Review of IT - Pennywise
Toony Terror Action Figure

Introduction

NECA is a company that likes to try new things. Go back to their roots and you'll find lots of bobbleheads and coasters, and every assortment of licensed tchotchke. Eventually they focused in on action figures, but even with that focus continue to look at all sorts of scales, styles, and themes.

A new theme is the Toony Terrors. The concept is simple - what if our worst monsters were on a Saturday morning cartoon? For those of you too young to remember, Saturday morning was once the time slot for all the best in kid's animation. NECA is re-imagining dark, murderous killers in a style reminiscent of these shows.

The first wave is shipping and includes Freddie, Jason, and both versions of Pennywise - 1990, and 2017. The second wave is up for pre-order, and includes Leatherface, Pinhead, and Michael Myers. Expect to pay around $13 - $15 each, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
The packaging is attractive, but fairly basic. Yes, you'll have to tear it up to retrieve the figure, but that's not surprising.  One unique feature is on the back of the backer card itself, where they've printed a backdrop for the figure. A backdrop on the back of the backer, if you will. For this version of Pennywise, it's a library shelf full of books.

Sculpting - ***
We haven't gotten a lot of 1990 Pennywise collectibles, so pretty much any of them are welcome. This design works alright with the character, although it's less obvious what they were going for than with, say, Jason. I believe that's because of the already cartoony nature of this clown design, and for those that remember him, Pennywise reminds me a lot of Bozo here.

The animated style also means less detail in the sculpt. There's some nice work in the hair, but most of the other surfaces are smooth, with only large features - like the pom pom buttons - to break them up. That's normal for cartoon figures, and fits in with the theme.

There's not much articulation, so the sculpted pose is quite important. He has a 'welcome to the big top' stance, and the expression exposes his evil intent, thanks entirely to the creepy eyes and eyebrows.

He stands just over 5 1/2" tall with the bent knees, and these are generally considered a 6" scale.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint operations are surprisingly neat and clean for a mass market release, particularly with a first wave of a new series where they are often working out the kinks.

The colors are bright and vibrant, and the majority of the edge lines are clean. There's a little slop here or there, but nothing extreme and certainly nothing like most figures in this price range and style.

Articulation - **
They aren't going for much articulation, similar to most other cartoon lines. You can turn the neck and get a very slight amount of tilt, and the shoulders and wrists are cut to allow them to turn as well. I was surprised the ankles couldn't move, but again, it's pretty similar to many other cartoon lines.

Accessories - **
This version of Pennywise comes with just one accessory - his red balloon. The 'string' is a fairly sturdy wire of course, perfect for posing. There's a small hole in between the closed thumb and first finger on the right hand, designed to hold it.

Unfortunately, you'll need to widen this hole quite a bit, otherwise the rubber coating on the wire will simply push up as you try to insert it. Once I had it in place, getting it to remain straight was tricky, but you can do it.

Fun Factor - **1/2
If you're looking to add some creepy terror to the cartoon shelf, these guys are the perfect addition. On their own, they aren't as much fun, with limited articulation and not too many accessories. But put them together to create a unique display, and this score improves.

Value - **1/2
You're paying about what you expect for this style and size action figure. The $13 price tag at Target seems appropriate, and I'm going with an average value here, which regular readers know won't affect my personal Overall either up or down.

Things to Watch Out For -
As I said, you'll want to expand the hole between the fingers slightly to get the wire to slip through, but otherwise you should be good.

Overall - ***
This is an interesting first wave, and with the second wave they seem to have hit all the big players right out of the gate. It will be interesting to see if they announce a third wave, and who they might have in store. Perhaps a Predator?

I'll be checking out the other Toony version of Pennywise as we get closer to the release date of IT 2.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - **
Accessories - **
Fun Factor - **1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
I have seen them show up at Target where they are around $13 each. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the set of four for $52 as well.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Pennywise items include the new 2018 versions: Well House, the exclusive, as well as the first regular release. There's also the 1990 Tim Curry version also from NECA.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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