Fuu

The action figure of Fuu from Samurai Champloo. I've had the figures of Mugen and Jin for some time, and only needed Fuu to complete the triad. While Mugen might be the guts of the outfit and Jin the brain, Fuu is the heart of the group. This is not to say she is all mushy and sentimental; rather her common sense and down to earth qualities are what bring the gang together and motivates their adventures.

Fuu as "the girl" action figure has been hard to track down. The paradox of their production is that fewer of them get made because they are supposedly less popular, which makes them more collectible and thus more highly sought. But one came up on eBay last week and I snagged it, and here we are. The packaging was in poor shape, which probably led both to it's reasonable price and it's being up for sale at all; that's fine with me, because I bust them open anyway.

Anyway, to the particulars: the figure was made by Jazwares, Inc. for the Geneon animation company. Fuu is seven inches tall, and comes with a host of acessories. These include two extra heads (Hair Unbound and Wet Weather Gear), a little pink knife with sheath, rice bowl, ship-shaped food server with sushi, journal (yay! a book!), and Momo, her pet flying squirrel. There is also a base for her foot. You can see them all above in the picture I snagged off Google; this is how toys should be displayed and I envy whoever made this set-up.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got: Part 3

Back in the day you had to take your toys however you could get them. The original "Liddle Kiddles" were girl toys that came in large plastic toy perfume bottles. But a subsidiary line consisted of four "Kosmic-Kiddles", that came in the George Jetson-style flying saucer as you can see above. We browbeat our Mom to get us one (in this very color scheme , called the "Purple Gurple") and happily used it with other toys in other playings. The fruity little "kiddle" was subjected to any number of indignities; as a figure we didn't care what happened to it. The saucer came with a rectangular base of jagged purple rocks that was a setting for many an outer space playing. The plastic dome was eventually detached and got cracked and thrown away, but we still have the saucer. Mint condition ones are available, but seeing a complete picture and having the only part that we really cared about is enough.

Conan Series 1

For years I have had an ambivalent attitude to Conan the Barbarian, greatest creation of Robert E. Howard, Texas' native son and most renowned "fantasist." (Neil Hancock and immigrant Michael Moorcock are poor seconds.) I came to him through the black-and-white comic mag "The Savage Sword of Conan" in the late 70's. I tried to read a few of Howard's novels and short stories, but never really liked his prose style; in a strange way his mythology was greater than the actual working out of his stories. Then the 1982 movie came out and I was even more conflicted.

For all the cheese factor, I find I can't just give up on the Hyborian Age. It is indefensible, philosophically despicable, mythopoetically puerile, but on some deep gut level powerfully compelling. I bought eight volumes of Howard's work (admittedly at extremely reduced prices) that I find very hard to read, but I feel I must have them because Howard is such a giant influence in a certain area of my interest (imaginative lit, see my profile).

Anyhow, here I am with at least three incarnations of Conan in action figure form. I have Conan as he appears in Frank Frazetta's cover paintings, by MacFarlane Toys. I have Conan as he appears in Marvel Comics. And now I have Conan as he appeared in the movies, played by Arnold Schwarzeneggar, by NECA Reel Toys. It's Conan as he is in the beginning of the film, as a pit-fighter owned by the Vanir. There is another version (shown in the insert above) of Conan in camouflage as he was when infiltrating Thulsa Doom's cult.

I bought it at Hasting's for $16.99. The sculpt looks particularly accurate for something that must have been done by hand rather than computer scan; Arnold's expression of stultified brutality is very well captured. The figure comes with a base, a Vanir standard, and two hand axes.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got: Part 2

Back in the day cereal and chips often had premiums to excite children and make them force their parents to buy comestibles they otherwise would have no interest in. I remember particularly when I was a wee child in the late 60's they had what we called "little animals" in a lot of Lays products, including an incredible set of silvery dinosaurs. And then there were Fritos.



Fritos went through a tumultuous period of change in their advertising icons. Their original spokescartoon, the "Frito Bandido", was deemed too racially insensitive, and had to go. Their next attempt, "W. C. Fritos", was shot down by the estate of the late comedian. Their last effort was a trio of non-descript "Anglo" bandits. All these characters were made as pencil toppers, as you can see above, and we had all of them. Their sculpting was a superb 3D rendering of the animation.

Had 'em. Enjoyed 'em. Do not need 'em.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got: Part 1

While I've been rather dedicated lately to buying some old things I used to have or really wanted in the old days, there are some things that I'm okay with just seeing them in a picture. Why these and not other things? Iuhno.

Here's something we once had, but never the whole set all at once. The Freakies, from Freakies Cereal. Boss Moss, Grumble, Hamhose, Cowmumble, Snorkledorf, Goody Goody, and--er--the purple guy. As I say, I'm satisfied just seeing a picture of them again.

Oh yeah. Gargle.

Harry Potter Year Two Box Set

At last a decent Richard Harris-era Dumbledore! No offense to Michael Gambone, but he does not have the distant congeniality or humor of Richard Harris that seems intrinsic to the character of Dumbledore in the books. The Michael Gambone Dumbledore always seems p----d and portentous. And those dirty sharp fingernails! Where did those come from? Besides the bowl-cut Harry with wand, there are also the most important accessories from The Chamber of Secrets: Fawkes the Phoenix, the Sorting Hat, and the Sword of Godric Gryffindor. Everything is beautifully sculpted, the figures are adequately articulated, and the whole package was about $30.00. Made by NECA Reel Toys.

As a side note, it won't be long until J. K. Rowlings' next little opus in the world of Harry Potter will be out: The Tales of Beedle the Bard. This is a slim collection of five "fairy tales" told in the wizarding world, as established in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It hasn't taken long for Rowling to re-visit her money maker, and it will be just in time to whip up a little furor for the next Potter movie.

Don't get me wrong: I've enjoyed the Potter books, but I don't think they are superior to any of half a dozen other "juvenile" fantasy series. They merely had better p.r. and merchandising. Perhaps now that the series is over and the mysteries are all explained, the mania can die down and a more just evaluation of her accomplishments can be achieved. But we'll probably have to wait for the last movie adaptation to come out before that will happen.

In the meantime we can hope for more great action figures. Where's the Professor McGonagall? Does Maggie Smith just not want her likeness reproduced? Or is it the prejudice against female action figures? Get cracking, NECA!

I...Am... Beowulf!

Why? Why? Why? Why can't anyone make a movie about Beowulf that is simply the story of Beowulf? Why must it always be some "take" or "real story of"? Of course it's not only Beowulf, but any old legend or myth, that must be stamped with a "personal vision" or "modern twist" before it can be made into a film. The SciFi Channel is rife with such tripe. Perhaps King Arthur is the worst victim of this syndrome; perhaps the best attempt has been Boorman's Excalibur, but there is yet to be a decent straight out telling.

The latest telling of Beowulf was scripted by Neil Gaiman, from whom I might have hoped for a better effort, but though I find his writing for novels and comics admirable, he seems to be singularly unfortunate in the movies he pens (Stardust, anyone?). Okay, the movie was okay, but it wasn't Beowulf.

Anyhoo, when I went to Hastings Saturday, I saw this figure had gone down to $8, and that was just in my price range. It is a remarkable sculpt of a Dark Age Northern warrior, authentic in details of armor and weaponry. The main drawback is of course in it's posture, which gives it limited posability, but great display presence. It comes with a base and the Dragon Cup, which I must admit was the accessory that sold it for me.