While we are now hip-deep in the third installment of Matty Collector’s Club Eternia offering, 2011 marks the very first year for their Ghostbusters counterpart: Club Ecto-1. While the GB offerings are not quite as steady as the Masters output (there are a total of six GB figures this year under the subscription), this incarnation has embraced the standard set by its big brother: the subscription incentive figure. Getting the nod for the first offering is the first Ghostbuster to debut as they appeared in the climax of movie one – completely drenched in marshmallow goo. Dr, Stantz is leading the way, and this is his First Look.
The GB team is really just that, a team. They move as a unit and each individual brings something different to the team, be it charm, brains heart or work ethic. So, when it comes to building an action figure collection in their likenesses, it is good to assemble the full team. That doesn’t just go for getting a figure of each buster though, it also means that we need to get all of them as they appeared in their different outfits throughout both movies. Mattel has done a great job getting us the standard movie one looks, as well as the briefly-worn gray jumpsuits in movie two. We are still waiting for several other looks to be completed though; so far we have gotten partial offerings of the slimed, suited and lab coat looks, and this Ray figure marks the first endeavor into the world of “Marshmallow Mess”. Let’s face it, all of these looks will look better with all of the appropriate busters factored in (lab coat Winston doesn’t make much sense, but he will lead the flannel look charge). Since the marshmallow look represents one of the more famous (and popular) scenes from the movie, you can pretty well bet that Mattel will eventually offer Peter, Egon and Winston in this visage. So, it is good that you ordered the sub as that group would look a little strange without Ray. He is the heart of the Ghostbusters after all.
For the figure itself, there is not a lot that is different about the Ray from the first version, save for the marshmallow. Ray is caked in the guts of Mr. Stay Puft from head to toe, there is mess all over his entire body as well as his proton pack. All of the “goo” is achieved via paint applications. Unless I am quite mistaken there is no new tooling involved in the figure itself. The painted marshmallow is nicely done and there is no mistaking that this is Ray paying penance for choosing the form of the Traveler, but in the movie, Ray is completely DRENCHED in marshmallow. In fact, all of the busters (save for Peter, he had to get the girl) were almost unrecognizable due to the amount of exploded fluff. I am sure the conservative route to the marshmallow application was due to budget, but I would have really liked to have seen A LOT more on Ray, and not just in paint; some additional sculpted pieces would have done wonders for the figure in selling the look. I realize that this is a sub figure, but I hope that when Mattel gets around to bringing us the other “Marshmallow Mess” guys, they go all out with the mess.
Past the figure itself, Ray comes with four accessories, and really, I have to admit that they are my favorite parts of the entire package. In fact, one of the accessories, the long hoped-for Ecto-Goggles probably did more than their fair share of selling this figure in their own right. The goggles are Ray’s thing, just like Egon has the PKE Meter and Peter has the quick wit, Ray has his goggles. I am glad to have them in my collection now and I will most certainly be putting them on my original movie 1 Ray figure to help complete what I consider to be his full look. As you can see in the pictures, they actually improve his likeness too in my opinion, even if they might be a touch too small for him. They do make for a very much required piece of ghost busting equipment so it is good to finally have them.
Ray also gets the very first official Ghostbusters walkie-talkie, another essential piece of equipment. It looks like a walkie-talkie and all of the GB figures can hold it, so it works for me. The paint applications on it are sparse but well done and I will be giving this to my standard Venkman figures as he has the most memorable talkie scene. “Come in, Ray”.
Rounding out the lot, Ray has to previously- released accessories in new decos. First, he has the glow in dark GB stand that came with the November 2010 Venkman figure. While the tooling is the same it has been slightly repurposed to be, appropriately, covered in marshmallow. Also borrowing a Venkman accessory, Ray has an included proton stream, but this time is has been given the glow in the dark treatment while retaining the color of the original. Frankly, I am thankful for this as I NEED to have four streams in my collection, we are halfway there.
If you are a Club Ecto-1 member, Marshmallow Mess Ray will be heading your way (hey! that rhymes) along with Vinz Clortho in March. I am glad to see the Ghostbusters line get the same subscription treatment as its MOTUC brother and for anyone that is going to want to collect as many different incarnations of the GB crew throughout the movies, the Marshmallow gang will be essential. Ray will get you started and I hope that, once Matty gets to the rest of the crew, we will also get some newly sculpted pieces in addition to the paint change. The Ecto-Goggles are essential and, as I said, we can always use more proton streams.
*Thanks so much to Toy Guru for sending this sample along for us feature. Club members will find the remains of Stayfput on their shelves very soon.
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