Yo Gabba Gabba - FOOFA!

Yo Gabba Gabbaland! - Articulated Figures - Foofa - Jazwares Toys 2026

I walked into FiveBelow last week and was overjoyed to find this small articulated Foofa figure. Believe it or not, I've wanted to add this character to my collection for almost two decades, but was unable to find a toy that wasn't plush or a simple PVC figurine. I love flower-themed characters, weird preschool properties, and I was obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba! in my early thirties. If you're unaware, this show was bizarrely cool. It was created by musicians... specifically alt rock indy/punk band members who wanted a better show for their kids. Kidrobot designed the character models and awesome bands regularly appeared doing original kid's songs in their unique styles. The characters even went to Coachella 15 years ago when it was still cool. My favorite band appearances/songs were The Faint, The Killers, and The Shins (Youtube them!). The show was just fun. Foofa is the token girl of the five main characters. She is a pink "flower bubble" and I always loved her design. Let's check her out below!

Imaginext - POISON IVY!

Imaginext - DC Super Friends - Rivals Pack - Poison Ivy - Fisher-Price 2024

Poison Ivy has been having a bit of a renaissance in the comics recently. Her ongoing solo title is up to issue #26 already and is developing her character in new and interesting ways. The art by Marcio Takara is amazing and the first story arc is reminiscent to The Last of Us, which is gloriously dark. I've even been hearing comic shop chatter about Ivy being in the next Batman film. To be clear, people are wishing for her to be the next film villain. And I would love that too. Similar to Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy is another character that is often sanitized for young audiences. It's easy to reimagine her as a mild troublemaker snaring her foes with vines and pollen rather than a ruthless eco-terrorist leaving a trail of bodies in her wake. But at least Poison Ivy's slightly wicked persona stays pretty consistent regardless of the target audience. This Imaginext figure represents Ivy in the newest DC Girls launch. Time will tell if this is simply a Fisher-Price theme or a wider multi-media push. Let's check out Ivy below!

MAFEX - Batman: Hush - POISON IVY!

MAFEX #198 - Batman: Hush (Jim Lee) - Poison Ivy - Medicom Toys 2023

2002 was an eventful year for me. I had graduated college the year before, but the world was in turmoil so my adult life was a little delayed. In 2002 I moved to a city, launched my career, had my first mature relationship, and once I accepted that my life was (somewhat) stable, I began resurrecting my old hobbies that I hadn't indulged since high school. I suddenly had access to comic book stores again and there was a bit of a renaissance happening. My favorite titles on the shelves that year were Darwyn Cooke's Catwoman, Mike Allred's X-Force, Olivier Coipel's Legion, and of course Jim Lee's Hush storyline in Batman. With a rogue's gallery as impressive as Batman's, it's shocking that no one had attempted a storyline that brought them all together before. Hush was special because, despite it's huge cast, each character truly got to shine. The writing, art, and complex character histories were a recipe for a perfect comic event. It was so impactful that we're still getting merchandise 20-plus years later.

Nintendo - TOADETTE!

World of Nintendo - 4" Series Wave 36 - Toadette - Jakks Pacific 2024

I read recently that Jakks Pacific made a statement years ago that their intention was to release every Super Mario character in both their 2.5" and 4" scale lines. This thrills me. I can never decide which scale I like better with the Nintendo line, but currently the 2.5" line has significantly more female characters. Rosalina, Birdo, Princess Toadstool, Daisy, and until this release, Toadette, have been missing from the 4" line. The only 4" figure not in the 2.5" line so far is Cat Peach. (Note: Daisy will be in the next 4" wave supposedly. There are blurry pics). This is also amusing because Jakks does the exact opposite with the Sonic lines. The 4" Sonic line is robust with female characters, but the 2.5" is lacking. Toadette was created in 2003 to be a teammate for Toad in Mario Kart: Double Dash wherein every character has another rider teamed with them. Since those simple beginnings she has appeared in more than 40 games and has become quite the icon. Let's check out this 4" Toadette figure below!

The Spiderwick Chronicles - SPRITES!

