Court of the Dead - GALLEVARBE (NAGA)!

Court of the Dead Wave 2 - Gallevarbe (Eyes of the Queen) - BossFightStudio 2024

I'm taking a leap of logic and labeling this version of Gallevarbe as a Naga. I base this purely on the lack of a final fluke fin on her tail and the sculpted reptilian scales on her shoulders. On the flip side, her written description and water effect accessory makes me think she might be another aquatic form like her Death's Siren figure. Either way, I'm mentally making making a Mermaid/Naga distinction in my head. This Eyes of the Queen version of Gallevarbe actually looks better than the Death's Siren version (in my humble opinion). Something about the color gradients and the headsculpt just appeal to me more than the mermaid form (which really surprises me as a mermaid loyalist). Plus they both have a sinister creepy vibe which made them perfect for October. I'm also curious to put the BFS parts-swapping intent to the test with these figures. I might just combine all my favorite parts into my ultimate sea witch. I'll add pics if I do. Let's check out Gallevarbe, Eyes of the Queen, below!

Court of the Dead - GALLEVARBE (DEATH'S SIREN)!

Court of the Dead Wave 2 - Gallevarbe (Death's Siren) -Boss Fight Studio 2024

This figure was a rough one for me. Overall I love it. But I am super squeamish about gory or zombie-like toys. It's a completely ridiculous mental thing. But after I hold a Walking Dead action figure or any superhero "blood-splattered variant", I feel odd and immediately feel compelled to wash my hands. On the other hand, I love mermaids. Especially if they're evil. Reading Mermaid Forest back in the early 90s was a formative event for me and happy pretty mermaids have played second fiddle to the wicked ones ever since. Luckily, the gory/decaying parts of this toy are a rich pink color against the dark green of her tail, so my brain registers it more as a natural skin pattern rather than open wounds. This Gallevarbe character can change shape and was given two pretty awesome figures in Wave 2: This Death's Siren mermaid figure, and the Eyes of the Queen naga figure I will be reviewing next. I'm hoping for a larger mermaid in the new 1:12 line next. Let's check out Death's Siren below!

La Borinqueña - LA BORINQUEÑA!

La Borinqueña - 1/12 Action Figures - La Borinqueña - Boss Fight Studio 2024

I've been a fan of Boss Fight Studios since I pledged all-in for their first 2014 Kickstarter campaign for their Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S. line. I loved these figures, but I'm typically more drawn to larger scales than their traditional 1:18 product. But luckily they've greatly expanded their variety, I've been eagerly buying almost all of it. The Power Stars, Strawberry Shortcake, Fraggle Rock, Bucky O'Hare, and Saurozoic Warriors make up an extremely diverse portfolio. But I admit I was always hoping they would do a traditional Marvel-Legends-esque series. And I finally got that with this amazing female-centric La Borinqueña comic line (for some reason I never picked up the Lucha Libre ladies). But these figures are beautiful and very fun. I've been a casual fan of the comics for years, but these figures bring them to life in a whole new way for me. It also prompted me to order the comics I'm missing to learn about the new characters in the line. I hope BFS makes a wave two. Let's check out Marisol aka La Borinqueña below!

La Borinqueña - LÚZ LA LUMINOSA

La Borinqueña - 1/12 Action Figures - Lúz La Luminosa - Boss Fight Studio 2024

I've been aware of La Borinqueña since 2018 when I ordered a comic and a vinyl figure featuring the titular character emblazoned with the Puerto Rican flag. I can readily admit I'm pretty ignorant of the culture, language, and social issues of Puerto Rico, so this comic was exposing me to a whole new world (and I'm not even referring to the superheroics in the story). I enjoyed the comic quite a bit, but it quickly got buried in my stacks of weekly comics and (nearly) forgotten. I would pick up the occasional one-shot comic at my lcs, but somehow I missed out on the expanded La Borinqueña universe with all the new costumed heroes until a few years ago when this toy line by Boss Fight Studio was unveiled. I now have a shopping cart full of backissues on my browser as I type this, and am intrigued by a hardcover collected edition supposedly hitting stores in two weeks. But in the meantime, I have to judge this character, Lúz La Luminosa, purely on aesthetics. In short, she looks awesome and tough as nails.

Fraggle Rock - RED!

