Action Figure

Rich has been talking a lot about Figures Toy Company lately so, being curious as I am, it was time to take a look for myself.

Unlike some of the other collectors here on TKL I really don't have a connection to the whole Mego look since I wasn't exposed to them as a child. While the I am able to see the appeal it just never struck me as particularly engaging. That being said I was uncertain what I would find when I visited their site. Needless to say Rich was right. They do an excellent job in recreating the design of older dolls quite well and this makes up the bulk of their product line which spans multiple series and franchises. FTC also sells wrestling figures which I did not explore, though I have the feeling Rich (who has been a fan since childhood) did.

Harry Potter

8" Harry Action Figure

12" Harry Action Figure

Ron Weasley

8" Ron Action Figure

12" Ron Action Figure

Drako Malfoy

8" Drako Action Figure

12" Drako Action Figure

My only real complaint about the series is that they excluded Hermione Granger from the line. For real fans of the Harry Potter series there is a base set, the trio, to be complete. If you can't collect Harry, Ron, and Hermoine you can't have a set. Drako is a nice touch, but only as far as being an extra and as they opted for only three figures they would have been better served with various incarnations of Harry. With that said, I feel that overall the figures in either the 8 or 12 inch incarnation could compete on the level of other merchandise for the franchise quite well. Had these figures been released ten years ago–that is, prior to the last film–they would have made waves and impressed fans. I know I would have been. Now, you really only have a small dedicated group that is interested in other aspects of the franchise that moves away from collector dolls, though I am aware of a number of premium offerings in that department as well.

All in all the series of Harry Potter dolls from Figures Toy Company are a nice inclusion for the fandom and I am certain there are a lot of happy collectors out there that are glad that they got theirs while they could.

Recently I have begun to explore the world of FTC and what a fantastic world that is indead! While browsing their site I happened upon a find of a lifetime. Conan. Not just Conan the Barbarian mind you, an indreible 8" version that made my Mego dreams come true. Well, almost true. You see–Conan has gone into retirement. And as much as it pains me there was no way I was going to miss out on the opportunity to share not just Conan the Barbarian but Solomon Kane and Kull The Conqueror figures as well (I need to share my pain).

And before you tell me that there are plenty of action figures for Conan ... I know. They even spun off the series and turned it into a short lived children's cartoon released in 1992. Which is to question the sense of exposing children to the not kid friendly work of Robert E. Howard. The series came complete with its own line of figures. Though they were not half as impressive as ... These!

Conan the Barbarian

Includes an authentic cloth outfit, molded axe, boots, belt & wrist guards. Comes in resealable plastic clamshell packaging that can be opened and closed without damaging the figure.

Solomon Kane

Includes an authentic cloth outfit with a molded sword, pistol, gloves & boots. Also includes a cloth hat. Comes in resealable plastic clamshell packaging that can be opened and closed without damaging the figure.

Kull the Conqueror

Includes an authentic cloth outfit, molded axe, boots, belt, wrist guards & crown. Comes in resealable plastic clamshell packaging that can be opened and closed without damaging the figure.

Figures Toy Company has been producing a lot of different Joker figures, but what makes this pair jump out is the added level of detail they have received. Both Gold Card figures, they are exclusively sold be Excelsior Toys. That means if you are looking for them elsewhere you will be disappointed.

DC Comics Retro Outfit Joker Action Figure

This classic 8" Joker is pulled right out of the pages of some of Batman's greatest adventures. Sporting his Tux, the figure has a nicely tailored costume which plays on the characters style and sense of humor.

Retro Harley Quinn Action Figure

Harley Quinn fan? This 8-inch Golden Card figure has striking out fit. The choice in material is different than many of the FTC figures you'll find in their assortment, yet it is still true to the Bruce Timm and Paul Dinni design.

Are you looking for something original to add to your collection? For batman fans look no further than these retro 8-inchers produced by Figures Toy Company. These figures featuring Batman in his classic black costume are an Excelsior Toys exclusive so you can't order them directly through FTC.

When I saw the character I immediately thought of the Tim Burton classic film from '89. I can recall back to the day that my dad and I went to see it, sitting there together in the dark theater it was a treat for both of us, as he was the one that introduced me to the comics. I re-watched the film earlier this year, having not seen it for more than a decade, and I can only say that I wish they had had this figure back then.

Without Removable Cowl

There are actually three versions to choose from. The original Batman figure is sculpted with a rounder softer face and cowl. This was later reworked to be more inline with the DC Comics look of the character in his black costume. The new sculpt sports an edgier face and chin which deviates slightly from the Mego look, but only slightly, which shouldn't be a deal breaker for most fans.

Original Sculpt

New Head Sculpt

With Removable Cowl

Few companies have been able to capture a performer's likeness as well as the artists at Hot Toys. It is no wonder they have been able to make such an impact on the collectible toy market, raising the bar to an almost unforgivable height.