McDonalds Happy Meal - The Spiderwick Chronicles - Sprites - McDonalds 2008

The Spiderwick Chronicles are a series of five children's fantasy books by Holly Black written between 2003-2004 (with an additional six tie-in books published through 2009). I really appreciate when faerie lore is taken seriously. I grew up poring over the creepy encyclopedic Faeries by Brian Froud and therefore have a healthy awe and fear of the fey. Ted Naifeh's Courtney Crumrin series epitomizes the dark and mysterious faerie aesthetic I love. And coincidentally I discovered Holly Black when Ted illustrated her Good Neighbors trilogy. She clearly carries the same respect for the genre that I do. I immediately began reading The Spiderwick Chronicles and really enjoyed it. The movie adaptation had come out a few years prior in 2008, but I hadn't seen it. When I did, I was predictably disappointed. I find that big studios often miss out on the nuances that make these properties so great. In this case, the movie started great, with a slow creeping discovery of a magical world under our noses. I loved the atmosphere.

Nintendo - TOADETTE!

World of Nintendo 2.5" Figures Wave 37 - Toadette - Jakks Pacific 2022

Toadette is one of those characters that I am obsessed with for no reason other than her cute design. She first appeared in 2003's Mario Kart: Double Dash as Toad's sister, or friend, or sweetheart (it's been unclear) and went on to appear in at least nine other games since (mostly in the Mario Party and Mario Kart series) as both playable and non-playable characters. Unfortunately I am horrendously unskilled at those games and hate playing them. Give me a traditional side-scroller any day. But Toadette was created and thrives in those genres. Toad was the token cute character from the Mario Bros franchise, so it makes sense that his design would be co-opted for other characters - most predictably a female version. And I appreciate that the "female" design elements aren't big eyelashes or an hourglass silhouette, but rather these wonderfully nonsensical orb-pigtails. She's grown to become quite a visually iconic member of the Mario franchise and it's exciting that she finally got a toy in the Jakks line.

DC Gallery - POISON IVY!

DC Gallery - PVC Statue Series - Poison Ivy - Diamond Select Toys 2020

Poison Ivy is one of those characters that is very hit-or-miss with merchandise. I personally feel that most of her products are a miss. The interesting thing about the personality of Pamela Isley is that she exudes a sense of cold sensuality and seductiveness, but without the obvious tropes of gravity-defying cleavage or tarty makeup. Not that those things are bad, but they just seem out of character for Poison Ivy. When I first saw this DC Gallery PVC statue from Diamond Select back in 2020, I remember not giving it much thought. I (wrongly) thought her legs looked stubby and I thought the base was too large for my personal aesthetics. But then a month ago I saw her in a display case in a comic shop and was suddenly mesmerized by how good the sculpt was. She seems lost in some deep Botticelli-esque botanical ecstasy, and I can't take my eyes off her. The flower base and flowing hair create a sense of movement that makes for dynamic views from any angle. She is amazing. Let's check out Poison Ivy below!

POP Funko - BLACK ORCHID!

DC POP! Heroes #435 - Black Orchid - Earth Day Walmart Exc - Funko 2022

I don't think I've ever been so excited for a Funko Pop as I was for this new Black Orchid exclusive. Other Pops have been great but it's really rare when one of my favorite comic characters gets made in plastic for the very first time. Back in the day when there were official DC Direct message boards, I was the nerd constantly begging for an action figure of her. Black Orchid first appeared in Adventure Comics in 1973 followed by several years of solo backup stories in Phantom Stranger. A typical early story involved some evil businessmen being horrible for several pages, then in the final few panels, the quiet unassuming secretary would reveal herself to be Susan Linden-Thorne aka the Black Orchid and the story would be over. It was pure camp with an amazing costume. In the late 80s she became a member of the Suicide Squad before getting a Vertigo revamp for most of the 90s, then a reimagining in the New52. She's been a consistently wonderful C-lister who finally gets a toy. Let's check her out below!

Digimon - LILIMON!

