Time machine coordinates set for circa the mid-60's. Oh, The Beatles playing on the air, cultural and political norms being bent from all angles, and luminating from the tube, one of America's biggest CBS sitcoms stormed into the hearts of millions, The Munsters. Though it only ran for less than two years in glorious black-n-white it's cast is forever indellible to audiences even today. Starring Fred Gwynn (Herman) and Yvonne De Carlo (Lily) - many eyes were oft focused on the sharp comedic talents of Al Lewis (1923-2006) as Grandpa Munster. And that's exactly our focus today. Let's take a closer look at the action figure from Diamond Select Toys in his likeness:
Opening the package itself is like a fun treasure hunt as it is chock-full of wonderful accessories (as well as a few additional pieces that help build an electric chair if you collect all three figures in the series).
You get a separate cape of a vivid red interior (black exterior) that wraps easily and perfectly around the figures neck. a pegged plank to pose the figure, vials and potions (including "Rain", "Dragon's Blood" and "Love Potion"). This version includes an exclusive detailed accessory not available elsewhere. Watch our short video and Subscribe to our YouTube channel, or share some of your thoughts and comments!
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Set-up was a complete breeze, and it reminded me chemistry class in high school, except a lot more fun. There are countless options in the way in which you build the lab, and as you add figures from this and other series' you can build your own experimental laboratory. Imagine Dr. Emmett Brown visiting Grandpa? Or perhaps one of those guys from the Breaking Bad series? Apples & Oranges?
No detail was left alone, and as you can see the paint is quite spot-on. There are places for metallics, worn metallics, slight shade variations and just check out those eyebrows and black lipstick, love it!
From the back the figure resembles either a grim reaper of perhaps a famous sculpture in Portland, OR (lol).
The articulation is decent, especially in the knees and wrists. The mid-torso is somewhat inhibited by the clothing design and the head moves with some twisting, but no Linda Blair effect here (that's probably a good thing). Grandpa also comes with a batty friend who pops right into the back of his cape, and an additional hand holding a signature cigar! The likeness is excellent, not a zinger, but as close as you can get at this scale one would imagine. I'm particularly impressed with the hallowed grey-green skin facial paint and the wild hair design. Just a delightful figure all around. Oh, and there is another variation (see below), the Hotrod Grandpa (DST) - also waaayyyycool!
Ta-dah! Now, this 7" figure was released in 2012 by Diamond Select Toys where it is still in stock. And though it is hardly the spooktacular season, this figure endures year-round and is a MUST for callectors of classic television characters. I conclude this review with a few additional images of the lab, which includes a perfectly replicated "wooden" table and colorful books, viles, et al. Get this one, you will be happy ya did.