July 29, 2004

{ Elvis Presley '68 Comeback Special }

Before he was a bloated pharmaceutically deranged mess, Elvis Presley was a fine specimen of hillbilly hunk, as this slab of fantastic plastic will prove. Greasy, shiny and sexy as hell, nothing says "King of Rock and Roll" quite like a full-body black leather suit with matching boots and wrist bracers. This figure was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Elvis' first ever recording, hailed by many as the day that Rock and Roll was born. It actually depicts a moment much later in the King's career- the nationally televised '68 Comeback Special (which has recently been rereleased in a massive CD/DVD box set) and captures both Elvis' raw charisma and an aura of seasoned showmanship, as he stands poised to retake America by storm. Whether you're a fan or not, there's no denying the craftmanship inherent in this mini-sculpture. McFarlane Toys has seen its ups and downs over the past ten years, and has gone from being one of the leading producers of highly-detailed collectible action figures to being one of the most played-out: But much as the King himself rose, pheonix-like, from the ashes- so too has McFarlane Toys proven themselves capable of a ressurection of sorts with the production of this piece. Call it a Comeback Special of their own, if you will. That's not to say it's perfect. Very limited articulation, very fragile accessories. The pose you see is the pose you get, but this one wins by sheer look and design, lack of articulation and delicacy of props non-withstanding. The figure retails for between $12-15, but as with anything that has so much mainstream crossover appeal, the secondary market is going to be a real gouger on this one- making it something worth picking up ASAP if you're down with the King. Also, be on the lookout for a 12" Comeback Special figure soon to be released, as well as a couple costume changes in the 6" size. (Early 60's Rockabilly and Las Vegas) I can't even find a decent price for it online, so I won't be listing any purchase links, you'll just have to sort that out on your own. I will, grudgingly, list a link to the McFarlane website so you can see some more pics of this great figure. If you click on the Toys 'R' Us link on that page, you might be able to find one in stock for $13.99 + shipping. For a real laugh, click over to Todd McFarlane's bio under the "info" button. You'd better pick the "abridged" bio, unless you have a few hours. Bathe in the ego, breathe in the genius and soak up as much profound wisdom as you can from the most successful multi-market Canadian-born businessman of our time. Or check out the umpteenth iteration of the Spawn action-figure series- Marvel at what incredible talent and tragically narrow vision can bring to life.

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By Adam in Toys | Comments:

Comments

I have delighted in every horrible review that game has received. And it's been dubbed a stinker by even the least critical magazines and reviewers. They wouldn't even provide EGM with advance copies for review, they waited until the game hit stores to let them do a write-up on it. I think they gave it their "Shame of the Month" award, which is a stinky pile of fly-covered poo.

Posted by: Adam at July 30, 2004 5:06 PM

Sorry, but what is kimerikas?

Jane.

Posted by: sweeta-kc at March 26, 2008 1:46 AM

Sorry, but what is kimerikas?

Jane.

Posted by: sweeta-kc at March 26, 2008 1:46 AM

Sorry, but what is kimerikas?

Jane.

Posted by: sweeta-kc at March 26, 2008 1:47 AM