Bandai Spirits - Digimon Adventure Shodo Vol.3 - Lilimon - Bandai 2021

Digimon is a property that has always appealed to me, but similar to Pokemon, I actually find it overwhelming and confusing. However Digimon stood out because it had many more humanoid characters that I thought looked amazing. I especially love the flower-themed ladies (and, yes, I'm aware they are technically genderless). I was always bummed that there were never any true action figures of them, only glorified PVC figurines (that are inexplicably expensive on eBay). But now this new series of Digimon Shodo Adventure figures has given us a perfect Lilimon. She is truly amazing. Her sculpt is adorable, her small scale is fun, and her poseability is impressive. I only hope this line continues and gives us Rosemon and Lilamon so I can continue my action figure garden. Currently Lilimon will be joining a handful of Spiderwick Happy Meal toys and Perfuma, but I know Digimon Adventures Shodo could give me so many more. Fingers crossed! Let's check out Lilimon below!

Nick Jr - RAINBOW RANGERS!

Nick Jr's Rainbow Rangers  - Team Rainbow Rangers 8-Pack - Fisher-Price 2020

It's actually pretty surprising that there hasn't been a preschool-age magical girl series in the US before. The formula is so simple: girls with powers, transformation sequences, adventures. And if you want to have a really successful property, apply color themes to the characters. The most recent similar show I've watched was Glitter Force on Netflix (aka PrettyCure), and it followed an extremely similar format as this new Rainbow Rangers show on Nick Jr, albeit aimed toward an older preteen/YA audience. But the interesting thing about seeing this rainbow-themed genre interpreted for a preschool audience is that it instantly reminds me of many classic properties from my childhood like Strawberry Shortcake and Rainbow Brite. The show itself almost has a Dora the Explorer feel with a constant flow of adorable wildlife in need of rescue, but the costumed adventurer angle really makes it stand out. These toys are simple with only 4-poa, but they are really colorful and fun. Let's check them out below!

Funko POP Uma Thurman POISON IVY!

POP! Heroes #343 – Batman & Robin: Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) – Funko 2020

I've always thought it was such a crime that the 1990s Batman movies were so under-merchandised. Sure, there was a handful of action figures back then, but the effort was weak (and almost unrecognizable in the case of Poison Ivy). With all the revisited properties filling the shelves in the last decade, It's hard to believe we haven't seen a movie Poison Ivy since 1997. So I was extremely excited to see her merchandised after over twenty years. This Funko Pop is part of the Funko Specialty Series exclusive to small vendors like comic and toy shops. Maybe now that the licensing ball is rolling we might finally get a proper action figure of her. (But my hopes aren't too high for McFarlane to pull through). I think the most exciting next step will be an Alicia Silverstone Batgirl Pop, which I predict will be revealed in the next year (fingers crossed!). Uma Thurman rocked quite a few memorable looks in Batman & Robin, but I think this cone-haired one is the most iconic. Let's check out Poison Ivy below!

Batman the Animated Series - POISON IVY!

Batman the Animated Series #49 - Poison Ivy - DC Collectibles 2019

One of the biggest disappointments in my adult collecting life would have to be the release of the 2017 Batman the Animated Series GCPD Rogues Gallery 5-Pack. This deluxe set retailed for a prohibitive $175.00 and featured the final figure I needed for my personal favorites collection: BTAS Poison Ivy (and as an added insult:  $175 ÷ 5 = $35, which was noticeably more than the single release figures at the time). I almost caved a dozen times over the years and bought the whole set. And on eBay the single figures were almost always over 80 bucks. But I had faith that DC Collectibles would eventually re-release her in a single, or at the very least a Gotham Girls set. It took a little over two years, but I finally have her in my greedy little hands. And while this particular animated likeness isn't the strongest in the line (the face and hair from most angles seems a little off), it's still very good and I'm ecstatic to finally have her in my collection. Now I'm wishing for a Huntress in the JLA line! Let's check out Poison Ivy below!

Kotobukiya ArtFx Plus - POISON IVY!

