Startup toy companies are always fun to watch. As collectors, we’ve become all too familiar with the Hasbros and Mattels of the world, so it’s always exciting to see what fresh new ideas and concepts a new player has to offer. And when that startup is headed by seasoned sculptor (and personal favorite) Jean St. Jean, you know the potential for excellence is there.
Creatureplica has just released its first wave of figures based on the Cryptids (an animal whose existence has not yet been proven), and they are currently finding their way into collectors’ hands. The first wave contains the North American Sasquatch, Himalayan Yeti, the Louisiana Rougarou, and the Horrorhound. Today we’ll be checking out the North American Sasquatch — or as every TV-watching child of the ’70s knew him — Bigfoot.
Packaging
Sasquatch is packaged in a giant plastic clamshell, and I’m happy to say that there are no twist ties holding him down. The back of the package showcases the rest of the figures in the wave, but apart from the awesomely ’70s-tastic-style front graphic, you don’t get a ton of personalization. It would be nice to have a short little bio on the character — especially for some of the lesser-known (for me anyway) Cryptids like the Rougarou.
Sculpt
These guys are sculpted by Jean St. Jean — so my opinion is already pretty biased. They’re freakin’ awesome. If you’re familiar with his current work with Diamond Select, then you know what you’re in for as this figure has much of the same feel. Sasquatch clocks in at 7 1/2 inches and there isn’t a spot on him that isn’t full of sculpted detail. Even the soles of his famous, larger-than-average feet. The hair is meticulously sculpted, but not to the point of being overdone or looking too uniform. The face is sculpted with a quiet calmness — which almost looks a little sad in some angles. Sasquatch is no blood-thirsty killing machine. He’s really just a Pacific Northwest pacifist, so there’s no need for snarling teeth or a furrowed brow. The look perfectly captures the creature.
Paint
I always get a little worried with the paint apps from new companies, as paint is such an easy thing to cheap out on. But when you open this package and inhale those glorious fumes, you know they went all out. The paint is very well done and does more than its job in bringing out the sculpt. My one nitpick is that the whites of the eyes are just a tad too bright. It’s not all that noticeable on the shelf as his head points down, so I can definitely live with it.
Articulation
Articulation is where this figure takes a slight hit. As I said before, this figure has very much the feel of a Diamond Select Toy, so you know that sculpt is rarely sacrificed for added articulation. Sasquatch has a ball-jointed head, ratchet shoulder, bicep cut, single-pin ratcheted elbows, cut wrists, cut waist, DCUC-style hips, single-pin ratchet knees, and ball ankles. I’m pretty good with the choices of articulation points (although hinged wrists and ball hips would have been preferred), but we do have a few issues with how these joints function. The ball-jointed head is pretty limited, and it’s really the one thing I would love to have fixed. You get a little side-to side-movement, but there isn’t much looking up and down. A good ball joint in the neck can add so much personality to the pose, and with a serene character like Sasquatch — that’s a must. The hips work pretty well in every direction but back. His giant “Bigfoot booty” doesn’t allow the leg to move behind him at all. And it may just be my figure, but I do have one severely stuck wrist, and some joints (bicep and ankles) that became a touch floppy after playing around with him for a while. None of these things are deal-breakers by any means, but it’s worth mentioning.
Accessories
Sasquatch comes with a detailed forest base that comes in two pieces. It’s a nice addition and helps the value factor, but I personally have never had much use for bases provided the figure can stand on his own. And this one can. Still, it’s well-sculpted and painted and Bigfoot looks good on it. I’m not quite sure why there are three foot pegs, though.
With shipping, this figure cost me 45 bucks, which is a lot of coin to drop on one toy — especially on a first wave figure from a brand new company. But despite the fact that I can walk into any TRU or comic shop and buy a Jean St. Jean figure for under 20 bucks, Creatureplica is essentially a creator-run line showcasing a property that he believes in. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to bring a line like this to market, and I have nothing but respect for people who take chances like this. But the work speaks for itself. This is fantastic figure and the fact that it’s a first wave entry of a brand new company has me very excited to see what the future holds.
Creatureplica is one to watch!
Thanks for reading!
Head over to our forum where you can discuss all Creatureplica figures with Jean St. Jean himself! (posting as Nosferatu666).
