Down for the Count: Sesame Street’s The Count By the Numbers
Let’s talk about vampires. In the popular consciousness, there are no shortage of iconic vampires. Whether it is Bela Lugosi’s legendary Dracula, Kiefer Sutherland’s 80’s super-mullet sporting David, or even Robert Pattinson’s sparkly Edward. But of all the great vampire performances, none captured my imagination and brought me as much joy throughout the years as the incomparable Count von Count of Sesame Street.
The cape. The fangs. The monocle. The Count was pure, old-school gothic cool. With his bat-filled dusty castle, and the squeaky door that every guest never failed to comment on, the Count not only introduced me to numbers, but also some of the first trappings of gothic horror I was ever exposed to.
Now, I may have grown up to be an English teacher and writer who can barely figure out the percentage of a bill for the tip, but that love of gothic horror iconography sure stuck. And I have always loved the muppets, whether Muppet Show or Sesame Street. Now, NECA Toys has begun recreating the classic Sesame Street characters in action figure form. Let’s see how they fared with one of the greatest: The Count!
A PULP ARCANA FIGURE FIELD REPORT Mission Brief:
Artifact Identified:
The Count
Sesame Street
NECA Toys
OUT OF THE CRATE:
NECA tends to do a really nice job on their packaging, and their Sesame Street line is no exception to this. The box art is bright and colorful, and immediately catches the eye. We get a wonderful image on the front, with a flap that opens to reveal the figure and all the accompanying accessories. The combination of great aesthetic design and visual access to the actual figure you’re purchasing is something I really enjoy.
THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL:
Straight off, the sculpt is fantastic. NECA captures the look of the Count puppet with sharp, crisp detail. It is a little odd seeing the legs of a character who, for decades, you have only ever seen from the waist up, but the simple, clean design of the lower body doesn’t draw much attention.
The absolute star of the show is the head sculpt. It is a perfect recreation of the puppet, even down to the arched eyebrows and the monocle. The fangs stand out nicely against the dark mouth and the black suit. We also get a second head, so we have the option of two different expressions. One is a closed mouth and the other is open, giving the appearance of him rattling off numbers or laughing in his trademark staccato. There is so much character in the face that it really feels like having a miniature version of the Count in your hands. The NECA team did fantastic work on these heads.
The Count comes with a cape that clips on to the back of the collar and loops over the wrist. The cape is excellent, with a rich, deep green color on the outside and a paisley style print on the inside. Best of all, it is wired along the edges, so you can give the Count the appropriate air of savoir faire.
As is usual with NECA figures, there is no shortage of accessories to accompany the Count. There are 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, SEVEN total hands Ah-Ah-Ah! (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one). These allow the figure to recreate a number of math lessons for the rest of our shelf. In addition, we get a great old-fashioned rotary phone with a handset that can be placed in the Count’s hands, and a candelabra with sharp paint applications on the candles. Finally, NECA included an adorable Number 2, complete with expressive eyes, to help the Count celebrate his love of numbers. I love what we get here, and not only look forward to the posing I can do with the Count, but also will for sure find some great uses for the phone and candelabra in future photos.
MOBILITY AND MANEUVERS:
Articulation is actually surprisingly good for a figure designed from a puppet that has no lower half in real life. The legs have a single joint at the knees that doesn’t give much bend, but you’re not typically going to be throwing Count von Count into extreme action poses like you might a Spider-Man figure. Still, it does feel a little limited. The ankles are sturdy and give enough movement to let him stand with ease.
The arms also have a single joint, but the bend at the elbow is less limited than we see with the knees. It allows the arms to go in positions where he can show off the expressive hands. The hands themselves come with a hinge that nicely adds to the movement.
From an objective standpoint, the articulation is a little limited. However, when you take into account both the origin of the character and what you are likely to be doing with the figure, what we end up with is more than adequate.
RECOVERED EVIDENCE:
FINAL RECKONING:
The end result here is, for me, a figure that ends up being greater than the sum of its parts. While the articulation is not super impressive, the overall effect of the figure is just absolutely delightful. The wired cape is a really nice touch, the face is spectacular, and the accessories add so much character and fun to the experience. I may not be picking him up and playing with him as much as say, the Jada Street Fighter figures, but I sure do keep looking at him on the shelf. And when I do, I can’t help but smile.
RELIC RATING: [1–5] 4 out of 5 relics
NECA has brought us something genuinely special. A piece of childhood brought to life. It earns a place on your shelf and in your heart.
Filed by Mark Gelineau of Pulp Arcana Studios for Fanboy Planet
Instagram: @pulp_arcana_studios
FIELD PHOTOS:
