Background

The last time we saw Erick Scarecrow’s Old Skool Kaiju collection, we were introduced to its first vinyl figure - Dizign.  While that character appeared to be less of a monster and more of a superhero, the second – newly released - figure comes off as purely evil.

Muraida, ESC-Toy’s most recent release, doubles the membership in the OSK line.  And while having a spraypaint can turn into a monster is obviously not old skool, this figure can mix it up with most of your kaiju figures.

Packaging

The packaging for this figure is similar to the other released Old Skool Kaiju piece – Dizign.  The pink and black box features a drawing of the Muraida character.  There is a plastic windowpane in the front (sunburst shape) and the side (rectangular).  Inside, the figure is secured between dual, interlocking plastic trays.

The Figure

The Muraida rotocast vinyl figure stands approximately 10” tall and has 6 points of articulation (shoulders, elbows, knees).  The newest character from the Old Skool Kaiju line appears to be either a melting (or exploded) spray paint can.

The piece has a combination of green, painted vinyl as well as semi transparent green vinyl on the feet.  The Radioactive Green colorway, one of two versions that have been released to date, is limited to a run of 200 pieces.

Our Opinion

When it comes to this figure, the first thing I must applaud is that ESC-Toy kept the price point under $50.  That’s a great price for a vinyl figure that’s nearly a foot tall.  And when you add in that this design is one of Mr. Scarecrow’s best to date…it gives us further reason to celebrate the Muraida vinyl.

The sculpting work and paint application are both well above average for a vinyl piece.  The spraypaint can nozzle with the still flowing paint and the character’s tongue are two spots I’d like to single out.

If there’s one thing I might change, it’s the sneaker.  I know that most of Erick’s work features characters with large footwear, but it doesn’t really go with the rest of the figure.  I would love to see what it looks like with an oozing right foot that matches the left one.  And speaking of the feet, they did a great job transitioning the clear green vinyl feet up into the painted body portion of the figure.

It’s all of these reasons, plus the fact that it’s a killer character design, that I’m fairly confident saying it will make our top 10 list of best vinyl figures of 2008.

For wholesale inquiries, contact DKE Toys.

You can pick one up at the following:

Frozen Empire Toys: $47.50

Tainted Visions: $49.95

Muraida "Radioactive Green" Grades:

Quality: 9/10
Paint: 9/10
Packaging: 7/10
Durability: 9/10
Hype: 8/10
Fun Factor: 10/10
Value: 10/10

Overall: 9.6/10

Have this figure?  What do you rate it?