Today we are going to explore one of film and comics iconic characters, one that was played by the same man, Hugh Jackman, for nearly twenty years.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

TM © 2009 Marvel. © 2009 Fox.

This X-Men: Origins figure captures the visceral nature of the Wolverine character in a way the Benioff penned film could not.

Sculpted by Kojun, part of Hot Toys dream team, this figure captures all of the detail that you would expect from the company that has produced so many incredible 1/6th scale figures. Combine the talented hand of Kojun with the expert eye of JC.Hong and you have one of the best best likeness released at the time of the film's release.

One aspect of the figure that is especially noteworthy is that they used a new material for the head, which produced better skin texture and was used in in the production of later figures as well. The body was based on the newly developed hirsute muscular figure body which had over 30 points of articulation and stood approximately 30 cm tall.

Close-ups

No figure from HT is complete without a mix of features and accessories.

• Movie accurate costume of brown jacket, undershirt, shirt, jeans and boots
• Movie accurate Origins adamantium claws
• Accessories: dog tags and a leather-like belt with detailed buckle
• Two pairs of interchangeable hands

Full Body

The Wolverine

© 2013 Hot Toys Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Following on the heels of X-Men: Origins - Wolverine the artists at HT refined their take on the character, bringing the even event higher level of detail into the mix. This time the tailored clothing play an even bigger role in making the action figure come to life.

With the release of "The Wolverine" figure JC. Hong maintained his role as painter, this time working over the very competent work of Lee So Young, with Kojun providing art direction for the whole project.

Close-ups

The figure comes with five pairs of interchangeable palms including:

• One pair of fists with metal claws
• One pair of fists with bone claws
• One pair of fists
• One pair of relaxed hands
• One pair of palms for holding sword

Full Body

X-Men: The Last Stand

X3 Motion Picture and Images from Motion Picture © 2012 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

© 2012 Hot Toys Limited.

A The Last Stand what can we say about it that fans haven't already said a million times? Regardless of where you stand you can't help but be amazed at the work HT put into this 1/6th scale collectible. Besides being released the year before the above entry it captures a harder more comic book likeness of Hugh that isn't present in the other artists' work. This time Im Jung Hyuk was tasked with sculpting the head, though Kojun and JC. Hong maintained their positions of art director and painter respectively.

I find it remarkable that, though each head is specially hand-painted, they seem to maintain a strong consistency and quality rarely found in the collectible toy market. When you see the prototype you know that that is most likely what the end product will look like. With that said the paint work was a monumental achievement with this figure. Check out these close-ups to see for yourself.

Close-ups

• Three (3) pairs of interchangeable gloved palms including:
• One pair of fists with blades
• One pair of fists
• One pair of relaxed hands

Full Body

X-Men: Days of Future Past

We have written extensively about the Wolverine figure from X-Men: Days of Future Past. If you want to know the complete story of that figure you should check it out. For the sake of completion I wanted to include some shots of that incredible piece of art. If you could label an action figure a masterpiece then this definitely goes into that category.

We have seen a lot of amazing John Wick action figures in recent years. Namely those produced by DST have turned heads here at the Toy Keeper's Lair when you are in the market for 6" highly articulated figures. But none can compete with the expert craftsmanship of the toy makers at Hot Toys.

Few can hold a candle to the skill of their sculptures and when you have Yulli producing the head sculpt there is little any company can do to compete. Add to that the painting skills of JC. Hong and you have a nearly unbeatable combination, one that has produced the most realistic Keanu Reeves to date. This is not just the ultimate figure if you are a John Wick fan but the ultimate for Keanu fans as well.

Hot Toys is known, not just for their expert sculpting but their tailored clothes as well and that skill really shines with this 1/6th scale figure. You could almost swear that this is a life sized mannequin, so detailed are the clothes, but the detail doesn't stop there, in fact it goes all the way through the secondaries just as you would expect from HT.

The figure stands approximately 31 cm tall and sports over 30 points of articulations. Not only that but you get an assortment of interchangeable hands including:

• Two pairs of gun holding hands
• One pair of knife holding hands
• One pair of relax hands
• One right fist
• One gesture left hand

You will need all of those hands because with a character like John Wick the weapons make up an integral part of the appeal.

• Two pistols with removable magazines
• One pistol with removable magazine (can be placed in pistol case)
• One pistol and silencer with removable magazine
• Two shotguns
• One rifle with detachable strips
• One knife

Besides the all of that the figure comes complete with a nice assortment of miscellaneous accessories:

• Two Blood Oath Markers (regular and with blood finger print)
• Three stacks of gold coins
• Five pieces of gold coins
• One pistol case
• One pencil ("I once saw him kill three men in a bar... with a pencil, with a fucking pencil.")
• Specially designed oath marker themed hexagonal figure stand with character nameplate and backdrop

® & © 2018 Summit Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved.

© 2018 Hot Toys Limited. All Rights Reserved.