DC Comics Statues and Busts: August 2020

2020-08-22

Funko Rock Candy Custom Red Alice (Beth Kane) Vinyl Figure

DC Comics Red Alice (Beth Kane, Batwoman's twin sister)

As I gathered information about all the Funko Rock Candy figures that have been released, I realized that the Monster High Draculaura has clothing similar to what Red Alice wears in the comics. Her umbrella handle is even in the shape of a bat!

I used MS Paint to create a crude mock-up. After studying how Rock Candy heads could be removed from their bodies, I decided that cutting them with a knife was better than using brute force. (I recommend doing this after you've put the figures in an opaque cardboard box and let them sit outside in the afternoon sun for a few hours. This softens the plastic and makes it easier to handle.)

And here's Red Alice!

Since I had extra heads, I decided to have some fun. :)

Funko Rock Candy Vinyl Figures: Ideas for Customs

I don't have an arts/crafts background, so I don't usually modify the statues/busts/figures that I buy. My painting has been largely limited to minor touch-ups. However, a while ago, I painted a regular Rock Candy DC Bombshells Batgirl so that she would be mostly black and yellow. The colors looked nice, but my paint job was a bit sloppy. I ended up painting her bare waist, shoulders, and upper arms by accident, lol.

Since it appears that the Rock Candy line has ended, I'm going to attempt making a few customs. I'm going to avoid painting if at all possible, instead favoring minor parts swaps or removals.

I saw this custom Hit-Girl on the Internet. It's made from the Classic Supergirl body and the Barbie Astronaut head.

Seeing the custom Hit-Girl made me realize that Barbie Astronaut's head could be used for other characters, such as Kate Kane (Batwoman). Batwoman's long "hair" is actually a wig that's part of her mask/cowl. Kate Kane usually has short hair in her civilian guise.

Beth Kane, aka Alice or Red Alice, is Kate Kane's twin sister. It makes sense to get another Barbie Astronaut head to use as Red Alice.

Someone made a custom Nubia using Classic Wonder Woman and Afro Barbie. He used a metal rod to reinforce the neck, which is probably a good idea.

I got some loose Rock Candy heads on eBay to study and possibly use them. The Marvel ones are easy to remove from the bodies since they're attached via springs, though it's also more difficult to re-use them. You have to use a plastic or wood post to construct a solid neck. You may also want to get some clay to fill the empty space.

Some of the heads had plastic inside the head holes. It's obvious that twisting the heads to separate them from the bodies was not a good idea. Fortunately, I was able to use a drill to remove the distorted/warped plastic.

Some figures have necks that are their own small, separate pieces.

In some cases, if insufficient or weak glue was used, you might be able to pull a head off the neck without any plastic breaking. (This is especially true of the Teen Titans Go! Raven, which despite its large head, has a very short neck peg.)

Eventually, if I'm feeling ambitious and have free time, I may work up to a custom Batwoman. I would re-paint a Classic Black Suit Batgirl and swap the head with the retail-wide Dark Phoenix's head. I'm not sure what to do about the mask, though, as clay looks rather rough and unprofessional.

2020-08-19

Funko Rock Candy Vinyl Figures: An Appreciation (2016 - 2019)

I have several Funko products, though I'm nowhere near the collectors who have entire basements or garages devoted to displaying them. Rather, I limit myself to Batgirl Pops, Mystery Minis, and a few other pieces of characters I really like, such as Nightwing, Batwoman, Huntress, CW TV Arrow's Speedy (played by Willa Holland), and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. However, when Funko announced the Rock Candy line in February 2016, I decided to buy even the non-Gotham characters, too. (The Barbies looked great as well, though I didn't want to start buying random figures solely because they looked appealing.)

Amy Pond could be Barbara Gordon. ^_^

To me, Rock Candies are the best-designed Funko line. Although the heads are over-sized in relation to the bodies (like other Funko lines), they're almost proportional. The faces are expressive, and the amount of detail is great for the price. They mix-&-match well with other Funko lines, such as the Mystery Minis DC Heroes and Pets animals. Retail-wide Rock Candies were originally available for $10 - $12, with exclusives selling for $15 - $20.

