Toy OTD: Funko Wacky Wobbler SDCC Exclusive: Scooby-Dum (2007)

I can feel your respect for me as a collector slipping away, and I'm not sure that I blame you. Scooby-Doo wasn't exactly Hanna-Barbera's creative zenith, and the show was wearing pretty thin by the time that Scooby-Dum came along. So why did I buy this?

I'm a big-time sucker for merchandise of obscure cartoon characters, and I do like how this was made. It's not perfect - the eye paint is a little weak, and it does have a(n arguably more necessary) label on it. But I like the fact that the pose is well-balanced, and that the base has been kept to a minimum (making it monochromatric - with the name sculpted on it, and not painted - might've been nice. Placing the nodder pivot at the collar is a good call, too.

This was an exclusive at the Funko booth last summer at San Diego Comic-Con. It's still for sale at toywiz.com for $69.99 + shipping (!!), a far cry from the under-$20 price that I paid. Surprisingly, eBay is the far saner option, selling there for $11.50 + $8.00 shipping. Phew! That's much better - Scooby-Dum's not that interesting a curio!

Toy OTD: Funko Sugar Bear Wacky Wobbler

Funko's primary lure (at least for me) has been their Hanna-Barbera and cereal character licenses. They're great at picking characters that few have merchandised, or at least haven't been for a good twenty-five or thirty years! Not surprisingly, Sugar Bear - the mascot for Super Sugar Crisp (now Post Honey Crisp, even though it's the same cereal) - is one of them.

Even though the cereal has undergone a name change, Funko still printed "Sugar Bear" on his sweater, a nice retro touch. The pose is a little symmetrical, but overall it's a good sculpt, nicely on-model. The paint work is fine, though quality can be a little inconsistent, so you may want to look at the toy in person (or peruse several if you can still find them in a store) to make sure you get a good paint job. The proportions are good for a nodder, so you probably won't have to worry about the head sagging or listing in a few months.

It's still easy to get this toy - in fact, it's been marked down, so you can get it reduced at cherrygames.com for $8.99 + shipping.

Toy OTD: Funko Wacky Wobbler: Velma

Funko just keeps delivering plenty of kidvid love - this time in the form of everyone's favorite bespectacled teen detective, Velma! As usual, the sculpt is nice, and the paint apps, while varying to a degree, are also good.

Rather than give the character a grotesquely oversized head, the designer wisely chose to bobble Velma at the waist, like a hula nodder. It's a nice touch that best preserves the integrity of the source design. There's the usual awkward and unecessary labeling of the base, but all things considered, it's a minor quibble.

You can get a Velma Wobbler for $8.49 + shipping at givemetoys.com.