Masters of the Universe Classics gives AFB Crabs!

Well, crab singular...

I’m more behind than usual with my Masters of the Universe Classics reviews, so I’m going to do some short and sweet posts on single pieces instead of my usual pairs to try to catch up. Up tonight is Clawful, and he’s a very easy piece to write about because he’s great fun!

Prior to this release I had some vague knowledge of Clawful as a MOTU character, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the classic toy in person - he definitely came out after my brief childhood flirtation with the original line had ended. Thanks to good old Google Images, I’ve been able to have a look, and this new version is a fantastic update of the classic that had gone before.

Something that may not be noticeable at first glance with this figure is the detail that has gone in to the use of different textures on this figure. I particularly love the sculpting work that has gone in to his armor / vest. The ridges and textures that create the front and back panels of this are lovingly detailed, and supported by a great paint job for a very realistic and deep look. This is very nicely constructed action figure.

Underneath the armor, there is a bubble / scale pattern that covers Clawful’s upper chest and shoulders which is also used on his head and claws. His feet are also scaled with a slightly different pattern. All of this detail makes this a beautiful figure, and shows where the dollars go in a line is basically using the same buck time and again. I like the way that the Four Horseman have established Clawful as a mutated crab by extending the scaled area further down his body from the head as opposed to the original which looked more like a guy in a crab mask.

Speaking of Clawful’s claws, they are something to behold. His right claw is the large claw and it is articulated with a hinge, allowing Clawful to be able to hold objects. It’s a neater articulation than the original version, which had a large gap in the middle of the claw to allow it to open. The MOTUC version creates the opening claw effect without taking away from its aesthetics. It doesn’t stay open very well, but this means it closes fairly tightly on anything you want to place there. Clawful’s smaller left claw is also articulated, something that appears to be different from the original. This allows him to hold his green staff, which appears to have been held by a strap that slipped over the right claw. Clawful also has a fantastic shield which can attach to this wrist.

One thing I’ve read a bit of criticism about this figure is his eyes, which are very cartoonish with large whites, dark outlines and thick black eyebrows above. It’s a faithful reference to the original figure and I think it’s good fun. I can see where some might argue that it’s quite different from other characters in the line, but when you look back at the original line this was also the case. Something I think the Four Horseman have done exceptionally well in this line is update the classic figures by maintaining a truth to the spirit of the originals without being slavish to them, and I’d argue that Clawful’s cartoony eyes are a part of the spirit of the figure rather than just a detail. This was a good call in my book!

For someone who never had a full He-Man experience as a child (wait, that sounds wrong...), I continue to be amazed by how much this line draws me in. Clawful has definitely been one of the highlights of the 2011 MOTUC Subscription for this collector!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter theOctober AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!