Figure: The Keeper
Bio:
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Unnamed_Talosians#Magistrate_.28The_Keeper.29
OR
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Balok
Wave: DST Mego Reproductions Wave 4
Body style: Standard Mego body w/ fabric clothing
My first exposure
to the classic Mego figures came with the first classic
episodes of Twisted Mego Theatre in the early issues of
Toyfare. Basically this was an early precursor to the
current episodes of Robot Chicken which are equally
hilarious. Toyfare’s main character was the Mego Spider-Man
and his Marvel fiends. However, the characters of Star Trek
routinely made appearances usually centering around Kirk’s
famous line of “KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN!!!!!!!” or something
to that effect. From that point forward I always had a like
for the style of the Mego figures in general. Being that I
am a child of the 80s, I never owned a Mego figure during
their first run but I have bought Mego styled figures that
I’ll talk about in future reviews.
In any case, DST
partnered with EMCE created a reproduction line of Megos
aimed at collectors. These are intended to be faithful
recreations of the original Mego style. However, the line
has grown beyond Mego’s releases and has begun to introduce
previously unreleased characters to expand the original list
of characters produced. This line also caters to collectors
through their packaging. Each figure comes in its own
re-sealable clamshell case. The casing essentially protects
the retro card that is inserted behind the figure. The one
problem with this is the clamshell also serves as the
blister for the figure so there is no way to display just
the figure on a blister card. It seems to me that DST took
many steps to avoid having these figures be confused as
original MOC Megos and this type of packaging is an example
of that. I’m also a bit confused by the instructions as to
how to properly open the re-sealable casing. If following
the instructions on the package to cut along the top, it
leaves an unsightly top edge but also gets rid of the
hole-punching that some may use to display the figure and
clamshell. Another option is to simply pry apart the two
halves of the casing. This sometimes ends up in damaging
the edges of the casing. I really don’t like either of
these two options because both don’t effectively get the job
done especially for collectors. My suggestion would be to
create a casing more like those used for Star Wars and GI
Joe special edition figures. It’s essentially the same
style of casing but instead of sealing the two halves
together, they are taped on three of the four sides. This
allows for a simple cutting of the tape and possible
opportunity to reseal the package as well.
The card itself is
reminiscent of the original cardback used for the first
series of figures as seen in the Scotty figure below
The Keeper’s card
does deviate from the original version because it is
essentially homage to this. The new card adds a few more
characters in circles that also appear in the new DST line
such as Sulu and Chekov. My one complaint about this is I
would have liked to see the old “Aliens” card-back used to
accurately reproduce the original look.
I think this would
have been a much cooler look that a lot of people looking
for nostalgia may have appreciated. The back of the card is
also a complete departure from the original Mego style.
This portrays reproduction figures in various action poses.
It also gives a little history about how Mego got started
and what the relationship to history the original figures
have. I think the style fits with the retro theme but once
again I would have preferred a more accurate retro
depiction. DST obviously went with a standard card to cut
down on production cots and to give the line a more uniform
look, both reasons that I can respect in this situation.
When looking at
the figure itself, I will be tackling the review from two
perspectives. The first way will answer the question “How
accurately was this figure reproduced from the original?”
The second way will look how accurate the figure is in
relation to the original TV show. The Keeper figure is
probably the most interesting because the name of the figure
implies that he is a Talosian. Obviously the figure does
not come even close to portraying that character! The
figure resembles Balok’s puppet from the episode “The
Corbomite Maneuver.” This puppet/character was a little
more well known because it appeared in the credits of the
TOS episodes so a casual fan would probably recognize the
character. Being that the character is just a puppet does
present a few problems because I don’t know many kids that
would run out for a “Balok’s Puppet” action figure.
However, portraying it as a real alien called a Talosian
(who in my opinion have a somewhat boring look compared to
the puppet's look) it would probably appeal to more kids
despite its inaccuracy. DST has kept the same name on the
figure to recreate the retro feel.
The original
figure came in two different shades of orange. This new
figure recreates the lighter orange robe coloring. The head
nails the original exactly right down to the way in which
the eyes and mouth are painted. The robe is also sown in
the same way as the original. My one complaint is that the
white cloth is a bit thin and the blue from the figure’s
body does bleed through. A thicker cloth may have been
better to prevent this from happening. Since I do not own
an original Keeper figure I’ve been looking at reference
pictures and it seems as if the DST version’s robe does not
hang as low as the original Mego. With the DST version, the
ankles of the figure can’t be seen whereas the original
figure’s ankles are obscured by the robe. The only other
item to note on the robe is how the robe connects in the
back. The robe utilizes a snap to close the neckline but as
the picture below shows, it does completely close the robe
along the back.
The construction
of the figure itself also recreates the original Mego
style. The figure has 16 points of articulation using the
same methods of connection as the original figure. One
thing I was impressed by was how strong the plastic felt.
The figure has a bit of weight to it that I was not
expecting. The plastic also has a very smooth and shiny
finish to it that makes it easier to slide the clothes on
and off the figure.
In conclusion, I
very much like the reproduction of the original Keeper. I
have very few complaints about the figure or clothing
because I think both are very faithful to the original Mego
figure. The packaging however could have been better. My
biggest complaint is the design of the clamshell packaging.
There’s just no real good way to open it to keep it in a
near mint condition. The way the card is inserted into the
packaging also deviates from the original figure/card back.
Finally the card insert itself also is not a faithful
recreation of the original card that The Keeper was released
on. Overall, I would recommend buying this figure if you
are interested in the Mego style of figures.
Positives:
Faithful
recreation of the Mego style
Figure seems
durable
Clothing is easily
taken on and off
Accurate
recreation of the clothing and likeness to the original Mego
Negatives:
Clamshell hard to
open without damaging
Construction of
clamshell/insert does not allow for display of figure on a
card/blister
Card insert is a
new design of DST that is not the same on which The Keeper
was originally produced
Cloth robe is a
bit thin that allows blue from underneath to bleed through
Rating:
out of 5 stars.
As Always
The author wishes to thank the Mego
Museum for the wonderful classic photos used above. You can
visit the Mego Museum at
Mego Museum
webpage design by
http://www.fhc-webdesigns.com
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