AIRBOY

LONGBOX HEROES (FRESH MONKEY FICTION)

Okay, how about just a little bit more on the almost-Super Powers figures? I sure do like that particular style, don’t I?  Last week, I returned to Longbox Heroes with another Tick figure.  Today, I’m keeping the Longbox love going another week, but this time with a rather more obscure character.  Fresh Monkey Fiction’s last comic-based retro line, Amazing Heroes, leaned pretty heavily into the public domain Golden Age heroes, while Longbox was almost entirely populated by proper licensed characters.  Jason “Toyotter” Geyer, who did the sculpts and packaging designs for the line, has shown off that a number of public domain heroes were considered, and mocked up, but ultimately shelved in favor of the line-up we got.  We did, however, get one public domain entry, Airboy.  First appearing in 1942, Airboy was, unsurprisingly, an aviator with a costumed identity.  He never quite took off (heh) the way of others from the era, but has seen a few revivals over the years, and, hey, he got this action figure, too.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Airboy was released as part of the second round of Longbox Heroes Series 1.  He was the bonus figure, offered up to people who ordered the full sets when all of the singles made it to production.  The figure stands about 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 9 points of articulation.  Airboy’s sculpt, like the rest of the line,  is courtesy of Jason “Toyotter” Geyer, and it has a number of parts in common with several of the Rocketeer related figures from the line (something that no doubt helped him getting chosen for inclusion, especially since he’s a bonus figure).  He shares his legs with all of those (hard to go wrong with the aviator pants, right?), and shares his arms with the rocket troopers.  His torso was ultimately shared with the enemy pilot from the boxed set as well.  The head remains unique, and is actually Geyer’s second take on it.  Per his own words, his original looked “a little too much like some cynical biker,” so he revisited it to be a little friendlier and truer to the original appearances.  It’s a fun, “gee-wiz” sort of sculpt that also feels really at home with the general style.  That windswept hair in particular just really hits the mark for me.  Like the Rocketeer figure, Airboy is totally painted, which is ever so slightly un-Super Powers-y, but at the same time, the paint’s handled pretty well, and the colors are nice, so I can’t really complain too much.  Airboy is packed with a display stand and a sword.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I, regretfully, didn’t back the whole Series 1 set.  I wanted to.  I really did.  But, monetarily, it just wasn’t in the cards, so I focused in on my favorites.  That meant I missed this guy.  I have no particular attachment to the character, but I dig his general vibe, and after having gotten so many of the Amazing Heroes, he feels like a logical continuation.  Thankfully, I was able to snag a trade-in, and I got an okay deal on him at that.  He’s quite a fun little figure, and I’m definitely glad I got a second chance on him!

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.