Moore Collectibles - VAMPIRELLA!

Harris Comics & Clayburn Moore - Vampirella - Moore Action Collectibles 2000

When I first started collecting action figures seriously as an adult (roughly 25 years ago), there was a very interesting trend happening in the collectible market. There were toys of scantily-clad women everywhere. Oddly enough, they weren't in big box stores, but rather record stores, video stores, comic shops, etc. I personally found the vast majority of these to be garbage with awkward sculpts of tarty, forgettable characters. But Moore Action Collectibles stood out from the pack with beautiful sculpts and popular licenses. Fathom, Witchblade, Kabuki, and Lady Death were just a few of the offerings. But my favorite was always the classic Vampirella. She came in variations (Black or Gold outfit) and also an alternate Julie Strain headsculpt. But this traditional version is arguably the best. Her iconic barely-there costume and expressive face are hard to deny. I never bought her until recently, but 23 years later she's just as stunning as I imagined all those years ago. Let's check out Vampirella below!

LooseCollector - VAMPIRELLA!

Vampirella -  1:12 Scale Action Figure - Executive Replicas LooseCollector 2023

I'm loving the character selection that LooseCollector has been producing. There are a lot of female comic and animation characters that are hypersexualized and not lumped into any large licensing group. Big toy companies won't bother with these ladies. Rather, they secure license deals that include hundreds of characters (not just one or two) and they have to stay pretty tame in order to market to big box stores and conservative audiences. This has left a whole genre of characters virtually unmerchandised for the collecting community. Vampirella is a prime example. Originally designed by Eisner-Award-Winning Trina Robbins in 1969, Vampirella has been oozing sexuality and dark vengeance for over five decades. But you would never see this costume in the Walmart toy aisles. But thankfully LooseCollector is on the case and is giving us great figures that blend in nicely with our 1:12 figures collections. (And I'll wish for it again, give us an Aeon Flux please!). Let's check out Vampirella below!

Arthur Adams Busts - VAMPIRELLA!

Women of Dynamite - Vampirella Resin Bust - Dynamite/Brewing Factory 2017

Vampirella is truly an iconic character.  Her design is simple, yet unique (and overwhelmingly provocative). As a child I always felt I shouldn't be looking at her, or at least that I must hide her image from my parents. But as an adult, I find comfort that her costume was designed by comic artist Trina Robbins, who among other accolades was the first female artist to illustrate Wonder Woman comics. Knowing that her barely-there costume was designed by a woman somehow allows me to more easily admit that I really like it. My first in-depth exposure to the character was through my obsession with the art of Arthur Adams. I picked up his Creepy Fearbook #1 and Vampirella Summer Nights and I was mesmerized. I was over the moon when Dynamite Comics announced their series of Arthur Adams'-designed busts (featuring Vampirella and Red Sonja). But that kicked off years of frustration with sold out products, variants being more prevalent than standard versions, and secondary market inflation.