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock - Series 1 - Red - Boss Fight Studio 2024

Despite being constantly exposed to Sesame Street and The Muppet Show all throughout my childhood, it was actually Fraggle Rock which made me a lifelong Jim Henson fan. The subterranean society of lovable adventurers, artists, explorers, and performers captured my imagination like nothing had before. Red is one of the two main female Fraggles in the show and is presented as a daring athlete and stuntwoman. She often challenges her friends to join her in competition or gathers the whole Fraggle community to watch her perform a daring high dive. I won't lie, she was easily my least favorite character. I am neither sporty nor competitive, so I just didn't relate. But at the same time, I think she is the most iconic with her big red ponytails and boisterous tomboy personality. This Fraggle line from Boss Fight Studio is technically from the new Back to the Rock reboot on AppleTV+, but luckily the character designs are mostly identical to the classic looks. They are amazing. Let's check out Red below!

Saurozoic Warriors - PAVA PERGIA!

Saurozoic Warriors - Pava Pergia (Ninja Archaeopteryx) - Boss Fight Studio 2024

The late 80s and the majority of the 90s were filled with cartoon properties featuring anthropomorphic characters. Street Sharks, Biker Mice from Mars, Swat Kats, Extreme Dinosaurs, Bucky O'Hare, Barnyard Commandos, Moo Mesa, Battletoads, etc dominated the toy aisles and television sets (and I'm not even mentioning the big marquee properties - TMNT, Thundercats, etc). But a sad thing for me was that this genre rarely featured any (non-human) female characters. And if they did, they almost never got a toy. My favorite of these properties was DinoSaucers (1987) which had several great female characters in the animation. Unfortunately the Galoob toyline was never released (Glasslite in Brazil later purchased the unused Galoob molds and released 5 characters), but none of the ladies were ever in consideration for plastic. This new Saurozoic Warriors line is a sort of love letter to this era, and specifically to DinoSaucers. The characters are all-new, but there is an occasional nod to the past properties.

Fraggle Rock - COTTERPIN!

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock - Architect Doozer & Cotterpin - BFS 2024

In 2022, Apple TV+ premiered Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, a faithful reboot of the amazing 1983 Jim Henson series, Fraggle Rock. I love this new series. Some of the character designs have been tweaked, mostly for the better. For instance, a lot of the puppets in the original series had thin wispy hair and dull colors. But in the reboot it's as if the material limitations of 1980's puppetry have been overcome. It honestly looks the way I imagine the 1983 series looked in my memory (but am always critical of when I actually watch the vintage episodes). Cotterpin is the main Doozer character from both series. She is a young Doozer from a long line of hard-hat-wearing construction Doozers who wants nothing more than to be a Fraggle (so she can dance her cares away). This updated design of Cotterpin has fuller hair, brighter colors, and now she appropriately wears her namesake cotter pins in her hair as barrettes. The Boss Fight Studio Fraggle line is very impressive. I can't wait to get the rest.

Boss Fight Studio - LIME CHIFFON!

World of Strawberry Shortcake - Lime Chiffon w/ Parfait - BFS 2023

In the world of geeky pop culture we are often exposed to the design theme of a group of similar characters in different color motifs. The Magical Girl genre comes to mind with Sailor Moon, Glitter Force, and Magical DoReMi. Each featuring stylistically similar characters with differentiating hair color and outfits. But action genres had it too with Power Rangers, Power Pack, and Voltron. Not to mention kid properties like Teletubbies and the Wiggles. But my very first exposure to this spectrum-of-characters concept was Strawberry Shortcake (and a few years later rather literally with Rainbow Brite). I remember rummaging through bins of donated toys in a church basement when I was about six years old and finding a slew of small Strawberry Shortcake dolls scattered around. I had never seen these characters and quickly became obsessed with finding them all and lining them up. When my sister approached and informed me they were scented, my mind was blown (and I became a fan for life). 

Boss Fight Studio - ORANGE BLOSSOM!

World of Strawberry Shortcake - Orange Blossom w/ Marmalade - BFS 2023

One of my favorite Strawberry Shortcake characters as a kid was Orange Blossom. I was always drawn to the color orange (except I never wear it) and oranges have always been my favorite fruit. Add to that her artistic characteristics (she is often depicted with a paintbrush in hand) and her pet being a butterfly, and I was hooked (one of my many hobbies is raising butterflies and moths from eggs found in the wild - for release after metamorphosis). Plus, even as a kid I was aware of race and gender representation, or lack thereof, and I knew Orange Blossom had yet another reason to be unique in the 80s toy landscape. I'm really glad she was chosen for the first wave of the BFS Strawberry Shortcake line. Because there's always a chance for cancellation before wave two, but Orange Blossom was high on my wish list. Luckily Wave 2 has been revealed with Lemon Merinque, Raspberry Tart, Apple Dumpling, and Blueberry Muffin - so she'll have plenty of friends soon. Let's check out Orange Blossom below!

