or a decade, The Simpsons has been a consistently hilarious part of the television week. Seemingly unwavering in quality of writing and character development, lampooning and parodying every aspect of life in its time, it is destined to be remembered as one of television's finest half-hours.
Each year in October, the audience is given a treat: The Treehouse of Horror. This trio of short episodes takes us out of the Simpsons universe and thrusts us into the twilight zone, sending up well-known, and sometimes obscure, stories from the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres.
Playmates, previously known for its line of Star Trek figures, recently began producing toys based on The Simpsons' many characters. When attached to various connection points on several themed Intelli-Tronic playset environments, the small, accurately rendered figures (measuring from 3" to 6") trigger segments of that character's episode dialogue. The nuclear power plant and Apu's Quick-E Mart are just two of the environments available.
The latest entry in this series is the Treehouse of Horror. Set in Springfield Cemetery, the play base features details such as the headstones of Itchy and Scratchy, the show's violent cartoon cat and mouse. Creeping out from behind a third is the evil Krusty the Clown doll as seen in Clown Without Pity. Twisted trees frame a cemetery gate, appropriately off-hinge, topped with stone angels. In one tree is the gremlin from Terror at Five and a Half Feet. A cardboard backdrop features many more images from the series, including Marge as a witch, as well as aliens Kodos and Kang, who have appeared in each Treehouse episode. The set also includes four figures from various Treehouse vignettes--Homer as King Kong, Ned Flanders as the Devil, Mr. Burns as Dracula, and Bart as the Fly. The set is exclusively available through Toys R Us.
Bart the Fly lives!
This playset looks fantastic. The attention to detail parallels that same careful forethought that enriches each episode of The Simpsons. No small incident is forgotten, and in the case of this playset, they have included the evil Krusty doll and the gremlin. The cardboard background is throwaway. It enhances the set not a bit, and in fact the production shots of this toy don't bother to feature it at all. It is good for a passing glance as we see the cat Bart transfigured in Bart's Nightmare, as well as several other visuals from the various Treehouse episodes.
The figures are poorly articulated but well crafted. Montgomery Burns as Bram Stoker's Dracula is beautiful. Ned as the Devil is an amazing rendition. Bart as the Fly is accurate, and Homer as King Kong is rendered in grays to mimic the fact that the episode King Homer was presented in black and white. Each figure plays up to four crystal-clear voice segments that are as sharp and understandable as those of any toy I've ever heard.
Point for point, this playset has its problems, most of which could have been caught early in the design phase. For example, the figures sometimes have to be forced onto the contact points, and the relatively large Homer Kong has a hard time fitting on the play base. When Burns is placed on one of the pegs, he covers the triggering switch entirely. To fit him on another, one of the headstones has to be removed. Minor things, but each could have been corrected on the drawing board. Also, these figures and this playset are not compatible with others in the series, which is a pity.
Minor annoyances aside, this toy is ideal for Simpsons fans who have waited over a decade to whet their appetites for toys from the show.
