Out of the Toybox (65): Pre-Christmas Clean-Up

Before Christmas, of course, you must do some housecleaning. So this post features a few related but anomalous figures from the same bin that I’d like to get out of the way before I really start. It may seem strange to have Christmas stuff in October, but that is just the luck of the draw as I delve into my storage.

First of all is Uncle Deadly from The Muppet Show (2005, Palisades). You’ve already seen the ghost that accompanied this figure in Out of the Toybox #63. How it got sorted into this particular bin is beyond me at this distance of time.

Not my own action figures here or from this bin, but a few of my nephew Kameron's toys that I've admired and envied. Along with the Scooby Doo villains there are two of the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean figures (the ride, not the movies) that I think are most available at the theme parks themselves. Kameron got very enthusiastic about my project and kind of hinted that I should take pictures of HIS hoard as well. A project and a prospect that daunts me; his pile in some ways rivals my own. One thing at a time, though.

Figures that come from the 1971 Rankin/Bass Easter classic Here Comes Peter Cottontail, released by Diamond Select in 2001, but acquired by me in the ‘Wunderjahr’ of 2008. The only one missing from the set is Dolly, who came with Bonnie the Bonnet.

My favorite of the set is “Seymour S. Sassafras … voiced by and modeled on Danny Kaye. Ol' Seymour reminds me of a certain type of character that was fairly pervasive at the time I was growing up. Archetypically, this kind of guy was a combination of The Wise Old Man and The Trickster; sartorially he was reminiscent of the travelling medicine man. Helpful, clever, and creative, with an impish sense of humor, he would often help and test the main character at the same time.” – 2008, Power of Babel. But the deliciously evil Irontail (voiced by Vincent Price) was a close second.

A collection of ‘smalls’ that came with many of the Christmas action figures, including Rudolph, Peanuts, Year Without a Santa Claus, and other Rankin/Bass characters. Figures unjointed, which disqualifies them from being ‘action’ in my eyes.  Their series are coming soon.