As part of the initial four figures released at last year’s NYCC – The Cyberleader is the final figure to get a chance to shine in the figure spotlight. Just yesterday I raved about how awesome the Master is, how does the Cyberleader stack up?

While the Master stands out my favorite of the first group of four figures, the Cyberleader is the most frustrating. The figure is so close to perfect – but one detail just stands out and mars the figure. Using the same basic body – the Cyberleader is based on a well articulated and high quality body. The cyberman outfit is fantastic – I love the printing on the outfit at the elbows and knees giving it a corrugated look. The chest apparatus is niced sculpted with great detail. The head sculpt is amazing, it nails the look of70′s Cybermen.

Where I stumble with the figure is with the where the head attaches to the shoulders. While it maintains neck articulation, it results in the head floating up above the shoulders and just looks off. I would have happily given up the neck articulation to have the head sit closer to the body – its not like a Cyberman has ever turned his neck on screen! To illustrate my point a little better, check out this ‘what if’ picture:

If this one detail was tweaked, I’d be over the moon with this figure – which is why I find it to be the most frustrating of the first four. It could just be incredible, instead of just good. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a solid figure and definitely worth picking up if you’re a fan of classic Who. Both the Cyberleader and the Master are still available from Entertainment Earth. Overall, I’m impressed with the first four Doctor Who figures from Bif Bang Pow! The have a great blend of the retro aesthetic with attention to detail and screen accuracy. The head sculpts on the Sontaran and Cyberleader are beyond top notch! I can’t wait for the next batch to be released from Bif Bang Pow! later this year.

As part of the initial four figures released at last year’s NYCC – The Master is the latest figure to get a chance to shine in the figure spotlight. While I’ve had the 4th Doctor and Styre for quite awhile now, I only picked up the Master and the Cyberleader this past Christmas – making them new to me.

Given that I’ve previously talked about the other Bif Bang Pow! Doctor Who figures, I can really get this review going. In fact, I believe the Master to be the best of the bunch released to date. I mean, he’s fantastic. The articulated body that serves as the basis for the figure is top notch, well articulated but never floppy. The costume, albeit quite simple, is excellent. The material used looks gauzy, very similar to the television costume. A nice touch is that the hood has wire in the hem, allowing you to bend and drape it as you see fit. I’ve fiddled with it a bit, and still haven’t gotten it quite right. The Sash of Rasillon also adds an essential bit of pop, but is also removable. The Master’s head sculpt is on point – with a creepy, bug eyed expression the Master looks like he just popped right out of ‘the Deadly Assassin’. Sure, if you haven’t seen the episode, the figure head sculpt might seem a little goofy, but it’s pretty close to screen accurate.

I have to say that, as a whole, the figure is so good it looks like someone got a hold of the Master’s TCE (that’s a Tissue Compression Eliminator) and shrunk him down, plopped him on a card and sent him to my house. If you want one sent to your house, you can pick him up from Entertainment Earth.

With a pre-toy fair announcement, a toy fair debut, and an appearance at SDCC the Bif Bang Pow! Doctor Who figures became available a few weeks ago at NYCC.  Earlier this week I received my fourth Doctor and Styre figures.

A few posts ago (Figure Spotlight #32) I took a look at the 4th Doctor; and many of my observations also apply to Mr. Styre here.  The packaged figure looks great, but the bubble was a little loose on the card.  The articulated body used on the figures is great; allowing for a wide range of posing options. The clothing and accessories are appropriate and look great.   Where Sontaran Field Major Styre excels is in the head sculpt; by not requiring a human likeness the ‘retro’ aesthetic really works well on this figure.  And not only is the sculpt great; the paint apps are also excellent (and the hands are painted as well to match the skin tone of the head) with the exposed skin having a pale, ashy color.  The Sontaran looks very alien, which works since he is alien.

If you’re a Doctor Who who’s also a fan of ‘retro’-styled or Mego figures – you’re going to love the new line from Bif Bang Pow! I’m really impressed by both the 4th Doctor and Sontaran Styre.  While the Doctor satisfies my long standing want for the vintage Mego Doctor Who figure, Styre was unexpectedly my favorite of the pair.   If you’re not a fan of ‘retro’ figures; then this one isn’t for you – and you probably didn’t make it to the end of this spotlight. But if you are a fan, you probably don’t want to delay in scoring one – these will be fairly limited – so head off to Entertainment Earth and order yourself a set!

Check after the jump for a few more images

Just before Toy Fair 2011, Bif Bang Pow1 announced that they secured the rights to produce figures from the classic series. Naturally this announcement excited me, as one of my ‘holy grails’ is a Mego 4th Doctor and Leela figure from the 70′s. At toy fair, prototypes for the first four figures (4th Doctor, Sontaran Styre, the Master, Cyberleader) were on display. Despite an oversized noggin on the Doctor, I felt pretty good about these figures, particularly after having a chat with the folks behind Bif Bang Pow!.  The first wave of figures were finally released at NYCC a few weeks ago and I received my fourth Doctor and Styre figures today.

The figure comes carded; with a cardback design similar to the one recently unveiled by Underground Toys at SDCC.  This is not surprising as the BBC has wanted to maintain consistency with the package designs for Doctor Who product (DVD packaging excluded).  Fortunately, the design is quit sharp with a blue diamond scheme and images of the first wave figures right on the front of the card.  The Doctor was very nicely contained in the bubble – with plastic inserts keeping his hat in place.  Unfortunately on my sample the bubble was mostly unattached already – but as I’m an opener, this wasn’t a cause for concern.

Once freed from his constraints, I was very pleased with the figure.  The likeness is quite good; not perfect, but vastly improved from the prototype.  His clothing includes shoes, pants, shirt, vest, tie, jacket, the essential scarf and a hat.  I was really impressed with how good the clothes looked and fit.  It’s nice to be able to move the scarf around and try other looks.  The body underneath is very well articulated, with joints at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, ribcage, waist, hips, knees, ankles.  As a result many action poses are possible.  The Doctor also includes a sonic screwdriver accessory, which is not a surprise.  It’s nicely done, with a little bit of paint around the emitter.  The only thing that I’m not really feeling is the hat; the figure just looks better without it.  A swappable head would have been a better way to have a hatted / not hatted look – but I’m not sure how practical that’d be.  In the end, I’m just going to go hatless.

If you’re a Doctor Who who’s also a fan of ‘retro’-styled or Mego figures – you’re going to love the new line from Bif Bang Pow! I’m really impressed by the 4th Doctor and Sontaran Styre (expect a write-up on him tomorrow).  As far as comparisons to the classic Underground Toys line – I’m not going to bother.  They are very different lines, with different (and even complimentary) aesthetics.  Neither is better – they’re both different. If you’re not a fan of ‘retro’ figures; then this one isn’t for you – and you probably didn’t make it to the end of this spotlight. But if you are a fan, you probably don’t want to delay in scoring one – these will be fairly limited – so head off to Entertainment Earth and order yourself a set!

Check after the jump for a few more images

About Bif Bang Pow!

Bif Bang Pow!™ (bifbangpow.com) produces first-rate collectibles for such popular properties as Doctor Who™, Dexter™, Lost™, The Six Million Dollar Man™, Battlestar Galactica™, Californication™, The Venture Bros.™, NCIS™, Eastbound & Down®, Beastly™, and The Twilight Zone™.  Founder Jason Lenzi is a seasoned television producer and the ultimate fan of cultish pop culture.  So when he created his company in 2005, he took the fan’s perspective.  His idea was to bring items to the marketplace that he himself would want to own.  Cultivated from TV, movies, books, comics, music, and more, Bif Bang Pow!’s mission is to provide high-quality action figures, toys, and collectibles to the massive cult audience (and kids of all ages) that wishes these toys were already in their collection.  Bif Bang Pow! is a unit of JLA Direct, LLC.

About NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products Group

NBCUniversal is a leader in providing entertainment programming to the domestic and international marketplaces.  NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products Group manages all global ancillary television business endeavors for the NBCUniversal Television Group, including third-party home entertainment distribution, consumer products, musical soundtracks, special markets projects, and the NBCUniversal Online Store.  For the latest product updates and an overview of the properties managed by the group, visit the NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products portal at http://www.nbcuconsumerproducts.com.

About EMCE Toys
The EMCE Toys brand (pronounced “em-see”) was founded to bring playability back to toys.  Inspired by the original action figure company, Mego Corp., we strive to craft quality, durable action figures, playsets, and collectibles that recreate the sense of fun that toys were originally made for.  Our launch lines are either licensed reproductions of original Mego toys and packaging, or original creations modeled after the classic lines of the 1970s and early 1980s.  EMCE is proud to have the active input and cooperation of Marty Abrams, founder of Mego and father of the modern action figure.  We hope to continue to honor his legacy with our work.  We have also been honored to incorporate the talents of veteran artist Harold Shull, original illustrator of Mego’s classic and distinctive packaging from the 1970s.  As we continue to extend this kind of inclusion of the original Mego teams, we get closer to our goal of bringing Mego back as a viable toy company in all but name.  EMCE was created by veteran pop culture entrepreneur Joe Sena, President of SphereWerx, LLC, and craftsman Paul “Dr. Mego” Clarke.

Name: ‘Geek’ Domo
Series: Domo Qee
Released: July 2011

Over the past few years, a Domo Qee has been a SDCC staple.  Domo Qees are a series of Domo-shaped figures; each painted with a unique deco.  The 2011 San Diego Comic-con Domo was painted with a ‘geek’ motif – featuring chunky glasses, a button down shirt (with pocket protector), skinny tie and black slacks.  For the record, this was on my ‘must get’ list from this past comic-con and the Dark Horse booth was one of the first I went to on preview night.

If you have any Qee figures, or a similar vinyl type figure; you know exactly what to expect.  The articulation is limited; the sculpt is simple and stylized and the deco is spot on.  This figure really excels as its a unique take on the Domo character; but if you’re not a fan of the Japanese television icon, then this figure likely is of little interest to you.

