ALF the Animated Series - RHONDA!

ALF: The Animated Series - Collectible Figures - Rhonda - Coleco 1987

ALF: The Animated Series (1987-89) was a prequel spinoff to the extremely popular live-action ALF primetime show (1986-90). While I wasn't the biggest fan of ALF overall, he was hard to avoid in the era of 5 television stations. Plus, as a young kid, the humor was just raunchy enough to make me laugh. I was aware of the animated series but only have vague memories of it (there was also another series, ALF Tales). Mostly I remember ALF's home planet Melmac having the feel of 50s diner, which I thought was a really unexpected choice. But the strongest memory was the new design of ALF's girlfriend Rhonda. Her outlandish pink hair and doo-wap outfits were very fun (and a far cry from her bland live-action appearance the year prior). But surprsingly, I had nearly forgotten all about this show until last Summer when I walked into a vintage seaside toy shop while on vacation and found this little PVC of Rhonda. The rush of nostalgia for this little piece of plastic was palpable. Let's check out Rhonda below!

She-Ra the Princess of Power - GLIMMER!

Masters of the Universe - Collectible Figure #65 - Glimmer - Altaya 2024

She-Ra: The Princess of Power (1985-1987) was full of iconic female characters. The diversity of personalities, powers, and color palettes was frankly a little overwhelming. But one of the most steadfast and recognizable characters to me was always Glimmer. Glimmer was the daughter of Queen Angella and the Princess of Bright Moon. Before Adora defected from the Horde and arrived in the Whispering Wood, Glimmer was the leader of the Rebellion (but she quickly deferred to Adora's military prowess). In true 80's fashion, her "light" power was represented in dozens of different ways - from emitting blinding flashes to invisibility to flight (almost all the characters exhibited omega-mutant level powers if you paid attention). Glimmer was a constant presence in the cartoon as She-Ra's (best?) friend and a formidable warrior. She would appear in about half the episodes, but it seemed like more. This Altaya figurine perfectly represents her animated look. Let's check out Glimmer below!

Sonic the Hedgehog - AMY ROSE!

Sonic the Hedgehog - Buildable Figure Figurines - Classic Amy - Just Toys 2024

Two years ago we got a surprise buildable figurine of a modern Amy Rose just months after a 4" figure from Jakks Pacific hit the shelves. Now two years later as I eagerly await the upcoming 4" Classic Amy Rose from Jakks, we are surprised by a new buildable figurine of Amy in her classic looks. Those parallels really amuse me. (Although my Sonic shelf is quickly running out of space after all the recent Sonic Prime products). These buildable figurines from Just Toys can typically be found in the video game aisle of the electronics section of Target or at GameStop, but honestly I don't think this second series (featuring all classic designs) has hit regular retail yet. I found mine on Amazon when searching for the Jakks version. It's a fun series for fans of the Sonic franchise and I love how their sculpts and designs fit right in with all the other Sonic products from the last few years. I would love to see them branch out to some secondary characters next. Let's check out the Classic Amy Rose figurine below!

Poppy Playtime - KISSY MISSY!

Poppy Playtime - 12" Figures Series 1 - Kissy Missy - Phat Mojo Toys 2023

This is the figure that made me excited to start buying the Poppy Playtime figures that were hitting toy aisles this Summer. I always love modern 12" scale figures, but it seems that only a few toy licenses ever get that treatment: DC from Spinmaster, Marvel and Power Rangers from Hasbro, and Halo from Jazwares. (Plus the random one-offs like Lightyear from Mattel). But to see a new manufacturer with a new license like PhatMojo with Poppy Playtime is exciting. It's also cool to see a whole new genre (horror/horror gaming) in 12". This figure of Kissy Missy is appealing to me because her long limbs are inexplicably creepy and I love the simple gimmick of a spin-around head with a different facial expression. She is also surprisingly heavy and dense which is a far cry from the hollow plastic you typically see in this scale (and it allows her to stand firmly without fear of toppling over). I never saw this figure in stores, but she was readily available online. Let's check out the 12" Kissy Missy below!

Poppy Playtime - MOMMY LONG LEGS!

Poppy Playtime - 5" Figures Series 1 - Mommy Long Legs - Phat Mojo 2023

I legitimately think the most terrifying living toy in the Poppy Playtime game is Mommy Long Legs. This action figure seems so innocuous and sweet, but the few gameplay videos I've watched have changed my view of her completely. When you first meet her, Mommy Long Legs seems childlike and maternal. But throughout the game she becomes more unhinged; delivering the same mommyisms ("Play nice, now") in a more sinister tone and running in a spider-like fashion with her stretchy arms and legs. She has a "furious mode" where her skin becomes mottled and withered and her mouth forms an angry frown. But I personally find her "deranged mode" more scary. In this mode, she looks essentially the same as her happy appearance but her eyes are fully dilated and she acts and moves erratically. That juxtaposition of innocent appearance and unpredictable demeanor gives me chills. She's essentially a demonic Betty Spaghetty. Let's check out Mommy Long Legs below!

