Review - McFarlane's Twisted X-Mas: Rudloph

Rudy Reindeer is my second foray into McFarlane's Twisted X-Mas series, my first being 2007 when I picked up Santa Claus. Last year, instead of picking up another Twisted X-Mas figure, I opted for Frosty the Snowman from Round 2's Forever Fun Holiday Classics line. This year, I decided to go back to my roots and pick up Santa Claus' reindeer with a bioluminescent red nose, however you will notice that Rudy's nose is indeed not red nor is it glowing.

About Twisted X-Mas - "Inside the decidedly distorted mind of Todd McFarlane, the holidays take an entirely different twist. Forget the warmth of Christmas past - McFarlane's Twisted Christmas transforms the characters you thought you knew, and the results are undeniably wicked."

In this series, along with Santa Claus is Mrs. Claus, a Snowman, Jack Frost, and Santa's Little Helper. This whole wave had a lot stacked against it, first off, they're Christmas toys, which only really can be displayed for about one month a year. Secondly, they're ultra warped interpretations of these Christmas classics, who wants Santa Claus to be a zombie? I can't imagine the line has done terribly well, when they were first introduced they warmed pegs at my local Newbury Comics for MONTHS, and finally I think they were put away, only to be brought out the next year, and the year after. The price tag on my Rudy is dated 10/24/2007, so you know they haven't been a really in-demand item.

Packaging: Rudy comes in a clamshell packaging, nothing too fancy, but you instantly know its a "Christmas" toy when you see it.

Sculpt & Paint: Rudy is posed standing upright on his hind legs, his mouth wide open exposing all of his sharp teeth, and he's posed to hold his axe accessory. Rudy has a string of Christmas lights wrapped all around his arms and legs, almost reminiscent of barbed wire, he's also got a red leather harness with slay bells. On his arms and legs he's got a bicep plate on his right arm, gauntlets on both forearms and greaves on both shins. Finally, his hair on the back is braided, very reminiscent of a Predator.

Overall I'd say the sculpt is superb, the attention to detail is great, the hairs, teeth, and ornate designs on his armor really exemplifies this, even a little socket plug for the Christmas lights. The paint does a really great job blending the white with the dark and light browns, and the Christmas lights really stick out too.

Articulation: As one would expect from a McFarlane figure (is it really even a figure) there is minimal articulation. Rudy has swivel hips (kind of), shoulders, and wrists. Though, you really can't do much with this articulation. He won't stand without the aid of his base.

Accessories: Rudy includes a large axe, which is nicely sculpted, and a snow base with a little skull to aid to the creepiness.

Overall: Rudy is already a very hard sell, considering he's a twisted Christmas figure, and with the lack of articulation there isn't a lot you can do with him, however he's still a lot of fun to look at and its nice to have some company for 'ol Saint Nick. If I had not already owned McFarlane's Twisted Santa Claus I doubt I would have picked up Rudy. The attention to detail and great paint on the sculpt really help push it up above an average figure. Though Christmas only comes once a year, Rudy can terrorize your collection year round if you are so inclined!