Plastic Imagination Rise of the Beasts Scorpion - Flesh Plastic Imagination, 2014
Day #1,081: December 25, 2014
Scorpion - Flesh Not Cahriv
Rise of the Beasts Wave 1 Figure
Item No.: n/a Manufacturer:Plastic Imagination Includes:n/a Action Feature:n/a Retail: est. $4.00 each Availability:November 15, 2014 Other: Early promo release for Kickstarter backers
It's Christmas, so let's look at something that I didn't necessarily originally want. The 60mm Scorpion - Flesh is one of three unpainted figures from the initial runs of these molds, and dagnabbit, it's pretty good. Creator Jon Karis runs LittleRubberGuys.com, which covers the male action toy figures that are too small to be deemed "action figures" by the serious (read: boring) adult collector. It's a wonderful site and a great resource, mostly because this is where you're going to see Japanese capsule figures or American Garbage Pail Kids figures early - it's not wildly active, but it's one of those sites that I personally find informative and useful. The biggest success in that little rubber figure space is, in the eyes of many American fans, Mattel's M.U.S.C.L.E. - and this figure (as well as his Rhino companion) are a tribute to that classic line of toy figures.
The level of sculpted detail is pretty good, and the fleshy plastic does a nice job letting the light bounce off it in a pleasing way that shows you everything you want to see in terms of the sculpt. There's a lot less squinting involved, so I appreciate that. It has the same 5 joints, complete with tail, and a Glyos plug in each spot. You can swap the pieces to your liking, making a patchwork nightmare of a figure or you can customize it. As a fan of the recent OMFG figures, I plan to leave it as it is.
Getting the "Muscle Flesh" right has been difficult. That's not fair, really - impossible is more like it. They're getting closer, but it's still not quite right. If you collect the OMFG line (you should) it's basically the series 2 color of flesh plastic, but less glossy like the series 1 figures. It's a good combination, but they're obviously going to look different when you line them up on your shelves. I wish they could all match, but what can you do? The experimentation to find the perfect match for "Muscle Flesh" continues... for good or for ill. With his preposterously developed legs, the color really works well - if you're going to make an insect man on steroids, why not color him to look like a line of men that may or may not also be on steroids? A wrestler scorpion man just makes good sense, especially when you consider that an armored scorpion should easily be able to dispatch a man that looks like a panda or a urinal or a digital watch.
Our freaky bug buddy comes with two giant pincers with an unusually large grip. Intentional or not, they can hold a Glyos peg quite easily. The standard 3mm Battle Beasts weapon is too small to fit snuggly in the hands of this scorpion, although they fit just fine in the Rhino's amusingly undersculpted mitts. The scorpion holds together nicely, the joints move smoothly, and if you've bought a Glyos figure over the last few years you basically know what to expect. It's durable, solid, everything moves like it should. It won't "wow" you, but it won't disappoint you either.
This figure line was born out of a failed successful Kickstarter project, and by their nature those lines tend to be something of a vanity project. You'll get good figures, sure, but it's ultimately a vision of one or two guys that you're supporting. This line is indeed a tribute to the creative force, but the flesh colors are a nod to the creative force's hobby, which is sort of a nerd turducken. I assume you may be having nerd turducken for Christmas dinner. If not, and you didn't get these in your stocking this morning, I suggest grabbing the pair for $4 a whack. As indie toys go, the quality and value is there. They aren't as cheap as a $1 Hot Wheels car, but I'd say they're on par with your average blind bagged figure these days. I personally don't think most fans should buy each and every flavor, but if you're already buying those new Muscle Flesh mini-figures from various makers, these would be good additions to your stash. I don't relish the idea of dozens of recolors, but I'm ready to shell out for a glow-in-the-dark one as soon as they're ready.
--Adam Pawlus
Additional Images
Additional Rise of the Beasts November 2014 Images
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