Review of Pin Cushion Queen figure
Tim Burton's Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys

Introduction

Dark Horse Comics has released various products based on the cool Tim Burton book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories and their latest is the Pin Cushion Queen. I'll be reviewing her tonight, but there is also a second vinyl figure in this scale in the same wave - Robot Boy. You should be able to find both at most comic shops and online retailers in the next couple weeks.

The book this figure is based on is actually a collection of poems, full of black humor that is the hallmark of Mr. Burton. The character designs are all very unique, and make for some interesting statues.

That's what this is - a vinyl statue. You can expect to pay around $30 for this at most shops, as that's the suggested retail, but snagging it closer to $25 shouldn't be too difficult.

Packaging - **1/2
These come in a fairly simple box, with an inner plastic tray heat sealed to the interior. That's my biggest gripe, since the two twisties holding the Queen in place warp around the tray, requiring you to destroy the packaging to remove the figure. I supposed you could cut the front of the twisties, but then you'd have to leave them in place...either way, it's not the most elegant packaging solution for a collectible.

On the plus side though, I do love the simplistic, Gothic design and graphics.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This is a fairly large vinyl statue. They saw the line is 9", but this particular statue is just over 10" at the tips of the pins.

The style is fairly rough, with a heavily textured surface. All the major details - eyes, pupils, even the stitches - are sculpted, and not just painted on. That gives everything more depth.

The statue comes attached to the base, so there's nothing to build or assemble.

The goth design is very unique and very cool - I haven't read the book, and I still love the look of the Pin Cushion Queen. The large size is a nice change from the smaller PVC's as well.

Something like this is more akin to art than toy, and as such is likely to be loved or hated, depending on your tastes. Big fans of the Burton style are more likely to be attracted to the design.

Paint - ***
While I love the sculpt, I have to say that the paint ops aren't quite as good. While some of the small details - like the eyes and the stitches - look great, others exhibit more slop, especially at the edges. The crown has the most issues, but even the stripes on the costume could be cleaner.

Articulation - Bupkis
This category won't be included in my own Overall assessment, since I knew this was a plastic statue and thus didn't expect any articulation. However, I want to point that fact out to avoid any confusion for the readers.

Value - **1/2
At $30, a vinyl figure can be a bit of a tough sell. Polystone and resin statues in a similar scale are in the $50 - $60 range...but only on rare occasions these days. You're more likely to hit $80, and suddenly the $30 price tag doesn't seem quite as bad. That's why I'm going with an average value here, but your mileage may vary.

Things to Watch Out For -
I wouldn't bend and twist the pins too much - they are soft, but they will break with enough abuse.

Overall - ***
This is a very cool figure for the fans of Tim Burton and his bizarre imagination. The roughness of the sculpt, with the heavy texture, works perfectly with the theme, and the larger size allows it to stand toe to toe with the other statues in your collection. I do wish the paint was a bit cleaner though, and that's something I hope they can correct over time.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - **1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - Bupkis
Value - **
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other similar products include the Lenore PVC set 1 and set 2, and the larger vinyl Lenore.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!