Funko Mystery Minis Horror Classics Series 3: Slimer

Today we take a look at a new release from Funko – Series 3 of the Horror Classics Mystery Minis have hit the shelves, and this time I decided to kind of avoid the whole kerfuffle of searching in-store for individual figures by just ordering a box.

There’s been some interesting choices of characters this time, with the emphasis heavily on classic/retro horror – only Twisty the Clown (American Horror Story: Freak Show) and Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) are from media released in the last twenty years.

But Slimer is possibly the most curious inclusion; Ghostbusters is a horror film, I guess, but something about this doesn’t seem quite right. He didn’t do a whole lot in the original movie, but he was a pretty focal point in the cartoon spin-off, which was very much geared towards kids. I liked it when I was young, but I’m sure it would drive me up the wall these days. Still, I guess it’s cool to see them going for left-of-field choices.

So, basically this is Slimer, but Mystery Minified. You can tell it’s him, but it does feel oddly generic, like a knock-off rather than an official product. Maybe that’s because we’re only seeing him in isolation, rather than with, say, the Librarian Ghost or a Stay Puft Man. Maybe future series will correct this? 

In spite of this somewhat generic feel, Funko have obviously put a lot of care into him. His slimy base is a separate piece, cast in translucent plastic rather than just making him all one colour. The paint apps on his teeth and tongue are nicely executed too. Also, his but is oddly detailed – was the original puppet like that? I can’t remember, but it is oddly fitting for the character.

I was kind of...bummed out...that this figure wasn't better

Overall? Not bad, but I’d be disappointed if I’d picked him out of a blind box solo. The other figures in this series are great, and Slimer suffers by comparison as a result. For my US readers, there is a Hot Topic exclusive version of this series, and the Slimer in that set glows in the dark. It’s a shame they didn’t make this standard, but at least it wasn’t something ridiculous like a 1/72 chase or something. Glow makes everything cooler, and I imagine it’s no exception for this figure.

POP! Movies - Stay Domo Funko POP! (Domo X Ghostbusters)

Series: POP! Movies

Year: 2015

RRP: $16.95

Ghostbusters is one of those films that I really like, but don’t feel like I love as much as I’m “supposed” to. Lots of my friends were obsessed with it as children, but I didn’t see it until 15 or so, and didn’t enjoy it. But I watched it again in my early 20s and thought it was fantastic. So I’m a fan, but I don’t think I own a copy and I’m still yet to see the second film. Maybe I just came to it too late in life, and it just didn’t make the impression on me that, say, Star Wars did. 

Yet just the other week, I found myself in a local EB Games store and spotted Stay Domo on the shelf. I had a bit of store credit handy, so I decided to take the plunge.  

Domo-kun has picked up a lot of mainstream popularity in the last few years in the Western world, thanks to a combination of a Western fascination with all things Japanese and clever marketing. He began life as the mascot for NHK, a Japanese television station, but has now generated a large market of products that seem to be centred solely around his cuteness.

As you might assume by the name and license, Stay Domo is designed to look like Stay Puft were he Domo-kun. He is heavy. Lacking the hollow head of his fellow POP compadres, he is a satisfyingly chunky piece of plastic. But he balances nicely, and you shouldn't have any issues with him falling over -- unlike Ant-Man.

Now to paint – in news that will not shock anyone who’s read any of my previous POP reviews – is pretty sloppy. His mouth isn’t completely filled and the blue on his napkin is quite fuzzy around the edges, particularly on his back. It would have been pretty normal a few years ago, but these days it's a little below Funko's average. 

There were three POPs released as part of this series; Stay Domo, Domo in a Ghostbusters outfit and Domo as Slimer. All of them are cute, but Stay Domo and Slimer are the best. But why a Domo/Ghostbusters crossover? Well, last year was the 30^th anniversary of Ghostbusters, so I assume that’s the connection, however tenuous it may be. Though were we to draw a Venn diagram of Domo fans and Ghostbusters fans, I’m not sure how much overlap there would be.  

Nonetheless, it's intriguing enough to catch the eye and my attention -- as evidenced by my purchase. I'm not sure how long he'll stay in the collection, but he's an amusing novelty in the meantime.