Background

The BlowUpDolls line is Jamungo’s uber-popular platform figure line. First released in 2006, it’s one of the more successful blind-boxed series available. And with the recent release of BUD Series 3, they’ve added some new sculpts, different artists and plenty of impressive characters to the line.

The Facts



BlowUpDolls Series 3
Series: BUDs
Manufacturer: Jamungo
Material: ABS Plastic
Dimensions: 2.75” to 3.75” tall
Points of Articulation: 8 (neck, shoulders, wrists, waist, and legs) Designs/Artists: Gohsted/FERG (8.0%); Crappy Cat/VANBEATER (7.0%); BUD 3/VANBEATER and FERG (8.0%); Son of Ar/KENN MUNK (8.0%); Doom Drip/AESTHETIC APPARATUS (4.0%); Red Devil secret/MUTTPOP (2.3%); Nitro Hell/JIM KOCH (8.0%); Flame Trooper/FRANK KOZIK (3.0%); Assistant for Cosmic Perception/JESSE LEDOUX (8.0%); Rowdy Buddy/YUCK (8.0%); Hurley Magic Vomit Mouth/JON BURGERMAN (8.0%); Leif/PEDINI (8.0%); Le Big Bang/SAUERKIDS (8.0%); Acid Bud/SUPERDEUX (8.0%); not pictured – The Mighty Dinero/MAD (2.6%) and Secret Chase/BRIAN MORRIS (1.0%)
Outfit: Gohsted – mini G hoodie; Doom Drip - cape
Accessories: Each bomb design includes a match; Crappy Cat – broken bottle

Packaging

Like the two previous series, Blow Up Dolls Series 3 is blind boxed in a sturdy, rectangular cardboard box. There’s a trippy BUD design on three of the sides, and an illustrated list of the figures you might pull on the fourth.

Inside, the figure is packaged within a metallic bag (a pre-cut notch makes them easy to open). Each piece includes a card that shows the various figure possibilities, the artist, name of the design and odds you’ll get that design.

Our Opinion

I’m often indifferent when it comes to blind-boxed lines. But Jamungo’s BlowUpDolls has always been a personal favorite. And while some lines have lost their luster with time, Ferg and Van Beater have concocted a recipe for success – release a new series every one to two years and make sure all of the designs are kick-ass. And it’s those reasons why Series 3 is the best BUDs series to date.

So, if you look at the very first photo at the top of the review, I’ve actually assembled the figures from favorite to least. Below, I’ll run down some things that I liked about specific designs. But, I first wanted to give a brief overview of the line. While the majority of the designs use the bomb head template, there are some flame head figures, and the addition of two new heads – Crappy Cat and Gohst.

It’s no surprise that our first three designs are from Ferg and Van Beater. These are their babies, so it makes sense that they know how to use the design to perfection. The Gohsted is my personal fave due to the great little removable hoodie that covers his GID body. I actually like this smaller version of Crappy Cat much better than the large vinyl iteration. And how cool is the BUD3? The plastic actually has red glitter specks mixed in, to give it a great look.

While plenty of the other designs were impressive, they couldn’t compete with these three. Frank Kozik released his FLAMETROOPER, and if you remember, Series 1 had a BUDTROOPER and Series 2 saw the NADETROOPER. The Doom Drip character added a cape with an elastic collar, which brings another element to the line. And Kenn Munk’s design is possibly the best use of the flame head I’ve seen.

So are there any duds? (No pun intended) I can only point to the Superdeux design. And that’s because it’s hard to miss. I believe George from Toy Break mentioned that his first impression of Series 3 wasn’t positive because of this one design. And I agree that this one figure really draws your gaze because of the bright colors used.

However, I’m still super impressed with this lineup. Platform toys rarely have consistently strong series. But Jamungo appears to be hitting their stride with their BlowUpDolls Series 3.

For wholesale inquiries, contact DKE Toys.

You can pick one up at the following:

Dragatomi: $9.99 ea.
Frozen Empire Toys: $8.95 ea.
Tainted Visions: $8.95 ea.

BlowUpDolls Series 3 Grades

Figure Quality: 8/10
    Sculpt: 8/10
    Paint: 9/10
Accessories/Outfit: 9/10
Packaging: 8/10
Durability: 8/10
Fun Factor: 10/10
Value: 8/10

Overall: 9.4/10
Gohsted/FERG: 9.5/10
Crappy Cat/VANBEATER: 9.3/10
BUD 3/VANBEATER and FERG: 9.3/10
Son of Ar/KENN MUNK: 9.2/10
Doom Drip/AESTHETIC APPARATUS: 9.0/10
Red Devil secret/MUTTPOP: 8.9/10
Nitro Hell/JIM KOCH: 8.8/10
Flame Trooper/FRANK KOZIK: 8.7/10
Assistant for Cosmic Perception/JESSE LEDOUX: 8.4/10
Rowdy Buddy/YUCK: 8.4/10
Hurley Magic Vomit Mouth/JON BURGERMAN: 8.3/10
Leif/PEDINI: 8.1/10
Le Big Bang/SAUERKIDS: 7.9/10
Acid Bud/SUPERDEUX: 7.3/10