One of the things that immediately struck me as fascinating about Madelman is the sheer range of character types that it includes. Although the classic line did include a handful of licensed characters, for the most part Madelman has relied on history and professions to supply most of their figures.
In the more recent Popular de Juguetes line this tended to run more police/military and extreme sports based, but there were some interesting choices as well, such as Scuba divers, Firemen, Astronauts and the like. But one that stuck out to me in particular was this one:
And I have to give credit to the packaging design, because it’s truly one of the nicer setups I’ve seen- from one look, I don’t have to speak Spanish to know what this guy’s about. Thanks to the clearly displayed accessories, as well as the figure himself, I knew this one was worth owning.
So, once he’s out of the box, and loaded up with his two messenger bags, cameras, and tell-tale press badge and blue UN helmet, we’re greeted with the first honest “reporter” figure I think we’ve ever seen. Sure, there’s Clark Kents, Peter Parkers, and the occasional Lois Lane or April O’Neil, but this guy is the real deal. His clothing is very well selected, from the sneakers and jeans to the fisherman-type vest. He doesn’t stand out in a crowd, but it’s also clear he’s not here for combat, he’s here to document.
I am instantly reminded of a dramatization of a real hero of mine, Vietnam correspondent Joe Galloway. He was played by the likeable Barry Pepper in We Were Soldiers from a few years back. During the film, Joe is forced to take up arms to defend himself while being overrun. Once the fighting starts to return to more static lines, he notices the camera he left hanging in the tree. He makes a quick and quiet choice, and puts the rifle down to return to his camera. Joe Galloway was obviously no coward, and came from a long line of soldiers. But Joe recognized the importance of the job that he carried- it was his responsibility to tell the story of those brave boys on both sides, because many of them would never again have the chance.
Anyway, I digress. Back to the figure here, he demonstrates the great strengths and weaknesses of the Madelman line as a whole very easily. He uses the newer base body which boasts solid articulation, rivaling that of DCUC in points of articulation, but easily surpassing most of those in range. The cloth goods and accessories are excellent, with a lot of detail worked in, but none so extreme as to betray their toy sensibilities. Proportions are a bit of an adjustment to those of us used to superheroes and their silly proportions, but as I mentioned previously, very akin to the what 1/6 scale would do. While this one is a better example than some, the only place that these figures are really soft is in face sculpts. The temptation to give this reporter a WWE or a NECA head is very tempting, but there is a certain charm to these factory heads that I’m not quite ready to replace, at least not yet.
I can’t help but imagine how useful this figure would have been in the big backyard battles we used to have. He would be working the lines, shaking soldiers hands and jotting down notes one minute, to bringing up the rear of the charge, video camera in hand on the next, to scurrying for cover while still trying to get a shot of the artillery barrage.
I might be a little old for that now, mostly just because my back hurts if I sit on the grass too long, but this is still an extremely fun and unique civilian character to include among my ranks. If you want one of your own, I suspect Spanish eBay is your best shot, but should you find another, you best be sharing in the comments section.
