Review of Alice Liddle - Alice in Wonderland figure

Introduction

If you've been collecting action figures, busts and statues for a decade or two, then you know one of name Clayburn Moore. His original company, Moore Action Collectibles, produced action figures and other products for a wide variety of licenses, including Buffy, Angel and even Futurama. Today, the company is called Moore Studios, and continues the tradition, predominately focusing on lovely ladies.

Moore has a certain style that's all his own, and he is one of those artists whose work is instantly recognizable as his. Long legs, a small nose, and big eyes - even the hair has a certain Moore look to it.

Tonight I'm looking at his Alice Liddle, from Zenescope Entertainment's various "Wonderland" comics, all spun off from their "Grim Fairy Tales" series. There were several versions of this figure, and the one I'm checking out tonight is the standard release in the blue dress. There's a white dress that's a limited edition, as well as a red dress version that was a 2012 Convention exclusive.

You can pick this beauty up for around $25 at your local comic shop or directly through Zenescope. See the Where to Buy section for more details.

Packaging - ***1/2
While this is pretty standard cardback and bubble packaging, the artwork is beautiful. It has a very retro, 60's/70's flower child vibe, with lots of bright colors and an eye catching design. It's not collector friendly of course, but it does show off the figure quite nicely, and makes good use of the included comic book.

Sculpting - ***1/2
As mentioned, Moore has a certain style, and that style is fully evident here. For fans of that style, this figure is just about perfect. Others may look at this and see 1995 all over again, since that's when his work was all the rage.

Long legs, a bare midriff, and a cute little nose all highlight what is a very attractive sculpt overall.

This figure is about 6 1/4" tall on the base, making her a pretty big girl too.

Some of the detail work is a bit soft, like on the bodice, but there's no doubt (in my mind at least) that he has the female form down.

Paint - ***
The paint work is fairly standard stuff, with some minor slipping around the smaller details and a few of the cut lines. The work on the eyes and lips is good, and the skin tone is even, if a little clumpy in spots.

The regular release has the blue color more predominate than the costume on the cover of the included comic, but I think that's a wise choice. The blue offsets the white stockings nicely, giving the figure some pop in the color department.

Articulation - **
This is an action figure in the very loosest definition - it's really what I like to call a Nerd Hummel.  It has one pose, and that's about it.

The neck might appear to be a cut joint, but don't assume too much. The hair would restrict any sort of movement even if the joint wasn't glued tight.

There are cut shoulders however, and V style hips. The hips ensure you'll be able to get her to stand on the base cleanly, and the shoulders allow for some minor (very minor) adjustment of the sculpted pose.

Accessories - ***1/2
Something I've always found odd about Moore's figures is that they have little ability to use accessories, and yet they always provide plenty. While the former is a bit annoying, I still greatly appreciate the latter.

Alice follows that pattern. Her hands can sorta, kinda, hold a couple accessories, but with the limited articulation, they don't really work in a natural or flowing manner.

The most critical extra is her toadstool base. Without it you'll never get her to stay upright, but the base has two pegs, one for each foot, and works great. The sculpted 'shrooms look good, and the paint work is solid.

She also has the small bottle of elixir that allowed her to change size, with the 'drink me' label. It's very nicely done, with plenty of detail work differentiating the label from the bottle from the cork. The paint work could be a little better, but it's reasonable considering the scale.

There's the croquet club as well, scaled pretty well to her hands and height. She can't do much with it, but it's a cute addition.

Then there's my favorite add - the white rabbit.  He's cute and cuddly, and is posed looking up at Alice.  He can also hold things upright with his little paws, like the bottle.

Finally, they've included a nifty comic book, in case you need some background on this particular Alice. I've never been a huge fan of paper additions, but at least this one gives you additional background, and the cover art is gorgeous.

Fun Factor - **
Even ignoring the subject matter (can you imagine if the Florida mom saw this hanging at Toys R Us?), this really isn't designed to be a 'toy'. This is an adult collector's plastic statue, designed for a very specific market.

Value - **1/2
Most 6" collector figures are going for $20 these days, and that's the mass market, high production run stuff like Star Wars Black. Of course, they have better articulation, but they are also produced in bigger numbers than something like Alice. The $25 price point has been pretty consistent for several years now, and makes her an average value.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***
Clayburn Moore was one of the earliest sculptors working in the pure collector market, and his designs for comic book figures had a big impact in the industry. That style might not be your cup of tea, but there's nothing wrong with sexy. And sexy is one thing Moore knows how to do. He's done a solid job combining the Alice character from the comics with his own take on the female form, creating a blend that should please fans of both.

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

Where to Buy
You can pick up this Alice directly from Zenescope for $25. Of course you can search ebay for a deal as well.

Related Links -
Other goodies from Moore Studios include the Little Minxies, the Welcome Faith statue, various Futurama figures, and plenty of Angel and Buffy figures.

You should visit the Zenescope site for more info on the source material, and check out Moore Studios' main site to see more of their modern offerings as well!

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