Give Me Vinyl: Disney's Vinylmation (part 2)

In my last Vinylmation post, I went over the basics, like what Vinylmation is, how you can buy the figures, what they do, blah blah blah. For the most part, I only try to get the figures that appeal to me most (but since this is mostly a blind boxed series, you end up with some that you wouldn't go out of your way for, but you don't really want to trade away either). But there are some series that are worth going back to again and again, trying to get as many characters as possible. In this post, I want to look at some of those series.

STAR WARS

Well, of course I would be excited about the Star Wars figures! Sure the figures are cute, and you would think the Mickey Mouse shape would take away from the look of the characters, but it all works out. They use the Mickey ears to add some view of the character's background environment, and it actually comes across nicely. So far I haven't been able to get a lot of the characters that I really want, but it's a start. If I can get Admiral Ackbar when I go this year, I'll be happy.

There are actually two Star Wars series: One featuring the regular Star Wars characters, and one made up of classic Disney characters in Star Wars costumes. They're both pretty cool, but I still lean towards the regular Star Wars series.

Luke Skywalker

Obi-Wan Kenobi

I know Disney is supposed to be all family friendly, but their Vinylmation lightsabers look like dildos. I'm just saying.

Boba Fett

This Boba Fett has an older Vinylmation sculpt, with a more pronounced mouse nose and Mickey's signature buttons.

Stitch as Yoda

Pete as Boba Fett

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

I was a Pirates of the Caribbean fan from the first time I saw a preview for the movies. I like the ride too, but then I love pirates all around, so it's only natural that I'd get into this series. This set has more to do with the ride than the movies, but a movie series is on the way too (if it's not out already).

Capt. Jack Sparrow

Patch

Skeleton Helmsman

The Man in the Well

ROBOTS

The best series don't necessarily need to have a movie or TV property tied to them to appeal to me, though. I know a lot of hardcore Vinylmation collectors have a problem with series that don't feature any actual Disney characters, but that doesn't matter to me. If a figure looks cool enough, I'll want it, no matter who it is.

I missed out on Robots series 1, but I got into series 2 in a big way. They came blind-boxed, and the box would show you all the different robots you could get. But when you opened the box, the robot inside would be made of mixed parts from the various possible versions you could get. The figures could be pulled apart, so you would have to keep buying them and use the box to try and un-mix everyone to get the "official" looks for the robots. I've completed one or two, but in the end most of them look better mixed up.

Series 3 featured classic Disney characters as robots. While not as exciting for me as series 2, these figures are still pretty fun and highly detailed.

There is a "lady robot" in series 2, but it's my least favorite of the series. I thought the eyes on this head were pretty feminine, so I made my own lady-bot. She could easily pass for someone in a spacesuit, too.

These two are randomly pieced together, but the meters on their chests still give them a matching look. They're sibling-bots! Sibots? Siborgs!

These last two green and yellow bots are my only completed ones. The yellow one looks like an old tin toy! Any way, I might even have the parts in some of my other figures to complete more of the bots, but I like my mixed-up ones. I'll leave them as they are.

Robot Mickey

Robot Pooh

Robot Queen of Hearts

Robot White Rabbit

Robot Grumpy

EXTREME WRESTLERS OF VINYLMATION

This was another series I tried to complete, and I have most of them. There's a super rare chaser and a referee that I still need, plus (sadly) my favorite character in the series, a wrestling Irishman epically named "Patty McPunchface".

All of these figures came with a small bio card that told you a little about the characters, and what their signature moves are.

Sammy Smackdown

The reigning champion is also a chaser (though not the super rare one). How is it that I was able to get one of the chasers, yet I still don't have Patty McPunchface!?

Stacie Hurtenflert

Boris Bonebreakski

Boris' hat on Figaro, just for fun.

Lisa Leglock

Eugene "The Bleeder" Swellington

Not everyone can be big and beefy, but "The Bleeder" is still one of my favorites in this series.

Drago Smackdownovich

Maybe he's Sammy Smackdown's long lost brother?

Chuck Frodown

Ignore Stitch and Obi-Wan. I'm just having fun again.

Milo

Jalapeño Jimenez (Mild)

This guy's brother and tag-team partner is the super rare chaser: Jalapeño Jimenez (Hot).

Hiro Chabasaki

Chubsy here was the Extreme Wrestlers of Vinylmation's lone 9" figure. I've got the chaser, I've got the big guy, but no Patty McPunchface. Sigh... Time to move on...

ASTROLOGY/CHINESE ZODIAC

I found all my Vinylmation Astrology/Zodiac figures at a Disney outlet store, so while I wasn't able to complete the sets, they were cheap! There's both a standard Astrology and Chinese Zodiac series. The Astrology ones are kinda artsy, with their respective constellations featured somewhere on their bodies, while the Chinese Zodiac figures are represented by cartoony versions of their animals. Each of the animals have a wide, blank mouth, but I'm not sure why that is. I don't know if you're expected to write something in that space, or if it's just the style they were going for. I like both series, but my favorite usually just depends on what mood I'm in at the time.

Aries