Review of Johnny Test action figures

Introduction

Kid's love to collect - it's been true since I was a kid, and it was probably true when my grandfather was a kid. I collected comic books and baseball cards...he collected rocks and sticks. Or so he liked to say.

Companies have tapped into this desire to have a complete set of something that appeals to us all along, and tonight I'm looking at one such example based on the popular WB cartoon Johnny Test (it switched to Cartoon Network a few years back). The show has a pretty simple premise - Johnny is a none too bright goof ball with a talking dog and two older twin genius scientist sisters. Pretty much just a regular kid.  His sisters use him as the test subject for their wacky experiments, and much mayhem ensues. 

These experiments alter Johnny in all kinds of weird and amusing ways, making him ripe for a ton of variations in figures.  The company Imports Dragon, who also bring us the Trash Pack, Zelfs and Shopkins, have a very large line of tiny PVC figures available through multiple retailers.

There are 80 in total, and they are each only about 2" tall. You can pick them up in two packs or 4 packs at various mass market retailers like Toys R Us or Wal-marts.

Packaging - ***
As I mentioned, they come in 2 packs or 4 packs, but I'll be looking at a pair of the 4 packs tonight.  Each pack comes with 1 (or 2) figures you can see, and 1 (or 2) figures in a blind box inside the bubble. While I'm not a huge fan of blind boxing, this is a reasonable compromise.

The packs are attractive, and you an easily see the figures you're supposed to be able to see, along with any accessories.  Inside is a sheet that shows all 80 potential figures, as well as their relative rarity. They also provide an exchange program, where you send your figures in and ask for others in return. It's an interesting idea, and I'm looking to find out more on how well it's gone.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Yes, there are 80 of these, and the are broken into 'themes'.  There's Everyday Johnny (which includes one of Johnny mooning you); Experimental Johnny; Frozen Johnny; Robots Johnny; Sick Johnny; Sporty Johnny; Subatomic Johnny; Undercover Johnny; Wild Beasts Johnny; and the super rare Gold Statues.  While its predominately a line of Johnny Test variants, there are a few of his pooch and his arch nemisis in the mix.

I received eight: Biohazard Johnny (wearing the bio suit of course); Shocked Johnny (just his green skeleton); Lady Johnny (with the long hair); Werewolf Johnny (looks like a werewolf, duh); Ahoy Johnny (the pirate); 60's Star Johnny (white Elvis suit); Zombie Johnny (green zombie); and the special Gold Johnny.

These are tiny PVC figures, much like the old gumball machine style toys. They are all about 2 inches tall, so the amount of detail in the sculpts is actually pretty impressive. The range of choices is also quite impressive, unless you're a parent trying to help your kid finish the set.

Most of them stand fine on their own, but a couple required some poster tack on a foot. They all have holes in one sole to allow you to use a stand (or the skateboard - more on that in a minute).

Paint - ***
While they won't win awards, the detail and clean lines are quite good for such a small figure. Colors are consistent, lines are sharp, and there's a lot of tiny details that have been included. There's a little slop here and there - you'll only notice it in macro photos - but overall I'm quite impressed.

Articulation - Bupkis
This is informational only - I didn't expect these to be articulated, but I wanted to make sure you didn't expect a cut joint here or there.

Accessories - **1/2
Not all the packs come with extras, but there are a number of different skateboard designs that are also include with some of the sets.  I got one in each of these 'deluxe' 4 packs, and they work great as stands too.  There's a post that can be inserted into the foot of almost any of the characters, allowing them to ride the board.

Fun Factor - ****
These are a lot of fun - great variations on a cute character, with plenty to collect.  And that's the key to the 'fun' here: kids are going to want to collect these.  They've also produced a couple vehicles to go along with them, providing some more of the traditional play value.

Value - **1/2
The two packs run around $7, while the 4 packs are around $12 - $13, all depending on the retailer. That's a pretty average price these days for small figures like this, and by reducing some of the headache of the blind boxing, they help with the value as well.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. Don't try to force any of the arms or necks, as they did seem a little brittle to me. But they should be able to stand up to normal play.

Overall - ***1/2
Johnny Test has never gotten much in the way of merchandise, so kids who are big fans of the show have been left out.  These are a lot of fun for them to collect, and the quality is quite high considering the scale and the price point.  If you know someone that's a fan, young or old, you might consider introducing them to this series...as long as you're not the one that's going to get stuck hunting them all down.

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

Where to Buy 
Your best bet is at Target, Toys R Us, or another big retailer of that sort. You can search ebay for a deal as well.

Related Links -
The show hasn't had a lot of merchandise - this is my first review of anything related to it. However, you should check out the Imports Dragon site for more info.

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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