Background
Possibly the most influential graphic artist of his generation, Gary Panter is the creator of Jimbo, a post-nuclear cartoon character whose adventures were first chronicled as a comic strip in the '70s LA hardcore-punk paper Slash and later in RAW magazine.
Dark Horse produced the first ever toy based on Panter’s cult favorite - Jimbo. And if you haven’t heard of Jimbo, you might know a character that was based on him – Bart Simpson.
Packaging
This is the most impressive packaging that Dark Horse has created for a vinyl figure. It has dual window panes (front and back) that show off both the Jimbo figure as well as the cover of Panter’s included book detailing the production process.
The Figure
The Jimbo vinyl figure is approximately 10 ¼” tall (including base) and
has 2 points of articulation (shoulders). The accompanying base has
pegs that the feet fit onto (similar to 80’s action figures). Jimbo
includes a tattered t-shirt (it screams Spicoli from Fast Times) and a
tartan loincloth. The loincloth is held on with a thin rubberband, and
if you’re man enough to remove the loincloth, you’ll get a peek at
Jimbo’s manhood. Yep! He’s anatomically correct.
The figure also includes a 32-page color illustrated paperback that
chronicles the process of creating the vinyl Jimbo figure and its
packaging. The book is definitely an interesting read and you’ll think
to yourself…”why hasn’t anyone else done this?” Both the book and
figure (only packaged together) and limited to a run of 750 pieces.
Our Opinion
I hadn’t heard of Gary Panter’s Jimbo comic character before seeing the Dark Horse produced figure. I had known about Panter’s work with
the always entertaining Pee-Wee’s Playhouse television show, but it’s
interesting to know that Jimbo was the character that Matt Groening
based Bart Simpson on.
The actual figure is one of Dark Horse’s better-produced vinyls. The
sculpting work by Yoe! Studio is well done and final version reflects
what Panter had in mind for the figure. I believe what makes the Jimbo
figure special (no…not his tallywacker) is the book that accompanies
the figure. It details the entire process and really gives you a peek
at something you don’t often see.
You can pick one up at the following:
Panik's Toy Box: $49.99
Jimbo Grades:
Quality: 8/10
Paint: 9/10
Durability: 9/10
Hype: 8/10
Fun Factor: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: 8.4/10
