"What Does the Fox Say?" Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch figure Review II

continued from previous post...

"The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)", is an electronic dance song and viral video by Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis. The video was posted on YouTube on September 3, 2013 and has over 174 million views as of October 29. Currently, "The Fox" is number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest-ranked song by a Norwegian artist on the chart since a-ha's number-one song "Take on Me" in 1985.

This toy blog post is not about the song by Ylvis but the timing could not have been any better haha. These foxes are part of the 1/6 scale accessories that came with the recently released Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure (see my first part review HERE). Foxbox Studio's previous releases of Hermes and Hades do not have any creatures accompanying them but Inari does because taking inspiration from Japanese folklore, Inari is after all a god of foxes, among other things. Scroll down to see the rest of the pictures. Remember to click on them for bigger and better views :)

The two foxes are almost identical but not quite. One of them is actually baring its teeth in a snarling gesture while the other's mouth is closed and not showing teeth.

They are both cast in a low crouching stance and look aggressive and threatening

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest of the true foxes and the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America and Asia. I think these two are based on the red fox species.

Red foxes are often together in pairs or small groups consisting of families, such as a mated pair and their young, or a male with several females having kinship ties.

It's nice that Foxbox Studio included these foxes with their God Complex: Inari 1/6 scale figure

The timing of its release couldn't have been any better with the current craze over the Fox song haha

NEXT: Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch figure with his Kitsune Rod and these foxes come together

Related posts:
Every dog has its day and G.I. Joe's Snake Eyes pet wolf 1/6 scale Timber has its own post HERE
"Fetch that Cobra!" Hot Toys 1/6 scale G.I. Joe Retaliation Snake Eyes figure & pet wolf Timber posted HERE
Review MC Toys 1/6 scale Trialmaster Leather Jacket suit for "I am Legend" 12-inch figure with German Shepherd named "Sam" (pictures HERE)

Phicen Limited 1/6 scale Heroine: Black Fox in Fire 12-inch Female Action Figure Preview

From a god of foxes (see previous post) to a foxy lady ;p

This is an upcoming release by Phicen Limited: it's their 1/6 scale Heroine Black Fox in Fire 12-inch Female Action Figure. Gotta admit, the female head sculpts are getting better with each new release. We don't call them dolls because (A) they are not wearing dresses, (B) they carry guns and (C) they look like they can kick a$$ but you have to pardon their sense of dressing. It's just Phicen's way of showing off their seamless female body that has no visible joint lines. One can't do that if the figure is fully clothed e.g. Hot Toys Selina Kyle Catwoman and The Avengers Black Widow 12-inch female figures - they can show off their curves even though they are fully covered - now that's SEXY! You can see the pictures HERE.

Phicen Limited 1/6 scale Heroine: Black Fox in Fire 12-inch Female Action Figure will come with the following Outfit and Accessories: Seamless body in large bust size, 1/6 scale Head sculpt, Replaceable hands (4 pcs / 2 pairs), Siamese underwear, Siamese leather skirt, Necklace, Wrist protector, Back pocket, Clip package (3 pcs), Walkie-talkie set, Belt, Canister holder, Left-leg holster, Right-leg holster, High-heel boots, Dogleg knife, Interphone, Pistols, Pistol clips, Canister 12 pcs, Modular plug shotgun, Submachine gun. Scroll down to see the pictures.

Review 1: Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure - It's just WOW!

We break from regular programming to bring you this latest report :)
Foxbox Studio God Complex Inari 1/6 scale figure is OUT! And he looks FANTASTIC!

Backstory:
High strain between the Rulers and the humans can be felt throughout the Earth. However, in the exotic land of Nippon, a different atmosphere took place. Undeterred by the human's highly advanced technology and science in the region, both races live in harmony. The Rulers race in this region are a philanthropic bunch and using their connection to nature, they helped the people of Nippon to get back on their feet after their dark and traumatic past. In many places of the land, the humans built many temples in honor of their deeds, and more than one-third of the temples are dedicated to their favorite Ruler, Inari.

