Make sure you hash tag it #VinylMOMtion
- We will post pictures that use that hashtag on our site once as a contest roundup post and your mom will know how much you love her!
 #VinylMOMtion |
 Muppets Series 1 Matted Print |
Monday, July 23, 2012
Funko Pop! Muppets 1 Review by Mike Boon
by Mike Boon
First, let me get this out of the way: I have a wee bit of an obsession with The Muppets. I also get a kick out of seeing them in non-traditional form, which is what first got me hooked on Vinylmation and why I even purchased the bizarre Pook-a-Looz Muppets.
I was excited when Funko announced the Pop! Vinyl Muppet figures and, overall, I’m not disappointed. Sure, there are some nagging issues with all of them, but they look smashing on my shelf. Word is that they are already working on a second wave and I cannot wait to see who they have coming up next (fingers crossed for Beaker and the Swedish Chef).
But first, let’s look at what we have available right now:
Great, reliable Kermit is perhaps the easiest Muppet to transition to another form. Slap his trademark eyes on anything and you’ll know exactly who it is. With this figure, Funko wisely moved away from their traditional black-eye look (more on that below) to stick with his usual peepers. The square head is unique and in-line with many of the others in the set. Small quibble: His eyes are nicely over sized for emphasis but could have sat a little higher on his head. Big quibble: I simply cannot get my Kermit to stand up. Which means he’ll always be leaning on the back of the shelf instead of out front where he belongs.
Let’s just ignore the fact that they spelled his name as “FOZZY” on the side of the box (product shot above is from Funko and not Mike's box) and focus on the figure itself. Overall, I like the design. Great depiction of his hat and tie, plus he has a slightly raised eyebrow that works well with his character. The square head and tilted ears go well when paired with Kermit. Mixed feelings on the black eyes though. I realize this is part of the usual Funko design but the purple eyelids draw a bit too much attention. Could be worse though (see next).
Piggy is one of the most difficult Muppets to reinterpret and this design, much like Muppets Vinylmation Series 1, certainly doesn’t argue the fact. Her mouth and nose are a nice proportion, but her eyes really hurt the character. If you are going to remove Piggy’s trademark blue irises for black Little Orphan Annie eyes, you should at least put a little more shape into her eyelids. Tilting each slightly or adding some roundness (as on Fozzie) would have likely made her seem more friendly. Plus, her ears are too long and too far back on her head. Purists will no doubt balk that her gloves are red instead of purple, but the Marilyn Monroe-type pose is the best thing going here.
Definitely one of my favorites of the bunch and not just because I can actually – shockingly – purchase a Mahna Mahna figure in 2012 (the character goes back to a 1969 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show). He stands well, his hair is a lot of fun and since his eyes are traditionally black, no “empty soul” issues here.
Also a big fan of this one as it goes very well when paired with Mahna Mahna on the shelf (and who would want a “Mahna Mahna” without a “do doo do doo doo”). The squareness to the head is appropriate and subtle. The designers opted for pupils with this one, which is highly appreciated. Black eyes would have looked very odd with the black mouth. Only issue: You may need to spring for two.
The details on the body here really work well, particularly the tiny drumsticks in his hands and the broken chain around his neck. The black eyes don’t look too bad here, especially since he’s always been wild and this adds a little edge to the often cuddly character. His eyebrows are nicely stylized too, but it would have been nice to see a little definition between where the eyes end and the eyebrows start. Oddly, Animal is missing the more pronounced square shape to the head as seen on the others.
Like Piggy, Gonzo also has a tendency to go very very wrong. The designers got many details right (three fingers, purple tux, crook in the nose), but his square head is too pronounced, he is missing a tongue and his eyes are all wrong. Gonzo’s eyes are supposed to pop out rather than sit flat on the face, plus they are too small and with too much space between then (they should touch in the middle). I’m all for different designs, but it all seems a little too “Zombie Gonzo”.