Hot Topic exclusive Jim Balent Catwoman

with cats from Mystery Minis Heroes and Pets

Classic Harley Quinn with hyenas from Mystery Minis Heroes and Pets

Hot Topic exclusive New 52 Suicide Squad Harley Quinn

(with Target and Walmart variants)

DC TV Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) (subscription box)

Gal Gadot Wonder Woman

The first Rock Candies to arrive in stores were based on DC Comics characters. Next came a wave of eight Barbies based on Barbie dolls throughout history. Eventually, the line encompassed Marvel Comics, Disney animation, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and several other properties. Some figures were store exclusives, and others were available via subscription boxes.

Jessica Rabbit and DC Bombshells Black Canary

Unfortunately, Rock Candies did not appear to sell well. I saw them at places like Barnes & Noble, GameStop/ThinkGeek, Hot Topic, Target, and Walmart. Physical stores ended up clearancing them for $5 or less. There were times when I was able to use coupons or vouchers and get them for free at GameStop or Hot Topic. A lot of excess inventory wound up at Half Price Books, too. Gemini Collectibles seems to be the final repository for whatever stock Funko could not unload.

While everyone likes scoring deals, we also have to acknowledge reality. It's not usually sensible for a business to keep making/selling products at a financial loss. Funko tried to keep the line alive in part by changing the packaging from 7x4x4 boxes to smaller ones with hanging tabs. (The smaller boxes took up less shelf space but were also easily damaged due to careless employees or kids yanking them off of metal hooks.) Some characters were made in limited numbers to avoid saturating the market. Unfortunately, it appears that the line ended with the June 2019 release of DC Bombshells Starfire, which was available at the Emerald City (Seattle) Comic Convention and Funko.com.

Collecting tchotchkes can be a brutal hobby. Rock Candy She-Ra, a San Diego Comic Con 2016 and Funko.com exclusive, was limited to 1250 pieces and sold out immediately. It now regularly sells for more than $120 on eBay. Many fans were disappointed, so Funko upped the production run for DC Bombshells Starfire to 3000 for ECCC 2019. A year later, Funko transferred remaining inventory to Gemini Collectibles, which now sells it for $8.99 (albeit with a limit of 1 per order). I originally paid $15 each for four of them (plus shipping) back in March 2019.

There's a wide price variance for Rock Candies on the secondary market. Excluding protos, She-Ra seems to be the grail. Jessica Rabbit and Disney's Pocahontas are rare/pricey, too.

At the other end of the spectrum, you'll find:

DC's Enchantress (based on Cara Delevingne in the live-action Suicide Squad movie) (GameStop box exclusive)
DC Bombshells Black Canary (Target box exclusive)
Marvel's Mystique (subscription box exclusive)
Marvel's Dark Phoenix 1 (subscription box exclusive)
Marvel's Dark Phoenix 2 (retail-wide)

Sometimes, these sell for so low that after fees and shipping, sellers are basically paying to get rid of them.

I don't know why Funko made two Dark Phoenixes in the same outfit. Furthermore, based on what I've read, the first version has a leaning issue due to the way the legs are positioned. I think the fire base should've been used for the first version to help with stability. Also, the flames are pointing straight up, whereas the second version's hair is being blown sideways. That second head sculpt could've been used for another character. Maybe Batwoman? ^_^

I don't want readers to think that I'm dancing on the Rock Candies' grave. Rather, I have started to buy non-DC characters since there's no danger of falling into a bottomless pit. Basically, I'm buying ones that can pass for DC characters without me making modifications. Just a for example -- Anna from Frozen is a good substitute for Misfit (aka Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe). Misfit is one of Barbara Gordon's (aka Batgirl/Oracle) proteges.

The Thirteenth Doctor looks like Maggie Sawyer (a police detective who's dated Batwoman). Tomb Raider Lara Croft looks like Renee Montoya.

I know that Monster High Clawdeen is supposed to be a werewolf...but couldn't she pass for Cheetah opposite the DC Super Hero Girls version of Wonder Woman? :D