Background
There’s no need to fear…Underdog is here! The Underdog character was brought to life as a shoeshine boy/superhero. He changes in a phone booth (similar to Superman) and takes his special Underdog Super Energy Vitamin Pill to get his super powers.
Dark Horse has been responsible for bringing a number of retro cartoon characters into the vinyl realm. They might be trying to get the jump on the rush for Underdog related merchandise as there are plans for an animated film in 2007.
Packaging
The window-front box is somewhat average. There are a few cartoon drawings of the character inside, but no reading.
The Figure
FreeBento.com sent the 8” tall figure in for review. It is made of rotocast vinyl and has 3 points of articulation (arms and neck). The cape is made from a rubber-like material that can easily bend.
Our Opinion
Dark Horse has produced some pretty interesting rotocast vinyl figures
in the past several years. They have gone a route different from most
vinyl companies out there by selecting retro cartoon characters. Some
of them are hits: the upcoming Nancy figures as well as the Kellogg’s
character vinyls…and then misses: Little Lulu and Tubby. (Not because
they weren’t well made, because no one knows who they are)
Underdog is not a “premium” vinyl toy. It’s very affordable – at only
$17 – but there are some quality issues that follow that. There re
some minor paint issues around the face. But probably the most
apparent issue is the crease around the chin of the figure. You see
this often with vinyl figures, so it’s not exclusive to Underdog.
FreeBento has the Underdog Vinyl for $17.
Underdog Grades:
Quality: 6/10
Paint: 7/10
Durability: 7/10
Hype: 7/10
Fun Factor: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Overall: 8.4/10
