Marvel Gallery - LADY DEADPOOL!

Marvel Gallery PVC Statues - Lady Deadpool - Diamond Select Toys 2016

For a few short years, Wanda Wilson was a pretty regular character in Marvel Comics. Wanda was Earth-3010's version of Deadpool. Known as Lady Deadpool in our world, she first appeared in 2010 and was instantly pretty iconic. Sporting a costume almost identical to Wade Wilson Deadpool except for a long exposed ponytail, she is the epitome of a reductive gender-swapped hero. There is nothing really new or reimagined about this character, but I personally felt drawn to her. And when the Deadpool Corps was established, she firmly establish her unique place in the comic universe. And she was pretty popular in the merchandise department as well. In three short years, she had three action figures, a mini-mate, multiple figurines, a Funko Pop, Heroclix, and several statues. By 2013, she was killed off, and by 2015 Gwenpool was introduced to fill the "female Deadpool" void, and Wanda was left in the dust. This Marvel Gallery statue is one of the nicest representations of her.  Let's check her out below!

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!

Transformers EarthSpark - NIGHTSHADE!

Transformers: EarthSpark - Deluxe Class Figures - Nightshade - Hasbro 2023

I really dig the designs of the new Terran characters from Transformers EarthSpark. The Terrans are five (so far) Transformers that were born on Earth from Quintus Prime's Emberstone. When they first appear, they lack a lot of detail don't develop a lot of features until they define themselves and their alternate modes. Nightshade chose the alternate form of an owl inspired by a character in Alex Malto's favorite book, Winged Sentinel. I personally love when a Transformer has a bird as an alternate mode. It reminds me of Hoot from the Convertors: Avarians toys I had as a kid. Plus the name Nightshade has always appealed to me. I love the word itself and it's representation of deadly plants. Plus the villain Nightshade from C.O.P.S. and the teleporting DC Comics/Charlton character were both favorites. So this Earthspark figure was a definite must-have for me. The colors and design look great. I especially enjoy the large bat-like ears - very unique for a Transformer. Let's check out Nightshade 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!

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!

Toony Terrors - VAMPIRA!

NECA Toony Terrors Series 8 - Vampira (Maila Nurmi) - Neca Toys 2023

I thought I would kick off Halloween month with my favorite recent purchase, the NECA Toony Terrors Vampira. In 1954, model and actress Maila Nurmi found her niche in Hollywood and became the first late night horror host as Vampira. Her look was modelled after Snow White's Evil Queen, Dragon Lady, and Charles Addams' macabre matron (later named Morticia Addams in 1964 - who ironically by then was taking cues from Vampira). Vampira was also the character model for Maleficent in 1959. And obviously, she was major inspiration for Elvira in the 80s. However, for me Vampira was a character that only existed in static imagery. But just last month I watched Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space for the first time and was mesmerized by Maila and her famous character. My fascination with Vampira was piqued and literally the next day I found this figure. She has had very little (if any) merchandise produced but NECA and Super7 are making up for lost time. Let's check out Vampira below!