Scooby-Doo and the Mummy Too. Well, Not Scooby, but Shaggy…
In the pantheon of famous cartoons, there are few more loved, more iconic, than the timeless classic that is Scooby Doo. Since its debut in 1969 with Scooby Doo, Where are You!, the adventures of four mystery-solving teens and their talking canine companion have been a staple of animation.
Everyone has their favorite version of Scooby-Doo. Some love the classic series. Others are drawn to the lore heavy Mystery Incorporated series. For me, I’m partial to the underrated and genuinely hilarious Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!. Whatever your preference though, there is no denying that these characters are timeless. And now, thanks to the fine folks at Jada Toys, they are coming to the world of action figures.
My affection for Jada Toys’s Street Fighter line is well-known to those of you who frequent the Pulp Arcana Studios corner of Fanboy Planet. Their figures are pure hand-candy, with incredible joints. More importantly though, I have yet to hold a Jada figure in hand that has not been a ton of fun to play with. Now, as they turn to a line that is far more whimsical, let’s see if that Jada magic translates to a true cartoon classic. Pulp Arcana Studios takes a look at Shaggy Rogers and the villainous Mummy of Ankha.
A PULP ARCANA FIGURE FIELD REPORT Mission Brief:
Artifact Identified:
Scooby Doo Shaggy Rogers
Scooby Doo
Jada Toys
Artifact Identified:
Scooby Doo Mummy of Ankha
Scooby Doo
Jada Toys
OUT OF THE CRATE:
The packaging for the two figures has a considerable amount of charm to it. A large, front window allows a clear view of the figure and accessories, but there is a fog effect across two parts of the clear plastic. This is meant to evoke memories of the opening of the original series. Considering that those of us interested in these figures are likely coming from a place of nostalgia already, this is a nice touch and definitely brought a smile to my face.
The colors of the box are in a nice shade of purple, with a darker purple and black for the Scooby-Doo logo. There is solid art for the characters on the side panels, and a great shot of the figure on the back.
All told, the box is attractive and effective. It will not be taking a place of prominence on most people’s shelves, but that is more than ok, for a line of figures that is truly meant to be played with.
THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS:
First up is Norville “Shaggy” Rogers. The first thing that strikes you when you get Shaggy out of the package and on the desk is just how well Jada have captured that classic, cartoon aesthetic for the character. It really is all about the face. Or should I say faces. Shaggy comes with two different heads. One is a jovial, smiling expression that is perfect for hanging out with his pal Scooby or sitting down for one of those ridiculous fifteen-layer sandwiches he was always eating. The second may be my favorite though. It captures Shaggy in a moment of utter terror, mouth open and eyes wide, like he just a g-g-g-ghost!. It is exaggeratedly expressive in the best possible way.
The body for Shaggy is slim, accentuating his long frame. In hand, he does feel a little bit light, but that may just be by comparison to the full heavy weight of the mummy. Colors on his classic green shirt and brown pants are vivid, and go a long way to selling the cartoon vibe of the figure.
Beyond the second head, Shaggy comes with the all-important box of Scooby-snacks. There is also an individual Scooby-snack that fits perfectly into one of the included hands. All, told, a little light on accessories, but what is there is great.
The Mummy of Ankha continues the cartoon-perfect look. Overall, the visual presentation is simple, but effective. But the more time you spend with the figure, the more you notice little touches here and there. The eyes, set deep in the head, look great when they catch the light. There is a bandage that connects the upper arm and lower arm that shockingly does not hinder the articulation. And as I mentioned above, the figure is solid. There is a weight and heft to the figure that I found really comforting in my hand.
The Mummy comes with an alternate, unmasked head, revealing a nefarious villain who can complain about those meddlesome kids. There is a separate bit of bandage to wrap around this head to complete the unmasking, which I love. The Mummy also comes with two closed fist hands, but these come across looking more like boxing gloves than actual hands. Not a deal breaker given the wrapped and simple aesthetic of the Mummy, but still something I wanted to comment on.
Overall, the figures and accessories are perfect for getting that cartoon feel and have a real sense of character and whimsy that suits them perfectly.
MOBILITY AND MANEUVERS:
When it comes to articulation, Jada has always been a top contender, especially at this price-point. These two figures are no different. I will say though that, perhaps because of Shaggy’s slight frame, he is not quite as satisfying to pose as other Jada figures. The joints are incredibly smooth, and allow amazing movement, but the thin limbs give a sense of the figure being delicate. Now, I don’t think he actually is. He is solid and moves well, but the feeling is still there.
The Mummy is the opposite. The added heft of the figure combined with the smooth movement of the articulation suite makes the Mummy a lot of fun to hold in hand and get into some really funky poses. However, the simple visual design sometimes works against this, making poses go from a fun-silly to a ridiculous silly, and that does hamper things just a bit.
In a way, both figures suffer a tiny bit from their own success. By capturing the cartoon aesthetic so perfectly, it does pigeon-hole the figures in a way that I did not experience with the Street Fighter line.
RECOVERED EVIDENCE:
FINAL RECKONING:
Make no mistake, these are absolutely excellent figures, and I am very excited to see what the rest of the line looks like. I am especially looking forward to the arrival of wave 2, which will bring us Scooby-Doo himself. I really like these figures. But I wanted to love them, and I just don’t have that crazy love and need to hold them constantly. Still, absolutely excellent for anyone who ever loved an episode of Scooby-Doo.
RELIC RATING: 4 out of 5 for both.
Filed by Mark Gelineau of Pulp Arcana Studios for Fanboy Planet
https://www.instagram.com/pulp_arcana_studios/
FIELD PHOTOS:
