Venture Brothers Rusty/Brock review

[michael crawford]

One of the things I picked up at SDCC was the first 6 figures (including the exclusives) for the new Venture Brothers line from Bif Bang Pow. I'm looking at two of them today - Dr. Venture and Brock Samson. These are going to be polarizing figures, but I think the Mego style does work with this license.

I also have a guest review from Guy Klender, who's looking at the SDCC exclusive Tron figure. If you like cool packaging, you're going to love this baby. You can find all the reviews at the usual:

Michael Crawford's Review of the Week - the number one source for action figure, toy and pop culture reviews!

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

Michael
MWC

[Mister Kennedy]

You didn't mention Rusty's complexion. My Dean figure's face is such a light tone that his features get lost. Does Rusty have the same issue?

[generic]

I've only seen part of one episode of the show, so I'm not too familiar with how they are supposed to look, but the figures seem to be very good likenesses to me. This seems like a great line.

[LonnieFisher]

Great review!

[michael crawford]

Hmmm - yea, he's a white boy, that's for sure, but I can see his features clearly enough. The cut of the mouth could be a little softer, but that's partly due to the soft hollow head.

[Brown Bear]

I know this probably sounds wierd, but I was hoping to see Brock neked!

[LonnieFisher]

I know this probably sounds wierd, but I was hoping to see Brock neked!

I was thinking the same thing.

[spamn]

It seems to me that Dr. Venture would do better on the skinnier Mattel body, or a frankenbody with the mattel upper body. Maybe the Venture boys would too. The standard Doc Mego body is a mite too buffed for him.

[pmwasson]

Wasn't there suppose to be swivel biceps on these figures? Doesn't look like Rusty has them.

[drmego]

not for these figures

Wasn't there suppose to be swivel biceps on these figures? Doesn't look like Rusty has them.

He doesn't - the swivel bicep was done for Flash Gordon and will be used
for oher characters if desired, but the first Venture Bros. predated the
LJN arms.

[Sandman9580]

After reading that review, and how "polarizing" everyone thinks they are, I gotta say, maybe it's a good thing that Megos are the only versions of them right now. I agree with Michael Crawford that some licenses are a better fit for Mego than others. But I also think Megos - or let's say the 8" format - would be a lot less polarizing if people actually gave them a chance. Between Venture Bros. and Twilight Zone, BBP is putting out some gorgeous action figures. Not as a "Mego", not as a "retro novelty", but just as a cool action figure. So if they're selling out on EE, maybe people who are ambivalent about the format and are getting them just 'cause they're fans of the show and there's nothing else to get, won't be so ambivalent once they have them in hand.

[spamn]

After reading that review, and how "polarizing" everyone thinks they are, I gotta say, maybe it's a good thing that Megos are the only versions of them right now. I agree with Michael Crawford that some licenses are a better fit for Mego than others. But I also think Megos - or let's say the 8" format - would be a lot less polarizing if people actually gave them a chance. Between Venture Bros. and Twilight Zone, BBP is putting out some gorgeous action figures. Not as a "Mego", not as a "retro novelty", but just as a cool action figure. So if they're selling out on EE, maybe people who are ambivalent about the format and are getting them just 'cause they're fans of the show and there's nothing else to get, won't be so ambivalent once they have them in hand.

I love Mego and the 8" scale to death, but I can definitely understand how someone who was raised on Marvel Legends and DCU 6" would find them to be a step down in both detail, articulation, and poseability. They are.

That's pretty much the way I felt about the design of He-Man figures after being raised on Megos, so I get that.

They also are a lot closer to Barbies, with their squishy heads and cloth outfits than any Marvel Legends figure, so there may be some masculinity threatening going on there.

Plus, the fact that they've risen to prominence through Twisted Toyfare Theater and Robot Chicken have raised a generation of toy collectors who see them as non-serious toys and can't take them seriously when applied to a favorite line.

But to them all, I still say - tough luck. Learn how to do head shrinks and make your own like we all have had to do for so long. Let us have this for 2010, so that our favorite format can be a viable choice for other properties into the future.

If enough of them still want to buy more sculpted figures in the 6" scale, they'll be made, I'm sure.

[palitoy]

But to them all, I still say - tough luck. Learn how to do head shrinks and make your own like we all have had to do for so long. Let us have this for 2010, so that our favorite format can be a viable choice for other properties into the future.

Amen, cry me a river 6" sculpted figure collectors, you have thousands of choices out there.

[Sandman9580]

But to them all, I still say - tough luck. Learn how to do head shrinks and make your own like we all have had to do for so long. Let us have this for 2010, so that our favorite format can be a viable choice for other properties into the future.

That's just it, though. In order for the 8" format to be commercially viable in the long term, it's going to need to pick up more buying customers. I'm not privy to production numbers or sales figures, but I doubt there's enough Mego fans to support every "retro-ized" property that's coming down the pike. That's why the lack of more conventional Venture Bros. figs may actually help. (Same with the Twilight Zone.) It could exert a downward pressure on the Megophobia that a lot of people seem to have. I hope. I mean, the alternative is that they stay away in droves. But my hope is that enough people try them out and like it, and that there's a tipping point.

Plus, the fact that they've risen to prominence through Twisted Toyfare Theater and Robot Chicken have raised a generation of toy collectors who see them as non-serious toys and can't take them seriously when applied to a favorite line.

That's a really interesting point...

[spamn]

That's just it, though. In order for the 8" format to be commercially viable in the long term, it's going to need to pick up more buying customers. I'm not privy to production numbers or sales figures, but I doubt there's enough Mego fans to support every "retro-ized" property that's coming down the pike. That's why the lack of more conventional Venture Bros. figs may actually help. (Same with the Twilight Zone.) It could exert a downward pressure on the Megophobia that a lot of people seem to have. I hope. I mean, the alternative is that they stay away in droves. But my hope is that enough people try them out and like it, and that there's a tipping point.

Maybe, and I hope so.

It's tough to tell how many toy fans the complainers represent over the rest of the buying public. The complainers are louder.