Boss Fight Studio - STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!

World of Strawberry Shortcake - Strawberry Shortcake w/ Custard - BFS 2023

I have a great appreciation for the doll lines of the 80s. A significant portion of my toy nostalgia is based in Jem, Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, and She-Ra. But I have these OCD tendencies that make me shy away from rooted hair and soft goods clothing. It's problematic enough that the anxiety I get over maintaining a doll overshadows the actual enjoyment of owning it. Because of that, I always assumed there were huge swaths of 80s licenses that would never have representation in my collection. Sure, some of the these brands are action-figure-esque, like She-Ra and Jem. But I had assumed the majority of 80s dolls were a lost cause. But then Boss Fight Studio announced this Strawberry Shortcake line and some new doors opened up. Finally an action figure with all the design elements of the "girl toys" and the playability of the "boy toys." I can't wait to see if all my other beloved brands get similar treatment in the coming years. Let's check out Strawberry Shortcake below!

Bucky O-Hare - MIMI LaFLOO!

Bucky O-Hare - Figure #12 - Captain Mimi LaFloo - Boss Fight Studios 2021

Bucky O'Hare is very visually nostalgic to me. Something about the comic covers with their ultra-busy illustrations and bright colors made them really stand out on the comic shelves. Even the small Continuity Comics logo on this figure packaging takes me back to my many hours spent in comic shops as a youth. Something else very unique about the Bucky O'Hare comics was the way Michael Golden would draw eyes. Nowadays, giant irises with color gradients are commonplace, but back then it was very unique. Mimi LaFloo was a mystery to me when Boss Fight Studios first announced her. But I quickly realized that was because she was introduced in the 90's Bucky O'Hare cartoon which I didn't even know existed until recently. But I have a thing for anthropomorphic animal toys, especially foxes, so I was thrilled to get her. In preparing for this review I watched some old episodes and I was happy to see other female characters for BFS to potentially sink their teeth into. Let's check out Mimi below!

Bucky O-Hare - JENNY!

Bucky O-Hare - Series 01 - (First Mate) Jenny - Boss Fight Studios 2017

In the late 1980s I fell victim to a typo in one of my comic book price guides. I was an avid fan of Arthur Adams and used to hunt down all his work. One of the more obscure publications I tracked down (I was in elementary school mind you) was Echo of Futurepast #1. I was excited to get this issue, but was ultimately disappointed to find Art Adams had nothing at all to do with the comic (The names Arthur Suydam and Neal Adams had been combined in my price guide). But it wasn't all a loss, because the first story in this anthology was Bucky O'Hare by Larry Hama and Michael Golden. I quickly grew to love this green rabbit and his anthropomorphic crew. The art reminded me of Mike Mignola's Rocket Raccoon (which was my favorite comic) blended with Commander Toad (which was my favorite series of kids books I had outgrown years earlier). And I must not have been the only one, because 7 years after that premiere short story, there were solo comics, two video games, an animated series, and a toy line.

Kickstarter: VITRUVIAN H.A.C.K.S.!

Series 01: Greeks (Spartans vs Gorgons) - Boss Fight Studios 2014

So last week I funded my second Kickstarter campaign.  This one is different than my first one (I Am Elemental) because it can potentially be much more expensive, but more likely has the potential to be an unprecedented value - thanks to the numerous stretch goals.  If all the stretch goals get met, there will be 39 unique figures (including 16 differently-hued blank bucks - and 23 unique sculpts).  Plus four additional weapons packs to spruce up those bucks.  The first series is an ancient Greece theme with a variety of Spartans up again Medusa and an army of Gorgons.  The female-centric antagonists are obviously the focus of this post.  There are 11 female figures sculpted and 8 colored female bucks (again, only available if all the stretch goals are met).  The Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S. (Highly Articulated Character Kit System) is a line of 4" scale action figures with easily separated body parts for endless customization potential.  As of today, there are 15 figures unlocked, with 20 days of funding remaining.  Here's hoping that everything gets unlocked!  Let's check them out below.