I love westerns. Outside of the Star Wars trilogy, they make up my favorite films. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve watched movies like A Fistful of Dollars and Rio Bravo. I’d love a whole line of western-inspired figures in 6-inch scale, and I’m always on alert for a western-themed figure, so I had to buy the Action Portable Blind Cowboy and Ghost Horse as soon as I saw they were available. Let’s take a look!
Blind Cowboy comes with two sets of hands, two heads, and seven(!) guns.
The heads are similar except that one has the hat permanently attached. Both have a cloth blindfold attached and you can actually move the blindfold to see Cowboy’s scarred eyes.
Six of the guns fit into holsters aligned on the belt and one fits on a holster on his leg. The holsters are a really nice, soft leather-looking material, and hold the guns tightly.
The figure has a great lanky body and the clothes are tailored to fit well. The pants and shirt are classic cowboy fare, but what really sets this figure apart and drew me to the design is the poncho.
The poncho is basically a red version of Clint Eastwood’s classic costume from the Leone “Dollars” movies. It’s made from a flexible material and can be posed and wrapped around the figure in a number of ways. The only disappointment is that the white design on the poncho has some bleed through from the poncho material and is a bit pinkish rather than bright white.
Ghost Horse is a big solid chunk of resin with a really involved leather saddle and bridle and some cloth wraps. The sculpt is sculpted in mid-trot and has a half-dead mummy-zombie vibe to him. The shape is bold and has an interesting quality to him that gives me the impression of thickly carved and stained wood. It’s not going to fit with any other toy line you might have, but it’s an amazing translation of Ashley Wood’s art style.
I’m really impressed with all the tiny little straps and buckles all over Ghost Horse’s saddle and these two figures look fantastic together.
The Blind Cowboy has very good articulation with the following points:
- Ball/socket neck, torso, lower torso, wrists, ankles, and pecs
- Double-hinged knees and elbows
- Swivel/hinge shoulders and hips
- Swivel bicep and thighs
It moves pretty well, though the hips are a little impeded by the tightness of the pants. The paint is mostly about cloth weathering, and it’s pretty well done and subtle, aside from the issue with poncho.
There is a great wash on the main body of ghost horse that brings out the details and also adds to the impression that this figure was carved from old wood.
Ultimately, I’m pleased with this figure. It’s pretty fun to set up in rifle firing poses or just setting up a man on a horse crossing the lonely plains of the old west.
The clothing doesn’t drape quite as nicely as it does on a larger scale figure, but it does a pretty great job for this scale. I was really enjoying futzing with the poncho to get that perfect “Man with No Name” look.
