Wednesday, October 09, 2002
Gross Anatomy
I'm all for really detailed, articulated action figures. But Clive Barker's Tortured Souls Series really goes too far (WARNING: this link is not for the squeamish).
Clive Barker has a eye for horror, both psychological and physical. His concept of hell and torture are some of the most disturbing images since H.R. Geiger. And Todd MacFarlane Toys has gruesomely translated these ghastly visions to three dimensional plastic. It's sick and depraved, and I don't want them anywhere near my house, but I respect that someone might find them entertaining and would want them to act as bookends for their subscription to Fangoria! However, I do have to object that they appear to be part of the normal Todd MacFarlane Toy line. Which means they will probably end up on the shelves at Toys R Us and local comic shops. I, for one, don't want to take my kids to the toy store and find action figures representing human mutilation and massacre - how do I explain the joy and wonder in THAT to a toddler? I don't know what the solution would be - perhaps Toys R Us could create a 'mature' toy section (insert joke here) or MacFarlane could suggext doing packaging that does not reveal the contents completely (Barbie and G.I. Joe do it, why can't they?). All I know is these are actionfigures that could give me nightmares, and I'd like to keep my child from just happening over it.
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