Toy OTD: Dark Horse, Yoe! Studio Classic Comic Characters Figurine #37: Eugene The Jeep

This line of figurines from classic comic strips is a jewel in the crown of Dark Horse's comics merchandising! Not only are the character choices great (most of them have not had a lot of spin-off products, or if they have, they're very expensive to collect today), but the style of figurine is dead-on-theme with the time when the strips were published.

The Eugene the Jeep statuette (from E.C. Segar's original run of the Popeye strip) is a labor of love to fans of the one-eyed sailor. It's a strong interpretation of the iconic Segar beastie into three dimensions! The design is preserved, even though the sculpt is deliberately rough to match the old-fashioned Syroco wood composition look.

The pose is spot-on for the character as well, while the color scheme has been darkened to support the retro feel (Syrocos actually have a much darker palette, but the Jeep sports an appealing compromise). I think the brush work is a little crude - the whiskers and belly patch look a little more like a stuffed toy's stitches rather than body hair - but that's also consistent with the period look. It's a questionable (but logical) trade-off in this particular case.

Since a base is sculpted as part of the figure, and having no articulation, there's no balance problems. It's also one of the few times that I don't mind the inclusion of the character's name on the base - the text is very small, and it's also consistent with how the original figures looked. Dark horse keeps all of its modern branding/edition information on the bottom of the base, which is very cool. The orchids lying at the Jeep's feet are another nice touch, since orchids are its favorite food!

The packaging for this line is really sharp! A foam-padded tin protects the figure well - it's one of the most tempting boxes to keep around (in the end, though, space issues forced me to recycle them). Also included inside are a pinback button and pamphlet with a summary of the character's origin and history.

This used to sell for $49.99, but unfortunately I can't find this statuette for sale online right now. Bust out your search engines and keep digging - good luck!

Dark Horse Classic Comic Characters #2: Popeye (2000)

To celebrate the release of the Fleischer cartoons on DVD, here's another terrific faux-syroco statue from Dark Horse and Yo! Studios of Popeye! As usual, they've done an incredible job. The sculpt is amazing - a great, dynamic pose without sacrificing strength or balance. The paint work is perfect for the retro style of the series.

It comes packaged in a foam-lined tin box, complete with an informative pamphlet and collectible pin. While these extras are very well-done, I'd prefer simpler packaging and a lower price. I wound up recycling all the tins, as I've bought most of the statues and don't have room for the packaging, too.

Unfortunately, the only example I've found of this statue for sale is this eBay dealer, and it's pretty expensive there - $125.00 +shipping! I think you can find it out there somewhere cheaper than that. Even if you can't, Dark Horse did another Popeye statue in 2004, and it's just as good and much more affordable!