Poppy Playtime - KISSY MISSY!

Poppy Playtime - 5" Figures Series 1 - Kissy Missy - Phat Mojo Toys 2023

Poppy Playtime is a 2021 horror video game featuring an abandoned toy factory whose entire staff mysteriously disappeared ten years earlier and was shuttered. The factory is now in fact full of living malicious toys. You play a former employee who was lured to the factory with a letter from one of their missing coworkers. You try to escape the factory in maze-like corridors, being chased by the creepy toys and occasionally solving puzzles. I especially like the character design of the toys because they initially appear adorable, only to expose an extremely creepy or downright scary side. Kissy Missy is the pink female counterpart to the main male character, Huggy Wuggy (he looks like Kissy Missy but blue and no eyelashes). PhatMojo has definitely found a niche in the horror video game genre. Hopefully the Poppy Playtime line is as prolific as Bendy and the Ink Machine was because there are a lot of characters who would make great toys. Series 2 is already announced. Let's check out Kissy Missy below!

Titans Rebirth - RAVEN!

DC Multiverse - Titans (Beast Boy Series) - Raven - McFarlane Toys 2023

I remember being pretty young the first time I saw Raven in the pages of The New Teen Titans and being inexplicably scared of her. The funny thing was that it wasn't her hooded, shadowed-face look that spooked me, but rather her uncostumed visage with a pronounced widow's peak and stark features. My reaction made no sense, but it oddly lingered into adulthood. Her quirky revamp in the Teen Titans animated series from 2003 seemingly opened the floodgates for new interpretations of the character. And I've honestly loved every version of her since (I was particularly fond of the feathered "Black Bird of Terror" look in the New 52). This figure represents a newer look that I believe debuted in her 2018 Daughter of Darkness solo series. I love that this version blends the classic 80s look with some newer details like pink hair, prominent red medallion and belt, and "feather-cut" cloak. It's a fun modernization while still being very recognizably Raven. Let's check her out below!

G.I.Joe Classified - ZARANA!

G.I.Joe Classified Series (6" Line) #48 - Dreadnok Zarana - Hasbro 2023

Zarana is iconic to me because she was the first female G.I.Joe character that all the boys desperately wanted the toy of. The previous ladies all still seemed to have a cootie factor making them uncool for the average boy to play with. But Zarana had a natural badassery, family lineage, and highly sought-after color-changing gimmick that made her a desirable toy regardless of your gender hangups. I would love to say that her ability to disguise herself was a notable trait. But Scarlett, Lady Jaye, and Baroness had been pulling that trick for years and we were all wise to the random female civilian like a Star Trek redshirt by the time Zarana was introduced. Instead, her punk-rock aesthetic and typical Dreadnok temperament made her a standout character foe her first appearance in Arise Serpentor Arise. I've been wanting a Zarana in the Classified line from the beginning but was curious how they would handle her hair. Luckily they gave us two amazing options - cartoon and vintage toy. Let's check out Zarana below!

Apex Legends - LIFELINE!

Apex Legends - 6" Action Figures Wave 6 - 18 Lifeline - Jakks Pacific 2022

I started this blog on Jan 19th 2012 and I was initially very excited about planning different themed groups of posts like I had seen on other blogs. My themes have gotten pretty obscure and specific in recent years (like a week of mermaid figures or bee-themed figures), but back in 2012 I had just picked up the first Walking Dead Michonne figure right at the beginning of February and my first theme became an impromptu celebration of Black History Month. I've tried to replicate that in subsequent years, but figures of black female characters can be pretty scarce. Plus it always seems weird to delay any reviews of new figures until February. So I've made it a habit to tag any of these posts with "BHM" so they can be searched and celebrated year-round, regardless of the month. Lucky for me though, I (unintentionally) have a backlog of quite a few diverse characters that I'm excited to post this month, so I get to relive my original journey into toy blogging. Lifeline from Apex Legends is first. Let's check her out below!

Sonic the Hedgehog - AMY ROSE!