ArtFx Plus 1:10 Pre-Painted Statue - DC Comics Poison Ivy - Kotobukiya 2018

I'm really loving the new line of ArtFx+ statues from Kotobukiya. The face sculpts are beautiful and classic (sculpted by Keita Misonou). The older ArtFx+ statues from back in 2013-14 had great sculpts all around (sculpted by Atelier Bamboo/Goutaro Takeuchi) but the faces were much more stylized. I was a little bothered when the Harley Quinn statue was shown a few years ago with the new face style, thinking that it wouldn't look right with my existing Catwoman and Batgirl. But before I knew it they announced a new Catwoman as well as this spectacular Poison Ivy. I must say that this statue is one of my favorite pieces of Ivy merchandise I own. It has a real classic look. She looks seductive and wicked without resorting to skimpy clothing and ridiculous cleavage. To me, Ivy has always been one of those characters who oozes sex appeal, but doesn't need to beat you over the head with it. I think she's best when her personality tells the story, so I love this slightly modern take on her original costume. Let's check her out!

DC Bombshells - POISON IVY!

DC Designer Series: Ant Lucia #3 - Bombshells Poison Ivy - DC Collectibles 2017

Pin-Up girls have always been a struggle for me. I love the hair, I love the fashion, and I love the overall aesthetic. But I can't escape the reality that this style was born in an era of subservience and exploitation for women. Luckily the modern trend of pinup fashion has reclaimed the look in the name of feminism. What was once idealized imagery for male titillation is now embraced as a symbol of strong, assertive, and creative women. I think one of the coolest pop-culture ripple effects of this trend has been the DC Bombshells series designed by Ant Lucia. In 2013, DC Collectibles released the first retro pinup-styled Bombshells statues. So far there have been 19 original statues (excluding the various repaints), plus at least 4 more on the horizon. Then in Summer of 2014, DC Comics held their first Bombshells variant cover theme, which they repeated the following Summer before creating an entire Bombshells comic series. I count roughly 65 Bombshells issues between the variant covers and the series.

Masters of the Universe Classics - PERFUMA!

MOTUC Club Eternia - Perfuma - Mattycollector Exclusive - Mattel 2015

Well, it is complete. Perfuma is the final She-Ra figure to be recreated from the vintage toy line (excluding a few variants).  She was the character I was least excited about of all the Great Rebellion and Horde ladies. In the cartoon I thought she was silly with her goofy personality, little ballet slippers, and entrancing flower smells. Like a lot of characters, Perfuma had very few appearances (only two), and I was perfectly okay with that.  But again, like almost every character I've looked down upon from those early years, once I got my hand on this toy, my tune completely changed. She suddenly seems much older (in a good way), more formidable, and surprisingly her flower powers seemed interesting. I'm always amazed at how the Four Horsemen can change my opinion so thoroughly. It's kind of sad to be done with the main She-Ra characters, but it's nice to wrap it up with such a surprisingly nice figure. Hopefully the C-list characters will be released someday, but in the meantime, let's check out Perfuma!

Lanard's Revamped FAIRY-KINS!

Fairykins (the Magical Pixies) 28 Piece Play Set - CP Toys - Lanard 2012

When I went to my first Toy Fair several years ago I quickly learned that a byproduct of that event is that you get on tons of mailing lists. Most of the catalogs filling my mailbox were way off-topic for my interests (swingsets, stuffed animals, etc), but one catalog had a Fairykins Enchanted Forest playset that really intrigued me.  A little research showed me that this was yet another Lanard property that had been around for many years (perhaps as a knockoff to Sea-Wees?) but had recently modernized a'la yesterday's Pony Tales review. I found that these small dolls were available in a variety of assortments: single packs, vehicle sets, giant playsets, etc. But unfortunately I couldn't find them anywhere at a decent price.  Then recently I discovered this CP Toys-distributed "all-in-one" playset on Amazon and I finally took the plunge. I think it was a very good purchase.  I love the design of these figures, and I'm obsessed with their firefly steeds. Let's check out the Fairykins below!

Funko POP! - Arkham Asylum POISON IVY!

