Review > OMFG Series 1 (October Toys)

 

l to r: The Phantom Shithouse, King Castor, Crawdad Kid, Multiskull, Stroll

You may remember October Toys as the makers of the Z.O.M.B.I.E. minifigures I reviewed way, way back in October 2008. In that review I said the figures reminded me of the M.U.S.C.L.E. toys of the 1980s. It seems OT’s fondness for M.U.S.C.L.E. was even greater than I imagined; four years later, we now have OMFG!

OMFG (which stands for–ahem–Outlandish Mini Figure Guys) began as a Kickstarter project. With a goal of $11,000, the project made over $15,000 by its deadline. As a $25 contributor, I was guaranteed two sets–the flesh-colored set seen above, and a Kickstarter-exclusive black set.

If you're thinkin' 'bout my baby it don't matter if you're black or white

The packaging is clearly meant to evoke the original M.U.S.C.L.E. packaging, right down to the colors for the logo. On the back is some nice art by Phantom Shithouse sculptor Ralph Niese that provides each character’s name, as well as letting us know who sculpted what.

I decided only to open the flesh-colored figures, leaving the black ones in their cool packaging.

Each figure stands about two inches tall. They’re a bit bigger and bulkier than M.U.S.C.L.E.s, but they also stand a lot better, too.

First up we have King Castor, who was designed and sculpted by Dominic Campisi (aka The Evil Earwig) from California. Castor appears to be some sort of anthropomorphic castle. There’s a lot of nice detail here, though I have no idea what that tank is on his back.

Next is Multiskull, a pretty classic monster made entirely from skulls. He was was designed and sculpted by Charles Marsh (aka Monsterforge) from South Carolina.

The Crawdad Kid,  designed and sculpted by Daniel Yu (aka Dory) from Singapore, is my favorite. He’s got a great goofy design, but he also looks like the most like a classic M.U.S.C.L.E. character.

Stroll,  designed by John “Spanky” Stokes from California and sculpted by George Gaspar from California, reminds me of one of those giant Muppet monsters on Sesame Street who would teach you about “near” and “far.”

I suppose if any of these figures were to be considered “controversial,” it would be the Phantom Shithouse, if only because of his name (he’s referred to as “Phantom Outhouse” on some websites). Designed by Kyle Thye from Iowa and sculpted by Ralph Niese from Germany, the Phantom (whose name may or may not be a play on the beloved children’s book) has some rather gooey arms and legs, obviously meant to be something I’d really rather not think about. Despite the relative tastelessness of the design, I have to admit he’s one of my favorites.

Along with the figures, I also received an OMFG poster, bookmark, and sticker–all very cool.

As much as I liked the Z.O.M.B.I.E. figures, these are better. The plastic is of a higher quality, they’re more detailed, and they can all stand on their own. Of course, the Z.O.M.B.I.E. figures were a necessary step on the way to this line. But perhaps the coolest thing about this was having been a part of such a grassroots project that resulted in real, fun toys, right in my hands.

The only place these take a hit might be value. I got two sets for $25, which isn’t too bad considering the usual cost for this sort of project. The quality of the plastic is high (though they did lack that distinctive smell you got when you opened a new package of M.U.S.C.L.E.s…I can still smell it now…). So I think they’re a pretty fair deal.

October Toys is already taking ideas for characters in OMFG series two, so if you’re feeling creative, head on over to the OT forums and submit your design.

[raven 4]

Where to Buy:

• The flesh-colored OMFG figures will eventually be available for sale on October Toys’ site (albeit in limited quantities), so keep an eye on their store.
• The University of M.U.S.C.L.E. has exclusive yellow colorway, available as a set for $15 or individually for $4.25 apiece.
• Rotofugi.com has an exclusive bright blue colorway for $9 a set.
• Finally, LittleRubberGuys has an exclusive green colorway, as well as exclusive MOTU-themed packaging, for $15 a set.

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