Toyfare Exclusive Swimsuit Leela
Posted 07/18/01
Overall score - *** out of ****

 (originally posted at the Comic Book Galaxy)

These were available through the magazine, as usual.  They've since sold out and are now shipping, but you should be able to find one on ebay or through your local comic shop.

Packaging - ***
When it comes to Toyfare exclusives, this is one of the best packages ever.  Occasionally they give you colorful, appropriate boxes, and that's the case this time.

The box is sturdy, with great graphics and text.  You can easily see the figure, and there's plenty of room inside to store the accessories.  Best of all, you can open it up without any damage to the box.

Sculpt - ***
If you bought the original Leela, you've seen this sculpt before.  The head and body are identical - nothing new was done for this exclusive in sculpting.

Articulation - ***
The Futurama figures show off MAC's best attempts at articulation.  With tons of joints, this whole line is great in this department.  Unfortunately, the joints are very weak, and it looks like the arms and wrists could fall off very easily.

Paint - **1/2
The paint ops on this line, and on this exclusive, are not quite what they could be.  This figure is better than I had anticipated though, and the swimsuit lines are very crisp.  The flesh tones are a bit thick, and even lumpy in some spots, but overall it's better than I had expected.

Accessories - ***
She'd get more stars than that if this wasn't a repaint.  She comes with the two blasters, Nibbler, and sandbox for Nibbler.  Also, the same planetary base is included, but at least this is repainted in completely different and attractive colors.

Value - ***
It's been so long since I ordered this, I'm no longer sure what it originally cost.  I'm guessing $15, although the newer Toyfare exclusives have gone up in price.  Considering that includes shipping, which is usually $3-$4, it's not a bad deal.

You shouldn't be paying more than that at your local store, although with the original order sold out you may end up getting stung.

Concept - **
This is the most basic type of exclusive, the simple repaint.  However, at least some repaints make sense, like the Radioactive Homer.  This one simply doesn't, since this outfit has never been on the show, and it's not even in character for Leela to wear something like this.

Surprisingly, Leela has a great butt.

If you're a big fan of the show, this exclusive is worth $15.  I wouldn't go hog wild and sell the farm just to buy one on ebay though.  If they do skyrocket in price, wait a few months and they'll drop off again.

I suspect this line will end up coming in a close second to Playmates Simpsons line as my overall favorite for 2001.  It's certainly my favorite MAC line, and I'm hoping we'll see a second series soon.