Background
If you watched the 1 minute 47 second long short from Erick Scarecrow and ESC-Toy, you were introduced to the character of Wet-Suit Maria. Previously, we've seen Soopa Maria released in resin form, but after she was chased into a river by a Mousey Micci...things changed.
Erick Scarecrow and ESC-Toy released the original green Wet-Suit Maria vinyl figure at New York Comic Con 2010. And there have been a pair of other colorways released to date.
The Facts
Wet-Suit Maria
Manufacturer: ESC-Toy
Artist: Erick Scarecrow
Material: Rotocast vinyl
Dimensions: About 6" tall
Points of Articulation: 1 (neck)
Edition Size: 300 pieces
Packaging
The Wet-Suit Maria figure is packaged in a rather colorful box. Pretty much every color in the rainbow is on this packaging. There's a small plastic window cutout in the shape of Maria's head on the front, and random musings on all parts of the box. Inside, the figure is secured between two snapping plastic trays.
Our Opinion
In recent years, Erick Scarecrow has been focusing the majority of his efforts on small run resin releases. But that doesn't mean that he has forgotten his vinyl fans. With the Wet-Suit Maria, we see a character who was originated in resin come to vinyl form.
Looking at the figure, the first thing you think is...how soon before this thing falls over? I'm happy to say that's not even an issue. It balances perfectly. I'm not sure how...but it does.
So, Maria is supposed to be in a suit that looks like a frog. At least I'm guessing it's a frog. What's great is that the suit and the face are sculpted in two separate pieces, so you get the look like she's really inside of that wet-suit (and there's no problems with a paint line there). The only sculpting issue I have is the visible seam that's on the visible heel. This has to do with the leg being rotocast, and they covered it up using the scaly texture.
All of the paintwork is tight. I can't tell if the signature on the back of the head is real or part of the production piece (it looks that good). And the yellow hands stand out, since they are the only part that features glossy paint.
To date, there have been three different Wet-Suit Maria versions released. In addition to the standard green colorway that we're looking at, ESC-Toy has released the red Maguma Hawaii exclusive and the white Buru Daiba Tomenosuke exclusive.
OVERALL: Erick Scarecrow has released some of most popular designer vinyl (and resin) toys out there. He always has something new up his sleeve, which was the case with the Wet-Suit Maria. He had a professionally produced short touting the figure release. And I'm not sure which is more impressive, the figure or the short.
You can pick one up at the following:
Wet-Suit Maria might be available again in retail some time in the future, but currently isn't. She did sell for $55.00 at NYCC10.
Wet-Suit Maria Grades
Figure Quality: 9/10
Sculpt: 9/10
Paint: 9/10
Accessories/Outfit: N/A
Packaging: 8/10
Durability: 9/10
Fun Factor: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: 9.3/10