A real treat and hopefully a sign of more Electric Mayhem members with the second wave. I really dig the lopsided hat, the feather, the round body design and the detailed outfit (even if he is missing his rings). The wide smile and prominent nose look great. Also, Teeth has the best looking black eyes of the bunch. They almost look like dark shades, which just makes him seem that much cooler. Based on this design, Zoot, Floyd and Janice would look fantastic as Pop! Figures.
First, let me get this out of the way: I have a wee bit of an obsession with The Muppets. I also get a kick out of seeing them in non-traditional form, which is what first got me hooked on Vinylmation and why I even purchased the bizarre Pook-a-Looz Muppets.
I was excited when Funko announced the Pop! Vinyl Muppet figures and, overall, I’m not disappointed. Sure, there are some nagging issues with all of them, but they look smashing on my shelf. Word is that they are already working on a second wave and I cannot wait to see who they have coming up next (fingers crossed for Beaker and the Swedish Chef).
But first, let’s look at what we have available right now:
Great, reliable Kermit is perhaps the easiest Muppet to transition to another form. Slap his trademark eyes on anything and you’ll know exactly who it is. With this figure, Funko wisely moved away from their traditional black-eye look (more on that below) to stick with his usual peepers. The square head is unique and in-line with many of the others in the set. Small quibble: His eyes are nicely over sized for emphasis but could have sat a little higher on his head. Big quibble: I simply cannot get my Kermit to stand up. Which means he’ll always be leaning on the back of the shelf instead of out front where he belongs.
Let’s just ignore the fact that they spelled his name as “FOZZY” on the side of the box (product shot above is from Funko and not Mike's box) and focus on the figure itself. Overall, I like the design. Great depiction of his hat and tie, plus he has a slightly raised eyebrow that works well with his character. The square head and tilted ears go well when paired with Kermit. Mixed feelings on the black eyes though. I realize this is part of the usual Funko design but the purple eyelids draw a bit too much attention. Could be worse though (see next).
Piggy is one of the most difficult Muppets to reinterpret and this design, much like Muppets Vinylmation Series 1, certainly doesn’t argue the fact. Her mouth and nose are a nice proportion, but her eyes really hurt the character. If you are going to remove Piggy’s trademark blue irises for black Little Orphan Annie eyes, you should at least put a little more shape into her eyelids. Tilting each slightly or adding some roundness (as on Fozzie) would have likely made her seem more friendly. Plus, her ears are too long and too far back on her head. Purists will no doubt balk that her gloves are red instead of purple, but the Marilyn Monroe-type pose is the best thing going here.
Definitely one of my favorites of the bunch and not just because I can actually – shockingly – purchase a Mahna Mahna figure in 2012 (the character goes back to a 1969 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show). He stands well, his hair is a lot of fun and since his eyes are traditionally black, no “empty soul” issues here.
Also a big fan of this one as it goes very well when paired with Mahna Mahna on the shelf (and who would want a “Mahna Mahna” without a “do doo do doo doo”). The squareness to the head is appropriate and subtle. The designers opted for pupils with this one, which is highly appreciated. Black eyes would have looked very odd with the black mouth. Only issue: You may need to spring for two.
The details on the body here really work well, particularly the tiny drumsticks in his hands and the broken chain around his neck. The black eyes don’t look too bad here, especially since he’s always been wild and this adds a little edge to the often cuddly character. His eyebrows are nicely stylized too, but it would have been nice to see a little definition between where the eyes end and the eyebrows start. Oddly, Animal is missing the more pronounced square shape to the head as seen on the others.
Like Piggy, Gonzo also has a tendency to go very very wrong. The designers got many details right (three fingers, purple tux, crook in the nose), but his square head is too pronounced, he is missing a tongue and his eyes are all wrong. Gonzo’s eyes are supposed to pop out rather than sit flat on the face, plus they are too small and with too much space between then (they should touch in the middle). I’m all for different designs, but it all seems a little too “Zombie Gonzo”.
A real treat and hopefully a sign of more Electric Mayhem members with the second wave. I really dig the lopsided hat, the feather, the round body design and the detailed outfit (even if he is missing his rings). The wide smile and prominent nose look great. Also, Teeth has the best looking black eyes of the bunch. They almost look like dark shades, which just makes him seem that much cooler. Based on this design, Zoot, Floyd and Janice would look fantastic as Pop! Figures.
