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Cartoon! Cartoon!
Posted 05/20/01
Overall score - *
* out of ****

(originally posted at Comic Book Galaxy)

Some of the finest cartoons on television are currently part of the Cartoon Network.  Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, and Dexter's Lab, while all quite different in their style, are all favorites of adults and kids alike.

Surprisingly, there have been few merchandise items related to any of these shows.  While the Power Puff girls have thousands of tie ins, poor Dexter has had a smidgen, while the other two shows have been ignored completely.

But in Europe, these shows have gotten a little better treatment.  There have been several action figures, and a handful of PVC's, based on these shows.  I purchased these through the Sci-Fi Warehouse, and a European dealer is really your only bet.  They come up on Ebay occasionally, but at a ridiculous price.

There are three action figure sets - one for each show.  The Cow and Chicken set has Super Cow, rather than the regular version of Cow.  Pictured here are the Cow & Chicken action figures, the Johnny Bravo action figure, and the PVC sets for Cow and Chicken (2 sets), Johnny Bravo, and Dexter's Lab.

Packaging - **1/2
The packaging on neither the PVC's or the figures are particularly sturdy, although they are quite colorful and attractive.  The cheap materials used however don't hold up well to shelf abuse.

Sculpt - **1/2
These aren't high end items, that's for sure.  The sculpts are decent for cartoon characters, but it's very clear that these aren't planned as anything beyond basic toys for kids.

In particular, the PVC sculpts are fairly weak.  While it's still obvious who they are, there's something missing that would make them stand out.  Of the three, the Johnny Bravo sculpts are the best.  The sculpts on the action figures are better, although we aren't talking MAC or Mcfarlane level here.

The figures stand well on their own, including the PVC's.  The PVC two packs are actually intended to be useful - one is a pencil holder, the other a pencil topper.

Paint - **1/2
The paint work is acceptable, considering the audience for these.  It's a little think on some of the figures, and is clearly on the lower end of quality.  But as long as you realize these are intended as toys, you won't be too disappointed.

Accessories - **
The Cow and Chicken set have known, since there are two figures.  That's not too terrible, and the Johnny Bravo comes with binoculars and a comb.  Dexter, who is pretty much a PVC himself, comes with a robot type device he can stand in.

The quality on the accessories is also on the low side, but as toys they aren't bad.

Articulation - *
The only reason any score is here is because of the Johnny Bravo figure.  He at least has five points.  The rest are all unarticulated - which is to be expected with the PVC's, but not the 'action' figures.

Value - **
Considering I had to pick these up overseas, the cost wasn't terrible.  The figures, with shipping came out to about ten bucks a pop, while the PVC's were closer to five.  Since you're paying a premium just to find these, that's not too terrible.

Of course, it would have been nice if we'd gotten these in the States as well, but I wouldn't expect to ever see that happen now.

Overall - **
These figures are cute, and if you're a huge fan of any of these shows, I'd recommend trying to find a resource for them.  But overall the quality and level of detail leave quite a bit to be desired.

Where to get them:
As I said, the only place I know of right now to pick these up is the Sci-Fi Warehouse in the U.K.  If you haven't checked out their web site before, do yourself a favor and get over there.  There is a ton of cool stuff available through these folks that isn't available through many other outlets.  I've dealt with them a number of times, and while they can be a little slow occasionally, they are always reliable.


Figure from the collection of Michael Crawford.

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