Nowadays more and more properties are getting the super-articulation treatment. Some of the best movie properties are finally getting action figures worthy of their entertainment value, and even cult and niche properties that once may have been ignored will be getting the pinnacle treatment from toy companies.
But there’s one property full of a diverse array of characters that has yet to see the full potential of super-articulation. It’s past time that Walt Disney’s creations get a comprehensive line.
A little over a year ago I reviewed the Hybrid Figuration Donald Duck figure. It is, to me, the best representation of Donald Duck ever and features a wide range of articulation — but it’s not a line that will see a release of the full cast anytime soon. So while as a standalone piece it’s excellent, one figure does not make a line.
I’m a greedy person when it comes to toys. I want worlds. A universe. Full lines. A part of me is envious of those that collected the Simpsons or Muppets just due to the sheer scope of characters they got. I want the same for the Disney characters, but with a full range of motion.
I’m not too bothered by what scale they’d be in. Whatever would be optimal for cramming in as much articulation while still keeping a naturalistic flow to the sculpt and have them all be in scale to each other would be great. I think at minimum I’d need head/neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles. Torso would be great, but I could do probably do without if needed. I don’t really need double joints either; a nice single joint would do fine.
The inclusivity of the universe, coupled with a healthy breadth of articulation, would make an instant completist out of me. I’d need the entire Mouse family, of course: Mickey, Minnie, Morty and Ferdie, and pet Pluto would be the main ones, but there’s a ton of others, like Minnie’s nieces that could be made with simple reuse. Read more about the mouse family here. He’ll need Pete (Black Pete) to provide the villain portion of our story, so he’ll need a figure also. And then there’s the Phantom Blot. Yes, the Phantom Blot!
Then there’s the insanely large Duck family including main characters Donald and Uncle Scrooge with Huey Dewey and Louie, Gladstone Gander, and a lot of Ducks that can be found here. There’s an entire Duckburg so this would take a while. Throw in some Beagle Boys to terrorize Uncle scrooge and we’ll be cooking. Webigail will add nicely to the Ducktales portion.
Just going on the Duck and Mouse families alone, we’ve got an insane amount of characters that could keep the line going for years, but we haven’t even gotten to other important members. Other than Mickey and Donald, Goofy is the most important cast member, so I’d need one of him, of course.
Actually, one just wouldn’t do it; I’d need him in multiple costumes from the series of cartoons where he was attempting different jobs — the “How to…” series. Like Baseball Goofy.
There’s also Waiter Goofy, Ski champ Goofy, football Goofy and on and on. I even want pajama Goofy.
And I need Clarabelle Cow to go with him.
And he even has a son. Yes, Goofy got laid!
And I need Super Goof. And so do you. You don’t know it yet, but you do.
You really do.
I’ll also have to have Chip and Dale. Diminutive size means lesser articulation, but I think something can be worked out there. Small toys, small articulation — there’s got to be something that can be done. Just a bare minimum, but I need something more than statues. Make it happen! Alternate version for them would, of course, be dressed up in their Rescue Ranger outfits, which would be fairly simple.
Oh, and I need black-and-white versions of all of these to go along with the color versions. And a Steamboat Willie-styled Mickey.
I haven’t even scratched the surface of what could be in this line, especially if you branch out into movies. But even keeping it in a tight circumference around Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Chip and Dale, there is an absolute ton of characters that could be done, many with some clever reuse. These are some of the greatest toys never made, and I need them all as soon as right now.
