Action Figure Review: The Cultist from Legends of Cthulhu by Warpo

 

 In June of last year over at ThEpic Review I interviewed Bryan Katzel of Warpo Toys about their Kickstarter funded retro-throwback line "Legends of Cthulhu" which I had already backed. Well, just this past week I received my shipment of action figures from the H.P. Lovecraft inspired line and I'm pumped about showing these off to you good folks! Imagining that Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos served as an inspiration for a late 1970's/ early 1980's toyline, Warpo has brought us some of the coolest retro inspired action figures yet. Today I'm looking at the Cultist, a member of the Cult of Cthulhu who sits around chanting "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" in order to hasten the coming of Cthulhu, one of the Great Old Ones. Ready for a look? The join me after the break...

The Facts:
Height: 3 3/4 inches tall

Articulation: Swivel hips, swivel shoulders, and a swivel neck.

Accessories: Staff, dagger, ceremonial mask, and vinyl cape.

The Positives:

*While these figures are designed to look like 1/18th scale action figures from the late 1970s/ early 1980s, they're a bit different in style than Kenner's Star Wars or most of FunKo's ReAction line. The style reminds me more of Knickerbocker's Lord of the Rings line or Mattel's Clash of the Titans. I'm cool with that, though, as it works extraordinarily well with a fantasy based toyline. They're not as "flat" as some of the other retro lines and have some features such as bent elbows. A bit more dynamic and better for posing.

*The Cultist just looks awesome. He's very creepy with sunken, milky eyes and putrid skin. His crimson robes feature some nice detail such as a brownish sash and a black chain to keep them fastened. Of course, there's also a vinyl cape to seal the deal. It looks appropriately retro and feels fairly sturdy. I'm not sure I'd take this on and off repeatedly but I can't see accidental tearing being an issue.

*I'm digging the accessories this guy comes with. They're simple but they fit in his hands well and add to the disturbing yet retro charm. I really like the Cthulhu ceremonial mask! It fits snugly in the cultists hood and makes displaying him even more fun! Y'know, fun in a cultisty way.

*I don't often mention packaging but I will here. It's GORGEOUS! The portrait was done by Ken Kelly and it perfectly captures the feel of the toyline. Looking at this picture as a kid would have made me a sucker for these. It's just so epic, weird, and awesome!

The Negatives:

* While I like the staff, I like the staff that the photos from the Kickstarter campaign showed a lot better. I totally get that those were prototypes but the shape and paint scheme on that staff just had a creepier vibe to it.

     As a fan of horror toys and H.P. Lovecraft who has totally gotten swept up in the retro action figure movement, these toys are right up my alley. When picking up the Cultist you'll be struck by how he manages to feel exciting and new and yet still invokes memories of classic toys like the vintage Emperor Palpatine, Imperial Dignitary, Charon from Clash of the Titans, and Belloq in his Ceremonial Robes from The Adventures of Indiana Jones. The Cultist is wonderfully designed and should complement any vintage figure collection. He's an army builder so, with his two weapons and his ceremonial mask, it's nice that you can get a couple of different looks from him if you want to amass a huge collection of cultists. I'm not sure what Warpo's plans are for selling these to the general public but I'm sure they will be announced soon. As it stands, I'm giving the Cultist a Great rating. He's a really cool figure! I've got five more reviews coming from Legends of Cthulhu, so stay tuned over the next week and weekend for more Lovecraftian love here at Action Figure Barbecue!