For past posts from Mike Boon click here.
You can also check Mike out at his own blog: baboondesign.blogspot.com
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Donald and Rizzo Star Wars Action Figures Review
As part of the month-long celebration that is Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the merchandise team created some great new mash-up action figures. Donald Duck as Savage Opress and Rizzo as Yoda, are different yet exciting additions to their respective series runs.
I'll start with the Donald as Savage Opress. Opress is the feature of a story line on the Clone Wars animated TV show. He is discovered by Ventress who wants to use him to defeat Count Dooku (who in turn wants to use him to defeat Darth Sidous). Opress is Darth Maul's brother, therefore has a similar paint scheme, just different colors. Since Disney has already given us a Darth Maul Donald, this figure is a perfect niche choice for a limited edition figure... especially with the much appreciated Clone Wars focus on the last series.
As with the Darth Maul figure, this one has some great paint detail and sculpted horns on the face.
The edition size is 2012 and the price is $12.95... putting it just $3 over the normal series retail.
Continuing the Muppets as Star Wars series that began earlier this year, Rizzo appears as Yoda in this one-off limited release figure. The earlier series really impressed me overall with well done character selection, designs, joint movement and accessories... and this figure does not disappoint.
Would Kermit make a better Yoda? That can be debated, but Kermit is needed for the starring role of Luke Skywalker, so the elder Jedi's role falls onto the rat's shoulders. I like the approach of only using green on the Yoda ears and eyes as opposed to when Stitch is Yoda and his entire body is painted green. That full body paint works well on Stitch, but the varied approach is nice to see here. The details are all here in the face and robe, but the geek in me is drawn to the two accessories. You can have Yoda Rizzo hold either a light saber or a cane... and that is just cool.
The only gripe here is the price. At $14.95 this figure is at best $2 over priced... at worst $5. The Muppets 2-packs retail at $18.95... that's $9 each for figures that are much larger than this one. I can see paying a few extra bucks for a limited release item, especially one released at the hoopla around Star Wars Weekends, but at $15, this is $2 more than the Limited Edition Savage Opress Donald! I have long, long ago stopped trying to figure out Disney pricing because my head was about to explode like the Death Star.
I'll start with the Donald as Savage Opress. Opress is the feature of a story line on the Clone Wars animated TV show. He is discovered by Ventress who wants to use him to defeat Count Dooku (who in turn wants to use him to defeat Darth Sidous). Opress is Darth Maul's brother, therefore has a similar paint scheme, just different colors. Since Disney has already given us a Darth Maul Donald, this figure is a perfect niche choice for a limited edition figure... especially with the much appreciated Clone Wars focus on the last series.
As with the Darth Maul figure, this one has some great paint detail and sculpted horns on the face.
Savage Opress action figure
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Savage Opress Clone Wars screenshot
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His uniform is fairly accurate to the show with the robes, belts, gloves and boots. He of course has the duel light saber as well. If I were to be picky, I would have liked to see more detail on the shoulder pads to indicate as series of shields instead of one big pad.
The edition size is 2012 and the price is $12.95... putting it just $3 over the normal series retail.
Continuing the Muppets as Star Wars series that began earlier this year, Rizzo appears as Yoda in this one-off limited release figure. The earlier series really impressed me overall with well done character selection, designs, joint movement and accessories... and this figure does not disappoint.
Would Kermit make a better Yoda? That can be debated, but Kermit is needed for the starring role of Luke Skywalker, so the elder Jedi's role falls onto the rat's shoulders. I like the approach of only using green on the Yoda ears and eyes as opposed to when Stitch is Yoda and his entire body is painted green. That full body paint works well on Stitch, but the varied approach is nice to see here. The details are all here in the face and robe, but the geek in me is drawn to the two accessories. You can have Yoda Rizzo hold either a light saber or a cane... and that is just cool.
