It’s Getting Toth in Here as Space Ghost Turns Up the Heat on Mezco’s One:12 Collective

Is there anyone that doesn't love Space Ghost? Hands people, let's see them. Okay, you're all excused. Space Ghost rules and I will accept no other possible outcome. Those of you still with us, prepare to be amazed with quite possibly the best Space Ghost collectible that's ever been made. And definitely the creepiest Blip.

In my lifetime, there have been but two attempts at making a good Space Ghost figure before Mezco's crack at the character in the One:12 Collective line. Art Asylum's Space Ghost: Coast to Coast (complete with desk and chair) was definitely aimed at a specific audience, but was a solid sculpt with good articulation. The same could be said of Jazwares' take, which was much more rooted in the more traditional Hanna-Barbera style and came with a funky Blip. Neither touches what Mezco's doing with its take.

The sculpt and design for this figure is positively in line with Alex Toth's designs, and despite being a modern take on a cartoon from the '60s, still maintains Toth's signature minimalist animation aesthetic. The more straightforward a design is, the more challenging it is to realize as an action figure. That doesn't appear to have been too much of a problem for Mezco here, though adhering to that old school animation does leave the head sculpt just a tad bit on the generic side. Aside from the silhouette it provides, Space Ghost's head didn't have many defining characteristics though. If Mezco took too many liberties, it just wouldn't have the essence of the character.

Space Ghost will come with a number of different ray attachments (Force, Freeze, Destroyer and Magma) to make it look like his powerbands actually work. He'll also have a few different hands for posing, including one to touch the button on his bands. As you can see in the pictures of the prototype included, the different accessorization options all look cool, and provide a number of different posing opportunities. The cape even has a wire inside to keep it in position whether you want him flying about or just to have the cape flapping in the winds of space.

Blip has some definite Monkey Shines style going on, and while I appreciate his little articulated self coming in the package, that face is going to give me nightmares. I'd still rather have this slightly more realistic Blip than the awkward Jazwares one, but he looks more demented than playful in this set. He's a good deep cut for fans though, and I'm sure it won't be long until he has some new fans thanks to Future Quest.

The One:12 Collective Space Ghost figure is available for pre-order now for $70, and is expected to arrive between November and December this year.

PS --- Jazwares' Hanna-Barbera line was dope. It had Hong Kong Phooey, Tom and Jerry, Captain Caveman and Secret Squirrel, just to name a few. If you ever wanted a Rosie the Maid figure, you can still find them cheap on secondary markets.