Sing it together: “Tha Simpsooooooons….Da da da, da DUH da da, duh dadada!” It’s time for a new toy company to try. It’s been a long time since the very first short-lived figures from Mattel, followed by Playmates’ super-comprehensive World of Springfield line, McFarlane’s dioramas and barely poseable celebrity sub-line, and most recently, Super7 Ultimates. Super7 recently lost the license to all things Disney, and that now includes Homer and his clan. But don’t expect any merchandise gaps for The Simpsons, as Jakks Pacific‘s first new figures are already up for preorder on Amazon.
Springtime for Springfield
Jakks is taking a dual approach, similar to how they handle video game licenses. For playability — though not by toddlers who can still swallow things — there’s a 2.5-inch scaled line of figures and playsets. These kick off with a double-sided Simpsons house diorama. The outside features a bit of lawn for display; inside, there’s a dial-operated mechanism for characters to chase each other, a button-activated couch cushion, and a lenticular TV set. The set comes with Homer, which is a touch redundant given that the family figure set you’ll need to populate the house also comes with Homer in the same outfit.
It looks like the figures feature articulation at the shoulders, neck, and hip — they can sit down, but not move the legs independent of one another. The set includes the whole family, plus Snowball II and Santa’s Little Helper, all for $19.99. which is also the price of the house.
Jakks will also launch a 5-inch collector line, which may turn out to be scale-compatible with World of Springfield. That’s a smart call if true. But the license isn’t limited to figures — we’ll also see a Treehouse of Horrors talking Krusty doll and a Moe’s Tavern prank phone.
Take a look at some images below. And now that the article’s over…
“Shhh!”