Inari shares many similar characteristics with one of the Ruler of Hellenic Republic, Hermes. They are not only similar, they know each other quite well. To quote the words of Hermes to Inari: "A guy as lucky as you, I better have you on my side."

God Complex: Hermes was the first 12-inch figure to be released by Foxbox Studio back in October 2011. You can check out the reviews HERE, HERE and HERE. Hermes was followed by God Complex: Hades, released a year later in 2012. See the pictures and reviews HERE, HERE and HERE. Scroll down to see the rest of the pictures of this latest release by Foxbox Studio: 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure.

According to wikipedia: Inari Ōkami (稲荷大神, also Oinari) is the Japanese kami (god) of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea and Sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal kami of Shinto. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of swordsmiths and merchants. Represented as male, female, and/or androgynous, Inari is sometimes seen as a collective of three or five individual kami.

Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure comes in a very sturdy white box which has two compartments. Opening it reveals the description of Inari: "Inari is among the most fortunate of all Rulers. It is believed that many who follow after Inari will also experience great fortune, thus the reason he has many followers. He never let his stature to shadow his purpose and he walks among people as one of them, never to let them turn into zealots. Rumor has it that the Kitsune Rod on his right arm is his tool to annihilate misfortunes."

The left compartment opens to reveal the 1/6 scale accessories that come with God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure: two foxes, four extra hands (two pairs - one pair of fists, one right hand for holding his Kitsune Rod and another left open palm), Kitsune rod with dual "blades". Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox. There's also a red envelope that contains some collectible cards with Inari artwork.

The right compartment opens to reveal Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure.

Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure comes fully dressed in black round neck T-shirt under his cool white jacket, dark gray pants, black socks and dress shoes. He also comes with a red scarf around his neck. The scarf had metal wires inside so that it can be manoeuvred for poses.

Scroll down to see the turnaround views of this Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure.

Ever since I first saw the initial GodComplex designs by Bryan Lie back in March 2011, I've been bowled over. And he keeps hitting them out of the park with each new design concept. You can read more about the concept and story at his site HERE

I find the concept of combining civvies (civilian garb as opposed to a military uniform) with armor (be it a helmet head plus other body armor) very refreshing and adds a new dimension to everything else that's out there.

With this concept, there's no worries about running into copyright infringement issues as compared to if they were to use a particular famous person's head.

On the other hand, without any reference to movies or famous people, the product itself will have to work extra hard to garner interest and demand.

I don't see any problem with this product line at all. Foxbox Studio together with Bryan Lie has produced something no other company has released so far in the 1/6 scale market and theirs is still a very refreshing and new look even three years on.

Sure, it would be GREAT if more wonderful figures like these were produced and released but as it is, I've three of them now and each of them is just as good, if not better, than the previous one released.

I just love the whole look and the design of these characters / figures. They look GREAT on paper and they look even BETTER in 3D as a full fledged 1/6 scale 12-inch figure!

Just WOW!

Scroll down to see the close-up pictures / views / images of the Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari head (armor helmet?). The design is just beautiful!

To make the head / helmet resemble a fox and with the armored look is just clever design.

The red scarf is a nice touch to complement the red lines (etchings) of the God Complex: Inari head / helmet

Back of Inari's head / helmet

Here's a look at the Kitsune rod with dual "blades" assembled. The four extra hands are also shown in the picture below as well.

There are three Inari collectible cards that come with this figure as well as a Certificate of Authenticity and another card with credits given to the artist and some simple instructions on how to switch the hands.

Last but not least, Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex: Inari 12-inch Collectible Figure comes with two foxes. More on these creatures in the NEXT post.

Related posts:
God Complex: Hermes 12-inch figure by Foxbox Studio reviews HERE, HERE and HERE.
God Complex: Hades pictures and reviews HERE, HERE and HERE.