Sonic the Hedgehog - Buildable Figure Figurines - Amy Rose - Just Toys 2022

Considering we just got a 4" modern Amy Rose and a 2.5" classic Amy Rose in the last year, I honestly didn't expect to see any interesting product until she eventually makes her big screen debut. But then this surprise buildable figurine series showed up at Target and I was super excited. The company is Just Toys (who previously had a logo that read as "JusToys" - I did some thorough research and determined they were the same company) and they can be found in video game toys section of Target - not the Neca/Funko wall, or even the CCG section, but rather the small area within the video games that has plush Nintendo products and odd video-game-themed homewares. Yet another area of that store to keep on my radar. The first wave of this series has five characters with interchangeable parts (I assume parts can be swapped between characters, but I only purchases Amy so I'm unsure). They are unarticulated but well made a great addition to my Sonic shelf. Let's check out Amy below!

Marvel Legends - AGONY!

Marvel Legends Venom Multipack: Venom, Agony, and Riot -  Hasbro 2022

Yet again (and in a very short timeframe) Hasbro has given me another of my most-wanted Marvel Legends figures. There has always been something special about Marvel's symbiote mythos. The dialogue between alien and host is a dynamic and original storytelling technique that only works in comic form. In 1993, in the pages of Venom: Lethal Protector, there were five new symbiotes introduced as experimental super-soldiers from the dubious Life Foundation - they were all spawns of Venom and in an unexpected twist for the time, two of the five were female: Scream and Agony. But for some reason all the merchandising ignored Agony. Scream got a ToyBiz figure in 1996, a Mini-Mate, a Heroclix, a Funko Pop, a Nano Metal, and even a Legends figure in 2018. I truly never thought there would be an Agony action figure in my collection, but I couldn't be happier with the results. I'm also happy that this Amazon exclusive three-pack came with Riot and a great new Venom. Let's check out Agony below!

Camp Cretaceous - BROOKLYNN!

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous - Brooklynn & Monolophosaurus - Mattel 2021

When I first started seeing graphics for Netflix's CGI animated series Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, my eye was always drawn to the pink-haired girl in the background. It's interesting that among all the various human characters introduced in the Jurassic franchise, no one has ever sported an alternative look. I guess they don't want the pesky humans stealing attention from the dinos. Not that Brooklyn is even alternative, she just has unnatural hair, but I'm here for it. Brooklynn is a peppy, social-media-savvy travel vlogger. Animated characters that fill those modern 'celebrity' roles are often my least favorite. I don't personally relate to a relentless quest for fame so I find most of the antics and self-absorption annoying. But Brooklyn isn't too bad. Plus I know the intended audience of this show is obsessed with YouTuber (now Tiktok) culture and she's very popular. This figure marks the 8th female from the modern JW line.. and there are 5 more on the horizon! I can't wait. Let's check out Brooklynn below.

Sonic the Hedgehog - AMY ROSE!

Sonic the Hedgehog 4" Series -  Amy Rose w/ Hammer - Jakks Pacific 2021

Although I don't play any video games now as an adult, I spent a huge portion of my youth glued to my game consoles. The majority of this was Nintendo and the only Sega exposure I had was my handheld Game Gear, to which I owned three games: Lemmings, Ecco the Dolphin, and Sonic the Hedgehog (in retrospect, despite years of karate training and sibling roughhousing, I realize I was an adolescent pacifist and eschewed any violent games). Sonic was so fun and fast, even on a tiny screen it was mesmerizing. I'm pretty sure Sonic himself was the only playable character in my version, but Tails was already on my radar and Knuckles arrived shortly after. However, it wasn't until I was an adult collector getting into the Jazwares Sonic toys that I discovered Amy Rose, the primary female character in the franchise. She embodies all the cute stylized designs I love about the Sonic Universe and fits seamlessly into my female-focused collection. Let's check out this newest Amy Rose below!

Super7 ReAction - JEM & PIZZAZZ!

ReAction Action Figures - Jem & the Holograms - Jem & Pizzazz - Super7 2021

These two latest ReAction figures have thrilled me more than you can imagine. Jem and the Holograms was an iconic part of my childhood. I was always very multi-faceted with my interests loving everything from girly properties to sci-fi, to action, to horror. There was a weekend cartoon block called Super Sunday which seemed perfectly catered to me. It contained cartoon shorts of Inhumanoids (a scary demonic cartoon), Robotix (a sci-fi robotic fantasy show), Bigfoot (a (boring-by-comparison) vehicle-based action cartoon), and of course Jem (the music-filled pop extravaganza). I loved them all. As I became an adult collector, I have desperately wanted to include Jem in my collection. But my aversion to soft-goods dolls and my loyalty to cartoon-accurate designs have kept any products from making the cut. My (impossible) ideal would be MOTUC-style figures. But  as the ReAction line picked up, I knew this would be the line to eventually include Jem, and I'm so happy I was right. Let's check them out below!

Roblox - LUNA GALACTIC POPSTAR!

