MAGGOT ZOMBIE & FOREST SPEYER

 

Just in time for the release of the very first Resident Evil, ToyBiz released theyr "Videogame Super Stars" line featuring the succesfull Survival Horror game. With a history of releasing Marvel yoys, this serires was a little bit different to wath ToyBiz had done before. It was actually a little bit different to anything at the time since it was pretty gory and grotesque and the only brand that release such horro figures at the time was McFarlane Toys.

Releasing packs of two characters and based on the very (and only at the time) game, the series had the main characters Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine facing against a Cerberus dog and a Web Spinner spider. The thirs pack tough didnt had any character from STARS but instead two creatures, the Maggot Zombie....that in fact is the general zombie we keep seeing on the game pretty often and Forest Speyer, in fact an STARS member but turned into a living dead.

This monsters are in the same escale as Figma or other small action figures at the time tough Forest Speyer is actually shorter that the Maggot Zombie, the same heigh as Jill. But unlike the heros and theyr monsters, this guys cant stand at all!!! Forest is designed to be attached to a base soo i guess theres not that much problem here, but the Zombie have his feet sculpted like he is walking and its very VERY VERY difficult to mange him to stand!!!

Good thing is that he is soo small and ligth he is not going to broke easy from a fall. The Maggot Zombie is articulated on the neck, shulders, legs and knes, less artiulated than Chris and Jill and this time his shoulders are just a cut joint limiting him even much more. Forest Speyer only have cut articulations on his shoulders and they are conected to his action feature, soo he is even more static than the Zombie.

This are based on the Capcom artowkr that came in the game´s boocklet tough is really nice to see how close they look to theyr in game models as well. The Zombie is really good looking, his head is melitng away and i love the ribs on his chest, he is decaying pretty fast. His arms have no skin soo you can see his muscle tissue mixed with bones (specially on his hand) and lots of maggots around. His shape is pretty crooked and his lab coat is made with soft plastic (a pretty nice detail for something from the 90s!) and have a hole on the back to show the Maggot Zombie open back and spinal cord.

The paint is really good, very dirty with his decayed flesh in a brownish color but the best pat is all the blood on his clothes and the stains of blood on his back and lab coat, a dry and old blood that looks more brownish too mixed with the white of the bones and the maggots to give a pretty revolting and realistic look. Much more realistic than Chris and Jill.

Forest Speyer sculpt is really fantastic as well, specially considering the tiny size of this figure!! His body is twisted in a painfull way and heis missing a big piece of flesh on his chest to reveal his ribs. My favorite part is his arms toughm with the sculpted muscles and big pieces of flesh missing. His face is way too good....his expression is lost and...well...dead, the missing half of his face and disjointed jaw are soo grotesque.

The paint on his body is extremelly simple tough wath shines in here is the gore, the fresh blood on his wounds - unlike the Maggot Zombie - is brigth red and constrast extremelly well with his pale and wax looking skin. His hair on the damaged side is weet with blood and his eyes are yellow with green pupil. The level of detail in both the paint and sculpt is really stuning!!

There is no accesorys here escept Forest base. The base is as tall as he is and is just plain brown with some tree trunks and roots. There is a half eaten crow there too wich is a nice detail but the whole base is extremelly bladn and very plastic looking and contrast too much with the super detailing of Forest. 

His action feature consist on him coming out to life. Just insert the pegs of the base to Forest boots and lay him down. There is a small level at the side of the base, push it up and Forest Speyer stands up back to life again!!! Theres a horrible looking buttom on his back too soo when pushed down, his arms go down soo once he stands up from the ground, his arms are rised in a pretty fast motion.

I hate the button and the proces is soo simple and yet the effect is really good, specially for an wasy to impress kid. The Maggot Zombie action feature consist on the ability to remove his arms and dismember him once he is shot by Chris or Jill. The arms bones arent painted and its a cute effect for display but is not as nearlly as shocking as Forest Speyer movement.

This Resident Evil ToyBiz figures are soo odd, they had all the quicks of a kids toy like action features, cheap materials, huge weapons with spirng shotting motion and ath the same time the level of detail and sculpt was much more for an adult collectible as well as the dark and gory nature of the subjects, half way to wath McFarlane Toys used to do.

I mean i used to love all monsters and all horror when i was a kid and i adored this guys but at the same time i found them specially upsetting and disturbing, specially Forest Speyer, he leave a pretty strong impression back then soo i dont know how all the other kids took this figures.