Happy Halloween with Jack Skellington from Tim Burton's 1993 The Nightmare Before Christmas

Halloween or Hallowe'en, also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It initiates the triduum of Hallowmas, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed believers.

Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related "guising" or "trunk-or-treating"), attending costume parties, decorating, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. (source: wiki)

What better way to celebrate Halloween on Toy Haven than with Jack Skellington. Jack Skellington is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack is the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town and lives in a fantasy world based solely on the Halloween holiday. It’s been 20 years since we all saw the pumpkin king on the big screen. Scroll down to see more pictures, including the other 11 Jack Skellington heads that came with this 2005 released NECA Deluxe Jack Skellington with interchangeable heads toy figure.

The box itself is no biggie, just a plain black box with window display showing off Jack and his extra 11 interchangeable heads, each one with a different expression. This NECA Deluxe Jack Skellington with interchangeable heads toy figure was released in 2005. It was touted as "the first action figure of its kind. No other figure has come with so many different heads and with such high articulation at this size."

NECA Deluxe Jack Skellington is 14 inches tall, and besides a total of 12 interchangeable heads, is said to have 19 points of articulation. Jack certainly needs help standing ;p NOTE: clear display stand is NOT included. I had to use it for Jack to pose and take pictures.

The head that Jack comes with (pictured above) is the most famous and common smiling head. Then there's the scary head (picture below). Scroll down to see the rest of the heads

These Jack Skellington heads were created to change Jack’s expression during stop-motion animation and used in the filming of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach (as “Captain Jack”).

This faithful reproduction of the various Jack heads is really something :)

The Nightmare Before Christmas, often promoted as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a 1993 American stop motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to "Christmas Town" and decides to celebrate the holiday, with some dastardly consequences. Danny Elfman wrote the film score and provided the singing voice of Jack, as well as other minor characters. (source: wiki)

The Nightmare Before Christmas originated in a poem written by Tim Burton in 1982, while he was working as a Disney animator. Disney considered developing The Nightmare Before Christmas in 1982 as either a short film or 30-minute TV special. The studio eventually shelved it for being “too weird.”

Disney decided to produce the movie after the success of Burton’s films Beetlejuice and Batman. Disney then released the film under their Touchstone Pictures banner because they thought the film would be "too dark, and scary for kids."

The film earned $50 million in the United States on its first theatrical run. Since then, the film has gone on to receive widespread critical acclaim. On October 20, 2006, Walt Disney Pictures reissued Nightmare (no longer under Touchstone) with conversion to Disney Digital 3-D.

The film was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Nightmare Before Christmas won the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film, while Elfman won Best Music. Selick and the animators were also nominated for their work. Elfman was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. The American Film Institute nominated The Nightmare Before Christmas for its Top 10 Animated Films list.

Well done, Jack Skellington (wink wink)

The long list of accolades do bring a smile to his face haha

Look who is having the last laugh now XD

And here's a motion capture gif image of some of Jack Skellington heads

As Jack Skellington would probably say "Happy Halloween everyone :)"

More than 400 distinctly different Jack Skellington heads were used for Nightmare Before Christmas so these 12 heads are only the tip of the iceberg!

Sources:
18 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About "The Nightmare Before Christmas" posted HERE
20 Crazy Facts About The Making Of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in honor of the movie’s 20th anniversary posted HERE

Related posts:
January 19, 2009 - Pirate Jack from Walt Disney Pictures "James and the Giant Peach" posted in my toy blog HERE
December 24, 2009 - T'was the night before Christmas with Jun Planning 16-inch Jack Skellington as "Sandy Claws" posted HERE
October 31, 2010 - Happy Halloween from Jack the Pumpkin King (pictures HERE)

NEXT: More poses of NECA Deluxe Jack Skellington with interchangeable heads toy figure. It's a treat ;p