Name: Chewbacca
Series: Star Wars Pop! Vinyl
Released: July 2011

Funko’s Pop! vinyl line was one of my surprise favorite items from this year’s toy fair.  I love the simple, yet still detailed approach these figures take.  I also love at the breadth of the line with licenses from movies, comics all the way to cereal boxes.  It’s just a fun line at a great price point (just under $10 from most stores).  For this year’s SDCC, Funko offered a wide variety of exclusive Pop! vinyl figures, including this Chewbacca.

As part of the Star Wars Pop! vinyl line, Chewbacca here is a bobble head.  He shares the same general proportions as all Pop! vinyl figures with a “deformed” aesthetic but features sculpted detailing.  The mold and general coloring as the mass market release of Chewbacca, however the convention exclusive is  flocked.  I have to admit, I’m a sucker for flocked toys – and as a result this Chewie is just about perfect.  The mass market Chewbacca (available now online and in Target stores) is great – you should buy one if you like Star Wars; but the flocked version is awesome.

In the past year Thundercats have become hot, hot, hot.  With their new TV animated series having launched a few weeks ago, a new toy line from Bandai is popping into stores across the country.  The toy lines include a 4 inch line with figures and vehicles, a 6 inch line and a 8 inch Thundercats Classics collectors line.  Bandai’s PR company was kind enough to send AwesomeToyBlog a sample of the 4″ line, so keep reading to see what I thought of the villainous Mumm-Ra.

The demon-sorcerer Mumm-Ra (suggested price $7.99) is the self-proclaimed “ever-living source of evil” and serves as the chief antagonist of the Thundercats.  In toy form he stands right around 4 inches tall despite his hunched over posture and features thin and lanky limbs; as one would expect an ancient evil mummy to have.  Shrouded in his red cloak, the figure looks great – very similar to the on-screen model.  The cloak is removable, but the figure looks much better with it on.  Mumm-Ra’s articulation is on the low side for a modern 4″ figure with him featuring joints at the waist, neck, shoulders and wrists.  Due to the thinness of the limbs, I can understand why there aren’t a ton of joints – but articulated elbows would have been nice to have. The figure’s deco is spot on – its not a complicated paint scheme but its clean, well done and works.

The final thing to note is the incorporated “ThunderLynx” magnet embedded in his back which allows him to interact with and unlock special features in compatible Thundercats toys.  By hiding the magnet under the cloak, the action figure is included but also enhances the appearance of the figure – giving Mumm-Ra a bit of a hunch back look.  Personally I love when an action feature is included in a figure, particularly when it doesn’t inhibit either the appearance or the articulation.

After seeing the line at SDCC, I had pretty high expectations of the figures.  Mumm-Ra didn’t disappoint as he definitely looks nice, with a great sculpt and aesthetic. I’m looking forward to picking up a few of the other figures in the line to see how the others fair in comparison.  If you haven’t seen the figures in a local retail store, check them out at Entertainment Earth or Amazon.

The Mumm-Ra figure was kindly provided by Weber Shandwick for Bandai America.

Over the weekend I redeemed my Captain America credit, and printed off my HollyWood movie money.  One of the nice things about the movie money (at least at my theater) is that the $12 credit was applied to both tickets I was purchasing – so my total for both tickets was $3.  The film frame and the artwork are very nice; it is a nice presentation.

Where I think the Senitype Collectible movie ticket would be great is as a substitute for a theater gift card.  Not only are you giving the gift of the movie, you are providing a little something extra for the recipient to enjoy.  It’s just a little something special, which is probably what you’re looking for when giving a gift, no?  You can get more info on the Senitype website.

Coinciding with the kick off of this years’ San Diego Comic-con, the Disney Store released their exclusive series of Robot Vinylmation figures.  Vinylmations, if you’re not familiar with them, are 3 inch vinyl figures which all have the same shape (that of Mickey Mouse) but have different paint decos – each series of figures have different themes.  The figures are blind boxed, so you never know which you’re going to get.  There are a total of 12 designs in the Robots Vinylmation series (I love Ignition-Bot and AudioSonic-bot); the one in my box was the Steampunk-Bot as designed by Gerald Mendez.

So what do I think of the figure?  I’ll admit, this is my first Vinylmation; so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The first thing I noticed was how heavy it was.  This isn’t any flimsy, cheap plastic toy – its got some substance.  I am also impressed by the quality of the paint apps which is essential they be crisp when the deco is the defining characteristic of the figure.  Fortunately everything is very crisp and sharp!  I’m not much of a steampunk fan, but I do like the design of this figure; particularly the clear “ears”.  I can completely see the appeal of Vinylmations; from all perspectives its a solid figure – quality construction; great paint applications and a good design.  If you want to pick up your own Vinylmations Robot, they should be available now at your local Disney Store, or online at DisneyStore.com.

Vinylmations sample has been kindly provided by Ronstadt PR for Disney Store.