ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected

Here’s one to explain to the missus.

Sideshow Toys has an ongoing series of 16″ tall comiquettes which explore the most powerful females of the Marvel Universe, as envisioned by Adam Hughes. The thing about Adam Hughes is that in his Universe, everyone has gigantic breasts and no one really bothers covering them up. It’s everything that keeps comics from being taken seriously, and it’s everything that keeps a certain audience of fans coming back for more. DC Comics produced a line of a dozen mini-busts based entirely around Hughes’ art and the obvious ‘bust’ pun that’s irrevocably entangled with female comic characters. But I digress.

Hughes’ sexually overcharged Black Queen actually surprised me. Fully decked out in S&M gear the likes of which we haven’t seen since McFarlane’s Twisted Fairy Tales, whip and all, the Black Queen follows previous 1/5th-ish scale figures of White Queen, Black Cat and Rogue, all selling in the $150 range for 16″ of sexy polystone. Beyond the questionable content, Sideshow’s stuff is always beautifully made, and this one is scheduled to ship in Spring of 2009. The Sideshow Exclusive version will include a bonus print of Hughes’ original artwork.

Some potential ways to explain this to your girlfriend :

• The Dark Phoenix Saga was an amazing comic event. (She won’t know any better – it’s comics and it wasn’t about shoes or cooking!)
• It’s an homage to the recently deceased Dave Cockrum.
• It’s a companion piece to Sideshow’s White Queen comiquette.
• It’ll surely increase in value so I can buy you that fancy wedding ring.
• It’s an icon of female empowerment. Like Rosie the Riveter… but with enormous boobs. Of power.

You’re welcome.