n 1816, Mary Shelley, along with her husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and her sister, Claire, summered in Switzerland as neighbors of Lord Byron. The four, as well as Byron’s doctor, John Polidori, spent many rainy days indoors that summer entertaining themselves with volumes of horror stories. A challenge was issued for the four to each write a horror story. After discussing the latest scientific advances in galvanism, as well as philosophies of life, Mary Shelley began to talk about the possibilities of bringing a dead body back to life using these scientific techniques. That night she had a waking dream in which a creature, built from parts, had been brought to life by a scientist. The horrific creature scared her so thoroughly that she immediately wrote the core of one of history’s earliest, and certainly most famous, science fiction novels: Frankenstein.
In 1931, Universal Studios made a movie loosely based on Shelley’s novel, but the story held only a passing resemblance to the original novel. The star of the movie was Frankenstein’s monster, played admirably by Boris Karloff. The monster Karloff portrayed made such an impression on the public that its image has remained fresh in the public mind ever since.
Now Sideshow Toy brings that image to life in a 1:6 scale action figure that recreates Karloff’s terrifying monster to the last detail.
The figure comes packaged in a window box printed with a reproduction of the movie poster, as well as the complete movie credits on the inner flap, and a photograph of Karloff as the monster on the back. The monster has more points of articulation than just about any action figure on the market, and comes with pants, boots, shirt and coat designed to mimic Karloff’s costume. The box includes chained manacles, a jar with an abnormal brain, two daisies, and a small cobblestone display stand.
Mary Shelly would be pleased
Advances in 1:6 scale figure articulation have come in leaps and bounds recently, as collectors demand unprecedented posability, but this figure beats all comers. Featuring at least 30 points of articulation, most with multiple degrees of freedom, Frankenstein’s monster can be placed in just about any position a person could imagine. The added wrist articulation that allows for a unique "golf" grip is of particular interest. The elbows and knees are double-jointed for incredible flexibility. The ankle articulation has incredible range of movement, and even the foot is hinged near the toes. This is beyond the call of duty for an action figure designed to lurk in corners awaiting its next victim.
The face sculpt is nearly perfect. The resemblance to the movie’s monster is flawless, with its heavily lidded eyes, each exact bulge with correctly positioned scars, and the obligatory electrodes in the neck.
The coat is so cleverly detailed that the buttons are sewn on one side of the coat to simulate buttoning, except for the bottom-most button, which is sewn to the inner flap, as that button is not fastened. The coat is also padded at the back to provide a slight hunch for the creature. The quality of the clothing is as fine as any in a 1:6 scale figure.
The boots are elevated, as were Karloff’s in the film. The high platform soles allowed Karloff to tower over his co-stars, and this figure appropriately towers over other 1:6 action figures.
The "abnormal brain" and jar are great accessories, accurate right down to the printed label. The daisies recall a scene in the movie where the monster encounters a young girl throwing daisies into a lake. This is a touching addition. The manacles fasten over each wrist, with metal chain links between them. The stand is entirely unnecessary, as the figure can easily stand on his own, in almost any position imaginable.