Roblox Imagination Collection - 4" Figure Wave 03 - Luna - Jazwares 2021

When I see this new Roblox Imagination collection figure of Luna the Galactic Popstar, I can't help but think how much she reminds me of Tallstar from She-Ra. The bright colors, pink hair, and gold stars are a visual connection I just can't unsee. The Imagination Collection from Roblox and Jazwares is a series of characters that I presume are designs by fans/players of the game. It's my understanding that the Roblox game features a massive library of elements (bodies, hairstyles, clothes, etc) that let you create your own characters. This toys series seem to feature some of these creations (the cardback says Luna was designed by bunpunk). Seeing the crazy variety of characters in this collection lately makes me think I should start playing this game. Who knows, maybe I'll be awesome and they'll immortalize my work in plastic. In the meantime I will keep my eyes and ears open for news of upcoming figures (they tend to pop up out of the blue with no advance notice). Let's check out Luna 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!

The Imaginext Ladies of TEEN TITANS GO!

Teen Titans Go! – Starfire, Raven, Terra, Jinx, and Ravager – Fisher-Price 2015-18

The Teen Titans have become such an unexpected presence in pop culture. I remember trying to explain the team to my friends way back in gradeschool only to have my excitement fall on deaf ears. But then flash-forward many years later sitting in a hotel room with my siblings on a rainy vacation day when the Teen Titans cartoon premiered on the Cartoon Network. It was a very weird re-imagining, and it honestly was not to my liking, but I felt a sort of vindication that this cast of characters I loved would be exposed to the masses. That original series from 2003 lasted five seasons and was rebooted with a more super-deformed redesign as Teen Titan Go! in 2013 (which is still ongoing). While all these shows are a bit too wacky and nonsensical for me personally, I keep getting drawn in to the merchandising. The character designs are fun and colorful. And when Fisher-Price started to release a Teen Titans Go sub-line under their amazing Imaginext brand, I was hooked. Let's check out the lady Titans below!

Ready Player One - ART3MIS!

Ready Player One - 4-Pack - Parzival, Art3mis, Aech, and I-Rok - Funko 2018

I swore I was going to read Ready Player One this Summer but I already have a huge lineup of books on my nightstand. I've heard great things from both grownups and kids (and those cross-generational genres are typically my favorite). I finally saw the movie this past Winter and genuinely enjoyed it. It was fast-paced, fun, and absolutely overflowing with pop culture easter eggs. This action figure 4-Pack from Funko was released back in 2018 back when I had never heard of Ready Player One. They are kind of unofficially aligned with the ReAction line, so this set was always on my radar, but I didn't consider actually buying them until a year later when Walmart had them on clearance for three bucks. And once I finally saw the movie I was so glad I didn't let them slip by. Art3mis is the OASIS avatar of the token female character, Samantha Cook, who is one of the Top Five players (I'll admit I snicker every time I read that the players are called "gunters"). She's a cool character. Let's check out Art3mis below!

Roblox - DIGITAL ARTIST!

Roblox 4" Action Figure Collection - Digital Artist - Jazwares Toys 2020

Roblox has been on my radar for several years. The creative themes of the toys always appeal to me, but I'm just not interested in getting into yet another block-style property (I already have a few Minecraft and Korejanai Robo figures). But even still, seeing the blocky Mermaids, Fairies, and Centaurs in the toy aisles still stops me in my tracks every time. I can't figure out exactly when and why the change took place, but this newest wave of action figures feature 3.75" characters with non-cubist renderings and pretty realistic proportions and details. It's kind of an exciting prospect for toy potential. Fortnite has been fun, but the female figures come out at a pretty slow pace, and they've been a little stylistically repetitive lately (killer teddy bears and raver girls with guns!) So seeing all the quirky female-centric Roblox figures from the last few years and imagining them reinterpreted into this realistic style could have amazing potential. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next wave. Let's check out Digital Artist below!

Overwatch Ultimates - ZARYA!

Overwatch Ultimates: Series 02 Single-Pack Figures - Zarya - Hasbro 2019

I'm in love with this figure. I've never played Overwatch (nor any modern video game for that matter), but I've really been drawn to the character design in this Overwatch Ultimates line. Sometimes I feel like I have a stereotypical female aesthetic cemented in my brain. I'm naturally drawn to an hourglass shape and a pretty face on my collectibles, which is fine. But sometimes I worry that the characters that don't fit that mold get undeservedly ignored. This observation surfaces a lot with robots and Transformers, where a character that doesn't have exaggerated features doesn't register as female at all. But then a figure like this Zarya comes along and makes me think I'm not as close-minded as I fear. Her body is a powerhouse, she has a thick neck, huge biceps, a decidedly unfeminine haircut, and she sports tattoos and scars. But she still presents as a fantastic example of feminine masculinity. I think this might go down as one of my favorite figures of the year. Let's check out Zarya below!