Funko POP! Heroes #55 - Batman: Arkham Asylum - Poison Ivy - Funko 2014

As much as I dislike most video game redesigns of comic book heroes, I absolutely love Poison Ivy in the Arkham Series. Previous comic designs always seemed cheesy to me. Jim Lee's version unveiled in Hush was extremely popular, but I was never a fan.  A big part of that was a disconnect between her green-skinned inhuman elemental side combined with weird 1990's hair and a swimsuit-cut outfit of leaves (which seemed way too 'specific' of a design for a woman detached from human concerns).  On the flipside, the Justice Poison Ivy was just nude with strategically placed vines, which was just uninteresting.  This Arkham version seems to get it right.  The human elements are unquestionably human (i.e. her shirt).  But her slicked-back hair, haunting eyes, green skin tone, and symbiotic vines make for a very creepy contrast to that shirt.  I love it.  That said, this is only the second toy version I have of her in this look (after the Play Arts Kai version).  Let's check out this amazing Poison Ivy Pop!

DC Super Friends Imaginext POISON IVY!

Imaginext DC Super Friends - Scarecrow & Poison Ivy - Fisher-Price 2014

Fisher-Price and their parent company Mattel are amazing.  The Imaginext line is going to soar to new levels in 2014 with a commitment to second-tier superheroes and even cool collector-friendly (non-superhero) blind bags.  I think all fans of this line were nervous about the limited presence of female characters.  For the longest time it seemed like Catwoman would be the only lady produced.  Then a year later we were all surprised by Harley Quinn and Wonder Woman figures.  Now yet another year goes by and we get this green-skinned beauty to balance out the Gotham City Sirens trio.  Now I'm holding my breath for future announcements.  I suspect we'll see Batgirl, Hawkgirl, and Zatanna eventually.  Cheetah would be awesome, too.  I'm excited for the future of this line and it seems like the designers are, too.  The variety of the characters released so far and in the future is nothing short of inspiring.  Let's check out this latest addition to the line below!

Super Mario Bros TOADETTE!

Nintendo Prize Collection - Super Mario Characters 3 - Banpresto 2007

Who would have thought there could a cuter mushroom person than the main man Toad?  I think this little pink lady might be giving him a run for his money.  Toadette first appeared in 2003's Mario Kart: Double Dash as Toad's sister, or friend, or sweetheart (it's been unclear) and went on to appear in at least nine other games since (mostly in the Mario Party and Mario Kart series) as both playable and non-playable characters.  I've been seeing this figure of Toadette on eBay for years but only recently caved and bought her - I shouldn't say caved actually, because she was extremely cheap.  Now I suddenly really dig this character and am hoping to someday get figures of her in smaller scales like PopCo and K'Nex.  Banpresto is a company that we don't often see too many collectibles from here in the US (although they made my absolute favorite Godzilla toy) but in Japan they are everywhere.  The prevalence of cheaper vinyl toys is another Japanese trend that is sorely lacking in the US.. but someday we'll get on board... someday.  Let's check out Toadette below!

Play Arts Kai - Arkham City POISON IVY!

Play Arts Kai - Arkham City Figure No. 6 - Poison Ivy - Square Enix 2013

As much as I tend to gripe about modern character redesigns, I'm not a complete purist because love this Arkham City version of Poison Ivy.  A lot of that may have to do with the fact that the previous (bewilderingly popular) green-skinned "Hush" version always felt like a lazy design in my eyes.  To me, this updated version has equal parts elemental goddess, sinister villainess, and alluring seductress - a formula that other versions of Ivy failed to perfect.  I think if I had to analyze my own contradictions when it comes to character modesty, I think it oddly enough boils down to skin color.  Meaning that a green or blue skinned woman being scantily clad doesn't have the same lurid quality as a normal-hued woman would have.  I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm always overanalyzing myself and that was my latest self-revelation.  This 2011 Arkham City design seems unchanged from 2009's Arkham Asylum design.  If there are differences, I certainly can't spot them.  Anyway, it's 2am and I'm rambling.  Let's check out this green goddess below!