Category: Toys
Last article published: 1 August 2022
This is the 69th post under this label
At some point, around the start of the 11th Doctor era, I had a bout of buying up Doctor Who action figures, especially once they started making Classic era figures. The monsters are especially cool, with Dalek and Cyberman collections showcasing their different looks, and among my favorites are the Sea Devil, the Racnoss Empress and the 12-inch Judoon doll. But when it comes to humanoids with faces...
You'd think that with all the detail on the bodies, and making the clothes out of more supple plastic, etc., they'd have thought of giving the Doctor, his companions, and humanoid villains a bit more personality. Some iconic expression. But no, they all look transfixed as if under the spell of some mind-controlling monster. Sometimes you get a bonus head - there IS a 4th Doctor head that has him grinning like a loon at least - and sometimes there's a micro-expression (Martha has a very slight smile), but generally, they all stare into the distance waiting to be activated like the robots they are.
When has the 6th Doctor ever looked this serene? He should be caught in the middle of a word. Ten should raise an eyebrow and smirk smugly. Captain Jack should be lascivious. Doctor Who is a fun show, but none of the figures look like they're having fun, and ultimately, it's why I gravitated towards the monsters, and ultimately stopped buying new figures.
But what's your take on this line?
Autons, the lot of 'em.
ReplyDeleteMore seriously, I've never collected that range, apart from buying a couple of Cybus Cybermen cheap because I liked the look of them. But I subscribed to the Eaglemoss figurines series from the beginning, and the Time Lords/humans are generally the least impressive. Not only are the facial features indistinct but they're often lacking a good likeness - at least the Character Options figures usually look like the actors they represent.
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