The only gripe here is the price. At $14.95 this figure is at best $2 over priced... at worst $5. The Muppets 2-packs retail at $18.95... that's $9 each for figures that are much larger than this one. I can see paying a few extra bucks for a limited release item, especially one released at the hoopla around Star Wars Weekends, but at $15, this is $2 more than the Limited Edition Savage Opress Donald! I have long, long ago stopped trying to figure out Disney pricing because my head was about to explode like the Death Star.
Friday, May 18, 2012
More Muppets Star Wars
Unfortunately, no Star Wars 2 Vinylmation were on display at the start of Star Wars Weekends today at DHS. But they did a few interesting previews. The first of which is an addition to the Star Wars Muppets action figures from earlier this year. This 3 pack set will be out in August and will retail at $18.95.
Animal makes an appearance as Boba Fett. The skinny Fett does look strikingly odd, but I like the character choice and enjoy the addition of drumsticks.
Link Hogthrob, who was featured as Han Solo in the first release, returns in this pack as Han Solo in carbonite. Always a fun design, this really fits in well with the set.
To round things out, Scooter has been called upon to play the part of Lando. And you know what? He pulls it off. Great costume and cape. The first round of figures were designed with high quality, so I expect nothing less from these.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Star Wars Muppets Review
It's the week before Christmas! Wonderful glorious Christmas. And yesterday I was among the hustle and bustle of the Disney Christmas shoppers at Downtown Disney Orlando. I began of course by stopping off at D-Street to do some trading and pick up some new Vinylmation. I then made my way over to the World of Disney store. I figured a question mark tie would make a good gift for MC this year. You can't poke your eye out with that. Disappointed that they had none, I made my way over to the toy department. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear? But Muppets Star Wars Series One! A set of eight tiny action figures.
There are four different combo sets, each retail for $19.95. Kermit as Luke and Miss Piggy as Princess Leia. Beaker as C3P0 and Bunsen as R2D2. Fozzie as Chewy and Link Hogthrob as Han Solo. Sam the Eagle as Obi Wan and Gonzo as Darth Vader.
Collect all 4? Don't mind if I do! But I started with only 2 today.
I'm a big Sam the Eagle fan, and him as a Jedi Knight is impossible to pass up. And come on, a chicken with a Stormtropper hat! Awesome.
The first thing I noticed about these figures is the size. While Gonzo is about Vinylmation size, Sam stands about 5 inches tall. And they are hefty. Very solid figures that allow a lot of detail to be molded in. If you put these up against the Disney Characters Star Wars figures, these tower over those and just feel much better constructed.
Sam, of course, comes with a lightsaber. They are also extremely poseable. Sam comes with joints in his shoulders, elbows and knees. A figure like Gonzo, with shorter arms, doesn't have the elbow joints. But the figures have turning heads, wrists, and waists.
The detail is also fantastic. The Jedi robe is a soft plastic that sits over the figure. The ruffles on Sam's tail and texture on the head is perfect. The paint job is also top notch as you don't see much outside the lines jobs and I didn't have to pick through all the shelves for a good one.
Packaged with Sam, the designers had Gonzo take the role of Darth Vader. His cape is much like Sam's robe, a soft plastic and he also comes with a lightsaber.
Gonzo can also put on Vader's mask. Unlike the Disney Character Star Wars which have helmets that wrap around the head and clasp on, Gonzo comes with 2 heads. You just pop one off and stick the other one on.
In what may be the best part, this combo comes packaged with a Camilla the Chicken as a stormtrooper.
The helmet just slips right over her head. The only part I'm disappointed about is when the helmet is placed over her, you can see she slumps and looks down.
I also purchased Kermit and Miss Piggy.
Again, I was very happy with the construction of these figures. Very durable and very poseable.
Kermit as Luke has a nicely formed robe and detail on his belt and feet.
Miss Piggy is Princess Leia, complete with robe, ring and gun.
They sculpted her hair perfectly into the signature buns and have the hood laying down in the back.
Overall, this is a fantastic series that does a great job picking the right Muppets and really making them look the Star Wars characters they represent. The value on these is great with a $20 price point coming out to the $10 per figure you pay for the Disney Character Star Wars and these are bigger, have more detail and just have a heftier construction.
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