Howdy, folks! After a brief hiatus, I welcome you back Inside the Ant Hill! In our first episode of the New Year we’re taking a look at something fairly unique: a selection of DC Universe Classics test shots.
But Man, you may be asking, don’t you usually talk about old crap? Too true, Tiger — but it’s time to diversify. There are only so many retro toys worth tugging your beard over and new stuff tickles my whiskers too! So expect both new and old from me in the future — I promise to keep it interesting!
In a nutshell, test shots are created to troubleshoot the newly-tooled metal molds all action figures are cast from. Manufactured in-house using whatever leftover plastic happens to be in the machine at the time, this initial handful of figures allows for quality control and last-minute adjustment before full-scale manufacture of the product begins. You know, little things like insuring the molds fill correctly and making sure all of the pieces actually fit together!
These test shots are created with the expectation they will be destroyed after use, but a number of these figures have leaked onto the secondary market. The world of collectors is divided on the subject — some feel these are stolen property and should be avoided, while others are excited at the prospect of owning something so unique, whatever the legal or moral questions. Wherever you stand on the subject, ya gotta agree these are a compelling window into the often murky world of action-figure manufacturing. They allow us to examine the familiar with new eyes, to rediscover the grace, symmetry, and sheer craftsmanship that make up DC Universe Classics.
Blue Beetle here is anything but — blue, that is. This guy is one of my favorites. His bright, chaotic color scheme really plays into the figure’s design. I find myself able to better appreciate the sculpt, especially on the chest piece, since the dark colors of the production figure really overshadow all of the information there.
Also of note are the handwritten numbers on the wing: in a massive production facility this is garbage, but in the art world it’s one of a kind. You just think about that, buddy…
Here’s Black Hand, made almost entirely out of Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups. It’s interesting to note the different grades of plastic used throughout the process. This seems to be of a poorer quality than the usual stuff; it doesn’t appear to hold detail as well. BH here has some pretty serious wrinkles and these seemed under-emphasized in this casting.
This throwaway is actually pretty sharp, although I’m sure Johnny Quick would be upset to find this guy swingin’ on the family tree. To me, he has an alien soldier vibe, like a DC knockoff Skrull. I dig him. What’s is truly strange is the test shot here sports fists, but as we all know the production figure has open hands. Obviously something happened between this version and what ended up on the pegs — just another example of why these exist in the first place.
Now here’s an interesting case. While one might see clear plastic used for the occasional body part, here we get an entire head cast in the stuff. Whatever the reason, it looks wonderful. I wish there were more cause to do this sort of thing — maybe a ghostly Samurai variant to join his shelf-warming brethren? More likely we’d see a set of “hard-light holograms” from Morrison’s JLA run. Anyone remember this guy?
Smooth. It would be an easy 5-pack. After all, the tooling is done, so the expense is minimal. Me, I’m just a sucker for clear plastic.
Bane is another figure that looks pretty sweet in spite of his unusual coloration. This figure actually makes the case for Bane having a little more red in his costume – it has an intensity and dynamic flair that the black unitard lacks. The stark white of the chest is compelling, giving him a Grundy-esque tone. Overall, this coloration adds a sense of menace to an already-imposing sculpt. The pink mask might be the butt of some jokes, however…
Superboy is the height of 1990s fashion — remember your thigh-high purple boots and lavender vest? Heck, I still wear my mustard-colored underwear on the outside of my pants. All kidding aside, I really like seeing the head cast in this color. Once you have a figure on your shelf for a while, it’s easy to get used to it. Seeing the sculpt without paint cast in a neutral color allows me to appreciate the sculpt in a way I simply haven’t until now.
From the looks of it, someone mistook Power Girl for a candle. Ouch – that’s gotta hurt. Here is an instance where the paint really adds to the head sculpt. What looks plain and emotionless cast in one color, comes to life through the painting process.
Makes one heck of a difference, huh?
Captain FroYo here takes pastel to a new whole level. As far as super villain costumes go, I’d have to say this is one of the more intimidating. Thanks to the lack of paint, his noggin looks even smaller than usual – it’s clear he could wrap his whole head in one hand. A dismal figure in any color — get back in the trashcan, pal.
It appears Cheetah is Hulking out here. Looks like she was manufactured at the same time as Blue Beetle, as they share all the same colors. The white plastic looks cool to me – I know that toy manufacturers can’t resist hitting it with an over-spray or making it pearlescent, but the stark white has an eye-catching dynamic quality that’s sleek and jazzy.
Here’s a funkified alternate version of her featuring some cool colored plastic. How neat would it have been to get that GLC Star Sapphire with translucent purple arms? What? Star Sapphire doesn’t have translucent purple arms? Oh, you kids and your lack of imagination…
Get out your pacifiers and smart water — Jelly-Belly OMAC is the hit of the rave! This guy’s coloration is just awesome. Kirby may not have anticipated pink gloves, but hey, the future is always surprising. The stark white head and neck gives OMAC a bust-like quality: he looks like something you’d find staring at you in a modern art museum. OMAC is one of the more colorful of this bunch. His airbrushed shoulders and varied color scheme really add to his weird “look.” Very cool.
Magog is an interesting case. Modeled after Rob Leifeld’s X-character Cable, he personified the gritty nihilistic violence of 1990s comics within the classic DC Universe. With obvious visual and metaphorical similarities, Magog is most strongly associated with his origin story Kingdom Come, although he did appear in the pre-Nu52 Justice League, as well. The colors Magog has been cast in really bring the similarities between he and Marvel’s Cable home. If I were a Cable fan, then I’d have to have this figure. This is, in some bizarre fashion, an Amalgam version of the two and perhaps the most compelling of the group (molded gun be damned).
And then there’s Barry. Poor Barry — the other members of the Dumpster JLA will never let him live this down. For some reason the body sculpt looks really goofy in this pic. I’m not sure, maybe the shoulders are in backwards? Something seems really wacky about this guy, but for all I know the figure is fine but it’s particular combination of colors just look weird together. If the white and purple bits had been cast in red it would have actually been a neat costume, gold ballet slippers and all.
DC test shots? Why not?
Jason R Mink is The Man In The Ant Hill! 2013